"Wake up"
Olivia widened her eyes, jolting awake into a sitting position as she looked around her cell with a confused look.
The feeling of fear came back to her once again when she was reminded of where she was. She had fallen asleep and was surprised she was even able to; her tiredness had won over her consciousness last night. There were no windows to be seen, but she assumed it was probably morning. In front of her cell stood Lady Sophia, who had a cruel smile painted on her flawless face.
"Hope you slept well." She said mockingly as Olivia made no attempt to look up at her.
The back of her head was hurting, probably because she had laid it against the rough stone wall all night instead of a soft, silk pillow like she was used to. Her legs were dirtied and scratched from the floor, as well as the palms of her hands. Footsteps echoed loudly, getting closer and closer until eventually a shadow cast over her and Lady Sophia was now standing inside the cell inches in front of her.
"What did you do to Alistair?"
Her voice was rough and dry, it had been a while since she had drunk water.
"It's none of your concern."
"What exactly is your plan? When Lord Nathaniel returns he'll get me out of here."
A chill pervaded the air, the silence stretching as she hardened her gaze at the human.
"And what makes you think you'll be alive when he returns?" She retorted to see the girl shudder slightly at her words.
Olivia's eyes widened as her bottom lip trembled.
Was she really going to kill her?
Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest and her face had quickly turned pale. The girl slowly lifted herself off the ground, struggling against her chains as she looked at her in the eye. Her weak hands curled into fists as anger welled up in her.
"You won't get away with this, you'll pay for-"
Feeling a sharp sting on her left cheek, Olivia let out a yelp as she plummeted to the floor. Tears pricked her eyes as she lay on her side, stunned into silence with the stinging on her cheek still there. It all happened so fast and after blinking a couple of times she realised she had been slapped.
"You just don't stop talking do you?" Turning to the guards, the vampire nodded and left the cell.
The guards then began to enter as the sound of their stiff boots became louder and louder. As they neared her, she curled into a ball on the floor, whimpering and shaking in fear that only grew every second. Her head was buried in her hands, wanting to wake up from this horrible nightmare.
When she closed her eyes, she tried her best to imagine she was somewhere else. She thought back to the night she fell asleep next to the Lord. She thought of how safe she felt and tried to imagine that she was there and not where she was now.
The girl let out a weak cry, feeling a strong kick against her stomach. The pain was agonizing, it paralyzed her whole body and she felt like she was going to throw up. Not a second later the other guard continued kicking, and she protected her stomach with one hand while the other protected her face. All air had left her body, and her head grew dizzy as she struggled to catch a breath.
All she could do was lay there, begging and pleading for them to stop as they continued.
After what seemed like an eternity, one of the guards finished with one last kick to her leg. She gasped for air once they stopped, coughing and almost choking on her own blood.
"That should do." Lady Sophia said after being silent for a while.
The guards left the cell, locking the door behind them.
She smiled seeing the human all bloodied and beaten up, laying on the floor helplessly like the pathetic animal she believed she was. She had to admit, the girl was stronger than she looked and was surprisingly still conscious.
"This is where you belong." She straightened, putting as much venom as she could muster in her voice.
Olivia wept quietly, feeling her warm tears sting the few cuts she had on her face. She had been caught up in everything, the dinners and luxury, that she had forgotten who she really was. She didn't belong here, or with Nathaniel. She was a human girl who came from nothing and nothing could ever change that. Olivia wished she had never attended the masquerade ball that night, then none of this would've happened.
Her aunt had died because of her, it should've been her that they killed and not aunt Caroline. She should've never gotten involved with the Lord, but now it was too late and she had already developed feelings for him. Now she had messed with an envious vampire who despised her every existence and she wasn't sure if she was going to survive.
"That's all for today."
She turned her weak head to the side to see a bowl on the floor, with some food that looked rotten. It didn't matter, she had no appetite and was just glad she was alone now.
