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Kragen stares at the boy. “Are you questioning me? She’s a vampire. She can’t die.”
“No, sir.” The boy bows his head in submission. “How long, sir?”
Kragen turns back toward me. “A week should be sufficient.”
A week? I refuse to react to his words. Although he holds every ounce of power over me, I refuse to let him know it.
“Yes, sir,” Elliot answers. Kragen leaves the room, and Elliot moves to my side.
“Elsbeth, I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I don’t have a choice.”
I refuse to make eye contact with him.
Elliot looks around the room before pullingsomething from his pocket. “Here, I brought this for you.” He hands me a small satchel full of blood. “It’s fresh.”
I don’t wait to be told again. I empty the contents in one gulp, feeling the sensation flow through my body, quenching the thirst my body demands. “Thank you, Elliot.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry for what I have to do.” I nod, understanding he has no choice. “Play nice,” he begs as he pulls me to my feet.
“Take off the chains, and I will.”
“You know I can’t do that.” He tugs, pulling me forward. With the addition of silver, my body is weak and unable to fight against the younger vampire.
“What year is it?” I ask as we work our way toward the deck.
“1808,” Elliot answers.
I stop walking, realizing I’ve been on this ship for nearly one hundred years. “You have to help me, Elliot. I don’t belong here.”
He closes his eyes. “I know, and I’m sorry. The blood is the only thing I can do right now.” He leads me to the back of the ship, wrapping the now familiar anchor chain around my waist. “I’m sorry, Elsbeth. Just relax, and it will be over soon.”
I fight to keep the tears from flowing and nod at his words. He’s right. There’s no point in fighting. I’m not strong enough to fight Kragen. My only hopeis to escape.
Elliot turns me toward the water and knocks me into the stream that follows the ship. Even though a vampire doesn’t need to breathe, the sensation of drowning is terrifying as my body bobs up and down under the water for the next week.
SIX
the cost of freedom
“Elsbeth,I brought you something to eat,” Elliot whispers, coming into the room. “It’s not fresh, but it’s better than nothing.”
I take the small bag of blood, and the smell turns my stomach. “How old is it?”
He shrugs. “A week or so. I’m sorry. It was all I could find.”
“It’s fine.” I drink the contents, focusing on not allowing myself to smell the foul odor. I resist the urge to gag. “Thank you, Elliot.”
“We are docking off the coast of New York in a few weeks, and Kragen is taking most of the men onto shore.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
He shifts from one foot to the other. “Because it might be your chance to escape.”
I lift the chains high. “Even if I have the chance, these chains weaken me and will keep me in place.”
“Not if I can get the key,” he interrupts.
“Kragen keeps the key tied around his neck. There’s no way you can do that without getting yourself killed.”
