Selena
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I whispered, hurrying along at Varick's side as we headed out of the hotel, turning left along the street.
“Everyone's going to be at the party. It's the best time to scout the place out,” Varick answered, taking my hand. We walked like lovers down the quiet street beneath the flashing lights and milky moon above.
The plan was to figure out the best escape route if things went south, but the further we walked, the more armed guards I noticed outside the casinos and the restaurants. My doubts rose like flames in my belly.
“They're prepared for an outbreak this time,” I whispered, leaning up to his ear as if I were saying something seductive, faking a shy smile as I spoke. The guards didn't seem that interested in us, but I felt it was best to keep up the pretence all the same.
Varick halted as we approached one end of the street where the road disappeared into the snowy wilderness. He gazed keenly into the distance, but I couldn't see anything through the impenetrable darkness.
He pulled me into a hug so he could continue to look over my shoulder and a moment later, dropped his mouth to my ear. “There's a helicopter pad up there.”
My heart did a little flip. “Can you fly one?” I asked hopefully.
“No....but I can always threaten someone who can.”
I bit my lip. “Okay, let's put a pin in that idea.”
He let out a dark chuckle, turning me as we crossed the street and headed back in the direction of the hotel. “There's boats on the lake, but no passage out to sea,” Varick said after a while.
I wasn't much use on this scouting expedition, seeing as I didn't have the ability to see in the dark, especially when I was being blinded by neon lights every step of the way.
“What about the trucks?” I whispered. “There must be vehicles around here somewhere.”
“Hm,” Varick hummed thoughtfully. Not a single car had passed us on our walk. “We'll keep an eye out.”
We passed a museum tucked between two casinos with wooden walls and a large poster outside, naming the attraction as The Helsing Hall of Fame. I hesitated as we passed, curiosity getting the better of me.
Varick took my arm, guiding me away. “Best not.”
“No one's here...” I bit my lip. “Just a quick look.”
“Selena,” Varick growled as I twisted out of his hold and headed through the door.
The air was warm, seeping over me and warming me through to the bone. I jumped at the sight of Abraham standing tall and proud on a podium. A wax work. I fought a grimace, considering there were probably cameras around the place.
Further along were other wax effigies of his family, each with an illuminated name etched on a wall beside them above a paragraph of information.
Varick appeared at my side, not disguising his grimace as easily as I had. We followed a velvet rope further down the line of wax works, coming across one of a broad-shouldered man with a shock of white hair. He resembled Abraham in ways, but I could see more of Ignus in his face, the cruelty in his eyes had been captured perfectly.
“Cassius Helsing,” Varick muttered. “Abraham's father.”
I glanced up at him, the coolness in his eyes telling me he knew him. I gripped his arm a moment as I read the plaque on the wall.
Cassius Van Helsing inherited the Helsing estate in 1784 after his father's passing. He continued the V Games in his own fashion, making vast adaptions to the game. He was a pioneer in Vampire control, inventing more than thirty devices during his lifetime to further the technology. Many of which are still used today. He is likened to his grandson, Ignus, in both appearance and his scientific abilities. He was the first Helsing to train a Vampire after boldly stating 'I can break a V like I can break a horse' in 1798. But it wasn't until 1859 after his passing that his work paid off and his son, Abraham, revealed their 'Vampire Slave' to a host of guests. And to this day, the very same Vampire is under their rule.
I turned to Varick whose expression was sour. I gave him a grin and his frown deepened. “I think they need to update their information.” I tiptoed to kiss him, leaving him looking bemused as I walked further into the museum.
A corridor of red walls had screens set into them, playing footage, each with headphones hanging beside them. The first screen showed a grainy film, entitled:
The earliest recording of the V Games on Raskdød island.
Men and women were running across the island in cloaks, armed with stakes, grouped together.
“No girls in dresses?” I lifted a brow.
“Not until the late 1800s,” Varick said in a low tone. “Abraham's idea.”
“Of course,” I said through my teeth.
“The spectators were always wealthy men. He was trying to cater to their desires.”
I nodded, heading further down the room, the black and white films changing to colour, the contestants all wearing dresses now.
“Prisoners?” I whispered.
“Mid 1950s,” Varick answered. “Around the time CCTV was making a worldwide appearance.”
“Uhuh.” I moved further along, knowing what was going to await me at the far end of the room: my game on Raskdød.
But before I reached it, I paused by a game played just a week before mine. A blonde girl in the same colour dress as mine was jumping for the helicopter. She caught the edge of it, but couldn't hold on. Slipping and slipping.
My hand went to my mouth as I stepped back, bumping shoulders with Varick.
“No one survived that game,” Varick said in my ear, his tone grave.
“Oh,” I breathed. “And the week before?” There wasn't footage of all the games, how could there be? When they ran games for six months every year during the Polar Night?
Varick sighed, his head dropping. “A single girl made it, like you.”
“And?” I whispered, shifting closer to him, my heart suddenly pounding an erratic beat.
“And I drank from her and she was given to the highest bidder. You know this,” he whispered.
I gazed into his eyes, trying to hunt for more answers. “And then what? Did she go home?”
His mouth twitched, his expression one of pained regret. “The girls never go home,” he revealed in a small breath.
I stepped back, horrified that I hadn't known this. “I always thought-”
“That's what they want you to think. If you have hope, you'll fight to live in their games. Any winners simply get passed on to other Hunters, to play more games until eventually one of them takes you out.”
A large ball rose in my throat. Of course there had been girls on the Isle of Lidelse who had played before. But for some reason I'd not considered that the Helsings didn't keep their word on sending the girls home. Stupid, really. That I'd believed they had any good will at all.
“I assumed you knew,” Varick said quietly, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.
