Prince Darrius

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

“Darrius,” I hiss, “Some privacy would be nice! I know you’re there! Stop pretending you aren’t peeking!” I yell louder when he doesn’t respond. I just finished having a shower in a guest room the King of all vampires now had available to me. Even though just last night the palace was–apparently– full up on vampires.

I step out of the shower, wrap myself in a towel and Darrius slowly opens the door, which had already been slightly open because someone had opened it before.

“Did you say my name?” he asks slyly. He pretends he hasn’t taken a look at me showering. But he knows I know. Hence his very irritating, arrogant smile directed my way.

“Bugger off!” I snap, waving a hand at him to close the door and get out of the bathroom. He had said he’d wait in the guestroom for me to shower, so he could show me around a bit. I should have known he would have somehow used the situation to his advantage. 

Darrius closes the door and I let out an annoyed sigh. He might have given me an amazing kiss not long ago, but he had still abducted me a second time. And he was still a prick.

I fix myself up in another dress from the palace. This time it’s royal navy blue, and its long and flowing. I dry my hair and walk out of the bathroom to see Darrius pacing up and down my guest room.

He gives me a warm smile, which I feel looks slightly mocking, but at least it is a smile and not a smirk. 

“Well?” I ask.

“It’s time I showed you around,” he holds out a hand for me to take but I just glare at it and move to the door.

“I still don’t want to be here,” I snap.

“Yet you have no choice,” he responds very happily. I roll my eyes and he takes me out into the hallway, “Like I said before sweetheart, behave, and I’ll take you slowly. If you don’t, I’ll get sick of waiting for you to be turned.” Before we move on I put my hands on my hips and glare at him.

“I haven’t done anything bad,” I snap.

“I very generously offered you my hand to show you around, and you refused,” he explains. Standing before me in his black leather pants inside the underground vampire palace, he looks every bit the vampire. Especially when he shows me a quick flash of fang, showing his irritation, “Remember, I have the upper hand. I can turn you anytime I want to.”

“But I don’t need to hold your hand to walk around the palace,” I reply, exasperated.

“I guess it’s just an old world habit I have, sweetheart. Now, stay with me as I show you around. I don’t want you getting lost,” I start to walk by his side but am fascinated by his latest comment. Old world habit?

“Exactly how old are you, Darrius?” I ask.

“I was turned when I was 19, but I’ve been a vampire for two and a half centuries. That makes me even more powerful. That’s why you, my darling, should watch what you say around me,” I give him a long side look. No wonder a 19 year old looking vampire wore leather pants. I guess to him he liked the look. No one my age in this century would understand his fashion sense. 

Without asking for my hand again, he shows me the main rooms of the palace. He shows me a feeding room, the living areas, freaking dungeons, and last but not least… his room. Which was only down the hall from mine. Typically he gave me a room close to his. Then he takes me back to my room but I knew instantly he had only shown me a very small part of the palace. There were many more rooms I hadn’t seen. He obviously didn’t trust me yet. And I still didn’t trust him.

“There you go sweetheart,” he says, leading me through my door to my room, “That’s the palace. I’ll give you three days to come to terms with the fact that I’ll be turning you into a vampire. Tomorrow I’ll try and convince you that not all vampires are bad. I wouldn’t have come after you if you hadn’t had the genes to become a vampire hunter. However we need you as a part of our forces,” I pace the room as he speaks, wondering what else I’d see tomorrow.

“I don’t want to be here, but I’ll go along with it for now. Darrius, could you give me some time to myself now? I keep on seeing you flash your fangs when something annoys you, I’m starting to think you’re getting hungry. And you can be touchy when you’re hungry. So, feel free to find someone to feed on,” I look away from him, trying to tell him I’m not interested anymore in him being in my room. He smiles.

“You are catching on to some of the ways vampires express themselves, that’s good. I have some things to do so you will have time for yourself. Don’t try to escape Jennifer. I will catch you and turn you without hesitation,” I sigh and walk to sit on the end of my bed.

“Whatever Darrius, I’ve heard this all before. Goodbye.” He walks backwards to the door, smirking.

“I can’t wait to taste you,” he says, “You will be divine,” I scowl as he leaves and shuts the door. I was now alone. 

Finally I had some time to think. 

I lie down on my bed and cross my arms over my chest as I stare at the ornately decorated ceiling. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to be turned into vampire so strong they were perfect for killing vampire hunters. I didn’t want any of this. 

Yet how the hell was I meant to get away?

I look around for a phone in my room and find none. I lie back down again and think and think and think. I don’t find any easy solutions on how to escape.

 Not long after I am left alone by Darrius, I sit ram-rod straight as my door opens quietly and a robed figure enters holding an envelope. 

“Who are you?” I ask straight away. I can’t see the figure’s face. They come forward after closing the door and slip their hood off. It’s a woman, someone I don’t know. I see her fangs as she smiles. 

“Shh,” she says gently, pressing a finger to her lips. I sit still and she comes to the end of my bed and gives me the envelope, “I was never here, child,” she says, before turning and leaving the room as quietly as she had entered. 

Straight away I rip open the envelope and find a lighter and a note. I read it and put the lighter to the side.

As soon as you see an opening, run as fast as you can from here. Play along with the others, pretend you have submitted. That is when you will be able to escape. You must escape. They might have told you that you’re a vampire hunter, but you’re not. You’re something else entirely. You will die if they try to turn you. You won’t survive, you must run. Yours faithfully, mum. Burn this when you have read it. Love you.

My hands are shaking when I finish the note. 

My mum was alive. Was my dad alive too? Where was my mum? They had to be dead, I saw the way those vampires surrounded and attacked them. Yet she wrote me a note? Also, what the hell was I if I wasn’t born to be a vampire hunter?  

And if what she said was true, about me not surviving a turning… how would I escape?