Chapter 6
There was a scraping sound of metal against metal as a key turned in the door. Then it swung open. In the light was the shadowed face of a beautiful girl, not much older than myself. But, the age that I sensed in my mind was much, much older than she appeared.
“Well, now!” she exclaimed in a sugary voice. “I bet Vittorio didn’t catch that little ability of yours when he grabbed you.” The lit torch moved directly in front of my face, blinding me, and I swung out blindly. “Now, now, little witch. No need for that,” the girl chided in her lilting voice, as she grabbed the iron out of my hand like it was nothing. I heard the clatter as it hit the far wall and clenched my jaw to keep from whimpering. “Now, let’s go get you cleaned up and fed; then you can tell me what other powers you’ve got little witch. I’m always interested in a pretty girl who can feel me inside her.” Despite the youthful sweetness of her voice, I trembled at the threat behind the sexual innuendo.
“Kill me now. I won’t be made into vampire fodder,” I hissed, my voice shaking.
“Oh, you’re a tiny hunter.” My eyes had gotten used to the soft torchlight and I could see her shake her head. “What kind of people are they; sending a tender little thing like you out all by herself? You poor thing. I’ll take care of you.”
“You’ll protect me?” I asked my voice soaked in disbelief.
“Of course. Don’t believe all you hear from one hateful, frightened group of racists, darling. I for one love sweet little morsels like you. I couldn’t bear to let anyone else touch you, except the master.” She held out her hand and I walked hand in hand with her up a long spiraling set of stairs. I then realized she’d glamoured me again! I wrenched my hand away and she laughed in delight, a clear lovely sound that froze me to my very core, paralyzing me with terror.
Her hard, blue eyes held mine as I focused on my psychic shield; straining against her power pressing in on me until she pulled back, a look of genuine surprise on her face. She was silent after my small victory over her. My heart swelled with fierce pride and made me braver as I walked into the unknown behind her.
She left the torch in a sconce on the wall at the top of the stairs and pushed open a wooden door, it was similar to the one that had shut me into my cell, but far larger and heavier. She motioned me through with a bow at the neck and followed close enough behind me that her skirt brushed my legs. Occasionally I caught images from her that chilled me and each time she got me to react she would laugh at me. She couldn’t really violate me; which made me glad, but seemed to frustrate her.
“You’d be surprised how enjoyable my company can be, little witch,” she huffed, when I balked at a particularly explicit image she was projecting of the two of us.
“You know you and I are almost the same size and height, don’t you?” I replied, refusing to acknowledge what I was starting to believe was her flirting.
“But you have so much more to learn and so much growing to do in here,” she giggled, tugging my head back with one hand and tapping my temple. I fell silent again, hoping she would grow bored and leave me alone again. While we walked I concentrated on my shield until I wasn’t sure if I had finally got it right, or she really had gotten bored and given up. I let the shield drop, and staggered as a picture of her bathed in my blood slammed me against the wall, choking on my own scream.
“Oh, Colette, leave her be! She isn’t for you! She is for the Master of the City.” She turned to me “Child, you may call me Rachel.” The voice was kinder and older, and hushed me as new power clamped down on my vocal cords. How could I hope to escape, or fight, when these beings had all the power they needed to make me submit to them against my will?
Colette, the vampire who had brought me up from the dungeon, huffed and stormed off to the far end of the room. She started brushing her hair, all the while watching me in the mirror. The older vampire led me to a large copper bath in the middle of the room. It was big enough to hold four of me and was deep and steaming from the hot water under the fragrant bubbles. She took my hand and helped me into the bath, the water and lavender fragrance instantly beginning to unknot my aching muscles.
I watched Rachel as she took away my dirty dress and laid out fresh clothes, presumably for me. The care they were taking with my appearance was confusing. Surely the master vampire I was meant to feed didn’t require his food in the Victorian dress that was laid out in front of me? The grey-haired vampire saw me watching her and smiled gently.
“You are quite safe in here, no matter what Colette said to frighten you,” she sighed. She picked up a thick sea sponge from a cart next to the bath and set it on the water in my lap. “Wash up, the master awakes, and he will have need of you.”
