I awoke in a cage. The bars were made of silver, so it forced me to huddle in the center of the cage. Silver chains bound my wrists and ankles; I could smell the burning of my flesh beneath the metal. A single blanket lies on the floor. My eyes adjusted to the bright lights around me.
I was in the center of a vast room. The bright lights revealed granite stone floors, tapestries of bloody battle scenes lined the walls. Stains of blood lined the floors; I could smell a stale odour of sweat and urine. The room was completely empty. Not a soul inside. I expanded my senses, and I could hear the shuffling of a guard at the door. Deep within the manor, I could see a window near the ceiling of the grand room, far out of reach. The moonlight still streamed through the ceiling. A sigh escaped me. So at least it was still night.
I had no way of telling how long I had been out for, but I could hear no sounds of commotion in the building, so I hoped Kali and Caius had escaped unharmed. It was a thoughtless mistake, not to canvas the nearby areas of the building before I searched the room. My senses would be better developed if I was awakened.
A door slammed from above me, thudding footsteps descended the metal staircase above my head. Black combat boots came into view, worn by a middle-aged looking man. They cropped his red hair close to his skull in a military style. His blue eyes pierced into me through the bars. He dressed in camo gear, a military vest over a long-sleeved shirt, camo cargo pants tucked into his combat boots. I saw the telltale tattoo of the eye of Osiris on the back of his hand, marking him as a hunter.
I hissed as he approached the cage. From his side, he pulled out a metal baton. When he pressed on the handle, it sizzled with electric energy. I cringed. That was going to hurt. He jammed his baton through the bars and hit me with the baton. I cried out and fell to my hands and knees. Coughing and sputtering in pain. A smile quirked the corner of his lips, and he stepped back.
"Filthy beast. Elysia Areklides. You're lucky we figured out who you are, or you'd already be dust for the dawn." I bared my fangs. He grunted.
"You'll get nothing from me." I hissed. He laughed.
"We'll see. You're lucky that Kadmos has use for you yet. Let's see if that father of yours will come out of hiding." He licked his lips, and his gaze raked my body. I shivered and crossed my arms.
These men saw me as nothing more than an animal. A beast to be chained and executed. I cringed, sending a missive to my father, noting my capture, trying to lure him out into the open. What had I gotten myself into? He wouldn't come for me, not personally. He's too valuable… right? I grit my teeth, hoping to the gods in Olympus he wouldn't come out himself. Examining the bars of my cell, I knew I needed to get out of here.
As quickly as the man came, he headed for an exit in the Southern corner of the room. I noted they reinforced the doors with steel. I wondered how many of my kind they had chained and tortured in here. The door slammed and latched behind him. I sat down in my cell, tapping my nails and biding my time. Someone would notice I was gone soon.
The sun rose and fell, and no one came for me. The moon ascended once again. I had heard the guards change three times. My throat was parched, I was thirsty. My vision was foggy, my senses were dulling from lack of feeding. The moon was high in the sky, and the sliver of light fell across my face in the now dark room. They had switched off the lights at night. Maybe they realized it was a waste of energy because I could see, regardless.
I heard a snap from above, and my head shot up. My body tensed, alert. Footsteps slowly descended the metal staircase, although they turned no lights on. I turned and stared at the staircase as a figure slowly descended. Tall, well over six feet in height, the figure was massive.
Corded muscles rounded his biceps that protruded from a military vest, visible through a long sleeve shirt. Black combat boots laced tightly tapped the ground. Muscular legs filled out with camouflage cargo pants. Ruby hair fell in shaggy locks around a chiseled face. I straight nose, strong jawline, and dusting of a beard not yet shaved lined the man's face. A scar ran from the corner of his eye to his jawline. Piercing blue eyes glared at me in the darkness. He held a small flashlight in his hand. I stayed still and silent, waiting for him to reveal his purpose.
"Elysia Areklides?" His voice was gruff, deep and velvet. I bared my teeth and nodded.
"You found me out." I said in a resigned tone. His lip curled in disgust.
"So, it has a sense of humor…" He mumbled to himself. Then he cleared his throat. He pulled a metal baton out at his side; the threatening crackle of electricity filled the air. "Is it true?" He asked.
I tilted my head to the side at his question.
"Is what true?" I answered snidely, curling my lips in distaste.
"What you can do? The girl, she told us. And I saw the guard you had approached after the battle." He shifted his weight from foot to foot. Ah, he had heard of my ability. I hissed. That likely meant Kali was dead. If she had admitted anything about me, they must have gotten her pretty badly.
"What do you want?" I said. He closed the baton and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I propose a deal. And judging by your situation, you shouldn't be so picky." He quipped. I sighed, waved my hands in front of me.
"And your proposition is…?"
"Promise to help me, and I'll unlock your cage." I leaned forward with interest. I analyzed his expression. He set his mouth in a grim line, his posture firm and confident. I rubbed my chin in thought.
"How can I help you?" I asked, genuinely curious. He sighed.
"A vampire clan killed someone I care about. I need you to help me track down who did it." His tone was light, as if it was the most reasonable request. I snorted.
"So you want me to potentially incite war with a rival vampire family, and trust the word of a hunter to help me escape?" I clarified. He grunted and tapped on the bars of my cage.
"Doesn't look like you have many options, dearie." He spat on me through the bars. I gasped and wiped at my face. "I don't want to be near you any more than I have to either." He gritted out. I heard a noise coming from down the hallway. He jerked to attention, swinging a ring of keys in his hands.
"I suggest you decide." His smirk quirked his lips. I groaned in frustration and nodded. He stepped toward the cage.