Slave of Froize: A Froize Trilogy Novel Page 3

  "No, Master, I have just come back in from the field."

  "What?" With that, the double doors to my right burst open. Before they could swing back, Davorin was already in my face, fangs gleaming from the candlelight around the room. My feet no longer touching the floor, air trapped in my mouth, not making it to my lungs as it should. His beady eyes were boring into mine.

  I tried to answer him, but his grip on my throat had stopped my voice from making its way out.

  "You’ve had all day, you insolent waste of space!" He squeezed harder, maybe to get his point of across. He didn't need to, I understood. I was moving too slow for him. Part of me wanted to bring my knee up toward his groin, hoping it would be enough to get him to release me. But even in my oxygen-deprived state, I knew that was a bad idea. I had to submit. I let my body go lax, fully prepared to pass out. He must have realized how close I was because, at that moment, he released me, my body falling to the ground awkwardly.

  I coughed and dragged air into my lungs, eyes watering from the effort.

  "I swear on everything that I am mutt if you don't have this cleaned up by the next time I come through this corridor, one day without food will be the least of your worries." He picked his foot up slightly and tapped me in the midsection. It was a small movement but enough to break several bones. I screamed in pain for a second but then tried to stifle it by biting my lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing me in pain.

  He looked down his nose at me, clearly disgusted, and spat on my hand. I quickly wiped my hand on the floor, doing everything to get the acidic spit off my skin. I kept my eyes down, feeling my body rebel with every inhale.

  I waited until he was out of the main room and rolled onto my back. How would I get through this? I closed my eyes and saw my mother's beautiful face in my mind, her fear, and then finally her end. Like always, it gave me the strength to move. Slowly and carefully, I raised myself off the floor, slightly slouched, and protecting my ribs, I began to clean.

  Chapter 3

  I laid on the floor, listening to the nothingness around me. I’d spent so long in this cell, I could tell every creak, drip, and every sniffle from those around me. Tonight was no different. After eighteen hours of labor, we were allowed to rest for the night and gather our strength for the next day. It was at these times I was the most alone. When I knew that tomorrow would be the same as yesterday.

  "How can I continue, when all I want is for it to end?" I whispered. Sometimes I needed to hear a pep talk, and tonight was one of those nights.

  I shook my head, trying to force the pity from my words, pity would get me nowhere. No, I just had to bide my time. I knew that one day I would be free.

  *Schwoooo*

  I turned my head toward the sound. What was that?

  *Schwoooo*

  The sound was becoming louder, and I moved to stand quietly beneath the window. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear noises. What was it?

  Then again.

  *Schwoooo*

  This time followed by a large thump. I moved back from the wall. We were under attack. I’d heard no sirens, no footfalls, nothing. They didn’t know. I would be damned if I was taken from one master to be given to another one. No, something had to be done. I didn’t want to warn the bastards, but I wanted to live. I had one option, I had to tell someone.

  I quickly moved to my sleeping pallet, digging behind the stones I retrieved my makeshift key. I’d made this key years ago as part of my plan to flee, and told myself I would use it one day, not knowing that today would be that day.

  I pushed the key into the lock and pulling upwards I was able to pop the door open. Moving quietly, I made my way down the hall.

  "Laramie!" A soft hiss stopped me in my tracks, and I turned toward the cell it came from.

  "Steve?" I looked into the pitch-black cell, spotting him as he moved toward the light.

  “What do you think that you are doing? Where are you going?"

  "Steve, I think we’re under attack! I have to let them know what’s happening." I heard the panic in my voice and made a mental note to get my emotions under control.

  "Let them know? Why would you warn them?" He asked me with clear disapproval in his voice.

  "I'd rather stay here with the devil I know than be taken and auctioned off to someone I don’t." I walked closer to his cell and placed my makeshift key into the keyhole of Steve’s cell door, "Here, let me get you out of there."

  He grabbed my hand and threw it back, "Don't you dare fool. What do you think they will do when they find out that you’re out of your cell? Do you think they will welcome you with open arms? Don’t be dim girl, go back into your cell and sleep like the rest of us" He glared at me a little longer and then receded into the shadows of his cell.

  He was right; they would probably kill me before I could explain to them we were under attack. I had no choice, I had to press on.

  I walked quickly, trying to make it to Davorin's quarters. I knocked lightly, sweat coating my palms and the back of my neck. How would I explain this before he killed me? I should just leave, I should just..

  "Slave!"

  Before I could turn to see who was calling me, my head bounced violently off the hard wooden door. My vision blurred, and my head spun. I closed my eyes and tried to gather my bearings.

  I heard the hiss as he lowered his mouth to drink from me.

  "Wait, wait! I’m here to warn you!" This stopped my captor in their tracks. He spun me around, causing the back of my head to hit the door equally as violently.

  "Speak quickly." His eyes never left my neck, obviously watching the blood pump through the veins.

