AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Elliot, I have to go, and you can’t go with me.”
I instantly regret my words. Out of everyone on this ship, Elliot was the only one who helped me. The only one who was nice to me. He kept me alive when Kragen tortured me.
“I love you, Elsie,” he whispers.
“I can’t let you come with me,” I repeat. “I have to go alone. Kragen will never let me go. He will follow me no matter where I go, and you’ll only slow me down.” My words are cruel.
“Elsie,” he begs.
“No, Elliot. You can’t stay here, but you can’t come with me.”
He closes his eyes, sadness covering his face. “Okay,” he whispers.
Out of nowhere, something runs between the two of us, knocking Elliot to the ground. I catch a glimpse of a girl, not much older than me, as she retreats behind a pole.
“Who are you?” I shout at her shadow.
She copies her movement from before, crossing between us, grabbing Elliot this time. Herdark auburn-colored hair is a tangle of mats, and her clothes are worn with holes. “I’ll kill him,” she warns.
“Who are you?” I repeat.
“I am death,” she answers.
“Are you being held here against your will?”
She laughs. “I am death,” she repeats, clearly out of her mind.
“Aubrey?” Elliot says, drawing the girl’s attention to him.
“You’re leaving with her?” she asks. “You said you loved me.”
“I do, Aubrey.” He closes his eyes.
I don’t know what’s going on, and Aubrey doesn’t give me the time to figure it out. She pulls a wooden stake from her dress and moves in front of Elliot at vampire speed. She raises the stake, stabbing it through Elliot’s heart with a guttural scream. I don’t know who she is or how long she’s been here, but she’s insane.
“Aubrey,” I start.
“Shut up, bitch,” she yells, interrupting my words. She releases her hold on Elliot’s body, which falls to the deck with a heavy thud.
“I’m leaving this ship. You can come with me if you like, but I’m not staying one minute longer.”
“You can’t leave,” she mutters. “No one can leave. We’re all captive here. We’re all food here. We’re all vampires here.”
“Aubrey,” I pull her attention back toward me. “I’mgoing to jump. If you try and stop me, I will defend myself. Do you understand what that means?”
“No one can leave,” she begins repeating. “We’re all food here. We’re all vampires here.”
I move to the top of the railing and prepare to jump when she wraps her arms around my thighs, pulling me back to the deck. “No one can leave. We’re all captives here…”
“Aubrey!” I scream, slapping her across her cheek. “Wake the hell up.”
I recognize the look in her eyes the moment she makes eye contact. She’s going to kill me. Two sharp teeth protrude from her mouth, and she hisses, reminding me of a lion on the prowl. “No one can leave,” she screams and jumps toward me.
I catch her in midair, throwing her body to the ground. She’s back on her feet in an instant and moving quickly toward me.
“I will kill you this time,” I warn.
She continues her assault, and I make good on my promise. Waiting until she’s in the perfect position, I grab her neck, turn her back toward me, and pull her close. I bite into her neck, ripping her head from her body.
