Breathe Under Water - Shadows of the Night 1

Chapter 19

Hi!

Okay guys, I know, I know. I'm doing my best here to post as fast as possible, but editing always takes longer than expected... Anyways, read, post, vote!!! This time Anna's in BIG trouble... :)

Lara

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Chapter 19

The composition of rustling cloth, subdued banter, and the underlying sound of music softened, as if we were suddenly miles away from the ball. The dark wooden door we walked through opened to a smaller room. Strongly reminding me of a hotel bar, its walls were crimson satin, a color that matched the booths. Loveseats and small tables were scattered in straight patterns across the whole room. About half a dozen vampires and servants were...

I did a double take, then stiffened.

Learning what a Separè was and what the term entailed was just another bombshell in the catastrophe this night turned out to be. It was a place for vampires to drink blood from their servants, in 'private.'

Not that knowing made me feel better. Not when I was going to be part of it.

The topic of bloodletting and bloodtaking had been covered somewhere in the lapdog files. Just another part I'd skimmed through, confident that I wasn't going to need the information. Alexander promised he wasn't going to hurt me. It was part of the deal. This was worse than hurting me. Worse than opening wounds that were more than physical. Much more it was like blasting off the lid to my own personal Pandora's box.

Anything, but not this.

I gave a little start when I felt Alexander's cold hand on my lower back.

"Let's go over there," he said.

The corner we ended up in felt more sheltered, miles away from the other booths. The loveseat felt too small to host two persons. I opened my mouth, not really knowing what I was going to say, what I could say to stop this from happening.

"What-"

Before I could finish the question, Alexander's forefinger was on my lips. As if the look on his face wouldn't have been enough to stop me. As if dark things that made me go still weren't moving behind his eyes. The sensation sunk into me like a set of clawed paws. A familiar sensation of free fall. Calmness settled over me, a soft blanket I didn't need or want, but couldn't throw off. My pulse was even, when it should have long gone ballistic.

What had I expected? This wasn't a public charity event. I was so stupid. So incredibly naïve. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later.

I felt my hands cramp into fists, fighting whatever Alexander was doing to me. I was ready for action, do what I must to stop this from happening. I stared at him, open for confrontation.

Don't do this, I thought, willing the information into my eyes. For once I wanted him to have the ability to read my thoughts, know exactly what I wanted to communicate, and understand words that I couldn't speak out loud.

I have no idea what you did to upset Bertrand, but you must have made quite an impact. He breathed the words into my mind. You must have provoked him on some level.

Oh, so now he was trying to hold me responsible for the fact that someone else hated his guts? I glared at him.

There is no way out of it now, little witch.

There was always a way out of things. I turned my head around, shot a few sideway glances, and scanned the room, knowing that an undefined number of eyes were directed at us. Someone was watching, the weighty stare too strong to be a figment of my imagination. The world could have been our auditorium – surely it would have felt the same.