Chapter 4 4
“Thank you Billie.”
“You are too jovial, sweet people don't survive here.” Billie said playing with my short hair she seemed confused on what to do with it. “Zavier isn't someone to mess around with, even if you keep out of his path he might not keep out of yours so be wary of him.”
I was already wary of him considering he had kidnapped me and dragged me to this place.
I wanted to ask Billie more questions about what to avoid around here and about that unearthly handsome scary looking Lord.
But she had walked out, immediately she gave up on my hair.
Billie took me back outside, Lord Dracleon and Zavier were sipping something from a silver goblet. I didn't know much about natural metals but I could tell that the goblet was made of real silver.
“Did the servant not give you clothes befitting of where you are?” Zavier was the one who spoke, I looked at his lips stained with a red liquid that immediately recognized as blood.
“I didn't want to wear revealing clothes or those dark colors.” I answered.
“Mortals.” He rolled his eyes while taking a drink from his goblet.
I ignored Zavier and met Dracleon's intent gaze, his eyes rummaged through my body like he was analyzing every curve and angle of my body.
His silver eyes felt like they were looking into my soul. I had to bite on my lips to suppress the heat rising on my cheeks.
He walked up to me, each step he took matched my ever racing heartbeat, I tried not to cut off his gaze but it was hard. I felt smaller as he looked at me, shortening the distance between us.
When he finally stood in front of me I stopped looking at him, because he was too tall I couldn't look up any longer. I kept biting my lips to suppress the blush but instead I ended up injuring myself.
“Shit.” I heard Zaiver curse. I turned to look at him, but before I could see why he did, Dracleon's hand tightened around my waist.
The world lurched, there was no flash of light, no swirling magic.
Zavier was suddenly on the far end of the room.
My stomach dropped as if I'd fallen from a great height.
I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what had happened.
Dracleon's hand was still on my waist, but the space around us had changed. We were standing in another corner of the room.
Dracleon's free large hand cupped my entire face, lifting my chin up to him, strands of my short hair stuck to my cheek and he blew a gentle breeze to get it out of the way.
That action alone caused every part of my body to curl up, my toes curled and I was about to bite my lips again, but he tightened his grip on my waist making me pause.
His gaze dropped to my lips, then he leaned forward.
His lips moved closer to mine and he used his to wipe the blood off my lips.
I sucked in a breath, every nerve in my body felt it down to my core, I unwillingly shivered in his arms unable to control myself.
His touch made me feel defenseless.
“Rule number one Rivera, when you are in a den of Vampires don't bleed.” He whispered into my ears.
In a split second we were back to the spot Zavier was, this time I looked at him and his eye color had changed into something primal.
Even Dracleon's eyes seemed as dark as the goblet he held before.
“She can't go around bleeding like that, her blood is different.” He grunted, staring at me like he wanted me dead.
My blood is different?
“Zavier,” Dracleon warned. The single word was enough to make Zavier immediately snap his mouth shut and look away.
“What do you want from me?” I demanded, the adrenaline finally giving me a burst of reckless courage. There had to be a reason I hadn't been drained completely dry yet. “Why am I here?”
“Because I want you here.” Dracleon's tone was completely nonchalant, the voice of a king who answered to no one.
“For what?” I threw my hands in the air completely confused.
“Nothing.” He stared at me dead in the eye and I couldn't tell if he was serious because he looked so serious and his reply made no sense.
“You want me here? For nothing? Just to possess me as a toy?”
He didn't reply which gave me more time to rant.
“I have a life back where your servant boy here took me from.”
“Servant Boy?” Zavier exclaimed, very much offended by my words.
“My mother is sick and dying and my younger brother wants to get into something dangerous in order to make money for her fees, and I need to contribute too because if I don't my mother loses her life.”
“She won't die.” Dracleon said.
“How do you know that?”
“Whatever I say goes, if I say your mother won't die she won't.”
“What are you? Some kind of god?” I looked at him trying to see if I could read him.
“I am Dracleon Vesper, Lord of the Salavri and my words are absolute.”
His words echoed through the whole palace, and I felt a shiver in my bones as he spoke.
“Do not question me again, Ri-ver-a.”
He dragged my name out, letting the syllables linger in the air before he turned and walked away, leaving me alone with Zavier.
“You humans really know how to run your mouths,” Zavier snickered, recovering his smug composure. “You’re a pretty little thing, Rivy, but talking too much won't do you any favors here.” He began to pace around me in a slow, predatory circle.
“In Salvari, human bravery is just another word for stupidity.” His playful tone vanished, replaced by something dead serious.
Zavier turned and walked away, taking the opposite corridor from his master.
“Also... make sure you lock your doors when you go to bed, Rivy,” he called back over his shoulder.
Day one as a vampire's captive had come to a terrifying end. As I stood alone in the grand hall, I prayed that when I closed my eyes tonight, I would finally wake up from this nightmare.
