Graced

by Sophia Sharp

  “Now that you’re free,” Serkhol said, leaning down close to speak in her ear, “we wouldn’t want you causing any trouble, would we? So don’t try to scramble away, because if you do, we aren’t going to be so kind.” Laura felt something slithery and wet worm its way around her ear, and realized with horror that it was his tongue. She jerked back instinctively and spat in his face.

  Serkhol rose an eyebrow at her. He looked to his friend, who nodded as if giving permission. And then he slapped her across the jaw so hard her ears rung.

  She fell to the side with the force of his blow, and heard laughter erupt from the two creatures standing over her. Her eyes watered from the pain, and her jaw felt as if it had been dislocated. Even trying to move her tongue now hurt.

  Laura felt herself being pulled up. Serkhol held her by the shoulders, and he smiled at her. “Try to remember what I said about learning to behave. For next time.”

  Laura knew she was trapped. She could see no way out of her situation. None whatsoever. The rope that bound her – the same one that had been cut through so easily with that knife – might as well have been made of steel. The pain she felt everywhere, from the top of her head to the bottom of the souls of her feet, was unlike anything she remembered experiencing since becoming a vampire. Her vision was not as sharp as before. And, worst of all, she was entirely at the mercy of the two most hideous creatures she could imagine.

  “Get her up,” Serkhol’s companion ordered, “and go make her more… presentable… for tonight.”

  Serkhol chuckled cruelly. “It would be my pleasure.” He looked to Laura. “We’re going to have fun tonight, you and I?”

  You and I? Again, panic gripped Laura by the very essence of her being. “What are you going to do with me?” she cried out desperately.

  “Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little head. We’re not going to do anything that would spoil you for the elders. But before they even get to you… well, it has been a long time since Borrak or I have experienced any pleasures of the flesh. Entirely too long.” An ugly grin split his face in two. “So tonight, him and I… and you… are going to have a little fun.” And he winked at her.

  Laura’s eyes bulged in terror. She wanted to scream, but her tongue was caught in her throat. She wanted to run, to lash out, to do anything that would get her away. But as hard as her mind worked, she could see no way out. Serkhol reached down to grab her, and hefted her easily over one shoulder. Before she knew what was going on, Borrak had replaced the gag over her mouth. So now, even if she could scream, there was no way to. She thrashed against Serkhol’s grip, trying desperately to hit him with some part of her body, but he just laughed at her feeble attempts and started walking away. He walked by Logan and Madison, both of whom still hung limply at their posts. And he walked by Alexander, who was clearly awake and had watched helplessly the interaction between Laura and the two man-like creatures. As Laura met his gaze, she saw his eyes now shine with anger and determination. For a brief moment, their eyes locked as Serkhol passed him by.

  Help me, Laura willed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ~A Small Hut~

  Laura was taken to a small cloth hut that couldn’t have been erected more than a few hours ago. It was there where Serkhol cut her free of her bonds. Laura’s arms were at her side the entire time, and she felt a flutter of hope as Serkhol’s knife made its way through the rope that twirled all the way from her shoulders to her ankles. If she moved fast, she thought, she could grab the knife and use it against him.

  But that plan fell away the moment she realized that underneath the thick rope binding, her hands were tied together by a different piece of rope. And the brief glimmer of hope faded completely when she realized she couldn’t break free.

  In the middle of the hut was a single wooden stake driven into the floor. It looked flimsy, but as Serkhol lifted Laura to place her onto it, she realized it was anything but. The wooden post was now between her back and her hands. With her arms bound on the other side of it, there was no way she could move, or try to make a run for it.

  Next, Serkhol bent down to tie her legs around the post in the same manner. She tried to kick him, but he caught her foot easily and tsked… in amusement. Laura was astounded – she knew how strong she was, and there was no way her kick could have been caught before. But it was like all the strength she had gained in the transformation was now gone, and she again felt very much the ordinary, human, teenage girl.

