by Sasha Pruett
“How long have I been here?” She knew he was there. Somehow, she always knew, but she was never afraid and he wondered if some part of her remembered after all deep down.
“About two weeks now.”
She continued to examine her bruises, not bothering to look up.
“I guess that would explain these.”
He didn’t tell her they had been fresh that morning when Rais had left. He’d managed to slip in while she was sleeping before the servants arrived and removed the nights’ events from her mind. Shockingly enough none of them had been back, probably due to the fact that they were spending their time doing some hunting out west.
“Thing is I don’t remember them being there a couple of days ago, at least it seems like a couple of days ago. Kind of hard to tell when your memory is Swiss cheese. I suppose I should thank you for that. So, are you going to tell me your name or do I have to guess? I warn you I won’t be very good at it.”
“Drakon.”
“Drakon huh? I’m Calynn, but you probably already know that don’t you? So tell me something Drakon, how long do I have before they finally kill me?”
“About four more weeks.”
“Well I guess that means the glass is coming up on half empty or half full. What would you say? Seems a bit fifty-fifty between the two of them if you ask me.” She paused, “Why?” Calynn looked straight at his reflection in the mirror holding his gaze. He may have been hidden in shadow, but she could see his strong tall form and his short raven hair that stood out against his pale skin.
“It’s the fall equinox and it’s my father’s turn to drink the blood of a human to retain his strength and youth. It takes six weeks to purify any disease or toxins from the body.”
“Not why am I here, that doesn’t really matter in the end.” She turned to face him. “I mean, why have you helped me? Why take away the memories of this?” She thrust her bruised wrist out to him. “You’re one of them. You were there that night in the field chasing me down like some sort of animal just like the rest of them, so what’s the point? Judging by the gaps in my mind you’ve done it multiple times haven’t you? So what’s the deal?”
She was angry tonight and she had every right to be.
“It’s all that I have in my power to do.”
She signed and sat on the edge of the small table they leave her food tray on tracing invisible patterns on the smooth solid top. “Too bad it’s too late to take up smoking.”
Drakon snickered.
“Now you think I’m funny?”
“It’s not that. It’s just that you’ve said that before.”
“Am I starting to sound like a broken record?”
“No.” It was a lie. They’d already gone over this many times before.
“Liar. You have me at a disadvantage, but then so do they.” Her voice had gone soft as she looked at the marks on her wrist. “If I had any kind of real courage I’d smash that mirror and end my life. I bet that would screw with their plans for serving me up as Sunday brunch.”
“Wouldn’t work. That mirror is shatterproof for just that reason. It’s also the reason there is a metal sink and toilet in the bathroom. Porcelain is just as much a liability.”
“I know.”
He raised a quizzical eyebrow. This was new.
“About the mirror, I’ve already tried… at least I think I have.”
His terse look surprised her. “Breaking the mirror, not taking my life. I was looking for a weapon. I just wish there was some way to go down fighting, to make some sort of stand and not be just another happy meal to some monster.” She looked up at him briefly then turned to stare at the ceiling, her eyes brimming with tears of anger and frustration. She couldn’t cry, she wouldn’t, not now, not ever and she breathed deep willing them to dry.
He’d never seen that before. She’d gone through more pain and torture in the past two weeks than most would in their entire existence and not once had he seen her shed a tear out of emotion. It should have disgusted him. He should have turned away and left her to his brothers and her fate, but somehow he couldn’t. Any other time a human crying would be just another sign of their weakness, but for the first time he saw the strength in it; her strength and it drew him to her. Drakon pulled her chin down to face him and looked her in the eyes.
“You already are. You have no idea how strong you are. Every time Rais storms out of this room he’s ready to rip something apart. He’s out west presently, probably terrifying some co-ed so that he can feel like he’s all powerful again. You’ve taken that from him. If you hadn’t he would have given up on you the minute he felt he’d broken you, but he hasn’t and he knows it. That’s why he keeps trying; and Ivan? Ivan is so confused he doesn’t know what to do. It’s like he’s ten years old again. He does whatever sick perverted experiment he can think of, but you just keep staring at him like he’s nothing but an annoying gnat or some other pesky, but harmless insect. Then he goes back and tries it all over again on whom ever he thinks he’s managed to sneak into the house, just to see if he’s lost his touch. I heard him mention something about you being boring the other day and he hasn’t been back here since. If he doesn’t get the reaction he wants he moves on. So you see, you are making your stand, and not just in some small way either. No one in this house will ever forget you were here, trust me.”
His voice had risen louder than he’d intended, but thankfully no one had heard. No one but her. Without warning she kissed him. Not a peck or a gentle meeting of the lips, but a full, hard, desperate kiss full of fear, gratefulness, anger, need and a dozen other emotions swelling inside her. Her arms clung to his neck as one hand tangled in his hair, the other digging into his back. The surprise only lasted a second and the instinct to push her away was quickly overruled. He cupped her face wrapping his free arm around her waist drawing her closer; tracing her jaw and neck with his lips. He could feel her pulse throbbing beneath her skin, smell her blood coursing through her veins. In that moment, he wanted to devour her in every way he could, but his eyes caught sight of her discolored shoulder and he pulled back. How could he do this?
