After I was put away in my room, as I thought it was all over. A series of events unfolded that night but all out of my earshot. Lucinda came in this morning and woke me up, asked if I were ok and then filled me in.
Apparently, the male named Bryan Lowry the third was one of powerful individual in this faction, affluent family and great ties with the diplomatic world over the curtains. After he was denied to have me he stirred trouble by hurting one of the coterie members which was considered a very huge taboo. Actually as I was told that I felt the magnitude of my mistake last night.
"We are not without rules, you must be careful especially in others territory. So it is a must to get him punished" Lucinda stated
"What's his punishment?" I said as I sat up straight while she handed a tea cup to me. I felt my heart raced a bit
"He's young, energetic, witty and reckless everyone knows that about him. It's not just one punishment, first he acted out of etiquette while a guest in a formal gathering away from his coterie. Second, he has badly injured one of Cassuis kindred, and again. you" She said glancing my way
"Me?"
"Yes you were an important part of the gathering. He shouldn't have tried anything with you. So he's now forbidden to attend any further gatherings of importance, brought forth his finest human servant as compensation for the kindred and again he's drained of spiritual energy, to last a month"
"That's harsh" I muttered sipping on my tea.
"You should have stayed in the hall, he deserves it too" She added after she noticed my expression.
"I'm sorry," I apologized sincerely. He pulled me close and hugged me against her breasts. She pulled away showing me a big smile
"Your presence also brought alot of goods to the coterie and any overly competitive neighboring coteries were bittered" she exclaimed excitedly
But all I could remember now was the look on either faces of hunger and lust while I was pressed down on that bed.
"I don't understand why? I want to know more"
"Little Gia, I don't have time to tell you about vampire customs and socialism"
"I understand, but we humans make everything easier"
"Well that's because we are two different creations of God" Lucinda said grabbing out the cup in my hand.
"But," I halted feeling like I was about to say a bad word so I tuned down my voice to a whisper "I'm a little curious"
"I understand that about you but all you need now is to stay in here, I don't want what happened yesterday to repeat itself." She scolded like she wasn't the one that urged me to go with her.
"Now let me have a look at that wound"
Not really needing my help she pulled my blouse up until the area was well exposed,
"I will never be at peace until I know why I'm kept here against my will"
She wasn't actually doing anything to it but just stared for a brief moment and pulled my shirt down again. She acted as if I haven't even talked, she got to her feet and was ready to pack up when I held her wrist, not really in a threatening way but I held on tight.
"I knew you're not going to answer, but I need those answer. Why am I here?"
She kept still in her place like a log
"Ok, even if you don't use words just point me in the direction. Please" I begged until I started sobbing all over again as I could only remember my mom now and how I felt responsible for it but before I knew it she was gone like a puff of smoke.
I don't know what I was doing letting myself get too close to Lucinda while Cassuis had already numbered my days, all I could do was pretend that I wasn't a hostage but isolating in my room; then maybe I might die peacefully when it comes for me. However, I didn't know how to face my father. How I was clearly the reason his wife got murdered in cold blood? How I promised myself to take care of her for him? How a miserable failure I have became. He was a man of justice and never scared away from it, I wanted to be like him that was one of the reasons he gifted me this necklace.
My hand slowly rose to it, caressing it in-between my fingers. It once used to be my source of strength but now I feel small in it's presence. I clenched it in my fist as my body shook with silent sobs. I needed to free my soul of guilt and the only way was to be like my dad and find it out.
After waiting for a while, the activity in the castle quieted down to a different kind of music; peace. There was barely any movement outside like it were ten minutes ago, luckily the guard outside my door left the post early morning. After thinking it all through again, I was still convinced to go out the door in an equal state as the one I was thrown in the dungeon.
This time with little to no sneaking I let the door behind me close with a soft thud as I scan the area. There wasn't much rooms down in the first floor and I knew what I was looking for might hardly be located down there. I took the long hall and it ended with me in another foyer but smaller than the one on the first floor but then I saw a couple of people moving up and down, I wanted to run back but I remembered that no one in his coterie would dare to touch me.
I let them took enough distance so I could reach the next set of stairs, I was quick about reaching it but some lady noticed me. I heard her gasp really loudly as I started up the stairs. Another hall appeared, I took it almost the whole length until I saw some lady wearing an apron over her black uniform hugging a broom to her body.
