by Ivy Knight
After an hour of waiting, Vince was finally free to drive me to the venue. I'm an impatient person, especially on my birthday because this was the one day I wasn't expected to do anything. I could skip training, eat all the junk in the world and binge watch my favourite shows. Things were already awkward between Vince and I, so to avoid him, I sat at the back of the car and let him drive me like he was my chauffeur. Sometimes, he makes me wish that's all he ever was.
The drive was taking longer than I expected and the venue wasn't even anywhere near the area we were in.
"Vince, why aren't we going to the venue?"
"Something came up and I have to handle it before we go to your party. For once, can you stop acting like a child and not complain?" Vince's tone was harsh as always. Today was my day, and he was taking it away from me.
"No, Vincent. You know how much this means to me. Why can't you just give up your job for twenty minutes? I'm not even asking you to stay," he avoids answering my question by pulling into an abandoned building. I was stunned at how heartless he is.
"Stay in the car, I'll be back in a few minutes," his brown eyes were full of warning. He didn't want a response, just a quick reaction to display my consent so I bobbed my head knowingly. Then I watched him disappear behind the cracked walls of the building.
I remember waiting anxiously for him. My anger grew as every minute passed. My hands kept fidgeting with my phone. Surprisingly, the contraption was actually useless for once. I had no service in the area, so I couldn't call for a cab or even text someone. Soon, the moon took over the sun's spot. I had woken up extra early for my day, so I was tired. I fell asleep after a couple of minutes the night took over.
A knock on my window broke my sleep. When I looked out to see who it was, I spotted my brother. I open my door and step out, into the cold breeze.
"Is this what you call a couple of minutes?" I questioned crossing my hands over my chest.
His expression was careless. He didn't even pretend to care about the fact that he had ruined my birthday.
"It took longer than I expected. Father said everyone went home, so we should too," he responds.
"I hate to sound like a whiny little brat, but you turn me into one. I never asked for this life, but I go with whatever was given to me. I complain, but at the end of the day, I always come through for father, Anthony, Dean and even for you. And I'll always hate myself for that, I'll always hate you," that was the first time I had ever talked back to Vincent. His eyes bulged in surprise and the glare that followed, made me regret my words, but I didn't stand down. If I wasn't expected to be a kid, then I wasn't going to back down like one.
Before Vince could reply, his gasp took over the night's echo. I watched in horror at the tip of a blade sticking out of his right side. The blade exits his flesh and the masked man standing behind Vincent pushes Vince to the ground.
My hand covered my mouth, stopping myself from screaming as Vince's death-like body lied on the ground. Before I could run or even fight the man who dared to touch my family, a pinch in my throat stopped me. Someone was behind me and injected something into me. I felt drowsy and before I knew it, l was out cold.
The events of how I got here are clear in my mind. Two things that aren't are: who and why. My family has many enemies, but never have I experienced this. Maybe this is why my family never allows me to go out, but if they did, then I'd know who our enemies were.
Creak.
A door opens nearby and my ears perk listening for footsteps. They are quiet, but I can hear them. Someone is walking towards me from my left.
"I didn't believe it when they told me, but –" the man takes a pause. My head remains forward knowing that the man is standing to my left. I have great senses and keeping that a secret, would be to my advantage. A hand places itself firmly on my right shoulder and I flinch in surprise. He chuckles as his lips find a spot near my ear, " – I've got the key in my hands."
My jaw clenches. I've been trained for these situations since I was a child. Most still consider me one, but I don't like to believe them. I might've only turned fifteen, but I act much older.
"The key to what?" I ask.
"Power, kiddo," I feel the man's hand ruffling my hair. His voice is light this time, almost like Vince's, but less authoritative.
"My family won't give into your demands. They'll come and kill you," I spit angrily. The man's hands find a spot under mine on the chair's arms. His face only inches away from mine, his breath smells fresh – minty. Not the cheap store mint, but like the plant freshly growing in a garden.
