Darkest Blood

Chapter Ten

A flicker in the light pulled me away from the dark. Someone was grunting next to me. Something hot touched my forehead. Was it a hand?

"Penny?" the voice was familiar.

I tried to open my eyes, but I saw nothing.

"It's okay, Pen, I'll protect you," the voice breathed heavily before a thump hinted that whoever had talked had collapsed on the ground next to me.

The dark overtook me once again

*****

The next time the light showed itself, I could open my eyes.

A flickering candle was the only light source around. I seemed to be in an old-school type of cell. The air was stuffy and smelled rotten. The walls seemed damp. I looked around. I seemed to be in an old creaky bed. Other than that, there wasn't much to the small cell. I pulled myself into a sitting position, grabbing my throbbing head. On the ground next to me something... Someone was laying.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I suddenly recognized the light hair, that usually was a mess of dreadlocks and curls. The hair was just a mess now. Sam's clothes were torn and the skin, I could see from my position, was printed with a pattern of blue, black and purple marks as well as some cuts.

"S..." I tried to talk without luck. I coughed. "Sam?"

She reacted to my voice, moving her head to look at me. She had a big bruise across her right eye and a big cut on the upper lip. I slumped down from the bed to her, ignoring my banging head.

"What happened?" I took her face in my hands, not really believing she was here in front of me.

"Penny," Sam's voice was barely a whisper as I pulled her into a hug.

"You need to get out."

She pulled away from me, her blue eyes were dark with worry.

"He only took me to get to you."

I took her hand.

"I'll try to, Sam, I will. But not without you," I said helping Sam to sit up in a better position. She shook her head.

"You don't get it, Pen, Liam needs you for some kind of ritual. I don't know what exactly, but he talks with the faeries about it," Sam said. A cold hand clutched my insides, making me shiver. I shook it of me.

"We'll figure something out Sam, I won't allow Liam to kill any more people," I said. Sam shivered; her eyes went blank.

"Oh Penny," Sam took her head in her hands, "If only it was the killing."

Sam looked up. a tear was making its way down her cheek.

"Some time ago, I don't know how long. Days? Months?... Liam got into a nightclub in Toronto. He enslaves the people Penny. He makes them fear him and he enjoys it."

I fell backward, missing a breath as the hand tightened its clutch. I knew Liam had captured a lot of people in Toronto. I hadn't dared to imagine why. I blinked trying to focus.

"What about Julia?" I asked, afraid of what Sam could tell me of my cousin otherwise. Sam looked up, she almost let out a laugh, though a flinch made her decide against it.

"Julia's not okay. She was mad bringing Liam back to life. Not just with sorrow or longing. She is mad. As in completely utterly mad," Sam sighed, "She tries to hide it, but I fear there's something very wrong with her mentally."

I shrugged, didn't sound weird for a murderer to me. Sam looked at me, she rose an eyebrow, before leaning slightly forward.

"It's serious Penny. Liam doesn't care much for her, she is left without anything to hold on to. She is mad, like mentally ill mad."