Married to the Prince of Darkness (COMPLETED)

Chapter 56

The reading room looked like hurricane had torn through it. Books and pages were scattered across the floor from Luc's outburst and the once tidy and welcoming room had lost its charm, and was now mired by the horrible events of tonight. What Luc had done was bad enough, but what Henrietta had told me was even worse. He didn't want me for his queen, he didn't even want me for a wife. He only wanted me to be his personal whore and baby incubator. I cringed inwardly when I remembered what Henrietta had said about being his 'breeder'. It made me feel like a farm animal.

"Come on, Mia, hold it together," I whispered to myself tearfully.

I had to keep going. I had to believe that there was a way out of this mess, and I wasn't going to be trapped in this nightmare forever.

For the rest of the evening I sat by the fire thinking about how I could escape. The fortress was filled with guards, but most of them didn't recognise my face. Even the two guards posted outside my door had never seen me. Perhaps if a nurse or doctor came to visit, I might be able to knock them out and use their clothes as a disguise. However, I doubted that I would be able to navigate the fortress's labyrinth of corridors and rooms. I'd probably get lost and be eventually found by the guards, or even worse Luc.

When the fire had gone out and the first morning rays were shining down on the Port Cressida, I decided to go to bed. There was nothing more I could do, or even think about until I spoke to Henrietta. She seemed to know this fortress better than anybody and she was probably my best bet at getting the hell out of this place. Luc didn't know it yet, but very soon he was going to have to find a replacement breeder.

I went to bed and woke up the next evening alone. I got up and went back to the reading room still in my night dress and began tidying up the bookshelves. The world felt odd, like it was passing me by in a dream-like state. Making myself comfortable on the floor, I started to gather the fallen books into neat stacked piles with the plan of placing them back on the shelves. It was a simple task that took my mind off everything nasty that was happening around me.

A door opened and shut from within the apartment and I suddenly heard Henrietta calling my name. I shouted back to her and moments later she walked into the reading room holding a small parcel covered in black shimmery cloth. Her face was pale and she seemed a little dishevelled, which was odd for a woman who was the personification of sleek elegance.

"Are you okay," I asked her.

"I'm still breathing," she grimaced.

"What happened?" I asked.

She lowered her head and held up the small parcel she was carrying. "I found a way out of this hell," she said.

She then pulled at the corner of the black velvet cloth and very carefully unwrapped whatever was hidden inside of it. I watched her curiously unwinding the cloth until finally something long and silver tumbled out and in her hand. She grabbed it by its intricate jewelled hilt and held it out for me to inspect.

It was a small ornate silver dagger with a wicked sharp blade.

"What is that?" I asked nervously.

"This is our only hope, Mia. This dagger has been imbued with a poison that is deadly to vampires. If we are ever going to be free, then we need to kill our oppressor. Luc will never allow us to be free while he lives. You will always be trapped in this apartment, unless you can find the strength to end this ... and him," she explained placing the dagger carefully in my hand.

I stared at her, half-expecting her to say a punch line and end this bad joke ... but it wasn't joke. She was serious. She was asking me to kill Luc. "Henrietta," I began.