Ever After (35 page)

Todd kicked William aside, grabbed my arm, and pulled me out of my room into the dark hallway. The house seemed very dark. I figured they cut the power or something. Dad was in Chicago on business, and Sara was with him, as they had a benefit dinner tomorrow night. Gran was asleep. I was thankful none of them would get hurt.

I knew if Gran or dad had been here and tried to stop Todd, he would have killed them. Libby was in the house but she must have been asleep. She wasn’t due in to check on me for another hour or more. She didn’t come in as much, when William was here. She knew he would watch over me.

I stumbled along the hall nearly falling, until Kyle, annoyed with my slow pace threw me over his shoulder and carried me out of the house. When Todd opened the door, a blast of frigid winter air cut through my flimsy jacket. I remembered Doc saying I had to be kept warm. I knew now I was in massive trouble.

I tried to bury my head down in my coat, away from the wind but it cut through me like a knife. I was instantly freezing and felt so strange, and numb. Todd had a Jeep waiting, parked just outside the view of the security cameras. Todd opened the door and Kyle put me in the backseat face down. They then pulled my arms behind my back and tied them with a rope.

“Don’t want you trying to get away.” Todd hissed as he yanked the rope tight around my wrists.

I put my head down on the seat; it was much warmer in the vehicle, as Todd turned up the heat. If they only knew that in a matter of hours I would be dead, they would not have bothered with the stupid ropes. I guess I could have tried to get my arms free, but I knew even if I did I could not run faster than they run or fight them. I was no match for them.

Two full-blooded vamps against one not even fully changed half blood, was not even fair. I sighed closing my eyes, my ribs hurt and my stomach felt all twisted. I could breath, now with very little pain. I knew that in a matter of hours without the serum from Pratt, the pain would be back 100 times worse than before.

I couldn’t get the picture of Will lying on my bedroom floor out of my mind. I couldn’t let myself think he was dead; my heart ached not knowing and not being able to help him. The fight between he and Todd was horrible, he tossed Will around as if he was nothing. I feared his injuries might kill him.

I had no idea how long we drove, I drifted in and out of sleep. I tried to pretend this was a nightmare and I could wake up and be back at home with William. It was still dark, possibly in the very early hours of the morning, when they finally stopped driving. I could see trees, lots of them when I looked up. We had to be in some kind of thick woods. It couldn’t have been very far from Cambridge. We just were not on the road long enough to be out of the area.

I slowly pulled myself up to see better. An old stone two-story house tucked back into a massive grove of oak trees was in front of me. It looked ancient and abandon, like something out of a horror movie. I started coughing and my lungs felt like they were burning. Todd and Kyle got out, and opened the doors to where I was.

“What in the hell is wrong with you anyway?” Todd snapped at me. “Leo said you were in some kind of mid phase thing, or dying?” He got in my face and looked at me.

I tried to back up, but I was pinned against the seat. I glared at him, wishing I could scratch his eyes out. If only I was a full blood I could have done just that and worse to him. He put his hand on my cheek, and pulled it back quickly.

“You’re like ice!” He grabbed my wrist next, feeling my pulse. “He did really bite you didn’t he? I thought it was made up to scare us off from you, but he really did try to change you! What happened Corrine? He couldn’t do it right or what? Why are you still over half human?” He shook his head in disgust.

"I can smell it. You don’t even give off any kind of vampire vibes; you’re not even half way changed.” He and Kyle looked at each other. I didn’t even try to think of what they were talking about in their minds to one another.

“Shut up Todd you don’t know anything!” I slammed my fist into his arm hard. “Damn it!” He grabbed his arm in shock. “You’re stronger than I thought.”

I was shocked too, I had no idea I could hurt him. I liked the idea though. I hoped that maybe I was changing into a half blood finally. If I was, I could escape when I was strong enough, and the coven wouldn’t have to rescue me.

“Come on now enough of that, we have to get inside.” I stumbled behind him as he held my arms. Kyle was right behind me watching every move I made.

Chapter 19

Prisoner

The old house was dark and cold when we got inside. Todd lit some candles near the door and held on to me as we walked through the narrow hallway. I watched him, noticing how much he had changed. His hair was shorter and of course, his skin was the typical pale shade. His facial features were more defined and good looking if you wanted to call him that, I know I didn’t.

I looked away before he saw me stare. I felt cold and scared suddenly. Todd was a full-blooded vampire, and if he wanted to, he could kill me easily. I tried not to think about how dangerous he was and how much he hated me.

“In here,” he said gruffly grabbing me and pushing me into a dark room. In the candle light, I saw a large four-poster bed, a chair, and a dresser. The furniture looked old and rickety. I pretty much knew this was going to be my prison.

“There’s a bath room in there.” He pointed to a door with a dim light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The power will be on soon, so you will just have to deal with it until then.”

I looked at the windows and saw they were all lined with metal bars. This was a prison indeed. Someone intended for this room to be my cage. I wondered how long the Dark coven had planned my kidnapping. I could see no way of escaping this place, unless I gained super human strength.

“I’ll un tie you, but don’t get any ideas or anything. I would love to have an excuse to kill you right now. I wanted to just do that back at your house.” I bit my lip and felt my stomach churn with his words.

He looked around the room. “I won’t have you mess up all the plans, this is set, and it is going to happen.”

I sat down on the bed. I was so tired and cold it was like a nightmare I was trapped in, but wasn’t lucky enough to be asleep. Todd yanked my arms over and untied my wrists, they were sore. I could feel where the rope had cut my wrist, and rubbed it raw. The burning skin on my wrists, just reminded me, that I was in fact his prisoner.

“I will be back later.” He began to leave, and then he turned back around. “Remember don’t try anything, you will never get out of here alive.” I didn’t doubt his words.