  "I heard something outside my cell window." I realized then that I really didn’t know what I’d heard and really couldn’t explain it. "It sounded like bodies falling." I hoped this would be enough to get him to take me seriously.

  "Is that so?" Finally, his eyes darted to my face as he pulled my head down using my hair.

  "Yes," I said through a grimace.

  "Who is your master, slave?"

  Hell, this was not going to end well for me. "Davorin, Davorin is my master," I replied, the words dripping with venom of my own.

  He chuckled as he began to walk in the opposite direction, not bothered by the fact his hand still had a considerable portion of my hair. I followed him as quickly as I could, but it was nowhere near fast enough. I fell several times as he dragged me through the halls. I grabbed at his hand, desperate to keep the pain from radiating through my scalp with every unsteady step. The blood was now trickling from the small cuts on my knees and shins. These floors were not forgiving. I felt my heart beat harder and harder as I realized we were getting deeper into the castle. I know from all my years here, the deeper you go, the worse things get. I could hear the party, and my stomach clenched. They were feasting, and when they feasted, there was one main course; us.

  I tried to keep my wits about me, I knew I would only have a few moments to get my point across, and that might not even be enough to keep them from killing me and having me for dessert. This now seemed like a terrible idea. I should have stayed put as Steve had suggested.

  I looked forward toward the door; a bright light poured from the slit under it. We burst through, the guard towing me behind him. The noise seemed to amplify with every step we took.

  "Davorin!" My captor bellowed, causing the room to quiet down significantly. "You may want to keep a better leash on your slaves." He flung me in front of him in view of everyone in the room. I looked around through squinted eyes. Davorin's eyes bulged, and his face seemed to redden if that was even possible. He pushed the slave he was draining from his lap and stood. All eyes were now on him, waiting to see what he’d do.

  "Wait, please just listen to me," I knew I had seconds to let him know what I suspected was happening, "we are being-" The blow to my stomach was enough to cause me to fall to the ground, unable to catch my breath.

  "Keeping you was a mistake. You
’ve been nothing but trouble, but it’s not a mistake I will have to live with any longer."

  "Wait!" Gasp, "Under.." Gasp, "attack!" I said as loudly as I could, but everyone was already cheering him on as he lifted me from the floor with one arm and pulled my head around.

  "We are under...attack." I said again as I waited for my end. At least I would be free from this torturous life.

  "Halt!"

  I could feel the chill of Davorin's breath on my neck, the acid of his bubbling venom audible to even my ears. But his Prince gave the order to stop and just like that he did.

  "My Prince, you don't need to worry yourself with this slave girl, she will be gone shortly. She is a bigger pain than she is useful."

  He was flung back, the prince now standing where Davorin once was, his back to me snarling at my master. "If you ever question my word again, it will be you on the rack!"

  "My lord," Davorin stayed on the ground, now in a more respectful position of kneeling.

  The prince slowly turned toward me, and I made sure to keep my eyes down. This was not the time for wit and testing the limits; this was the time for survival.

  "Speak," Prince Jett spat in my direction.

  "I think... I mean..." I couldn't seem to get the words out of my mouth, out of all the times for me to stumble over my words now wasn't the best time. I could see the prince becoming more and more annoyed.

  He put his cold hand under my chin and pulled my face up, forcing my eyes to find his. The determination and fire were undeniable. What had he seen to make him like this, I wondered. "I will ask you one final time. If I do not hear something worth all this ruckus, I will leave you to Davorin to punish as he sees fit! Now speak!"

  "I think we are under attack."

  There was no sound, and as if a bough broke, laughter permeated the air. Not polite, blessed laugher but loud, obnoxious laughter. I cringed as the sound clawed at my ears.

  "The nerve.."

  "She's crazy.."

  "What kind of torture do you think Davorin will.."

  Of course, no one believed me. I looked around, noticing there were no windows down here and no way for them to hear what I’d heard in my room. Of course, they didn't realize the danger. I squared my shoulders and looked the prince in the eye. He had to know I was serious.

  "My liege, please listen to me, the castle is being attacked." I pleaded with him through my eyes. Hoping he was as smart as I wanted him to be and at least willing to check.

  "What we need to be worried about is how this frail bitch got out of her cell." One of the guards off to the side spoke when a portion of the laughter had subsided.

  "No," I raised my voice, never taking my eyes off of the prince. He’d not said anything, but he still hadn’t ordered me punished, "There is someone on the island. I heard it."

  Another of the privileged walked toward us, blood still dripping on his shirt. "My Prince, let us go back to the festivities and allow Davorin to handle this nuisance."

  "He will do no such thing." The prince turned from me and looked to one of the guards at his side. "You, go check this out and report back to me at once." Prince Jett turned back to me, "Where did you hear this so-called attack happening?"

