Married to the Prince of Darkness (COMPLETED)

Chapter 34b

Tick...tock.

Tick...tock.

Tick...tock.

Heavy mechanical ticking echoed through my mind and I felt the veil of unconsciousness lifting. Sensation started to return to my limbs and I started to register small pieces of information. I was lying on my back with a heavy blanket on top of me that was pulled up to my chin. Sleepily I pushed the blanket away from me and opened my eyes.

I was disorientated, tired and completely at lost as to where I was. The room was unfamiliar bathed in reddish amber glow that came from a fire place at the far side of the room. In the dull light I could see that the room was highly furnished with large pieces of mahogany antique furniture, large oil paintings landscapes and portraits, as well as tapestries with royal crescents on and family trees. It was beautiful but felt out of place in this time and era.

I sitting up in bed I lifted my arm and noticed it was attached to something. A blue IV needle was stuck into my arm and attached to it was a tube that was feeding me blood from a large IV bag that was hooked up to a metal drip stand next to my bed.

Was I ill?

Suddenly a wave of nauseous hit me and I rolled over on to my side and began dry heaving violently. Nothing came up and the pain in my stomach subsided, but an aching in my head started to grow. I rolled back and rested my head on the cold pillow and tried to remember how I got here.

I remembered the dream about Celia and the restaurant dinner with Luc but everything else was hazy. How I got to this room, and how I ended up with an IV transfusion in my arm was a mystery. When I tried to recall anything the pain in my head grew worse to the point it was unbearable. I wanted to cry I was in so much pain.

The large antique clock above the mantel let out a loud chime and I accidentally screamed in fright. Before I could curse myself or the clock, the door of the room swung open and Nico rushed in.

"Mia?" He said in a worried voice.

"Nico," I said weakly lifting my head from the pillow, "Where am I?"

Nico moved across the room and crouched down next to me, "You are in the castle keep outside the palace." He explained.

"Where is Luc?" I asked.

Nico hesitated and replied, "Luc isn't here. He is out chasing Casper."

"I don't understand." I said sitting up.

Why wasn't Luc here with me?

How could he leave me all alone in this strange place?

"Mia lie back down," Nico said pushing me gently back against the pillows, "You have been asleep for nearly a week. You have been very ill."

"I have." I said shocked by the length of time I had been asleep for.

"I am sorry Mia," Nico suddenly said, "I didn't know your condition- none of us did."

The look in his face made me think I was dying. Panic swept over me and I grabbed a fistful of Nico's shirt and demanded to know, "What do you mean? What kind of condition?"

Nico went to answer but stopped as someone else walked into the room.

I looked over Nico's shoulder and saw a man who had the same height and coloring of Luc, but he was much leaner looking than Luc. His face was narrow and had a strange waxy complexion about it, as if it had wasted away with years of worry or disease. Behind him another figure appeared, someone whom I recognised- Henrietta.

Henrietta smiled sympathetically at me, but quickly shrunk back into the shadows when the man, who I had deduced was none other than the vampire King himself, shot her a scathing look. Henrietta lowered her gazed and disappeared out of the room while King Louis studied Nico and I.