“The Venatores will come for me,” I said it softly, but she stiffened and turned back to face me.
“You are no hunter.” She glanced at Colette over my head and I heard her tinkling laughter like shards of glass in my head. “Colette. Mind yourself. If she’s broken when he gets her, he’ll take it out on you.” She looked into my eyes. “No. You are no hunter. Are you a ward of the society, then?” My face heated and she nodded. “They may very well come for you, but you are not the first ward of the hunters to disappear. They simply make more to replace those they lose, don’t they?”
I ground my teeth together to stop anything worse from escaping my lips. Colette appeared within my view and scooped the sponge up from the water before I could protest. She watched my face while she gently washed me and I stayed frozen, knowing that if I let her see my fear she’d only make it worse. The sponge and her fingers slid wet over my bare back and then she slipped her hand under the water in my lap. I finally hissed and pushed back, hard enough to slide right out of the tub, landing in a crouch on the floor.
“Colette!” The older female spat the word out and Colette backed away, smirking. I stayed in a crouch, dripping on the floor as I backed away from both of them, looking for anything I could turn into a weapon. “Please child, let’s just get you dressed,” Rachel cajoled. Colette advanced, and I sprang at her. My attack surprised her and I landed a palm strike to her chest and a second to her face. She shrieked and lunged for me, but Rachel held her by the laces of her gown.
“I will kill you, witch,” she hissed.
“No, you won’t. Calm down, both of you.” Rachel scolded us like we were in a schoolyard fight. She shoved Colette back. “Stop teasing Caroline, she’s frightened.” She held out her hand and I took it, not because she invaded me, but because I wanted her to keep protecting me from Colette.
“I just wanted to give her a kiss,” the tiny vampire pouted. My hits had connected as she’d barely blinked. I shuddered; I had never been given the slightest attention from the males in my life. Now I was forced to protect my honor from a vampire, just so her master could murder me for food!!
I shuddered at the thought, but I was willing to die a thousand times as food rather than have Colette do what she suggested. Colette stalked toward me as if even thinking her name was a summons.
“I can be a very generous lover, pet,” she spat at me as Rachel laced up the back of my low-cut dress. Rachel made a sound in her throat behind me and Colette stopped advancing.
“Perhaps your time is better served getting yourself ready for the master’s awakening, Colette.” Rachel led me over to a vanity and I sat on the bench seat in front of the mirror. She took my long, thick hair and wound it in an intricate style that piled on top of my head and left my neck and cleavage bare.
In the mirror, a very different me stared back from my reflection. Instead of looking younger; the up-style of my hair and plunging neckline of my bodice made me look older, more worldly and mature. I flushed at how much of me was visible and the pink spread quickly over my face and down to the ruffle that seemed the only thing preventing my breasts from escaping their bindings. A bell tolled in the distance and Rachel took my hand.
“It is time for the master to awake. You and the others will be good offerings.” Others? My heart leapt at the thought that Becca and Mackenzie might still be alive. I let Rachel escort me down another long hall and clung to her for a moment when she stepped aside to let Colette take me through the door. “Don’t worry, little one. She can’t harm you. None of us can. You have been chosen for a most noble sacrifice.” Another bell toll sounded in the distance and Colette took my hand and pressed me against her side, her lips against my ear.
“The master wakes, little witch.” She held my face in her supernaturally strong hand and kissed my mouth, her lips tasting of mint and something metallic. I didn’t fight her as she deepened the kiss. I concentrated all my strength, focus and will into my shield, until she yelped and jerked back. The force of my shield had driven her from me. White-faced, she glanced toward the room on the other side of the ornate door, hesitating. But the bell tolled a third time and the doors slowly opened in front of us.
The sexual sadist, Colette, gingerly placed my hand over her arm and walked me into a huge ballroom with the golden trappings and domed ceiling. I looked up at a mural above the crystal chandeliers, a horrific scene of blood and slaughter. Colette led me to the far end of the room where a coffin stood next to a throne. My heart raced as I stared at the ornate stone in front of me, mesmerized by my terrible fantasies of what lay inside.