A Slave to Love

Chapter 69: Take Care

I woke up feeling restless and sweaty. By body was aching slightly, my head throbbing and my mouth and throat felt dry and scratchy. I moaned in pain and slowly rolled onto my side, curling back up into a small ball, hoping to ease the pain. I wasn't exactly sure why I felt so bad, there were so many possibilities, but I couldn't work up the energy to think of a reason or to care.  

There came a firm knock on the door. "Breakfast in ten minutes."

I tried to reply that I wasn't hungry, but my throat hurt too much to try. So I just lay there, the minutes ticking past until they knocked again. The door unlocked a moment later, but I couldn't see the person's face for once. It was far too dark.

I felt somebody coming closer and squeezed my eyes shut tightly, feeling like I was in a horror movie all of a sudden. A cold hand swept my sweaty hair off my forehead, and I heard the soft sound of someone inhaling before they were gone again and the door was shut. I don't know how long it was before someone else came into my room, turning the light on as they entered. I covered my eyes against the dim, yet somehow painful, light. Then someone was there, poking and prodding me, but when they tried to ask me questions it hurt too much to answer.

They didn't leave when they were done, they sat there waiting until the door opened again.

"What happened?" Aros demanded.

"It seems she drank vampire blood quite recently. She's simply burning it out of her system. It's nothing to be worried about," the man who poked and touched me explained coolly. "Her master should be here. It will ease the pain."

"He's not around," Aros said curtly. "Thank you for your time."

"You should let her rest. In a day or two she'll be perfectly normal again," he added before he soon left. The light was turned off and I relaxed slightly.

"You truly are smarter than I anticipated," Aros said after a moment. "You exchanged blood with Blade, didn't you?"

I nodded weakly, not sure if he could see or not in the darkness.

"Well I'm sorry to say but he's not around. I haven't seen or heard of him yet, so I'm afraid your plan didn't work. You're still too young, still too inexperienced," he said softly, his anger controlled, "But I can help you. Only of course, if you survive what I have planned for you."

A chill ran through my sweat soaked body. "Turning me?" I croaked, forcing myself to speak even if it hurt immensely.

"Yes. As a human you have some potential, but if you were a vampire the things you could do...there are endless possibilities. Besides, I have plans for others that involve you turning. But let's save this for another time, hmm? You need your rest," then he left too. I didn't care though, I just waited until sleep claimed me.

Waking up a little while later, I did feel better, but I still didn't move from my spot, not for a few hours anyways, then I gained the energy to get up and walk to the bathroom. I wanted to lock the bathroom door, but it didn't work. In the end I gave up and just went into the shower, turning it on until the water was just borderline too hot too handle.

And then, at some point in the middle of my shower. I felt it. I felt him. I was so surprised I nearly slipped and fell in the shower. My whole body lit up and grew warm, seeming to come awake.

I turned the shower off, glad I was already done washing, then all but stumbled out of the shower. I flew through getting dressed and then ran to my bedroom door, my hair dripping wet. I grabbed the door handle and pulled, only for it to remain closed. It was still locked.

I pounded on the door. "Loren! Loren open the door please!"

But I didn't get an answer and Blade was closer now. How did he find me? How did he even know I was here? I didn't care, I was too excited. Then the door opened and Aros came in, looking ready to kill. That cool calm I usually saw on his face was gone, pure anger replaced it. His eyes were blazing a fiery red and they were focused solely on me.