Lucy

Tuesday, February 3rd

8:45 PM

I threw the vase at the back of Nicholas' head and he whipped around to stare at me as it shattered against the wall. His eyes shimmered silver and he bared his teeth at me.

Deep inside of me, I felt the primitive urge to run, but I gritted my teeth and lifted my chin stubbornly.

"I said no, Lucky," Nicholas said for the millionth time.

I shrieked with frustration. "You do NOT own me, Nicky, so you CANNOT tell me WHAT TO FREAKING DO!"

Nicholas grinned at me savagely, "Yeah, watch me." He charged me suddenly and scooped me up over his shoulder. I screamed at him and used my fists to pound his back as hard as I could. He didn't even twitch. "I'm not sorry about this Lucy," he said, quieter now, "I'm not going to let you go fight Hel-Blar, They'll kill you."

"Oh, and you can't die? Like I can't worry when you are outside fighting them and they could kill you just as easily and then I'd be alone? Please! You can't do that to me again! YOU JUST CAN'T!" I stopped shouting, chest heaving with emotion. God, when did I get so dramatic? Well, if it works…

Nicholas blinked, looking startled by my outburst. Then his eyes cleared. "I bought you a present," he said suddenly, throwing me off my game a little bit.

"You aren't going to distract me." I said, "what is it?"

He grinned at me brilliantly, causing my breath to catch, just a little bit. "Its in the armory, you're going to love it."

I hugged him, previous anger forgotten, now that I was getting my way. "Did you get me a weapon? Is it Hello Kitty?" I gripped his hand and followed him out of the room.

"Race you," he said suddenly, and let go of my hand.

"What! Oh, that is so not fair!" I shrieked as he darted ahead of me.

I pumped my arms and sprinted after him, flying around the corner just ahead of him. I grinned triumphantly as I sailed across the thresh hold of the armory.

"VICTORY!" I shrieked, I had never won before, but I knew I would eventually, although Nicholas always said I wouldn't ever unless he let me- "Don't you dar-" the heavy door slammed into place and the tumblers clicked into place, locking me inside.

"ARGHGHGHHG!" I screamed incoherently as I pounded on the door with my fists. "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" I shrieked.

But I could tell that he was already gone.

I pushed my rage onto the back burner in order to focus on a more pressing concern: how I was going to get out of here. I spun in a circle, looking for any means of escape. No windows, one door, no ventilation system. So the door was my best bet, it locked from the outside, so there was no knob on this side. But was it a deadbolt? I examined the door, yes, it was a deadbolt. Now what?

I walked back to the wall of knives, running my fingers over them as I walked along the rows. There was a little trick Helena had shown me and Solange when we were children, now if I could find one thin enough- ah.

I unsheathed the tiny knife and ran back to the heavy door, slipping the thin blade between the door and the jamb and quickly shimmying it open.

I pocketed a few knives and a canister of pepper spray- pink, of course- and ran down to the tunnels that connected the Drake house to well, pretty much everywhere. If I hurried I should be able to catch up with them with enough time to break Nicky's nose again before the fight started.

I ran through the dank tunnels and ducked through low doorway and around moist corners and … almost ran headfirst into a wall. I spun around what the hell? I knew these tunnels, I had spent weeks wondering around in them just so this wouldn't happen. I quickly began to retrace my steps, trying to stem my growing panic.

Useless. I leaned against a wall and tried to slow my pants. I was well and truly lost. I admitted defeat and pulled out my cellphone. No bars. Of course. Stupid, stupid Lucy, you're ten feet underground.

The minutes bled into hours as I soon lost track of time. By now the Drakes should be home. Nicholas would notice I was gone and Solange would figure out where I had gone and they would move heaven and earth to come get me. They could follow my scent and it would be okay, even if they were mad.

Unless any of them were injured, or worse.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, telling me that I wasn't alone. I was being watched, I probably had been for a while. I really needed to convince one of the Drakes to change me so I didn't have to deal with this crap. I looked around quickly, finally locating a group of vampires approaching me with appraising looks.

I glanced at their clothes and relaxed a bit. They wore the emblem of the Court, which meant that they were sworn to Helena, and as I was an honorary Drake, they were obligated to help me.

I stuck my chin out defiantly, faking a confidence I couldn't seem to find right at this moment. I usually wasn't racist, but these vampires seemed particularly vampish to me, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly what was so creepy about them.

Fake it til you make it, Lucky. I reminded myself sternly.

"My name is Lucy Hamilton and-"

"We know who you are, Lucky," a vampiress with shark eyes, "how can we be of service?" she forced a thin-lipped smile that wasn't reflected in her eyes.

I thought quickly, I didn't want them to know where the Drakes house was, if they didn't already know, and I wouldn't be able to guide them there anyway. "Court." I said, "I require an escort to Court."

Was the circle tightening? Or was I just nervous? I eyed them, I didn't trust them, my heart was already beating too fast, and they would know. But I didn't see another option, except maybe rotting in these damn caves.

"Follow us," they urged redundantly as they herded me back through the tunnels.

"We aren't going to court, are we?" I asked gloomily a bit later, the sinking suspicion I had been feeling suddenly feeling more tangible.

"You'll be returned to them as soon as we get what we want," one of them replied with a gruesome parody of a smile.

Well shit, I thought, Nicholas is going to kill me. And then, if I'm not already dead.