Prepare yourself for a bit of action (finally)!

CHAPTER SIX

I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't,
so here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope,
it's a shot in the dark and right at my throat.

(Florence + the Machine)

The night was filled with anticipation. I could feel it in my blood, pumping through my veins like shots of adrenaline and surging through every cell and nerve. My heart was in a struggle between breaking into a sprint and staying in the calm thump-thump I was trying to will it into with my imitation of the deep, regular breathing of the vampire beside me. The tips of my fingers were tingling faintly, impatiently waiting for the moment when they would slide in under the bed to find the packed bag.

A soft nudge on the door sent a jolt of excitement throughout my body, but I managed to keep my movements slow and cautious as my feet found the floor. I bit my lip as I carefully stood, knowing the shifting of the mattress could give me away, but there was no change in the vampire's sleep. Relieved, I bent down and silently pulled the backpack out from its not-so-excellent hiding place, only barely managing to stop it from scraping audibly against the wooden surface beneath.

As I stood again, I let the bag touch the floor while I quietly got out of the pajamas until I was standing in the black tights and white, loose tank top I'd secretly put on beneath. I tip-toed across the room to the wardrobe; after letting my fingers trace the racks of clothes within it, I pulled out what looked like a sweatshirt of soft material. Though it was several sizes too big for my petite form, it would keep me warmer than the clothes I'd been given.

The thought of Anya's constant drop-ins – each time with new offers and even more genuine smiles – reminded me of the flat ankle boots I'd put by the bureau. They were definitely not made for running, but in comparison to the worn sneakers I'd used the last time I'd been out in the baking sun, they would suffice. I lazily tied the knots to keep them comfortably tight around my feet and then the last step was to strap the backpack on.

Finally, after casting one last cautious glance over my shoulder, I got the door open, and was instantly greeted with the sight of Thomas' dimly lit face. The expectation in his dark gaze was similar to the one I felt tingling inside.

Aware of the supernatural hearing behind me, he said nothing as he held up a big, brown bag I assumed was keeping the food he'd said he would sneak out of the kitchen. I turned to let him stuff it into the backpack, his moves so careful that the paper material barely made a sound. As I spun again, he smiled mildly before he grabbed my hand to gently tug me down the hallway. I didn't shoot a single glance back, knowing the only thing my gaze would find was the sight of an immortally beautiful man who I didn't doubt would be…unpleasant if he found me in this moment.

My palm got slightly sweaty as Thomas and I reached the grand staircase that swung elegantly towards the first floor, but I was given no chance to turn back before I was hurrying down the steps. Thomas pulled me to a swift stop at the bottom of the stairs, his brown eyes focusing on mine like I was growing used to them doing. They were too pure and sweet to make me uncomfortable.

"This is where we part," he whispered. "I wish you the best of luck, Amber."

I felt an odd emotion swell inside of me and, before I could shove the sudden sadness back, I clutched myself to him in a tight hug. His support was what had kept me going these past days; how would I be able to return to the emptiness I hated suffering through without him?

His hand patted my back in a manner that reminded me painfully much of my father. It only made the separation tougher as I finally leaned back.

"Take care, Thomas," I murmured.

"You, too, my dear," he answered softly, a gentle and encouraging smile on his lips.

I broke free and cast him a last glance, memorizing the faintly graying strands of hair and the deep, wise gaze that held mine before he turned to disappear into the shadows of the night. I tried to find his form in the darkness for a brief moment, but as the only thing greeting me was silence, I understood he had returned to where he was supposed to be. Despite my wish to have him come with me, I respected the fact that he could not let the vampires know of his opposed beliefs.

'Not vampires. Monsters', I corrected myself with a mental groan.

My heartbeat increased in fierceness as I turned to find my own escape and the harsh thumping sent out enough adrenaline to make me feel brave and sure in my decision as I strode towards my exit.

The large door, placed on the wall farthest from me, was made out of dark iron, but the locks on it were of silver and impressively huge. Unlocking it would be the real difficulty compared to how easy it had been to reach it. I tried to stifle an irritated mutter as my fingers lifted to touch one of the chains, but it came out in a surprised whisper as my wrist was caught in a warm grasp. I couldn't stop from gasping as I was spun around, though all the air left my body as I was roughly slammed against the hard wall beside the door. The contents of my bag dug into my bag and I grunted as I felt the pain prickle in my back. My head ached uncomfortably.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a familiar voice asked quietly.

