Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
CHERYL
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
T he atmosphere isn’t any better when Lana and I return from the bathhouse. The females in the room continue to eyeball me with distrust and fear. I don’t plan to stay long, but in any case, I’d rather not have to worry about getting attacked while I sleep.
I march right to the middle of the room wearing a stupid-ass robe because my clothes were filthy and were confiscated while I was in the bath.
“All right. You’d better stop staring at me,” I say. “I’m not that much different than any other made vampire.”
“You’re an animal,” one of the females retorts, not hiding the disgust on her face.
“You say that as if being a wolf is a demerit. You’re the one who must drink blood to survive. That’s pretty gross, if you ask me.”
She hisses, showing her fangs, and takes a menacing step forward. Heidi holds her arm. “Freya, no. You can’t get into another fight. You know what will happen if you do.”
Heidi’s words seem to mollify the tall vampire. Her expression softens when she looks at the petite female’s face.
“I just want to be left alone. If you have any problems with my presence here, take it up with your precious Nightingale lords,” I add.
“Hush now. We must get you ready for dinner.” Lana pulls me away from the center of the room and back to my bed.
I sit on the edge of the mattress and watch her rummage inside a small wardrobe. She pulls out an emerald-green dress with gold embroidered on the sleeves and neckline. “This will look stunning on you.”
“Do you think I care to look pretty?”
Lana sighs. “Your life will be much easier if you accept your lot. You belong to Lord Valkor now. There’s no point fighting it.”
Tears well up in my eyes, not only for me, but for Lana and all the other females here who have accepted their fate. They’ve traded their freedom for a scrap of Nightingale magic.
“I’ll never accept it. I’d rather die.”
Lana’s gaze hardens. “I don’t want to die. I want to be here for my daughter. But your actions do not only affect you. They affect all of us.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s our job to ease you into this life,” Heidi chimes in from across the room. She looks pained as she sits on a comfy-looking chair. “If you rebel, if you cause any trouble, then we’ve failed, and we’ll be punished for it.”
Son of a bitch. These Nightingales are evil masters. No wonder they manage to keep all these vampires in line. Forced conformity through guilt and peer pressure.
From the corner of my eye, I spot little Ollie playing in the corner with a wooden toy.
I can’t be responsible for causing her harm, and I bet she’ll be the first those assholes will target.
The stakes are much higher now. I have to convince these fools to run away when I do.
I’ll never have a moment of peace if I leave them behind knowing they’ll suffer because of me.
But how the hell do I convince them there’s a better life than this?
I t becomes clear to me what other uses Lord Valkor has for his female captives.
One look at the revealing dress I’m wearing is clue enough.
The fabric is a little sheer, the neckline is plunging, and if I’m not careful, my boobs will pop out.
Plus, the skirt has slits on the sides that go up to my hips.
Forget undergarments. None were provided.
Lana braided my hair on top but left the rest loose to cover my healing scar, because the dress bares my back.
“You look stunning, Cheryl,” she tells me while I stare at my reflection in the mirror.
I do look hot, but there’s only one male who I want to see me dolled up like this—Ronan. He’d lose his mind if he saw other males ogling me, which I’m sure will happen during dinner. God, I hope they don’t make me do anything tonight. I don’t have it in me to endure it. I’d rather die.
Lana and the other females are all dressed in revealing outfits, even Heidi.
She’s wearing a cropped halter top and a skirt that hangs from her hips, leaving her full belly on display.
While Freya helped her get ready, I caught Heidi wincing, but she never complained.
It’s possible she’s already in labor, but maybe she’s afraid she’ll be punished if she doesn’t attend this damn dinner.
Guards escort us to the same grand room where Ronan and I were taken when we arrived. It feels much different now that I don’t have my face plastered to the floor. I hear animated conversation before we enter, but it lowers to murmurs once we make our appearance.
Heidi is front and center, and she’s the first who earns Valkor’s attention. He opens his arms and kisses her on her cheeks. “You look absolutely stunning, my dear. Stunning.”
“Thank you, my lord,” she says without meeting his gaze.
Lord Valkor turns and beckons to a very tall and thin Nightingale with long black hair and a hook nose. His eyes are so black, it makes his pupils vanish. A beauty he isn’t.
“Doesn’t she look ravishing, Lord Mirem?” Lord Valkor asks.
The repellent male stares at poor Heidi as if she was naked. “Yes, as always.”
Heidi smiles, but it’s forced. I glance at Freya, and she’s glaring openly at Lord Mirem.
No, that’s not a simple glare. She hates this male.
I just met him, and I hate him to. But if Lord Valkor is prostituting the females, then…
Oh my God. Surely they’re not going to force Heidi to have sex with Lord Mirem while she’s probably in labor.
Yes, yes, they would . There aren’t limits for the Nightingales’ cruelty. Fuck. King Raphael should never have helped them fight the shadowbeasts. With the exception of Vivi and Rikkon, this race doesn’t deserve to live.
Lord Mirem turns his attention to me, and my blood seems to freeze in my veins. He’ll lose his dick if he pays for me.
“You’ve acquired a new beauty.”
“Yes, she only just arrived. She’s still getting adjusted.”
“I see. Not to worry.” He offers Heidi his arm. “Shall we, my precious?”
Heidi looks up with round eyes but makes no motion to accept Lord Mirem’s extended arm. Lord Valkor frowns, then looks pointedly at Lana, who doesn’t seem to notice.
Suddenly, Lord Indigo appears out of nowhere. “Heidi, dear. Lord Mirem is waiting.”
“I… I?—”
“You can’t possibly ask her to do this in her condition,” Freya interjects.
Shit. Things are about to escalate. The guards are closing in, and the other guests are watching us with keen interest. Fuckers probably want to see some punishment being doled out.
Heidi cries out suddenly, staggering to the side and into me. I catch her arm, supporting most of her weight. “What’s wrong?”
“I… I don’t know.”
The smell of blood hits my nose, and a moment later, I see it’s pouring down Heidi’s legs. Hell.
“She needs a doctor,” I say, meeting blank stares. Crap, they probably don’t even know what doctors are. “A healer. She’s in labor.”
Lord Indigo presses his hand over her belly, then looks at Lord Valkor. “It is time.”
He steps back and signals a guard to come for Heidi. The man lifts her in his arms, and we all follow him back to our quarters. No one tries to stop us. Dinner is officially over before it started, but I know, without a shadow of doubt, the nightmare is about to begin.