Fang War

20 ☽

"Why can't you just let me go?"

Lila whimpered through cracked lips, hovered over the side of the bed. In this tiny room, there's nothing but the cold, the grey, the shadows that took form in her suffering mind.

Standing over her with a tray of food, Amelie placed it on the side table before she sat on the bed next to her.

"You made quite a scene in the arena, Lila. We thought we could trust you and you messed everything up! Zachary and the rest of us--we're deciding-" The vampire cleared her throat. "We aren't sure how to handle the situation yet. The situation of you."

In a simple black cotton tee shirt and grey sweatpants, Lila only knew a new day had arrived when she received a change of clothes. Every day, it seemed, passed slower than the last.

The man she thought she loved, was a monster. A man capable of hurting her, of using his power of her, of violating her mind, her memory of Adonis and even further, to make her forget entirely about her father. Sperm Donor. Though she resented him, she never felt more of a need to connect with her father. Not since, she was the young child visiting him under supervision in the prison.

She had no control, no say in her own fate.

There had been a time when Lila thought Zachary could never hurt her in any such way, yet here she was in this living hell.

Hopelessly, Lila says, "I'm guessing since you haven't decided what you're going to do with me yet, that you can't see my future, right? I know you and Zachary can't read my mind, that some of your gifts don't work around me, but maybe you can give me a little insight?" Lila didn't look Amelie's way, but stared at the chipped polish on her fingernails.

There were no windows, no doors for her access, she was in a prison. Even if it was designed to look luxurious, it was nothing of the sort.

"You know none of this is up to me." Amelie shrugged and sighed, staring briefly at the food brought for the human that she felt some fondness for. "I don't get to make any decisions against Julien or even Darius, for that matter. All you can do is try to survive, to go along with it and wait for your time."

"Why? Why don't you have a say?" Lila asked as newfound strength brought her to turn her tortured gaze towards the flawless vampire. The human adds, "I want to have some say in how I die. At least promise me that."

Before Amelie can make a broken promise, the locked door opened. Zachary glares, his expression twisted in both anger and extreme disappointment. It's the first time Lila had seen him since he had struck her. By the change of outfits she received, she'd counted it to be several weeks.

"Leave." He ordered Amelie, who gave Lila a lasting goodbye squeeze of her hand before exiting the room and closing the door behind them.

Lila braced for the worst as Zachary stood there, staring down at the floor in front of him, as if choosing his next words carefully.

When the silence grew to be too much, he finally says, "I didn't want it to be this way, Lila." He made his way over to take the seat Amelie left vacant next to her.

Lila shifted uncomfortably with his nearness, crossing her arms carefully over her thrumming heart.

He continues, "I'm sorry I was so angry with you. I felt as if I had lost everything in a blink of an eye. Never felt anything like that before, not ever."

Her face diverted, cascading down her flowing chestnut locks. Zachary reached his hand out to gently touch them. Gently, he played with them, hoping the pace of her heart would slow down to a relaxing beat. "I'll never hurt you again, my pet. Please believe me."

She looked at him then and replied,  "Then let me go home." Her eyes pleaded, broken and begging for mercy.

"I can't do that," His icy fingers ran through her hair as he adds, "Because you are mine. Forever."

Lila's eyes sealed shut for uncountable seconds, causing tears to spill out over her cheeks. Trapped forever by this psychopath, Amelie's words finally set in on not having any control. She had to survive this. She would survive this. Like Amelie let on, she'd have to play the game to win.

Her eyes locked on his, "Forever wouldn't be long enough with you. I can't wait to start over. I love you."

Her smile was false as she hugged him, wanting desperately to sob for the poor choices that lead her here. Instead, she masked her emotions for her very life.