The Royal Within

Chapter 16

The room around me was familiar. The coats were hanging up in an orderly fashion, and I saw a familiar face.

The maid.

"Lucy?" I asked while stepping closer to her.

She looked up at me. Her eyes were puffy and red. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry my dear. If I would have known.." She buried her hands in her face.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey it's ok. If you would have known what?"

She took my hand in hers. "Sweetie, if I would have known, I never would have sent you. And now...you are with the vampires and it is all my fault." Tears streamed down her face, and I gave her a hug. I didn't know what else to do.

She pulled away, and took a deep breath. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and motioned me to sit on the chair. I sat down without hesitation.

"Honey... I'm not ready to tell you everything, but, I will tell you something. You are special. You contain a power, that you don't even know about. Don't let anyone find out. Right now, those vampires don't know what you are. Let it stay that way."

I drew my hand back in shock. "What am I?"

Her eyes darted to the floor. "I can't communicate to you much longer, but you will soon understand your abilities. If you survive and escape the vampires, I will tell you more." She sniffled.

I tried to control my soaring my emotions. "Why can't you help me now? Why can't you tell me?!"

She fidgeted with her fingers. "Before I can help, you must prove you are worth the trouble."

My eyebrows shot up, and I stepped away from her. "What are you talking about?"

Lucy stood up. "You must be strong! Don't let anyone find out about what you are!"

My face flushed red, and the room seemed to be closing in on me. "I don't know what I am!!!"

She frowned, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She started mumbling and I heard my name thrown into it. Her mumbling turned to whispering, to normal level, to shouting, and it reached screaming.

She screamed my name, and her tears turned to red. Smoke appeared at her feet where the tears dropped. The smoke slithered closer to me, and I moved back.

"Ruth! I have tried to help you! Please forgive-" She was still shouting, but the smoke had reached my foot. I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. My brain focused on getting me out of there instead of understanding her words.

I was in the only place free of the smoke.

A warm liquid feeling ran up from mh feet to my stomach, and was still rising. As scary as it looked, it comforted my body. I relaxed into it's hold, and let it slide over me.

When it was about to engulf my head, I looked to Lucy. The paths the tears went had burned scars into her face, but she wasnt crying anymore. Instead, she looked rather happy.

I'm not an expert lip reader, but it looked like she said "I helped."

That was the last thing I saw before the smoke cleared my vision.
-----
I heard a loud clang, and it rocketed me out of my sleep.

Where am I?

The room I was in had walls a purple so dark you could think of them as black, and the ground was a deep red color.

I tried to stand, but my body felt weak. I squirmed to the closest wall, and sat up. My muscles were sore, but I don't think they were injured.

I leaned against the wall, and shifted myself up until I was standing. That was when I noticed the weight on my wrist.

There was a chain as big as my wrist itself on it. Instantly, I felt claustrophobic, and checked my feet.

No cuffs.

I somewhat relaxed, until I remembered my purpose. I was supposed to help my friends.

And here I was. Wherever here was. There did seem to be the outline of a door on the wall to my right, but it had no handle.

I sighed. Might as well try. I went to the door, and pushed it.

It didn't budge. I shoved it, and got the same result. I backed up a bit, and rammed myself into the door.

It didn't even budge. Frustrated, I kicked it.

"Would you stop?" A voice hissed. I looked around me, but it was just me in the room. I kicked the door consistently, until a voice on the other side spoke again. "Don't make me come in there."

Luna super speed please.

A ringing went through my head. I covered my ears, but it was in my head. I trued to make out what Luna was saying, but it was no use.

I tapped my wrist. "Superspeed please."  I whispered. I felt the potential energy fill me, and once more I kicked the door.

"That's it!" I heard the voice yell. They swang the door open, and didn't get a chance to say anything.

I ran like never before. When I got out of the room, I realized I was in the dungeons.

The dungeon was like a maze, but I just kept running. Probably not the best idea, but I had no other.

I heard people yelling, and saw an open cell. I ran for it, and hid in a dark corner.

"I can't track her!" One voice complained.

I took the collar of my shirt, and held it to my nose. They were right. I don't smell. I noticed that there was still the smoke that was with me in the dream.

The dream...what did she mean about what I was? Was she helping me with this smoke? Is this smoke hiding my smell?

I had no answers to those questions, and it was driving me insane.

The footsteps were getting closer, and I tried to quiet my breathing. I thought they had passed when the cell door slammed against the wall.

A talk figure walked in, and he laughed when he saw me. He came closer, and kneeled down next to me. "I found you." He smiled like a clown would smile in a hanted house.

"You have wasted a lot of my time, do you know that?" He spat. I didn't move.

"Fine. Don't talk. Let's see how the king likes that."

He must be talking about the vampire king, not the one I need the crown from.

He got closer and I could see his eyes reflecting the little light that was in this room.

"You shouldn't have come." He giggled. I heard a deep sigh come from behind him. Another figure appeared behind him.

He was tall as well, and I couldn't recognize his face until he got closer.

I gasped. The clown man laughed.

The clown man was almost in tears because of how hard he was crying. "It hurts doesn't it?"

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them to stay in my eyes. "How could you?"