“Calynn… I…”
“No, listen. I don’t expect you to save me. I don’t think you’ll show up like some knight in shining armor, defy your father and rescue me and I’m not asking you to. I know that’s impossible, but right here, right now in these final days that I have left you can give me some comfort in this place. It may be the last I ever get. Drakon, if you want me, I’m yours; right here, right now.”
Drakon brushed her hair behind her ears and gave a gentle nod. He did want her. He wanted her in a way he’d never wanted anyone before and tonight they would have each other.
She lay on her side, sleeping in his arms while he gently brushed his fingertips over her bruised back and shoulder. How could anyone inflict such pain on such a creature as this? Every muscle in him tensed as his anger at Rais grew. He’d make him pay, somehow someway he’d make his brothers pay for their cruelty. But why? She was nothing more than any of the rest of the sacrifices that had come before. Something was happening to him, had been happening since that night in the field and it scared him. What if they caught him? So what, he had every right to be there same as it was everyone else’s. No one would care and other than a couple of curious remarks that he could easily respond to it would barely be noticed. No that wasn’t it, being caught wasn’t the problem. The problem was he wanted to stay, he wanted to do all those things she’d said; to save her, to rescue her from a fate she of all people didn’t deserve, but that was impossible. The best he could offer her was the same as he had been. He couldn’t prevent the violence, but he could remove the memories of it and he’d continue to do just that. In the hours before dawn he slipped silently out bed, placed his fingers on her temple and once again wiped their time together from her mind, before disappearing back into the darkness.
Now he stood watching her as he had every night since. There were no more conversation
s, no more exchanges of any kind. In a few short weeks she would be strapped to his father’s wall and drained of every drop of blood. There was nothing he could do about that and he had no illusions of trying. The night before the equinox he erased her memory one last time, no one was allowed to bother her from that point on so he knew she’d be safe for the night. Then he disappeared unnoticed.
He’d planned to spend the next day in his hunting cabin in Germany, but he never made it past his spot on the cliffs at the edge of the estate. Somehow leaving her completely seemed wrong, so he sat on the edge of the bluff and watched the sun rise then begin to set again. When he returned, he’d expected all traces of her existence to have been removed. Instead he found that not only was she alive, but was pregnant… with his child. How things have changed in only twenty-four hours. Now he may very well be able to save her life after all, if she played along. That was why he was there now. It was taking a chance, but he had to talk to her and after tonight they would both be watched every minute of the day. Silently he approached the bed and whispered her name.
“Calynn, Calynn I need you to wake up.”
His voice cut through her sleep and for a moment she wasn’t sure if she was still dreaming. “If this is a nightmare, go away I’m not interested.”
“Calynn please, we don’t have much time and I have to speak with you.”
Calynn sat up and drew her legs to her chest wrapping her arms around them, yawning and blinking her bleary eyes. “Okay Shadowman, you have my attention.”
He was relieved she still accepted his presence so easily, but now was not the time to reflect on it and he sat gently on the edge of the bed.
“Calynn, you don’t remember me, but my name is Drakon. You were brought here as a sacrifice for my father and he would’ve killed you yesterday had he not discovered…”
“That I’m pregnant? Yeah I kind of figured all that out.” She laid her head on her knees and peeked up at him with half lidded eyes.
“Look I know this is going to sound crazy…”
“That’ll be a change.”
“Are you going to let me finish?” He wasn’t mad. In a way it made him feel better, but again now was not the time. Though he didn’t attempt to hide his smile.
“Calynn,”
She raised her hands in defeat. “Okay Drakon, I give.”
“As I was saying, my father thinks this child could end up being very powerful and he’s decided that he wants to make you a part of the family. He thinks that if you’re comfortable enough it will be easy for you to produce more offspring. It’s his plan that you marry one of his sons and continue producing a more powerful line of Drake. Tomorrow you’re going to be introduced to the rest of the family; at least most of them anyway. They’ll be trying to befriend you, to convince you that things aren’t so bad, and they’ll… they’ll be trying to influence you.”
“Let me guess, towards you?” She raised her eyebrows.
Drakon nodded and looked at the covers before regaining himself. “I don’t expect you to be happy about this, but this is a way to get you out of here and not in a body bag. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She dipped her head, “If I want to stay alive and get out of here I need to play along and marry you. Is that about it?”
“Yes. I don’t presume that you’ll trust me completely, but you once told me you didn’t expect me to save you. Well now I can… if you’ll let me.”
She stared into his eyes, “What do I have to do?”
He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “First of all, we have to be very careful. At the moment none of my siblings are aware of my father’s intentions, but by tomorrow every eye in this house will be on both of us, so after this we only speak freely when I can get us in a safe place. Understand?”
She nodded.
“Next, you’re going to have to fit in without…”
“Looking like I’m trying to fit in?”
