Chapter Eleven
Darkness engulfed me as I attempted to keep calm. My back stiffened against the wall I pressed against. It was damp and unwelcoming. My heart thumped. I took long heavy breaths that echoed throughout the space. I shook as the cold made its way into my skin. I could feel my eyes intensify looking for a glimpse of light. My ears became more helpful as I listened to hushed voices. I felt as if I was in a room of never ending shadows. A murmured cry entered my ears. I could hear sniffling.
I sat against the wall for hours without moving. I was afraid of what exactly The Court of Shadows had to offer. I brushed my dirty hand against my right eye. The skin around it was sore and swollen from Sin punching me in the face. I was planning my escape attempt. My planning wasn't going well seeing that my wrist was chained to the wall with a metal hand cuff. I couldn't get anywhere. The prison cell at The Court of Radiance was heaven compared to this. I had no idea what they wanted from me.
"Blair." The voice startled me, and I jumped. Suddenly, the cuff was being removed from my wrist. He pulled me to my feet by my wrist that had been cuffed. The skin around it was irritated and bruised from me struggling against it.
"Sin, you should get me out of here," I tried to persuade him. It wasn't working. He just kept a hand latched onto my arm and tugged me from the huge dark room. A door opened in front of us and sent light shattering through the dark room. My head ached from the sudden strong lighting, and my eyes bunched together. We entered a bright hallway and took the first right into a room that had the door opened. Sin shoved me in and closed the door. I looked down at my dirty pajamas I still had on. My hands reached into my pocket, and my fingers wrapped around Revenge's ring. I glanced around the room in wonder. It was dim, and the walls were concrete. There were two plastic chairs facing one another. The ground was dirty, and I heard a drip of water fall into the room from somewhere close. It was cold. I heard the door knob twist.
"Why hello there, Blair." A six one man who looked to be in his early twenties walked in with a grin on his face. I stayed silent. He had a silver colored earring in his ear, and wore something that resembled what Zane's team wears. Zane. My heart clenched, and I had the sudden urge to cave in on myself. My hand fisted Revenge's ring tighter.
"Why don't you take a seat?" he said after I didn't respond for a minute.
"Because that would make me feel uncomfortable and I would rather stand and be comfortable," I answered in a smooth voice.
"When I say something you will be expected to conform to it, whether it is a question or a statement. So, sit down." His silver eyes glared at me in a way that told me he wasn't use to the word no.
"I would much rather stand," I answered quickly as my hand let go of Revenge's ring in my pocket, and I crossed my arms in a defending stance. His eyes were suddenly very close to mine, and his hand took my hand in his. His eyes flickered down to my hand as he held it like he was about to kiss it.
"The thing about humans," he began in a controlled tone, "is that you tend to be very breakable." He took my pointer finger in his hand and bent it back. Pain surged through my finger and crawled up my arm. I locked my jaw in place. A sigh of pain unwillingly slipped through my lips.
"So if you would like to stay uninjured do as I say and answer my questions. A simple task really." The pressure on my finger disappeared, and my uninjured hand cradled my hurt one. His arm came around my back and guided me to the plastic chair in the small room. He pushed me down into the seat.
"I feel like we have gotten off at a bad start. I haven't even introduced myself. Very rude." As he spoke I turned my head away.
"My name is Prince Sebastian. The heir to the throne of The Court of Shadows." He stopped talking as he glanced toward me.
"And you are Blair of course. I have wanted to meet you. You have gotten past both of my spies. They had both failed in transporting you here. You had Colten killed off early on, and you have killed off Fade. That last bit of news makes me a little angry, Blair." My nerves got worked up as he said that. Fade? A spy? He was so close to Zane's group. What could he have told Sebastian?
"It doesn't really make me angry," I said with raised eyebrows and a scowl. I flinched back as pain shot through my face. A small amount of blood started to pool in my mouth from Sebastian back handing me. I closed my eyes and kept my tears from falling when I opened my eyes again he was smiling at me.
"I didn't like your interruption," he stated as he clasped his hands behind his back. I held back my remark and swallowed. The taste of blood stained my mouth, and pain flooded my senses.
"Blair, there are a few questions I would like to ask you. I only want the simple answers you can provide me with." I just stared at the ground.
