I watch them go back and forth, my confusion growing every second. I have no idea what they're talking about, but I get the distinct impression that I'm royally fucked.
"Um, excuse me," I pipe up, drawing their attention back to me. "Hi, yeah, still tied up over here. And also, still thirsty as fuck. Any chance we could take a little break from the cryptic bullshit and get me a drink?"
Paige's eyes widen, and she turns to Azrael with a look of alarm. "He doesn't even knowwhathe is," she whispers, but my ears pick up on it clear as day.
WhatI am? What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Azrael shrugs, a sinister smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Well, then. This should be interesting."
He steps closer, looming over me like a shadow. "Tell me,Lucian. How badly do you want that drink?"
I swallow hard—my throat feels like it's lined with sandpaper. "Pretty fucking badly, if I'm being honest."
Azrael's smile widens, and something about it makes my blood run cold. "Well, then. Let's see what we can do about that, shall we?"
He turns to Paige, and there's a glint in his eye that I really don't like. "Bring in the girl."
Girl? What girl? What the fuck is going on here?
But before I can ask, Paige is gone, and Azrael is circling me like a shark who has just caught the scent of blood.
"You know,Lucian," he says, his voice a low purr. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun together, you and I."
Somehow, I seriously fucking doubt that.
The door opens again, and Paige returns, dragging a young woman behind her. The girl looks terrified, her eyes wide and her body trembling. She can't be more than twenty, with long, dark hair and pale skin marred by tears and smudged makeup.
"What the hell is this?" I demand, my eyes darting between Azrael, Paige, and the girl. "What are you doing?"
Azrael smiles, and it's a smile that makes me want to piss myself a little. "Why, we're getting you that drink you wanted so badly, of course."
He nods to Paige, who shoves the girl forward. She stumbles and falls to her knees in front of me, and the scent of her fear is so thick I can almost taste it.
Wait, what? Taste it? What the fuck is wrong with me?
I panic; my heart should be beating out of my chest, but I feel nothing. No heartbeat?
"I don't want this," I say, my voice shaking. "I don't want to hurt her."
Azrael laughs. The sound chills me to the bone. "Oh, but you do, Lucian. You just don't know it yet."
He leans down, his face inches from mine. "You're a vampire, you idiot. And right now, that thirst you're feeling? It's not for water, beer, or any other mortal drink. It's forblood."
I feel like I've been punched in the gut. A vampire? Me? No, that's impossible. Vampires aren't real. They're just stories, myths, Hollywood bullshit.
Even as I think about it, I can feel the hunger gnawing at my insides, the burning in my throat screaming for something to quench it.
I feel a strange sensation in my mouth. It's like a pressure building, a painful and exhilarating ache. My gums throb, and I run my tongue over my teeth to soothe the discomfort.
And that's when I feel them—fangs.
They elongate, pushing through my gums like twin daggers. Sharp and deadly, they scrape against my tongue. It's an alien but strangely familiar feeling—like a long-forgotten memory suddenly snapping into focus.
"No," I whisper, shaking my head. "No, I won't do it. I won't hurt her."
Paige sighs, rolling her eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake. Stop being such a pussy and just drink already."
She grabs the girl by the hair, yanking her head back and exposing her throat. The girl whimpers, and the sound is like a knife to my gut.
