Ravage the Dawn: Book 1

Chapter Eighteen

For the next week Elizabeth was left to fend for herself. With David gone, Malik presumably tending to business, and Elijah satisfied enough with how she was adjusting not to visit three times a day, there were very few knocks on her door. She couldn't say she minded the quiet. She spent a good deal of time watching television and reading books on her tablet, though she did venture out into the grounds on the rare occasion that it wasn't too sunny.

On one such outing, the girl named Charlotte that she'd met before caught her in the foyer on the way to the gardens. Despite a lingering sense of embarrassment over their last encounter Elizabeth was forced by good manners to invite her along on her walk when the girl innocently inquired about where she was headed. In truth, she could make no real complaint. Charlotte was certainly friendly enough, and to Elizabeth's relief the girl had enough tact not to remind her how they'd met.

Over the course of their trip around the gardens that afternoon Elizabeth learned more than she ever needed to know about the resident humans, vampires, and all of the talk show worthy drama that plagued them. She couldn't help but be amused by the animated way the Charlotte talked when she gossiped, and found herself getting caught up in the humor of it all.

Inevitably, the conversation took a natural turn towards how they'd each come to be at the chateau, and while Elizabeth was careful to be vague with the details of her own story, Charlotte was more than happy to dole out her own.

Charlotte had been the victim of a roofie attack at a bar in Paris. She'd been kidnapped and held by a group who specialized in human trafficking for vampire use for almost two weeks before the smuggling ring was busted by an undercover operation. During that time, she'd been sexually assaulted by man and vampire alike, and fed from more than once by potential clients who were looking to sample the merchandise.

That had been eight months ago, and she'd been under Malik's care since shortly after. Her physical injuries had been tended to, and she was still working on her post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety with a psychologist, per order of the house leader. She felt that she was recovering well and was happy to announce they had recently allowed to take on a job outside of the estate. She was hopeful that soon her caretakers would find her progress satisfactory enough to allow her to transition back into a normal life off grounds.

As Charlotte told it, there were all sorts of hoops for victims to jump through if they intended to try and return their former lives after being exposed to the vampire culture. Not only were they required to complete numerous psychological and physical assessments, their lives were closely regulated and continuously monitored to identify whether they posed a risk of exposing the secret of vampirism to the general public. As Charlotte told her, only the most stable individuals were allowed to attempt re-introduction to human society. Others were permanently detained and cared for as 'wards of the state', or often committed to mental health facilities.

By the time they parted ways, Elizabeth had gained a new respect for her charismatic companion, and yet another fresh bullet-point of perspective on her own situation. As horrible as what she felt she'd gone through was, it could have been much worse. She did find it strange that she'd been made to complete no psychological evaluations or therapy thus far, though. Charlotte made Elizabeth promise they would hang out again soon, and in a twist that surprised even her, she found herself looking forward to the idea.

Her evenings in David's absence were at first spent upstairs, ordering room service and for the most part refusing to answer her door after nightfall. After the first few nights alone, Charlotte began showing up at her door begging her to come out with her to any number of gatherings or events in the foyer below. Each time Elizabeth declined, her companion sweetly continued to insist that controlled exposure to vampires was good for a victim's healing process, and that Elizabeth might benefit from the experience.