Chapter 24

Anais

I tried not to show fear again, focusing on that as Ludis pulled me back over to the seats as far from the door and out of the way as possible. There was no way I wanted to go in that direction with him, but I got the impression that I didn't have much choice.

"Sit down and let's have a little chat, shall we?" Ludis said as he pushed me down. I frowned, acting as if I didn't fully understand.

No matter how much Ludis seemed to know exactly what was going on with me and Leo, I wasn't going to confirm it in any way. I was unsure of what this vampire intended to do if he decided that I was a hunter. At least sitting down beside him, I had a chance to block attacks or anything else like that.

I gave him my attention, understanding that this was serious, but still not admitting to anything.

"Out with it hunter. Who is paying you and who is your target."

I exhaled and looked down for a moment to school my expression. "I'm sorry, Ludis, but I really don't understand what you're talking about."

Ludis slammed his fist down on the sofa beside me, close enough that I flinched. The muscle memory wasn't there well enough for me to have blocked it and I was glad I didn't react in any other way than fear right now.

"Don't lie to me," Ludis added.

I bit my lip and tried to look as if I was telling the truth. Maybe if I focused on the bits that were true, it would help. "I'm Drew's enthralled. I have been doing as he's told me to do since I got on this cruise ship. I don't know where we are going or what the plan is. All I know is what you and he have told me."

Ludis let out a growl and rushed toward me. I squealed and flinched again, almost curling up to protect myself.

To my surprise, it earned me a laugh. "Have I scared you, butterfly?" he asked.

I didn't know what to say, but I sort of half nodded. Ludis shook his head and studied me. I kept half curled up, but tried to look around.

None of the other vampires and enthralled were paying us any attention or mind. It was as if they knew to keep out of it and leave whatever this was to Ludis.

As he studied me, but didn't do anything, I slowly uncurled and straightened again.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again, and I want you to think about your answer. Who is paying you to kill me?"

"No one," I replied. "No one is paying me. I've not been hired. I just worked in Vegas. I need Drew. You're scaring me and I would just like to go back to the room now and rest or something."

"No," Ludis said as he shook his head in an exaggerated way. "He's not Drew and you're not going anywhere."

"I don't understand. How can he not be Drew?" I frowned and this time I focused on my fear. I wanted him to think I was genuinely scared and not okay with this. If he thought Leo was lying but I was telling the truth then I stood a chance of taking him by surprise and getting to kill him or at the least keeping myself alive.

"Your vampire owner is a true-blood and I'm sure you knew."

I looked down, still frowning, shaking and hoping that there was a way out of this. Could I kill Ludis? What would happen if we fought here?

"What do you know about his plans?"

"Nothing. He tells me nothing. He's all... dark and mysterious and he doesn't want to trust anyone," I replied, not having to fake how defeated I sounded this time.

Ludis began pacing in front of me, shaking his head. "He's been trying to make a fool of me, trying to make me think he was an ally when all this time he has been spying on me. I'm going to make him pay for that. We have so much more going on than even he understands. Your little hunter academy and the brethren can't stop us. None of them can."

I watched him go back and forth, growing more agitated, but also giving me a little more space to begin to figure out what I was going to do. This situation could easily go the wrong way, but I didn't know if I could kill Ludis. Not here, not like this.

There was also the promise I had made to Leo. For a while I had been sure that when the time came, he would be there for me, but now I wasn't so sure. He had run off and left me vulnerable.

Until I had a better idea of what was going on, or could get a chance to either flee or complete my mission, I needed to stall.

"I don't understand," I said, hoping to at least get him talking in some way and keep him doing so.

"What part?" Ludis said, turning on me.

"Any of it," I shrugged. "I thought Drew was Drew and this was just some fun adventure. I thought I was going to have an easy life for the first time ever and I wouldn't have to worry about money and bills, or..." I shook my head and looked up at Ludis with wide eyes.

He paused and studied me again. This was clearly making him cautious and hesitant to kill me. That alone was enough for now. It gave Leo time to deal with Butch and then come back for me.

"I'm sorry if I'm really not helping. I'm just trying to understand what's going on and what this means for me, for you, for all of us. I know so little of this world after thinking I knew everything."

To some degree, I wasn't lying again. I was unsure of what was going to happen next and I didn't know if I was going to make it through all of this. That gave me a very real level of fear, but also a good reason to appeal to Ludis to be gentle with me. None of what I was saying was a lie.

"All right, let's start this from the top and see if you can follow. Hunter or not. Your vampire master is up to no good. He should be doing everything he can to help me and make himself useful. Instead he keeps taking phone calls and sneaking off to send messages. He goes to do his own thing and doesn't fulfill his duties."

"That doesn't sound right," I replied. "What is he supposed to do for you?"

"A lot. My vampires are supposed to do a lot more than any of them are doing. With the possible exception of Butch. Now he knows where he is in the hierarchy and he was the one to help me get the current situation set up."

"The situation for in two days time?" I stayed sitting where I was as if I wasn't scared by Ludis at all and this was a normal conversation. Even if he could kill me, right now, he wasn't. He didn't completely tie me in with Leo, even if he suspected something wasn't right. It was the only leverage I had and I was going to do everything I could to milk it.

Ludis didn't seem to appreciate me mentioning his plan and came striding over to me. He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet, his grip so strong and his yank so swift that he made me fear he would break my arm. I whimpered as he twisted it and almost popped it out of my shoulder socket. "What do you know?"

