With one hand on the stone ledge, I took a limping step that made me realize the only thing holding me up was the rock formation.
Limp. Step, holding onto the rocks.
Limp. Step, holding onto the rocks.
This wasn’t going to work, and I sighed, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth as I scanned the area. Where was that creature hiding?
I continued my slow limp-step movements, ignoring the pain in my knee until I reached the end of the formation and could see the desert without an interrupted view. Sticking my head out, I tried to stop the trembling of my chin as I wrapped my arms around myself, hunching down slightly and hoping I could make myself less of a target. As I gazed past the rock formation, the huge metal creature peered at me with its humongous blank stare. Fear froze me instantly.
“Look! There’s another! Get her,” a rumbling voice shouted.
Whipping around, two giant muscle-bulging vampires pointed at me, as a hand grabbed me by my hair at the back of my head, yanking so hard he almost pulled it out. Screaming, and holding him by his wrist, my strength was no match for the hand gripping me.
My body turned sideways as I had to practically run, even with my twisted knee, to keep up with him. Releasing me, I was thrown at the feet of the other two men and onto my hands and knees, the grains of sand digging into my already-bloody palms.
“Look at that mane of red hair. I bet she’s as fiery a slut as that hair.” One of the men licked his lips as he gazed down at me, pure lust evident on his face.
“Look at her delicate features and small size. She’s a high-bred one and not for us.” The other observed, a dispassionate tone to his voice as he peered down at me with disinterest.
“There’s no one here now but us,” the first vampire protested as he took a step closer, making me shiver and draw away. “We can each have a taste. She’s a vampire, no matter how high born. She’ll heal. Eventually.” He drew the last word out, licking his lips again, and as he smirked, an unkind smile spread across his face—his gaze touched me from head to toe before settling on my breasts.
He leaned down and reached out to grab me, but another hand grabbed his forearm before he could touch me.
“No touching the merchandise,” the second vampire ordered.
The third, the one who’d caught me, grabbed my bicep to haul me up, my knee already healed enough to stand and walk on. Although, being hurried along almost on my tiptoes didn’t help the healing process any. Picking me up by the back of my head and tossing me into the metal beast like I was trash didn’t help my healing, either. In fact, it made it worse by adding more bruises and a sprained shoulder to the situation. But obviously, they didn’t care.
“Come on. Let’s go.” He grunted to the others as I scrambled the best I could to a corner of the machine. I now knew this to be one of the ancient marvels of scientific knowledge we had mostly lost in the two hundred years since the Fourth World War. Few had survived the trials of time. I knew these vampires were too strong for me to escape from, so I needed to bide my time. One of them mentioned capturing another, so maybe that was Virel. I hoped so, or maybe I didn’t. I’d hate for him to be in the same condition I was in, but then again, I wouldn’t be alone.
Hiding against the back wall, I waited for the remainder of my injuries to heal as I watched the three men, one flying the contraption, the other two guarding me as if I could attack them. Biding my time, I reminded myself.
“Where are we going?” I asked warily, but my voice was hoarse with the weariness that threatened to overtake me. My parents were gone. My engagement to Virel had been arranged just before their deaths—a freak mud avalanche accident had overcome them on their morning ride. Even after two hundred years together, they’d been just as in love the moment of their deaths as they’d been the moment they met. That’s what they had hoped for Virel and me, but even though we’d had sex, there was no spark between us. We had only been going through the motions. I hadn’t even orgasmed.
As I asked my question, the two guards only stared at me as if I weren’t there. As if they could see right through me. I had become a ghost.
“Where are we going?” The second guard repeated my question, an obnoxious smirk splitting his unpleasant face.
“To hell.”
Chapter Two
The whirling machine dropped to land with discordant racket from the gyrating blades above, to touch on the moist soil of NorCal Prison. Which was described as “hell” to me.
As the blades of the machine whirred at a slower pace, dead leaves covered the rich lawn of the empty expanse for the landing area for the helicopter. The metal runner blades that served to hold the huge machine
