Chapter 95: Precious
Chapter 95: Precious
Mirage’s P.O.V
“What the fuck are you even getting at?” I snapped at the woman, getting my legs off the side of the bed so I could stand at any given moment.
Whatever magic she had been using last night, to get me to comply with their demands…it was gone now. So the only conclusion I could draw at the moment was that she needed energy to do whatever magic she did…or those had been her orders last night, to get me to come with them without causing a scene. Now that they had me in their lair, that was no longer needed.
“The Master has got his hands on something very…precious to you,” she said the word like she didn’t know what it meant. “So it’s better for you to comply. There’s a chance that you’ll be punished otherwise.”
A harsh laugh escaped my lips, startling her as she was placing the plate onto the small table.
“Alistair is a sick fucker who had killed my mother, sold my father and my sister to other vampires and then held me captive, raped me and tortured me for days on end!” I snapped at her, walking close so I was almost face to face with the woman. “Punishment? What does he think he’s running, some kind of sick, fuck show? How long have you been his bitch? What does he have against you that you’re willing to call him ‘Master’ and obey him like a sick little puppy?”
Akiko blinked her eyes repeatedly. From this close, I could finally see that the dark color of her iris wasn’t black or a dark brown, but rather, a very dark red. Was she some kind of a vampire-witch hybrid?
“You’re wrong. Master doesn’t have anything against me…I’m bound to him.”
Her words made me even more confused about her relationship with Alistair. “Bound?” I frowned. “Bound how? By some kind of contract?”
“In a way, yes…” she tilted her head to the side, studying me just as I was studying her. “You’re trying to figure out what I am.”
“Yes.” So I asked her directly, because I had skirted around the topic long enough. “What the hell are you?”
“I’m a Shikigami.” She said simply. “A youkai that had been summoned to earth and bound to a master.”
“A what?” I looked at her incredulously. What the fuck was a Shikigami? And what even was an youkai? I wasn’t familiar with any of these Japanese terms…assuming these terms were Japanese in the first place.
“A youkai is a demon. But Shikigami are so much more than that. They are spirits that have haunted the humans for centuries…but when they are summoned and given a body to reside in…they lose their free will. They must follow their master at all times. That’s why they are so obedient.”
My entire body froze as I balled my hands into fists and stayed rooted to my spot.
When had he entered the room? For how long had he been here…listening in to our conversation? Why hadn't I heard him enter?
The room suddenly felt colder as Alistair came to stand next to Akiko, taking her face in his hands as he caressed her cheeks with gentle hands. “Unique and beautiful…and no doubt powerful. My little slave is quiet exquisite…isn’t she?”
“Alistair…” I was surprised that my voice didn’t tremble, but I could feel my entire body protesting. It remembered his touch…the feel of his rough hands leaving bruises all over my delicate skin…the way his nails had dug into my back to leave scratches and draw blood…
“Ah…my precious little Mirage.” He extended his hand towards me and I flinched back. “Don’t worry…it won’t be long now. I’ll make you remember my touch all over again. I was rough with you before, but this time, I will be gentle, and you will come to me of your own accord.”
Was he fucking delusional? Or was this another one of his mind games? It had to be! He was trying to use the same tricks he used on me once before. He would try to win my trust and once I was helpless enough that I wouldn’t have any other choice…he’s show his true colors.
At that moment, my mother’s mutilated body came to my mind. The same image that had been a constant source of horror for me these past few years, suddenly became my strength. He was the one who killed her! He had to have been one of them!
“You’ve planned this out perfectly well, haven’t you?”I spoke through gritted teeth, digging my nails into my palms so that the pain snaps me out of the fear. “You think I’m still the gullible little fool I had been two years ago? The one you made believe that you’d help find her family and avenge her mother?”
I wasn’t that Mirage anymore. I was stronger now, I was powerful. But so was Alistair. To top it off, there was a demon in the room that was bound by everything he said. This wasn’t the right time to use my powers, especially since I didn’t know where to run, how to escape. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t give him a piece of my mind.
However, Alistair’s sudden laughter gave me pause.
I looked towards Akiko to see her shaking her head at me ever so slightly.
What the fuck was going on?
“Goodness, my little kitty has grown claws!” Alistair clapped his hands together, giving me a once over from head to toe as if observing me for the first time. “Exquisite, yes. But I prefer my kitties all trimmed and manicured.”
“What the hell-”
“Akiko, love…didn’t you tell her that I had something of hers now…something she considered very…precious?” He asked Akiko, completely ignoring me.
“Yes.” Akiko replied almost robotically. “I did tell her.”
“Well then, I guess it’s time to show you.” He turned around and headed straight to the door, holding it open. “Come now, follow me ladies.”
Akiko waited for me to walk ahead of her before following behind me. The hallway outside the room had bright yellow walls and wooden floors. There were a couple more doors to the right, but they seemed to be locked.
I took in every inch of the hallway, the windows that were latched shut and the fact that all the lights were dimmed. Something told me that we weren’t too far away. I was still in Maine and I got this feeling that I was still close to the Ocean Runners pack.
But as I walked behind Alistair…a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong. He wasn’t eager or desperate to have me submit to him anymore. In fact, he was sure that I was going to submit to him readily.
Whatever he had against me, I was not going to like it one bit.
A door appeared towards the end of the hallway and the closer we went to it, the more that sinking feeling grew at the pit of my stomach.
But I didn’t have to wait long to find out exactly what was on the other side of the door. Because soon, Alistair turned the knob and pushed it wide open…and I felt my entire world turn upside down at the sight of the person inside the room, chained to the walls with heavy metal shackles.
And it was none other than Alex.