Piercing Chill
Chapter 17

I gasped as I woke up from a crazy dream. I sat up on the bed breathingheavily. Sweat trickled down my neck and my forehead. In the dream, Carla hadsnuck into my room while I was asleep and drained me dry with her pouting lips.My body still questioned if what I had seen last night when I touched Craig’stattoo was all a dream. I took in my surroundings and I was sitting in the roomI was residing at Craig’s house. I found myself questioning myself again.

Was I reallykidnapped by Craig or was that just my head making up scenarios?

I quickly got out of bed and made my way towards the bathroom. I was stillin my dress from the night before. When I undressed I was shocked at new goldenswirls that possessed my back. I took a shower, hoping it would wash awaywhatever it was.

After taking a long and dreadful shower, the swirls were still there. Iignored them. I had better things to worry about right now. I changed into somejeans and a t-shirt. A knock sounded on the door, making my heart skip a beat.My senses were hyperactive. Was it Craig?Had he come to finish what he started now? I grabbed the first thing Icould replace on the dressing table to use as a weapon and walked towards thedoor.

“Who is it?” I trembled.

“It’s me Joan.” The housekeeper’s voice sounded from behind the door, “Ihave your breakfast.”

“Ok, come in.” I replied hiding the weapon behind my back still eyeingthe door to make sure it wasn’t Carla putting on a trick.

“Morning child.” Joan greeted walking in with a tray filled withdifferent plates full of food. She placed it on a small round table that stoodnext to the bed with two chairs facing each other.

“Thank you.” I said “Care to join me?”

“Oh no child, I wouldn’t,” Joan replied walking towards the door.

“It’s alright, I don’t bite.” I persuaded her mastering my bravestsmile. I walked close to her and came level with her eyes. Join me for a cup of tea. I said in my head while looking straightat her eyes. Testing Carla’s reading about my “gifts”. It worked just like inkindergarten. I once spoke in my head that I wanted to do nothing but play thewhole day while facing my kindergarten teacher. She obliged and the whole daywas spent drawing, coloring, swinging on the swing sets, building sand castlesand a lot more other fun stuff.

“Ok, maybe just a cup of tea.” Joan changed her mind walking backtowards the small table.

I quickly threw my weapon on the bed before following her towards thetable. Joan waited for me to take my seat before taking one opposite to me. Wehelped ourselves to the food in silence. After a few bites I finally spoke. “Sohow long have you been working here?”

“Not for very long child. About forty years.” Joan said before taking asip of her tea.

“Wow that is quite a long time.” I paused, “You must get paid a lot ofmoney for you to stay that long.”

“I have no choice.” Joan replied, fear and sadness radiating from hervoice. She placed her cup of tea on the table with shaky hands. Was she beingheld as a servant? Who did that in this century?

“What do you mean you have no choice?” I asked in confusion.

“Since the day I was taken from my family at the age of fifteen, I wasto serve the Orfeo family. I was to do everything they asked for and I couldnot refuse or else my head would be served for dinner to the wolves.” Joanfinished before sobbing in her hands.

Suddenly I felt really guilty for asking such a personal question. Istood up and gave Joan a side hug as she cried. I waited until she ran out oftears before asking, “Who are the Orfeo family?”

“The people you had dinner with last night.” Joan whispered. “Theireldest son Craig is the one that brought you here.” So it is true then. I wasreally kidnapped by Craig and Carla.

“Do you know why?” I asked Joan impatiently.

“I cannot tell you child.” Joan said unexpectedly. A scared expressionwritten all over her face.

“Why not?” I asked anger building in my veins. What was stopping herfrom telling me the truth?

“I just cannot.” Joan starts sobbing again.

“Tell me now, please.” I demanded trying to hold her gaze but she closedher eyes before falling from her chair in agony.

She started shaking uncontrollably on the ground. Panic developed in mystomach. Did I take the trick too far for her to handle? I kneeled down andshook Joan to bring her back to her senses. The spasms increased. Her bodybecame paler, stiffer and colder with every second that passed by. I triedcalling her name but she didn’t respond. I noticed her pupils and irisdisappearing behind her top eyelid, leaving the whites only.

