Are You Suffering?

“I’m sort of…hungry,” I murmured, my lips pressing against the edge of his jaw. He groaned a little, slinking down a bit further as he let his arms tighten around me, nodding in agreement.

“Cover up, I don’t want them seeing you like this,” he whispered, carefully pecking my lips as he pulled the silken covers over me. He stood from the bed, pulling on his boxers before padding out of the room, opening the large, French doors to reveal several of the others, guarding the room. I couldn’t hear him talking to them, but he was being stern. The way he used his hands to indicate what he meant, the way his brows furrowed as he spoke, he was angry. I knew I shouldn’t have let the new recruits so close to him.

With a hand over his face, he slammed the doors closed and walked back over to the bed. I sat up, worried, my eyebrows raised at him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, holding the sheets against my chest. He smiled a small, stressed, almost sort of sad smile as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“I have to leave you for a while.” He gently stroked my cheek, his head somewhat tilted. I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, and gave a short nod.

“Go, I’ll be waiting,” I mumbled, looking down, avoiding his gaze. I heard him sigh, beginning to walk away from me, but I caught his hand. He looked at me in a sort of odd manner, half surprised, half curious.

“I love you.” No words more true had ever come from my mouth. Lies, manipulation, that’s what ruled in this world. Things you did had to be done for yourself, considering no one else’s feelings or how the outcome might affect them in the process, but what I did with Zack, the things I said to him, the time we spent together, those things…they were for no one but us.

If there had ever been someone that I could remember caring about in this life, in my time here, it was him. He was the only thing that wasn’t expendable to me. The lives of others could be sacrificed in protection of my own, and the humans, I could do with them what I pleased. But him, no, he couldn’t be sacrificed. He, out of all things, was the only attachment I’d found myself growing.

“I love you too, Ivy, you know that,” he murmured, leaning down once more to press his lips against my forehead. My lips curved into a smile as he pulled away from me. “I have to go now, Matt is sending us back out on patrol again…”

The smile on my lips dropped immediately. I started grinding my teeth together as he hurriedly put his clothes back on and rushed back out of my room, his words hurriedly rushed out and blurred together, and all I could make out before he was gone was, “I love you, I’ll be back soon.”

Once I was positive that he was gone, I ripped the covers off and scurried into the large, walk-in closet, quickly grabbing my robe off of the hook on the back of the door and throwing it on, tying it around my waist and storming out of my room, startling the guards that stood outside of it.

One of the guards grabbed my arm, stopping me entirely. I didn’t care what he was yelling at me about, I just turned around to face him, growling at him as I grabbed him by the wrist, beginning to twist it further and further around until he was yelping in pain.

“Did anyone give you permission to touch me? If Zachary was here, he’d have your head. You’re lucky he’s not. If you ever touch me again, I swear to you that I’ll kill you myself, understood?” I seethed, my eyes narrowing at him. He only whimpered and nodded his head, and I released his arm.

Straightening myself out, I turned back around and continued down the many long hallways that made up the castle, my path remaining straight, shooting for one specific room, located in the center of the building, the one place I was positive I’d find him. The throne room.

When I entered, several of the guards tensed up as they looked over to me. He grinned and held his hand out, easing them. His grin only grew wider and wider as I marched closer to him, my eyes narrowing at him.

“Ivy, my queen!” he greeted, looking entirely too pleased at the sight of my glare. I climbed onto the small stage-like area our thrones sat on and leaned down to his level, raising my eyebrows at him.

“Cut the crap, Matthew. Why are you sending the boys out so often? This is all to spite me, isn’t it?” I questioned, a resentful tone coming about my voice. I don’t think I’d ever seen him look so happy since the moment I’d woken up to his face. I wanted to smack those dimples right off his face.

He only shrugged, jutting out his lower lip and raising his eyebrows back at me. “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” he began, motioning toward the large, 18th century style grand entry, “but I’m sure Zachary will be back soon, if it’s him you’re inquiring about…” He spoke about him like he was disgusted by just the taste of his name in his mouth.

Fangs bared, I wrapped my hand around his neck, pinning him to the back of his seat. The guards went rigid, staring on and watching for Matt to give them any sort of signal, but he didn’t. He was too used to me trying to kill him.

“I’ll kill you, do you understand me? You treat him with some respect, just like you do the rest of your little friends. He’s done nothing to you. Nothing. You wanna take out your childish jealousy on someone? Take it out on me, not him. Otherwise, fuck yourself,” I growled, tilting my head to the side.

He nodded, his body relaxing as I let go of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the sound of the doors opening, our heads snapping towards them. The red glow from outside seeped through the open doors. After a moment, Matt smiled brightly, the sound of someone – a girl – screaming for help meeting our ears.

“LET GO OF ME!” She screamed. I wasn’t paying attention to her, only the small smile that rose on Zack’s lips when he spotted me. I tried to hide my own smile.

The doors shut as Zack and Brian brought the girl forward, each of them gripping tightly on one of her arms, ensuring that she wouldn’t escape. It’s not like she’d have much of a chance anyway – she reeked of human. From what little of her face I could see, I didn’t recognize her. She wasn’t an escapee. That didn’t make much sense, though. Where else would she have come from? The entire area had been cleared of the humans, most being kept for…personal use, other being executed – or rarely, even turned and trained to be a part of the guard system.

“Let her down,” Matt commanded in a softer, much less harsh voice than he usually used. They did as he said, practically throwing her onto the floor in front of us. I moved away from Matt, sitting in my own throne and crossing my legs, picking at my nails dully. The girl took a good look around. She didn’t bother trying to run.

Zack came to stand at my side, somewhat tense for a moment until I rested my head against his side. I felt him relax as he began petting my hair. I was only half-listening to Brian and Matt as they talked about the girl they’d found.

“She was just there. She won’t say where she came from. She acts like she’s confused. What should we do with her?” Brian whispered, trying to explain why he couldn’t give us any information about the girl.

“What’s your name?” Matt asked calmly. She looked up in surprise. “Yes, you, what’s your name?”

She didn’t speak.

“Is she always so quiet?” Matt raised a brow to Zack, who nodded.

“She wouldn’t speak to us after we took her.”

“Hmm…” He paused for a moment, tapping his chin with his index finger. He then made a careless motion with his hand, leaning back in his chair. “Take her to the torture chamber. That should open her up for us.”

“But…”

“I said, take her to the torture chamber, Zachary,” Matt made it a point to glare at him, scolding him like he was some sort of animal. I raised a brow at him, and he smiled wryly at me.

“Err…right away…” Zack muttered, stepping down from the platform and grabbing the girl, beginning to drag her off in the direction of the dungeon. After he was out of earshot, I looked over to Matt and Brian, crossing my arms at them.

“So, when do you plan on letting her know that we don’t have a torture chamber?”

Matt only laughed, Brian shook his head, and I rolled my eyes, getting up from my throne to head back to my room. It was going to be a long night.