  "Near the south wall, by the water," I responded immediately. He turned back to the guard and with a nod of his head sent him on his way.

  "My lord, surely you can't believe this-" One of the high priests said from across the room.

  "Know your place!" The words screamed from the Prince’s mouth, "How unwise of us, to ignore a warning even if it does come from an unlikely source." He looked again over his subjects. Walking toward his throne, he stepped over the pile of dead women and sat as if nothing had happened. "No, its best we check out the alleged attack than being caught unawares because we didn't want to listen to a slave woman."

  I kept my eyes on the prince until another snarl broke my trance. "Mind yourself, girl. Let's not add more offenses to your list, shall we?" Davorin was behind me, squeezing my arm until there was no blood flow.

  I took a few steps back, praying that I’d heard what I thought I had. No matter what the outcome, maybe if there were an attack, they wouldn't drain me dry and leave me to rot like they would with this pile of women. I lowered my eyes and followed my master to the wall, waiting impatiently for the guard to come back.

  It seemed like forever. All eyes were trained on me, licking their lips, just waiting to be able to get to me. Waiting and wishing. Finally, a new sound pushed its way through the silence.

  *BONG BONG BONG*

  The war bell. I was right, I sagged visibly at the sound. Even though this meant there was an attack, it was also proof I wasn’t lying. Now there was a whole other set of troubles for me to worry about.

  "Everyone to their stations, NOW!" The prince jumped from his chair, barking orders at everyone. The women scattered. Bodies of the dead kicked every which way as guards and priests exited the room for their posts. I ran searching for survivors, begging them to follow me. This was not a place for us, and we had to get out of the way.

  I spied one hiding under a table; she would never survive.

  "Come!" I put my hand out, practically dragging her from her hiding space. Slowly, more of the human captives began to follow me. "Stay close to the walls and hold each other's hands." I screamed at them as I began to walk out, "Form a chain, so no one gets lost!" I kept as close to the wall as I could making sure to stay out of the way. All the vampires were moving at top speeds, and they weren’t remotely paying attention to us, one bump from them could crush our bodies without them even meaning to. We had to make sure that we were out of the way.

  "Stay close!" I screamed. Once we got out of the main hall, I picked up the pace to a slight jog. My limp causing the pavement to come at an uneven pace. I pulled them all toward a higher level, trying to make our way to the library. It would be deserted now in the middle of a fight, but it was one of the safest places for us. The walls were fireproof, the doors were able to be bolted from the inside, and there were access panels in the walls in case we needed to make another escape.

  "Stay together." I looked toward them, at least a dozen slaves followed me, mostly women, "Is anyone hurt?" I eyed one girl who was holding her wrist, blood still flowing. The wound wasn’t closing due to the vampire venom.

  "It won't stop bleeding."

  "It's because you've been bitten." I said to her, knowing there was nothing I could do for her. In a few hours, she would turn. She would scream and die in agony, then awaken a bloodthirsty demon.

  Tears streamed down her face, unchecked, "No, maybe it won't happen. Maybe... maybe it didn't take."

  "I’m sorry, but you’re already changing," I replied with as much compassion as I could muster. Opening her mouth, she let out a small pained wail, more out of disbelief then out of pain. I watched as her once yellow teeth slowly become more and more translucent, the enamel being stripped away by the acid in the venom beginning to pool in her mouth.

  "No, no, I can't become like them, I won't! I won't die here!" She screamed, jumping to her feet, much faster than she should have been able to. It was amazing how quickly certain aspects of the change took hold.

  I put my hands out toward her, once I realized what she was going to do, but she was already too quick. She ran toward the doors and, with no effort, unbolted the lock and ran through them. I looked back toward the eleven or so humans remaining in the library, fear etched on every one of their faces. "I have to go after her; she shouldn't be alone now." I knew from past experiences that the change was one of the scariest things any human could go through. Usually, a sire was there to reassure and guide the newly born vampire. I know I didn't sire her, but I didn't want her to have to go through this alone.

  "No! You can't leave us!" One of them screamed. I think her name was Maritza.

  "I will be back as soon as I can, just stay in here. Do not try and escape the castle; there’s nothing out there but water and trees." I looked a
t them, knowing they would heed my warning; they were far too scared to stand, let alone try and run away.

  I hobbled toward the door, my leg paining me. With great effort, I was able to open the door slightly and make my way out. Again I stayed close to the walls, leaving a clear path in case any vampire decided now was the ideal time to run through, I didn't want to be trampled.

  "Hey!" I yelled, "Where are you?" I continued to move slowly, hoping to see her hunkered down somewhere.

  *CLANG*

  Loud banging and the shrill sound of metal against metal floated through the air. There was a full-scale battle outside, the grunts and snarls coming from what seemed like right above me. A loud, "ATTACK!" echoed through the hall. The thuds of heavy objects hitting hard against each other and the crispness of metal striking metal vibrated through my ears.