"I need to take a look at some books, care to help?"
Although she doesn't look pleasant and was now shuffling away from me, she pointed to one of the rooms but before I could get it, she was nowhere to be found. I gulped down a throat full as I was equally scared to my death. I knew if anyone with rank finds me wandering, I might get shackled up again.
Since she pointed in the direction of my right I decided to try every door. Others opened and some didn't until second to the last door that I pushed in and a three wall high shelves filled with every color there is to be found on the cover of a book.
The room stench of paper and ink. Other than that it was equipped with a reading area, ladders for easy access of books, a sitting sofa, animal skin rugs and fire place. I closed the door and quickly not letting the realization that I had never seen a personal library as huge as that I started with the books I saw on the table. Some left opened, some kept together and others flipped over. The mess seemed new and it was only logical to start there. My hand reached for the one opened and turned over, it attracted me to it seeing that it contents were been hidden, it's not want to be peeked at by anyone. I flipped it over, now looking down at the page, I quickly caught on the word; Deity slay. About to settle into it, I heard voices in the hall, I initially freaked before I flipped it over, luckily there was another door adjacent to me, so I ran into it quietly and stayed pinned to it. While the other door opened just in time
"She doesn't even know..." it was Lucinda talking as they came in, I recognize that voice anywhere
"You saw what she did! And the problems it caused with the werewolf incident" I heard an angry growl before the male voice continued "you checked, you assured she wasn't ready but it fucking doesn't seem so to me" he sounded really pissed off but I wasn't minding that.
What I did? I haven't even threw a simple stare his way since when I got here,were they even talking about me?
".....and the body still laying in the dungeon floor,"
"I know that might add to your suspicion but Gianna's not-"
That cleared it all up
"It's no suspicion. I am certain. She's still here for something I don't know of, if she wasn't," The hatred in his voice was so thick that it made me shiver behind that door. I wasn't here of my free will, how should that get a finger raised at me? All the more I listened in the conversation I got more confused.
I heard something smash against the wall with a blunt noise making me jerk with a slight gasp before she talked again, I hope the didn't heard
"I will keep a close look Master Cassuis"
"It is a direct order, not to interact with the girl and you know what happens when you choose to disregard an order" his voice ever hoarse and his tone sounded like a threat.
"I thought you made me an exception Cassius"
"I shouldn't have, it was a mistake"
"But she,"
"She should be kept in the room at all times. She will be getting her meals in her room just like instructed of you before" Cassius ordered sternly. There was a short silence while I was starting to think how I was going to get back in the room while they stood there.
"Why don't you end it already?"
My heart was trying to break out of my chest with the deadly silence that followed. He hates me by each fiber of his being, he should have easily left me to death but instead he allowed me to live. I slap my hand against my loud breathing nose and mouth when I heard footsteps coming towards the door.
"You said it yourself, easy is not the way with their kind. What's coming for her is more deserving..."
I was back in the room curled up into a ball against the headboard of the bed. I was just shaking from my silent sobbing, I couldn't understand a bit of it especially if they were not willing to speak. Cassius ordered sternly not to interact with me, I would never get an answer if not from him. I cannot even get why he hates me this much, I had nothing to do with their kind. They were non existent to me before the accident which still couldn't explain what he said before roughly shoving me into the room.
****
His voice rang in my head, his words stabbing me so hard in the heart, almost made a scream erupt from my throat. I backed away slowly from the door as he excused Lucinda.
"What do you think you're doing, eavesdropping?!"
I froze completely my heart in-between my pipe clogging my throat. My face and hands immediately got coated in cold sweat, as I stare down the door wishing he wasn't talking towards me.
"Show yourself! Or" I saw his Shadow move around the door as I heard another footstep, afraid of what's going to happen next I opened the door carefully letting myself out. His face matched his tone perfectly, unpleasant.
Crap! My loud breathing gave me away
"I was just leaving. To my room" I said quickly shaking from how fast my heart was beating as I quickly went around him
"Don't you dare leave while I don't excuse you!" he snarled making me halt, taking a step forward to face me putting his hands in his pantsuit pocket. He leaned in close
"What brought you here?" He asked keenly. Now instead of the look of anger, I saw a little bit of suspicion and curiosity in them and his voice was a little softer
"I wanted to have a read"
"Learn what?"
