Drown Under Earth - Shadows of the Night 3

Chapter 12

Hi!

Thank you so much for all your comments about this story being in the wattys. I keep freaking out, like, each time I remember I'm among the finalists. This is simply awesome!! Okay, relax Lara. Get back to business. Editing this chapter took a little longer, but a certain someone is back - in all his undead glory. Let me know what you think! 

Lara

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Chapter 12

It was Friday night and I was on my way to the Blood Line Hotel. I had toured Ryon Club only to be told that Alexander wasn't there. I was informed that he was in a 'business meeting' and would be spending the early night in Joe's Pub. He would, however, return to the hotel afterwards. Ergo my new destination.

I had avoided Alexander, had fought tooth and nail against that damned leash he was trying to put on my neck. I was no one's servant. Never been. Never would be. This night I was walking into the Blood Line Hotel of my own free will. It sounded incredibly stupid, even to me. Maybe it was, but talking to Victor the other night made me think about my never-ending problem with Alexander again.

Time and tide wait for no man. Much less for a witch desperate to get her life back. I had been waiting for a brilliant master plan of mine to free myself from the head vampire. It took me one and a half days to recuperate from the disastrous events in the Bloody Warden and focus on my own personal struggle for freedom. Last night it appeared out of the blue: the solution. Unexpected, but not unwelcome.

Alexander committed high treason by dragging me to the Vampire League meeting in Pennsylvania because I wasn't a human servant at that point in time. I had toyed with the idea of using that against him before. There were only two flaws: One, I would have to go through the Vampire Council to do that – a horrifying and extremely dangerous deed. Two, I had no idea how to contact the Council to begin with.

There weren't many things I was sure about these days, but one thing was clear: going to the council myself was out of the question. Letting a bunch of old-as-dirt-vamps have a look at my mind? Not going to happen. But that didn't mean someone else couldn't go to them.

I was wearing black jeans, boots and my leather jacket. Clad in black from head to toe, I felt dressed appropriately for the night. My mind was shielded, the walls surrounding my private thoughts strong and stable. I had the head vampire of New York over a barrel, and he didn't even know it.

Thinking that among many other things, I stepped out of the elevator. I didn't make it further than two lousy steps in before I was greeted by two familiar faces: the twin vampiric goons. No threats this time. They told me to wait in the outer office. It looked like they knew me.

Leaving the undead security and the corridor behind me, I sat down on one of the leather couches in the outer office. They told me to wait. Did that mean that Alexander was still at Joe's Pub? Ten minutes of dull, action-less moments of staring into space before the door to the head vampire's office opened.

Jack came strutting out of the thing. So Alexander was here. That was good. About Jack, I wasn't so sure. I had hoped that it was Zack I would be dealing with. I sighed.

The human servant's eyes flashed up as soon as he saw me. Yes. He hated me. The prank I pulled about three weeks ago did nothing to change that. I choked him into unconsciousness to get out of the Blood Line Hotel unnoticed. Well, no way to change that now. I walked straight up to him.

"Hello Jack! Please tell Alexander that I'd like to have a word with him."

"Anna. What the hell are you doing here?"