Page 22

Her eyes, remained open, they’d glazed over.

The spark of life that had been there dimmed.

Her eyes then rolled back into her head.

Leaving behind only the stark white of her eyeballs.

The woman fell forward to the unforgiving cold stone floor.

Her body twitched a few times. The crimson stain around her widened, the front of her dress had soak through with her life force.

Ivy just stood there, she stared wide eyed, her mouth hung open at the woman’s lifeless body.

Vice let go of her chin, she couldn’t move.

It was like her body was suddenly made of stone.

Her eyes stuck on the woman. Vice walked between her and the woman’s body, which brought her back to reality.

He places the knife against Shamus's neck.

Ivy's heart stopped. "You said you'd only kill one of them," she screamed, her voice was hoarse, filled with fear and fury.

She threw herself between Vice and Shamus, trying to act as a barrier.

"When are you going to learn, Ivy?" He whispered his voice a sadistic purr. "You're not in charge here, I am." his eyes burned with the flames of hell.

Her eyes widen in horror as she realized the twisted turn the game had taken. She pleaded with him, her nails digging into his chest. Vice grabbed her hand roughly and she felt the handle of the knife being forced into her hand. The blade was still soaked with the woman’s blood.

"You can't do this," she screamed, her voice echoed off the stone walls. “Please, Vice I’m sorry.” She cried as her body shook.

"Oh, but I can, and I will," Vice sneered, his grip on her unrelenting. "I told you to pick, you didn’t." he said with a wicked grin on his face. "You wanted to save them? Well now you've killed them both." Vice laughed a humorless laugh.

The room seemed to shrink around her, suffocating her, as she tried desperately to pull away.

She looked at Shamus, he kept his eyes on the floor.

"No Vice, please I'm begging you." She cried.

Vice's grip on her hand tightened, and she felt the knife being dragged along the soft flesh of Shamus's throat.

The warmth of his blood coated her hand as she can do nothing but watch in horror.

"What have you done?" she sobs, her body trembling uncontrollably. Vice released her hand and spun her around to face him. Still holding on to her he grabbed the knife out of her hand. "Get off me, you bastard." Ivy screams as she thrashed against his arms.

With a sadistic smirk, Vice grabbed her hand one more time.

He turns her palm upward. Ivy’s body stilled.

"Now, a little reminder in case you ever forget who's in charge here.

" he roared. He presses the knife into her palm and sliced deep, the pain searing through her body like a bolt of lightning. She screamed, her eyes squeezed shut, her blood mixed with Shamus’s and the woman's.

When she opens them again, she sees the lifeless bodies of the two innocent people she'd sentenced to death, their blood pooled together on the stone floor. The room is eerily silent except for her sobs. She falls to her knees; she wrapped her palm in her shirt trying to stem the blood flow.

Vice steps back, watching her sob; his eyes burning. "Remember, Ivy," he said, his voice was a serpent's hiss, "you caused this." He wiped the knife clean on his coat and slid it back into its sheath in his belt. "You’ve made you're bed, now lie in it."

“My doors are never locked, Ivy," he smirks, "I don’t need locks, because not a single soul dares to challenge me,” His tone was condescending. “Except you but you will learn.”

Ivy couldn’t breathe. She looked up at him, desperation clouded her vision. “You're insane," she spat out, her voice shaking with anger.

Vice's smile didn’t waver. "Perhaps," he mused, he stepped passed the lifeless bodies. "But fear and death are powerful motivators. You see, Ivy, I don't need locks when I have fear."

Once back in her room, Ivy sunk onto the bed, she still had her hand wrapped in her shirt, which was now stained red.

Her mind raced, trying to piece together the events that had just unfolded.

The smell of blood and fear lingered in the air, a reminder of the grim reality she's trapped in.

She realized in that moment, she'd never escape.

"How did you find me?" she snaps suddenly, as he loomed over her.

"I never lost you," he responded, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate through the very stones of the castle. "I was with you the whole time."