As my mind registered the male tone, I quickly tried to duck under the strong arms and make a leap for the room I'd been captive in for weeks. I'd rather give up my fight than stand a single minute with the person that had me cornered.

"Oh, don't start," Cody sighed as he shoved me back against the cold surface behind me.

"Let go of me," I growled, momentarily forgetting the fact that I was supposed to be quiet.

"Hey, now, don't wake them all up."

"I don't care!"

I struggled as his hands gripped my shoulders to hold me still against the wall, and a slight satisfaction settled as I saw how bothered he seemed by the way I fought back.

"Can you just be still?"

I tried refusing further, but after a moment of him holding me to the wall and me trying to push back, I unwillingly admitted to myself that his strength easily outweighed mine. With a frustrated sigh, I slumped back in a hint of giving up. He didn't trust my surrender enough to ease his grip.

"What do you want?" I whispered. I was slowly starting to realize what trouble I'd be in if I woke the vampire up.

"You mean, besides stopping you from getting yourself killed?" Cody asked with his eyebrows raised as if to put emphasize how stupid my actions were.

I glared at him. "I mean, besides stopping me from escaping. Which I really hopeyou're not doing."

He ignored the last part as he said, "I wanna know what they've done to you."

"Huh?"

"Has he bitten you?"

"N—"

I was cut off as he retracted one hand from my shoulder to quite roughly push away the hair from my neck. I gasped in surprise as he just as firmly looked at the other side, searching for bite marks that never had existed there.

I tried shrugging away from him, but that only made my head bump against the wall again. As the pain softened, I hissed, "Will you stop? No one's bit me!"

"He must've compelled you."

"It's not like that."

Cody's eyes hardened as they bored into mine. "Are you hearing yourself? This is what they do, Amber, they get under your skin and brainwash you!"

This time, he was the one having trouble keeping his voice down.

"Well, I haven't been brainwashed, alright?" I felt a stir of hatred as I intensified my glare. "And since when you even care? You're the one that gave me in, remember?"

"I told you I was sorry."

I couldn't stop from laughing quietly in disbelief. "You honestly thought that was going to make up for it? You thought a little 'Sorry' would make up for the fact that you offered me for your own survival?"

The last words came out as a fierce growl.

He leaned in closer, either trying to intimidate me or make me lower my voice. No matter his reason, I only kept scowling at him. "I had no choice," he said, quieter than before. "You would've done the same if you were in my place."

"No, I would've started with not working for them!"

His blue eyes were storming with emotions. Their innocence seemed all but washed away, replaced with the immorality and scorn the monsters had stuffed him with.

Still, he sounded surprisingly much like the man I'd met in the desert as he replied, "You have no idea why I'm doing it. If you give me a chance to just explain my—"

"I'm not giving you a chance to do anything."

He clenched his jaw while a bitter anger settled on his face. A voice in the back of my head was muttering at me how stupid I was for provoking another side of him but the soft one I recalled from weeks ago, but I was too enraged myself to hold back my snapping.

"Tell me something," Cody said. His tone made it clear that the remains of his patience were close to breaking, too. "Did you really think you'd be able to survive out there for much longer? Or that you'd be able to run away now?"

For a moment, I sincerely considered spitting him in the face.

But what left my lips were words that would sting more.

"Tell me something," I hissed, using his phrase back at him. "Did you turn your little sister in as well?"

I didn't have time to react to his hurt face before he slammed his fist against the wall, just inches away from my head. My eyes widened in shock at the same time as a tiny squeak left me. A slight fear was starting to creep through the corners of my mind.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he growled.

My breathing grew short and fast while I wished I could melt into the cool surface I was pressed up against. I was suddenly far more frightened of this part of Cody – the same scary one he'd shown on the day when he'd traded me for his own existence – than the mahogany-haired vampire.

As if on cue, the angry man in front of me was slung backwards; I winced at the sound of his body crashing into the wall to the right from where I was pressed up. A shaky breath left my lips as I saw his eyes roll into the back of his head before he slumped to the floor, and I felt my body shiver against the cold surface behind me.

