Chapter Four
The next three days passed quickly for Elyse. She read the books, ate the meals that were brought to her, and slept intermittently each night. Damian didn’t serve her food, so she had no idea where he was. Each time she heard a key opening the lock she wondered if Brenwul was sending for her so that he could take her essence, but a meal was always the only outcome. She didn’t know how long a vampyre could last without taking more life-force essence, but hoped it was many days. The next time I see Damian, I’ll ask him. He might have some idea.
A while after she’d eaten supper, the door was unlocked, and her helper friend came into the room.
“Master Brenwul wants to see you in the library again. I’ll take these. I guess he wants them back.” He picked up the three books that were on the round table.
“Do you think he’s going to steal my life-force essence this time?”
“I don’t know. He just told me to bring you to him.”
“Before we go, can you tell me how long a vampyre can survive without essence?”
Damian shook his head. “It probably takes a while. I know when Master Brenwul stays in his bedroom it’s more than a week before he gets crazy, but to actually die from lack of it would be much longer. At least, that’s what I think. Why?”
“I was just wondering if he’s ready for more and that’s why he’s sent for me.”
“I have no idea, but you’d better not keep him waiting.”
They walked out of the room and made their way to the library. Damian gave her the books, knocked, and she heard Brenwul say, “Come!”
Reluctantly, she moved inside and saw the vampyre standing with his back to a blazing fire.
Trying to hide her fear, she stated, “You sent for me.”
“Yes. Put those books on my desk, and then come here.”
I know he’s going to take my essence. I wish I was far away in the city. Elyse went over to the desk, placed the three books on it, and noticed his supper tray was also there. The meal appeared untouched.
She walked slowly toward Brenwul and asked, “Are you going to take my essence now?”
“Is that what you want me to do? Did you like it when I did it before?”
“No, of course I didn’t. It made me feel weak afterward.”
“I can do it with pain, no pain, or really turn you on while taking some of it. In fact, I could make you become addicted to having your essence taken.” He stared down at her with those beautiful green eyes.
Yes, they actually are beautiful. She stood in silence, caught in his gaze.
“Well, I’ll do that on another day. Now, I want to know whether you enjoyed reading the books.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Then choose some more. There are plenty here.”
This is crazy. Why is he being almost nice to me? He’s supposed to be mean and evil.
He lifted his hand and pushed her away from him. “Go! Don’t stand there like an idiot. Find more books to stimulate your interest.”
She went over to one of the bookshelves and attempted to read some titles, but her mind was stuck on one question. Why is he letting me choose books again instead of taking my essence? Elyse slowly shook her head and pulled out four more books. One was another history of Kurbridor that might prove interesting.
“I’ve chosen some more.”
“Come back to me.”
She walked toward the fireplace, waited, and was aware he was staring at her. Brenwul didn’t say anything and after an uneasy silence, she decided he was waiting for her to speak.
“May I go now?”
“Not yet, I can see the clothes in your room are too big for you. Maybe I’ll have a helper bring you some smaller ones. Now, I want to ask you something. Do you like being my essence slave?”
“Of course I don’t. I keep expecting you to drain me. Instead, you’ve let me borrow your books. You’re confusing me.”
“Ah, that’s good. You don’t know what I’m going to do. Perhaps I’ll keep you as my slave and take some of your essence whenever I need it. Or maybe I’ll drain you dry and have my helpers dump your body on the common where the gatherings take place.”
“I think you’re having some sick fun at my expense.”
“Well, nothing gives me pleasure anymore, so maybe sick fun is better than none.” He stroked a finger down her chest and offered a wicked grin.
She’d had enough of his attempted torment, but knew he could stop her if she tried to leave the library. Maybe a change of subject might help? “I noticed you didn’t eat your supper. Doesn’t even food give you some pleasure?”
“Be careful, slave, I might decide to steal all of your essence right now.” This time, he stroked his whole hand down her chest.
Determined to not show her fear, she replied, “The meals here are good but plain. Rather than the boiled potatoes that were served for supper, I would have made Pomme Dauphine.”
“You think you can do better than my chef?”
“Yes. I attended cookery school for three years and was working as an assistant cook in a popular restaurant until you abducted me.”
“Then maybe I’ll send you to my kitchen to see what you can make. You can be both my essence and chef slave.” Brenwul grasped a lock of her loose hair and curled it around his finger. “Would that please you?”
“No, nothing you do pleases me. I want to be back home and working in the city.”
“Forget about all of that. You live here now and must do whatever I say. I’ve claimed you.”
“That might be what you think, but it’s not true. No one can claim another person.”
Brenwul pushed her away. “Go! You are annoying me.”
Elyse quickly left the library, and Damian escorted her back to her room. She held onto the books so tightly, wishing it was the vampyre’s neck she was squeezing. I’m annoying him? Well, that’s nothing compared to how much he’s infuriating me. She sat down on the bed and thought about what she should have said to Brenwul. Those words would have definitely earned his anger, and he’d have drained her dry by now.
