The Cost of Freedom

-Chapter Song-

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Silence filled the black Rolls Royce as it drove smoothly down the road leading out of the town and into the forest. I sat next to Vincent in the back of the car while his driver sat silently in the front, never speaking a word other than to ask if Vincent was ready as we left the police station. The trees soared by and I watched intently without really paying attention. This had been my position since I had been forced into the car back at the police station. Vincent had not made any move to speak to me and I preferred it that way, although I knew his silence would not persist. To think not even two days ago I was just arriving here, and now I was sitting in a car with the Master vampire of this city with two marks binding us together. Talk about moving quickly.

“I apologize for what happened in the police station, it was the only way I could get you out of there without raising any suspicion,” he spoke in that infuriatingly polite tone, folding his hands in his lap as I felt his gaze on me.

“Of course, so naturally you decided to insult my sanity,” I muttered, still staring out the window.

“It was the easiest way,” Vincent said as if it were obvious.

I turned to face him then, my gaze meeting his. For a moment we sat like that, neither of us looking away. “There was a reason I was trying to leave town, I do not want to be your animal to call Vincent,” I spoke the words carefully, never looking away from Vincent as I spoke.

With a sigh he looked away from me and at his hand folded in his lap, “I see.” His eyes rose back up to meet mine and he leaned closer to me, “however, I’m sure by now you understand trying to escape will not work out in your favor?”

“Perseverance always wins out,” I challenged, cocking an eyebrow as I kept still in my seat.

Vincent chuckled, “you are a smart woman Simone, and an even more powerful werelion and I have the utmost respect for that,” he paused as his expression became more thoughtful, “which is why I will offer you a deal.” My eyes narrowed at his offer, a deal with the Devil? “Stay with me and do not fight me anymore, once we get to my manor listen to what I have to say. If you still desire to leave after that then you may. I will not fight you. I will not make you stay or follow you. I will leave you alone for good and you have my word.” With his offer given he relaxed back in his seat and looked at me expectantly.

His deal was enticing. All I would have to do is hear him out, then leave. However, staring into his dark eyes I knew there was some sort of catch. He would not make such a deal unless he had an ace up his sleeve, something he knew would get him what he wanted. And right now what he wanted was me.

But what other choice did I have? I may be powerful, but Vincent was centuries older than I and much more powerful. If it came down to a battle of power and sheer strength I had no doubt Vincent could kill me with ease. No. To take him down it would require cunning and brains, it would require time. Too bad my time was quickly running out.

“I accept your offer.” I spoke the words as calmly as I could, keeping my sapphire eyes locked with his, “I don’t have many options as it is, do I?” This time a thread of sarcasm slipped into my words and my eyes narrowed. A low chuckle came from Vincent, his grin flashing a hint of fang.

“No my dear, you do not.”

A humorless laugh left my lips, “of course not,” I muttered as I once more gazed out the window. The trees began to thin as if a clearing approached. Just as I leaned closer to the window to see what we were nearing the trees disappeared and up ahead a large mansion sat in the middle of the large clearing. A few enormous trees blocked the moon’s rays as the Rolls Royce meandered its way up the lengthy drive way. My stare must have looked shocked because Vincent chuckled once more.

“Welcome to my home,” his tone was quiet, no teasing or dark humor. Just his velvet like voice in its deep European accent.

I turned to face him, realizing he had leaned closer to me to see out the window as well. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes met his curious gaze. Quickly looking away I once more gazed out the window. “A tad ostentatious don’t you think?” I asked, aware that my voice was slightly breathless. How could his hold on me be so strong already?

“Perhaps, but us vampires have never been one for the mundane,” Vincent said, a grin evident in his words.

The car finally pulled up in front of the house – if that could even apply to the magnificent building. I turned to open my door and let myself out, but a cool breeze wafted into the car and Vincent was already at my door holding his hand out to take my own. I glared at the offending hand then looked into the eyes of its owner.

“I do not need your help Vincent,” I said as I got out of the car while avoiding his hand.

He grinned, “of course my dear.”

As my door closed behind me I suddenly felt the presence of others. Faces could be seen peeking from windows, a few shadows up on the roof gazing down at the new comer below. A few other figures came stalking from the shadows of the trees behind the manor. Vampires. Everywhere.

The large front doors of the manor opened and the silver eyed vampire who had taken me from the graveyard stalked down the steps of the entrance until he stood in front of us.

“Glad to see you are awake kitten,” Sebastian said, his smirk never faltering from his lips.

“Call me kitten once more and you will regret it,” I seethed, taking a step closer to him and feeling the warmth of my power come up around me. The tendril of Vincent’s tainting it. Sebastien look to me with a raised eyebrow.

“What else would I call a kitten such as yourself?”

A growl bubbled from my lips as I took a step closer to the vampire. A hand rested on my shoulder and it felt like all of my power was sent back into me, leaving my skin buzzing at the feeling and my knees weak. It was like someone pulling the rug out from under you. One moment I felt my power buzzing around me, ready to fight, and now I was trying to keep from stumbling over.

