Blood Vengeance [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-Six - It's in the Blood

Selene could hear Arthur pacing out in the bedroom whilst she got dressed. Her skin was warm and whenever she dried it with a towel, beads of sweat seemed to rise up to replace the lost moisture. The dress she chose stuck to her skin, and she found herself wishing there was a window in the dressing room, so she could open it and stand in the breeze.

She hadn't been outside for days now, and she missed it. The air was stale here; less so in the bedroom due to the window, but elsewhere there was no freshness. The mere realisation made Selene's throat close up and caused her to cough.

"Are you alright?" His voice came from nearby, as though he had pressed himself against the door, his mouth close to the wood.

"Yes."

"What's taking so long?"

"It's too hot in here."

"You have to hurry. It's the big event tonight."

Selene moved to the door despite the fact that her dress was only fixed over one shoulder, and pulled it open. Arthur stood, as she had expected, right in front of her.

"What big event?" she asked, her eyes narrow as she inspected his face for clues.

"Let me help you," he said, stepping behind her and gently extricating the dress from her damp skin, pulling it over her bare shoulder and fastening it at the back.

Selene knew he was being evasive. "What event?" she asked, twisting to face him once he had secured her dress.

Arthur looked at the floor and pursed his lips, before bring dark eyes to stare at her, sparkling with mischief and excitement.

"I present my new mistress."

Selene said nothing, unsure as to where he was heading with this, but her heart beat rapidly, hoping he meant her.

"I only keep a particular mistress for a few weeks, and when I choose the successor I host a fabulous evening event to celebrate the new woman." He took her hand in his and kissed it, never ceasing to hold her gaze.

"Who will it be?"

"Don't be coy, Zero. You, of course." Selene felt the colour rise to her cheeks.

"And what happens to Cecily?"

"Well," he said, interlacing his fingers and flexing them, focusing on his hands.

His hesitation made Selene uneasy, and she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"She's thrown into the ring, and the other Vampires can do whatever they want with her, as long as she doesn't leave the room."

Selene stepped away. "You mean, they kill her?" Pure horror peeled her eyes wide open.

"Mostly they end up dead. But only after everyone has had their fun with them. They're of no use to me afterwards, so I let the others play."

"That's horrific. Is that what you'll do with me in six weeks' time?" she asked, moving further from him, creating distance between them.

But a second later Arthur was before her again, a strong arm about her waist.

"You forget, Zero," he whispered, his free hand tangled in her hair, his mouth trembling about her ear as he spoke. "That you probably won't even last six weeks."

The rush she felt at his proximity surprised her. He spoke of her own death, and yet it still had her body desperate for his touch. Somewhere deep in her mind she knew something was fundamentally wrong with how she felt, but she couldn't quite see what it was.