Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl #1)(15)

Her eyes light up, even through the smudged makeup. "That would be... amazing. But are you sure? It has all of your things. And your mom's... "

"I'm sure. I don't want to leave it empty while I'm gone. Take it. You'd be doing me a favor." She already has a key, so I just tell her I'm leaving that night, and I'll pack up my room so she has space for her things.

We hug again and I leave, my heart heavy from the goodbyes. Is there Wi-Fi in this hell world, I wonder? Will I ever see my mother and friends again? My contract negotiation skills might have gotten me what I wanted, but that doesn't mean the princes will honor it once I'm in their world. They could do anything they want to me once I'm there, and no one would ever know. My attention is drawn to the strange new mark on my wrist. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I can almost feel the power in my skin tying me to the princes and my new life, binding me to them for all eternity. The thought that this might be the final goodbye nearly cripples me, but I can't let Es see that. I have to stay strong, just a little while longer.

I don't know what to expect, or what to bring. I pack up my room, put the boxes in my mom's, and shove a few things into my own bag to take with me. Mostly the sentimental items I can't replace, plus my favorite jeans and shirts and a sweatshirt.

My thoughts drift to Fen as I wait for Asher to arrive. I would have liked to say goodbye, but I have no way of contacting him. I tried looking for him last time I was at the hospital, to no avail. I consider leaving a note for Es to give him, just in case he pops back around while I'm gone, but what would it say? Sorry I missed you. Living in hell now. Wish you were here?

That probably won't work. So I just send a silent message out to him, thanking him for his help and wishing him well, wherever he might be.

I pace my living room for another hour, waiting, when finally the doorbell rings. I wasn't sure if the vampire would actually knock or just magically appear as he's wont to do.

I open the door and Asher is standing there, smiling, looking like he just stepped out of a GQ magazine. "Let's go to hell, shall we?"

***

I'm not ready. Not at all. But he leads me to a limousine parked in front of my apartment, and I freeze. "Can't we... I don't know... walk?"

He frowns, staring at me. "Walk? You think we can walk to where we are going?"

"Well, I don't think we can get there via limousine either," I say. "So you must be taking me someplace... human... where we will then use whatever black magic you wield to enter your world. So can't we walk to your human place at least?"

"No. Get in."

I sigh and slide in, clutching my bag to my lap as I sit awkwardly in the plush leather seats. I've never been in a limo before, but Asher looks like this is something he's quite used to.

He offers me a glass of champagne as the driver pulls out of the parking spot, but I shake my head. "I'm good, thanks."

"You look terrified. How is it that when I expose you to the monsters of nightmares, you respond with sass, but when I put you in a vehicle, you tremble with fear?" It only takes a moment for the proverbial lightbulb to go off in his head. "I see. The accident. You are still traumatized. Pity. You're much too fierce and clever to live under the weight of that one moment your whole life. You really should move on."

I snort. "Sure thing, Prince. I'll get right on that."

He scowls at me and we don't talk again for the rest of the drive. It takes us about twenty minutes to pull onto a large property full of tall trees that block out the sky. When we pull up to an elaborate gate designed into a beautiful tree with roots, the driver rolls down his window to enter a code into the security system. The gate opens, splitting the tree in half as it does, and we drive through. It's then that I see the house... or rather, mansion. "I didn't think we had anything like this in Oregon," I say.

"No one knows it's here, and we like to keep it that way. This is our home when we are in the mortal realm for business. It will be your home when you come here, under guard of course, for your monthly visits. You are never to bring anyone here. No one must know about it."

"You guys must be the life of the party," I mutter.

He ignores me as we pull up to the front door.

"Will I be meeting all of you now?" I'm nervous at the prospect of being in the same room with seven demonic vampires, one of whom I'm supposed to choose as a mate. I think that's a reasonable fear, at this point.

"No, the rest are busy at the moment. I'll take you to our world and bring you to High Castle."

A castle? "What's it like? Hell?"

"You'll see soon enough."

I'm still clutching my bag tightly when we enter the mansion and he gives me a ridiculously fast tour. I try to keep track of it all in my head. Tall ceilings, beautifully polished furniture, tapestries and paintings hanging from the walls, a huge stone fireplace in the living quarters with deep couches and chairs in red and gold fabric. Wall sized television in another room with surround-sound speakers. The kitchen is a dream, stocked with everything a gourmet cook would need to make a masterpiece. "Do vampires eat?"

"We do," he says. "The living on blood alone is a myth. We need blood, but we need food too."

At least, once I'm turned, I won't have to give up food. That's good news.