“Would you stop-” However I was cut off before I could finish off with a threat.

“Please refrain from taunting our guest, Sebastian, I will not take lightly to it next time.” Vincent’s cold words caught me off guard. I had been expecting to be the one told off. “Has dinner been prepared?”

Sebastian bowed slightly, “I apologize Master, yes dinner is prepared and waiting.” I grinned at his sudden change in demeanor. Not so tough after all huh?

Sebastian retreated into the house with one last devious look at me. Vincent held his arm out for me to take. Either it was good manners or he was going to try some other vampire master trick on me. Touching him never seemed to end in my favor. Vincent must have seen the apprehensive look I gave his arm and sighed.

“I am trying to be a good host Simone, I was only trying to prevent a fight moments ago,” he spoke so diplomatically that I felt silly for causing a fuss. Only he could make me feel childish for acting defiantly.

“A good host would not force their guest to comply,” was my biting remark. However I put my hand on his forearm and let him lead me up through the front door. Choose your battles wisely as they say.

The chill of the night disappeared as the front doors closed behind them. The room they entered had cathedral ceilings with two grand staircases leading up each side to the second floor with two doors on either side of the room. Paintings covered the walls, a large and very old looking chandelier hung from the ceiling. The decorations were grand but in a refined way. I did not realize Vincent was watching my reaction until my gaze fell on him. His eyes were curious once more, no doubt taking in every aspect of my reaction. I gave nothing more away.

“Shall we continue?” My words seemed soft in such a grand room. The muffled sounds of other voices could be heard from behind the doors of this room, I could tell we were not alone but at the same time knew no vampire dared stick their nose out and risk getting in trouble with their master.

Vincent merely bowed his head once and continued to lead me up one of the staircases. “I have lived here many centuries, for as long as this city has been mine,” Vincent said as we moved down a hallway just as grand as the entrance room. Was he actually trying to make polite chit chat? “Some of the vampires of my coven reside here. The manor offers privacy so that we must not always put on a show for the humans, for some it is a sanctuary.”

“And yet to me it feels like a prison.” Vincent sighed at my remark but I did not regret making it. He could try to sugar coat this situation all he wanted, I was only here until he had said his piece. Then I would leave.

He stopped us in front of a large set of double doors and left me to open them. Inside a fire cast warmth and a flickering light through the room. Heavy curtains framed the large bay window at the end of the dark oak dining table. The room was just as lavishly decorated as the rest of the manor. It reminding me of something you would see in an old castle. Which considering how old Vincent could be I did not doubt the authenticity of any of the décor. Once more I felt a set of eyes on me and my blue eyes met those of Vincent. He had moved over to the dining table and was standing behind a chair that sat next to the head of the table. “Please, sit down my dear, we have much to discuss,” Vincent spoke politely, however the glimmer in his eyes worried me. Oh he most definitely had some sort of plan. Without any comment I approached where he stood and sat down when he pulled the chair out. As he took his seat to my right at the head of the table a set of doors I had not noticed before opened and two servants came in. One carried a covered plate and the other carried a tray with a crystal wine glass filled with a thick red liquid. The glass was set in front of Vincent and I needed no explanation as to what it contained. The plate was set in front of me and the decorative cover was lifted off it to reveal a dish that looked too fancy to eat. The servants left after filling a glass with white wine and setting it next to my plate.

“It is pork loin in a Cumberland sauce.”

I looked up at him as he spoke. “I did not come here to chat over dinner, say what you must so that I can leave,” obviously Vincent had not expected the remark because he slowly set down the glass he had been about to raise to his lips and fixed me with a hard stare.

“You must be starving Simone, do not act like a child,” he chastised, bringing his wine glass back to his lips and taking a small sip. His eyes never left me.

He was right of course. I could not remember when I last had a proper meal. My stomach growled distinctly as if to emphasize the point. The sound brought a knowing look to Vincent’s face and caused my frown to deepen. Fine.

I cut a piece of the pork, using slightly more force then necessary in my aggravated state, and brought the meat to my mouth. A small smile spread across Vincent’s lips.

“That was not so hard now, was it?”

“How long are you going to put off answering my question?” I asked abruptly, ignoring his comment.

His smile turned to a frown and I quickly took another bite of the pork to keep him from snapping at me once more. It didn’t hurt that the food was mouthwatering.

“Ah yes, our little deal,” Vincent said conspiratorially. “I must admit that it is no coincidence that I chose you to be my Animal to Call. You are powerful, obviously a lion from an original pride in Romania, the Rezistenta Pride if I’m not mistaken. I have yet to meet a lioness as powerful as you, which is exactly why I suspect Marguerite tried to hide you from me.” Vincent took a moment to take another sip from his glass and then fixed his gaze back on me. “However, she did not succeed in that endeavor,” his grin was just a quick flash of fang before he once more composed himself. “Yet I wondered, why would such a powerful lioness leave her Pride and her home to come to New Orleans and work in a bar. Your behavior leads me to believe you held a place of power in your Pride, a position that demanded respect. So why leave?” I was beginning to grow nervous. Where was he going with this?

