Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam #2)(58)

But as the van eased out of the parking spot, the side door opened and I was stumbling toward it, pushed along by whoever had hold of me. I tried to resist, my legs noodling under me. I started to sink toward the ground when another pair of arms swept me up. I found myself staring at a broad chest, clad in a dark shirt and denim jacket. I tried to look up, to see the face of whoever was holding me, but he was wearing sunglasses and some sort of a hat. Hazily, I wanted to tell him that it was nighttime, he didn’t need the glasses, but that seemed like it wasn’t the right thing to say.

Confused, I rested my head against his chest. He smelled like cigarettes and brandy, and I winced, the stench of smoke making me gag. As he lifted me into the van, I saw three others there, though I couldn’t make out any of their features. And then, I was resting on a blanket on the floor, and as I drifted off, I felt someone tying my hands and feet. The last thing I remembered thinking was who was going to tell Aegis where I went, and that it was a damned good thing Bubba was staying the night with Mr. Peabody.





Chapter 16





HOW LONG IT was before I woke up, I don’t know. All I knew was that I began to come to, and my arms and legs felt like lead weights, unable to move. I was sitting up in the chair, and my neck ached from my head drooping. I moaned as I lifted my head, longing to stretch. I tried to open my eyes, but they seemed to be stuck shut by goo. My lashes were welded together. I blinked rapidly, trying to pry them open. After a few attempts, my left eye opened, feeling gritty and sore, and then my right one followed suit.

“She’s coming around.” A woman’s voice echoed somewhere behind me.

“I’ll tell Essie.” Another voice nearby, then the sound of footsteps on what sounded like a stone floor.

Essie. Oh, lovely. Well, at least I knew who had decided to kidnap me. I cracked open my lips, tentatively. “Water?”

I didn’t like that the first thing I asked was for a drink instead of demanding to know where I was or that they let me go. Then again, I already knew who had hold of me, and I knew full well they wouldn’t just merrily trip along to my side, untie me and say, “Sure, go ahead! Sorry for the kidnapping gig.” Asking for water seemed a safe bet.

“Here. Drink slow at first or you’ll throw up.” The woman who was standing in front of me was wearing a pair of jeans and a turtleneck. She also looked remarkably pale and by the color of her eyes, I knew she was a vampire.

She held a cup to my lips, slowly dribbling the water in. I knew enough to accept that what she was telling me was good advice. So many of the drugs that could knock out a witch were harsh on the system, especially the stomach, and my gut was gnarled in knots. I took a slow sip, let it trickle down my throat, and then another. A third and fourth helped clear the tickle from my throat, and a fifth was just enough to ease the dryness that had formed in my mouth. I knew better than to take a sixth—my stomach wasn’t thrilled with the first five.

“So…Essie…?”

“You’re at Essie’s house, yes. She has some questions for you.”

“She has a lousy way of getting my attention.”

The vampire gave me a wry look. “Just so you know, Essie has a definite style when it comes to finding out what she needs to know. She told us not to hurt you, though.”

The fact that she warned them not to hurt me was either a very good thing—or a very bad thing. She either was concerned enough that she didn’t want to piss me off too badly, or she wanted to save the joy of inflicting pain on me for herself.

“What’s your name?” I figured I might as well find out what I could, in case I got out of this scrape. I knew what Essie wanted to know, and I wasn’t sure just how I was going to convince her that I didn’t know. Auntie Tautau had made it so I couldn’t be forced to tell, but how far could Essie push me before I gave up the info? And yet, was it really willing when torture was involved?

“Ruby. Why?”

“No reason,” I said. “Can I have some more water, Ruby?”

Ruby held the cup to my lips again and I took a few more sips. Finally, I leaned back to look around the room. We were in a small space, but the walls were painted a lovely shade of dull charcoal gray, matching the atmosphere. The wainscoting was an off-white. At least it wasn’t all blood red and black, but somehow, the muted tones seemed more striking than if it had been a garish-goth. A table and chairs sat to one side, and next to me was a sofa. To my right was a grand arch, leading out of the room. If I leaned forward, I could probably just see what was beyond it.

I was in one of the chairs from the table, from what I could tell, and my arms were tied straight down to my sides, and my ankles were bound. The rope was irritating against my legs—given I was wearing a skirt, and it was chilly enough that I was rapidly starting to shiver. There weren’t any windows in the room, which led me to think it was either an inner room or in the basement. Without any art on the walls and with no real decor, the room felt stark and more like a concrete cell rather than a tastefully done parlor.

“So…Ruby…how long have I been here? How long was I unconscious?”

“You’ve been here about two hours, and you were unconscious for about twenty minutes before that.”

Then I was right—I was in Essie’s house. Or someplace close to it. Unless the vamps had developed the power of flight, I was still on the island.