"What is Zane planning to do about my court starting to expose itself?" Sebastian asked as I looked up at him like he was stupid. Why would I know that?
"I don't know," I answered honestly.
"Don't lie to me, Blair." His rough hand suddenly picked up mine again. It made me want to stand up and back away.
"I'll ask you one more time." His hand took my wrist and bent it backwards. Tears started to form in my eyes from the striking pain.
"What is Zane planning?" His voice was so calm and relaxed.
"I…don't know," I said with uneven breaths. He dropped my hand. I winced.
"Interesting," he whispered as he took the seat across from me with a sigh.
"And do you know why he took you in the first place? Or what it was that brought him to you?" I stared into his silver eyes with a curious expression. I could feel my swollen lip from him backhanding me earlier. I waited for him to speak again. He didn't. He was waiting for my answer.
"No," My answer felt fragile, and I felt naive. Sebastian smirked.
"There was a certain female he was looking for, a female vampire that might be able to produce vampire offspring." Sebastian's smirk grew as my expression became even more confused. He was trying to find a girl vampire who could have vampire babies? Why in the world would he do that? It seemed so humorous to me that I almost laughed.
"Apparently, you were rumored to be the said girl, but you're only human." I thought through that. He had once thought I was this vampire girl who could have vampire babies? I smiled a little even with pain caressing my body.
"Blair, have you heard anything about this female? It is very important."
"No," I answered again truthfully. Sebastian got up from the seat and began to pace around the room. He ran his hand through his short black hair.
"I just can't figure out why Fade thought you would be useful," he remarked with frustration. He suddenly paused then turned to me.
"So why did Zane take you? Why didn't he just kill you?" He stared at me with a sense of interest. A laugh fell past his lips.
"It couldn't be because he actually likes you?" I didn't move at all. I never figured out why exactly Zane took me. He said he didn't want me to die. It didn't seem like he cared much the other day when he left me to be killed. My heart clenched. I felt uncomfortable without him around me. It felt like I was off. I could feel a small pull in my chest. The bond was pushing at me. I almost felt lost and empty without Zane near me.
"Does he, Blair?" Sebastian asked with amusement. I glimpsed at his silver eyes then looked away.
"Blair, I want an answer." He was starting to grow impatient. I had yet to find an answer. I couldn't figure it out. I thought he cared for me. I was so sure that he did, but then he pulled off the whole 'I'm not saving you' thing.
"Maybe," I let the word fall through my lips slowly and with hesitation.
"And just how much does he 'maybe' like you?" His questions were starting to aggravate me. They made me think about him, and I didn't want to. It hurt to think about him. I turned my head away from Sebastian. I didn't want to speak to him anymore. His hand was suddenly under my jaw, and he jerked my face so my eyes would meet his. His fingers pressed into my jaw bone with force. His eyes looked excited.
"No way do you have a bond," he stated. I watched him glimpse at the fear in my eyes. I tried to hold in the truth, but my eyes told him. They were bad liars.
"He doesn't care about me," I murmured as he stared into my green eyes. His smirk grew at my words.
"If you're bonded…he cares. He'll care a whole lot about what happens to you." Sebastian dropped my jaw and turned his back on me.
"And so now I know why you are useful." His hand snatched the door knob, and he left me in the small square room by myself. I looked up in a corner to see no visible camera. I was starting to miss The Court of Radiance. At least they provided me with a couch. Stay calm, Blair. I told myself over and over. I wanted to have a panic attack. I wiped away the blood from my lip and brushed my fingertips over my swollen eye. I jumped when Sin entered the small room.
"Bonded?" he asked with a sly grin. He was enjoying that fact.
"All this time we have spent time searching for his weakness and never found one, and now you show up. How perfect," he finished as he took my arm and pulled me to my feet.
"He left me to die when I was on the death sentence. He wasn't going to come for me. He doesn't care, and would it kill you to be gentler?" I said with my whole body wanting it to be untrue. I wanted Zane to care. He twisted my arm back behind my back, and I winced in pain. I should have never asked.