A movement in the corner of my vision made my gaze dart to the person that was standing a foot away. His eyes – they looked nearly onyx in the dim moonlight shining in from the closest window – where filled with a surprising disdain as they watched the unconscious human, but for some reason I knew his hands were curled into fists because of the trembling form of me. He was still in his gray sweats and black T-shirt, announcing that he'd shuffled out of bed aware of my attempt to run away and how scarce the time to catch up with me was.

The reason for his knowledge stood just a few inches behind him, watching me with dark and innocently wide eyes. Apologies were written all over her face.

"You told him," I whispered, unable to find my voice.

"I'm sorry," Anya said, honest regret ringing through her words.

The mahogany-haired vampire's gaze darted to her a second later. His voice was unusually cold as he asked, "You knew about this before?"

She fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable. "I knew she was planning on it, not that she would go through with it."

"Of course she'd go through with it."

"I told you, alright?"

"Anya, if that…boy hadn't showed up, it would've been too late."

"Well, be glad he did then."

Their low argument gave me time to relax from my stiff position and quickly deliberate whether it was worth it to sneak towards the door or not. Anya was still turned so that she could catch sight of my movements, but she was not the one who reacted as I took a tiny step in the direction of the only exit. In a flash, the vampire was standing right in front of me, the look in his eyes – which I could now see were a deep, crystal-clear ruby color – instantly putting a stop to my idiotic plan.

"You're one step from having Riley barging in," he said in a hushed, but cool tone, sending a meaningful glance up at the ceiling. "Don't cross that last line."

I looked back at Anya, but she was watching the vampire in front of me as if she was afraid he would snap. I wasn't ready to give up my fight, not when standing so close to the door that could lead me back to the desert and the life I'd had for three years. No matter how excruciating the experience had been, I was starting to realize that I'd do just about anything to get it back as long as it meant that I'd be free from the living nightmare I'd endured for weeks.

"I'm making it easy for you," the vampire said, trying to catch my gaze as it flickered restlessly between the three people in the room and the exit.

"He is," Anya quietly agreed. "I know I told you not to worry about Riley, but this will upset him."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Let him come if he wants. I don't care."

They both saw through my lie, but their responses to it were different. Anya just sighed a quiet "Don't underestimate him", while the vampire in front of me gripped my wrist painfully tightly to start tugging me with him, moving toward the staircase I'd stumbled down mere minutes ago. In my earlier haste, I hadn't noticed that there was an identical one twisted to the opposite side, creating the image of the entrance of a castle. I struggled as well as I could to stay there, stretching my body in the other direction and locking my feet to the marble floor, but the vampire's strength only had me gliding with him.

Anya appeared on my other side, her face in a surprisingly deep frown.

"I think Riley heard," she whispered.

I nearly tripped over my feet as the vampire sped up, forcing my fight to stop. Tears of frustration sprung to my eyes as I glanced over my shoulder at Cody's unmoving body, mentally cursing him for ruining my only chance at escaping. If I hadn't hated him before, he was definitely in for a life-time of being my number one sworn enemy…

My furious thoughts were interrupted as my backpack was pulled off. I didn't have time to object before I was scooped up in a pair of nearly familiar arms, but I made a last effort to be put back down again. I could already imagine the precautions that would be taken next; several locks on the door, an alarm that detected any sign of movement, perhaps even a bell around my neck… His options were many.

Without forcing me to stop throwing careless punches at his distractingly hard chest, the vampire took off in a speed that whipped my face and made my vision blurry. My body slammed against him as he pulled to a stop a mere second later, and as I glanced around with a frown, I realized we hadn't gotten further than up the stairs. A gasp slinked out before I could even think about suppressing it when my gaze landed on the person that was standing a foot away, his whole stance reeking of irritation. I flinched even closer to the vampire holding me to get away from the glistening red eyes that were focused on me.

"Riley," the mahogany-haired one said cautiously. "We were just leaving."

The leader pursed his lips, annoyance seeping into his frightened gaze. His voice was low and cold as he answered, "I don't think so."

I felt my stomach drop to the floor as the fear – the one I should've experienced the second someone had mentioned his name – came crawling into my mind.

The leader continued a beat later with, "I believe I told you the conditions for its stay here."

"Oh, say the word, Riley," Anya stepped in angrily. "She, not it."

I glanced at her in mild gratitude. She didn't notice, though; her dark eyes were focused on the monster in front of us, who I could sense was starting to fume.