Ivy's eyes widened, her mouth fell open. "In the shadows?" she whispered.

"Yes," Vice replied, his tone devoid of any hint of remorse. "Every step you took, every breath you drew, I was there, watching, waiting."

The revelation hits Ivy like a cruel hard slap in the face. She had thought she'd been free, if only for a brief moment. The taste of freedom had been so sweet, but now it tasted like ashes in her mouth. "You bastard!" she spat. Throwing the covers off her she climbed out of bed.

Vice chuckled darkly, leaning against the door frame. "I've been called worse, I assure you." He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes never leaving her. "You didn't really think I'd let you go that easily, did you?" he chuckled.

"You watched those creatures attack me?" she screamed at him. Her whole body was shaking with rage. "You just sat there while I was fighting for my life?" she asked as she pointed back towards the window.

Vice steps closer, his boots echoing on the cold stone floor.

"Of course I watched," he admits, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I sent them after you." His words are like a knife to her gut, twisting and turning with each syllable.

"You see, Ivy, fear makes you so... delicious.

It's intoxicating, and did you forget about you're little stunt in the bathtub, or did you just think that I would? "

Ivy's eyes narrowed, her anger building like a storm within her. "You enjoyed watching me suffer?" she asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and fury. "Like I'm just some plaything you can break and throw away."

Vice smirked; his eyes gleamed with a sadistic delight.

"Oh, Ivy," he said, his voice a purr. "You're so much more than that to me.

You're a challenge, a prize to be won." He took a step closer, his hand reaching out to trace the line of her jaw.

"And when I finally break you, when you're truly mine, that's when the real fun begins. "

The rage within Ivy boils over, and she slapped his hand away. "You're disgusting," she snarled, her voice filled with revulsion. "I'll never be yours."

He grabbed her by her chin, making her look at him. Vice's eyes flare with a dangerous light, but he only laughs, the sound echoing through the room. "Which one of us are you trying to convince?" his voice was a seductive promise that sends shivers down her spine.

Ivy's heart raced in her chest, her mind reeling from the horror of the night.

The taste of blood is still in her mouth, and the smell of Vice's creature's clings to her skin.

"You'll have to kill me, because I'll never be yours and you'll never break me.

" she said, her voice hoarse from screaming.

"I'm going to make you regret ever making this deal, or I'll die trying. "

Vice's smile widened, a terrifying sight. "Is that a threat or a promise?" He asked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Because, my dear, you're already mine. You gave yourself to me when you agreed to our deal."

Her heart sank as the gravity of his words settle in the room. She'd made a deal with the devil, and now she was trapped in his world, with no escape in sight.

"It would be a shame if Alice lost both her parents, don't you think? Because if I have to kill you that voids our deal. Since you said you'd do anything. Which would release me from holding up my end of the deal," he said with a smug look on his face.

"Please." Ivy scoffed, turning her head slightly to the right as she rolled her eyes, then fixed her gaze back on Vice. "You expect me to believe you're holding up you're end of our deal? That would require you to be something other than a heartless monster, and I don't believe you have it in you."

Vice's smile fades into a frown, and his hand clamped around her throat, pushing her back into the cold stone wall with surprising force.

Her eyes narrowed, and she grabbed his wrist, trying to pry his hand away.

"Did I strike a nerve?" she choked out with a slight smug smile on her face as she struggled under his grip.

"Wouldn't think that comment would bother you considering you pride yourself on being a heartless monster." She said still struggling against his hold on her throat.

The room felt colder than before as Vice's eyes bore into hers, his grip tightened. "You think you know me, Ivy?" he said, his voice a low growl. "You think you know what I'm capable of?"

"All I know is what you've showed me," she croaked, her nails digging into his wrist. "If you want me to believe you're capable of things other than cruelty and selfishness, then show me."

Vice's grip loosened a fraction, his eyes searched hers. He seemed to consider her words before letting go entirely, taking a step back. "Ivy," he said his voice a mix of anger and something else, something she couldn’t quite place. "You have no idea what you're asking for."

