Sequel: Martin's Choice ›
Status: getting fixed again!
Jenna's Deathwish
The Secret Room
Friday, 3rd August
I walked out of the sea-green bathroom as quickly as my gammy left leg would allow, shutting the door behind me so the room was still steamy and warm for Adele’s shower, just like Jenna had done for me half an hour ago. I tugged at a knot in my soaking hair with my left hand; Brian had given me a brace for my wrist that I wore as often as I could so it would heal faster. It was then I spied the secret door with the golden handle and lock. It was directly under the metal stairs-no wonder we had never spotted it before!
I was curious about what was behind the door; Will and the others had told us never to enter and, just in case we did, Will had locked it and had the large, golden key hung around his neck.
“Shower’s free.” I announced as I entered the room.
Since we had gotten use to the fact Valo, Will and Nick were real vampires, we had had been more interested in learning about them. We had asked them all sorts of questions; does garlic repel them, does silver kill them and all the other questions from the myths.
They told us that garlic does not repel vampires (repels their dates, though). Vampires do not have reflections in mirrors because, since they have no soul, they are not seen in the eyes of God.
They do not sleep. They do not turn into bats. They are able to stay out in daylight, but the longer they are out, the weaker they become until eventually, they burn and are destroyed. They usually wore oversized sunglasses to keep the sun off their eyes and face. Over-sized was the fashion and they suited their shades.
Steak through the heart will paralyze a vampire and to destroy them you must rip the head off. Fire would also do the trick. Silver and holy water does burn and the longest they can go without feeding is a month (although they wouldn’t recommend it).
They must be invited into a house in order to get in because a house where humans live is seen as sanctuary where demons cannot enter. If a human drinks vampire blood the human’s senses will become enhanced but only for a short period.
Adele left for the bathroom and I told Jenna about my idea, “Remember the room the guys told us not to enter? Well I found it!”
Her eyes widened, “Where?”
“Right under that landing.” I pointed out the door, “We should go have a look.”
She made a face, “But it’s locked. What if the guys find out?”
“Pff!” I brushed my hair with my hairbrush that appeared one morning.
Over the past few weeks our belongings had been filling up our room. Fresh clothes, shoes, toiletries and other essentials. Just last week a huge wardrobe had appeared in the room overnight.
“They’re away hunting and won’t be back ‘till tomorrow morning.”
It was twelve in the afternoon.
Jenna frowned, deep in thought, “If we could find the key…or pick lock it open…”
She was on the same wave-length.
The two of us left the room and went to the hole in the wall to lie in the warm Romanian sun, as usual, until Adele was ready. The three of us normally went for walks in the forest, sometimes with the wolves, and other days we just sunbathed in the meadow where Jenna had been shot, but not today. We had something else in mind.
Forty-five minutes later, Adele appeared at the hole.
“We have a plan!” Jenna announced.
We jumped up, grabbed Adele and jogged to find Brian whilst telling her our plan.
“Have you seen the guys?” Jenna asked as we approached Brian, who was busy in the lab.
“They are away hunting and won’t be back until tomorrow morning.” He looked up, suspiciously, “Why?”
“We were just going to-”
I cut Jenna off, “No reason, just curious.” I grinned at him.
We began to walk away when Adele asked, “Don’t suppose they would leave any private things in the castle? You know, in case they got lost when they were out?”
Brian raised an eyebrow, “Well they leave important things in the sitting room. Why? What are you three up to?”
“Oh nothing, nothing.” Adele smiled, “Bye!”
When we entered, we took a corner each and raided the area in search of the big, golden key. We searched every possibility in the room; upturning the rug to check under it, between floorboards, behind, around even in the couches. In the fireplace-soot and logs falling onto the floor. Inside the bookshelf, inside books, which we then tossed carelessly onto the floor. Around the mantel piece and dark, gothic ornaments on it. Finally, Adele walked over to the grand piano and lifted the lid to check inside. Bingo.
We stood around the piano and exchanged triumphant grins as she picked the golden key up. We made for the secret room, leaving the sitting room in a terrible mess.
“What’s the time?” Jenna asked as Adele plunged the key into the lock.
