Being A Vampire's Slave

Chapter 9: Questions, but No Answer

Chapter 9: Questions, but No Answer

Rene POV

It's been a week since Jack shared the grim story of what happened to Lisa. Janice and I had abandoned any talk of escaping the palace, but Dana still clung to a sliver of hope. I reminded her how crazy it was, warning we could end up like Lisa if we tried. Despite her fear, Dana's determination never wavered. It seemed we were prisoners for life, cut off from the sun, bird songs, morning commutes, annoying teachers, and the freedom we once took for granted. For now, our focus was on surviving in this palace ruled by vampires.

Oddly enough, I hadn't seen or heard from Tristan or Aries in a week. While I was relieved not to see Tristan, I found myself missing Aries.

"Rene, would you like to come down to the living room area?" The older maid's voice startled me. I hadn't noticed her enter. Eager to break my boredom, I agreed and decided to ask her some questions while we walked.

"Excuse me, miss, but do you know what happened to Aries?" She looked at me with a peculiar expression.

"You're a special girl, Rene. You're in trouble. Lately, the vampires have been uptight and behaving unusually. It's wise for no human to be around them too long, except maybe you."

Her cryptic words puzzled me. "What do you mean? What's going to happen?" I asked, but she only said, "Remember my words. You have to be careful and who you're willing to trust. Something is going to happen. Since there are no vampires around, I thought you kids could use a break. Now go on, dear." She walked away, leaving me to ponder her warning.

"Rene, are you going to join us or stand there?" Paige called out. I saw my friends waving and smiling at me. I walked towards them, my mind swirling with questions. "What's wrong, Rene?" Tammy, Paige, Jack, Bianca, and Janice looked at me with concern. I hesitated, unsure whether to share the maid's cryptic warning. I didn't want to spoil the mood or worry them over something uncertain. "Nothing. Just woke up," I lied, hoping they believed me. Everyone turned their attention back to the movie except Dana, who gazed at me for a few seconds before finally looking away.

"We're watching Halloween," Janice said as I sat down next to her. Despite being with my friends, I couldn't enjoy the movie. Too many thoughts raced through my mind, especially the maid's mysterious words. I didn't understand what she was trying to convey, but I agreed something strange was going on with those two vampires.

Aries POV

"Where is Cortez, Lana?" my father's guard demanded. Lana looked down, her body shaking with soft sobs. "Answer him, Lana!" Torres roared. Lana trembled even more, her crying intensifying.
"Okay, okay, I'll take you to the spot where he hangs out," she finally said, and Torres smiled with satisfaction. We followed Lana into the depths of the woods under the cover of night.

"Something's off," Luther voiced his concern. I fell back to walk alongside him, sensing his unease about this whole Cortez situation.

"Luther?" I prompted.

"It doesn't make sense, Aries. I know Cortez's sister wouldn't lie about him. How could he have been with them, yet his scent is all over Francis and Dexter?" he questioned.

"Maybe he murdered them before or after he was with Lana and the sister," I suggested. Luther shook his head. "I guess that's possible," he shrugged.

"We're here," Lana said, stopping in front of a small, damp cave. Not sure why he would like to hangout in a cave. Torres and the guard went inside while Tristan, Luther, and I stayed outside with Lana. After five minutes, they emerged.

"He's not in there, Lana. Where is Cortez? And don't lie to us," Torres demanded.

"I don't know. The last time I saw him was the day we were at his sister's house. I haven't seen him since. It's the truth," she cried.

I studied her for a while and sensed no deception. "She's telling the truth," I said.

"Aries, this is bull, and you know it. She's hiding that slimeball because he's, her mate. I won't—"

"Guys?" Luther interrupted.

"What is it, Luther?" I asked, relieved to cut off Tristan's tirade.

"There's blood over by that tree."

We followed Luther and what we saw was shocking. "Dead," I said. "Cortez is dead."

"How didn't we smell the scent? The blood?" Tristan was confused. I hated to admit it, but he had a point. As vampires, our sense of smell is acute. How did we miss this? Luther examined the scene.

"Guys, Cortez has been dead for at least a week, maybe a few days more. Someone staked him," Luther said.

"He killed himself to avoid the council's judgment? Weakling," Tristan hissed.

"No, Tristan. He was staked from behind. It's not possible for him to stake himself that way. The council isn't going to like this," Luther said, shaking his head in worry.

Suddenly, Lana screamed and collapsed to her knees, crying harder. She glanced up at us, her eyes filled with anguish.

"We should go," I said. Everyone started to leave, giving her space to grieve, except Tristan and Torres.

"Let's go, you two!" I shouted at them. They finally followed, lost in their thoughts.

Back at the house, Luther stopped me as I headed to my room. "We're in danger, Aries. Cortez wasn't the killer, and the real one could be watching us right now," Luther's voice was heavy with worry.

"I'm sure we'll find the killer, but for now, we need to report to the council," I said, grimacing at the thought of what lay ahead.

Rene POV

I heard noises outside and Dana and I crept closer, trying to eavesdrop. The conversation was about a dead vampire and a killer on the loose. "Did you hear that, Rene?" Dana whispered. I nodded.

"This is our chance to escape—a perfect distraction," she whispered excitedly. I shook my head, exasperated.

"Dana, you're impossible. You know that?" I spoke.

"What? Look, Rene, these vampires are dangerous. They could kill us at any moment. If they get bored with us, what do you think will happen? We're sitting ducks," Dana argued. She had a point. Who knows? That could happen tomorrow, or even today. I won't lie—I was scared to attempt this, and so was Dana, but she was right. Tristan had almost killed me twice, and if it hadn't been for Aries, I wouldn't be here.

"Alright, I'll listen, but it doesn't mean I'm agreeing," I said reluctantly.

"Fine. Let's keep it between us for now," she whispered back. I looked at her, still unsure.

"Trust me, Rene. We'll tell the others when the time is right," she reassured me. The old maid's words echoed in my mind: 'Be careful who you trust.'