"Is that it?" Ivy takes a deep, ragged breath, rubbing at her throat.

"Or is it that you're afraid to let you're walls down.

" she took a step closer to him. "Vice," she said softly.

"I know all you've ever known was fear, pain and unimaginable cruelty.

" She took another step toward him. Vice frowned at her, quickly looking her up and down.

"But things don't have to be like this," she whispered, her hand reaching out to touch his cheek. He flinched but didn’t pull away. His eyes searched hers, looking for the lie she had to be telling. "You've shown me there's more to you," her voice was firm.

Vice scowled, his hand coming up to grip hers firmly but not painfully. He didn't push it away, just held it there, wanting to feel her touch. "You're delusional," he grunted, his eyes never leaving hers. "I've done too much, Ivy. There's no redemption for someone like me."

He turned and began to walk away, the clack of his boots echoing in the vast chamber.

"Then why did it affect you when I said you were only a heartless monster?" Ivy called after him, her voice slightly raised.

Vice froze mid-step, his back to her. His shoulders tense. But then, slowly, he turns around to face her. "It wouldn't have if there isn't more to you," she said firmly.

He stalked back towards her, his eyes blazing. Ivy felt a spark of fear. She pushed him too far she realized. She took a few steps back, her hands shaking. "You think you're so clever," he snarled, closing the distance between them.

Her back hit the wall again, and she felt the cool stone through her shirt.

His face now only inches from hers, his breath hot against her cheek. "You want to see what I'm truly capable of?" His grip tightened on her wrist, and she felt his nails biting into her skin. "I'll show you."

He pulled her closer, and she felt the heat from his body. She tried to hold his gaze, but she couldn’t. His free hand snaked around her waist. The tension in the room is intense, like the moment before a storm breaks.

"Look at me, Ivy," he commanded, and she had no choice but to meet his eyes again. There's something there she hadn’t seen before, something raw and vulnerable. It's terrifying and fascinating all at once.

But then in an instant it's gone, and his smile is once again cold and predatory. "You want proof?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Fine. But remember, you asked for this."

With a sudden, violent yank, he pulled her away from the wall and dragged her through the castle.

The corridors flew by in a blur of torchlight and shadows, the sound of his boots and her stumbling steps echoing through the empty halls.

Ivy tried to dig in her heels, to fight back, but his grip is like iron, unyielding and unbreakable.

He stops abruptly, shoving her into a chamber she's never seen before. The walls are lined with weapons, some ancient and others disturbingly modern, each one gleaming with malicious intent.

The smell hit her like a ton of bricks, a nauseating mix of iron and death. It clung to her nostrils, thick and oppressive, turning her stomach. She looked down at the floor it was stained brown, she looked around to see the bones of countless souls who never left this room.

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, and she stumbled backward in shock and horror, her eyes wide. The room was a grim testament to the darker side of Vice's nature, and she felt a deep sense of dread wash over her.

He grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him, his grip was crushing. "Do you still think there's more to me?" he snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. "Look around, Ivy. This is who I am."

Before she could answer he yanked her from the room. He slammed the door with a thunderous finality, cutting off the stench and the grisly sight.

Ivy stood in the hallway, trembling. She felt like she'd been dunked in ice water, the reality of her situation sinking in like a cold, heavy weight. She didn't know what to say. How could she possibly respond to that? The walls felt like they were crushing her.

Vice turned and looked at her “You run from me again, and I’ll tie you to the bed and make you scream every second you were gone.” He says, his face devoid of any emotion. Without another word he turned and walked away leaving her alone.

Ivy's legs gave out, and she sank to the cold floor, her body trembling as sobs racked her frame.

She brought her knees up to her chest and laid her head on them, the true reality of her situation crashing down on her.

She was trapped in this nightmare with a monster.

She had to find a way out of this before she became the next victim who didn't leave.