A flutter of excitement came to life in my empty belly. It had been far too long since I’d been outside during the day.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted another vampire coming through the trees. Dressed in a tunic and breeches, the silver-haired male carried an enormous canvas bundle over his shoulder. A large brown stain marred the center of the canvas, and my stomach twisted at the sight.
I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside. An animal? I probably didn’t want to know.
The silver-haired vampire kicked at a fallen log. “Thank the gods. I’m so tired of being used as a pack mule.”
“You will be whatever Roman tells you to be, Nostro,” a female replied.
I widened my eyes as she came into sight. I hadn’t recognized her right away because, at the ball, she had been wearing a face full of makeup.
Now, all the pieces were coming together.
Darcy.
That bitch.
Nostro grumbled something inaudible in reply, and the vampire holding onto me tightened his grip.
“We need to find a place to spend the day.” This came from the one holding me.“If we hurry, we’ll make it by sunup tomorrow night.”
“Thank the gods,” Darcy said. “Ithiar only knows how starved I’ve been all week.”
Mumbles of assent came from all around. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Soon, they found a cave. The vampire carrying me tossed me into the corner of the cave. A small trickle of water ran down the nearby wall, and the male called Nostro placed his mysterious bundle beside him on the other side of the cave.
The vampires—there were six of them—sorted out watches. My fingers and toes began to warm now that we were out of the elements, and pinpricks of pain ran through them. Even so, I did not move.
One by one, the vampires fell asleep. Soon, the quiet sounds of their breathing filled the air.
My fingers itched for a stake. If I had a piece of wood, I would love nothing more than to drive it into their hearts. I’d start with Darcy. I estimated I would get one, maybe two, of them before they killed me. It would be better than none.
They all deserved to die.
They killed Sebastian.
Grief twisted within me, but I shoved it down to the recesses of my soul. I couldn’t mourn him. Not now. I needed to remain alert and alive. For myself. For my family. And for him.
If I survived this ordeal, there would be time for grief. For pain and hurt and torment. For now, there was only living. That was all I could focus on. One thing at a time.
My stomach curled in on itself, forming a painful knot as it complained about my lack of nutrition. The pain was only made worse by the growing dryness of my throat.
I needed food and water—preferably without any of the drugs they had been slipping me. Behind me, the trickle of water dripped steadily, the sound a never-ending reminder of the life-saving liquid’s presence.
Glancing at the entrance of the cavern, I eyed Darcy. Her long hair hung in a braid down her back, and she leaned against the stone wall, digging dirt out from beneath her fingernails with the tip of a dagger.
A pebble lay near my feet. Keeping an eye on the vampire, I kicked it. It rolled softly on the ground, moving towards the entrance.
Darcy didn’t even glance at me. This was my chance.
Conscious of my bound hands, I pushed myself along the rocky ground. With every inch, I stopped and checked on Darcy. She didn’t look back once.
It took me far longer than it should have, but eventually, I made it to the small trickle of water. My heart pounded so loud, I was certain the vampires could hear it. But I needed to assuage my thirst. Without it, there was no way I could do anything.
Finally, my mouth was below the stream. I opened my lips and the cool liquid dribbled into me. It was chilly, like everything else in this horrible snowy wasteland, but it quenched my thirst.
After drinking my fill, I inched back to my spot. From there, I kept watch on the vampires. Hours went by. The sun rose and fell.