Page 25 of Blood Caged

Fuck. I really hate the way they talk about me as if I’m not here. In fact, I hate everything about this damn place. I stepthrough the door, intent on turning back in the direction of my cell, when someone grabs me roughly, pulling me in the opposite direction.

“Get your hands off me!” I yank my arm away and am rewarded by a hard shove between my shoulder blades for my efforts. It almost knocks me off my feet, but I fight to keep my balance. God, if I had my magic, I’d blast her into another dimension.

“Not today, cupcake.” Patty pushes me again. We’re heading down another corridor. “Got something new for you.”

I fight down the sense of dread swirling in my belly. But it surges in full force when we stop at a plain white door. The smell of disinfectant wafts through it.

“This is where we say goodbye, sweetheart.” Patty opens the door and shoves me inside. “Try not to miss me too much.”

I stumble forward, turning awkwardly just in time to see her slam it shut. I swallow hard, then take a look around me.

I scan the room, my heart rate quickening. White walls, gleaming surfaces, and the sharp antiseptic scent assault my senses. In the center, a medical bed looms ominously, its sterile sheets perfectly tucked. Beside it, a trolley holds an array of sinister-looking instruments that make my stomach churn.

My eyes dart to the banks of equipment lining the walls. Heart rate monitors, IV stands, and machines I can’t even name.

What the hell are they planning to do to me?

I’ve managed to keep my composure until now, gritting my teeth through the indignities and uncertainty. But faced with this clinical nightmare, panic claws at my throat. My hands tremble as I wrap my arms around myself, trying to steady my breathing. Never have I so desperately wished for my magic to return.

Seconds stretch into eternity as I stand frozen, my mind racing through terrifying possibilities. Then, a subtle shift in the air catches my attention.

The temperature drops by a degree, the way it often does when the undead are around.

Him? The vampire from my arrival?

No.

This is something different.

The door swings open.

I stiffen as two vampires enter the room. The first one exudes an aura of power and danger that makes my skin prickle. His icy gray eyes scan me with cold calculation, a slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Despite his predatory presence, he’s undeniably handsome, with sharp cheekbones and jet-black hair that falls to his shoulders.

Behind him, a leaner vampire with silver hair follows, his unnervingly calm expression somehow more frightening than outright aggression.

The dark-haired vampire approaches, his movements fluid and purposeful. “Miss Blackwood,” he says, his voice smooth as silk but with an underlying chill. “How wonderful to meet you at last.”

I clench my fists, fighting to keep my voice steady. “Oh, trust me, the pleasure’s allyours.”

He chuckles. “How lovely. A sense of humor. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucien Marlowe. And this,” he gestures to his companion, “is Dmitri.”

I force myself to meet Lucien’s gaze, desperately trying to mask my fear. “I don’t care who you are. Why are you keeping me here?”

Lucien’s smile widens, revealing the barest hint of fang. “My dear, you are here because you possess something quite valuable. Something that could change everything for my kind.”

My heart races, but I keep my voice level. “And what might that be?”

“Your blood,” he says simply. Then he reaches out a hand and traces a cold fingertip down my cheek. I shiver. “And you are going to be a very good girl and give it to us.”

I find myself shaking my head. “N-no!” I say sharply, taking a step away from him. “No, you can’t do that!”

Dimitri has headed to the table, hands moving over the gleaming tools there with an unnerving familiarity. His pale fingers trail tenderly over a scalpel in a way that makes my stomach lurch.

Lucien moves toward me, almost gliding. I start backing away.

“Get away from me!” I hold my hands up as if warding him off. It’s such a futile gesture it almost brings me to tears. I have no magic. I’m not physically strong enough to fend him off. I’ve never been so powerless. Lucien knows it, too, amusement twisting the corners of his mouth up.

“This will be so much easier if you do not resist.” His voice is smooth, almost soothing.

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