Scarlet Prison

Chapter 31

***This is the final chapter! I hope you enjoy the epic conclusion to Scarlet Prison!***

As I was leaving for work on the night of the meeting, I noticed that the rose was dead. I hadn't touched it since it had appeared a few nights ago, but now I wished I had taken care of it sooner. The rotting petals were producing an unpleasant stench that reeked of death.

I took hold of the glass and carried it at arm's length until I reached a trash can in the hall of the hotel. I released the glass, and it shattered upon impact with the bottom of the bin. I'd been expecting the noise, but it made me jump anyway. I quickly glanced around, as if I would find accusatory eyes watching me. The hall was abandoned.

***

I was suspicious of the limo that had been sent to take me to the meeting. I'd been waiting on the curb of the restaurant, on the lookout for some sort of business man. I thought we would be holding the meeting at the restaurant. Instead, a sleek limo pulled up, and the driver got out to open the passenger door for me.

"Miss Nova?" He asked.

I blinked at him, confused.

"I have been instructed to escort you to the meeting," he said.

I shrugged and got in. It seemed official enough, right? Still, I couldn't shake the suspicion that I had of the limo.

It wasn't until we'd been driving for a few minutes that I had the presence of mind to ask the driver where he was taking me.

"To the Jäger Mansion," he answered, and all the blood drained from my face.

The driver wasn't the same vampire that Dominik normally used. The bastard was being sneaky. He knew I would have recognized the usual driver and refused to get into the car. He was luring me to his lair, and I didn't like it one bit.

***

"Hello, Nova." Dominik was smiling down at me, holding out his hand as an offer to help me out of the car.

I ignored it and got out by myself.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A business meeting." This was a blatant lie. I could tell by his over-confident smile. He looked like was about to maneuver me into a check-mate. "Shall we?" he asked, indicating the ascent up the stairs leading to his front door.

I assessed the situation and decided the best move would be to continue with the "business meeting." The alternative option was to attempt to walk home again, and I wasn't a particular fan of that idea. I followed Dominik up the stairs.

He led me to the dining room, which seemed too big and grand for only two people. We sat across from each other at one end of the table. This table was different from most. It was upholstered with a black satiny cushion. The cushion bubbled into a pillow shape at the head of the table. I knew what this was for. I hadn't seen anything like it, but I knew. I tried to appreciate Dominik's consideration for the comfort of his Veins, but I was too distracted by my current position at the table. He was planning on offering me a live Vein. Fine. I had refused the offer of blood many times. There was no reason why this situation should be any different.

"What blood type would you like?" he asked, just as Lillika, Dominik's head Vein, entered the room.

"I'm not hungry," I said. I gave him a hard look to let him know that I wasn't to be swayed from my stance on the topic.

His smiled almost turned cynical. Or maybe I was imagining it because my paranoia seemed to be worse than usual tonight. "You will be, when you see what I have to offer." Without looking away from me, he said, "Lillika, go fetch the O negative."