Читать книгу Two for tragedy. Volume 2 - Анна Морион - Страница 6

Fear ran through me to my very bones, and I shrieked loudly.

– Please help me! – The girl shouted in English, trying to pull me to her, but I fought her off and pressed my back against the opposite grate.

Suddenly someone's cold hand grabbed my shoulder. A new scream of terror burst from my chest, and I hurried to the middle of the corridor, finding myself between two cells, while the two girls trapped in them held out their hands to me and shouted loudly in horrible, hysterical voices.

– Help me! Let me out! I don't want to die! – screamed the second one, also in English, but with a strong Spanish accent. She looked no better than her neighbour.

Their horrible screams, the sight of them, and the whole situation frightened me so much that I immediately rushed out of the dungeon, hearing the terrible cries of "No! Don't go! Don't leave us!" These chilling cries haunted me. The horrible sight before my eyes was unbearable. I could not conceive how such a thing was possible in the modern world! Girls trapped in that cold, damp cellar… Poor creatures! They must have been looking forward to someone giving them their freedom back for a long time! But what are they there for? How did they get there? Who put them there?

Grayson. What a simple answer. And most likely, he locked them in there to drink their blood later.

I hurried out of the cellar and closed the door behind me, and, separated from the rest of the castle by the heavy, powerful wood, the girls' pitiful cries fell silent.

I felt sick to my stomach. I clutched the wall with my hand, and breathing loudly, horrified, and with a boundless dislike of Grayson, I wondered feverishly whether I could have taken the liberty of setting the poor captives free. I couldn't wait to run back to the dungeon and break down the rusty bars, let the girls out, give them freedom and comfort, but… Then Grayson would kill me for sticking my nose in his business. I was sure of it.

Just forget about them? Ignore the fact? It was impossible: I closed my eyes and saw the unhappy girls in front of me, their hysterical screams ringing in my ears.

Perhaps I was soon to be in one of those cells. Because I was determined to talk to Grayson about the prisoners and try to get him to let them go. Even at the cost of my own life.

Tired and broken, I walked out of the castle into the park and sat on a bench by the fountain. The morning, which had recently seemed joyful and hopeful, was as dark as the sky above my head: the smell of a thunderstorm was in the air.

"How many days have passed since Grayson locked his poor prisoners in the dungeon? How many horrors they must have endured and are enduring every day! Are they receiving food and water? Lord, if you are, how do you allow such things to happen? How do you allow some of your children to abuse and kill your other children!" – The thoughts in my head were interrupting each other, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from crying at the sheer injustice.

Soon it started to rain, but I didn't want to go back to the castle: I was disgusted to be in a vampire's home. So, without moving, I sat in the summer rain and thought about the poor girls locked in their cages.

My thoughts were interrupted by the quiet rattle of the gate opening, and as I glanced up, I saw Grayson's car pulling into the park. The gate closed immediately. The car stopped at the stone staircase, and in a few seconds the master of the castle himself stepped out of it. From now on, in my eyes he wasn't just a monster-he was a maniac, a sadist, a madman. I began to hate him even more, if that was even possible.

Grayson glanced at me and, grinning, headed in my direction. He was beautiful in a dark blue classic suit. His dark hair set off his handsome face perfectly, on which a welcoming smile shone.

– Good morning, Viper. How did you sleep? I hope you didn't get cold last night? – He asked, stopping in front of me.

I had no desire to talk to him or even look at him, but I needed to find out who those girls were, in his dungeon, and what he planned to do to them. Maybe he would hit me for my insolence, maybe ban me from the bars next to them, but I needed to know.

– Brandon," I began timidly, remembering well how angry he'd been yesterday for my not calling him by his first name.

– You finally learnt my name," he said mockingly.

– Who… Who are they? – I asked in a broken voice, not daring to look at him.

– Who are they?"

I looked up at him.

– The girls in your dungeon," I said quietly and squirmed, preparing to take his punch or slap.

To my amazement, instead of frowning or slapping me, Brandon smiled.

Fear gripped me: you could expect anything from him, I'd learnt that forever.

– Oh, damn it, you ruined my surprise! – The vampire said with reproach in his voice.

– What surprise? – I was surprised, not understanding what he was getting at.

– Well, all right. Did you find them?