  The wooden post pressed against her back, and Serkhol went around to adjust something that Laura couldn’t see. And the next thing she knew, three sharp points were pressing into the small of her back, causing her to stand upright.

  Laura was trembling by the time Serkhol came back around. He was humming, she realized, and it was a horrendously ominous tune. Especially for her. He did not meet her eyes, and did the work of “preparing her” without saying a word. He was a hunter preparing his game for an epic feast.

  Tears formed in Laura’s eyes as she realized she was past the point of rescue. There was nobody who could save her now. Everybody she knew was bound and tied. The trembles that ran across her body intensified as Serkhol used his knife to make two very careful slits at the top of her shirt, causing it to fall to the floor. And she started completely shaking when he bent down to make the same cuts at the waist of her jeans. The tears intensified, and she sobbed into her gag as she stood there, bound, helpless, and completely naked save for her underclothes. She wanted to sag down, to admit defeat, but the sharp points pressing into the small of her back kept her posture perfectly straight.

  Serkhol bent down easily to pick her garments off the floor, and in a very deliberate showing, folded both of them carefully in front of her. He then placed them off to the side, on a small wooden table that was otherwise bare.

  “There,” he said finally, and for the first time in this whole ordeal met her eyes. “You look… magnificent.” Laura could do nothing but cry. Thoughts of what he and Borrak were planning to do with her flashed through her mind – horrible, terrifying thoughts – and there was nothing she could do to stop them from coming.

  He ducked out of the tent, leaving Laura alone. Alone in her thoughts, and alone in the immense despair that they brought. She had failed everyone. The angels, and Madison and Alexander, and especially Logan. Oh, Logan, how much she wished at least he hadn’t been caught in all of this. She failed her family, and she knew that after tonight, she would never see them again. She failed Gray. But at least he was free. He could go on and survive in the woods, be with others of his kind.

  But those thoughts took up but a small portion of Laura’s mind. Most of it was completely drenched with fear. She didn’t want to imagine what kind of horrible things Serkhol and Borrak were going to do with her tonight. And there was no hope of escape. Not even the faint hope of the sweet embrace of death. She knew in her heart of hearts that her two captors would take great pain to ensure that she survived the night, to present her to the elders tomorrow.

  Tomorrow, or the next day. Or maybe later. Would it become a game, with them, seeing how long they could work on her before turning her over to the elders? She didn’t know when it would be, but now, in the darkest hour, wished desperately for that time to come. Because when it did, at least she would be free of Serkhol and Borrak.

  Her mind kept working back to what those two would do. She imagined the grotesque creatures moving their hands all over her, imagined their deep, heavy breathing against her skin. Pleasures of the flesh, they called it, and for her, it was already a fate much worse than death. The memories of whatever happened tonight would haunt her for eternity, and she knew it. And eternity was precisely the length of time she knew the elders would keep her alive for.

  She didn’t know what was happening to her. After everything she’d done in the past weeks, she knew that escaping from where she was right now should be as easy as flicking her wrists apart and breaking down the wooden post that held her. But it
wasn’t. Why wouldn’t her body work? She did not know. All she knew was that her eyesight was blurry, and her strength completely sapped out of her. She inhaled deeply through her nose, expecting to find the dozens smells of the forest that she had grown so used to after her transformation. Except that she found… nothing. And it made her cry harder. Somehow, all her powers were gone. Poof, just like that, they were gone.

  None of it made any sense. None of them, not herself, not Madison, not Logan, and not Alexander should have been able to be bound so easily, no matter how thick the ropes were. She and Logan had drank vampire blood, for crying out loud, and should by virtue of that be able to break free. Except they hadn’t. Which meant that they couldn’t. And judging by her own condition, they wouldn’t be able to any time soon.

  Could it be possible to somehow lose the effects of becoming a vampire? Lose all the powers and abilities that the transformation gifted you? She could think of no other explanation. She wailed even harder, her tears pooling against the cloth of her gag.

  She felt a gust of wind in her face, and looked up to see Borrak enter. He looked at her, with his hands held behind his back, and smiled.

