The Chosen (22 page)

* * * *

Lana lay on the bed she had become so familiar with, her home away from home. She snorted at the idle thought, sickened by its very
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presence. Time had no meaning anymore, the days running together until there were no minutes, no seconds and no hours. She ran her hand over the smooth silk of the comforter and let her mind drift off.

She started to lose hope that she would ever be found. She refused the food they brought her, partly because she didn’t know if it was tainted, and the other part because she just really had no appetite. She was grateful for Kasia, though, and the breads, meats, and cheeses the young girl brought her. She refused it at first, thinking Kasia was unaware if it had been poisoned, but relieved when Kasia assured her it was from her own supply. It wasn’t much, but Lana ate the food, putting her trust into her that the food was safe.

Her stomach was always on a rollercoaster, and she was

constantly throwing up. She started to notice the dresses that were brought for her to wear were becoming looser, the fabric hanging off her body like a sack. Little presents also started coming with the meal trays, but she pushed them away as she did everything else.

Kasia came by every day, but Lana couldn’t tell if it was once a day or a longer gap between the visits. She had no sense of time anymore, and it drove her mad. The two of them became friends, and Lana anticipated these small visits. True, Kasia was there to clean, but the two of them found strength in one another.

She stared at the door, suddenly hearing footsteps pound down the hallway. This was how it was every time they dropped Kasia off. The door opened moments later, and Kasia walked in. Her head was lowered, and her hands were folded together in front of her. Usually she smiled at Lana and talked freely with her as soon as the door shut, but Kasia didn’t say a word, just started cleaning the room.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

She kept her head down and started to straighten things up even though Lana started taking the liberty of cleaning up after herself.

“They will come for you tonight.”

She stared at Kasia’s back, confusion running through her mind.

“What do you mean?” She stood and walked over to Kasia, who
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wiped off an already clean dresser top. The wood shined beneath Kasia’s rag, but still she continued to wipe from left to right as if in a trance.

“He has waited as long as he will, and now he will come for you tonight.” Kasia turned around with a dazed look on her face, tears shinning in her emerald green eyes.

“What are you talking about? Who’s coming for me?”

Kasia dropped her gaze to the floor, her tears finally spilling over.

“Kasia? You’re scaring me.”

She raised her eyes, a sad smile covering her lips.

“Are they going to kill me?” She whispered the words, fear squeezing her chest.

She shook her head, and Lana let out a somewhat relieved breath.

“So, who’s coming for me and what do they have planned?”

“The master of this place, the leader of all of these monsters.”

Kasia wiped a tear off her cheek and sniffled. “I overheard the monsters talking about how he was getting anxious to meet you and wouldn’t put it off any longer.”

“What will he do with me?”

“I don’t know, but he feeds off women, so maybe that’s what he wants you for, although this whole kidnapping is not like him. He usually finds willing women, gets what he wants and then gets rid of them. I fear for you and don’t know how to help you.”

Lana stumbled back toward the bed and planted herself on it.

Would he drain her? Kill her in the process? Aleksei’s face went through her thoughts, and she felt like weeping with how unfair things had become. They were playing with her, like a cat toying with a mouse. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Kasia, who watched her with sympathy.

“Help me escape.” Desperation coursed through her like a freight train that wouldn’t be silenced.

Kasia just shook her head and sat next to her on the bed. “I can’t escape any more than you can. I don’t know how to.”

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“Have you ever tried?”

Kasia’s gaze became unfocused as if she were replaying a memory in her mind. “I’ve been here for as long as I can remember.

I’ve tried so many times to leave this place I lost count. They always find me, though…always. This place is one giant maze, a catacomb of tunnels. It confuses you—makes your mind not know what’s up from down.” She looked at Lana and smiled a sad, hopeless smile. “I wish I could help you leave. I would leave with you. I’m a prisoner the same as you are.”

Lana got up and put her arm around the young girl’s slim shoulders. The two of them stood in silence until Kasia pushed Lana toward the bed and went back to wiping off the dresser.
They
were coming, their loud footsteps pounding down the hallway and stopping on the other side of her door.

The door opened, and she dropped her gaze and stared at the floor.

One of them came close to her, his large boots coming into her view.

She didn’t look up as something dropped on the bed. She heard the soft click of the door closing and heard the lock turn. She looked up.

A tray of food sat next to her as well as a long rectangular box next to that. She picked up the box and tore the satin red ribbon off. Lifting the lid, she pulled aside the tissue paper and saw
his
newest gift.

Lying between the smooth tissues was a deep red silk gown with black crystals inlaid in the soft material. A note lay next to the dress, and she hesitantly took it out and opened it.

Only the best for my future queen. I look forward to finally
meeting you, my dear.

D.

She set the note aside and looked back at the dress and then the tray of food. The smell of the herb roasted chicken and potatoes made her stomach growl in anticipation. Her mouth watered, but she hesitated eating it. How long could she live off the small pieces of bread Kasia brought her?

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She took the fork and moved the food around on the plate, the delectable scents wafting into her nose. She once again thought of Aleksei and the short time they had together. She should have told him how much she had grown to care for him, how much she wanted to spend her life with him.

Since being in this prison, a lot of things had come clear for her, the main one being that she loved him. She knew she loved him before, but after being torn away from him everything became clear.

She thought of how it could have been with them, how she would have loved sharing her life with him.

The tears spilled down her cheeks, and she speared a piece of chicken with her fork. If she could go back in time, she would have told him she loved him and wanted to be with him forever. His life was far from what she ever believed in, far from what she ever envisioned for herself, but as she sat alone, she could only think about what they
could
have had. He was caring and thoughtful, diligent and strong, and she knew that despite the fact his was a vampire—an idea she was still trying to accept—she knew that without him, she wouldn’t be happy.

