“Draven! I know you are here!”
“Please, sir, leave at once. If you wish to see Draven, I will have him schedule an appointment with you for another time,” Imalda told the man.
“Silence, you foolish woman!” he hissed, spit clinging to his mustache as he spoke. “Draven! Wake up and turn me, God dammit!” he screamed up the stairs.
Anger welled up inside of me. “You cannot speak to Imalda that way! Who are you?” I asked him.
But he started making his way to the stairs, stumbling up the first step.
I ran over to him and reached for his arm, not wanting him to travel farther inside the house. He pushed my arm away with more strength than I expected, given his state.
“Please, sir, get out of my house this instant!” I shouted.
He stopped and turned around to face me. “Yourhouse? This is not your house.” He continued to yell, “Draven, come out!”
I ran up the stairs and stood in front of him, trying to block his way. “Who are you?”
“My name is Martin Montgomery,” he slurred, his words tumbling out unevenly. So, this was Dr. Montgomery, the man who had been collaborating with Draven to assist him with his illness. I recalled a Martin from the ball who had been vying for Draven’s attention that evening. It dawned on me why he was here—Draven had confided in me about his dissatisfaction with how their relationship had ended.
“Draven is busy at the moment, Dr. Montgomery. I can tell him you have come by,” I offered.
He looked at me through his glassy eyes, and his gaze fell on my hand holding the railing. He pushed my shoulders, and the unexpected movement made me fall over, landing on the stairs. He crawled on top of me, pinning my arms above my head. I could hear Imalda screaming as the stairs dug into my back beneath me.
“What is this?” he asked, holding onto my wrist. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol. He took my hand and brought it close to his face, twisting it around to get a better angle in the light. My silver wedding ring shone, and I could feel the moisture from his mouth spraying as he spoke.
“A wedding ring,” I said quietly, feeling my heart beating wildly in my chest. I was afraid to move, not wanting him to hurt me further.
“A wedding ring?” He laughed in my face and pinned my arm back against the stairs as he did, so I struggled to break free. He pushed harder, and I tried to scream, but he took his other hand and forcefully held it against my throat, squeezing hard, cutting off my air.
“I can feel your heartbeat,” Dr. Montgomery sneered, “Human girl, what did Draven have to do to you to get you to marry him? Did he lie to you as well? Tell you he would turn you and give you anything just so you could warm his bed at night like a whore?”
I bucked my hips beneath him, and his balance faltered due to the alcohol. For a moment, he loosened his grip on my throat, and I took that chance to scream.
“DRAVEN!”
Dr. Montgomery slapped me. “Silence!” he demanded.
The skin on my cheek burned, but I was distracted by what he said.
“What did you mean by turn me?” I asked, though part of me was afraid I already knew the answer.
“Draven said he would turn me into a Blood Hunter, but that bastard left after years of me trying to help him. He used me to find a way to walk in the sun. Years of my life I spent researching and serving him for nothing,” he fumed.
“How could he do such a thing? Draven is no Blood Hunter.” As the words escaped my lips, they seemed to echo, as if spoken by another. I didn’t feel like I was in my own body anymore as Dr. Montgomery peered down at me.
“You stupid girl. Married a monster without even knowing it.”
“I think you are mistaken. Draven told me. He has a disease.”
“Dravenisthe disease. He is a Blood Hunter.”
I felt like I was back in the river, drowning, my body was cold with sweat.
“Perhaps I can give Draven some incentive to turn me,” he said, eyeing me up and down, then stroking a hand along my cheek. “You believe Draven loves you? Let’s see if he comes to save his lovely human—”
I didn’t see him appear until he ripped Dr. Montgomery off my body and threw him across the room. Draven, as fast as lightning, was next to Dr. Montgomery again, and with almost impossible strength, held him by his throat, his feet dangling, and pushed him against the wall.
“Do notevertouch my wife again,” Draven growled into his face. His untamed hair obscured his features, but even from where I sat, I could see the glint of his fangs, now fully visible, protruding from his mouth.