"Be a doll and stay out of this, Anastasia," the leader spat back. My eyebrows arched just the slightest as I heard the name he used.

She glared at him for a long moment, hatred showing on both her face and in her stance, but eventually she stepped back with a sense of reluctant obedience. The vampire holding me let me to my feet, but only to push me back so that I was partly hidden by his tense body. Like during the days when I'd deprived myself of both food and sleep, I couldn't understand the protective mode he went into when my life was in danger. The difference between the two scenarios was that I now really appreciated how he lingered between me and the impatiently waiting monster.

"Step aside," the leader nearly growled, true anger slipping through the cracks of his sharp features.

The vampire remained steady in front of me, neither moving nor speaking.

"I have to say," the monster continued, his voice slowly shifting back into a cool and empty tone. "Choosing a human over you own kind, that's a risky matter." The leader drifted closer with graceful, but deadly steps as he spoke. "Too bad it's not as brave as it is foolish."

I gasped as a chilling crack echoed through the entrance and a wave of panic crashed through me as I watched my – as he currently was – protector fall to the floor with a loud thud. I sank down beside him in an instant, but my fingers stopped in their tracks of reaching out to touch his shoulder as a well-known memory flickered through my mind. My father's face, blank and dead…

"I wouldn't worry." I glanced up as the monster stepped towards me, and fear rippled through me as I realized I was helpless. "He will awake in a while."

My gaze darted to Anya for a brief moment; her eyes were wide with uncertainty and fear as she stared at the body by my side. I was distracted from the look on her face as a strong hand grabbed my upper arm, the warm fingers practically overlapping, and roughly yanked me up from the marble floor. A whimper escaped my lips as the leader tugged me across the vampire's still form and down the corridor I now knew would lead me back to the room I'd spent weeks in.

He stopped to turn half-ways, his red gaze locking on the woman he was leaving behind. As he spoke, his voice made me shudder. "Anastasia, stay with Dominic until he wakes up. I can trust you to make sure he is kept put, yes?"

I didn't look back to see her reaction, afraid her terrified eyes would do nothing but make the situation far worse than it already was. I kept quiet as I was tugged forwards with a sudden pull; what would my gasp do but give him more pleasure? So I let him drag me through the long, exquisite corridors, leaving my heart and feelings behind with the helpless Anya and her unmoving friend. As far as I knew, I was about to become just as dead as him.

The leader pushed two large doors open and yanked me inside with so much force that I tripped right into one of the fine leather armchairs that were waiting inside. In a flash he sat in the one beside mine.

His fingers entwined in his lap as he studied my clueless face. Finally, he said, "I believe it is time we had a talk."

The study was beautiful in its pattern of similar shades of dark wooden, but far too big to have me believing only one person could own it. There were rows of bookshelves, all stuffed with books of every size, covering the whole wall that was to the west of me, and a foot or two away from them was a desk with engravings that were twisted in beautiful lines. The eastern wall was also decorated with similar bookshelves, although they stopped on both sides to make room for the lovely, marble fireplace I couldn't stop admiring. The armchairs were placed closely by it, obviously meant for cuddling up in with a crackling fire in front.

On the side of me that wasn't occupied by the dominantly large door, the wall was practically made of glass; I was disappointed to notice that the darkness of the night made it impossible to spot any part of the surroundings outside.

Just like the other rooms I'd seen so far, it was extraordinary to the point where I wondered if I'd fallen asleep and was only dreaming of the beautiful sight. However, I didn't need to pinch myself to remind myself that I was awake; the monster in the other armchair made sure I couldn't forget that I was stuck in the dreadful reality.

"So," he said, his voice almost emotionless. "I will make it simple for you, human."

I struggled not to grimace in disgust; at least I didn't verbally address him as 'monster'.

He continued without bothering. "You have two options here: either you come to grasp with your situation or your life ends. The first ensures that you do not attempt to cause more scenes in the middle of the night and that you will accept that, in this world, you're nothing but a human. You do not test my family or friends, or there will be grave consequences." He paused briefly. "Normally, I wouldn't be so gracious as to offer you a second chance after the previous encounter, but Dominic's reaction has proven that he – for some unfathomable reason – cares if your life gets spared or not."

I wasn't sure if he expected me to answer, so I only watched him silently.

"It is however your choice," he said. A grim smile lurked around the corner of his lips as he added, "Personally I wouldn't mind the second option."

