Fools, these Mortals

Second Night Viola Chapter Seventeen

My voice had long since grown raw from excessive shouting. Cursing Iago's name and making the feeble attempt to rip my cage door off even more immature, I eventually accepted my circumstances. The steel cell door held in place against my limited strength; it was beyond my human capabilities. Roderigo, Iago's vampire friend, had lingered, leaning against the dungeon stonewall, deaf to my outcry during his watch. A questioning look befell his dull eyes. "Our friend just wants to keep you safe, little mortal. Most are not so fortunate."

"He's not my friend." I glared at Roderigo, pressing my face tight to the bars, forgetting the accustomed roles of Illyria and vampires' dominance as a race.

Roderigo shrugged, indifferent to my outburst. "Iago is many things to many people."

"What is he to you?" Surely Roderigo would know Iago better than anyone, given the length of service at the castle.

"He's my friend and I wouldn't wish for him to be any other way," the vampire answered simply. "Iago's helping my cause to win my love." Roderigo sighed dreamily.

Another vampire in love. I couldn't help but grimace as my mind was once more forced to imagine the stalking Lord Orsino, attempting to "win" his love. The image was poisonous and far too familiar. Axel would've gotten along well with Orsino. My clenched stomach soured as it digested my thoughts along with the last of the food. Stroking away the loose hair from my healed face, I paced in my cell to appease my growing frustrations. A fraction of my mind begrudgingly prayed that Iago stayed safe on his travels through the vampire infested forest. Memories from the vampire peasants feasting plagued my subconscious, the source of my restless sleep. Iago wasn't a good man, nor was he evil. But Iago didn't deserve that fate. I could only settle on the fact that Iago was human and flawed in his own reasoning. Yet I still couldn't trust Iago, no matter how many times he saved my life. He didn't seem the sort to offer help without a price or guarantee for his own gain. Iago may as well be the mirror of my father in this world, for they were forged incidentally identical.

Breaking my thoughts from more festering doom, the dungeon door opened and heavy, measured footsteps echoed off the damp stone tiles, though no figure appeared, nor their shadow. Stepping closer to my cell door, the doorway remained empty. The anomaly had also captured Roderigo's attentions. Cautious steps to the opened dungeon door increased my anxiety as the vampire, the strongest in these lower levels, was met by an invisible assailant. Flung from one stonewall to another and wrestled into a strangled hold, Roderigo's back arched for any leverage to break away from the manoeuvre. The vampire managed to thwack a winning elbow into the invisible assailant, a low grunt and a shimmer warped the air to reveal a strange creature. Black opal eyes transfixed my attention, their bald head and pointed ears flattened as they readied to pounce once more into the vampire. Their plain black tunic covered their much taller physique and toned muscle.

"Goodfellow," Roderigo snarled at the creature, spit dripping from his bared fangs. That was a Goodfellow? Shock tore at my eyes to widen more at the spectacle.

The Goodfellow's black opal eyes sparkled at the recognition, leaping to assault Roderigo once more. Deftly ignoring swiping claws, the creature managed to loop over the vampire and brought out a glittered powder in their other hand. Roderigo turned too late as the creature blew the substance straight into his nose. From the limited space, the dungeon offered no escape for the vampire. Grumbling as a drunk at the tavern's closing hour, Roderigo stumbled backwards, fighting through his imaginary perception of gravity until the vampire slumped to the tile floor. A rattle of snores echoed the proof that he was still alive. Once Roderigo was neutralised, the Goodfellow creature turned to me. Even at close proximity, I couldn't distinguish the gender of the creature; their features were the perfect balance between masculinity and femininity.