“So this is his plan?” I ask again.
“I don’t have time for this.” Una grabs my arm and pulls me away from the car, her eyes are dark, and her voice is uncontrolled.
Something is wrong. I make myself fall to the ground, and I scream for Clark, but Una’s hand is suddenly over my mouth.
“Why can’t you just do as your told?” She reaches around and wraps her arm around my neck. “I said we need to go, and I’m not in the mood for one of your little tantrums.”
I fight back with my feet, kicking and scraping against the leaves and dead branches on the ground. Anything to make a noise that either Clark or Ivor would hear. Where is that supernatural hearing when I need it?
Una slips her other arm under me and has a firm grip as she pulls me off into the woods. I try my best to grab at anything within reach to stop her or slow her down. But I’m still very week from the vampire blood.
“Stop struggling.” She grunts and changes up her grip. She loosens just enough that I break free from her.
I run as fast as I can back to the car. I can see the cabin lights through the trees. I don’t understand why they can’t hear me. I trip over a branch and land hard on my stomach.
I flip over on my back, prepared to fight off Una, but she’s gone. I lay still and listen to all the surrounding noises. It’s quiet. I wait for a bit, then sit up.
“Arrrhhhh.” Una runs out with a thick branch in her hands and wallops me on the head, knocking me out.
Chapter 18
I try to open my eyes, but the bright lights create shooting pains. I attempt to move my arms to shield them, but they are tied down to my sides. I feel liquid running down the side of my cheek. It's thick and not runny, like tears. It takes a few seconds for me to realize it’s my blood. My forehead throbs, and my body aches. But it's not the vampire blood this time. It's the wack from Una.
I hear voices in the background. They are low and muffled, competing with the buzzing in my ears. I try to remain calm as the memories of being locked in the prison tied to a bed come flooding back. Had they found me and brought me back?
“I’ve done my part.” Una’s voice appears to get louder.
I force my eyes open and focus on the darkest area I can see. Una and several other people have surrounded me. I feel the edge of what they have laid me on, and it had to be a table of some sort. The edge is about an inch, and it’s hard.
“You have delivered.” An older woman with long white hair leans over and obstructs the light overhead of me. She looks at my wound with narrow eyes. “It’s time.”
“I want my money.” Una holds out her hand to the woman, but she ignores her. Her attention is on the noise off to the right of me.
It sounds like the banging of pots or something. Metal clashing together. Wheels rolling. It’s getting closer to us.
“I don’t want to be around for this,” Una says, as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Her head is facing the sound of the metal clashing.
As soon as the noise stops, the old woman's hand moves my sleeve up my arm. Her hand is ice cold. I flinch away from her, but the leather strap on my upper arm limits my movement.
“Una.” I plead as I try to make eye contact with her. Her eyes never look down on me.
“Don’t struggle.” The old woman says, her voice is not friendly or angry—just a matter of fact.
“Where am I?” I direct my question to her since Una ignores me.
“I’m afraid you have yourself wrapped up in a mess, Penelope.” The old lady reaches around to the metal machine and pulls it next to the table.
There’s an empty bag attached to a long pole. On the other side is a blood bag with a V written on the front in black sharpy. It looks like some medical machine. I lift my head to see past her to Una, but I only see a group of people off to the back of the room. They huddle in a group and watch us.
The old lady grabs my hand, and I try to fight her off, even though the top part of my arm is tied, “What are you doing?”
“What should have been done long ago.” She states, her tone is now cold. “They should have never allowed your type of supernatural to breathe one breath.”
A man comes from behind her and forces my hand down. I try to reach over with my free hand, but it’s no use. I have little leeway. My wrist is bound with a thick leather strap, and he moves to the other side of the table to secure my other wrist.
“Una! I know you’re here. I can smell you.” My voice is loud, and I try my best to break free, but I’m still so weak from the vampire blood. The coward doesn’t respond to my pleas.
I feel a jab as a needle enters my vein on my left side, then blood flows to the empty bag. The man puts another needle on my right side and connects the bag of blood to it. The smell and the V tell me it’s vampire blood.
As soon as it enters my veins and my own blood leaves my body, I puke. Waves of nausea roll through me as the vampire blood becomes my primary source. I can barely keep my eyes open as weakness sets in. My veins swell and burn as the blood takes over.
“It won’t be long now.” I faintly hear the old woman say