“Sixteen minutes past one, to be exact.” I replied.
The door flung itself open and we trotted inside, closing the door behind us so we wouldn’t be seen. We stared in disbelief at the contents of the room. What we saw shocked us.
I was the first to speak after a minute, “They weren’t following us. They were stalking us!”
Slowly walking down the aisle, we realised exactly what they had done before they kidnapped us. Sheets and sheets of paper were scattered all over the counters with writing on them. Different writing, so the three of them had been scribbling information about us, and strategies of how to take us. Adele stopped and stared at one section of the wall, and Jenna and I joined her. We saw everything. Literally.
The pictures on the walls were of us together and alone. With our families, with our friends. Pictures of us drunk, sober, shopping, at parties, attending gigs, at the library… Pictures from each year at our high schools. Pictures of us with, near and talking to strangers with one of the men’s names under the stranger we were with, near or talking to.
But that wasn’t all. A few steps down the aisle, more recent pictures, from the end of two-thousand and eleven to the start of this year, up until the moment we were taken. I grabbed a sheet of paper and scanned it.
I held it to her face in shock, “Jen, this is all about you. Like a profile or something. Look here’s your picture.
“What?”
I handed it to her and she read it with wide eyes.
“There’s, sheets and sheets on each of us!” Adele said, picking up a few and scanning them.
“Jenna, some of your art work is here too! On that wall!” I pointed to the wall opposite us. “And Adele’s and…mine!”
They squinted at a picture I drew a few months ago. I never liked art-I was no good at it.
“What’s with the dinosaur eating the mushroom?” Adele asked.
“Um…it’s a giant worm.” I mumbled.
“So, basically they’ve been stalking us since we were thirteen before they decided to take us.” Jenna said bitterly.
“Those selfish, perverted, sick bastards.” I was furious. I felt sick! “When I see them I swear.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We came back from hunting too early; Zombie got a feeling we had to go back and check on the girls. That was his…gift. After Jared turned us, we received, well, super powers I guess.
Valo sometimes saw images of the future, which he could then show us in our heads. The worse the situation, the shorter and more frequent the visions.
Zombie was sort of psychic, he ‘got a feeling’ and knew what had to be done before, whatever the incident, was too late to save. Instead of seeing the future, he was able to know the present.
As for me, I was able to put people into a trance and make them see things only I wanted, and I can control their defenceless bodies-make them do whatever I want while their minds are elsewhere. I had used it on Eleanora on her first day here.
We hadn’t mentioned our gifts to the girls-not yet. During the fight, Jared had been so pissed off with us because he gave us our powers, he couldn’t believe we were using them against him. But what did he expect? Fucking jerk.
“We should go to the secret room.” Zombie had said.
We froze.
“The secret room? Are they in there? Nick, are they in there?” Valo asked.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. I can’t tell!” He hissed.
I began to panic. If they were in there, they would find out everything!
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“I told them not to go in!” I yelled as we ran towards the room.
We caught their scent. They were in there alright. I could sense their anger and I didn’t need Zombie to tell me they had found out everything.
Valo was first through the door, “Girls?”
Eleanora flew at us with sheet of paper in her hand, “What the fuck is this?”
She was right in Valo’s face. I could feel her aggression. She didn’t care if he was a vampire or not. She was pissed.
“What the fuck is this? Have you been following is all these years? You sick fuck!”
She threw the papers at us.
“And what about this?” She pointed to the pictures hanging on the wall, “YOURE SICK!”
She tore the pictures down and their artwork and ripped up the papers.
“Ella, stop.” Adele said calmly.
“Adele, look what they’ve been doing! All these years!” Tears were rolling down her beautiful face.
“I know.” Adele hugged her, “I know, honey.”
Eleanora burst into tears and buried her face into her friend’s shoulder.
I felt…well guilty doesn’t even cover it. I watched her and Jenna cry into Adele. This girl that I cared so much for. Look what I had done to her! I wanted to hug her. I wanted to tell her I was sorry and I could explain everything but I saw the look she gave me. Whatever trust was there between us, it was gone now.
“Eleano-”
“I think you should all go, now.”