“And then I recalled a conversation I had with the Master of the city of Bucharest Romania, Alexandru Dalca, one about a certain lioness by the name of Simone Vicariu.” My breath caught in my throat at the name, my body freezing as a cold sense of dread washed over me. No, anything but him. Vincent continued as if he had not noticed my reaction, “it would be horribly rude if I did not let him know you were here, don’t you think?”

It had been so long since I had heard his name spoken aloud. His name alone sent fear running through my veins like ice cold water. Memories of what he had done to me three years ago surfaced. Pain. Torture. Fear. It was enough to send my heart beating frantically. I took a deep breath and lifted my glass of wine to my lips to buy myself a moment to get my reaction under control. The threat to his words was unmistakable. It was the only threat that could ever have an effect on me. The threat of Alexandru Dalca finding me.

As I set my glass of wine back on the table I followed it with my eyes and cleared my throat, “you have my attention,” I said in a voice I could only hope came off as calm and detached. One glance at Vincent and I knew it had not been convincing enough.

“Seems he has been searching for you for quite some time, never have I heard him speak with such passionate hatred,” Vincent spoke as if we were discussing the lovely weather this night and not the vampire who had brought so much pain and fear into my life.

“What are you getting at?” I snapped, my gaze flickering to him with a glare on my features. “Do you plan to hold this information over my head? Threaten to tell… Him if I don’t obey you” I continued in an equally frustrated tone, unable to say his name – the monster forever in my closet.

He chuckled, his grin widening for a moment before returning to a ghost of what it had been. “No Simone, you misunderstand my motives,” he stood up as he spoke, moving over to the fire place and resting his hand on the mantle. His gaze found mine, triumph radiating in his gaze. “You see, I have already invited him here. To collect you. On this very night.”

Suddenly I felt paralyzed by fear. It could not be true. Impossible.

Vincent chuckled at my shocked expression and made his way over to the grand bay window in the room. A satisfied smile spread across his lips, “right on time,” he commented aloud as he looked out the window.

Breaking free from the fear that had chilled me to the bone I stood quickly and went over to the window. “You could not have possibly convinced him to leave his city,” I breathed, trying to convince myself more than anything.

“Perhaps for anything else no, but to have you back in his possession? Well, he was more than eager to leave the very moment I told him.”

My eyes fell on the three black cars making their way up the long road that led to Vincent’s manor. How much longer until they would be here? Perhaps only ten minutes. Although I could not see him I knew that in one of those fancy black cars Alexandru sat, plotting how he would make me pay for evading him these past three years.

Instinct told me to run as fast as I could. Get to the surrounding forests and make my way out of the city until I could find another witch who would give me a vanishing spell to hide my tracks. However, as I watched the three black cars gathered speed a chilling thought entered my mind. Could I still outrun him when he was so close already?

“They are here to collect you from me. Unless…” He trailed off and I tore my eyes from the sight of my approaching nightmare and looked into the eyes of another of my nightmares. He took a step closer to me and caught my chin between his fingers so that I had no choice but to meet his gaze. “Unless you accept the privilege of becoming my Animal to Call. No fighting or running, and being absolutely submissive to me as your Master. And in return you will have my protection from Alexandru, as well as all the comforts I have to offer.” He finished speaking and no grin was on his lips. His expression was dark and serious. He meant every word.

“You would betray your friend?” I challenged, my voice a mere whisper. Fear tends to do that to you.

Vincent scoffed, his hand slipping from my chin to grasp the side of my neck, his thumb pushing into the bottom of my chin so I was still forced to look up. “That peasant is no friend of mine, he is no true Master of his city and thus deserves no respect from me. If anything I would relish in the act of taking what he most desires for myself. The lioness he could not tame. Although I hear he tried valiantly.” His tone had become mocking. He mocked the pain and torture I went through for two years, spoke of it with a sinister grin on his lips.

I reached up and smacked his hand away. I was a lioness of the Rezistenta Pride. I did not take such words from a vampire.

Vincent’s eyebrows rose at my defiant action. “Well, you have heard my deal. As promised I will not hold you here against your will, nor will I hand you over to Alexandru. If you still feel the same as before then you may leave. By all means, get a short head start. Just know that Alexandru is right outside with some of his most powerful vampires just waiting for you to show yourself.” He closed the space I had created between us once more and reached out to grab my arm but I moved faster, stepping back into the middle of the dining room. Vincent watched me with an amused expression. “How long do you think you can run this time before he catches you?” his words echoed the dark thoughts brewing in my head. I had spent ages being careful so to stay far out of Alexandru’s reach, leaving my country to put more space between us, and still I spent my whole life looking over my shoulder. Now he was here, within sight.

Did I even stand a chance of making it to the tree line of the forest?