Wait, did she just call him Master?
For some odd reason, it sets my blood on fire. A ringing, higher-pitched than her voice, buzzes in my ear. My lip curls in disgust; not because of what she just called him, but fromhow close her mouth and tongue had come to his ear. My hand shakes with rage at my side.
What the fuck is happening? Why do I feel the urge to rip off her head?
Knox’s silky, charismatic voice does nothing to soothe the fire raging inside of me. “Tonight, you will attend a meal where you can all get to know each other better. For the duration of your stay, you will reside in luxury—a little taste of what’s to come, should you be successful.” I sigh. I guess now isn’t the time for a Q&A. Or Blondie’s beheading.
Knox gestures to the very back of the stage where a huge curtain conceals our uncertain future.
Hesitantly, I walk towards it with the others.
7
Danni
The curtain lifts onits own accord, revealing a long corridor lit by the dull orange glow of antique lights along the walls. Without hesitation, the others walk single-file into the tight space. I glance back over my shoulder to get one last look at Knox, but to my disappointment, the ring is completely empty. No vampires. No crowd. A twisted, gut-wrenching feeling starts to form in the pit of my stomach.
Where did they all go?
It’s all so fucked up.
I swallow down my fear like an extra-large pill as I take my first step into the corridor. The musty brown wallpaper looks like it was designed in the 1920s. I slide past several doors lining the hallway, taking my time to study every detail. It all reminds me of an old hotel. I bet if I walk far enough, I’ll find an ice machine at the end of the hall. As I walk past the doors, thenames of the trainees magically appear, the letters scratching themselves into the dark wood.
I try to not freak out. A part of me wishes Iwasunder the vampire’s spell. I bet it would make this whole process easier to comprehend.
In the space of a few hours, I’ve gone from being a small-town journalist, hell bent on finding my mother’s killer, to finding myself trapped inside a circus of nightmares. A circus powered by vampiric magic.
The goal I set myself all of those years ago suddenly seems like the least of my worries. I had no idea there were so many vampires. I thought maybe there were twenty or so, but from the sound of Knox’s speech, there’s an entire population of them hiding around here.
And speaking of, I’m not even going to try to figure out the situation with Knox right now. No idea what a “mate” is, but I want no part of it.
One step at a time, Danni. Just find your door, get in your room, and then spiral.
My heart races as I continue down the never-ending corridor, which becomes emptier by the second as people find their assigned rooms. Just as I think I’ll walk the corridor forever, the words “Danniella Martin” etch into the door closest to me. I twist the knob eagerly and push the door open.
The room is a stark contrast to the outdated corridor. It’s small, but spacious enough for two people to stay here comfortably. Parisian floor to ceiling windows sit opposite of the entrance, filling the room with natural light. A queen-sized bed takes up the left side of the room, with a white wooden frame that twists into intricate swirls and patterns. The silk sheets are pale blue, my favorite color. To my right is a small door, which I guess leads to the bathroom, and the wall opposite the bed has a grand, French Provencal-style mirror and dressing table.
It isn’t a disappointing room at all, just not what I had expected. I walk over to the windows to see if they will open, but of course they’re sealed shut. The view outside is of the inbetween. The vast, unyielding desert I’d raced through is a stark reminder of where I will end up if I somehow manage to stage an escape.
I’m royally fucked.
The bag still strapped tightly across my chest feels heavier than ever despite its light contents. I lift it slowly off me and dump it on the dressing table. I catch a glimpse of my reflection and almost cringe. I look as bad as I feel. My usually tanned skin is pale with deep purple crescents under my eyes. My workwear has also seen better days. The white blouse I chose just this morning is covered in dried dirt and sand and ripped at the hem, which pisses me off.
I go through the motions of cleaning myself up, taking full advantage of the large, free-standing tub in the bathroom. I don’t know what time we’re supposed to eat. I haven’t noticed a single clock anywhere in the inbetween—or whatever the hell you call this place. Once I finally manage to clean the sand out of my hair, I search through the wardrobe that had magically appeared when I left the bathroom. It’s full of costumes. From tight, sparkly, nude-colored leotards that leave little to the imagination, to huge ball gowns complete with hoop skirts. I clutch the towel around me tightly as I rifle through it all. Do they really expect me to dress like one of those clowns?
The chamber door abruptly opens, startling me. I jump back from the wardrobe and lunge for my bag still perched on top of the dressing table. My eyes widen when one of those green scaly creatures that had tried to kill me steps into the room.
In my frantic attempt to find the stake in my bag, the towel drops unceremoniously to the floor, leaving me naked and vulnerable. Long, wet hair clings to my skin as I whip aroundand hold my weapon out in a threat. To my surprise, the creature throws up its hands to cover its eyes in shock.
“Don’t come any closer!” I yell, keeping the stake pointed directly at its face.
“I’m so sorry, miss! Master Knox said you would be dressed by now. I can come back!”
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the soft-spoken voice of a woman.
“You can talk?” The creatures I’d met in the desert had been less than hospitable, but this one seems to be more worried that I’m naked rather than me threatening it with a stake.
“Yes, miss, I’m not like the Rabbids. I’m something else.”