"Only what you've told me," I replied, desperately hoping that it would be enough and he would believe me. Again he twisted and again, I tried to hold my pained noises in.

Although it was clear that Ludis had some elements of this situation fully understood, others were a very different matter.

"I want to know every tiny little detail you do," Ludis finally let go of me and I fell back into the chair.

For a few seconds, I didn't speak, rubbing my arm and doing everything I could to make even this take a long time.

"I met all of you in Vegas. Before that day in Vegas I didn't know of any of you and hadn't heard of any of you. I met this vampire who isn't Drew apparently first. I was sitting in the bar, drinking one of the few drinks I could afford and he came over and sat down beside me. He was hot and he bought me another drink."

"And that was it. He didn't offer to make you his enthralled? Didn't make it obvious he was a vampire?"

Frowning, I thought very carefully about what I was saying. I didn't think I would be able to lie about all of this, and I had to make sure anything I said now matched up with what I had told Ludis in the parking lot that night. I got the feeling that he was going to remember it better than I would like.

"I was fairly sure he was a vampire. I knew plenty spent time in the casino we were in. That's why I was there. My friends dared me to go. I think I might have said something like that the first time we met."

"You did," Ludis said, his words sharp and cutting through what I was saying. I looked up at him and gulped, letting all my fear show again. I wanted him to notice that scaring me only slowed me down. That I talked more if he stayed calm. It was a risky tactic knowing that he had a temper, but it might help keep that in bay while I talked and get him to think.

"I can't remember exactly what happened next, but he said he had to go and I decided that if he had been nice to me maybe someone else would. I ended up at a blackjack table and one of the people at it gave me a few chips to get me started and taught me how to play. Drew came back a little while later. That was when we really got talking."

"His name's not Drew."

"What is it then?" I asked despite knowing. If he knew as well, it would be good to know, but if he didn't then there was a chance that all of this was just a fishing expedition and the less I said the better.

Ludis stared at me, taking his time to respond and a third possibility popped into my head. He might not say, even if he knew. "I don't know. I know it's not Drew. He isn't a friend and he's been playing my group the entire time."

"And me?" I asked.

Ludis chuckled and leaned in toward me. "Well that remains to be seen, doesn't it. You seem very close to him. And he's got you wrapped around his little finger. If you're a very loyal enthralled, you'll be keeping his secrets."

I frowned and gulped some more as I looked down. "That means you might not trust me no matter what I say."

Beginning to act like I was panicking and deliberately breathing more rapidly and shifting in my seat, I looked up at him again. He watched me, his face one of surprise.

"If a good enthralled is meant to be loyal and not say anything, but I tell you what I know then I'll be a bad enthralled and you won't want me either, even if Drew, or whoever he is, isn't someone I should be loyal to. How do I know what to do? Should I be loyal or not?"

"That depends on if he's double crossing me or not, doesn't it?" Ludis grew angrier, and came back at me. This time he grabbed my throat and pinned me to the sofa. Once more I acted as if I didn't have some idea of how to get out of this move. Leo had just taught me how to break this group and scarper before my own neck could be snapped, but I fought against the urge.

"I'm sorry," I said instead. "I don't know if what I know is a secret or not. Do you want me to keep telling you what happened?"

Ludis leaned into me and inhaled. "Damn you smell good. I can see why he wants you. Keep talking and maybe when this is done I'll take you as another of my enthralled and you can show me you're loyal in other ways."

I tried not to shudder, but very carefully nodded. He relaxed his grip, but before I could say anything he kissed my neck and ran a hand over my skin.

Trying not to show my revulsion, I focused on what I needed to say. This situation was only getting harder.

As I continued with the story, I told Ludis that Leo had spoken of being an enthralled and what that meant before telling him that I had been scared. I made out that Leo was pushy and I had to take a break and that he knew pretty much everything from there.

Ludis got up and growled as I finished speaking, thankfully letting go of me again.

I tried to straighten up and neaten up as I did. At the same time I glanced across at the other people in the room. They were no longer having an orgy in the middle of the room, but several of the vampires were drinking some blood and one of the enthralled was resting. She must have been staring at us for a while, but she seemed out of it or high.

Before Ludis could ask me anymore or put me through anything else, another vampire came in. He looked around and seemed relieved when he spotted Ludis.

The situation was terrifying enough, but I knew this was one of the vampires from Vegas as well. I didn't dare move or cause a fuss while there were now two vampires between me and the door, and this new addition was certainly loyal to Ludis.

"I can't find Butch." The new vampire looked agitated and looked around. "He was supposed to be telling me what we were doing the day after tomorrow, but he's not shown up. And his scent just disappears. It's like he vanished."

I frowned, knowing that it would mean Leo got to him in some way. If that was true, then why hadn't he come back for me. Maybe he wasn't going to.

"Okay. You're going to have to do what Butch was going to do, if we can't find him. Whatever you do, stay away from Drew and anyone else on this ship. I want you to collect your stuff. Anything you need to survive and get off this ship as soon as you can. You're going to get what I need for me."

"Where do I need to go?" the vampire asked, nodding as if he was more than eager to do what Ludis asked.

Ludis opened his mouth as if he was going to tell the vampire and then looked around. I tried to look as if I was simply scared and huddling, not paying any attention, but I didn't expect him to believe it.

"I'll message you with the details in a few minutes. Go." Ludis spoke without looking away from me. "I've got a problem to deal with here. I'm going to deal with that and then go after Drew."

I shuddered. This was bad. I didn't doubt that I was going to be held responsible for Butch's disappearance.