Page 32 of The Depraved Prince
I won’t be able to, but I can conjure up a plan to try and outsmart them. They must have ages of intelligence on me, but I need to find a way to survive. Hayden made it very clear.
He’s going to kill me.
‘Grant me mercy with a quick death.’
I squint and realize we’re in high elevation. A river runs across from a valley. We’re on top of a mountain, and a giant waterfall looks to run as big as a few miles. I watch the waterfall, mesmerized and taken aback by the beauty of the terrain and natural Earth.
I tilt forward and see tall trees with shades of orange, green, and yellow leaves everywhere. In South Texas, I’ve never seen the color of leaves change or that fresh wind everyone talks about when fall hits. I blink a few times, tearing my gaze away.
I look at the sky, and it’s clear. No clouds. Just a blinding, bright sun in an abyss of blue.
He’s never visited me during the day. I’ve only ever encountered Hayden during the night. There has to be a reason why, and the only thing I can think of is the sun. He might not be able to walk into the sun without getting hurt or dying.
If I’m going to have a chance at escaping, I have to use the sun to my advantage. I need to flee from them. I don’t care where I am. Any place is better than being at the hornet’s nest, where vampires live and sleep.
A knock at the door disrupts my thoughts, and I flinch. My soul practically leaves my body, and I jump up frantically as myheart sinks and my stomach flies to my throat. I tear my hand away from the glass windows and look around the room for something to defend myself with.
I grab a small gold Victorian lamp on a vanity across the room.
“Breakfast for Ms. Flores.” The door opens, and a man pokes his head into the room.
He carries the tray to the bed, and I’m frozen. He looks like a butler. He wears white gloves, and his eyes beam bright when he steals a glance my way. He flashes out of the room in a blink of an eye.
He’s a vampire. The butler is a vampire.
I run towards the door and turn my hands into fists, banging on the door with all the strength I’ve got. I get close to the door, the tip of my nose meeting the door first.
“Let me out! Please! Let me go, mister! Please! Let me go home! I’m here against my will!” I scream over and over again, repeating last night’s events before I went to sleep on the floor. My voice squeaks out with each shriek, and the rasp follows.
“Help!” I mutter hoarsely. My screams transform into harsh sobs. My forehead rests against the door, shaking, as my hands fall to my sides in defeat.
No, I will not cry anymore. I’ll get out of this.
I must get out of here.
I wonder if anyone is looking for me. Is there a search party? Is my dad okay? Is Cooper okay? I wonder if my brother flew back home to find me.
I wonder if my mother is worried.
Probably not.
Mom…
I miss her so much. Even though she’s still alive, it feels like she’s not with me with the way she’s so absent from my life. All Iwant is her and my father’s love. I’m twenty years old, and I still yearn for a relationship with them.
Does that make me pathetic?
I won’t give up on her, no matter my age. She loves me. I know she does.
For some odd reason, Hayden left my silver cross necklace alone. It’s the only piece left on me from that same night he took me. It still hangs loosely against my collarbones. I play with it as an attempt to self-soothe the anxiety that crashes into me every time I get desperate.
After about forty-five minutes of begging, screaming, and pleading, I give in to the natural need to eat.
I run towards the plate of breakfast: two strawberry pancakes and eggs with hashbrowns. I pick up the tray and sit down on a dining table on the other side of the room. This entire room is as big as my father's house.
Even the plates are luxurious.
I scarf down the meal in minutes as I continue to admire the incredibly detailed and well-designed room—a Gothic paradise.
