Carly's POV
"My phone! Where's my phone?" I said to myself as I patted the silky dress. I rolled my teeth together in stress as I tried to think this situation through. I could have sworn I had it before I entered this castle, yet it was nowhere to be seen. The only way it would have been lost was if I had dropped it, or if they took it off me while I was unconscious. I gave myself a few more pats before I found it hopeless. I took a shuddering breath as tears began to pool up in my eyes.
I looked at the water bottle, shaking my head as I lifted it up carefully. I still didn't know if it was water or poison, but at this point, death would be a merciful thing.
I placed it lightly on my lips, taking a small sip to taste the refreshing feel of water on my tongue. Afterwards, it took all my self-control to take another small sip before setting it down. I sat still, trying to clear my head as I stared at the water bottle. They hadn't given me much water; it was only filled up halfway.
A little cloud appeared above the rim, letting tiny drops fill up the bottle. I first blinked my eyes in disbelief as I jumped back; a gasp escaped my mouth as I spoke. "Who's there?" I asked with a shaky voice.
I swallowed quickly to clear my voice. "Who's there?" I asked again with a confident tone. "Show yourself!"
I heard soft steps above me, but I decided to keep my gaze down for an element of surprise. "I can kill you!" I said as my anger seemed to take control again. "I've killed two of your kind before, and I'll do it again!" I threatened as my voice cracked again. The footsteps slowly retreated into silence leaving me at peace again as I sat back down.
If that was another vampire, that was a strange, yet kind thing for it to do. I was still suspicious. If that was another tactic to earn my trust, then I wanted nothing to do with this water; but if it was a random kind act, then I appreciated it.
From what I knew, all vampires acted the same. They were selfish and only cared for blood. Blood was a way for them to live, yet it bothered me that they used us humans as food. The manner we were used by them would suggest they thought of us as trash—something that could easily be discarded. I didn't understand it at all. They looked like us, they talked like us, but they weren't human. It was something almost impossible made possible.
The soft steps started again, each one careful and cautious. I lifted my head up slightly, staring at the heavy door as they paused in suspense. I placed my hands on the floor, ready to spring up at any chance I got. My heartbeat quickened in anticipation as I waited for the walker to reveal itself.
Instead, I was disappointed by the sound of something sliding under the door. I bit my tongue to keep back my exaggerated breath as I reached out my hand for the object. I felt the familiar feel of a paper plate and tilted my head in wonder. The vampire who had taken me told others not to feed me. Maybe it was poison: the result of a decision that said I was not needed.
I lifted up a small note on the top reading, "It's not poison. Enjoy!" So, not poison… "Of course not," I sighed heavily. "You'd want me to suffer slowly." I took a bite tasting peanut butter spread across my tongue. It brought back memories of David making peanut butter cookies at home. It was a memory that I should have smiled at, but instead frowned as it was something I couldn't have right now. I took robotic bites, unsure of what to do.
"Y-You don't like it?" A soft, yet kind male voice inquired, finally speaking up. I rubbed my lips together then looked up at its source, pretending I could see whoever it was.
"No, it's good," I said, my voice nearly cracking with sadness. "I just want to go home." I thought about my house back in New York; it wasn't a mansion, but it was welcoming and warm. It truly felt like home.
"What's your name?" he asked with a quiet and curious voice. I pressed my lips together to keep a smile from coming out. It felt nice to have someone to talk to; this vampire seemed truthfully interested in me.
"I'm Carly. And you?" I asked in my kindest voice. There was a pause, as if he forgot who he was. As if he didn't know what a name was.
"N-No one important," he answered, making another sigh escape my mouth.
"If you're not important, then why can't I know your name?" I askedsoftly. Everyone was important; it was just altered by their confidence. If you're a proud person, you think you are very important, whereas opposed to a humble person who might not feel the same way.
"I'm c-called Patches," the voice said near to a whisper. I felt my lips move up in a smile. Patches…such an odd name, yet cute at the same time. "I-I live here… a-and maybe you will too," he added with a hopeful tone. I felt anger fill me as I heard that. I wasn't meant to be here. It was all a mistake!
I stood up without much thought as I pointed at Patches' direction, revealing that I knew where he was. An intense heat filled my palms as flames shot out violently. "I'm not living here!" I yelled. "I'm going to get out of this place, and then I'm going home!"
Reality hit me the next second as sharp pains replaced the heat. I bit my lip as I rolled my hands on the ground to put out any signs of fire. I began to bend over, but my body nearly let out as it ached from using too much energy. I took the water, pouring it all over my hands to be sure as its cooling effects gave me relief. My breath quickened as if I was having a panic attack, but I knew that was not the case. I placed my head against the cold ground, closing my eyes to rest. "I'm sorry, Patches," I whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear it.
