Origins (A Demonkin Novel) Read Online Free Page B
going to lie; I wish I had her ability. It would be pretty handy in a bank.
"I'm not doing anything, the cuffs started to chafe," I told her. I saw doubt wash across her face and something else. Maybe fear. I doubted it. "Can you please undo my feet? I promise you I'll leave and never come back."
She motioned her private army to release me and back up and they did so. I rubbed my wrists and settled my hands into my lap.
"Ashlyn, first you have to answer some questions for me." I felt her using a compulsion not to lie again. "How old are you? What house do you claim as your heritage? Who is your master?" The questions kept repeating themselves over and over in my mind. I wanted to lie, and I knew I could, but to what point. The truth would probably be more believable than any lie I could concoct.
"I'm seventeen. I don't know what you mean by "what house" and I have no master. Now you know my name, could you please tell me who you are?" I saw her ponder both my answers and my question.
"Gloria is my name, child. I am the proprietor of the establishment you chose to wreak such havoc upon. How dare you come in to my house, attack one of my customers, and create problems, the likes of which you couldn't possibly imagine, for me? Tell me child, what am I supposed to do with you now? Call the authorities and tell them you attacked one of my guests and let them figure out what to do with you? Vampires in jail don't last too long. Should I kill you myself? I can tell you are going to be nothing but a huge inconvenience if you don't outright get me killed. Or should I turn you over to the Master of Chicago and let him deal with you?"
I didn't think she really expected an answer so I kept my mouth shut. I watched her stare at me as she drummed her fingers on the desk, leaving small nail shaped imprints in the hardwood. I wish I could set her at ease, I wouldn't be a problem, and I had no desire to cause her trouble, but I didn't think she would believe me. She didn't strike me as the trusting sort.
"Can I just leave?" I tried not to sound too hopeful.
"I sincerely doubt it would do any good. You could probably take out the strongest of the servants I own. I wouldn't put money against myself fighting you, and don't think I have ever uttered those words before. I thought your hunger gave you the strength to snap the v-cuffs, so I fed you. Yet you snapped three sets of them without batting an eyelash. No Ashlyn, of unknown origin and power, I think I shall introduce you to Cicero and let him decide your fate. If I let you go and he finds out I wouldn't even begin to ponder my fate. If I kill you outright, he may be pleased or he may not. Either way it is not a chance I'm willing to take."
She stood and gave a "watch her" motion to my guards and left the room. I considered making a break for it, but I didn't want to call Vegas to see what kind of odds they would give me against ten large vampires. I did the only thing I could think of. I waited. Thank gods I didn't have to do it for long.
Gloria came back into the office and sat back down at her desk. She removed a piece of stationary from one of the drawers of her desk and wrote something down on it. She handed it to one of the larger vampires and stood.
"Make sure she gets there, Demitri. Take two others and don't disappoint me."
"Yes, mistress," he said as he bowed and motioned to my two closest guards.
"Ashlyn, it would be best for you to go without resistance. Should you even manage to escape, Cicero will hunt you down and destroy you. Trust me," she stated in a flat voice to me, like even she fought to keep the fear from her words.
I didn't respond merely nodded. I stood and filed out of the room sandwiched between Demitri and the two others. I had a date to meet the vampire Cicero. Again I felt fear wash through me like a wave of despair.
Chapter 4
We pulled up to another vampire club a few miles away after an uneventful ride in a non-descript cargo
"I'm not doing anything, the cuffs started to chafe," I told her. I saw doubt wash across her face and something else. Maybe fear. I doubted it. "Can you please undo my feet? I promise you I'll leave and never come back."
She motioned her private army to release me and back up and they did so. I rubbed my wrists and settled my hands into my lap.
"Ashlyn, first you have to answer some questions for me." I felt her using a compulsion not to lie again. "How old are you? What house do you claim as your heritage? Who is your master?" The questions kept repeating themselves over and over in my mind. I wanted to lie, and I knew I could, but to what point. The truth would probably be more believable than any lie I could concoct.
"I'm seventeen. I don't know what you mean by "what house" and I have no master. Now you know my name, could you please tell me who you are?" I saw her ponder both my answers and my question.
"Gloria is my name, child. I am the proprietor of the establishment you chose to wreak such havoc upon. How dare you come in to my house, attack one of my customers, and create problems, the likes of which you couldn't possibly imagine, for me? Tell me child, what am I supposed to do with you now? Call the authorities and tell them you attacked one of my guests and let them figure out what to do with you? Vampires in jail don't last too long. Should I kill you myself? I can tell you are going to be nothing but a huge inconvenience if you don't outright get me killed. Or should I turn you over to the Master of Chicago and let him deal with you?"
I didn't think she really expected an answer so I kept my mouth shut. I watched her stare at me as she drummed her fingers on the desk, leaving small nail shaped imprints in the hardwood. I wish I could set her at ease, I wouldn't be a problem, and I had no desire to cause her trouble, but I didn't think she would believe me. She didn't strike me as the trusting sort.
"Can I just leave?" I tried not to sound too hopeful.
"I sincerely doubt it would do any good. You could probably take out the strongest of the servants I own. I wouldn't put money against myself fighting you, and don't think I have ever uttered those words before. I thought your hunger gave you the strength to snap the v-cuffs, so I fed you. Yet you snapped three sets of them without batting an eyelash. No Ashlyn, of unknown origin and power, I think I shall introduce you to Cicero and let him decide your fate. If I let you go and he finds out I wouldn't even begin to ponder my fate. If I kill you outright, he may be pleased or he may not. Either way it is not a chance I'm willing to take."
She stood and gave a "watch her" motion to my guards and left the room. I considered making a break for it, but I didn't want to call Vegas to see what kind of odds they would give me against ten large vampires. I did the only thing I could think of. I waited. Thank gods I didn't have to do it for long.
Gloria came back into the office and sat back down at her desk. She removed a piece of stationary from one of the drawers of her desk and wrote something down on it. She handed it to one of the larger vampires and stood.
"Make sure she gets there, Demitri. Take two others and don't disappoint me."
"Yes, mistress," he said as he bowed and motioned to my two closest guards.
"Ashlyn, it would be best for you to go without resistance. Should you even manage to escape, Cicero will hunt you down and destroy you. Trust me," she stated in a flat voice to me, like even she fought to keep the fear from her words.
I didn't respond merely nodded. I stood and filed out of the room sandwiched between Demitri and the two others. I had a date to meet the vampire Cicero. Again I felt fear wash through me like a wave of despair.
Chapter 4
We pulled up to another vampire club a few miles away after an uneventful ride in a non-descript cargo
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