There in that dark dungeon just below Serena's mansion, we hung by thick chains. The young girl thrown into the room with us continued to cry and pout for her mother, father, anyone who could help.
Lucious tugged on the chains with all his might. He struggled breathlessly, but I didn't think he could break himself out until I heard a part of the chain buckle under his weight. The ceiling crumbled down and after the long struggle, Lucious was finally free.
I awed in amazement at his strength. I never knew he possessed such sheer power, yet now he finally revealed it.
Maybe it was a just a wave of adrenaline?
The girl who was in the corner crying was now blocking her head from falling debris. She whimpered and whined as she brushed herself off.
He pulled the chains away from his hands and dropped them to the ground. He then took a couple steps up to me. Staring me straight in the eyes, he wrapped his arms around my neck.
“You're not my servant, Mikael. I truly want to help you.”
I stood there silent.
Don't tell me he has some sick obsession with blood just like his maker?
Finally, he yanked on my chains and quickly they, too, fell to the floor. The keys to the cuffs were haplessly thrown to the floor to tease us, and Lucious grabbed them to unlock the cuffs from our wrists. The chains came off in a clank to the floor.
But I still didn't believe him. In frustration, I grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him firmly to the wall.
“Don't bullshit me, Lucious!”
“Shhh, quiet. I'm not. I can help you, damn it!”
Lucious pushed me aside and looked at the girl who was still crouched in the corner. She coward to his advances as he stalked over to her. He grabbed her hair to force her up to her feet, immediately biting down on her neck.
I couldn't stand to watch as my hunger boiled to the very thought.
Again, not allowed to feed.
When he was done, he turned to the barred door and quietly pried the entire door away from its lock. Once it was unlocked, the door easily swung open.
Again, I stood in awe at his strength.
Perhaps it wasn't adrenaline. Perhaps has he always been this powerful?
“Come on.” He motioned toward me.
We quietly walked out into the hallway and up the stairs where the lights were barely dim enough for any normal human to see their way out.
Lucious glanced around making sure no one was around but the castle seemed empty. He knew his way around the castle quite easily, so he motioned to me to follow him out the door.
But only a few steps outside, we heard a menacing voice. Sebastian was sitting on the balcony, looking straight down at us.
“And where perhaps are you two going?”
Lucious froze in place. “Just... thought we'd take a stroll,” he answered.
Sebastian stood up off his chair and hopped up on the balcony's railing. Lucious's silver eyes glared over as Sebastian jumped.
“I don't think so, Lucious!” He landed in front of us.
“We're not escaping, if that's what you think.”
“Oh? Where are you going, then?” Sebastian wondered.
Lucious stood there for a moment trying to muster up the best excuse he could think of. Sebastian grew impatient with him and began to stomp his feet.
“Too late. I'm not waiting for you to make another pitiful excuse!”
“Look, this is crazy, Sebastian.” Lucious sputtered. “Leave her, she's got you following her every command. Wouldn't you like to live by your own terms?”
“No! I'm doing fine really.” Sebastian folded his arms across his chest.
“But listen, if you leave Serena, you could do as you please.”
Is he trying to persuade Sebastian or just make excuses for us to escape?
“Hold it!” Serena's voice came echoing out of the darkness. “I never said you could leave, Lucious.”
“What about the other one?” Sebastian turned toward her as she stepped out into the moon's pale illumination.
Serena quietly stood there staring over at me. “If you wish, you may leave, Mikael. But not Lucious... as I rightfully own him.”
Lucious dropped his arms to his sides and lowered his head.
“He's not your pet!” I protested.
“Aww, but you are wrong. Didn't Lucious explain the purpose of a blood bond to you?” she wondered.
Yes he did, but...
“A blood bond between human and vampire is much stronger. Once the human agrees to the bond, it never expires. My chains wrap around him for eternity. They are never to be severed.” She giggled.
“Yes, ma'am.” Lucious sighed.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was he giving in to her?
He knelt and lowered his head in submission to her. If only I could see his eyes at that moment... Is he serious?
“Maybe I was too harsh on you, Leo.” She placed her hand upon his head as if she was comforting a child.
I stood in amazement, but I also felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness come over me again.
“Please, call me Lucious now,” he reminded her quietly.
“Of course, if you stay with me, I will forever address you as Lucious.” She pet his long, white hair. “Now, go back to the castle.”
She reached down and lifted his chin until their eyes met. Then, I watched as she gently kissed him on the lips. Utter despair waved over me as I watched him stand up and walk back to the castle, his eyes never even attempting to glance back at me.
Once Lucious was in the shadows, Serena turned to address me with a dark expression on her face.
“I can't have a servant who owns a slave of his own.” I shivered at her words. “Sebastian, kill him!”
“Yes, my lady.”
He swung at me with sharp claws, trying his best to wound me but I jumped out of the way just in time. However, just as I thought I was free, Sebastian grabbed my neck, choking and pushing me to the ground.
I laid there trying to struggle free from his grasp however his power was much stronger than mine and I couldn't seem to budge him. With my hunger boiling deep within and the pressure I took while being captured, I couldn't muster up the force to push him away.
Could Lucious not hear the quarrel taking place?
A gut-wrenching pain came next. Sebastian leaned in, his claws digging deep into my chest. “No offense. I'm just doing my job.” He laughed as he twisted his hand further into my flesh.
Serena's face came to me just then. With an evil grin, she took hold of Sebastian's arm and yanked it out of my wound. An overflow of blood poured from my chest. She quietly licked his claws, her grin becoming more a smile.
“Mmm... that's the sweet taste of denial I so love.” She laughed.
I laid there watching the world spin before me. I heard the two laugh but my vision started to blur to the point I did not see them leave.
The trees and sky circled in front of my eyes as their colors began to intertwine blue over green. Soon the stars became mixed up in the performance, using their sparkle like a disco ball to light up the spot where I lay.
I tried to reach my arm over to my wound but my body renounced me as it went limp, useless. Was I to die here?
I fought to lift my head up from the ground, trying to focus in on the entrance of the castle. A shadow there peaked my interest. As I squinted to see the one creating it, Lucious's face came quickly into my mind. Why is he not helping?