We obeyed Adele and left the girls to take in all that they had discovered.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday 4th
I rolled out of bed around ten that morning, grabbed fresh towels and headed for the bathroom to shower. Adele and Jenna were still asleep so I decided not to wake them just yet.
Once I was fresh and more awake, I brushed my teeth slowly and stared at myself in the mirror. Had I taken things too far the day previous? Did I let my temper get the better of me? I spat then sighed. I still couldn’t believe what we had found. It frightened me a little to know they had done all that and we were now living with these stalker vampires with no way of escaping. Could they still be trusted? I saw the look on Will’s face when I threw the papers at them. He looked heartbroken. He looked so guilty.
Well good! It was their own fault.
All these questions were running through my head as I walked through the lab to our room.
“Ella!”
I froze.
“Ella.” His voice was behind me now.
I turned around and looked straight into those brown-hazel eyes.
“What do you want?” My voice was so bitter. I felt the hot flush of anger coming on but I ignored it. I wouldn’t get mad just yet.
“Please, turn around.”
Slowly I turned to face him.
“I’m sorry.” He held out a bunch of flowers.
With one hand I held onto my towel to stop it falling down and revealing all, and with the other I took the bouquet of flowers (black Lilly’s, our favourite. But of course they knew that).
“Those are from all of us.”
There was a little card in the middle with the word ‘Sorry’ written in beautiful gothic handwriting.
“Thanks.” I turned to walk away.
“Ella, wait.” He grabbed my arm and I threw him a dirty look.
He let go instantly, “Could you meet me in the attic later?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Please? I just want to talk. Give me a change to explain all that.” He pointed to the secret room.
“Fine.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So I made my way to the loft in the afternoon. Turns out Valo and Nick had asked Adele and Jenna the same thing. Valo and Adele were chatting in the basement and Nick had asked Jenna to another part of the castle I didn’t even know existed.
My leg was still a bit tender from the fight with Emily but my wrist was almost completely healed. I slowly and quite painfully made my way up the staircase and popped open the hatch.
“Ella! Thanks for coming. Here let me help you.”
He took my hand and helped me up, “How is your leg?”
“Still a little sore.”
“Well then I’m sorry about this.” He picked me up gently and carried me to the middle of the floor which was covered in pillows, little cushions, blankets and duvets. He lay me down gently and propped my head up with a pillow.
The room was quite dull for it being the afternoon. The window was on the roof but had been blacked out with a dark curtain. The carpet was deep red and the standing candles gave the room a romantic effect. I smelled incense burning
I looked up at him, confused. He then leaned forward and my eyes widened. He smiled then slowly put his head at my chest, listening to my heartbeat.
“Now. Stay like this until I forgive you.”
“What for?”
“Stealing our belongings and going into the forbidden room.”
“Until you forgive me?”
“Ella, please. I will explain in a minute but for now, just relax.”
“Done yet?”
He sat up then leaned over me, “Yes.”
“That room…”
“Yes. We are trying to find a cure.”
“Cure?”
“A cure for what we are.”
“Vampire? Is there even such a thing?”
“We don’t know. But we needed three humans in order to help us with the experiments. And it just so happened to be you three. There is no special reason. You aren’t the chosen ones or anything. It was just pure conscience. We needed three humans and we found you three so interesting.”
“How?
“The way you are with each other. The way you have always been. You put each other first. You care so much about each other, your loyalty, your honestly, your strong bond. You possess all the good qualities all humans should have. We wanted to…extract those good qualities. But the more we watched you the more we became fascinated by you all. You are not like most girls.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you care about more things than your hair for a start. You are not slutty as you say. We came to respect you. We grew more and more interested in you every day. So we took you, to meet you face to face. And here we are.”
“Can’t you let us go now? You’ve met us. And look what’s happened. Two of us have nearly died being here. Our families will be sick with worry.”
“I’m sorry.” He put a cold hand on my head, “I just can’t let you go.”
“I was beginning to trust you before I found out…”
“I know any trust you had will be completely gone now. But I will do anything to get it back. I’m so, so sorry my darling. I hope you can understand.”
I understood.
“Do you really want to go home?”
“We had lives. We had a future.”
