“How long will I have to stay here?” I ask as we make our way down the hall. He stops in front of double wooden doors.
“If I had my way, it would be for eternity.” His voice is low and threatening. I take a step back. His lips curve into a sadistic smile. “I’m joking. It will be no more than two weeks. Then you can be with your family.” He goes to open the door, but I halt him.
“Why?” I press. “Why would you bring me all the way here for just two weeks to do me a favour?” I ask. It’s something that I should have asked when we were in the forest.
“Because I left you. The guilt has eaten me up from the inside out for the past twenty-seven years. I have longed to make it right. Never thought I would get the chance. This is how I can right my wrongs,” he answers solemnly, sincerity pouring from his intense gaze. I look away, not wanting to feel anything for him other than the continued hatred. I owe myself that much at least. If—and only if—I can in fact bring my family back, then and only then will I forgive him.
He opens both doors and gestures for me to enter. A large, extravagant room that looks like it’s been frozen in the 1600s. A huge four-poster bed, with embroidered drapes, draws all the attention of the room. I step inside. “There is a bathroom to your left. I will send you a personal Vessel. They will attend to your every need.”
I spin around. “No,” I snap. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” I add quickly.
He gives me a playful smile. “I will only send you the best, not all are like those that greeted us.’ He nods. “Get some rest. I will see you tomorrow evening.” With that, he closes the doors, leaving me alone. I pull out my cell and check my signal. No bars. Of course, this isn’t exactly the right place for cell towers. I walk to the huge window and look out. The fog is so thick now that I can’t see anything in the night sky. I sit on the edge of the bedand sigh, wondering what the hell I have done as dread swarms my gut. I’m in the middle of nowhere, no way of getting back home and no way for anyone to find me.
A light knock at the door startles me, my gaze snaps to it. I stand and brace, ready to fight. “Enter,” I call out. The door opens, and a Vessel enters. A woman has her head cast down as she walks in. Her skin is almost grey, and what appear to be bruises cover her forearms. She is wearing an old, tatty maidens’ dress. She moves and stops over by the wall, her hands clasped at her front, her gaze on the floor before her. “Hello?” I say, tilting my head to try and get a look at her face. She doesn’t speak. Great, I have some weird undead creature that doesn’t speak and is just standing there. That’s not creepy at all. I take a tentative step forward. “Do you have a name?” I ask, my voice quiet, as if the slightest noise might spook her. “Am I being punked?” I mutter to myself as I look around. I’ve been shut in my room with a woman who looks like the woman from‘The Ring’, with her hair hanging over her face. At least she didn’t climb out of the TV. I look around the room, checking for a TV. Of course, there is no TV. I click my fingers, trying to get a reaction out of her. Nothing. I clap my hands. Still nothing. “Can you move to the right?” I ask. She moves to the right. “Can you move to the left?” She moves to the left. I find myself moving with her. “Take it back now.” She steps back. “One hop this time.” A snort escapes when I realise I’ve basically got her doing the cha cha slide. “Sorry.” I bite down on my bottom lip. thinking she only follows direct orders. “Tell me your name,” I demand.
She slowly lifts her head, her bright blue eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that shade of blue before. Silver rings circle her eyes. “My name?” she asks, confusion flickering across her face.
I give her a soft smile. “Yes. Tell me your name,” I encourage.
“I have no name. I am a vessel,” she answers.
I blink, frowning. She must have a name. All of them have a name; they were somebody once. Just because they are here doesn’t mean they don’t have names. “Okay. Well, I’m going to call you…” I pause, looking at her. “Cara. Apparently, in Ireland, it means friend. I think.” I pause. “And with your dark hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, you could have been Irish in your previous life,” I say with a smile. Seeing beneath what she is now, she was a beautiful woman.
I hold out my hand in greeting. “I’m Lilith.” Her eyes flicker to my hand, then back to my face. I swear, a small spark of light briefly flickers in her eyes, before it disappears. She takes another step back, returning to the position she was in before, head down, hands clasped in front of her. “Okay,” I murmur. “So, what happens now?” I ask her. She doesn’t respond. “Right, because you don’t speak until ordered. Surely you must have an opinion. Has a man told you not to speak? Because you shouldn’t listen to men. Trust me, it always ends badly.” I pace the room. snorting a bubbling of laughter. “I mean, I still fucking followed him here, didn’t I? Don’t listen to me, I’m clearly full of bullshit,” I mumble as I walk back and forth. I walk back over to the window and reach for my cell in my pocket. Nothing. I check the other pocket. Still nothing. “Damn, that asshole.”
Another knock at the door startles me. Walking over to the door, I open it and see a man standing there. A mortal. “Can I help you?” I ask in confusion. He looks young, maybe early 20’s.
He grins an anxious grin. Sliding his hands into his jeans pocket, I noticed the university emblem on his hoodie. He is young. “Er, you look just like your picture. And I didn’t think I would get a match this far out in the middle of nowhere. You going to let me in? I already brought condoms,” he says with a grin as his eyes sweep over my body.
“I’m sorry,” I say, holding up my hands. “A few things. What’s going on? How did you get in here? And how old are you? Are you even old enough to be on a sex app?”
He frowns in confusion. “The hook app, you were on there. We matched. Arranged for me to come here. I’m here.” He grins. “Believe me, I’m old enough. You would see that from my rating.” He winks.
Rating what the actual fuck is this app. No, that’s not what’s important here.I shake my head.
Morbius must have set this up as food. But if he thinks I’m going to feed off a twenty-year-old boy he doesn’t know me at all. I get an idea. “You got a signal on your phone?” I ask.
He nods and pulls his cell from his pocket. “Yeah, we all got given these when we arrived. As our normal cells don’t get signals here.”
I snatch the phone from him and, reaching out, I grab him by his hoodie and drag him into my room. “Whoa. Eager! I like it.” I make quick work of dialling Silas number. The last person I thought I’d ever be calling, but I don’t have anyone else. “Is this going to be a three-way, because I’m not sure I could handle both of you,” he says, looking between Cara and me. “And I’m not really into the goth vibe.” He gestures to Cara.
“I wouldn’t stand too close to her if I were you,” I warn, noticing the drool hanging from her mouth. My guess is she hasn’t fed in a while. He takes a step back, his eyes going wide.
I place the phone to my ear. It rings twice; Silas answers. “Yeah?” His voice sounds broken with worry.
“Silas,” I say his name for the first time since that night. “Look, don’t hang up. I know...”
He cuts me off, his voice a mixture of relief and anger. “Where are you? Are you okay? What’s he done?” he asks rapidly.
“Nothing. Er, I’m at Velmora. Listen, I’m using some guy’s phone. He said I can get my family back,” I confess.
“He’s lying to you,” Silas snaps. “He said that to get you there. He came back for you to use you for something. Shit.” He pauses, exhaling a long breath. “I just don’t know what.”
I sigh. “Look, I know you hate your brother, I know you hate me, and I…” I pause, the word getting stuck in my throat, because part of me knows it’s different now. I swallow. “That I hate you.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. “I need to find out if what he’s saying is the truth. I have to try. My family.” The words die in my throat.
“I could never hate you. And you sure as shit don’t hate me,” he breathes. I pause, the sincerity in his voice causing my gut to flip.
“Silas. I am only calling to let you know. I mean, the club know where I am. I am safe, I am here of my own free will. I haven’t been taken. I will be back home in the next couple of weeks,” I say, diverting the topic back.
