18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Victoria
M y body tenses as Elijah sets me down on what feels like an examination table. The hard table’s uncomfortable and hard under me. My head is still pounding, and I can feel the dry blood on the side of my face.
"Now, let's get you cleaned up," Elijah says as I hear him moving around, opening drawers and cabinets. "This may sting a bit."
I hiss as something cold and wet touches the side of my head where I'd been hit. Elijah gently cleans the wound; his touch is quick and efficient. Though his touch lingers a little too long sometimes.
"You need a few stitches, just as I said before," he tells me. "I'm going to numb the area first." I feel a sharp pinch as he sticks me with something, and I feel the area slowly go numb. After a few moments, the pain in my head dulls to a faint throbbing.
"There we go," Elijah murmurs, voice almost going soft. "Now hold still while I put in the stitches." I try not to flinch as he tugs the needle and thread. Elijah works quickly and efficiently. After a few minutes, he ties off the last stitch.
"All done," he says, looking me over through his dark hooded eyes. "I'm going to clean up the rest of the blood now." A warm, damp cloth gently wipes my face and neck. Elijah's touch is surprisingly gentle as he cleans away the dried blood.
"You can open your eyes now," he tells me once he’s finished. Blinking a few times, I allow my eyes to adjust to the bright lights. The room appears to be a small medical room. It’s sterile and white, with cabinets lining the walls and a few exam tables. Elijah’s standing in front of me, disposing of the bloody gauze and other medical supplies he just used.
"How are you feeling?" He asks, turning back to me. His gaze is intense as he looks me over, again. He’s trying to make sure nothing else is wrong with me.
"Like I got hit in the head with a vase," I mutter quietly. My head still has a dull throb, but the sharp pain from before is gone.
Elijah's lips twitch in amusement, "Well, at least your sense of humor is still intact." I give him a small glare at that comment as he let a chuckle escape his lips.
Glaring at him, from under my hair, "Glad you find this amusing."
He sobers, his green eyes intense as he studies me. "You did well today , ‘Darling’ . Better than we expected."
"What exactly were you expecting?" I ask warily, twitching at his use of the nickname but know better than to say anything right now. I’m also too tired to do a lot of pointless arguing. Especially when I know that I will only end up losing. He gets to call me what he wants, annoyingly.
"To be honest, we thought you might crack under the pressure. Most girls do by this point. They either have a breakdown or lash out violently."
I know I’ve got to choose my words carefully. "It seemed pointless at the time. Even if we had somehow gotten out of that room, where could we go? We have no idea where we are or how to get away from here. Besides, I knew you were watching us - any escape attempt would just make things worse. All in all, it felt like a trap and it in fact, was a trap."
Elijah nods at me, looking pleased with my explanation. " Very good . You're right, of course. We were watching the entire time. Any escape attempt would have been futile." He leans forward a bit, his eyes flashing with something before going back to normal. “You're thinking strategically, considering the long-term consequences rather than just reacting emotionally. That's exactly what we want to see."
His approval makes me uneasy. I don't want to play into their sick games, but my survival instinct is overriding everything else at this point.
"So, what was the point then?" I ask, wondering what the full reason for this test was. "Just to see which of us would try to run?"
"Partly," Elijah says. "We wanted to see how you would interact with each other under stress. Who would take charge, who would follow, who would crack.”
"So, it was all just another test," I say bitterly. But then, I knew these were all tests. They want to see our reactions, but the feeling of being manipulated still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
"Everything is a test," Elijah replies. His voice taking on a darker tone. "Life itself is a series of tests. We're simply accelerating the process."
Shaking my head, I wince from the movement as it sends a throb of pain through my temple. "That's a pretty twisted way of looking at things." I know my brain to mouth filter is gone but it seems it’s more gone than I want or need it to be.
Elijah's eyes harden, but his lip twitches as he grabs my hand, letting his fingers gently trace over my knuckles, "Perhaps. But it's how we've survived for generations. This is how things work in our family.”
I don’t know much about his family, but it seems fucking twisted. I have the urge to rip my hand out of his, and I think he knows as he brings it to his lips before letting me have it back. A shiver travels up my spine and not liking the feeling, I push it back into the corners of my mind. I don’t want to think about it.
"What happens next? Or am I to find out with the others?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
Elijah's lips curve into a cold smile. "Now we see how you handle real pressure. The physical and psychological trials so far have been a warm-up. The next test will push you and give you a glimpse into what being with our family is really like.”
I’m not liking those words as they cause the hairs on my body to stand on end. I’ve never dealt with people like him or anyone in his so-called family. They’re all psychotic, but that goes without saying. Just as I open my mouth to ask what will happen with Amber, my stomach flips and my body starts to heat up. I shake my head thinking it’s because I’m so tired.
“Let's get you cleaned up.” Elijah spoke, glancing at my hair, which still has blood in it. I tilt my head at his words. Cleaned up how?
Raising an eyebrow at him, I silently ask him to explain. He just laughs, as his eyes darken as he looks me over. His gaze makes me feel like he’s looking through me, searching for something.
Elijah's intense gaze causes me to shift uncomfortably. "What do you mean by 'clean up'?" I ask warily.
He smirks. "Just a shower, darling. You're covered in blood and dirt. We can't have you getting sick or catching something, now, can we?"
I tensed at the idea of showering here, with him nearby, makes me incredibly uneasy. "I'm fine. I can clean up later in my cell."
Elijah's eyes harden. "That isn't a request. You'll shower now, where I can keep an eye on you. We can't risk you trying anything foolish."
Opening my mouth to argue but stop as a wave of dizziness washes over me. My visions fading and Elijah’s helping me remain standing with a hand on my arm.
"Easy there," he murmurs, a small smirk coming to his lips. “Another reason to have supervision right there.” Glaring at him, but before I could say anything else he scoops me up into his arms. I let out an undignified yelp, my hands instinctively gripping his shoulders to steady myself.
"Put me down!" I demand, my voice coming out higher than I intended it too. "I can walk on my own! I’m a little dizzy but I can walk just fine." He’s managed to carry me once already; I don’t need him to carry me again.
Elijah’s chuckle, reverberating through his chest. "I'm sure you can, darling. But humor me, won't you? I don’t need you to get another injury because you’re being stubborn"
I want to argue further, but he’s already moving through the room to a connected room that I hadn’t seen. He steps through the doorway into a small bathroom, nothing fancy but it has all the amenities.
Elijah set me down gently, keeping a steadying hand on my arm as I sway slightly. The dizziness is getting worse, and I’m feeling uncomfortably warm.
"Are you alright?" Elijah asks, his green eyes darkening as he looks at me. "You look flushed."
Shaking my head, to try and clear it . "I'm fine. "
Elijah's eyes narrow, not looking the least bit convinced. "Hmm. Well, let's finish getting you cleaned up quickly so you can rest."
He reached past me to turn on the shower, adjusting the temperature. I stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do. The idea of undressing in front of him made my skin crawl.
I glared at him, arms crossing over my chest in silent defiance, "Are you seriously going to stand guard while I shower?"
He raised an eyebrow, a small smirk curling at the ends of his mouth, "Would you prefer I join you?”
"No!" I snap, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks. I watch him step back and lean down so his face was close to mine.
“I wouldn’t mind if that is what you want. I will enjoy helping.” He tells me teasingly before he moves back, but not before reaching out to brush his hand along my cheek which I’m sure was bright red.
"Just... give me some privacy," I mutter, eyes narrowing as I saw the look of amusement on his face. He’s enjoying this.
Elijah smirks at me. "You have ten minutes. If you're not done by then, I'm coming in." With that, he stepped out and closed the door with a sharp snap.