He gave one nod.
But there was something about him that also fascinated me. How could we go back to normal after all of this? Knowing there is more to this world than what it seems. He couldn’t leave me, but I also couldn’t leave him.
I took his hand, “Do you forgive me yet?”
He looked into my eyes and I swear I melted inside.
“Yes.”
He looked at me curiously then leaned forward so our noses were just inches away. I felt my pulse increase.
“Your heart has quickened. Do you fear me?”
“No.”
“I will get your trust back.” He moved towards my exposed neck, “Do you fear me now?”
“No.”
He then brought his lips to the side of my neck, “Now?”
“No.”
“How can that be?” He whispered, still at my neck. “How can you not be frightened, even though you have seen how terrifying I am?”
I bit my lip then whispered the single most cringe-worthy line I could ever have said, “You had me at hello.”
He froze for half a second, then, to my surprise, kissed my neck. My heart was dancing around in my ribcage I thought I was going to have a seizure. He straightened himself up and looked at me once again.
I blinked, “What?”
He smiled gently, “Nothing. I’m just looking.”
I smiled and looked away.
“You have such a beautiful smile. Did you know?” He said suddenly.
I looked at his perfect face quickly, wondering if he was joking, then shook my head.
“Do you trust me?” He asked.
“Yes.” I nodded.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I hesitated for a moment then gently, gently, turned Eleanora’s head to expose her neck more, then slowly brushed her hair away.
Careful, William. Careful.
I caught her scent, the most amazing smell in the world, and froze. Once I felt sure, I leaned forward until I was at her neck once again. She was lying perfectly still and I could hear her heart beating faster the closer I got.
This was such a stupid thing to do, but I had to test myself. I had to make sure I was in control all the time with her. If I lost that control…the guys would know. They would come and stop me if…
I brought my teeth to her neck, then my fangs and pressed gently against her skin. She gasped. Careful, damn it, careful. We both held very, very, very still.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.’
The suddenly, he pulled away.
I breathed out, realising I had been holding my breath, and totally relaxed.
“I’d never take your breath away.”
“I think you just did.”
He chuckled, “You’re too precious to me.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I walked out of the sea-green bathroom as quickly as my gammy left leg would allow, shutting the door behind me so the room was still steamy and warm for Adele’s shower, just like Jenna had done for me half an hour ago. I tugged at a knot in my soaking hair with my left hand; Brian had given me a brace for my wrist that I wore as often as I could so it would heal faster. It was then I spied the secret door with the golden handle and lock. It was directly under the metal stairs-no wonder we had never spotted it before!
I was curious about what was behind the door; Will and the others had told us never to enter and, just in case we did, Will had locked it and had the large, golden key hung around his neck.
“Shower’s free.” I announced as I entered the room.
Since we had gotten use to the fact Valo, Will and Nick were real vampires, we had had been more interested in learning about them. We had asked them all sorts of questions; does garlic repel them, does silver kill them and all the other questions from the myths.
They told us that garlic does not repel vampires (repels their dates, though). Vampires do not have reflections in mirrors because, since they have no soul, they are not seen in the eyes of God.
They do not sleep. They do not turn into bats. They are able to stay out in daylight, but the longer they are out, the weaker they become until eventually, they burn and are destroyed. They usually wore oversized sunglasses to keep the sun off their eyes and face. Over-sized was the fashion and they suited their shades.
Steak through the heart will paralyze a vampire and to destroy them you must rip the head off. Fire would also do the trick. Silver and holy water does burn and the longest they can go without feeding is a month (although they wouldn’t recommend it).
They must be invited into a house in order to get in because a house where humans live is seen as sanctuary where demons cannot enter. If a human drinks vampire blood the human’s senses will become enhanced but only for a short period.
Adele left for the bathroom and I told Jenna about my idea, “Remember the room the guys told us not to enter? Well I found it!”
Her eyes widened, “Where?”
“Right under that landing.” I pointed out the door, “We should go have a look.”
She made a face, “But it’s locked. What if the guys find out?”
“Pff!” I brushed my hair with my hairbrush that appeared one morning.
