Page 103 of Castle of the Cursed
“This is a human,” says Red. “We bring them as an offering to your ruler.”
Now the vampires’ attention turns to Antonela.
The one who spoke steps closer, and Cyclops shoves my sister. She stumbles toward the guard, who sniffs at her. His silver eyes flash with light, and he turns to the others, who take turns sniffing her.
The energy changes entirely.
“What do you want in exchange?” asks the Bleeder, showing the casters more respect as my sister is handed down the line. She looks back at Red and Cyclops, face aghast, like she can’t believe they’re going through with this.
“Please!” Antonela calls back to them, her voice coming out clearly despite the breathing mask. But they don’t even glance her way.
“Bleeder blood,” says Cyclops to the guard, and I don’t know what else happens because now I’m following my sister through shadows in the walls, until we reach some kind of antechamber.
“He is not seeing anybody,” says a vampire larger than the others.
“This is nobody,” says the guard. “It is a gift. A human for his majesty.”
“His majesty is fighting the wars—”
“For his majesty’s heir and acting sovereign is what I meant,” clarifies the Bleeder, sounding like he’s losing his patience.
The gigantic vampire leans down and sniffs my sister’s hair. His eyes do the same flashy thing as the others, and a stomach-churning smile twists his lips. “His Highness will be pleased.”
The guard who brought her takes off, and the giant now deposits my sister like she’s a doll inside a room that’s pitch-black.
Without a word, he leaves.
I wait for my eyes to adjust, but I can’t see a thing, so she probably can’t, either. “Hello?” she calls out.
The mask inflates in and out as she steps forward into the darkness, toward near-certain death.
Something zooms past her, and she gasps as she nearly loses her balance. “Your Highness?” she ventures.
I can’t see, but I can feel what Antonela feels, as something large and hard like a wall presses against her. I distinctly hear a sniff, like someone is smelling her.
My sister doesn’t speak or react.
She keeps walking.
“Mmmmm,” whispers a voice. “You have a tantalizing aroma.”
She spins and swipes her arm, like they’re right behind her. But it’s just empty air.
She keeps moving forward, eyes narrowed with caution and hands angled out in front of her, less trusting of the dark.
Cold fingers close around her throat, and she reaches for an inhale as a second hand grips the top of her left breast. “That instrument in your chest produces some lovely music.”
The hands vanish, but Antonela stays frozen in place, breathing in and out, in and out, in and out.
Then she stiffens her spine and steps forward again.
Without slowing her pace, she keeps moving through the chamber. She even closes her eyes, like it’s a test of faith.
“Courageous,” whispers the voice, “or foolish.”
Their fingers are back at her throat, their other hand closing around her waist, holding her against their frame. “I would keep you around to entertain me longer, but I have plans… and I am far too curious to know your taste.”
The shadows around them fade just enough to reveal Prince Bastian’s face.