Had anyone noticed her absence yet? She hoped her brother was alright, she could only imagine how worried he would be right now. Hopefully, they would find her soon, because she didn't think she could hold on much longer.
***
"Lord Nathaniel." A servant gasped, seeing his tall frame enter the foyer of the castle. "You have returned early."
He nonchalantly slid off his coat, which was slightly damp from the pouring rain. He looked the same since the day he left, the only thing different was his clothing. Combing his dark hair back with his fingers, he scanned around to see if anything was different. Everything looked fine so far. He had expected the castle to be a mess in the hands of Louis, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet.
"The meeting was shorter than expected." He handed his coat to the servant. "Where is my butler?"
Alistair would always be the one to take his coat when he came back from his journeys, what else could be more important than serving his own Lord?
The servant gulped, folding the coat carefully in his hands.
"He's not feeling well today my Lord." The servant lied, feeling his forehead moist with sweat.
The Lord was too distracted to notice. He had to see Olivia, he didn't think he could wait any longer. Since he left all he could think about was her, he missed the warmness of her smile and the softness of her voice. He missed the human so much it was painful, he didn't like not being around to make sure she was alright. She always seemed to find her way into trouble, which was why he gave her the dagger before he left to protect herself.
He thought he could manage being away from her for a few days, but it was beyond unbearable. He had forgotten what life was like before he met her, it only seemed miserable now. It drove him mad, the fact that a human girl could be the centre of his obsession.
He had returned to his castle now and he no longer had to endure that pain anymore. He would go upstairs, and hopefully, if she was awake at this time he could speak to her. Excitement flowed through his veins with every step up he took up the stairs.
He stopped once he reached the fifth step, interrupted by the voice of the servant to who he handed his coat.
"My Lord, master Louis wishes to speak to you." He said shakily.
"Can it wait?" He narrowed his darkened eyes, clearly irritated by his words.
"I'm afraid not my Lord."
Nathaniel let out an exasperated sigh, turning around and walking back down. He made his way to the main hall, ignoring the looks of fear from the servants who he passed by. Something was going on, and he didn't like it one bit. Whatever it was it had better be important, as it was delaying him from seeing the girl who he so missed.
He pushed open the mahogany doors, entering the great hall. There stood Louis who's eyes widened upon seeing his arrival. He was conversing with some servants, but they quickly fled once the Lord arrived.
"Nathan-" He choked with widened eyes. "You're back early."
"I am aware." He crossed his arms in annoyance as he raised an eyebrow.
Why was he so shocked to see him? Wasn't he the one who wanted to speak to him?
"A servant informed me you wanted to speak to me. I don't like wasting time."
The Lord sat down on a chair, sitting with crossed arms as he waited for an answer.
"Is everything alright, how has Olivia been?" He clenched his knees tightly as a wrinkle formed between his brows.
"Nathan..." Louis drawled nervously.
The guards kept their eyes down, tensing up as the silence stretched. The Lord simply furrowed, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Olivia ran away."
There was an uncomfortable tightness in the air, one that clenched around the throats of those in the room making the action as simple as breathing difficult. The tension was palpable and the only sound that could be heard was the muffled rain from outside.
Lord Nathaniel sat unmovingly, the muscles in his face were relaxed. His surprising calmness only evoked even more fear, feeling as if any second now he was going to burst. Louis observed his eyes, there was a mix of emotions that he couldn't quite place.
"What?" He snapped in a rough and loud voice.
"She left only a note-"
Louis pulled out the folded paper from his side pocket, and as he did he was shoved aside to a nearby wall. Lord Nathaniel snatched the note with his rough hands, his sharp nails tearing the edges slightly. He read every word thoroughly, then without hesitation, he threw it into the blazing fireplace as it disintegrated into ash while everyone in the room watched in shock.
"This is not her handwriting."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, you imbecile." He snarled. "She wrote to me while I was away, I know what her handwriting looks like."
"We searched for her Nathan, her scent isn't anywhere." Louis said worriedly.