Over the past few weeks our belongings had been filling up our room. Fresh clothes, shoes, toiletries and other essentials. Just last week a huge wardrobe had appeared in the room overnight.
“They’re away hunting and won’t be back ‘till tomorrow morning.”
It was twelve in the afternoon.
Jenna frowned, deep in thought, “If we could find the key…or pick lock it open…”
She was on the same wave-length.
The two of us left the room and went to the hole in the wall to lie in the warm Romanian sun, as usual, until Adele was ready. The three of us normally went for walks in the forest, sometimes with the wolves, and other days we just sunbathed in the meadow where Jenna had been shot, but not today. We had something else in mind.
Forty-five minutes later, Adele appeared at the hole.
“We have a plan!” Jenna announced.
We jumped up, grabbed Adele and jogged to find Brian whilst telling her our plan.
“Have you seen the guys?” Jenna asked as we approached Brian, who was busy in the lab.
“They are away hunting and won’t be back until tomorrow morning.” He looked up, suspiciously, “Why?”
“We were just going to-”
I cut Jenna off, “No reason, just curious.” I grinned at him.
We began to walk away when Adele asked, “Don’t suppose they would leave any private things in the castle? You know, in case they got lost when they were out?”
Brian raised an eyebrow, “Well they leave important things in the sitting room. Why? What are you three up to?”
“Oh nothing, nothing.” Adele smiled, “Bye!”
When we entered, we took a corner each and raided the area in search of the big, golden key. We searched every possibility in the room; upturning the rug to check under it, between floorboards, behind, around even in the couches. In the fireplace-soot and logs falling onto the floor. Inside the bookshelf, inside books, which we then tossed carelessly onto the floor. Around the mantel piece and dark, gothic ornaments on it. Finally, Adele walked over to the grand piano and lifted the lid to check inside. Bingo.
We stood around the piano and exchanged triumphant grins as she picked the golden key up. We made for the secret room, leaving the sitting room in a terrible mess.
“What’s the time?” Jenna asked as Adele plunged the key into the lock.
“Sixteen minutes past one, to be exact.” I replied.
The door flung itself open and we trotted inside, closing the door behind us so we wouldn’t be seen. We stared in disbelief at the contents of the room. What we saw shocked us.
I was the first to speak after a minute, “They weren’t following us. They were stalking us!”
Slowly walking down the aisle, we realised exactly what they had done before they kidnapped us. Sheets and sheets of paper were scattered all over the counters with writing on them. Different writing, so the three of them had been scribbling information about us, and strategies of how to take us. Adele stopped and stared at one section of the wall, and Jenna and I joined her. We saw everything. Literally.
The pictures on the walls were of us together and alone. With our families, with our friends. Pictures of us drunk, sober, shopping, at parties, attending gigs, at the library… Pictures from each year at our high schools. Pictures of us with, near and talking to strangers with one of the men’s names under the stranger we were with, near or talking to.
But that wasn’t all. A few steps down the aisle, more recent pictures, from the end of two-thousand and eleven to the start of this year, up until the moment we were taken. I grabbed a sheet of paper and scanned it.
I held it to her face in shock, “Jen, this is all about you. Like a profile or something. Look here’s your picture.
“What?”
I handed it to her and she read it with wide eyes.
“There’s, sheets and sheets on each of us!” Adele said, picking up a few and scanning them.
“Jenna, some of your art work is here too! On that wall!” I pointed to the wall opposite us. “And Adele’s and…mine!”
They squinted at a picture I drew a few months ago. I never liked art-I was no good at it.
“What’s with the dinosaur eating the mushroom?” Adele asked.
“Um…it’s a giant worm.” I mumbled.
“So, basically they’ve been stalking us since we were thirteen before they decided to take us.” Jenna said bitterly.
“Those selfish, perverted, sick bastards.” I was furious. I felt sick! “When I see them I swear.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We came back from hunting too early; Zombie got a feeling we had to go back and check on the girls. That was his…gift. After Jared turned us, we received, well, super powers I guess.
Valo sometimes saw images of the future, which he could then show us in our heads. The worse the situation, the shorter and more frequent the visions.