I suppressed a shudder as the images of him snapping my neck – like he had just done to my protector – or draining my body of its life-source seeped into my mind. Either one of the death scenes seemed too unreal for my tired mind to even consider accepting.

"I don't want to die," I whispered, too frightened of his scrutinizing, red gaze to speak louder.

His tiny smile faded in an instant. "Very well, then."

After a brief moment of tense silence, I quietly asked, "Can I go back to the room?"

"I think it would be safer for you to wait here for Dominic." The leader clenched and unclenched his hands as if he was imagining there was something between them to crush. "I'm sure that your mortal luck would cause you a run-in with one of the other vampires. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

I pretended not to notice the wicked look that flickered across his face after the last sentence.

"When will he be here then?" I asked. I didn't like the idea the slightest, but the monster was probably right about the others that could be lurking around the corner, just waiting to snap at me for ruining the peacefulness of their night.

"Oh, I am surprised he hasn't showed yet. Or perhaps I am only underestimating Anastasia."

My heartbeat pitched as I pondered the thought of the vampire going back to the room without bothering to escort me with him. I couldn't – wouldn't – spend my night in the study with a hostile monster that was just waiting to wrap his fingers around my throat.

The leader cocked his head to the side, his expression turning vacant for a few seconds. His lips pulled up slightly as he focused his piercing gaze on my face again, but as he spoke, he was no longer addressing me. "You may enter, Dominic."

I turned my head to watch as the heavy door slid open and my eyes widened as I caught sight of the man that stood outside of it. It was disturbing to see how perfectly fine he looked when I knew he'd been dead – as dead as a vampire really could be – just minutes ago.

His dark ruby eyes gave away that he was sincerely surprised to find me lounging in an armchair without an additional scratch, but his voice was surprisingly dry as he said, "I thought we were past the neck-snapping in this home."

The leader sighed melodramatically as he rose from his seat. "After all these years, you of all should know what getting on my nerves will bring."

"I apologize for my response, but no real incident has occurred. You have no reason to punish her."

"Loose the frown, son." I didn't understand the 'son'; he couldn't be that much older. "No harm has been done, as you can see. I've only explained the newly instated ground rules for the human's stay."

The mahogany-haired vampire's gaze flickered briefly to my face before it returned to the monster that had silently moved closer. I flinched as a hand landed on my shoulder, but it was impossible to shrug away from it.

"Now, of course, there is no certainty that this won't happen again," the leader continued. "You know how to make sure of it, though. Why don't you compel...her?" He said the last word with effort, as if it was hard just to get it out.

As his sentence sank in, I tried to get to my feet. He firmly pushed me down again.

"That won't be necessary, Riley. She's not going to be of any trouble."

"Compel her."

"She won't…"

"If you refuse, I will kill her." A shiver trembled down my spine as the hand on my shoulder moved to grip my chin, forcing my neck back into an uncomfortable angle. "One twist and she's dead."

Humiliating tears sprung in my eyes as I looked at the mahogany-haired vampire, despair curling into a tight lump in my throat. He stared back with uncertainty, clearly oblivious to the resolve I could feel in the fingers that were digging into my cheeks.

Finally, he quietly asked, "Why? I thought you were looking for a reason to kill her."

The leader's grip tightened enough to make me yelp. "We must not discuss the details for now, but I have decided that I need this house to remain calm. That will not happen if this human goes running for the door every night, nor will it if you despise me for ending her life."

My vision grew blurry as I tried to shake my head. "Don't," I mumbled to my captor, trying to ignore the pain the monster was causing me. "Please, don't."

The vampire looked troubled, but through my haze of tears I could see his determination settle. I whimpered as he slowly walked over to kneel in front of me and the hand on my chin vanished in response. My breathing was labored as I stared pleadingly at him, but the desperation soon melted away as his dark ruby eyes locked with mine.

I sighed with an odd contentment as the faintly familiar blanket of warmth wrapped itself around my trembling form. His gaze was deep enough that I wanted to linger there until I drowned and as he spoke, his voice was like a velvety mist that made my mind mildly dizzy.

"You do not wish to leave this house," he murmured, "until I say differently."

His soft words suddenly made no sense; why would I possibly want to leave?

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Until next time - which I hope will be soon!

/BeCkYbOnG