“Joan tell me what’s wrong?” Isaid taking hold of her hand. I quicklylet go from shock. It was very cold.

What was happening?

Suddenly I heard a deep and malicious laugh coming from the doorway. Ilooked up in shock. It couldn’t be! But a little voice in my head told me, “Yes it could be”

I whirled around to face the owner of the chuckle. Craig stood therewith Carla behind him. Both of them with smirks plastered on their lips. Craigstarted clapping his hands while making his way towards me. I quickly stood upand braced myself for action. Sadly, I still hadn’t revisited my karate skills.

“I should’ve known that you possessed those powers.” Craig said only afew inches from my face. “After all, you’re one of the strongest angel everwritten in history of the Underworld.” I looked at Craig with a confusedexpression but he didn’t stop. “What you did yesterday was pretty clever. Nounderworld creature has ever removed a disguise spell before.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked with a shaky voice.

“Very funny.” Craig chuckled.

“What did you do to Joan?” I questioned trying to put on my bravestface.

“Not much, something she deserved.” Crag said continuing towards me. Ibacked away from him but I found myself trapped by the wall behind me. Craigdidn’t stop. Was he going to drain my blood just like he had wished that timeat the club? I swallowed hard, trembling all over. Craig stopped just a fewinches away from my face. He smiled. Very big. “I’m looking forward to watchingJason’s reaction when he replaces out that his precious angel is dead. Lock herup.” He finished before turning away from me.

Carla and another girl I didn’t recognize came towards me. I tried torun but I didn’t get very far before the girls had placed a bag over my headand got hold of my arms. The bag smelled awful. I screamed, despite the gaggingsmell, shouted and kicked but the girls did not dislodge.

“Make sure she doesn’t escape.” Craig ordered before his footstepsdisappeared in the background.

I was dragged around for what felt like ten minutes. I was forced towalk up and down stairs and ride in an elevator. I lost one of my flip flops inthe process. Suddenly we came to a halt. The air here was chilling. I couldfeel my naked foot curling to the cold. I heard chains and then a loud squeak.I was thrown onto a cold and hard surface. Luckily I caught myself beforebushing my teeth onto the ground. The bag was removed from my head and there Iwas in the middle of a room with nothing but black walls and bars for doors.

Was I in jail? No, it couldn’t have been a jail because there was no toilet or bedanywhere.

“What do you want from me?” I shouted at Carla. Carla scoffed beforekneeling in front of me with a smirk on her face.

She opened her mouth to speak but a deep voice sounded from behind her.“You’re to be used as sacrifice.”

I looked around Carla to see who the voice belonged to. It was the manfrom the portrait, Paul Orfeo, Craig’s father. He stood tall by the door-waymaking me feel much smaller than I already was. The dark shadows covering hiseyes created a chilling and evil persona that made the hairs on my neck standtall. The elegant woman stood by him with a grim face, making me cringe evenmore in fear. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I was to be used as asacrifice? For what?

“But I am not a virgin.” I splattered without reasoning. Of course I wasa virgin, but maybe this could make them think twice about the sacrifice. Afterall, in many sacrifices virgins are the prime target. Carla chuckled beforejoining Craig and his parents by the entrance.

“Nice try, but that is not the reason we chose you. See, my son is nextin line.” The man affirmed, making me more confused. “So is Jason. That iswhere you come in. For my son to succeed as the next leader of our coterie, anangel must be sacrificed.” The man continued.

“What are you talking about? I am nowhere near to being an angel. I justtold-”

I was immediately interrupted by the man’s questioning. “You have noclue about anything, do you?” I shook myhead. I didn’t know what was happening. My thoughts behind the kidnapping werethat Carla and Craig wanted to get back at Jason for something I didn’t know.