– Yes! How did they end up there? What do you want to do with them? – I exclaimed.

The captives were his surprise to me? So he wanted to tell me about them?

– It's very simple. But be patient: soon you will have the surprise I have prepared for you.

– Will you let them go? – I asked with hope in my heart.

– But then the surprise will be ruined," the vampire smiled and held out his hand to me. – Let's go to the castle, can't you see it's raining?

– Will you kill them? – I asked quietly.

– It's a surprise," Brandon said shortly. – Now get to the castle, you're all wet. I don't want you to catch cold. – He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

We entered the lobby of the castle, and the vampire wanted to leave, but I grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket.

– Brandon! – came out of my mouth.

The vampire raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he stopped.

– Let them go! – I begged

– No," he said harshly.

– But why? – I exclaimed.

– Viper, they're my food," Grayson grinned. – They've been dead to the world for a long time.

– Please! Please! Kill me instead of them, they're....

– You care so much about them?

– Yes, I feel so sorry for them! – I pleaded, but I saw with despair that Grayson remained indifferent and callous to my pleas.

– You can feed them if you want," Grayson said, taking my hand off the sleeve of his jacket. – They didn't seem to have eaten anything for three days or more, I don't remember exactly.

"How calmly he talks about it! Feeding them! Like animals in a zoo!" – I thought contemptuously, but I was nevertheless overjoyed that I could do something to help the captives.

– Where can I get food? – I answered readily.

– In the kitchen," the vampire said, and started up the stairs.

I didn't need to be told twice: I rushed into the kitchen. Bitter experience had taught me not to look in the fridge, and I started looking through the cupboards and shelves for food.

The food, or rather, last night's dinner, was in a cupboard with clean plates. Apparently, Grayson had never been in the kitchen before and didn't know where to put the food properly so it wouldn't spoil. I gingerly tasted the food to see if it was edible, and luckily, the only thing missing was the meat, which had been out of the fridge all night and now smelled foul.

Finding a large metal tray on one of the shelves, I set the plates of food on it and grabbed two glasses and a carafe of water. The tray loaded with plates was heavy, but I carried it quickly, imagining how long it had been since the unfortunate girls had eaten. I was almost running, and stopped just before the door that led to the dreaded corridor. Placing the tray on the floor, I opened the door with difficulty, stepped inside, clapped my hands to switch on the light, took the tray and walked towards the cells where the girls were sitting.

As if sensing my presence or awakened by the light of the lamps, the vampire prisoners jumped out of their corners and clung to the bars.

– Save me! Please let me out! – they shouted, but when they saw the tray with food in my hands, they went completely mad and shrieked: – Give it to me! Me!

– Please, please, calm down! It's all for you! – I tried to calm them but it was as if they didn't hear my words and continued screaming. Their screams made my soul bleed. I put the tray on the floor, picked up a large plate of boiled potatoes, and held it out to one of the girls, who clutched it frantically and pulled it towards her. Alas, the bars prevented her from taking the plate into the cell, so the girl dumped the potatoes on the floor, in front of the bars, and started eating them with her hands right off the floor.

– And for me? Now me! – shaking the grate with her hands, the second girl shouted.

I hurriedly grabbed a plate with some salad and handed it to the girl – she threw it on the floor and started eating the salad mixed with the shards of the broken plate.

The thought flashed through my mind that in her mad devilish hunger this girl would eat the shards too, and I tried to pull them out, but she roared like a beast and slapped my hands, leaving deep long scratches on my right hand. I laid out the remaining food in front of the cameras and with tears in my eyes, in pain and horror, watched as the poor captives, probably mad from their long stay in the cages, ate the food right off the floor, growling and giving it to her.

Suddenly remembering to give them water, I poured water into glasses and placed them next to the food, immediately regretting that I had only taken one carafe. I quickly ran back to the kitchen for the second carafe, and as I was walking back to the girls, I almost ran into Grayson. But I didn't have the time or energy to tell him what I thought of him, so I went back to the girls and put a carafe of water by their cells so they could drink water whenever they wanted.

– See what some people can get into," I heard Grayson's mocking voice behind me. – They've already turned into animals. It's disgusting, don't you think?

– You turned them into animals! – I blurted out. – But God will punish you for everything you've done to them!