“Exactly. No matter what you see, try not to let it phase you. They’ll be on their best behavior, but they are still creatures beyond anything you’ve known; keep that in mind. And don’t trust anyone not even Millie. She will do almost anything for you, but in the end, she is still a servant in the House of Drake and she will not betray my mother nor my father. She could actually be of use if necessary, if she believes that you’re coming around, that you’re…”
“Falling for you?”
“Yes, and you can be assured that she’ll be informing them of everything.”
“I think I can handle that. Allow them to make friends, play dear diary with the help and let things happen the way daddy dearest wants. What then?”
“Once he believes you’ve agreed to become my wife he’ll waste no time in arranging the ceremony. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the arrangements aren’t already in the works. After the wedding he’s agreed to give us the villa in Switzerland. That will buy us plenty of time for me to arrange your disappearance. You’ll be free, at least as free as you possibly can be. You won’t ever be able to go home, but you can at least live life on your own terms again.”
“And the baby?”
He looked straight into her eyes. “That’s up to you. You never asked to have a child, especially not with a… with a monster. I’ll help in whatever way I can.”
“Why are you doing this?” She tilted her head slightly.
“Because I’ve never met anyone like you and it would be a shame to destroy someone with such strength and honor.”
She took a deep breath and pursed her lips. “Then I guess I’ll be marrying you soon then. Until tomorrow?”
He nodded and rose, “Until tomorrow.” And then he was gone.
Chapter Eleven
Not long after Millie had delivered her breakfast she was offered a tour of the house, just as her late-night visitor had said. Millie had also mentioned it the day before and the girl was more than enthusiastic to show her all around what she called ‘this fine estate’. Calynn found it difficult not to reply to that with some snide remark about it being fine if compared to the seventh circle of Hell and smiled instead. On the bright side of things, she now had a chance to gage her surroundings. With any luck maybe she’d find an escape route, but no sooner had the two stepped out of her room than they met with a spunky, short haired girl that looked like she had a hard time standing still. Calynn secretly wondered if she’d been waiting outside her door the entire time. Guess the family wanted to take extra precautions against the possibility she’d get away from one of the servants. If this girl was anything like the guys in the field where she was caught there was no way she’d be able to make a break for it.
“My lady may I introduce…”
“Hi, I’m Erzsébet, but most people, well most people other than Mumsie and dear old daddy call me Lizzy. And you must be Calynn. I see our dear Millie is taking you on the grand tour, how about I take over so that Millie can get back to whatever it is that she’s usually supposed to be doing this time of day. That way we can get acquainted.” She smiled brightly and tilted her head, looking between them.
Calynn hadn’t known what to expect, but this wasn’t quite it. The girl looked to be about nineteen and shorter than she was. She was painfully thin with dark brown hair that looked as if it hadn’t seen a hair brush in a while. Or maybe it was the streaks of red, blonde, and even purple that made it look that way. The girl talked like she’d downed a case of Red Bull in a minute flat, bouncing from foot to foot like an antsy race horse. She hoped she didn’t walk as fast as she talked.
“Would that be alright Millie? I wouldn’t want to keep you from anything important just to show me around.”
“No miss; that will be fine. If you need anything I will be close by. Miss Erzsébet is a charming young woman and I’m sure the two of you will become close friends.” With that she bowed her head to them both then turned and left.
“Lizzy huh?”
“Yep, short for Elizabe
th and Erzsébet is Hungarian for Elizabeth, so there you go.”
“Okay, Lizzy let’s get this party started. Lead the way.” She shrugged and motioned for the girl to take the lead.
“Ohhh, you said my favorite word! Party! Rattling around this old place hardly qualifies, but there’s this club outside of Chicago that is to die for. Play your cards right and one night I’ll sneak you out of this place and we’ll have a little fun for once. Follow me.”
With a tilt of her head and her fake smile firmly in place she put one foot in front of the other and followed when all she wanted to do was run.
The two made their way around the second floor while Lizzy pointed out their personal rooms and a few other guest rooms. It seemed that the majority of the guest rooms were in another wing entirely and she had been given a suite set aside for those closest to the family. That explained the size and opulence of her own set of rooms. No doubt they were stashing her close by so that they could keep tabs on her more easily.
“All of our rooms are pretty massive, but for the most part if you stay on the same side of the hall your room is on that’s where all us girls have our rooms. The guys are all on the other side. Although about the only one that actually uses his room is Rais. Ivan has his ‘private lab’,” she rolled her eyes and did air quotes with her fingers; even if Calynn hadn’t been there to see it she had a feeling that the girl still would have done it, “that he spends most of his time in and Maxie practically lives in his garage. He’s such a gear head. His real name is Maximilien, but he prefers Max so I like to tease him and call him Maxie. Drakon, he’s the next oldest, he spends most of his time who knows where. He doesn’t stay home much, he prefers to be out running with the pack. He’s a big hunter, if there’s a stuffed animal around here; the dead stuffed kind not the fluffy bedtime kind; you can bet he took it down himself. He’s not like any of the others. They all have their faults, but Drakon’s a good guy; very dependable when you need him and you can tell him anything and he’d keep it to himself.