Chapter 22 TWENTY TWO
I awoke painfully slow, my mind unable to comprehend what was going on around me; the room full of faces that I didn’t recognise. I groaned when a stranger ripped open the front of my dress, smearing a strange cream over the wounds I knew to be there; the pain unbearable as it soaked into my skin.
I whimpered as two bald headed women lifted me into a seated position on the overly large bed, wrapping a bandage around the place where Berus had forced the aura form my body.
I whimpered, attempting to push the human’s away from me, I couldn’t do it; it hurt too much. I wanted to go home, but I knew that I couldn’t, that it was impossible to do so. I crashed my fist into the side of one of their faces, a deep searing panic overwhelming me as I screamed out, they were hurting me.
But why? Why were they doing this?
A familiar face blurred to my side; the link I could feel between us stronger than ever as he spoke within my mind. “Hush witch, they are trying to help you.” Silas soothed, though I knew he was commanding me to be still.
I sobbed, tears slipping from my eyes as he pinned me back onto the bed; my mind confused and slow. “I called for you, I called for you but you didn’t come.”
“I came as soon as I felt the connection drop, Berus blocked it somehow.” The vampire prince told me, though how could I believe him?
The Warlock was under his command, he wouldn’t do something like that without a direct order, would he?
I didn’t know what to believe, who I could trust; my thoughts erratic and terrified. “It was the staff.” Was all I could send back, knowing that he would hear me, even as my thoughts plagued him; confused his mind as much as mine.
“I need you to focus child, tell us everything about the attack.” Came another voice, one I barley recognised, though this time it was aloud, Ezio quickly coming into the view by the left side of the bed.
I stared at him for a long moment before the prince allowed me to sit up, the pain causing me to wince and whimper.
They both watched me silently as I grabbed the torn gown, covering as much of my modesty as I could; I was wearing underwear, but it didn’t feel like it was enough. I felt bare.
Vulnerable.
After a moment of panting I turned to look at Silas, unsure whether I could trust the other vampire with our secret; needing reassurance that saying something would not mean my death. That I could speak freely.
When the vampire prince nodded, I turned to look back at the ally as I nervously cracked my knuckles; my tone low and docile. “Blanche is under Berus’ spell, they have a connection much like me and my master, but I believe it came to be because the warlock killed Blanche and then brought her back, ensuring that he had some power over her mind.” I paused for a moment, trying to recall the events; my heart racing as I had to relive the moment Berus burst into the room. “I believe he was trying to do the same to me, he was... He pinned me to the floor and tried to drain my aura.”
Silas growled, slamming his fist into one of the four bed posts, cracking the wood. “I will kill him.”
“You know that you cannot do that, it would cause a rift between you and The King, and for now; that is not what we want.” Ezio warned, turning back to look down on me; his tone changing, becoming sterner. “You will tell no one of this attack, or the fact that you have a link to the prince, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir.” I whispered, knowing better than to argue, I have had enough pain to realise that I must be obedient, that I must obey their orders.
Then, I realised something, something I had done, my eyes widening. My brain rushed into overdrive; do I tell them what I had done?
I knew that I should tell them what I had said to Blanche about me and the prince, but I was afraid, too nervous to let them know I had made a mistake. Fuck.
I turned to look up at Silas, hoping that he wasn’t in my mind, that he hadn’t heard my thoughts. Though, by the scowl that littered his face I knew that he had already seen what I had done, a small growl escaping his clenched jaw. He ripped me from the bed by my hair, throwing me onto the ground as I screamed; a puzzled look on Ezio’s face. I crawled across the floor, heading for the door when the prince grabbed my ankle dragging me back towards him as I whimpered, my wounded chest slamming into the hard-wood floor.
“Do you realise what you have done?!” Silas bellowed, dragging me to my feet and forcing me to look at him.
I shook my head, tears falling from my eyes as I tried to pull myself from his grasp, unsure what I could say in my defence; but he wouldn’t let go, his grip on me only tightening around my arms. He shook me when I didn’t answer, my terror-stricken form trembling. Couldn’t he understand that I didn’t mean to, that I didn’t realise I had said it?
I pushed into his mind, attempting to see what he was thinking; though that only made him more furious, his fiery eyes petrifying me.
“What is going on?” Ezio asked, taking a step towards us.
“The little witch has told Blanche about our mind link, that means that Berus knows also.” Prince Bancroft snarled viciously slapping me across the face. “What were you thinking?!”
I squealed as the slap connected, gasping desperately for every breath as I once again attempted to break free of his grasp; terrified out of my mind.
What would he do? Am I going to die because I make a mistake
“Please, I didn’t mean to.” I begged him, knowing that he was thinking about killing me; believing that I was more trouble than I was worth. "I didn't know they were linked until after I told her!"
Ezio placed his hand onto the Prince’s shoulder, “Sire, don’t do anything you will regret. Remember that we need her.”
Silas growled again, throwing me back into the ground as he spoke; “You should be grateful that you are still breathing, I told you to tell no one of our mind link.”
“I’m sorry master.” I whispered, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
This day can't possibly get any worse.