I woke up hours later. It was disorienting that the room was still dark. It felt like the night would never end. I sat up and stretched my hands over my head. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. They felt a little heavy from all the crying I did but I wasn’t too concerned about it. I contemplated getting out of bed and venturing downstairs. I trusted that it was around daytime because it wasn’t all that probable that I slept through the day. Konstantin would be sleeping and Felix, too. I sighed before lifting the covers from my body. The manor was silent, as expected. As I tiptoed down the hallway, I suddenly remembered the woman that was strapped to the dining table. Would she still be there? If so, I’d turn right back. I didn’t have the stomach to see that first thing in the morning. Or afternoon or whatever the time of day was. When I stopped to peer through the balusters, I saw that the table was empty. Not only was it empty, it also had platters of fruits and cheese right on top.

Konstantin and I remained seated at the table.He appeared to be focusing on the wall behind me. I felt unsettled because his expression didn’t change and his face was almost scrunched. I didn’t hear a sound but I guessed that he did. I didn’t ask him what the matter was. I waited. He would tell me eventually if it was something bad and I would follow his instructions. Until then, all I could do was sit next to him and wait for whatever this was to pass. The pupils of his eyes were larger than before. It was a somewhat scary sight. I had never seen pupils so large before. I didn’t dare to move. I felt like I would distract him in some way. I strained my ears in hopes to hear something but so far, nothing. I hadn’t heard what he did. I didn’t sense a threat. “Hide, guest,” he said in a voice a little above a whisper. He didn’t sound at all bothered and I didn’t know whether he was being serious or not. “Things are about to get complicated.”Konstantin stood up slowly. Majestically.

When I woke up, it was still dark but there was some light coming in from some of the places he hadn't covered with cloth completely. He was still fast asleep. He didn't make a sound as he slept. It almost sounded like he wasn't even breathing. I recalled the coffins I saw in the room on the right wing. Didn't he sleep in a coffin too? It was just a thought. I didn't really care. I assumed it was early morning. I didn't sleep that well and I felt a little cranky. He was sleeping all relaxed on the bed and I was here, hearing every joint in my body crack. An old movie was playing when I turned the TV on and I let it play. I watched it disinterestedly at first before I started getting entertained. I didn't switch positions, though, nor did I make a sound. The volume was low so I couldn't disturb Felix so I couldn't hear it well, but for the most part, I understood it. I was bored again by the time the second movie started playing. My mouth was dry. My belly grumbling. I was hungry a

Felix didn't have a problem getting in. The bouncer seemed to know him well and barely even glanced at me as we walked past him.The place was just as I remembered. The only thing that changed was me. The last time I was here, I was with my fiancé and his stepsister, and we were happy. I was happy. Things were different now. I killed them and was here with a vampire to find a werewolf who could help me. Nobody would believe me if I told them. They’d all think I was crazy. The place was completely packed. We had to weave through the crowd to get to wherever Felix intended to go. Thankfully, I didn’t come across anyone I recognized from the other times I was here. We weren’t exactly frequent customers but we were here often enough. Surprisingly, we always saw the same faces. Tonight, it was different. Perhaps that was because I myself had changed. I was looking at the world through a strange lens now. How many of the people I saw here were mythical creatures? It was impossible to te

The pizza had arrived and I had nearly the whole thing to myself. I had also had some of the tea that Red gave to me to hide my scent. I never was a fan of herbal tea, but it wasn’t all that bad. After I drank my first cup, Jay remarked that my scent had gotten a little bit better. Felix didn’t comment. He was still in a sulky mood and frankly, I didn’t care. I was tired of feeling guilty of the fact that he was helping me out. I didn’t ask for his help. He offered it. Since the vampires would be awake for the rest of the night, I went ahead and decided to sleep. I asked them where I could rest, interrupting their conversation, and Vanessa told me that I could use the third room on my right. It was a small but cozy room. The bed was a double and the sheets were white with baby green trimmings. I parted the windows and saw how the windows had this almost black film covering it. They were all drilled shut. I couldn’t open them even if I tried. I was grateful for the electricity at