I shook my head, feeling embarrassed by how naive I'd been.
“Think about it, your whole community is told you're dead, killed in some prison brawl or committed suicide. How can that be undone?”
I nodded, a searing pain in my chest. “Of course.” I shook my head, forcing my thoughts back into alignment. “Silly of me.” I floated away along the corridor, heading into a room full of display units, highlighted by bright lights. Inside each were the different contraptions the Helsings used to keep Vampires under their control. On the wall beyond them were dresses. Real dresses that had been worn by real girls, a rainbow of colours all lined up, nearly fifty of them along the wall. There were even blood stains on some of them.
I turned to Varick who was gazing at a horrible-looking mask with spikes inside it. Silver. Had he worn one of those?
My heart started to race. I felt ill.
“I'd like to go now,” I kept my tone light.
His eyes snapped to mine, full of some past horrors that made me want to wrap my arms around him and never let go.
He nodded and I hurried to his side, taking his hand. We headed out of the museum, leaving the nightmare place behind and I murmured, “I love you,” because it was important he heard it right then. That place must have reminded him of all the things he'd done, the torture he'd been subjected to. It had been selfish of me to bring him in there. “I'm sorry,” I added as we continued down the street.
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Me too, sweetheart.”
Inside the Troposphere, we followed the sound of music to a grand ballroom where the lights were dimmed and tables filled most of the space.
Varick took in a breath then nodded in the direction of a table tucked into one corner. “They're over there,” he said quietly and we weaved our way toward our friends.
Cass looked like she wanted to hug me as we arrived.
“Are these seats taken?” Varick asked, keeping up our act.
“No, help yourselves.” Ned extended his hand and we spent a moment introducing ourselves.
Jameson nodded to us, his eyes dropping back to the menu he'd been reading.
I picked one up, hungry despite myself as I thumbed through the pages. My appetite took a dive, however, when my gaze fell onto the list of delicacies. My throat constricted as I read them and had the strong feeling that I was going to be sick.
Varick sensed the change in me, shifting closer, but before he could see what I was reading, a hand came down on his shoulder. My heart lurched upwards as I snapped around to face the man with dreadlocks and open tunic that revealed reams of tattoos.
Thankfully, he was smiling at us. “Evening friends. I noticed you two came in a little late, so thought I'd introduce meself to yous personally.”
“Hi I'm Day.” I smiled. “This is my husband, Night.” I gestured to Varick.
“Rockley Jones, owner here at dis resort.” Pride flashed in his eyes. “Come to show your support for de Helsings?”
“Of course,” I said quickly. “What happened to them was just terrible.” The lie practically burnt my tongue, but I got a small thrill at knowing I was deceiving this man. That I'd been integral in striking that blow to the Helsings. And I was going to strike another, even harder one to this place.
Rockley's golden eyes dropped to my menu and he jabbed a finger on to one of the delicacies. “Who's brave enough to try de V neck? Sink your teeth into dem for a change, huh?”
The silence around the table was painful. Varick was gripping the edge so hard I worried he'd break it.
“V neck?” Cass echoed and I reckoned the blood would have drained from her face if she'd still been human.
“I think I'll pass,” I laughed, sounding surprisingly calm. I patted Varick's arm and he nodded his agreement with me.
“Yes,” he said calmly. “Not tonight anyway.”
“Suit yourselves.” Rockley's hand was still on Varick's shoulder; it must have been killing him not to throw him off. “Enjoy de festivities.” He headed off, loudly introducing himself to another table where he received a round of applause.
A snapping sounded a piece of the table coming off in Varick's hand beneath the table cloth.
I gently prised it from his fingers, tucking it into my coat pocket.
“It's alright,” I breathed, but his eyes were glowing dangerously.
“We'll get our chance,” Cass growled bitterly. “The only neck I'll be munching on soon is his.”
“Shh,” Ned hushed her quickly, though no one was paying attention to us. “This is the least we're going to face in this place. So you'd all better sit tight and hold your tempers.”
Jameson gave him a sweeping glance. “You ever been to a game before Biggie?”
Ned gave him a cool glare. “No, I haven't but Brendan told me-”
“It doesn't matter what he told you,” Jameson cut him off. “Nothing will prepare you for the sound of breaking bones, the sight of enough blood to fill a swimming pool, the screams for help when no one is coming-”
“Enough,” I hissed.
The back of Ned's neck had turned crimson. “I- of course I don't know. But I'm prepared.”
“You can't prepare,” Cass said in an icy tone. “All we can do is try not to react. Until it's time.”
A waiter arrived and we all slapped polite smiles on our faces.
After we'd picked our way through our meals and the Vampires had managed to sneak enough food onto our plates to disguise their lack of eating, I was starting to relax again. No one was watching us. Most of the spectators were drinking heavily and raucous laughter and chatter filled the room. It wasn't until Varick stiffened sharply and a spotlight swung toward the entrance of the room that my heart rate shot up again.
“The Helsings are here,” he said under his breath and I silently took his hand beneath the table. A round of applause broke out as Rockley announced their arrival and I turned to take in the three of them moving into the ballroom.
Abraham and Katherine flanked Mercy, gliding through the hall wearing bright smiles. Mercy's dress was more elegant than her usual style; a flowing Grecian white gown. Katherine wore a golden, slim-fitting dress of the same length. Abraham was cleanly shaved with an ebony suit that made his near-white hair stand out starkly under the spotlights. Behind them, was Kite, her head bowed diligently, her dress a simple black gown.
Fear gripped my heart as I gazed at them all, but overriding it was my burning thirst for revenge. And for the first time since I'd learned about the existence of Vampires, I knew what it was truly like to hunger for blood.