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I move back to my earlier seat, sitting across from my captor. “Why me, Kragen? During my time on this ship, you brought many captives on board and disposed of them quickly. Why keep me? Why turn me? Why torture me? Why not kill me and put me out of my misery?”
“You intrigue me,” he answers, taking a sip of his liquid. He nods toward Jimmy’s body. “Clearly, the entertainment aspect alone is worth the time spent.”
“I’m not your captive any longer.”
“No, you’re to be my wife.”
SEVENTEEN
fast food
I stare across the table,not sure I heard Kragen correctly. “Your wife?” I echo, trying not to laugh.
“Congratulations. It’s an honor many have sought.” He takes another drink before standing from the table. “The ceremony will take place this afternoon.” He stands to leave the room.
“No.”
Kragen turns back with a genuinely puzzled look on his face. “No?”
I need to stall whatever is going on here long enough for Thorne to arrive. Dear God, let him arrive. I clear my throat before speaking. “I mean I will need more time to prepare. There’s a dress, and…and decorations, and…”
He studies my face for a few minutes before speaking. “Friday then.” He turns, leaving me alone in his quarters.
Shit. What is today? I stumble through my brain, finally deciding that today is Tuesday. That leaves four days for Thorne to find me. Will that be enough time? Will he find me? Is he even searching? I flush the intrusive thoughts from my mind and focus on how to stall the wedding as long as possible.
I spend the next few hours staring at the door, waiting for the next “guard” to be sent into the quarters. Surprisingly, I’ve been alone since Kragen left. Several more hours pass before I gain the nerve to see if he locked me inside.
Slowly turning the knob, I’m shocked when the door opens. I step outside, expecting to find several guards, and am surprised to find the deck empty. What the hell? I spent a hundred years locked in silver chains—now he gives me free rein of his ship?
I move toward the railing, overlooking the crystal blue water. Searching the banks of the inlet, I look for the young girl who escaped earlier, not finding any evidence that she’s alive…or dead.
In order for Thorne to stand any chance against Kragen’s men, I need to find every detail I can about this place. Taking my time, I count each of the men on land, noticing any distinguishable markings about them. I spend the better part of the afternoon putting them to memory.
Three of Kragen’s men look familiar, while the otherfive I don’t recognize. Most of the men seem to be on autopilot. Their behavior isn’t like anything I’ve seen before. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were mindless drones instead of lethal vampires.
“Are you hungry, miss?” a young voice says from behind.
I turn, finding a boy, no older than fifteen or sixteen, standing alone on the deck. The clothes he’s wearing are nothing more than rags, with more holes than fabric. His mousy blonde hair is covered in dirt and blood, and his eyes are full of sadness.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“David,” he answers. His voice is shaky as he speaks.
“It’s nice to meet you, David. My name is Elsie. How old are you?”
“Eighteen,” he lies.
“Are you okay, David?”
He closes his eyes before speaking. “Yes, ma’am. Are you hungry?”
I move closer to the boy. “No. Thank you for offering.” He turns to leave. “David?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“How many of you are there on this ship?”
“Five.”