Zombie was sort of psychic, he ‘got a feeling’ and knew what had to be done before, whatever the incident, was too late to save. Instead of seeing the future, he was able to know the present.
As for me, I was able to put people into a trance and make them see things only I wanted, and I can control their defenceless bodies-make them do whatever I want while their minds are elsewhere. I had used it on Eleanora on her first day here.
We hadn’t mentioned our gifts to the girls-not yet. During the fight, Jared had been so pissed off with us because he gave us our powers, he couldn’t believe we were using them against him. But what did he expect? Fucking jerk.
“We should go to the secret room.” Zombie had said.
We froze.
“The secret room? Are they in there? Nick, are they in there?” Valo asked.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. I can’t tell!” He hissed.
I began to panic. If they were in there, they would find out everything!
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“I told them not to go in!” I yelled as we ran towards the room.
We caught their scent. They were in there alright. I could sense their anger and I didn’t need Zombie to tell me they had found out everything.
Valo was first through the door, “Girls?”
Eleanora flew at us with sheet of paper in her hand, “What the fuck is this?”
She was right in Valo’s face. I could feel her aggression. She didn’t care if he was a vampire or not. She was pissed.
“What the fuck is this? Have you been following is all these years? You sick fuck!”
She threw the papers at us.
“And what about this?” She pointed to the pictures hanging on the wall, “YOURE SICK!”
She tore the pictures down and their artwork and ripped up the papers.
“Ella, stop.” Adele said calmly.
“Adele, look what they’ve been doing! All these years!” Tears were rolling down her beautiful face.
“I know.” Adele hugged her, “I know, honey.”
Eleanora burst into tears and buried her face into her friend’s shoulder.
I felt…well guilty doesn’t even cover it. I watched her and Jenna cry into Adele. This girl that I cared so much for. Look what I had done to her! I wanted to hug her. I wanted to tell her I was sorry and I could explain everything but I saw the look she gave me. Whatever trust was there between us, it was gone now.
“Eleano-”
“I think you should all go, now.”
We obeyed Adele and left the girls to take in all that they had discovered.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday 4th
I rolled out of bed around ten that morning, grabbed fresh towels and headed for the bathroom to shower. Adele and Jenna were still asleep so I decided not to wake them just yet.
Once I was fresh and more awake, I brushed my teeth slowly and stared at myself in the mirror. Had I taken things too far the day previous? Did I let my temper get the better of me? I spat then sighed. I still couldn’t believe what we had found. It frightened me a little to know they had done all that and we were now living with these stalker vampires with no way of escaping. Could they still be trusted? I saw the look on Will’s face when I threw the papers at them. He looked heartbroken. He looked so guilty.
Well good! It was their own fault.
All these questions were running through my head as I walked through the lab to our room.
“Ella!”
I froze.
“Ella.” His voice was behind me now.
I turned around and looked straight into those brown-hazel eyes.
“What do you want?” My voice was so bitter. I felt the hot flush of anger coming on but I ignored it. I wouldn’t get mad just yet.
“Please, turn around.”
Slowly I turned to face him.
“I’m sorry.” He held out a bunch of flowers.
With one hand I held onto my towel to stop it falling down and revealing all, and with the other I took the bouquet of flowers (black Lilly’s, our favourite. But of course they knew that).
“Those are from all of us.”
There was a little card in the middle with the word ‘Sorry’ written in beautiful gothic handwriting.
“Thanks.” I turned to walk away.
“Ella, wait.” He grabbed my arm and I threw him a dirty look.
He let go instantly, “Could you meet me in the attic later?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Please? I just want to talk. Give me a change to explain all that.” He pointed to the secret room.
“Fine.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So I made my way to the loft in the afternoon. Turns out Valo and Nick had asked Adele and Jenna the same thing. Valo and Adele were chatting in the basement and Nick had asked Jenna to another part of the castle I didn’t even know existed.
My leg was still a bit tender from the fight with Emily but my wrist was almost completely healed. I slowly and quite painfully made my way up the staircase and popped open the hatch.
“Ella! Thanks for coming. Here let me help you.”
He took my hand and helped me up, “How is your leg?”
“Still a little sore.”
