Eternal Darkness - Book One ✔

Chapter Twenty

Facing death was not like I had imagined it. Then again, how do you imagine your own death? I suppose living in the world that I did, imagining your own demise wasn't uncommon; you knew it would happen, and the prospect of growing old and dying warm in your bed wasn't the vision most had when thinking of their final hours.

Ever since my mother had passed away I had pictured a dozen different scenarios in which I'd kick the shoes so to speak. 
But being strapped to an energy sucking, life-killing machine while a bunch of fucking vampires stood and watched was not one of them. 
I don't think anyone would have had the imagination to think of such an outrageous thing. And it was, it was completely outrageous.

The vibrations coming from somewhere under my feet resonated through my body. I felt the pull from within me and at first it wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. But then it grew. As the minutes ticked by the unease developed into a stabbing pain that would have sent me to my knees if I hadn't been tied up.

I was barely paying any attention to the group of vampires standing in front of me, but I could vaguely hear Nox's muffled attempts to break free.

"It's working." Shax's befuddled voice had me look down and when I saw the faint blue light being sucked out of my hands through the wires I nearly fainted. I wasn't feeling the same warm tingle I felt when I'd summoned the energy on my own. Now, the feeling was cold and unwelcome, like an intrusion inside my body. But I could do nothing to stop it.

My energy was transported into a small see-through container standing on my right, and seeing the blue light, my blue light, swiveling around inside made me angry beyond compare. Shax was not getting away with this. Even if I died I would make sure that whatever he did with my magic it wouldn't work.

For a fleeting second I forgot what had happened before and I trashed against my bindings. Pain exploded in every inch of my body and I screamed involuntarily.

Shax had moved closer; he was gazing at the energy in the container, no doubt amazed that so far, his maniac idea had worked.

"Magnificent," he muttered, before turning to the Professor. "How soon can we transfer it to me?"

The Professor looked slightly alarmed and stumbled over his answer.

"I.. it's. No too soon, sir. The uhm...there needs to be extracted more before we proceed to uhm...to inject it into your body." He wiped away the beads of sweat that had congregated on his forehead.

In two quick strides Shax had the Professor dangling a foot off the floor, squeezing his wrinkled throat with his large hand. Professor Maxwell gasped and gurgled, but the vampire King showed no mercy.

"How. Soon?" The Professor tapped the vampire's hand frantically with his own, the air in his lungs already used up. Several seconds passed before Shax finally loosened his grip and Professor Maxwell fell onto the floor, gasping loudly to regain the air he had lost.

"Don't make me ask you again meat sack," Shax threatened with a growl, watching his human scientist scramble to his feet.

"Less than ten minutes, sir," the Professor whispered.

Shax seemed satisfied with the answer and walked to stand right in front of me. I gazed at him; my teeth gritted together to not scream out the sheer agony I was feeling right now. We stared at each other. I did my best not to give him the sick pleasure of watching me in pain.

"Soon I'll be the most powerful vampire mage in the world." The grin spread on his face. I breathed in through my nose, each one sent piercing daggers through my lungs.

The container was steadily filling up with the essence of who I was, slowly draining me for life. I fought to keep awake.

Avoiding Shax's stare I settled my eyes on Sam's handsome face. He looked so peaceful as if he was just sleeping, but I wanted him so badly to wake up. I didn't think I'd ever needed someone as much as I needed Sam at this very moment. These past months had been hell for me, but he'd always been there, making me smile, laugh and reassuring me that everything would be okay. It seemed silly, but I needed him to wake up and tell me that again.