Deadly Ends (Book #4)

Chapter Twenty- Nine

Christine entered my room, with Annabeth at her side, surprising me.

Annabeth placed a tray down beside me, holding two goblets of blood and a small pitcher next to it.

She nodded at Christine, who nodded back and exited the room, confusing me.

Annabeth sat down next to me on the bed and handed me one of the goblets.

"I cannot be lectured by you at the moment" I said, taking the drink.

She shook her head "I am not here to lecture, but to instead see how you are doing"

I was surprised by her intention, leaving me more curious over what was going on.

Instead I shook my head, almost amused as I brought the goblet to my lips, taking a drink "This is not a discussion I would choose to have with you, Annabeth"

Annabeth nodded "I understand and I am not here to cause any problems for you" she set her goblet down "What did they do to you?"

I was caught off guard by her question and was unsure of how to answer it.

"They did nothing" I said, setting the drink down.

She shook her head and took my arm, pulling up my sleeve, revealing bite marks.

I pulled my arm away, pulling the sleeve down.

"Did Killian ever tell you about my life before I was a vampire?" she asked.

I shook my head and she nodded.

"Of course he did not; he was only interested in subjects that related to him" she said, before taking a long drink "I was turned in the year 1641, at the hands of my mother"

"How could a mother do that?" I asked, surprised.

"My mother ran a brothel and she forced me to submit to myself to any man willing to pay, at the age of twelve, when I first bled, because that meant I was no longer a child to her"

"Why didn't you just leave?" I asked.

She shook her head "My mother knew how to violate my mind and manipulate me into staying, despite how miserable I was. She was incredibly abusive, not just to me but all of her workers" she swallowed "Men can have sick fantasies and my mother had no boundaries for right and wrong, so as long as they had money, they could do anything" she looked down "I had to do things that still haunt me to this day"

"How old were you when you finally turned?" I asked.

"Even though my mother was getting much older, she still managed to keep me there until my thirty- second year" she finished her drink "I was turned by a man who could not stop talking about my eyes and when I realized what I now was and all that I had already lost along with anything I could have in the future, I blamed my mother"

"If it weren't for her, you would have stayed human" I commented.

She shook her head "You cannot predict these things, but when I realized my power, I killed my mother and burned that brothel to the ground" she stared at me "I did not turn cold, because I was a vampire, instead my mother turned me cold and I never learned how to get past it" she nodded to me "I am now noticing that same coldness in you and I want to prevent it from taking over you, as it has with me"

"I am not turning cold, Annabeth" I insisted.

She scoffed "Men abused me and left their own marks on me for sexual enjoyment and I grew numb during it"

I slowly pulled my sleeve up a little, looking at one of the bite marks, but I quickly pulled it back down.

"I do not know how to get through this without losing myself in the process" I admitted.

"You need to find a way; because as much as you annoy me, this coalition needs you" she stood, still holding her empty goblet "They can only control you as long as you let them"

I watched her leave and I looked down at my drink, feeling sick to my stomach over the conversation and I set it down, unsure of how to feel now.