I wait for him to speak, but he doesn't. Instead, one of his hands lifts off of the chair and pushes my long hair away from my shoulder. The tips of his finger than caress my jaw. Most people say I have a jaw sharp enough to create a cut. I really wish it would cut that man's hand right now. The feeling of him touching me, is sickening.
"You don't like me touching you?" his voice comes out as a whisper. I don't respond and he lets out a crooked laugh. "You don't know the rules yet, but you will soon enough. How old are you?"
"Fifteen," I reply. I've learned that responding to your captivator is a way of having them treat you lighter than they've initially planned because they feel like they have control. If you're rebellious from the start, they're more riled up and excited to crush you.
I feel him sigh heavily.
"Look up."
I keep my head down.
"I said look up," he regurgitates.
Annoyed, he grabs a handful of my hair and pulls my head back. I hiss and bite down on my tongue from cursing. His other hand lifts off from the chair's arm and finds a grip on my jaw.
"Do as you're told and you'll find things to be easy. But be a little brat, then I'll teach you exactly who you're messing with. I'm an impatient man and also the only man you'll be dealing with, so stop hoping for something better. You're not gonna get it."
Then it hits me, the reeking smell of smoke in his breath. I cringe, I hate the smell of cigarettes. The mint was an effort to hide his addiction. If my senses weren't naturally so heightened, I would've never smelled it. It's disgusting how people kill themselves every day. He lets go of my hair and plays with the blindfold.
"No," I beg. His evil chuckle rings in my ear as he rips off the blindfold.
"No!" I yell clenching my eyes.
I can't see him.
"Look at me," the man orders. I keep my eyes closed. My whole future is at stake. I can feel the emptiness take over me. If I see this man, it's either over for me or him. There's no in between just life or death, and this man id willing to risk it all, but I'm not.
I'm not opening my eyes.
"Open your eyes, bitch!" he yells, back handing me. I whimper as my ears ring and the sight of his expensive dress shoes fills my vision. My eyes blur with tears.
Starting now, life is a game.
The man finds his familiar grip on my jaw and forces me to look into his eyes. I gasp in surprise. The only light in the room is coming from the door. It's enough for me to see his face clearly. This man seems so young, like he's in his teens. But at the same time, if you don't pay as much attention as me, he could pull off saying that he's in his late twenties.
He wears a velvet, maroon suit. Usually, I would gag at the choice, but this man – boy looks like a daydream. His suit makes his grey eyes stand out making them the most attractive feature on his sculpted face. It's like god had spent years on him alone planning his features with such a delicate touch that even a flower would be jealous.
"Don't cry kiddo, I've heard your family teaches you how to become a warrior," he says. His head closes in. My heartbeat fastens as our lips brush when he turns his head to the side. I suck in a deep breath as his breath cools my heated cheek.
His left-hand travels along my bare leg hiding under my dress, "But I'll teach how to become a woman."
I feel his teeth nibble on my ear and I jerk my head back, shocked. I've never been exploited like this. Bi
le rises in my throat from the thoughts of what this guy is capable of if I'm not saved. My wrists start to twist around under the ropes, trying to break free. But as the blood starts to draw from my cut wrists, reality starts to hit me. Tears wash down my cheeks.
"Kiddo," the guy looks at me dead serious. I stare at him with pure disgust. "I know you haven't seen the world. Your family kept you hidden from it for a reason, but I've brought you here to show you how it works. You have two things to remember: do as I say and if you stay loyal, you stay alive. Understood?"
"Who's I?" I croak.
"Nicholas Black," he responds. I've heard his name. My brother's talk about a Nick all the time, saying how dangerous he is. Apparently, it's his childish ways that make him so dangerous.
"C-can," I clear my throat. "Can I ask you a question?"
His eyebrows rise, taken back by my confidence.
He nods in approval.
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen, why?"