Caius's POV
I lifted my head as Chelsea entered the room. Her red eyes flickered around, curious as she wondered why she had been called. "You need me, Master?" she asked carefully.
"Did you get a look at the girl I brought in this morning?" I questioned.
"Yes I did, the thin brunette girl. I've heard she has a gift that's very promising," Chelsea answered with a questioning tone still in her voice.
"Is it possible to break her bonds so that she would be more open to commands?" I asked quickly. I wanted to hurry up the process before anyone changed their mind. Passing up an opportunity like this would be wasteful.
"I looked at it and I tried, but it didn't work." Chelsea said. I paused, assessing it in my head as I looked for other ways.
"Are you sure there isn't a weak point you can tweak?" I questioned hopefully.
"I already told you Caius, I can't break bonds as strong as hers," Chelsea explained with an exhausted tone. "She's very attached to her stepfather, so it's a family bond. The only way to break it would be to kill him." I paced my room, impatient about creating my new weapon. I never understood families. In my opinion, they got in the way of more important things that needed to be done.
There was no possible way to track this man that was Carly's stepfather. I could always have her lead the Guard to him, but it was an option she most likely wouldn't cooperate with. The starvation had done nothing to change her mind. In fact, it made her more set in her ways of being stubborn.
"Perhaps you should try something more mental—something to break her mind, not her body?" Chelsea suggested as she was out of ideas.
I nodded rapidly to agree with her. "The only problem is we don't know what we can do to hurt her. With no connection to her stepfather, we have nothing useful."
Carly's POV
I held the small note in my hand reading Patches's words over and over again. It was my only way of saying sorry to him for my earlier behavior. He seeded like such a fragile vampire, something I had never seen in my experience with those creatures. It was comforting to know one of them could act with true compassion.
I realized I was only acting out of paranoia. I was afraid of what they were going to do to me because their plans were unknown. Would they kill me? Let me go free? Turn me? The only good one was freeing me, which was impossible.
The door crept open for the first time that day. I stared at the big fellow, recognizing him as the vampire who had greeted Caius when he brought me in. He smelled the air with a suspicious expression, giving me a studying look.
"You know, Caius's idea of isolation sure involves a lot of visitors. You're the second one I've seen today, and from what I've seen so far, I enjoyed the visit before this." I said with a judging tone. At least Patches didn't treat me like a prisoner.
He didn't answer me, only acknowledging my words with a stifled growl. His eyes searched around my cell for proof of who this visitor was. I couldn't help but smirk at his expression. He seemed too frustrated to come up with anything.
"What's your name?" I asked casually to keep the conversation from being more awkward than it already was. He quickly looked at me, speaking in a voice that didn't match his body position.
"My name's Felix." He began to walk around me, searching every single corner and crack. "What did this visitor do?" Felix asked with a stiff voice. He seemed to be more furious with each second. "Caius ordered no one to visit you, so they must be punished for disobeying his words."
I tightened my lips at the mention of punishment. I didn't see anything wrong with Patches's intents. He didn't deserve to be harmed in any way. "Nothing you need to know. It's not bad at all. In fact, it's better than the way anyone else has been treating me here. You guys should be following his example."
"Look, I know you're stubborn, but now is not the time to be playing around. This is business, and it's meant to be taken seriously," Felix said, changing his voice to a cool, calm tone.
"And I don't understand what the big problem is!" I yelled, waving the slip of paper up in the air. "He did nothing wrong!"
Felix smiled, slipping the paper out of my fingers. He held it up to his nose, taking a sniff of the writer's scent. His eyes closed in deep concentration. I froze, realizing that I had blown Patches's cover. Now he was going to get it for sure. "Patches. I knew it," he murmured happily with his proof.
"No, don't do it." I let heat rush to my hand as I reached for the paper to destroy it; I couldn't let an innocent suffer. Instead, my hand made contact with his wrist, making him let out a growl of pain as the flame caught his skin. He shoved me back down quickly, brushing out the fire with the paper completely undamaged.
He let out one scoff before exiting the room to leave me alone. All I could feel was guilt for what happened. I didn't want Patches to be harmed for doing something as little as feeding me; it seemed ridiculous to do such a thing. After all, food wasn't a big deal considering the fact that they didn't have to consume it at all. I wished I could go out and save him, but sadly I was locked in. There was no escape.
I brushed my hand through my hair, pausing as I pulled out a pretty, thin blue pin. Unless... I quickly placed my head against the door, cautious for any sound to warn me now wasn't a good time. I placed the end of the pin into the lock, wiggling it to feel for any giveaway. It rewarded me with a quiet click as I silently pushed the door open.
My heart nearly burst with excitement as I silently took a step outside. I quickly looked side to side as I evaluated my next move. I needed a distraction big enough to escape outside.