I woke in a dimly lit room. It was square shape with a small cot and a nook big enough for a toilet and necessities. Seeing the door, I ran to it but found no door knob or handle.
"Hey!" I shouted, banging on the door. "Let me out!"
I stepped back and kicked the door. It didn't budge.
"You can't keep me here!"
Sucking in a breath, I limped back to the cot. I shouldn't have kicked the door.
Okay, Rin. Think. Who would want to kidnap you?
The answers were obvious. Lady Hargrave, for one, the mafia, and maybe those extremists and anti-human groups. So, better question. Who had the means actually to pull it off?
Philip, if his name was Philip, had said they were everywhere. So, it didn't matter who did it. I needed to find a way out of here.
I searched through my pocket but didn't find my phone. Great.
As the pain subsided, I walked throughout the room, running my hand around the room. There were no gaps in the walls. The bars on the cot wouldn't budge when I tried to pry them off. I glanced at the toilet and decided to give it a quick look, but it didn't have anything I could use; they had glued the top down, so I couldn't lift it.
From a quick inspection, there were no cameras. At least they weren't watching me.
The only light came from a fixture at the center of the ceiling.
Sighing, I sat on the cot.
I was alive, so that had to count for something. Scooting back, I hugged my legs to my chest. They had even taken my shoes.
Alexander, my parents, everyone would look for me.
They - whoever 'they' were - hadn't tied me up. They wanted something from me. Or they wanted something from the Royal family. But what if they wanted to use me as an example?
My chin trembled. I quickly rubbed my eyes. Calm down, Rin. Think. What can you do?
I looked at the door. They weren't worried if I escaped or not. I couldn't even get past the door. They could come in any time they wanted. Getting out would be challenging. Besides, waiting by the door and jumping at whoever walked in wasn't such a great idea without a weapon.
So, I waited.
I waited long enough to feel hungry. It was late evening by now. What were my parents doing? Had Alexander told them I'd gone missing? It would be better if they didn't know so as not to worry them.
Without a noise, the door opened.
I didn't notice until something moved out of the corner of my eye. I jumped up and pressed my back against the far wall. The figure took a few steps into the light.
"Antoine," I whispered. "It's you?"
Antoine leaned against his cane. "It's dinner time," he said. "Care to eat?"
He snapped his fingers, and two men walked in. One unfolded a small plastic table, and the other set up two chairs. A third appeared with a plate of food and a water bottle and placed it on the table. They were gone as soon as they appeared. The door closed behind them.
"Take a seat," Antoine said, gesturing to the chair. "Feed yourself. We've got a lot to talk about."
"How do I know I can trust you?" I asked. "You've kidnapped me."
"Dying here is not your fate," Antoine replied. "Besides, aren't you curious about all of this?" He gestured to the room.
If he would talk to me, I could figure out what this was all about. Warily, I sat down at the table. He sat soon after.
The meal was simple, grilled chicken, rice, and a small salad. Eating brought tears to my eyes. I didn't expect it to taste so good. As I ate, Antoine stayed silent. When I finished, the same servants came back and cleared the table. Soon after, we were left alone.
"What do you want from me?" I asked him. "I don't have any power or influence."
Antoine smiled. "It would seem that way."
"Who ordered you to do this?"
Antoine looked away. "The Master wants all."
I clenched my teeth. "What are you going to do with me?"
"I'm not going to do anything," he began.
"Right, but all your minions out there will. So, let's cut the point, shall we? What will it take for you to let me go?"
Antoine settled back in his chair.
"A spy broke into a security facility and stole important information," he said. "We want that spy."
"Why would I know-?"
"You've been hiding her," he interrupted.
Sh*t. They wanted Camellia.
I swallowed thickly. "You want a trade? What if I don't have this spy? What then? Are you going to keep me here?"
"We're everywhere," Antoine said. "We know you have her."
I thought back to the palace, my neighbors, and school - who were these people?
"Who are you?" I asked.
Antoine seemed thoughtful. "I thought you figured it out by now. We've met before."
"Th-the Mafia? What about Oziel and Louise? Are they involved too?"
His smile widened. "Yes, we go by that name."
"Why kidnap me?"
"Yes, I apologize about that. But we thought it would be more effective to do this."
He snapped his fingers, and the three minions came in. One of them had a syringe. I backed away immediately, taking the chair with me.
"You said you wouldn't kill me."
"This won't kill you," Antoine assured me. "It's to help you cooperate."
F*ck. I was not going to be brainwashed.
I swung the chair at the approaching vampire. He caught it easily and ripped it out of my hands. The second one grabbed my arms. I kicked the air, hoping to hit someone.
"Let me go!"
They forced me to the ground.
"No!"
I twisted around, but they wouldn't let go. Tears squeezed out of my eyes.
"NO! Please!"
"It'll only take a moment," Antoine continued.
"No!"
But they didn't care. The syringe went into my arm; I don't remember anything after that.