"He's bonded to you, Blair. He will always come for you," Sin said as he pushed open a familiar door. We stepped inside the forever blackened room. I could barely see my feet on the ground it was so dark. Moisture stuck to my skin from the dampness. The familiar sound of a human crying entered my ears. I was pushed onto the dirt ground. Sin took the metal cuff that was bolted into the wall and brought it to my already sore wrist. In one single motion, the cuff locked onto my wrist. I sighed in annoyance and frustration. He turned away from me with nothing else to say. I hoped that Revenge was doing better. The thought of him being in pain frustrated me. I wanted to be with him. My hand wrapped around his ring still in my pocket.
"Kill this one. The crying is something I just cannot stand any longer," I heard Sin's distant voice say after he left me alone. I heard a shuffling of feet. The crying of the girl escalated and she started to scream. She was clearly distressed and with reason. I was getting annoyed with all of Sin's threats.
"Hey-" I began to protest, but the silenced sound of a gun shooting off quieted me. The crying immediately stopped. The words stopped at the back of my throat, and I grew silent. I had to change that. Humans couldn't be treated like that.
"You two clean up this mess," I heard Sin's voice say as it grew distant. I listened for his footsteps until they disappeared in the distance. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I squeezed my eyes shut at the shuffling of feet. Panic grew in me from the girl's death. I wanted to cry, but I also wanted to stand up and start screaming. Out was the only word that circled my mind. I fell asleep with my forehead pressed against my knees.
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A hand on my shoulder shook me awake.
"Blair." I opened my eyes to darkness and fear seeped through me. For a moment, I had forgotten where I was. The dark room took away my vision, and the unfamiliar voice spoke once more.
"Blair." My name repeated itself. I saw a shape next to me. My muscles were stiff. I stretched my arm out. The cuff on my wrist rubbed against the irritated skin on my wrist.
"Hmm?" I mumbled with aggravation.
"I have water for you." I shifted more and held out my hands. A water bottle hit my hands, and I twisted the cap off quickly. My tongue felt like sand paper in my mouth, and my throat was dry. When the cool water pooled past my lips, I took greedy gulps and only stopped once I realized I didn't know who gave me the water. What if they had poisoned it?
"Who are you?" I asked with a voice that didn't sound like my own. It had been a while since I had last spoken. My voice was raspy.
"My name is War," he said in a hushed tone.
"How long have I been here?" I asked after I finished my water bottle.
"Almost two days," he said. I froze. Two days? Two whole days I had spent sitting around and doing nothing? What had happened to Revenge? I was wasting time. I needed out. I had only gotten up a few times to go to the bathroom. I was angry with myself. I flinched back when he grabbed my wrist, but he only took the cuff off of my wrist. I sighed in relief.
"Let's get you up." He helped me up by grabbing one of my arms. I was weak. My arms hung limp at my sides, and my feet dragged on the dirt floor. There was no way of telling time in this dungeon. I walked with him blindly. The darkness stretched the room, and I couldn't find the boundaries. We stopped once we came to a door. Light shattered into the dark never ending room as the door opened. I squinted, and the back of my eyes ached from the sudden lighting.
"I'm fine," I said as I shrugged out of his hold on my arm. He was keeping it there to help support me. I didn't need his support. I glanced up at his face and froze in my spot. His silver eyes gleamed back at me. His face was angled in a familiar way, and the eyes that stared back at me looked like copies. He looked exactly like him.
"You look like Tor-" I cut myself off when I realized I didn't want to bring up his name or involve him in this court at all. This man named War looked exactly like Torture. The only difference was that War's hair was buzz cut, and his nose looked a little different.
"Do not speak," he said instantly after I had spoken. I fell into silence as I followed him down the hall. We turned into a room. A man was sitting at a table with his black boots propped on the desk. The room looked exactly like the interrogation room I had been in previously with Sebastian. The only difference was that there was a plastic table to go along with the chairs. The man sitting on one side of the table had a cocky smirk that pulled at his lips. He moved his brown bangs out of his eyes as he glanced at me.
"Your name is Blair, correct?" he asked as his eyes traced over my very dirty appearance. I didn't speak. War pulled out the chair for me. I sat down unhappily. I couldn't stop staring at War's familiar appearance. It made me miss Torture. I clasped my hands on the table and noticed my blistering wrist. My stomach growled. I felt like I had already lost weight.
