The Vampire Prince graduates High School (Book 3)

Pawn

Voices echoed all around me. There was a strange ringing in my ears. My tongue felt thick, and my throat was dry. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't bring myself to speak.

"As you can see, she's perfectly fine."

That voice . . . It was so familiar.

"Rin! Rin!"

Pressure built behind my eyes. The voice was so sad.

"Go on. Your Prince is waiting."

"I'm fine," I heard someone say. "Give them what they want."

I floated in oblivion. The voices continued, but I couldn't hear anything. I tried looking around, but everything was blurred. Where was I?

"Rin? Are you sure about this?"

Who was talking to me? Who was this Rin they kept calling? That was . . . A wave of nauseous rolled over me. Bile rose in my throat, and I shuddered.

That was . . . my name, right?

I was Rin.

The ringing in my ears grew louder. The lights brightened around me. Bits of furniture came into view before disappearing again.

I groaned.

Why was it so cold? The edge of the chair bit into my thighs. I focused on the pain, trying to shake off the grogginess.

"I - I need -" The words wouldn't come out right.

Tell him to hand over the traitor.

The order came in clearer than anything else.

The words gagged out of my mouth. "Turn over the traitor."

I shook my head. No! How were they doing this to me?

"Rin."

I blinked slowly, or maybe I thought I did. At this point, I didn't know what was real or not. I was a passenger in my body, but my words weren't mine.

My vision cleared. I sat in a chair before a wide television hanging on a wall but wasn't tied. The clothes on me were new. Who had changed them? There was no one else around me. Bright lights pointed at me, making it hard to see anything beyond.

"Rin."

Staring at the television, I realized I was looking at Alexander. My chin trembled. His eyes were wide, darting around. He kept biting his lip, waiting for a response.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Please. Answer me."

Tell him to hand over the traitor.

My mouth opened. "Hand the traitor over, and I will return."

Alexander rubbed his face.

Why was he alone? Where was Noah or his parents?

"How can you say that?" he pressed.

Enough of this.

A shudder ran through me.

"If you don't give them what they want, you will never see me again. Is that what you want?"

Alexander's face twisted. Tears cloud my vision.

"You don't care about me," I continued. "How could you let this happen? It's all your fault that I was kidnapped."

Alexander closed his eyes when he opened them again; they were bloodshot.

"Stop," he croaked. "Don't make her say that, please."

I couldn't stop the tears.

"You know what we want in return," I gasped. "We will instruct you on where to deliver the traitor. If you try anything, you don't see her again."

The television blinked off without warning.

The pressure in my head subsided. Trembling, I covered my face with my hands. I felt so dirty.

"What did you do to me?" I asked. My chin trembled.

"We tried to ask nicely," Antoine said behind me. "You've interfered with our plans too many times now. It seems like you don't know how to repay your debt. Did you forget what you did for you?"

"You had no right to take over my body!"

"Yes, it is a distressing matter. You'll be taken to your room so you can rest."

Two guards appeared beside me. I didn't think I would have the strength to stand. As if knowing this, they grabbed my arms and practically dragged me back to my cell. They dropped me on the cot and left, locking the door behind them. Trembling, I curled into a ball, pressing my hands against my mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears.

The lights were dimmed when I opened my eyes again. My eyes stung with dryness, and my tongue tasted like sandpaper. I sat up.

It felt like. How long had I been asleep? My stomach growled. By the looks of it, I had slept through the entire day.

I rubbed my stomach. Thinking back, at least, it had been nice to see Alexander again. I had no way of telling time, but following my stomach growls, it had maybe only been a day or two since I'd been kidnapped.

The mafia was desperate for Camellia. What had she found out? If I remembered correctly, she had been investigating the Extremists. Considering how far the Mafia was willing to go for a trade, she probably found who was hiding them or maybe who they were. It was enough for the Mafia to be worried. But why would they worry unless it directly affected them? Did that mean the Mafia had ties with the Extremists?

Would Alexander believe I'd ask him to exchange Camellia for myself? Even if he didn't believe it, he'd probably do it. The time and place had yet to be decided, but I doubt the mafia would have Alexander wait too long. They wanted Camellia. I was just a pawn.

I didn't hear the door open until a tray slid across the floor. Before I could tell who had brought it, the door closed again. The lights in the room suddenly brightened. It was dinner time. 

Walking over to the tray, I saw a water bottle and a salad. There was a packet of dressing on the side. My stomach grumbled. These looked like convenience store items. Was there one nearby? 

I looked around the room. Come to think of it; the wall was made of drywall. They had constructed this room. I didn't remember much when they dragged me in, but maybe the door had been constructed too. 

I picked up the tray and sat on the bed, placing it on my lap. One by one, I picked up the items and inspected them for whole or opening. There wasn't any. Even the plastic silverware was wrapped and unopened. 

The goal wasn't to poison me then. 

Pawn or not, I didn't intend to starve.