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He narrowed his eyes at me, Dracula clawing up his suit. “Why did you lock me down there?”
We were silent for a moment, a layer of tension in the air. I scrunched up my face and laughed. “I didn’t lock you down there, silly. The door shut on its own. Must have been a draft.” I walked over and held the book up. “Just came to get some reading material for later.”
He opened his mouth, then shut it, handing me Dracula. “OK, get your book and let’s get out of here before Ryzen comes back. He doesn’t like it when people are in here.”
We fussed around with Dracula over the next hour and made him a little bed right next to mine. My chest felt lighter from having this tiny little companion, like I’d found a new friend, which just made me realize how isolated and lonely it was here. Dracula abandoned his bed to lie on my feet and I grabbed the book I’d taken from Ryzen’s office.
The Complete Guide to Norse and Greek Mythology.I flipped through the pages, stopping every so often to read a snippet.
Thor, the Norse God of thunder and the sky.
Thor. Thor. I kept saying it over and over, something tickling at the back of my mind.
C’mon, Nova, remember. Please remember.
My head throbbed, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Thor. Thor.
It was there. Something was there.
I grunted and threw the book against the wall, scaring poor Dracula. He climbed up, nestling his little head in the crook of my neck, and we fell asleep that way.
*****
My dreams were filled with terror, and I woke up gasping, covered in sweat. I had been driving, frantic, screaming and terrified. A giant scorpion chased after me, and a man was yelling in my ear, telling me he was coming to save me. Then darkness. A name popped up like a big billboard on the side of the highway.
Thora.
Was it real? Was that a real person? Or was it just the book playing tricks on me?
There was a knock on the door, and then Valik walked in with a small tray of food, along with my tea and pills. “Hungry?” He grinned at Dracula, who meowed at the smell wafting around the room.
I nibbled on a few bits and pieces of my dinner, letting Dracula eat most of the meat until he was content and plopped back down on my feet. I wanted to ask Valik about the name Thora, but something stopped me from doing so.
“I made him a little box, so he won’t be peeing in every corner of the house.” Valik chuckled and dragged the box in from the hallway. “Ryzen said to make sure you take your medicine and drink your tea.”
He handed the pills to me, and I sighed. “But I don’t need them, Valik. I’m getting better.”
“I don’t make the rules, Nova. He just said to make sure you took them.” Valik squinted at the pills, as if he was trying to read something. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he muttered.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes at him. His lips were set in a flat line, and he looked between me and the pills.
“You’ve been taking these?” His voice was uncertain, and he raised his eyebrow.
I nodded, nibbling on my bottom lip as he muttered under his breath. Something was bothering him, but he wouldn’t spit it out. I’d noticed a few things since we’d been here—hell, I’d noticed a lot of things, but one thing was for sure: He was scared of Ryzen. And I didn’t know why.
“How about”—I took the pills out of his hand—“I won’t tell if you won’t?” Valik watched me walk over to the plant in the corner of the room, and I tucked the two pills into the soil, covering it back up. I threw my hands in the air and walked back to bed. “Problem solved. Right?”
He was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “OK, our secret. But drink your tea, it’ll help you sleep.”
I rolled my eyes and chugged the tea, handing him the cup back. Yeah, just what I needed. More bad dreams. But they weren’t all bad. Sometimes I had visions of a man hugging me, telling me he loved me, or me dancing with Juliet. Those dreams were the ones where I would wake up and feel happy. But the others? I shuddered at the thought. I was sick of the nightmares.
*****
Day 67
I peered over the banister as Ryzen yelled in his office. He had been like that all morning, and a part of me wanted to laugh at how untethered he sounded. The other part of me wanted to take cover in my room so that I didn’t end up the target of his anger like poor Glenda, the housekeeper.
