Mine to Claim

Chapter 38

My curiosity makes me take a step in her direction. From the shrug of her shoulders, I presume she is a little shocked by my approach but that doesn't deter me. Taking a few steps forward, I reach her in time to see that she's looking for a way to leave.

"Hey."

We both are shocked by my voice. It sounds strange. Well, it sounds different, a good different perhaps because she relaxes at my greeting.

"Hi."

"What's your name?" I ask a simple question, not wanting to startle her with my burning curiosity.

"Who are you?" she asks in turn, making me frown at her. I thought she might know me, or perhaps at least have an idea about me. I am a prisoner here and she looks like the princess of this castle.

Her red eyes are a clear giveaway to her vampiric heritage. She appears to be some vampire royalty with the elegant stance of her body. Her blond hair falls in heavy curls around her breasts and down to her waist. Her robe is clutched around her body but is open at the collar, hinting at her pale skin.

"I am Nikita," I whisper, a little apprehensive about disclosing my name to her but then she appears harmless. She's clueless about my presence here. At least that is what I can make out.

Her mind is blank as if it is covered by something, covering her memories from herself and the outside world. She looks clueless because she is. She doesn't know why she is here but she does recognise this place.

She doesn't know me; I conclude from the blank look in her eyes. Perhaps I can use her cluelessness to know if I have any chance of getting out of this place.

"Do you know what is this place called?" I ask, tentatively digging deeper into her mind. She clutches her mind with one hand and uses the other to steady herself against the wall. I do not go near her, refraining from being in her personal space. It might give her leverage above me.

"It's my home. I lived here," she says as if trying to remember more details about this place. She lived here.

She doesn't live here anymore? Not wanting to point out her little slip-up, I brush past that thin veil in her mind, the one that has kept her memory concealed from herself and the world.

Immediately, a man's face appears in front of me. It's inside her mind, from the memory, and it appears that this man is of some importance to her. It's odd that the man looks so familiar. His red eyes and that dark hair. I have seen him somewhere or perhaps he resembles someone that I have met.

But who?

"Oh! Did you live here? May I know your name?" I ask her, wanting to keep her busy as I delve deeper into her mind. This might be the first time ever that I am making a conversation with someone but I need to put my fear aside to help myself.

Or I might end up being at Wulfric's mercy once again. It's a fate that I dread the most. More than being lonely.

"Anya. Why do you want to know my name? And who are you? What do you want? How did you come here?" she fires those questions at me, her gaze now alert as she takes in my cloak-covered appearance.

Perhaps me entering and unveiling her memories has made her alert to my presence in her mind. That's not so good for my escape plan.

"I was brought here. I don't know why. Could you perhaps help me with who might have brought me here?"

I know my question might confuse her. She looks clueless. Innocent even. It's impossible for her to be involved in whatever Wulfric has planned. But perhaps I could get her help in knowing where he is. I might catch him off-guard. That would be wonderful.