– God? – The vampire laughed, his loud laughter echoing off the walls and the high ceiling. Hearing the vampire's voice, the girls cowered in the corners of their cells with screams of terror. – God hasn't been interested in what's going on in the world for a long time!

– What a monster you are! – I whispered, looking at the girls, who were so frightened by his appearance that they were sobbing hysterically.

My head spun, and I leaned against the wall to keep from falling.

– Ah, you know, I've been thinking about what you said. – Grayson checked the pulse on my neck with a concerned look. I shuddered in disgust. – I'll let them go.

– You will? – I whispered happily, more excited than I'd ever been in my life. – You'll let them go?

– Yes, if you want me to," Grayson said seriously.

– You know I want to so badly! Please! – I begged quietly, glad that his soul wasn't as rotten as I'd thought it was, that he was going to do what I asked.

– Well, then we need to… What is it? – Grayson frowned, grabbing my hand and examining the deep scratches one of the girls had left on it.

– It's nothing! It's just scratches! – I said hurriedly.

– "Just scratches"? There are millions of bad bacteria, dirt, rot under those girls' fingernails! You need to wash your sctratches right away! – the vampire said harshly, and I thought he was angry.

– Yes, of course! I'll do it as soon as you let them out of here! – I promised, looking at him fearfully. – I promise!

Grayson was silent and stared at me intently.

– All right. How could I refuse my guest? – he said in a cheerful tone. – But first I want you to meet them. – The vampire led me to one of the cells.

I looked at the girl sitting in the corner, crying, dirty: she reminded me of a member of a primitive tribe – so horrible she looked.

– This is Susan, the daughter of a small English nobleman. Susan is a fine horsewoman, loves to play cricket, and is also well versed in painting and English sport. I met her in London, a month ago, and persuaded her to come away with me, which she, quite willingly, did.

A month? So this poor girl's been in this cell for a month?!

– And this is Lourdes. A fiery, passionate Spaniard who loves the sea, ships and music. I think she can play the flute pretty well. I met her in Lisbon, where she was on holiday with her father. She left with me the day after we met, half a month ago, seventeen days ago to be exact. You see what a girl's frivolity leads to?

As I listened to the vampire's calm, even indifferent story, I felt nothing but contempt for him: he talked about girls as if they were unnecessary things, not living beings. But Grayson's bored look told me that he did treat them as things.

– You tricked them! You played on their feelings! And they trusted you! – I exclaimed contemptuously, unable to keep silent. – You used your beauty to lure them here!

– Yes, I did. But if you want to give me a guilty conscience, don't waste your efforts: I don't have one," Grayson smiled charmingly.

– But you promised you'd let them go! – I reminded him anxiously.

My heart was filled with pity for these poor, trusting creatures: deceived by their angelic appearance, they had fallen into the clutches of a monster. And before, they had their own free and interesting lives. But Grayson had no pity for them-he saw them only as food, only as people he could mock.

Silly me, and I felt sorry for myself, thinking I was the unhappiest person in the world.

– I told you I'd let them go, but they need to be made to look good first," the vampire said calmly. – You don't want them to come back to society like this, do you?

– I'll do it myself! Right now! – I exclaimed eagerly.

– Yes, you do. In addition, they must swear to me that they will say nothing about me or what they have experienced and seen in this castle.

– I swear to you in the name of our Most High! – jumping out of her hiding place and pressing herself against the bars, the Spaniard shouted. – I swear I will not say a word to anyone!

– Nor I! I will tell nothing of you! I swear on my mother's memory! – followed by the Englishwoman.

I could not hold back my tears from the emotion that overwhelmed me – I felt so sorry for the poor girls! Their lives were ruined! Forever in their minds will be horrible memories that will gnaw at their souls. And maybe their psyche was so damaged that a future free life would bring them no joy!

But Grayson was generous. He promised to let them go, to give them a chance to move on with their lives, even if it was with these memories.

– Get them cleaned up," the vampire commanded and, taking the keys from his pocket, unlocked the cell doors.

The girls rushed to me with loud sobs, and I hugged them back, even though they smelled awful. But it wasn't their fault!

Grayson looked at us, with a cold grin on his lips, and then turned and walked out of the dungeon.