Human Sacrifice

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“I took what you asked for into consideration and I made the most inappropriate outfit for a dinner I could’ve thought of” Katya smiled, handing it to me. I looked at it and laid it out on the bed. “The dress is very short but I kept the sleeves on it to soften the shock a bit. Ripped tights and heels, like you asked” she smiled and I hugged her. “I still don’t see where you get the confidence from Brix; I would never do anything like this”

“But you’re a vampire and you work here, you have to stay within the rules. I however am just being held here until it’s my time to go, so officially no rules apply to me. I told you before, I’m going to make sure they don’t forget me” I smirked, taking the change of outfit to try on to make sure it all fit right.

I looked at myself in the mirror and nodded fast. “Perfect” I smiled. I would gain a nice first impression from the extended family of the royals I lived around. Maybe I could lie about being the mate, that wouldn’t look very good for Scott. Hmm. It would prove that he picked girls who had bad intentions.

“You do realise most of the royal family are extremely set in their ways and unforgiving, they could lock you up for even dressing up like that” she frowned. I knew she wanted me to stay safe but this was my decision. For some strange reason I felt myself at the blame for what happened to mum again. I fell back onto the bed as different thoughts bombarded my mind.

You got her stressed...she would’ve been fine if she didn’t get stressed...Zach’s going to have a breakdown...you’ve left without saying goodbye...you deserve to be killed...you murderer...I hope you’re happy...maybe you should just ask them to kill you

Katya saw that I was frozen and tears were streaming down my face as I mumbled to myself. I must’ve looked like I was having a breakdown, not Zach. Katya didn’t even know why I was crying; nobody knew about my mother here except for Mae and I. Personally, I didn’t want everyone to find out but I know that Mae would’ve told Patrique by now, and he’ll use it against me. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong” she frowned, holding me in a tight hug.

I sobbed into her. “My mom died yesterday”

Even those words felt hard to say. They made me want to choke. The hard shell I’d managed to put around myself had now crumbled and I felt so vulnerable, crying in a vampire’s arms. If she really wanted to she could have killed me right then, but she didn’t; I knew that I could trust her. “I don’t think I can take this all anymore” I sniffed. “I promised Zach I’d be there for him and I’m not”

“You have to stay strong ok, you can’t let anyone see you sad or they’ll use this against you. Just stay strong and I’ll see if I can get you a pass to leave the castle for a day, so you can go and see your brother” Katya smiled. I looked up at her and wiped my eyes. “I’ll use the whole it’s nearly Christmas excuse”

“Thanks” I sniffed, wiping my eyes. She was possibly the only person around here who didn’t want me dead, and Lyle was ok around me as well. If I got into an argument with the other girls he’d stick up for me; I guess that Katya told him to be nice to me. They’d been talking more with each other recently and I guessed it was a good thing, they were brother and sister and all.

“You deserve a chance to see your family, the other girls are used to it here now. Monica and Gwen have to be near Scott and Patrique anyway because if they get a boyfriend then the princes will have to reconsider whether they pick them as their life partners” Katya explained. It was like a cartoon where a light bulb flashed over my head: if I got a boyfriend, then I couldn’t be a back up option and Katya said it’s a dishonour to pick a girl with a boyfriend, so they won’t sacrifice me.

“I’d appreciate it, thanks Katya” I smiled at her. “But now I’d just like to get some sleep”

                                                                                 ***

“Tracie, do you think I’ll ever see Brix again?” Zach sniffed. His face was void of all hope and happiness and it felt like running a marathon just to fake a smile. He appreciated that his girlfriend’s family were so willing to have him stay at their house but his family had fallen apart, and that was the only thing holding him together.

“Of course you will” she sighed, handing him a coffee. He kissed her cheek and sipped the coffee. “Zach you have to be strong, you can’t let this get to you. Mum’s making dinner so it’ll be ready soon, you might want to get some more clothes from your house because the washing’s on and you have no spare clothes” she added, walking into the kitchen to help her mother. Zach knew that Mae had gone too but he didn’t care.

“Honey how’s Zach getting on?” Her mum frowned, stepping away from the stove to find some meat from the fridge. Tracie shrugged and sat at the table with her head in her hands.

“Worried about Brix” she sighed a reply as he walked out to go home. “He doesn’t care that Mae has disappeared too and I don’t know if I can take all of this anymore, I might have to break up with him mum”

“Don’t. You should try to at least work things out first. Your sister disappears a lot anyway and she’ll be home, I promise. She’s probably gone to stay with her dad for a while” her mom replied, kissing Tracie’s forehead. “Zach’s a nice guy, don’t let him get away just over this. It’ll all work out in the end, I promise”

Zach sighed. Tracie didn’t want him around anymore; to him it was obvious, because she’d become more distant. Maybe it’s because he was ‘locked up in his own feelings’. Zach had never had to deal with a death before, a loss yes, but not a death. There was a slim chance he would see his dad again but he would never see his mother. She was laying in a morgue somewhere.

He rooted through the house for any clothes he could find. It seemed lifeless without mom there to clean up or cook, and the distinct smell of cigarette smoke was missing. Now it was just a stale air smell. He sighed and packed it all into a bag quickly, not wanting to spend more time there than he needed to. I swallowed and stood at the door to the house, flashing back to when mom would pick me up from school when I was little, the arguments we’d have on this doorstep.

My hand quivered over the doorbell; even with all my strength and reasoning I couldn’t bring myself to press it. I took a deep breath and instead knocked on the door. Zach jumped and looked through the little peep hole and quickly opened the door. “Zach I-” I stuttered, my sentence cut short by him pulling me into a large hug. I choked softly.

“Brix!” he sobbed into me. I swallowed and rubbed his back with the hand that wasn’t being crushed. “Brix where the hell have you been! I’ve been worried out of my mind!” I opened my mouth to answer but he seemed to ramble on. “Don’t worry, I’m staying with Tracie and Mae’s mother so you can stay with us” he said, gripping my hand. I struggled out of his tight grip and shook my head.

“Zach I’m staying with some...friends. I’m sorry but I’ve moved in with them and I can’t stay with you. If it helps I think you should keep this” I sighed, unclasping the necklace from around my neck: the locket mom had given me that was originally hers. I placed it in his palm and shut his hand over it. He looked up at me confused. “It was mom’s. Keep it” I sighed.

He hugged me tight and it seemed like he was never going to let go, but I pulled away from him. Lyle sighed and pulled me away from Zach. “They’ll realise you’re gone if you spend any more time here” he sighed, pulling me away from Zach. I guess that’s the last time I’m going to see him. He’s a vampire, and he’ll probably see me die. He blinked when he saw the S on my neck and struggled, but Katya held him back.