“That’s none of your business, is it?” I hiss, discarding the leftover food and crossing my arms in defiance across my chest. Screw them if they think I’ll provide any answers to my kidnappers.
I’ve faced worse, after all.
I’ve managed to survive my sister.
Screw them if they think I’ll bow down to some pretty males with fangs.
“Murderous vampires.“ My inner voice tries to correct me.
“It might not be his business, but it became mine the moment you ended up here, even by someone’s idiotic mistake,” Killian counters. Blaise winces at the jab, his eyes turning downcast. He doesn’t look scared of his King, but he is aware this is not the moment for one of his sarcastic comebacks.
“Since it’s my story to tell, I am the one to decide if it is your business or not. I most definitely say it’s not.” I narrow my eyes at him. Somewhere in the back of my mind, my self-preservation tries to warn me I should tread more carefully. They fed me and gave me clothes, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t kill me in an instant if they wanted to. I decide to ignore my common sense, and bluff my way out of this.
“Look, it’s clear this is more of a ‘you’ problem than a ‘me’ problem. You need better spies, and better intelligence gathering. Who knows, maybe you should put a woman as your second-in-command. We are much better at sleuthing, after all.” Blaise squints his eyes maliciously at the dig I throw his way. “Nevertheless, you have no use for me, as you just stated, so if you will point me towards the exit of your castle, I will be out of your hair in the blink of an eye.” I dust off the food crumbs from my robe and rise from the bed. “Some boots and warm clothes would be nice, but I can do without them too, if you don’t feel inclined to extend me such mercy. But believe me, I don’t want to be here any more than you want me in your presence.”
I turn towards the doors with fake confidence, but before I can even reach the handle, Killian’s shadows pin me on the wall, turning me around to face him.
“Not so fast, little menace. You’re not going anywhere.” He crowds my space, his black whirlpools lingering just a second on the throbbing pulse of my neck. “You might not be Aurora, but you still could come in handy. What do you think, Blaise?” he throws behind his shoulder, not taking his eyes off of me. He studies me with his unnerving coal-black eyes, and I feel another sudden wave of liquid warmth coursing through my veins. Oh great, my body is reacting to his unwanted attention. On an animalistic level, I get he is all male, all powerful, and possesses the panty-dropping looks that all women crave. But I am smarter than the average female, right? My body should be listening to my mind, and not reacting to pheromones, chemistry and all that bullshit.
His mouth quirks up in a ghost of a grin, as if he’s sensing my turmoil.
“Ransom?” Blaise asks, unaware of the slight tension crackling between me and his liege.
“No, not ransom. Her family might not react to that. But I’m sure we can profit from the nurturing sisterly bond between twins.” I almost choke at that statement. “After all, what sister wouldn’t come running to save her poor, defenseless sibling from our unforgiving clutches?”
Mine! Mine, wouldn’t! My mind screams in response, but I choose to keep that information to myself. It’s clear they are unwilling to release me, and it might be safer to play along, pretending that my sister gives a rat’s ass about my well-being, while I devise a plan to escape this predicament. As long as I’m alive, I stand a chance. And by the time they realize Aurora would kill me herself rather than lift a finger to rescue me, I’ll be long gone.
“So am I to be your prisoner?” I ask with narrowed eyes. He raises one finger and gently caresses the side of my face, down my neck, inching slowly to my cleavage and stopping just above my breasts. I shudder at his touch, both in fear and unexpected arousal. My mind and my body seem at odds, each having different, battling reactions. I know all too well the fight, flight, freeze response my body can have in the face of danger. I’ve even heard of fawn or flop, but horniness? My head must be screwed up beyond repair if I find his unwanted gesture thrilling.
“No, not a prisoner. A guest at the Sangeries Castle. A little pawn on the chessboard of this kingdom. And who knows, maybe even entertainment.”
With that, he disappears in a violent whirl of shadows, leaving me flabbergasted against the wall.
Blaise chuckles and heads towards the door. “Careful, kitty cat. I told you that a potty mouth like yours would pique his interest. And I’m sure that nice, tight body of yours does it for him. It does it for me too, if I’m being honest.” He throws me a wink before opening the door and leaving.
“Fuck off, lackey!” I scream after him.
His hearty laugh echoes from the hallway. “Such a crude kitty. It’s finally going to be fun around here!”
The door closes before I can throw any more insults his way.
I can’t sleep for hours after they leave, wracking my brain for a solid escape plan. The door is unlocked and there are no guards stationed in front of my chamber, so that’s one less problem that I have to tackle. But why would they bother with keeping me locked up, when I am just a mundane Fae, surrounded by hundreds of vampires in all directions? I am no threat to them, and they know it just as much as I do. And even if I leave this room in the middle of the night, I have no clue about the lay of the land.
What is the easiest escape route? How many guards are stationed on each floor or outside the castle? Once out of these stone walls, what lies beyond the garden I see through my window?
I vaguely remember from the geography lessons we had to take as children in Vroni that Sangeries Castle is somewhere in the center of the Kingdom of Wrahta, outside of the capital, Drovillan, and separated from the far north by the Saunoque Mountains. It’s more or less a two-day ride to Annerough from here, but it’s not like I can return there. They would wait to snatch me again before I even made one step into the border town that has been my home for the last five years.
No, I have to accept that my life there has ended. My dancing days at the Twinkling Meadow are gone. I won’t ever feel the thrill of preparing for a performance. I will see none of those girls again, not even Sariah.
My mind pauses at that thought. Against my better judgement, and my reluctance to create any meaningful bonds with anyone, I must admit that Sariah grew on me. She came close to being a good friend, as much as someone that doesn’t even scratch the surface of who you are, can be. She was there, and it mattered.
I exhale and rest my forehead on the cold window. So I have to find a way to escape the Vampire King’s castle, find my way through enemy territory, and if I make it to the Fae borders, start from scratch in a new place, hidden from both my sister and her intended lover. The Gods, both above and below, must hate my guts for some unknown reason. Scratch that! Of course they do. When have they ever shown me any leniency?
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I knock my head against the glass in exhaustion. There’s nothing I can do tonight. I won’t be able to do much tomorrow either.
I sigh in defeat. My best chance is to take my time, learn my surroundings, memorize several escape routes, get proper supplies, and maybe even get my hands on a dagger, or two.