He turned away from Louis, scanning his servants who all kept their gaze on the floor. Purebloods had the best ability of smell, and he could still sense fragments of her scent lingering around.
"Where is Alistair?" He narrowed his darkened eyes, watching as the servants quivered under his presence.
He should've known better than to trust Louis, but he also put Alistair in charge of protecting her and he knew he would never let something like this happen. The servant boy told him he was sick, but he was starting to feel like that wasn't the truth.
"He also went missing." Louis replied only to anger him even more.
"Someone must know something." Nathaniel frowned, his eyes were pitch black now. "She couldn't have left without someone seeing her."
The servants stood in a collected silence as he looked at them with a hardened gaze. He was getting angrier by the second, and if nobody said anything soon he would kill all of them for being so incompetent. Breaking the tension, Matilda took a step forward as she cleared her throat.
"The night before she went missing, Brutus wasn't in the servant quarters until the next morning." She explained trying to hide any ounce of fear in her voice.
He remembered the red-headed guard to be one of Olivia's friends when she first arrived at the castle. Although he didn't think she was still friends with her now, he was grateful for the information she provided.
"Bring him here."
He waited for a minute until the doors opened revealing a tall and dark-haired man. Brutus was a brawny and fearless guard, but now being in the same room as Lord Nathaniel his heart was pounding loudly in his chest. The Lord clenched his fists tightly, when the guard arrived he could sense her scent was stronger. This could only mean one thing.
The nervous guard walked up to him, bowing his head as he waited for a command.
"You have one minute to explain yourself, and if you dare lie then I'll order some guards to kill your entire family." He spoke calmly as he studied the guard with narrowed eyes.
He stood still, processing the Lord's words in shock. His large hands were trembling, and he knew now that he had made the biggest mistake in his life. He should have never touched the human girl. The Lord was running out of patience and he was about to order his guards to head to the town where his family lived, but just as he was about to do so the timid guard spoke.
"S-she's in the castle dungeons!" He stuttered in a quavering voice.
The guard was about to say something again but gasped when the Lord pushed him against the wall, holding him by the neck. He was big and muscly, but Lord Nathaniel held him as if he weighed nothing.
"Explain to me why the girl is in the castle dungeons?" He seethed as his nails dug into his skin.
He loosened his grip slightly so that the guard could respond.
"L-Lady Sophia told us to." He said in between coughs.
He furrowed as his face hardened, wanting to rip his heart out right there on the spot. He would investigate this further, but now he knew where she was and had to get her out immediately. The dungeons were no place for a human girl to be in, and he only hoped she was unharmed.
Fleeing the hall, he raced down the staircase that lead underground. He felt the hairs on his neck rise as he reached closer and closer. After he had gone through several corridors and passages, Lord Nathaniel was growing frustrated. The revolting odours of the dungeons were so strong he couldn't tell if he was getting closer. Never in his life had he felt so helpless in a situation.
He stopped in his tracks, recognising Alistair sitting in one of the dark cells.
"My Lord." His widened eyes changed into ones of worry. "Miss Olivia she's... she's in the cell at the very far end of this corridor."
He followed his instructions with no hesitance, racing past the cells as he got closer and closer to the end of the narrow passageway
When he finally arrived, he stood frozen for a second or two, completely still, as if time had simply stopped. When he saw her laying on the floor in the darkness, he rushed to break open the door with his fist. Every second that went by, felt like a second wasted. Her weak heartbeat was not comforting at all, it was faint and painfully slow.
Kneeling to the floor, he cradled her fragile body in his arms as he shook her gently. Her blue eyes opened, but not fully. There was no reaction when she saw him, she just continued to remain emotionless and it broke him.
Her dress was torn and stained with dried up blood that he could only assume was hers. Her face was covered with gaudy scratches and her cold cheeks were smudged with dirt and blood. Her once white nightgown was completely dirtied and discoloured and her red knees were scraped. What disturbed him most was the myriad of bruises on her body, they were everywhere from her arms to her legs.
