Chapter I
Ariel sat at the end of her bed, staring blankly at the rocky texture of the chamber wall. Every inch of her felt bruised, her eyes tired from weeping.
She could hear the wind outside her open window, a torrent in the dark night among the gusty trees. The full moon, with ribbons of clouds, lit her room with an eerie light.
Falling back onto the silk sheets, her heavy eyelids begged for sleep. She allowed it to come, like water closing over her head.
---
When she awoke, she was being gagged. A purple skinned creature stood over her, and she tried to scream, but with no success.
Her hands were already behind her back, tied together with something even too strong for her to break.
Her assailant grabbed her by her hair and threw her like a rag doll to the floor at the end of her bed. Ariel could see another vampaneze, a bottle of her wine to his mouth.
It was difficult to take breaths with a gag in her mouth. She struggled, still, to be more fully awake. Nothing about this scene made sense. Was she fucking dreaming?
Her fingers writhed until they were either dripping with sweat, or blood, she couldn't tell.
The night was still young. She couldn't have been asleep for too long. Had the vampaneze caught Darren after he left the mountains?
"Just remember, Ariel, I love you..." His voice replayed in her thoughts.
The vampaneze pressed a blade to her face after she began to thrash.
"Move again and I'll kill you. You understand, ?"
Then, the image of Murlough flashed in her head, tying her hands behind her. Too similar.
Ariel stopped and took a breath, her face filling with heat. She was so angry she was shaking. On an impulse, she raised her leg to her chest, and kicked the bastard.
There was a thud as he fell back onto the floor.
Her eyes scanned the room in panic until she saw Kurda, his face impassive.
Then, the vampaneze got back up, and struck her across the face.
Everything went black.