"At first glance, you look young, but considering your full appearance and attitude, people will doubt their own minds," I reply.
"If you stick around, you'll learn how important that can be to people like us," with that, he turns around. He takes a tall stand in front of me, fixing his suit's button before making his way to the exit.
My eyes linger on him as he whispers something into another guys' ear. Once he's done, he takes a quick glance towards me and shuts the door. In the literal sense, darkness takes over me as slight whimpers escape my chapped lips.
My family had trained me to be strong, but I'm still just fifteen. I've never been through anything like this and one wrong move can make me end up six feet under. There's no way I can survive and be the same person I was the day I turned fifteen.
...♛...
"Huh huh huh huh," I shoot up. My head turns to every direction taking in my location. I catch my breath once I find myself in Kai's house.
My hand wipes away the sweat on my forehead. Feeling extremely hot, I look to my side for a glass of water, but I find it empty.
I push the blanket off my body climbing out of bed. Silently, I open my room's door. Across from my room, I look at the little space under Kai's door for any sight of light. It's dark, so I sigh in relief heading out and down towards the kitchen.
With my glass in hand, I turn on the tap and wait for the water to get cold. Testing the water on my fingertips, once my fingers get numb, I put the glass under. After it's full, I bring the clear glass to my lips and drink the content. I don't stop until it's empty.
I put the glass down and pinch the bridge of my nose, stressed. My whole body begs for sleep, but here I am, awake. The whole day, I avoided the three boys and stayed in my room. I couldn't sleep then and finally when I did, I have a freaking nightmare.
I had done everything to forget that memory, I had it buried and one stupid punishment from Kai is bringing it all back. I've lost the one thing most important to me, my sleep. My father warned me, said that when you lose that, that's when you truly know there's no getting out.
My eyes well up with tears. It feels like I've lost everything. With no sleep, the current stress and the memory flashes, I won't be able to get anywhere. This is weakening me to the point where I'm crying like a baby.
I need a cigarette. Honestly, I need anything that will help me forget. Consciously, I bite down on my bottom lip looking around to find anything in the kitchen that could help me. Sleep medication or drugs even stronger come to mind, but I've been through this kitchen. There's no stronger pills than Tylenol or Advil here.
My eyes zone down on the bar. Hope builds up inside of me as I walk over to the bar and look for the strongest drink there. I decide on a bottle of vodka and carry it up to my room. If I have nightmares today, I'm going to have them for a while.
Making sure not to make any noise, I close my bedroom door and lie down in my bed. I open the bottle of vodka and drink. My face scrunches up from the burning sensation, but I soon grow to it. Another sip after the other, tears continue to wash down my cheeks.
I drink and drink until the memory stops replaying in my mind and the bottle of vodka is lost from my hands.
Kai took away the one thing I hoped would always remain mine.
My sleep.
Chapter 25
"Father," I speak through the phone held onto my ear.
"Mea infantem puella," my father replies in Latin. Every time he calls me that, there's always an edge of sweetness, but today, there's an edge of sorrow.
"How long has it been?" I question looking straight into Nick's grey eyes.
"Three days," my father responds as if he has failed.
"Okay, that's enough," Nick pulls the phone back to his ear. "You've heard her, Xavier. She's alive and well, so let's get to business. I want every single piece of document ever printed, from the last fifty years, regarding The White Dragons. We'll discuss thing's further once I have them."
Nick listens as my father speaks on the other end. I can't tell how Nick is feeling because his back faces me. But, his rigid posture reveals his tension.
"If you do as I say, you'll get her back, Xavier. You have my word," Nick assures. His words are a lie. He is never going to let me go, not after letting me see his face. Not once has he mentioned who is to my father, he knows he'll be at a disadvantage if he does.
"Et mendacii pater suus! Et vidi faciem! Non illud faciunt! The equites!" I yell hoping my father's going to hear me through the phone. Latin is a dead language and that's exactly why my father made us learn it. No one, off the bat, can know that it's Latin that we're speaking and that can only benefit us.