* * * *
The following morning Damian unlocked the door and walked into her room. “I have to take you to the kitchen.”
“But I haven’t had my breakfast yet. Will the kitchen staff feed me?”
“I don’t know. Master Brenwul told me to take you there immediately. I don’t think you should disobey his order.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you. I know why he wants me there. Yesterday I mentioned that the meals here are good, but rather plain. He wants to see if I can cook something better.”
She followed Damian out of the room, walked beside him into the vestibule, and then along another hallway that led to the kitchen. They entered and found several staff bustling around and making breakfast for everyone.
Damian sat down on a chair and said, “I’ll wait here for you.”
A plump little man came up to Elyse and eyed her from head to toe and back up again. “Master Brenwul says you know how to cook. He wants you, not me, to make breakfast for him. I usually give him fried eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast. What will you cook for him?”
Elyse thought for a moment. “Well, if you have the right ingredients, I’ll make Eggs Benedict. I’ll need egg yolks, some butter, an English muffin, lemon juice, salt and white pepper for the sauce, also two more eggs and some bacon.”
“Isn’t that a recipe from Terra?”
“Yes. I was taught quite a number of recipes from that world.”
“We don’t have English muffins. Will bread be okay?”
“I can make it with two slices of toast. Let me get started.”
“I’ll tell one of the staff to bring you the ingredients, and I’ll fry the eggs and bacon.”
“The eggs need to be poached, not fried.”
“Okay, I can poach them.”
“Thanks. That will help.”
The cook moved away from her and spoke to a young wom
an who hurried around the kitchen, gathering what Elyse needed. After melting some of the butter, she separated a couple of egg yolks and beat them together with the lemon juice. Next, using a double boiler, she heated the mixture while drizzling in the butter before adding the salt and pepper. Elyse also toasted two slices of bread and directed the cook to place bacon and then a poached egg on top of each slice. Finally, she poured the warm sauce over the eggs and asked the cook, “Does he drink something with his breakfast?”
“He likes grespat juice and always has several mugs of coffee. The tray is ready, so just put your plate of Eggs Benedict on it.” He pointed to a counter where a tray holding a glass of the blue juice, a coffee pot, and a mug was situated.
Presuming one of the kitchen staff would serve the breakfast to Brenwul, Elyse went over to Damian. “I’m finished, so you can take me back to my room now.”
He stood up and replied, “Master Brenwul said you have to take the breakfast tray to him. He’s waiting for you in the dining room.”
“Oh, he’s a pain. I’m starving, but maybe he wants some essence with his breakfast, so I’ll have to go with you.” She picked up the tray and walked beside Damian out of the kitchen, back along the hallway, into the vestibule, and then stopped in front of another ornately decorated door. Damian knocked and was answered by Brenwul.
“Send her in.”
Once the door was opened by the helper, Elyse went inside and saw Brenwul sitting at a long, mahogany table. He was drumming his fingers.
“You’ve taken a while to make my breakfast. It isn’t wise to keep me waiting. Bring it to me now!”
She carried the tray to the table, left the coffee pot and mug on it, and set the plate on the lace placemat between the knife and fork. Then, she stepped backward, hoping she could leave.
“Sit down!” Brenwul nodded toward one of the empty chairs that flanked the table. While she perched on the edge of the seat, he poured coffee into the mug, drank some of it, and then picked up the cutlery and started eating the Eggs Benedict. As he chewed, he scowled at her.
I guess he doesn’t like it. Essence is probably more to his taste.
Brenwul ate everything on the plate, drank the juice, and poured more coffee. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with the napkin and sat back, staring at her.
Is he going to say something, or is he waiting for me to speak? Taking a chance, she stated, “You like your coffee black. I prefer mine with milk and sugar.”
“Do you think I’m interested in how you drink coffee? Don’t you want to know whether I enjoyed the Eggs Benedict?”
“Did you?”
“I don’t like anything, but that breakfast was okay and better than what my chef makes for me.”
“He did poach the eggs and fry the bacon, but I made the sauce and toasted the bread.”
“That sauce improves the dish. You must teach my cook how to make it.”
“I think he watched me, so he probably knows how to create it now.”
“Good. I’ll expect him to cook Eggs Benedict for me tomorrow morning.” Brenwul continued to frown at Elyse.
She remained on the edge of the chair and tried to ignore her stomach that started to growl.
“What are you waiting for? Return to your room and read the books.”
She stood up and rushed from the dining room. Damian was waiting for her in the vestibule.
To her relief, he said, “You must be hungry. As soon as you’re back in your room, I’ll go to the kitchen and get your breakfast.”
Chapter Five
Brenwul moved from the dining room to the library. He sat down at his desk, opened the record book, and began to note which cash disc machines were delivered to his home the night before. As a valuable asset to Mejin Deelin, he was the one to whom the banks sent any machines that had been confiscated or were no longer needed due to the death of the owner. He could also issue ones to anyone who needed a cash disc machine. Both Elyse’s and that of her grandmother had been sent to him, so he knew she had no way of accessing cash.
