The Vampire King’s Captive

MARIA

It had been a week since she’d been here and all Ariti’s attempts to get the collar off her have been futile.

His frustration increased each time and after the last try, he’d backhanded her out of anger, looking away as she’d collided against the wall and fallen to the ground. The amount of strength he had in that his small frame never failed to amaze her every single time he wielded it on her.

The strength of an immortal came with age, and by that rule, the longer an immortal lived, the stronger they got, irrespective of their species.

Ariti was over a thousand years old. Therefore, he was a thousand times stronger than the average Sorceri.

It was there, in that moment when she’d been lying on the cold floor of the court-room, the court-room where she’d once been the one torturing people and not the other way round, that she made up her mind that she was going to escape.

It seemed an impossible feat and unlike before where she’d been careful in order not to get caught, this time she didn’t care. She didn’t care if she got injured or killed while trying to escape because she didn’t have anything left. She had absolutely no-one.

Was dying not a better option than living from one cell to another? Was it not better than forever living in bondage?

Because deep inside her heart she knew that if Ariti somehow found a way to get that collar off her, she was going to go back to doing all his dirty work for him. Killing and torturing innocent people, soiling her name even more than it already was.

And she didn’t want to go back to doing that. She didn’t want to go back to that life.

Before, she’d killed those people because she had to, tortured them because she wanted to protect the one thing she valued more. But not anymore. Now, she understood that her actions had consequences. Irreversible and unsalvageable ones.

And meeting Corey and the girl in the next cell had made her realize that.

Her heart was heavy from the number of deaths she’d caused and she could barely breathe through the pressure in her chest.

The death of Corey’s mate still haunted her even in her sleep. She just couldn’t bear the thought that she’d sentenced the man to a life without his mate, which was a fate worse than death. And everytime she thought about him finally deciding that he’d suffered enough and wanted to take his life, a sharp pain lanced through her chest.

Then there was the vampire’s sister.

She’d also taken from the girl. Taken her parents from her and her freedom as well. She’d taken so much that the girl couldn’t even find it in her to want to leave this godsforsaken place because she thought she had nothing waiting for her on the other side.

When Maria had found out who she was, she’d wanted to tell her that her brother was fighting ruthlessly to get her back, that he was going out of his way and doing everything he could. But that would only mean exposing her identity and she couldn’t do that.

She felt guilty as hell for speaking to the girl, acting like a good person when really, she was the cause of the girl’s suffering but she just couldn’t tell her who she was. She’d reduced their interaction, thinking that it would help, but it only made Maria feel worse because she was holding back from talking to a girl she genuinely liked due to what she’d done to said girl.

She was hurting and drowning in regret. She had to leave and a small part of her hoped that she’d die in the process. She’d rather be dead than keep watching the one thing she valued most in the worlds suffer. At least then she’d be free from the ache she constantly carried in her heart.

At least then she would stop feeling.

Maria’s hands shook with hunger as she sharpened the wood she’d cut off from the edge of the bench.

She’d requested for a knife along with slice of bread they’d given to her today. The guard had been a bit hesitant, refusing to grant her request, but then she reminded him that Ariti had ordered him to give her anything she wanted as long as she stayed inside her cell and he’d complied-albeit grudgingly.

She hacked at the piece of wood until it’s tip formed a sharp point that when put under pressure, could penetrate the skin.

Perfect.

Her plan was to come up with something that would make the guard come closer, then she would shove the weapon into his neck as far as it would go. Then, she would collect the set of keys from his belt loop, unlock her cell and unlock the girl’s cell too. She was not going to escape without her.

That, Maria knew.

She kept the blade carefully hidden by her dress and sat on the bench, resting her back against the wall.

Immediately, she thought about the girl. It was mostly when they talked that Maria sat like this, wishing that the wall wasn’t between them so that they would see each other.

All the times the guards have come for her to drag her to the courtroom, they always had a bag over her head and only took it off when they’d reached the court-room, making it impossible for her to see the girl. She believed that they did it deliberately.