I awoke to a heavy sensation on my chest and blurry visions of a man with raven-black hair leaning over me as water escaped from my mouth.
"She's alive," I heard another voice say. Why didn't they just let me die?
"Get her into the carriage," Kraven said.
"Sir, won't Viktor be angry about this?" the other voice asked.
"Don't question my orders and get her up. Now."
Everything went black again as I felt myself being lifted from the ground and laid into a black carriage. I was unconscious for the ride to what I would soon know as the Coven.
When I awoke again, I was being carried into a large, dark room - one that I assumed was used as some sort of meeting place. There was a large chair in the middle of one wall, a chair I assumed was a throne. But I knew this was not the king's palace because this place was much darker and it looked...evil. I looked up and saw that it was Kraven carrying me. I should have known; his ice-cold touch felt freezing on my skin, which was still wet. I noticed that his hair was wet too as well as his skin so I knew he must have been the one to pull me under water. I shuddered.
Sitting on the throne-like chair was an older-looking man with deathly pale skin that looked almost artificial. His pale hair looked as if it would fall out at any moment. However, despite his fragile look, he sat with a posture that only young men could hold. The sight confused me.
"Milord," Kraven said as he laid me on the ground and kneeled before the old man. I noticed several other men in the room that looked like guards.
"Kraven, what have you here?" the old man asked in a raspy voice. If my head weren't throbbing from nearly drowning, I might have asked what he was talking about.
"She's a good fighter, milord. She knows how to track animals through the woods and she can swim and hit with such a mighty force already. Imagine what a mighty warrior she would make beside Sonja."
"Kraven, do not insult my intelligence," the old man spat out, obviously irritated, "You let your lust for this young woman corrupt your intelligence. Did you think I wouldn't know who she was? I know her father is a noble of the king. Did you not think the humans would put out their best resources to find out who killed him, you fool! Get rid of her."
What was he talking about? The humans? Weren't they human? Warrior for what? How did Kraven know about me in the woods? Suddenly I realized I was still in just my night gown and felt violated. I tried to cover my chest as best I could while I sat at Kraven's feet.
"Please, milord, I wouldn't have put your safety in danger if I didn't think there was good reason. She truly would be a prized asset among your fighters. Let me change her and if she proves to be worthless, I'll kill her myself."
For the first time, the old man really looked at me, and suddenly I saw something else in his eyes besides anger; I saw pity. I realized I was trembling, but I wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from fear. After all, they were openly talking about killing me in front of my own eyes.
"Very well," the man said, "But be quick about it. The full moon is only in seven days time and we will need to assemble all of our fighters. Make sure she's ready."
Kraven smiled and said, "Very good, sir," and leaned back down to pick me up again. My body felt so drained or I would have fought and ran, but I knew it would do no good anyway. They would just kill me.
I was carried through a hallway to two large doors, which were opened by two guards standing before them.
"Make sure no one enters," Kraven commanded one man. The man nodded promptly and opened the door, which led to large sleeping quarters. I suddenly began to panic. What did he bring me here for? He laid me on a large bed and I scrambled as quickly as I could to the other side. Somehow, supernaturally, he was already behind me when I turned to run.
"What do you want from me?" I asked. Somehow I knew I would regret asking because I didn't want to know.
"Darling, just be still and I'll be gentle," he nearly whispered as he flashed that malicious smile.
"Somebody help me!" I screamed as loudly as I could, hoping someone, anyone, would come help me. Just then, he covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me down with surprising strength so that my back was flat on the bed.
"Be quiet, Ava," he hissed at me, "Do not disturb Viktor with your screams or I'll be forced to kill you now." I knew he wasn't bluffing, so I stopped screaming, but I didn't cry. No, I promised myself I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing my tears. I closed my eyes and tried not to shake as I heard him take off his armor and undress himself. Not crying was the hardest thing I had ever done.
Without warning, he ripped my nightgown to shreds, leaving me bare and violated.
"You are so beautiful," he whispered. I wished he would just be quiet and get it over with. I felt so hopeless in that moment. He laid on top of me and thrust so violently that I thought I might cry out in pain, but I bit my lips tightly together and tried to think of anything besides the moment. He grunted lightly the whole time but became louder towards the end.
Just when I thought everything would be over, I felt a burning sensation in my neck, one that made my whole body jerk with astonishment and pain. I could no longer hold back the screams as the invisible fire went from my neck down the rest of my body, encircling me in pain. I felt Kraven's hand over my mouth again, but I doubt it made me much quieter.
"Hush Ava!" he demanded, "It will be over soon."
After about five minutes, the pain subsided as if it had never been there in the first place. My whole body felt numb and I watched in amazement as my eyes became more adjusted to the details of the room. I felt like I could see things more clearly, and it almost made a blue film cover my vision. What was this sensation?
Kraven watched smugly and said, "Your eyes look amazing in blue, but I do believe I prefer them brown." He tried to touch my cheek, but I found an amazing strength in places I didn't even know I had, so I grabbed his arm and slammed him against the wall beside me. He was obviously caught off-guard, but I didn't care. I got up and put my nightgown back on - or rather, what was left of it. It still covered the essential body parts, which was fine enough for me. I started for the door.
"Ava, don't," he tried to persuade me, but I didn't listen. The guards at the door tried to stop me, but I grabbed their heads and slammed them together, making them become deformed and almost egg-shaped. I watched in amazement as they fell to the floor dead and wondered why I didn't feel sorry. It was as if part of me had become a savage and all I wanted to do right then was kill.
I saw down the corridor light coming from under the door, so I knew it must have been daylight. I smiled as I ran for the door at a speed horses couldn't even compete with, knowing I would be free if I could just reach the doors and run. I felt a sense of victory as I pushed the doors open, but suddenly, the sunlight burned my skin like a raging fire burning the dryest of wood.
I screamed in astonishment as I smelled my skin being torched right off the bones, but suddenly someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me back into the safety of the dark castle and closed the door. I fell to the ground as I looked at my burnt skin, sure that this injury would kill me. Did Kraven somehow make the sun burn me? Was he some sort of black magician?
I saw it was indeed Kraven that had pulled me back from the sunlight.
"I told you not to go," he said calmly, "You should have listened to me. Look, your pretty face is all black now. We can't have that, can we?" I watched in confusion as he lifted a bowl to my lips that was filled with a red liquid that I could only assume to be blood.
"No," I said weakly as I shook my head. I would not drink blood.
"Ava, you must or you will die, and that would be a shame," Kraven said as he forced my lips open with the bowl and I felt the warm liquid slide down my throat. Surprisingly, I liked it. I needed it. I took the bowl with my own two hands and gulped down the rest, wishing there was sitll more.
"Good girl," he said with a smirk.
I watched in awe as my skin quickly healed itself, leaving behind no scar or trace of a burn, only a memory.
"What did you do to me?" I asked him.
"I gave you life," he said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
He grabbed my chin and said, "You're one of us now, my love. Forget your human life, that is behind you. You can embrace immortality with me and be by my side for the rest of eternity."
So yes, Kraven is a psycho! I'm really enjoying writing this so I hope you guys are enjoying reading it! :)