"I am sorry to touch your books without permission"
"Learn what?!" he repeated again. My stomach flipped and I puked inside my mouth as I was about to answer
"About you" I nearly whispered it. Why did I said that? Maybe I did wanted to learn more about them too.
"Me?" he sounded shocked
"About your kind?" I quickly corrected myself
He rose up straight, the flare of anger back in his eyes, I literally choked.
"What do you intend to do with such a knowledge?" His voice was rather surprisingly still very calm
"I don't mean any harm" I said almost all defensive because of what I heard earlier. He turned his back on me gently taking a step forward towards his reading desk. I knew at that moment my heart was about to break through my chest
"What are you looking to know precisely?"
I didn't know how exactly it was that I kept saying what came to my mind first, I could barely hear through myself anymore "Feeding mannerism and bond"
I heard him mutter under his breath before speaking out "Is it arising from the attempt on you?" I gulped
"No, can you let me go now?" I asked as he got seated looking towards me plainly. As he didn't answer me and just stared back, it got on my nerves very quickly
"I'm sorry for what happened with your kindred"
"It shouldn't matter to you"
"What's your deal with me? I have done nothing to you. I need to know why you have me here?" I just have to ask eventually, I was equally scared as I wanted to know why all this was happening to me. It seemed whether I fight or not, speak or mute, beg for my life or not, I was definitely going back to being on a gun point but in my situation fangs dipping in my jugular, I might as well just ball with it.
All that I have heard earlier needs some explaining but before I could blink out the tears blurring my vision I found myself against the wall as soon as I felt the back of his hand strike my face cutting my cheek immediately and his hand wrapped around my wrists pulling them up over my head. There was barely any space between our faces, his eyes looking down to my throat while I tried to gulp down whatever it's there clogging my cries and then he looked to my bleeding cheek.
"You want to know about feeding? Did Bryan Lowry....when you three.." He seemed exceptionally angry with Bryan and me this time.
"No" I just answered with a disapproval to whatever he would accuse me of.
"He dared broke my kindred's neck," A whimper escape my mouth as he press down my throat harder. knowing that he did say I wasn't to ask anything and he would rip my throat out effortlessly.
"It's everything about you and your filthy existence. I have been longing to have you right here, to own you, torture you, take the life out of you bit by bit, savour your soul until your father-" it seemed like the phrase "my father" stung him in the tongue, there was so much disgust in his tone. His eyes were raging higher with the amount of force he's steadily increasing on my wrist, they would go through the wall anytime from now. "your father in hell could feel your pain but-" his words broke as his fangs extended threatening flashing at me, his eyes glowing red. I gasp again jerking back as he menacingly look me down his grip tightening, I could feel my bone crack. "....for the mean time I'd love that you fear me" he looked back to my neck again with a crooked smile
"I don't want to hear your voice or your disgusting heart near me, for"
"Why?" I dared to ask while he wasn't even finished yet. The only thing truely showing I was scared was the tears rolling down my cheeks and the probable rapture of my heart any second from it's rapid pace.
"What are you afraid of in me?" my voice wasn't daring but afraid, confused and painful
His demeanor didn't change, he simply continued to stare me down using every ounce of him to stopping him to take my dare and rip me to pieces. But his grip was getting tighter by every heave I took or was it the smell of my blood that had him on tipping point forcing him to stay be in trance and his ego luring him away from sticking his fangs in my throat. I could feel the joint in my writs move as they make a sound, almost getting them crushed in his fist.
"You're hurting me!" I choked out instinctively tears rolling down my cheeks.
If that wasn't pure stupidity from my side, he just told me that he wanted to punish me so hard. His eyes were now fixed again to mine before his red glowing eyes slowly started coming back to their dark color and his fangs weren't threatening to tear me anymore. He looked to my wrists in his hands before looking back at me again, he looked a bit shocked like he wasn't intending to pin me to the wall trying to break off my wrist before his features hardened again. He loosen his grip a little pealing me off the wall and started pulling me behind him towards the stairs, taking me back to the new room they assigned for me. He opened the double door with his other hand before shoving me inside, roughly.
"You are not to leave this room!" he ordered before closing the door behind him leaving me in a complete crying mess.