It was too late, though, and he would never know how she truly felt. She thought about Kayla and how much she missed her dearest friend. All the times they shared growing up, all the laughs and tears.

She would have liked to tell Kayla how much their friendship meant to her.

She sniffed and put the piece of chicken in her mouth, the food bland as she numbly ate. She closed her eyes and smiled as the images played across her mind like a movie—her own sad and depressing pictures of what she would never experience again.

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Osip walked through the halls as he waited for Lord D to give him his reward for finding the
Prophesied Female
. He waited long enough to claim what was rightfully his, and his patience was growing dangerously thin.

He could almost feel the
Dagger of Life and Death
in his hands—

feel the power that coursed through the jewel-encrusted handle. He could feel the coolness of the sharp blade pressing into the skin of the one he wanted dead most. He had a score to settle that was long overdue.

He cloaked his appearance by instinct and made his way toward D’s chamber. He was about to open the door when it sprang open and a few males walked out. He slipped inside, making sure not to touch them as they walked past. Lord D and Stefan sat at a table picking off pieces of meat and drinking thick red liquid that was not wine out of crystal goblets.

“I want her.” Stefan popped another piece of meat into his mouth as he stared at his master.

“I know, but you must have patience. She is still young and has yet to complete the change. You will end up killing her if you act too quickly.” D took a long sip out of his glass and made a disgusted face.

“It gets cold so fast.”

“I know, my lord, but the change is close, and it is becoming harder and harder for me to resist.”

Osip didn’t know what they were talking about but had an idea of whom they spoke. He knew it wasn’t about Lana because D wanted her for himself. The only other option would have to be Kasia. He had
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seen the way Stefan eyed her, and it made Osip’s blood run cold. Lust raged in Stefan’s bottomless black eyes every time the girl was near.

The girl was human and wouldn’t survive whatever Stefan had in store for her—that Osip knew for sure.

“Enough talk about the girl. Have you arranged for my chambers to be set up properly?”

“Yes. Everything is set up to your specifications, and the girl will be prepared for you as was discussed.” Stefan took a big drink of the thick red. “How do you think he will react when he doesn’t get what he seeks?”

Osip’s ears perked up at the change of topic.

“I assume he will be quite angry with me, but he will be disposed of, so it makes no difference.”

“I would like to dispose of the banished
Seeker
if it would please my lord.” Stefan smiled, pure hate and eagerness reflected on his face.

He didn’t want anything more than to reveal himself and tear the two of them apart, although he continued to listen.

“I don’t even have that fucking knife.” D laughed and looked back at Stefan who started to laugh as well.

Osip’s blood ran hot and his nails bit into his palms.

That little fucker!

“The girl should be ready for you by sunset.”

“Good. That’s very good. You are a good minion, Stefan, and shall be rewarded for your loyalty. You may have sole rights to extinguish the
Seeker
.”

Stefan smiled and went down on one knee. “I thank you, my lord.

I serve only thee.”

Osip walked toward the door, barley reigning in his temper. There was a knock at the door, and Osip slipped through as two
Bloodless
walked in.

So he plans on killing me or at least
attempting
to kill me?

Osip steamed as he made his way through the tunnels and out into the open forest. The maze of tunnels that ran underground and housed
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D’s fortress was covered by a haze of confusion. Anyone brought into the fortress would never be able to get out, and anyone trying to find the place would be searching forever. So when he told the human female her Breed lover would never find her, he meant it.

He walked briskly, having one destination in mind. He should have killed those bastards when he had the chance, but he knew someone who would take more pleasure out of it, and frankly, he would have just ended up making a big mess.

* * * *

Lana finished up her meal and slipped on the dress, looking at herself in the dresser mirror and feeling sick, both physically and mentally. She should have torn the dress up, but maybe if she behaved, or at least acted like she was okay with the situation, he would take mercy on her. It was probably wishful thinking, but right now that’s all she had.

The room started to shift, and she held her head, stumbling to a nearby chair and sitting down. The walls twisted and turned, and she held a hand over her mouth to hold back the nausea that threatened to overtake her. As the room slowly righted itself, she got up and made her way toward the bed—bad idea on her part. The room immediately went back to being a rollercoaster ride and moved weaved toward the bed like a drunk.

She eyed the empty tray of food. Her food had been tampered with, but really, was she all that surprised? Why had she eaten it?

They would have drugged her one way or another, or so she told herself. Reaching for the bed, she just fell short, her knees hitting the hard floor and making her wince. She fell onto her hands and stayed in that position as she caught her breath. Hearing the all too familiar lock turn, she looked up to see the door to her prison open. Her mouth was so very dry, like she had been eating cotton or sand.

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Two large men walked into the room, the same two she

remembered seeing all the other times. They looked at her and then each other before cracking wide smiles and elbowing each other in the ribs. She could see their mouths moving, knew they were speaking, but no sound came to her. She tried to speak, tried to tell them to get away from her, but like the sound not reaching her ears, no words came from her mouth. She reached her hand out to them—to reach for help or to push them away, she didn’t know. They smiled at her, their long white fangs the last thing she remembered as her world went black.

* * * *

Osip slammed on the accelerator of his BMW and loved the feel of all that power beneath him. He took the sharp turns of the mountain road swiftly and tightly. Trees rushed by him at blurring speeds and made him press on the gas even more. His destination was minutes away, and as he anticipated the outcome of his arrival, he turned up the radio and let System of a Down’s
Lost in Hollywood
blast through his speakers.