expands. “Now, Alex, we’re trying to make you feel like you have some freedom here.” She winks and then laughs, throwing her head back.
I cross my arms over my chest to resist the urge to punch her. “Well, aren’t you hilarious?”
She waves her finger back and forth at me as if she can read my thoughts. “Now, now, I’m just having a little fun. There’s no use getting mad about it”
I lean back against the wall “What do you want?”
“Draven asked me to come get you. He wants you to come and dine with him tonight.” Her heels click as she browses around my room, running her finger along the wall.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” I say. “So tell him thanks, but no thanks.”
“Declining isn’t an option.” There’s a threat in her tone. She traces the crack in the wall with her fingernail, biting at her lip. Banshees are very misleading creatures because—deep underneath her blond hair, long legs, and pretty appearance—resides a hag. What she looks like now is a disguise.
“Why do you even bother looking like that?” I ask, looking to pick a fight. It’ll be a good distraction, something I need right now. “I mean, it’s not what you look like.” I scoot to the edge of the bed and put my feet on the floor. “It’s not real… We both know you’re a hag underneath the nails and makeup.”
She turns around and snarls at me and I smile, hoping she’ll get irritated enough to bring out her true form. But then she smiles and saunters towards me, swinging her hips. “Well, aren’t you just a tricky thing… trying to bring out my real character. You know it won’t do anything.” She stops in front of me.
I tip my head up with a condescending expression. “Yeah, but it’ll show how truly ugly you are,” I say, trying to get a rise out of her.
She places her fingernail under my chin and drags it forward, cutting my skin. “You’re coming to dinner with Draven. Now get up.”
I reach up and wrap my fingers around her wrist, gripping tightly. “If you ever touch me again, you’ll regret it.” With that, I shove her back and she falls onto the floor.
I walk out of the room and head down the tunnel until I reach the room at the end where Draven’s seated at the table, puffing on a cigar with his sleeves rolled up. On the table is an assortment of meat, bowls of fruit, and plates of vegetables along with desserts. There are plates, cups, and shining silverware; the whole display is fancy, which seems stupid considering the building is tucked in an alleyway beside a bunch of smelly dumpsters and rats are running around on the floor.
“So nice of you to join me.” Draven signals for me to take the seat next to him.
“Like I had a choice.” I pull out the chair and sit down, resting my elbows on the table.
“I want to make sure that you are well taken care of during your stay with me.” He motions his hand at the food on the table. “Eat as much as you want, it’s all for you.”
“Why? What do you eat?” I ask with sarcasm dripping in my tone. “The rats on the floor?”
He narrows his eyes. “Now, watch it. I wouldn’t want to make you eat the rats.”
“Like it matters.” I take a slice of chicken and then scoop up some potatoes on my plate, deciding to eat and keep my strength up. In case, by some freak chance, I find some way out of this mess. “Good food or not, I’m still down here.”
Ignoring me, Draven watches me as I take a bite of the chicken. “Make sure you keep up your strength during your stay with me. I don’t want you dying before I get my use out of you.”
His attitude is pissing me off. He’s acting like I’m on a vacation, feeding me food, chatting at the table like he’s my host or something. “I’m only at this table because I have to be.” I take another bite of my chicken, chewing it with my eyes focused on him. “You would have just made me come out if I refused.”
He takes a puff of his cigar as he relaxes back in the chair. “Good. It’s good you’re remembering who I am and what I’m capable of. It’ll make this easy for you and for me.”
“I’m not trying to make it easier on you,” I