  “Serkhol prepared you well, girl,” he said in that awfully incongruent voice. “I am quite looking forward to the engagement we have planned for tonight.”

  The words should have made Laura feel more fear, feel more desperation, except that… they didn’t. She was already at the bottom of those negative feelings, and couldn’t sink any lower. She rose her head to meet his eye. If they were going to have their way with her tonight, she would not give them the pleasure of knowing her fear.

  Borrak looked her up and down, slowly, so that Laura could feel his eyes trace every inch of her body. But she defied the fear she felt, and kept her eyes right on his face. She found herself wondering just what kind of creature he was – this was no Vassiz in front of her, that was for sure. At the same time, she remembered one of them – Borrak or Serkhol, she wasn’t sure – mentioning the elders.

  He stepped closer, and reached out to trace a finger against her bare stomach. She recoiled instantly against his touch – but then, remembering her resolve, forced herself to straighten. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing her fear.

  His hands were cracked and leathery. And long, yellowing fingernails jutted out from the ends of each finger. Borrak continued moving his finger up, up, until it slithered along Laura’s neck to rest underneath her chin. Laura shivered involuntarily, but kept her eyes right on him.

  Borrak craned his neck to one side to regard her. He tsked to himself. “Well now,” he said quietly, “none of this will be any fun unless I hear what you have to say.” He reached around Laura’s neck with both hands – bringing his face dangerously close to her own – and quietly undid the rag in Laura’s mouth. Just as he was about to pull it off, he stopped. “And please,” he said in an amused tone, “no spitting this time.” He pulled the gag away.

  Laura gasped for air that she didn’t know she was missing. She filthy rag tasted absolutely revolting, and having her mouth free of it was a much welcome change. She worked her jaw, which was stiff from the slap she received earlier, and then stared defiantly at Borrak.

  “I’m sure you have questions,” he said leisurely, turning away to place the rag right on top of the pile of Laura’s clothes. “So please, feel free to ask. I promise to do… my best… to answer.” He turned and smiled at her. It was a sickening smile.

  Laura blinked. Was this some sort of trick? Was he playing with her somehow? And could one of her questions lead to the start of… whatever Borrak had planned for tonight? She pushed that thought down.

  “Come now,” Borrak said sweetly, “there’s no reason for you to be shy. I’m sure you’re absolutely dying to know how we managed to capture you, and all your friends. I’ve heard your group has had some pretty good success so far when it came to facing… adversaries. And after all, there were only two of us. And four of you.” He smiled again, but this time Laura thought he did so… proudly?

  She blinked. Was he boasting to her, of all things? Why? She was a prisoner to him and Serkhol – what good could it possibly be to gloat to her? But then again, if that was his personality…

  She thought quickly. She realized she had just been given an advantage – however small – that she might be able to turn into something bigger. If Borrak was truly as vain as he just implied, she might be able to get him to reveal some things about her capture. And it was only in understanding how they did it that she may yet find a way to escape.

  “Who are you?” Laura asked. She made her voice shake, on purpose, to play up every bit the role of the lost, scared schoolgirl. To make him feel even better about himself. “I’ve never come across… anyone… like you before.”

  Borrak smiled again, showing those moist and rotting teeth. “Who am I? A good question as any. But first, let me ask you this, girl. Does my appearance repulse you?”

  Laura’s eyes widened in surprise. This was a curveball she had not been expecting. How could she answer him without offending? She thought hard, all the possibilities running through her mind. There was no way Borrak did not know what he looked like, and there was no way he could possibly be unaware of the fact he was hideous. To pose the question to her… it had to be a test. A test of how she would answer. Truthfully, or not. And she could not hide her disgust with what he looked like. There was no way to soften the truth. But at the same time, she remembered that false sense of pride he showed just seconds earlier when prodding her to ask him about her capture. He knew exactly who he was, and he knew exactly who she was, too. She was his prisoner, with no hope of escape, and no hope of fighting back. Anything and everything he wanted to do to her he could. And he was dragging that out, playing up the fact that later tonight, he would… well, he would do things to her she didn’t even want to think about. And so it was likely that he relished the fact he could repulse her so.