Nick whips around and strides over to me. Without a single warning, the back of his hand connects with my left cheek once again.
My head tilted to the right, I open my eyes slowly. The metallic taste of blood dances across my taste buds. I spit it out onto the ground in disgust. Nick grabs my hair and forces me to look up at him. My eyes blurry with tears, I blink them dry. His grey eyes have been taken over by the darkness of his own emotions.
"What did you just say?" he asks through gritted teeth. The phone held away from his ear, is silent. My father and Nick both wait for an answer.
"Et mendacii pater suus. Et vidi faciem. Non illud faciunt. The equites," I respond calmly. This time, I know my father can hear me.
Nick chuckles, "You think you're funny? What does it mean in English?"
"Look it up on google translate," I tease.
"Alright then," Nick responds. He takes a few steps back and puts the phone to his ear.
"You've raised a handful, Xavier. I need to treat her to her standards, so I'll leave you to it. You have twenty-four hours," he ends the call. Showing off his anger, he throws the phone across the room. It hits the wall behind me and I hear it shatter.
I don't flinch. Instead, my eyes remain connected to his, challenging him. This only feeds his anger.
"Declan!" he yells. An unknown face walks in through the door. Nick whispers something in his ears. Once he's done, the other guys' eyes land on me. They're full of mischief.
"It'll be done," he replies to Nick.
"Good," Nick says before heading out. "I'll be right back, Kiddo."
...♛...
It's been a couple of hours since Nick left. Since then, I've been adjusted into a different position. My wrists are now tied above my head to a hook in the ceiling. My feet barely touch the ground making it hard for me to stay still.
As I shift in the spot, I wince feeling the ropes dig further into my raw skin. My body has lost its warm temperature. Not because the room has decreased its, but because Declan has stripped me out of my dress, leaving me only in my undergarments.
For a fifteen-year-old, I'm fully developed with a size of double D. I'm not thick or too lean. I like to believe that I'm average, but even then, I'm uncomfortable in my naked body. It's something I've never learned to be comfortable with.
Light shines in from th
e creaking door. My eyes automatically squint until they're adjusted to the light. I spot Nick wearing a loose grey t-shirt and black jeans – something more age appropriate.
"Don't let anyone come inside, and I'm not going to take any calls either. You can bombarde me once I'm done with her, understood?" Declan nods in response. On his way in, Nick's hand slides across the wall closest to the door switching on a dim light located in the middle of the room.
Once he's fully inside, Declan closes the door and I hear a click from outside. Nick drags the wooden chair, that I was previously tied to, across the room and stops in front of me. From there, he takes a seat crossing his right leg over his left.
"Are you just going to sit there?" I question. His eyes examine every inch of my body. From head to toe, his eyes note every detail hungrily. "My body isn't an image for you to stare at or an artifact for you to pay so much attention to."
The edges of his lips curl upwards into a small smile. His eyelids dip down as he thinks for a few seconds. His right hand reaches into his jean's pocket pulling out a cigarette. He reaches in again, this time pulling out a lighter.
I watch as he lights up the cigarette and takes a hit. The smoke releases from his mouth covers the air and I turn my head trying to avoid the smell. But that doesn't help as the toxic smell seeps through to me and I cough feeling the poison irritate my throat.
"You know what this is?" Nick gets up from
his seat and stands inches away from.
"A cigarette."
"And I'm guessing you've never tried smoking before."
"Mind the fact that I don't like to kill myself," I respond.
"No, it's okay with me. That gives me the opportunity to kill you the way I'd like to," he takes another hit of his cigarette. This time, the cloud of smoke is directed to my face. I cringe chocking on the gas.
"I'll ask you one last time, Kiddo. What is the translation of what you told your father?"
"I told him you were lying, that you were never going to let me go," I tell him half the truth. I also told my dad that it's The Black Knights.