Chosen by the Vamprie, Book One

Chapter Eight

There was movement in the corridor outside our room. I pressed my hand against the door and eased my ear to the wood. Scrapes and steps, a grunt of effort.

"What is it?" Willa muttered behind me.

I ignored her, pressing harder, focusing on the sound as it slipped away. It wasn't the first scrape I'd heard...something was happening out there. I needed to know what that was. Was Devika all right?

"Nothing," I finally muttered and glanced to the window above the bed. The sky was brightening at the edges, daylight was almost here. Would the moving and the scraping stop then, when all the Vampires went to bed?

I turned back to the door. Clinking of glasses echoed, making my pulse race. What were they doing?

"Asena?" Chaska murmured from the bed.

"Go to sleep," I whispered over my shoulder.

We'd become just like the beasts who imprisoned us, sleeping when the sunlight beamed through the window and awake as the sky darkened. I hated that we were changing, hated that we were at their mercy. I shoved back from the door and paced the bedroom.

Chaska's breaths evened out, soon she'd be snoring, leaving this hell behind. But Willa battled the darkness, fighting sleep as she watched me. But she wasn't a fighter, not like I was. Her head tilted, falling forward until she jerked upright.

A scrape outside the door pulled me closer. I splayed my palms against the wood and leaned closer. Grunts and heaves were punctured with the grating, splintering sound of something heavy being dragged along the floor. It sounded woody...like a coffin?

Maybe it was for the masquerade ball?

Snores echoed behind me...deep growling gasps were followed by a grunt. I glanced behind me, both my roommates were dead to the world. Tiredness closed in, stinging my eyes. I swallowed a yawn. I had no time to be tired, not yet...I turned back to the faint sounds. I needed to know what was happening.

I headed for the bed, stilling at the side, and stared down at Willa. I didn't trust her, didn't trust any of them, not really. Willa had a temper, and, I suspected, a mean streak, but there was one part of her personality that drew me here in this moment. She loved to look her best, and pinning those unruly fiery curls was something she was good at.

I held my breath, watching her eyes for a hint she was awake and reached out. My fingers snapped toward a hairpin and yanked it free. A strand of hair broke. She muttered and turned her head, sighing softly before she settled once more.

I didn't dare breathe and was too afraid to move. I waited, while my chest filled with fire, until her snores started once more and then gently stepped backwards away from the bed.

My heart was thundering, breath came in a rush. I sucked in gulps, waited for the room to stop spinning, and then knelt on the floor. I'd picked a lock three times before, and each time it was different. I yanked open the pin and gently inserted it into the opening in the door.

Please let this work.

I wiggled the damn thing, twisting the ends until they hit something in the chamber. If I could just get it...something inside went click. I jerked my gaze to the knob and reached for it. My fingers curled as I twisted, and, with a snap, the door opened. Surprise consumed me. I sank back on my heels, staring for a second, until the faint scrape of something further along the hallway pulled my focus.

I shoved upwards and held onto the knob as the door cracked further open. Daylight was coming hard and fast, brightening the corridor outside the rooms. I waited, listening for any kind of sound, and gripped the open door.