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“Your captain,” Kragen’s voice sounds through the wood. “I was being polite to knock. Open the door.”
I follow orders, stepping away from the door and giving him space to enter. Kragen stops in the doorframe, staring at me.
“That’s better.” He nods approvingly at my appearance. He sniffs the air in front of me. “You smell better, as well.”
“Thank you for the dress.” Trying to be charming to the man that I’ve held nothing but hatred for is proving more difficult than I expected. Every fiber of my being is fighting against me.
“You look lovely. Dinner will be delivered any minute.” He motions to the table in the middle of the room. “Please, have a seat.”
My stomach drops at his words. Without arguing, I move to a seat at the opposite end of the large table. Kragen chooses the seat next to mine. The door opens as Jimmy enters, dragging the young woman I met earlier behind him. “This one is ready,” he says with a smile.
“Lovely,” Kragen answers.
“Maddie?” I say her name without thinking.
“Hi,” she whispers, wiping tears from her cheeks.
Jimmy brings her to the table, slamming her head into the wooden surface. I stand, moving toward her.
“Sit down,” Kragen demands.
“She’s hurt,” I argue.
“So? Sit down.” I close my eyes and lower back to the seat. Following his orders takes everything I have. “Drink from her.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Drink from her,” he repeats.
“No.”
Kragen stands, grabs Maddie by the wrist, and drags her closer to my seat. “Drink, or I will.”
I know without asking, that he will take every drop of blood left in her weak body. I make eye contact with the young girl, offering apologies through my gaze. Licking her arm to numb her skin, I bite into her arm and drink. Her blood is weak and tastes of other substances. Maddie’s eyes close as I pull away, making sure to leave her more than enough for another day.
“Good girl,” Kragen whispers in my ear. “Now, kill her.” Maddie’s eyes open as new tears form.
Jimmy’s laugh fills the room as the blood I took, bubbles in my stomach. Without planning or thinking, I move behind Jimmy, biting into his neck and ripping his head from his body before he has time to recognize my movement.
Kragen stares at the spectacle in front of him with a sickening smile covering his face. I move protectively in front of the young girl who’s crying uncontrollably.
“Well done, my dear,” Kragen says with a soft clap. “Well done.”
Pulling Maddie with me, I back out of the door onto the deck of the ship. My dress is covered with blood, which strangely makes me sad.
“Go,” I tell the scared woman. “Get out of here.”
“There’s nowhere to go,” she cries. “I don’t even know where I am.”
“Hide in the trees.” I nod toward the mass of greenery surrounding us. “Go, now.” She nods before running off the deck and jumping into the water below. I turn, expecting Kragen to be behind, and find the deck empty. What the hell?
For a moment, I consider following her. I could swim faster than he could follow and get both of us out of here, but escaping would only prolong the chase. Kragen’s proven that. Instead, I sigh and attempt to wipe the blood from the front of my skirt before moving back toward his quarters.
Opening the door, I find him in the same spot as before. He’s leaning back in his chair, nursing a glass of red liquid, with his legs crossed at the knees. “Back so soon?” he asks.
“I hope that one wasn’t your favorite.” I nod toward the body on the floor.
Kragen crinkles his nose. “I only have one favorite.” He toasts the air in front of him in my direction. “Besides, I haven’t had a show like that in quite a while.You have proven to be very entertaining. Well worth my investment.”