“I will briefly explain to you.” The man continued using hand gesturesto prove his case. “See, my family and I, Jason and Carla are not your averagehuman beings. We are what you call vampires.”

Despite witnessing Carla and Craig’s gruesome activities in thatflashback, I still eyed the man sceptically. Jason couldn’tbe a vampire. However, I thought back to his eyes the night heattacked me. They were the same colour as Craig and Carla’s when they attackedKevin. I shook my head. Jason didn’t have elongated canines. I was brought back to reality by the man’sdeep voice.

“I know it is hard to believe. But for the past years we have improvedour hiding skills from the humans that they all assumed we perished. As you cansee we are still here. You, however, are half-angel. No let me reiterate that.You’re ninety-nine percent angel. This situation is a rare one. It is so rarethat a creature like you has no given name. The common procedure is that whenan angel and human mate, they must receive ‘grace’ from their maker and thechild is then born fully human. You have both human and angel characteristics,making you the most powerful creature in the world right now.”

Me an angel?

“There is only one other similar case recorded in the Underworldhistory. A woman was born of an angel and human. She was born with both angeland human abilities making her the most powerful person. No one really knowswhat happened to her though. She was found dead on her bed from an unknowncause. Anyhow, back to the reason why you’re here. In my coterie of vampires,to become a leader, one must sacrifice an angel. You see, angels are reallyhard to replace hence why discovering and sacrificing one proves that you have theability to take care of and lead the coterie. Also, the blood of an angel cansustain and protect the whole coterie for centuries.”

His words sounded very familiar. Realisation hit me. Those paragraphs Iread in my dad’s office were all true. Did my father know of this? Was hetrying to protect me this whole time? Was that why he wanted me to stay awayfrom Jason?

“You were an easy target; you did not cover up your abilities. You usedthem whenever you desired, on your teachers, your classmates, random citizensand even your mother. Jason found you with the same intention, to sacrifice youso he can become the leader of the coterie, but somehow you were able to charmhim. So, my son took the opportunity and brought you here. After all, I didn’t murdermy own brother-in-law for nothing.” He killed Jason’s father? “Now we just haveto wait until the time is right to sacrifice you so that my son can take hisrightful place as the leader and begin this New Year with a great start.”

The man finished with a satisfied smile on his face. I then rememberedCraig’s words about Jason having the same intentions as him. But, how? I sawJason shouting for my name as if he was crazy. He didn’t have any intention tohurt me. I was shocked. I didn’t know how to respond to the information I justreceived. It was true that I did tricks to influence people. I just thought itwas pure luck that people responded the way I wanted them to. But, if I didthis trick on my mother, did that mean?

“Yes, your father is the angel.” The man paused, “Actually, to bespecific, he is the leader of the angel fraternity, after his creator ofcourse.”

“No, you’re lying!” I shouted at the man.

“If I was lying would I do this?” Suddenly the man’s eyes changed into adeep red colour. He extended his arm while whispering strange words.

Excruciating pain shot into my chest. The world swirled around me makingevery sound magnified. I clutched my chest in hope of relief from the tightnessin my chest. I couldn’t breathe, my vision was slowly clouding from lack ofoxygen. I whizzed as I asked for release. Suddenly I was unconstrained. Iloudly gasped for air as I tried to balance my breathing.

“Now you believe?” The man asked, his eyes slowly returning to theirnormal golden colour. “Do not even try to do any tricks in here. This cell isbuilt with a specific material that makes you angels weak.” The man informedbefore turning on his heels, “Let us go.”

The elegant woman, Carla and Craig followed right after him, leaving thebar doors closed behind them. I couldn’t believe the elegant woman allowed hishusband to murder her own brother. My admiration for her escaped my conscience immediately.

I tried to stand up but I couldn’t. It felt as if all of my energy hadbeen drained from my body. A single tear slipped to the floor and soon I was infits, crying. Why didn’t my parents tell me anything? Did my father know allalong about Jason’s intention? I sighed and cried in defeat and decided to waitfor my fate.

Sacrifice.