6. Jewlery

I stared up at Theodore’s grey eyes as he loomed over me. I turned away not wanting to stare at him. Instead, I focused on the place he referred to as Astor Hall, his home. It was massive and made of stone. I could see the cliff off to the side and beyond that nothing but water.

Theodore pulled on my shackles. I couldn’t help but wonder if this would be how I spent my days now? Was I to be in chains for the rest of my life? Malachar’s words rang in my head as I was led up to the hall. Was he somehow going to make me into a purist? How would that even work, no there was no way for that to happen.

Yet, Malachar thought it was a possibility. I hated that villain who started this war, but even I was not naive enough to say Malachar was dumb. He had to have some reasoning behind the idea of turning a third generation dhampir, like myself, into a purist. I passed under a large stone arch seeing that unlike the mansion where I had just been this one was actually pleasing to the eye. The carvings were full of florals.

I took a moment to glance at Theodore again. He didn’t strike me as a flower kind of guy, yet this was his home. Astor Hall was his home, and he had flowers carved into the stone archway of the entrance of it. We walked in and I looked around seeing the large, polished home. I half expected it to resemble the Manor that Malachar resided in.

Where humans were chained like I was. Where was the mess and carnage I knew Theodore was responsible for? Theodore remained silent as he led me through the keep. He didn’t point anything out and despite his lack of speech, I was cataloging the route we were taking. If I was going to escape, I would need to know the ins and outs of where everything was.

When I looked up, I almost ran straight into Theodore’s black wings. I had stopped myself just in time to avoid collision. I could hardly see around him; his wings took up the majority of the space. I felt a quick jerk and we were once again walking. The chains went slack around me. “This is to be your room while you are here Mongrel.” I may not have spoken up to Malachar but with Theodore I would have no problem in that department.

I had gone to school with him. I had known him when he was 13 and learning to fly in the quad alongside the other kids who had wings. “I have a name.” I snapped at him. He just snorted as if I was some kind of amusement. He again tugged on the chain that was fastened to my wrist's shackles. I looked at the room that was supposed to be mine. It was filled with fine things. The rug below my feet was dark grey with images of green vines.

The bed was larger than any I had ever slept in. It had four black wooden posts that like the rug had vines, they had been worked into the wooden posts. The bedding looked plush. I saw there was even an attached bathroom, was I really seeing a tub? When was the last time I was able to soak in a hot bath. Probably three years ago. I had been living off cold short showers. No, there was no way that Theodore freaking Astor had hot water running through this place.

“Mongrel I am going to take the chains off. Do not try anything, it will be a waste of time.” I turned my gaze from the tub to his grey eyes. I didn’t respond, he was out of his mind if he thought I was not going to make a run for it. First my wrists became free then my neck. I didn’t run, like he thought I would. No, that would have been too obvious. I rubbed my wrists and walked further into the room.

“I thought I would be in a dungeon, isn’t that what your order favors, they like to keep their pets locked up in cages?” I made my snide comment going into the alcove that held the tub. “You may be a mutt, but you are not a pet, pets have value.” He responded, What an asshole.

I checked to see if his back was turned. It was, all I could see was his white hair and his wings. I punched the mirror that was over the pedestal sink and moved as fast as I could grabbing the glass.

I knew he had to have hear what I had done. I expected him to come and stop me, it was the plan and when he got close, I would jab the broken glass into one of his wings. Oh, how he would scream, but he wasn’t doing that. He was still giving me his back. I held the makeshift knife in my hand. I could feel my own blood dripping down onto the floor. I had just gotten close enough to lunge and push the glass into his wings when he turned. One of his brows rose. “What are you doing? You look ridiculous.” He said and I scrunched up my face. I looked at my hand and the blood and glass were gone.

What had just happened? He snorted and held up a necklace. It was stunning really, a single good sized red stone as a pendant. “Turn around and lift up your hair.” He commanded. “What?” “Now” I was very confused. “If you don’t do as I say I will just make you.” He said in his cool aristocrat way. I did as he said hoping at some point, he would explain what had happened to the mirror piece I had planned to use to gut him with or why he was now putting a necklace on me. I felt it against my skin, it was heavy, not like it looked, silver was never this heavy, what was this?

“Turn back around and put your wrists out.” I again listened, more intrigued by what was happening than a plan to escape. I watched as he put on two bracelets. Both matching and, like the necklace they were pretty. I watched as he used a tool and secured them. He nodded and I watched as his eyes roamed over my new jewelry and he seemed particularly focused on the necklace he had fastened around my neck. “What to fill me in on what the hell you are doing?”

I snapped and his eyes went to mine. I looked at him for what seemed like the first time since he had snatched me from the cathedral.

He was handsome, he had grown into his perfect aristocrat features. His clean-shaven face showed a strong jaw line. His white hair was cut to accentuate the angles of his face, with its short sides and longer straight hair on the top, it was parted to the side. His cheek bones seemed to be perfect and gave more definition to his face. His nose was straight and looked to be the right portion. Then there were those grey eyes. They were cold and held no trace of anything I could recognize.

“The jewelry is iron, so you won’t have access to your gifts.” He had iron jewelry on hand? That seemed strange but then again, what wasn’t since I was kidnapped. “And the mirror?” I snapped at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be the brightest of our generation? I am sure you can figure it out.” he said with no emotion. I stood there glaring at him. “We have dinner is in an hour, get cleaned up and dressed. You fucking stink.” He commanded me. Was he serious? I was a captive, and I was supposed to go to dinner as if this was a dinner party?

Dread filled me, dinner. Was it going to be as grotesque as how Malachar fed. My stomach churned at the thought. “There are clothes in the wardrobe, obviously you know where the bathroom is.” He said to me. Was he seriously planning to leave me alone and let me find my way to wherever this dinner was to be held? He had to know that I was going to make a run for it. Why wouldn’t I? No there was something more, some kind of trap laid. Theodore Astor was not stupid.

He had good marks in school, I knew that. He also seemed to be the right hand of Malachar. There had to be something he laid to make sure I stayed here. “Before I leave, I should tell you, the necklace won’t come off, neither will the bracelets, unless I want them to so don’t bother trying.” I stared at his emotionless face. “Why did you change the shackles and chain for jewelry?” I asked. He smirked, turning his body so I saw his wings, right before he left the room he said, “I like to look at petty things.”