She has to remain in my home, and that is as it should be. Elyse is my essence slave, yet I haven’t taken any essence from her. Why? I find her intriguing and almost enjoy looking at her. Perhaps the redness of her hair has woven a spell around me. No, no, one curse is more than enough in a lifetime. Stop thinking about her and concentrate on what needs to be recorded.
Brenwul attempted to list more returned machines, but began to scribble the name Elyse, over and over, instead. Realizing his mistake, he scratched lines across her name, and then threw down the pen. He jumped up from the chair and paced back and forth in front of the fire.
What is wrong with me? I’ve never been so centered on a person before. She’s just an ordinary human with crazy colored hair that others don’t like. But I like it and her brown eyes. No, I don’t! I don’t like anything since I was cursed. This is ridiculous, I need to do my work for Mejin Deelin and only send for Elyse when I’m ready to devour all of her essence. Yes, I’ll feed on that second slave today, and then, when I’m ready, I’ll take all of Elyse’s and order my helpers to leave her body on the common. That’s the way to completely forget about her.
* * * *
In the afternoon, Elyse heard some noise in the hallway and, when Damian brought her supper, she asked him about it. He explained that the other essence slave was taken to Master Brenwul, and then two helpers left her on the common.
“Did he take all of her essence?”
“Not quite, but I don’t know if she’ll recover.”
“What about the first one? Is she getting better?”
“Oh, she was taken to the common the next day, so they’ll both either revive or die. I guess Master Brenwul doesn’t care about what happens to them.”
“Was he always like that or only since he was cursed?”
“Before the spell, he never had essence slaves. I believe he took essence from those who were willing to give it to him, or he made them believe they wanted to do that. Vampyres can make people think anything even when it isn’t true.”
“I know they can do that.” Like making me believe I only dreamed he stole my essence. “So I’m the only slave here now?”
“Yes, but let’s hope he chooses more. Okay, I’ll come back for the tray in a while.” He went out of the room and locked the door.
Elyse sat eating her supper and thinking about how she was the only essence slave in Brenwul’s home at the moment. She was now in line to be his next victim, and there was nothing she could do to change that fact. If only I hadn’t gone to the market.
When she’d finished eating, Elyse went to the window and looked out at the night sky through the very small area of unblocked glass. Both moons were full and shedding pearly light on the grounds below. I wish I could be sitting outside and watching clouds drift across those moons. Grandma and I used to sometimes sit on the front step and see if any stars were shooting by in their glory. It would be so good to be outside again and gaze at those moons before that vampyre kills me.
This thought persisted in her mind, and when Damian came for her tray she questioned, “Would you be willing to help me get out of this house?”
“Do you mean to escape?”
“No, I’d like to sit outside for a little while tonight. It would cheer me.”
Damian looked thoughtful. “I want to help you, but if we get caught...” He shook his head.
“I’ll only stay outside for a few minutes, and you’re the only helper standing on guard in the hallway tonight. There’ll be no one else, right?”
“Yes, until someone relieves me in the morning so that I can get some sleep.”
“Please, Damian, no one will know. Show me a door that gives access to the grounds and I’ll be happy in this miserable place.”
He stood looking lost in thought, and then finally said, “Okay, but we’ll both be dead if Master Brenwul finds out. Come on, let’s do it.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the ro
om’s door.
“What about the tray?”
“I’ll collect it when we come back.”
After he had locked the room, they made their way along the hallway and branched off into another hallway that led to a large door. It boasted areas of bare wood where the stain had worn off. Damian unlocked and opened it. She could see a gravel stone path leading away from the house and winding its way between expanses of grass and several trees.
“Don’t take long. I’ll close this door and wait for you right here. Just knock when you’re ready to come back in.”
“Thank you, my friend. I’m forever indebted to you.” She stepped outside and felt cheered by the sound of the gravel crunching under her shoes. The light from the moons made everything visible but within a silvery hue.
Elyse walked along the path, looking for a place to sit down. She followed it around a section of trees that were almost hugging each other, and saw a large rock that was completely flat on top. An ideal place for resting, but someone was already sitting there. It was Brenwul with his head bent low.
Is he asleep? I’d better go back, or I’m in trouble. She stepped back and the gravel crunched loudly under her foot.
Brenwul’s head moved, and he turned to glare at her. “What are you doing outside? Come here!”
Elyse hurried over to him and stared at her hands.
“Are you trying to escape?”
“No, I just wanted to be out here for a short while. The moons are beautiful tonight.”
“How did you manage to get outside? You’re supposed to be locked in your room.”
She didn’t want Damian to be blamed, so she answered, “I slipped past the helper when he was busy unlocking my door.”
“That’s a lie. The alarm would have been raised by now if you’d done that. Which one of my helpers has shown you a door that leads to my grounds?”
Elyse shook her head and didn’t reply.
“I’ll find out, and then he’ll be punished. You are not allowed to be outside unless I say so.”
The Vampyre's Slave Page 3