“Well then I’m sorry about this.” He picked me up gently and carried me to the middle of the floor which was covered in pillows, little cushions, blankets and duvets. He lay me down gently and propped my head up with a pillow.
The room was quite dull for it being the afternoon. The window was on the roof but had been blacked out with a dark curtain. The carpet was deep red and the standing candles gave the room a romantic effect. I smelled incense burning
I looked up at him, confused. He then leaned forward and my eyes widened. He smiled then slowly put his head at my chest, listening to my heartbeat.
“Now. Stay like this until I forgive you.”
“What for?”
“Stealing our belongings and going into the forbidden room.”
“Until you forgive me?”
“Ella, please. I will explain in a minute but for now, just relax.”
“Done yet?”
He sat up then leaned over me, “Yes.”
“That room…”
“Yes. We are trying to find a cure.”
“Cure?”
“A cure for what we are.”
“Vampire? Is there even such a thing?”
“We don’t know. But we needed three humans in order to help us with the experiments. And it just so happened to be you three. There is no special reason. You aren’t the chosen ones or anything. It was just pure conscience. We needed three humans and we found you three so interesting.”
“How?
“The way you are with each other. The way you have always been. You put each other first. You care so much about each other, your loyalty, your honestly, your strong bond. You possess all the good qualities all humans should have. We wanted to…extract those good qualities. But the more we watched you the more we became fascinated by you all. You are not like most girls.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you care about more things than your hair for a start. You are not slutty as you say. We came to respect you. We grew more and more interested in you every day. So we took you, to meet you face to face. And here we are.”
“Can’t you let us go now? You’ve met us. And look what’s happened. Two of us have nearly died being here. Our families will be sick with worry.”
“I’m sorry.” He put a cold hand on my head, “I just can’t let you go.”
“I was beginning to trust you before I found out…”
“I know any trust you had will be completely gone now. But I will do anything to get it back. I’m so, so sorry my darling. I hope you can understand.”
I understood.
“Do you really want to go home?”
“We had lives. We had a future.”
He gave one nod.
But there was something about him that also fascinated me. How could we go back to normal after all of this? Knowing there is more to this world than what it seems. He couldn’t leave me, but I also couldn’t leave him.
I took his hand, “Do you forgive me yet?”
He looked into my eyes and I swear I melted inside.
“Yes.”
He looked at me curiously then leaned forward so our noses were just inches away. I felt my pulse increase.
“Your heart has quickened. Do you fear me?”
“No.”
“I will get your trust back.” He moved towards my exposed neck, “Do you fear me now?”
“No.”
He then brought his lips to the side of my neck, “Now?”
“No.”
“How can that be?” He whispered, still at my neck. “How can you not be frightened, even though you have seen how terrifying I am?”
I bit my lip then whispered the single most cringe-worthy line I could ever have said, “You had me at hello.”
He froze for half a second, then, to my surprise, kissed my neck. My heart was dancing around in my ribcage I thought I was going to have a seizure. He straightened himself up and looked at me once again.
I blinked, “What?”
He smiled gently, “Nothing. I’m just looking.”
I smiled and looked away.
“You have such a beautiful smile. Did you know?” He said suddenly.
I looked at his perfect face quickly, wondering if he was joking, then shook my head.
“Do you trust me?” He asked.
“Yes.” I nodded.
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I hesitated for a moment then gently, gently, turned Eleanora’s head to expose her neck more, then slowly brushed her hair away.
Careful, William. Careful.
I caught her scent, the most amazing smell in the world, and froze. Once I felt sure, I leaned forward until I was at her neck once again. She was lying perfectly still and I could hear her heart beating faster the closer I got.
This was such a stupid thing to do, but I had to test myself. I had to make sure I was in control all the time with her. If I lost that control…the guys would know. They would come and stop me if…
I brought my teeth to her neck, then my fangs and pressed gently against her skin. She gasped. Careful, damn it, careful. We both held very, very, very still.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.’
The suddenly, he pulled away.
I breathed out, realising I had been holding my breath, and totally relaxed.
“I’d never take your breath away.”
“I think you just did.”
He chuckled, “You’re too precious to me.”
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