Chapter 31
Thirty-One
Drifting.
Falling.
Dreaming.
I awoke to the soft grass upon my feet, the giant willow standing firm in front.
The summer breeze rustled through dark curtains as the warmth of the late afternoon sun sank into chilled skin.
I searched for the boy often here among the grass, lips tugged high into a lazy grin.
But he was not there upon the red flowers resembling blood.
The dread swelled during the ball and exploded into a million pieces as my gaze landed on a single skull sitting on top of a freshly marked grave.
“I don’t have much time, Valeria.”
Standing out in the field was a woman with hair that of fire and deep emerald eyes with lips drawn thin into a sly smile. Her pallor was a sickly alabaster, so pale that blue marred her skin in spider web veins and eyes, a ghost shade of white.
She regarded the skull for a moment or two, picking it up and cradling it in her hands.
“Cecilia,” I said.
Those eyes settled on me, staring right through mortal flesh.
“Cecilia.” I took a step, heels sinking into the grass and the mud. I tugged at my foot to free it and found that I couldn’t.
Dark clouds moved in, gusts of wind kicking up flowers and dust high into the air. Thunder rumbled, and lighting crackled across the blooming sky.
Cecilia’s hair whipped wildly around her, unbothered by the shifting storm. “Save him.”
Lightning struck the tree, engulfing the scene in bright white light. Her scream cut through the howling wind, shrieking with urgency.
I flung to life, crashing into my body with warm arms wrapped tight against my chest pinning me in place. Soft cushions braced my back and fingers, and a blanket laid curled at my feet. I glanced about the room to stone walls and familiarity.
I was in my room. I was still on the castle grounds.
My attention was drawn to the hands wrapped around me, clearly not the ones I had gotten accustomed to in the many months at Castle Briar, with their scars and calluses.
These were ones that had seen horrendous violence, white scars and fresh cuts across knuckles.
Revulsion curled in my stomach, bile stung my throat.
“I wondered how long you’d be out for.” William snickered, slicing into my skin more so than his hand on my wrist.
Thousands of questions flitted through with only one that truly mattered. “Where’s Silas?”
“She was right. You truly are brainwashed,” William sneered. His mouth dropped to my ear. “Now, why would you want to know where the monster is? Is it because you fancy the abomination more than your own?”
I shoved my elbow deep into his side, lessening his grip, and stumbled out of the bed.
Fingers grazed the door when it opened of its own accord.
Ayla stepped through the doorway with a sword pressed firmly to my chest. “What did I say in making sure she stays put until the trap is set?”
“Not my fault the bitch decided to make a break for it,” William scoffed.
Ayla’s cold gaze lashed onto me. “I do not care for the drama this has caused, but what I do care for is killing that vampire.”
Biting back tears, my cheeks burning as rage and disgust brewed within my veins. Ayla was in on his plan. The person I thought of as a friend was now using me as bait to kill the man I love.
I braced myself against the bedpost, far away from Ayla’s sword and from William. The cold air did little to the torn dress, the bodice hung by mere threads and the train ripped to shreds. Holding the bone plate close, fury guiding upwards meeting the revulsion pulsating its way through my body.
“Whatever it is you intend, I will not help you,” I gritted out between bared teeth.
William jumped off the bed, corralling me toward the wall. I was met by cool stone and William’s wicked sneer was as close as I had ever wanted to be. He was a hair’s breadth away, dropping his lips to my ear.
“Protecting it, are we? I wonder how we can remedy this.” He snaked his palm up my thigh, teasing menacing across my naked skin.
I froze, breaths coming in heaving heavy gasps. Instinct took over, palm stinging as it flew across his face. William stumbled a few paces and clutched his cheek, his cheeks redder by the second, murder blazing high in his eyes.
“You little bitch.” William lunged for me, pinning me against the wall by the neck.
I clawed, nails biting into flesh, drawing blood.
The harder I fought, the tighter his hold became as dark spots danced high in my vision.
“That’s enough. Any further, and we give him a reason to kill the both of us.”
Ayla’s cool voice echoed with the grip around my throat loosening.
I dropped to the floor, coughing for air as I doubled over onto the cool stone. Pain laced my scalp, lifting me to my feet. “Why don’t we cut the crap and you tell us where Silas ran off to?”
I screamed, pain lacing itself through my flesh. Struggling to gain my bearing, I scraped William’s hand, crying out, “I won’t. I won’t. I won’t!”
Tears welled in my eyes with each parting syllable.
William threw me across the room, sending me into the nightstand, shoulder hitting against the hardwood, which fell over on impact. Hot blood trickled from the head wound and from various scrapes.
Contents from the drawer scattered across the floor. The vial of Silas’s long-forgotten blood, the journal, and the dried rose from nights ago splayed out.
William wrapped his hands around the fabric of the falling dress and hauled me up. Terror seized me, and I squeezed my eyes, bracing for the next blow as his hands tightened around me.
William laughed. “I wondered if the beast has had his fun with you yet.” He tossed me onto the bed and unbuckled his pants.
I scurried to the opposite side of the bed, mind racing.
The balcony doors were nearby. If I could pry one open quick enough to drop down, escaping into the garden’s maze should not be an issue. The drop was only ten feet from the ground at best. I’d simply be bruised. At worst, I break something in the fall.
I inched closer to the door.
William’s hungry eyes grew ever closer until he was climbing across the bed, licking his lips.
Ayla coughed into her hand, drawing William’s attention away.
“I have a better plan. Silas is still somewhere on these grounds and could not have gotten far with that gunshot wound. We need to lure him out, and she”—she swept across the room, pulling William to his feet, who was completely enthralled—“is the ticket. Don’t you think it would be fitting to repay the debt?
” Cold blue eyes swept to me. “A perfect catalyst to end all of this for once and for all.”
William’s cruel smile widened as he hopped off the bed and buckled his pants.
He called to a few people, their bodies shadowing the door to where I did not make out clearly who they were other than to guess that they were a part of the village.
He whispered to them in soft hush voices that I only made out a few words.
“Lure” and “ready.” Without much context, my heart sank. I was either going to draw out Silas, or I was going to marry William.
William turned back to us. “I’ll prepare the arrangements for the ceremony, and we shall have our beast before the blood moon is over.”
William disappeared down the hall, shouting orders at those wandering.
I did not stop to think how they got past the ghost but knew that they somehow did.
I dare not to picture Ebony alone and terrified, trapped in an endless abyss and watch as her castle and master were taken all in the same night.
Ayla followed, and just like the many times before in this castle, the person standing in Ayla’s place was not her but a long-forgotten form. In some manners, it made sense as the truth fumbled its way out.
“What is it that you are after?”
She stopped dead cold, body rigid as she flexed her fingers. Ayla shifted, tossing her head back in response. “Vengeance of what I am owed and my right.” Turning swiftly, she left the room, her heels clicked down the corridor.