  “Yes,” Laura admitted shyly. She had to be shy, now, to work on his pride. She turned her eyes to the floor. “Yes, it does. Very much so.” The last sentence came out as barely a whisper.

  “Hah!” Borrak closed the distance to her, and thrust his hand out to close on her neck. He turned her head up, towards him. She shied away, closing her eyes – doing so very intentionally, because she knew it was what he wanted to see – until she could feel his hot breath on her face. It stunk, worse than the rancid rag that had been forced into her mouth. Worse than an overflowing sewer on a sweltering summer day. Worse than… well, anything she thought a living creature could emit. “Look at me, girl. Look at me!” Laura felt spittle fly into her face, landing on her nose, her cheeks, and just above her eyes. Shyly, slowly, she turned her head up towards him, and opened her eyes.

  He was staring right at her. Those disgusting whiskers tickled the area just to the side of her mouth, and his blotchy skin seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat. There was an intensity she felt from his gaze, perhaps even a… desperation. From him.

  “Yesssss,” he crooned softly, still gripping her neck in that iron grip. “You’re not one to lie. You think I’m disgusting, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Laura admitted, trying to turn her head to look away. This had to be what he wanted.

  “You think I am hideous, revolting, gut-wrenching, nauseating, and absolutely sickening. Don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, little girl, I was not always like this.” He released her neck, and stepped away. Laura audibly gasped for breath. Audibly so that he could hear.

  “Once, many years ago,” he continued, his voice taking on a reminiscing tone, “I would have been considered among the most stunning men to walk this earth. I was more handsome than either of your companions. Even better than both of them combined. The radiance of the sun and majesty of this earth paled in comparison to my glorious figure. When women’s eyes fell on my face, their hearts would melt, and their minds became putty for me to pl
ay with. They would lose themselves in my elegance, my beauty. My being.”

  Laura goggled at him. Was he telling the truth? By his voice, it certainly sounded like he believed it. But it couldn’t be the case… could it? He kept going.

  “I stood high above any of the Vassiz. My majesty could not be matched. I was worshipped by many, and desired by all. There was not a woman who could say no to me. But now? Now I repulse them all!” He barked a laugh. “Even one as innocent, as sweet as you. But that won’t matter later tonight, not with you in your current… situation.” He smiled at her with hungry eyes. “But I digress. My figure, my form, my appearance was not something God-given to me. No, no. Rather, it was something I bought. And the price I paid for all those glorious years has finally come about. Every debt must be settled. What you see before you is the price I paid.”

  None of it was making any sense to Laura. A price? How could one just buy beauty? And why was he telling her all this? Maybe it was all a fantasy he made up. Maybe he was insane. Yet, he was coherent enough in communicating. “What do you mean?” she asked finally. “Who are you?”

  “I am but a humble servant,” Borrak said, bending one knee to her in a mock bow. Something about those words tugged at Laura’s memories, but she couldn’t put it together. “Now, my role is simply to obey the orders I am given.”

  “Orders? Who’s orders?”

  “Why, the elders’ orders, of course,” he said tantalizingly. He motioned around himself. “All this is their work, you must surely know. Well, that’s not entirely true. Me and my brother had a large part to play in setting it all up.”

  His brother? Did he mean… Serkhol? But then, who else could it be? And what was their connection to the elders? Neither of these creatures, these warped monstrosities of men, could possibly be related to the Vassiz. Could they?

  “Who are you?” Laura asked again.

  He looked at her. “I have told you who I am, girl. If you don’t have anything else you want to say, I can end this exercise right now. It’s not often our prisoners are given the opportunity to speak…” He looked at her expectantly, as if waiting on her to add something. That confirmed the suspicion in Laura’s mind. He was boasting to her. And he wanted her to appeal to his vanity. “No? Nothing more?” He started to turn away, slowly, all but begging her to ask him more.