Chapter nine

My breath hitched, failing to supply oxygen to my lungs as my eyes registered the pure anger radiating off of Darcy. His eyes were dark and livid as he stilled, becoming very silent as Lilly shot up from the seat and made a dash across the room, to the main foyer. I followed her quietly and tensely, my anxiety spiking at the wild look in her eyes as she ran.

"Your human needs to be taught manners." Cavin laughed as he swung his arm around my shoulder. "Like my docile little one."

I wanted to shrug it off and spit out insults but I just sat there, looking dazed and afraid. Darcy stood slowly, before walking as slowly in the foyer. From where I sat, I could hear the poor girl fumble with the door in her desperate attempt to flee. Screams ensued, screams of anguish and terror that shook the entire room and vibrated through my ears and body.

"Such a dramatic." Shira sighed, picking at the meat on her plate.

"Come." Cavin said and I left my half eaten soup as I stood stiffly and he grabbed my hand and began to pull me along.

We walked down the empty hallways I had come through earlier until he stopped outside of a door and stepped inside, pulling me in after him. I had been waiting for the inquisition and had been planning on what lies sounded the most believable the entire morning. I had to de ready for any questions he fired at me. I guessed he brought me to an empty study for fear that we'd be overheard.

He turned slowly, a grin spread across his face to mask the shadow of curiosity that I didn't miss.

"So, What are you?" Cavin asked curtly and I cocked my head to a side.

"What do you think."

He hummed. "I'll make someone very clear Aurora. I just saw you bring a wolf back from the brink of death. It looked like magic, but yet your not a witch because those kind of healing powers don't exist. You're in a predicament because if you were just a human, you'd be no different than all the others that have passed through here and have never left. Humans are not dealt good cards among my kind. However Aurora, if you were something ... other than a normal human, it would entitle you to a security and protection that would highly profit you."

I hummed in response.

"And if I don't tell you?"

His eyes grew hard, loosing the playfulness that they held earlier. He was in my in seconds, his hot breath fanning across my face as his glared down at my small frame.

"Maybe I've given you the wrong impression Aurora but I'm not one to be taken likely. If I do not like those that I claim, they suffer. You wouldn't like to be in the receiving end of that kind of treatment, no?"

"I suppose not." I agreed and his nose flared in anger as he slammed his hand down on the table.

"Dammit, I'm getting nowhere with you."

"Im not sure what I am, Ive always have these capabilities but I was hid away for exactly that reason."

His eyes brightened as he took in the information. "Interesting." He murmured. "Where did you hide? In that little town?"

I nodded. "Yes."

He raised an eyebrow at my story, leaning across the desk and placing his face in his hands in mock interest.

"Aurora..." he drawled out. "Are you telling me the truth?"

I paled. "What reason would I have to lie?"

He let out a brief laugh. "Very well, what are the names of your parents?"

I stilled, looking up at him in confusion, like a deer in the headlights. "Why?"

"So I can cross reference your information love."

I wanted to curse in that moment. Curse it all to hell. As nymphs, we weren't born with a last name and I was coming up blank for a fake family that he couldn't know I didn't have. Suddenly, the taste of those crêpes in my mouth came back to me and I recalled the name on the stall.

'Anna Cambridge's local Crêpes.'

"Anna Cambridge." I said slowly. "She's a baker, married to Thomas Cambridge."

I didn't know who Thomas was.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm going to double check the information I'm receiving Aurora. Are you even from that village? I've been around it a few times to scout and I didn't see or smell you."

I lifted my nose. "Everything I'm telling you is the truth."

He nodded slowly, waving a hand. "You're dismissed. You should go help Lily clean herself up after the stunt she pulled today. She's the room across from yours.

I left the room quickly.

-/-

Cautiously, I pushed the door open to Lily's room. It was similar to mine, large and styled lavishly and utterly ironic.

"Lily?" I called out, unsure of what to do. The door to the bathroom opened and cautiously she poked her head out, staring at me skeptically as she motioned towards the door.

"Ever heard of knocking?"

I looked back, realizing that was customary in this world, however coming from Arden I wasn't aware of it.

"Oh, forgive me."

She rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed, carrying a first aid box with her. It was evident to see that she had been beaten. Her werewolf genes were already starting to heal her though. But I could pick out the ugly bruises that had been added my I felt my heart go out to her as she winced when she moved towards the bed. I approached her cautiously and her hard eyes landed on me, stopping me in my tracks.

"Why are you here? I don't need your help. I've been patching myself up for weeks and if it's friendship your interested in, we obviously don't share the same mentality or ambitions."

I shrugged. "What makes you say that?"

She scoffed. "The way you act, as if you weren't kidnapped and forced into coming here, like a docile little girl."

My anger spiked at her rudeness and I held back my sharp tongue but made my intent very clear. "I'm far from docile. But at least I've the common sense to realize that I've a better chance at escaping if I earn their trust."

Little did she know nymphs could be very manipulative and coercive, it was something that was ingrained into us.

She gave me a deadpan look. "Earn the trust of vampires?"

"Or at least not be so battered that I can barely walk."

Her eyes yes grew cold and unforgiving and I realized I'd gone too far. It was in that moment that I realized this world had brought out a different side of me, a side that stayed hidden and waiting to be triggered in the shelter of Arden.

- [ ] "You've been here for a day. Let's not forget that you have Cavin. Cavin and Darcy are in every way different. I can't avoid pain with Darcy and you're stupider than you look if you think you'll be unharmed here."

I sighed deeply. "Look, I don't want to fight with the only potential friend I might make here on the first day. You and I are in the same boat, we both want to leave as quickly as possible. Turning on each other is possibly the stupidest thing we could do."

She cocked and eyebrow, a slow smile stretching across her face.

"Okay, maybe you do have a little bit of sense. You're right, driving you away would only benefit him."

I felt relief sink in as she patted the empty spot on her bed and started bandaging her arms. I stared at her uncertainly. I could heal her but I didn't want to reveal anything about that side of myself when I couldn't trust her.

"So what and who do you know so far?" She asked and I thought back to this morning.

"I've met Cavin, Darcy and the twins."

She nodded.

"Try and undermine Cavin, win his trust anyway you can. He's the kindest out of all the others. The twins are okay, unless you get on their bad side and then Darcy is just plain evil. Stay clear of him. You haven't met the rest of us." She motioned towards her and I.

"Other than the servants, there are three more that are claimed. Ella and Simon, siblings that  are claimed by the twins and you haven't met Alison, who was claimed by Paul two years ago. They're both away for a few days."

I nodded slowly. "I met someone this morning, a girl in a sundress."

She looked away. "That's Miriam. She does odd jobs. She's okay, but a bit weird."

She was silent for a second. "Don't let on to the others that you have any intention to escape. The longer you're here, the more brainwashed you become. You can't trust that it won't get to the wrong ears."

I nodded slowly and she gave me a small smile which I returned.

"So, we need to form a plan to get the bloody hell out of here."

-:-

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