The whole image was gut-wrenching and the rage and fury he had bottled up inside of him finally burst. They were all going to suffer for keeping her in here, every single person who was involved. His anger was getting out of control, and if she wasn't still breathing he would've already massacred the entire castle.
Despite most of his fury being aimed at all his incompetent servants who failed to protect her, he was also angry at himself. He should've never left her side, it only made her an easier target to those who wanted to harm her to spite him.
"I'm here now." He held her closer to him than ever, his chin resting on top of her head. "You're safe."
He had failed to protect the one thing he cared for so much, twice. She had been attacked by the intruders one night and now this. He stood up, holding her firmly in his arms. Using his supernatural speed, they were now in her bedchambers. He placed her carefully on the soft bed. The girl whimpered as her back touched the bed, despite its uttermost softness it felt like knives against her wounds.
A servant was already ordered to bring Opal, and in the meantime, he had to focus on her wounds. Some of them already looked infected which was dangerous and worrying.
Grabbing a damp cloth from the bathroom, he began with a cut on her arm as she sat on the edge of the bed. He quickly pulled away as she let out a loud cry. It had shocked him because she had been quiet since he found her.
"It hurts." She said in a whisper.
He stopped completely and put back the cloth. She had already been through so much pain he didn't want to add to that. He would wait for Opal who could numb her wounds so that the cleaning process wouldn't be painful, for the both of them.
Sitting next to her, he held her tightly in his arms as she rested her head on his chest.
"I'm so sorry Olivia, I'll never leave again I promise." He spoke softly in her ear.
There was so much she wanted to say, instead, she buried her face into his shirt and cried. Part of the reason was because of the pain that paralyzed her whole body, but also because of the relief she felt.
He looked at her legs to see the bruises once again but was able to control his anger since she was in his arms. The girl pulled away slightly, still close to him as she looked up to meet his eyes. He looked back at her intently, seeing that she was going to say something.
"Can I-I please have water?" She muttered.
He raised his eyebrows as he got up quickly from the bed.
"Of course."
Grabbing a glass, he headed to the table where a fresh jug of water sat. Filling the glass, he returned to sit next to her as he handed her the glass. She was so thirsty, she immediately gulped down the water within seconds. Her throat no longer felt sore now.
Opal gasped upon entering the room, seeing the girl and her wounds. She was going to ask what had happened but seeing the state she was in it was best not to waste any precious time. She swiftly dashed towards the bed where the girl was sitting on. Now having a closer look, she could now see the open cuts on her bareback.
She told Lord Nathaniel to leave the room, to which he was reluctant to do so but then eventually agreed to. After waiting outside for a few minutes, Opal opened the door to let him in. The girl was lying on the bed with closed eyes. She still looked the same, only a few wounds looking slightly better.
"I numbed her wounds and started the process of healing for some of them." She explained noticing his disappointment. "This is all I can do for tonight, it's best she cleans herself up and rests, then tomorrow I can continue."
"Thank you, Opal, you may leave now." The Lord spoke with genuine appreciation.
He watched her sleep on the bed, making sure she was alright before heading out the hallway. Once he spotted Norma, he instructed her to prepare a bath for the girl. She entered her bedroom then went to the bathroom, turning the tap as the tub filled with lukewarm water. The girl was still laying on the bed, listening to the sound of the running water.
Once the water reached the top of the bathtub, Norma turned off the tap and sprinkled rose petals as well as herbs on top, so the water would be scented.
Once Norma told him the bath was ready, he walked towards the side of the bed she was lying on and gently shook her shoulder. She looked at peace and he didn't want to disturb her, but her health was the most important right now.
"Olivia" He whispered in her ear, gently shaking her shoulder again as he did.
She opened her eyes groggily, looking up to meet his deep eyes.
"Forgive me for waking you up, let's clean you first then you may sleep."
He turned to the maid and nodded.
"Give her a long bath, dinner will be brought up to her room soon."