Chapter 14

Darci was already awake and sitting up when the door to her cell opened, metal grinding against metal with a painful chalkboard screech. The faint glow of candlelight from the corridor was such a change from the pitch black of the room that it made her eyes sting and caused bright colours to dance before them. She eased herself up off the floor and waited against the wall as a figure entered.

"Follow me," a husky female voice said from beneath the drooping hood of a black cloak. "The Master requests your presence at dinner."

Darci wasn't entirely sure that she was happy about the invitation, given that she expected the Master's food of choice was of the liquid variety, but she had no power to resist. This would at least be a chance to scope out her surroundings and perhaps she might even have an opportunity to escape, although she wasn't going to hold her breath.

The woman turned to leave, and Darci followed the billowing cape as it disappeared around the corner. The lighting in the corridors they walked down was restricted to candles, but was still a vast improvement on the darkness of her cell, and she was thankful to be in the light once more, even if her eyes were still protesting the sudden change. They felt sore and tired.

They traversed a maze of corridors, each indistinguishable from another, until they stopped in front of ornate double doors that looked oddly out of place against the bare walls on either side of them.

The doors opened, and Darci found herself ushered inside as they closed again behind her. This room had at least discovered the electric light, although the fittings that hung from the high ceiling were clearly from another era. Huge pillar candles set five apiece on tall wrought iron stands dotted about the room made her think of the boat scene from The Phantom of the Opera musical.

"Miss Madison, I am Draken. Welcome to my humble abode."

The man who approached her looked anything but humble, dressed as he was in a flowing velvet robe that put even Stefan's costume to shame. With the huge puff sleeves and fur trimmings, he looked like a bizarre imitation of Henry VIII.

Had he been human, she would have supposed him to be in his late thirties or early forties from the slight recession of his jet-black hair, but he probably counted his age in centuries rather than decades.

Despite her intentions to the contrary, she couldn't help but recoil as he reached out towards her. The smug smile he offered in response to her involuntary action did not make her feel any better. Still, she tried to keep her expression neutral as he caught her hand and brought it to his lips in a courtly kiss.

"You must be hungry. Come." He encouraged her towards an alcove where a table had been set up.

She had been starving since she had woken from a fitful slumber, and the sight of the trays laden with food was nearly enough to make her utter a joyful sob. But then she remembered whose company she was in and that was enough to quell her appetite for a moment.

He held out one of the chairs for her then settled himself in the seat opposite, watching her with apparent amusement. "Eat. The food is not poisoned. I am sure you understand why I do not partake myself."

Trying not to seem too eager, she looked over the banquet-style set-up, selected a few items and began to eat. She was aware of him watching her and could feel his eyes following her every move, but she kept her own fixed on the plate in front of her until the last scrap of food was gone. Setting down her cutlery, she finally raised her head and met his gaze.

"No matter how many times I see it, the way humans eat still disgusts me," he said with a sneer that marred his otherwise handsome face.

"No more disgusting than your manner of eating is to us, I'm sure." The words left Darci's mouth before she could censor herself, but to her relief, he responded to her quip with laughter.

"You are quite feisty. Most wouldn't dare to speak to me that way. I finally see why he must find you interesting; I could not fathom it before. That brings us nicely to the reason for your visit here. Now that dinner is out of the way, I trust we can discuss business? Good," he continued, not waiting for Darci to answer. "Perhaps you can start by telling me where Will is?"

"I don't know, he left suddenly without telling me where he was going." Darci crossed her arms and lifted her chin. Her heart sang to know that she was telling the truth and that Will was safe from this snake.

"I find that hard to believe, my dear."

"That was you I heard inside my mind earlier, wasn't it? Can't you just read my thoughts and know I am telling the truth?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work quite like that. I can read your current thoughts and implant certain suggestions depending on the strength of the individual mind, but I cannot see memories. It seems like you are telling the truth from what I read in you at this moment, but anyone with a strong enough will could think whatever they wanted to in the short term and I would never know the difference."

"Then it seems we're at a stalemate," Darci suggested.

Draken gave a short laugh and leant back in his chair. "Not entirely. I have sent messages around the world, and it is only a matter of time until your friend learns you are my guest. I have let it be known I will kill you if he refuses to hand himself over."

Darci jumped up out of her chair. "You monster!" Her body shook, and she clenched her hands into fists, nails digging painfully into her palms.

"Calm down, my dear. I am not unreasonable, and I will give him time to come back. It may take him some days to receive my message and make his way back here. For now, I think it best if you continue on here as my guest. However I feel different lodgings might be in order." He clapped his hands, and instantly the doors opened and a cloaked figure entered. "Please see that Miss Madison is installed in the guest bedroom and given suitable attire." He stood, offering her a brief bow. "You will join me again tomorrow night."

"I would rather not," Darci answered curtly, her face hot.

"It was not a request!" Draken looked down his Roman nose at her one last time then marched out of the room.