I lay down and curled into a ball. I could hear them lock the door; they had more than one bolt on it from the numerous clicks I heard. I felt so cold, my fingers were tingling, and my heart felt like each beat was slower than the last. I had no idea what was going to happen to me, but it couldn’t be good, I knew that much.

I drifted in and out of sleep, hearing movement outside my door on and off. I heard raised voices several times in the next room. I was hungry, and wondered if they were going to starve me to death. I waited and waited for someone to come in, as the sun peeked through the curtains.

I realized it had been hours since my kidnapping. I heard my door open, after I drifted off to sleep for a few more hours. Sleeping was all I could do; if I was awake, I would worry myself into a heart attack. I was terrified of the chief elder Leo, coming to have me for a snack. I felt a gentle hand on my forehead, and a heavy wool blanket put over me. I was thankful for that, as I shook. I was too scared to open my eyes and see who had done this.

“Corrine? Can you hear me?” A light soft female voice cut the rooms silence. “I’m Sayann I am here to help you. I was studying to be a nurse before I was changed.”

I slowly opened my eyes, to see a young Asian girl hovering over me. It looked like she was my age. Her long shiny black hair fell down around her shoulders as she looked at me. Her face was as pale as mine was, but her features were delicate, like a china doll. I wondered why she was in here, and if she was going to have me for a snack.

“I m here to help you, are you in any pain?” I could see she was genuinely concerned as she looked at me. I was not sure if she meant to hurt me or help me. I tried to sit up but I could barely move. I needed help to sit up. I felt so sick, and had so much pressure on my lungs.

“Let me help you, turn over on your side.” I had no choice but to let her touch me. I was sinking fast. I could feel her pull me up and turn me on my side. I could feel the air in my lungs moving easier now. Clearly she knew what she was doing, and meant me no real harm…for now at least.

“Thank you so much.” I sighed. “Why are you being so kind to me?” I laid my head back down.

“I know you expected me to be mean.” She glanced at the heavy oak door. “I am not like them. I never wanted to be one of them.” She said in a hushed voice.

She keeps looking at the door nervously. “I hate all of them out there. They are evil killers.”

I was shocked to hear her say this. I had not expected hear that in a million years. I was silent not knowing what to do next.

“I know about you and William. I overheard them talking. I’m sorry they did this, but I will try to help you as best I can.”

“Why would you do that? “ I asked cautiously. I wasn’t about to trust her, not just yet. “They would kill you wouldn’t they?” I couldn’t believe she was willing to risk her life (or whatever you want to call it) on me, we did not even know each other.

“I hate them all Corrine. I know what happened to you and William, and I knew that freak show Vincent too! I tried to avoid him like the plague when he was here. I’m so glad that Dr.Parker killed him. He was a horrible evil man; nobody liked him, but Leo and Todd.”

“You mean Doc?” I smiled slightly. It seemed odd to hear his formal name, as we all called him just Doc by the coven.

“Yes, I heard that’s what your coven calls him. You all are lucky to have an elder like him.” She looked to the door nervously again. “Leo’s a nightmare, a pure evil night mare and so was Vincent!” I could see the fear in her eyes, and sadness when she spoke of them.

“If you hate them why are you here?” I was afraid to ask, as I said it softly.

“I was made a vampire by no choice of my own. I never wanted to be what I am now, not ever.” She sighed and looked down at the worn wood floor.

“Were you brought here by force? Did they kidnap you and make you one?” I said softly.

I bit my lower lip a bit afraid I shouldn’t be asking her this stuff. I didn’t know her at all, but I could see in her eyes she was not like the dark ones. I could see she was desperate to talk to someone, desperate for help, just like me. I hoped she wanted to share her story, because for some reason I felt I could relate to her. She stood silently thinking, before she began to speak.

“It happened not long ago. I’ve only been here with the Dark coven two years. I was a sophomore at Boston University. I was going to become a nurse and maybe a doctor if I could keep my grades up.”

“That’s good because I think I’m going to need you around, as if you didn’t know I’m in rough shape.” I sighed sadly.

“I know Corrine, I will do all I can to help you don’t worry. So, I had a boyfriend named Kyle we started dating a few months in to my freshman year. He was good-looking, smart, and super rich. I came from dirt-poor family; I only got into BU, on a scholarship. I hate to admit this but I kind of figured if I stayed with Kyle, I would have a really comfortable life, and never have to worry about money again.” She shook her head. “I was a gold digger I guess, back then anyway.”

“Was Kyle nice to you?”

“In the beginning he was, he did the whole romance thing. I got flowers and gifts the whole nine yards you know. Then after the summer, when we were going in to our sophomore year, he changed, like big time. He started drinking, got in to drugs, and hung out with these Goth kids on campus that nobody wanted to be around. They were like into devil worship, I heard or something like that.

I tried to break up with him but he wouldn’t leave me alone. Then he dropped out of school or rather he was kicked out. His grades were so bad and he never went to classes anymore.”

“Did you tell anybody he was psycho?” I pulled the scratchy wool blanket up around my neck as the wind howled outside. The description sounded like Todd, he changed too when we got further into our college time.

“I told one friend, she gave me the number to a teen counselor but I was too embarrassed to call the lady, I wish I had now though! Kyle started to slap me a lot when I did not do exactly as he wanted, and he yelled at me all the time. He hung out at this club, where I swear I heard at school that devil worshiping went on, he got pissed when I refused to go there with him.”

“So did he change you, was he the one?

“Yes, he was the one who did it. I had gone to a movie with him. I didn’t want to but he wouldn’t shut up about it. He told me when we got out of the movies he needed to talk to me alone about his drug problem, he wanted to stop and get help. I of course being way to trusting fell for it and went back to his uncle’s place where he had been living.