A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,7
had left behind. Two Darklings had carried her out to an infirmary after the incident with Petra, and I’d been alone ever since, stewing in my own juices. Listening. Waiting. Hoping this would all be over soon. I did find some comfort in knowing Danika was temporarily disabled and thus unable to spy on me. Since that traumatic encounter, Maya had become much more alert. I wasn’t sure how good she was at sniffing out an invisible Darkling, but she was certainly doing her best.
“I don’t know what’s taking so long,” I grumbled, my gaze fixed on Maya. “They should’ve been here by now.”
The little ghoul shrugged, continuing to move around. We were both restless, eager to get out of here before things got any worse. I’d already tested the Darklings’ limits here, and it was only a matter of time before Danika changed her mind and decided to kill me.
“You know, I haven’t seen any of the other Whips around. I guess Petra was right. They’ve been making themselves scarce, aware of what’s coming. It’s incredible how selfish they are, considering how devoted they claim to be to their cause.”
Danika had used a loophole to spare herself, and Petra was looking to do the same. Fortunately, the other Whips had not gained access to that knowledge; otherwise, they also would’ve murdered their offspring to save themselves. This mindset was disgusting, but it also spoke volumes about the Darklings. For a faction claiming to fight for the Aeternae’s survival and protection, none of them seemed to shy away from killing Aeternae to satisfy their own desires. For an organization founded by someone like the Spirit Bender, however, it all made sense. A terrible leader cultivated terrible people, and it showed.
Maya growled softly, settling close to my cell. She was getting agitated, her big, beady eyes searching my face, but I had nothing reassuring to say.
“I don’t know where Lumi and Sidyan are.” I sighed. “They should’ve been here by now, and I can’t get hold of them. The green bead was my only option, since Danika broke my Telluris. Whatever Lumi might’ve given me to communicate with her, Danika or the other Whips would’ve found it. To their credit, they are fast learners.”
Every minute that passed made me more anxious. My cell had always been small, but it was starting to crush me. The air compressed in my lungs, making it harder for me to breathe or to ignore the chest pain caused by my anxiety. Beads of sweat trickled down my temples as I leaned back against the wall.
The silence was excruciating. I had no idea what was happening. I was completely cut off from my people and the outside world. It made me feel small and helpless, which I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. It was something I’d hoped I would never have to deal with.
“We could try to find a way out of here,” I said, after some thinking. “But that might backfire. I think the Darklings have this place rigged in case I attempt an escape. It would also put you at risk, and I don’t think Sidyan would forgive me if anything happened to you, Maya.”
She purred, blinking slowly as she looked up at me. Despite her grotesque features, there was something intrinsically kind about Maya. In contrast, the Aeternae were all beautiful, yet capable of such dark and awful things. Things that made them look far uglier than a little ghoul.
“Besides, even if we did get out of here, Lumi and Sidyan might still show up. The Darklings could get them. I mean, they’d already be riled up by my escape, so the alert would be high,” I continued. “No, I can’t leave.”
I would stay, but for how much longer? What if Lumi and Sidyan could no longer get to me? What if something terrible had happened? The thought alone was enough to send my blood rushing, causing my skin to tingle.
An ache settled in my heart, so I closed my eyes and thought of Sofia. I hoped she’d be okay. I prayed that she’d be safe, no matter what came next. I had to be ready for a truly unpredictable future. My odds of survival in this cell were limited, at best. I was at Danika’s mercy, with no guarantee that Lumi and Sidyan would save me… and Danika was an evil woman. The evilest I’d seen in a very long time.