Chapter 17


    “Damon!” I called out,” Damon please!” He ignored me and walked away, how body disappearing into


    the dark until I could no longer see him.


    If there was any part of me that even felt a slither of emotion for him, it waspletely wiped away and


    reced with hate.


    Damon didn’te back. Instead, it was either a guard or a maid that came down to give me a tray of


    food and water every couple of hours.


    The only way I was able to keep track of the days was the amount of trays I was given.


    I knew that they gave me three trays a day and so far I was on tray number 5.


    I knew that that meant I had been down here for about two days but it felt longer. Every second


    dragged by and I found myself losing track of my thoughts, getting distracted by the the constant


    dripping of the water on the roof. I tried to remind myself to stay strong. Remind myself that they


    couldn’t kill me because it was against theirw, I’m not a native viger after all but that didn’t reassure


    me at all. Somehow, it was much harder to stay calm in an underground dungeon with metal chains


    wrapped around your throat.


    Not to mention the corpse beside me.


    It was hard to sleep or to even shut my eyes sometimes. I had an engulfing fear that Isabelle would


    for the maids to find.


    Her words echoes in my head again.


    Drain me dry and feed my corpse to the werewolves.


    I heard sudden shuffling and wondered if it was another maiding to bring me a tray of food.


    It couldn’t be, it isn’t time.


    I scrambled to my feet at the realization that it was more then one personing towards the cell.


    When they finally came into sight I recognized them as two guards and...Damon.


    I breathed out feeling a sense of relief that I had no exnation for. He has definitely proven to me that


    he will not be my shining knight in armour , I had no idea what I was persistent to hold on to that hope.


    “Damon,” I meant to speak a lot louder but I ended up whispering.


    “Take off the chains,” Damon ordered the guards, not looking at me. I wanted to scream out loud in


    relief but instead kept quite.


    Two guards walked up to me and fumbled with the chain on my neck.


    I wondered what this meant. It could either mean one of three things. They were either going to let me


    back into my room, they had found me a witch or they were going to finally kill me.


    I brought my hands up to rub my neck as soon as I could. I felt a thousand pounds lighter.


    I looked up at Damon who had been watching me.


    “What now?” I spat out.


    “I found a witch,” he began,” she agreed to do the ritual.”


    “What are we waiting for,” I didn’t take my eyes away from his,” the quicker we get on with it, the sooner


    I could get out of this hell hole.”


    “She isn’t here-“


    “Where is she.”


    “She lives a couple hours away, she refused toe here.”


    I can understand that.


    “She agreed to do the ritual under a couple of terms, one being we go to her.”


    “And?”


    “And...shell want to assess you first...” Damon was hesitant, almost as if he didn’t want to say it.


    “Asses me how?” I asked.


    “She wants to take a look at your past, maybe your future. She doesn’t want to touch you until she


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    knows your safe.


    “I don’t care, she can asses me all she wants if it means I could finally leave this ce.


    Damon merely nodded.


    He looked towards guards,” take her to her room.”


    His gaze met mines again,” clean up and change your clothes, we leave in a couple hours.”


    It was almost a relief to be back at my old room. I missed thefy bed and the clean running water


    and hell, a change of clothes. In a sick twisted way I realized that I may have taken this room for


    granted.


    After showering and putting on a fresh change of clothes, I stopped in front of the mirror and wondered


    if this would be thest time I see this room.


    Secondster barged in a maid who I immediately recognized as the one that had helped me get ready


    the night of the ritual, Meredith.


    “Hi!” I eximed,” I haven’t seen you in a while.”


    She didn’t speak. Instead, she wrapped her hands around me in aforting hug.


    Shocked at the gesture, it took a couple of seconds to rx in her grip.


    “I heard,” she mumbled into my hair.


    “I don’t want to jinx it,” I replied.


    She pulled back and took a good look at me,” it’ll be alright, it’s about time they found someone for


    you.”


    “Do you really think it will work? I’ll finally get to go home?”


    Her kind eyes bore into mines and her gaze saddened,” let’s hope so.”


    She walked towards the dresser and grabbed the sandwich, proceeding to shove it in my direction.


    “Eat this, there’s no telling the next time you’ll eat.”


    I scarfed down the food and left Meredith back in my room, making my way down to the main garden.


    I felt the nerves racing through my head and wondered if I really was nevering back. I felt awful


    leaving Meredith behind. I wish I could have helped her or somehow recused her from this ce but it’s


    as she had said.


    It’s in her blood to be here, she’s a native.


    Damon was waiting in the same ck car asst time. The guards opened the door for me and I made


    myselffortable.


    “It’s going to be a long ride,” said Damon,” a little over four hours.”


    I didn’t respond. Instead, I leaned my head against the window and remained silent.


    Although the drive was long, it was ending just a little too soon. My heart grew restless and panicked


    and I was afraid of what to expect. Damon had said that the witch wanted to see my future and my past


    to determine if she would help me. What factors would cause her to decline?


    I watched seemingly endless trees turn into road premiered by mountains and finally, we entered busy


    city.I recognized it as soon as we entered because I had been wanting to visit ever since I was a little


    girl.


    New York.


    Odd how the circumstances have changed.


    It was almost night time but the city was still alive. Cars and pedestrians lined the roads as if one. I


    watched shop owners sell fruit on the streets and wondered if they had any idea about the world that


    exists just a few hours away.


    I realized how far away from home I was and grew sick. About twenty minuteste we had reached a


    more quiet area and the signs above the streets read Brooklyn.


    We drove into an alley and the car suddenly stopped.


    I turned to look at Damon who was already getting out of the car.


    I took a deep breath in and mirrored his actions. I realized that both the driver and the guard remained


    in the car.


    “This is it?” I examined my surroundings.


    Metal rusty stairs lined the gravel walls of the alley leading up to people’s apartments.


    “She lives up here in one of those,” Damon pointed up towards a second apartment. I walked almost on


    his heel and followed him up the noisy stairs. He turned to look at me before lifting his fist to knock on


    the door but it flew wide open before he got the chance.


    Behind the door stood a beautiful long haired brte with dark eye makeup and maroon lips. She


    wore a long-sleeve crimson satin dress and her long ck fingernails were pointy like fangs.


    She squealed when she saw Damon and threw herself at him, her long olive-toned arms wrapping


    around his neck.