"War, go get her some dinner," he announced into the small square room. War nodded his head and stepped out of the room.
"My name is Cain. I just had to see you in person to make sure you weren't the girl who could have a pure blood," he said in a tone that sounded indifferent. I didn't respond.
"I am not much like my brother, you know. He... is much more violent. They call me 'the prince with the heart'. Not a nickname to be proud of in this court," he paused in his speaking and pulled his feet off the table in a smooth motion.
"Blair, I need to know if you know anything at all about this female that could produce a pure blood. It has been a mission assigned to me to look for her, and I am growing tired," he said with a serious tone dripping into his sentence. I searched my mind for anything about such a female. My mind came up blank, and even if it hadn't, I wouldn't have told him. I would sit here and be loyal to Zane, Revenge, Dax, Torture, and all the others that treated me well. What I was starting to question was the actions of The Court of Radiance's princess releasing me. It didn't make sense. Why would she send me here? Was she trying to help The Court of Shadows?
"I don't," I mumbled unhappily.
"Very well then. That is all I have. I wish you the best with my brother's plan. Unfortunately, I'll probably see you at the spring formal." He pushed his chair back and got up. A sword was sheathed at his side. I thought about an escape attempt. My plan diminished when War walked in with my food. I couldn't stand how much he looked like Torture. He was maybe a few inches shorter. He set down a tray in front of me. It was filled with green beans, potatoes, and a small steak. I pushed the tray away.
"What if you poisoned it?" I asked.
"Why would I do that?" he remarked as he sat down on the chair across from me.
"People do crazy things," I replied.
"Blair, trust me. I would not do that." There was something about the look in his silver eyes that made me take a bite of the food. He reminded me of Torture too much. It made me trust him.
"What's up with this spring formal?" I asked as I felt the food sink to my stomach.
"Prince Sebastian is planning on taking you. It's when the courts meet in a ball like setting. They eat, dance, and talk about the future peace between the courts. It's five days from now." His words made me stop chewing. The Court of Radiance would be here? My chest filled with hope. I had to get back to Revenge. I had to get out of here. I took another bite of my food. If I went to the spring formal that was where my escape attempt would take place.
After I was done eating, War took me back to the dungeon where he locked my wrist back in the cuff. I sat on the dirt ground. Thoughts of Revenge sat with me. They plagued my mind with worry and hope.
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Hello! How did you like the chapter? Nothing too crazy happened, but I have a feeling that things will get stirred up soon :D
Story Question- Which character would you like to see more of?
-Review Responses-
Tamika- Hello there :D You're probably my biggest update fan! haha thank you for reviewing!
DJShayShayxx- I know! Zane is confusing :/ I don't know if you're going to want to still be Sin's friend after this chapter! haha I love reading your reviews! They're some of my favorites because I like seeing the reactions that people have to the characters! Thank you for reviewing!
killer-kelly420- I am so happy that you decided to come read this story and join in! And I'm glad to hear that you love it! I'm in love with Zane too :D haha Ah! It's good that you can picture and feel the characters too! It seems like there is something up with the princess... Thank you for all of the compliments and for this super awesome review!
AlexandraSterling21- Hello! I know :/ it was hard for me to write Zane doing that! What do you think about Sin and The Court of Shadows now? :0 I mean, it still is interesting but I think it's scary! Lol, thank you for continuing to read and review!
Miss Kristina- Hi there! Thank you for reviewing on chapter 10 and chapter 8! Chapter 8 was one of my favorite chapters I've written, so I'm happy you liked that one! It was nice to hear from you! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well! :D
Emmalea- Hey there! I hope this chapter lets you get more footing on the whole princess and Court of Shadows conflict! I'm glad you have faith in Zane still! Someone is holding on haha. I'm sensing some Zane time in the next chapter... XD Thank you for reviewing!
lover in the shadow- Hello :) haha I'm not sure if I can tell you who exactly Blair will end up with :D I'll keep Zane in mind though! haha, thank you for your review!
ERB000- Hi! :D Thank you for your reiview on chapter 3 as well as the one on chapter 10! I really appreciate it! Here is some MORE! :P haha
Thank you for all of the support!