The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) (4 page)

             
And then there was time, well, or the lack thereof.  You see, it no longer existed in my wonderful slice of paradise.  My kidnappers didn't provide me with a clock or
the faintest glimmer of sunlight.  Consequently, the whole experience was extremely bizarre.  It kinda resembled a twisted version of a sensory deprivation chamber.  Needless to say, it totally sucked.

             
Beyond all that, I was thirsty. 
Really thirsty.
  It felt way worse than if I would've hiked hundreds of miles in the desert without water.  A thick layer of dried spit coated the inside of my mouth and, to get relief, I actually licked a few of the tears from my face.  Even so, their salty flavor brought on pangs of nausea.

             
The strength of my craving forced me to contemplate taking a small amount of liquid from the chalice, not to swallow, only to relieve the dryness by swishing it in my mouth.  I never did, but I considered it as an option there for awhile. 
I know, I know.
  I shouldn't have flirted with disaster. 
That damn chalice.  The bane of my existence.
  It sat in the corner a mere five feet away, taunting me.

             
Without warning, I heard a faint whooshing sound.  Shortly thereafter, a guy called down to me from above.  "Hey, trouble, you awake?" 

             
In a flash, I recognized that it wasn't William or the old man and I knew this might be my lucky break.  I also ascertained that he had to be talking to me.
  It's not like anybody else was within earshot.

             
"Yeah, I'm up," I sniffled.  "Well, until I pass out again, that is."  Then I released a pitifully gut wrenching sob.  In that moment of desperation, I had no shame.  If I needed to use my remaining energy to pray upon his sympathy, I'd do it.  I didn't care how weak it made me look.

             
"I'm here to help," he soothed, effortlessly radiating compassion.  "That said, you must understand that I cannot facilitate your escape.  It's dangerous enough for me to be here speaking with you.  And, besides, we're far past the point of no return anyway."

             
"Please!  You have to help me get to a hospital!" I squeaked, prior to discharging series of snot-filled sobs.  After sufficiently hamming it up, I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and regained a fragment of composure.  "I'll die if I stay here.  Don't you see that?"

             
"Actually, Luna, your death is the last thing we desire."

             
"What've you been smoking?" I sneered, voice overflowing with sarcasm.  Evidently, the poor crying girl routine wasn't working.  And his asinine
I wanna help but can't really help
attitude totally grated on my nerves.  "Look around, asshole!  You guys abducted me, sliced me up, and stuck me in this cement prison with no food or water."

             
"To clarify, they kidnapped you.  Not me, I'm a friend.  And I share your sentiment.  I wish they wouldn't have proceeded in such a manner.  It's deplorable."  He hesitated, seeming to gather his next thoughts carefully.  "I can't explain much now.  Nevertheless, rest assured that I cast my vote against this."

             
"What do you mean your vote?" I hissed.

             
"I should start with a formal introduction.  My name is Adrian and I am the duke of sector six."

             
As soon as the words left of his lips, my meager hopes for a speedy rescue plummeted, and I knew that I had another crazy on my hands. 
Come on!  Duke of sector six?
 
Who are these people
?  "Listen, Adrian, if that's even your real name.  Whatever you're trying to pull, I'm not biting.  There's no sector six, well, other than maybe on some sci-fi show.  And, sadly, there aren't
dukes
in the United States."

             
"I realize you can't possibly comprehend the complexity of the situation.  That said, it'd do you well to listen.  You're a smart girl, just think about it.  Perhaps certain entities exist in this world independent of your
knowledge about them."  He paused and, when I didn't respond right away, he continued.  "Alright, I'll put it into terms you'll be able to grasp.  If there's a television program on a certain channel and you haven't heard about it, does that imply the program doesn't exist?  Of course not.  It exists, you're merely uninformed for whatever reason."

             
I pushed myself up to a sitting position, ignoring his not so sly jab at my intelligence.  "Okay, hypothetically, let's say I believe you,
which I don't
.  But, for the sake of the discussion, let's say that I do.  How does your
supposed position as the
duke of sector six
explain the tiniest part of this nightmare to me?"

             
"Well, that's how I earned a vote," he rebuffed with an air of nonchalance.  "Remember, you asked me about it?  I was sincerely attempting to answer your question."

             
He reminded me of a damn politician, always talking and never saying a thing.  "You didn't answer me, though.  You just made me more confused."

             
"I'm sorry for that," he apologized in an irritatingly pacifying tone.  "I could go into more detail, but you're not ready to accept the truth.  For now, simply know that I'm on your side and I'll help when I can."

             
I rolled my eyes.  He was clearly giving me the runaround.  However, since I didn't have the strength for a prolonged bickering match, I figured I'd better try persuading him to free me one last time.  "So, seeing that you're supposedly my friend, why don't you prove it by getting me the hell out of here?"

             
"As I said before, I cannot assist your escape.  If I were to help, you'd die and they'd severely punish me which would benefit neither of us."

             
"I'd die?  If I
stay here
I'll be killed for sure," I snarled.  "Untreated wounds, blood loss, blackouts, dehydration,
starvation.  Does any of that ring a bell?  Also, have you taken a moment to think about what those sick freaks are gonna do to me next?  That, coupled with the fact that I've got no clue how long I've even been here, means I'm completely screwed.  Seriously, what day is it anyway?" 

             
"It's Thursday.  And I agree with you, Luna.  If you stay down there for too much longer you might not make it, hence the reason for my visit."

             
"You're kidding me, Thursday!  It's really Thursday?  Oh my god!"  Well, that explained a lot.  Obviously, five days deprived of sustenance combined with considerable blood loss and numerous unknown drugs in my system wasn't good for my health.  Truthfully, it sorta amazed me that I still remained conscious. 
Didn't people usually die after three days without water?

             
Adrian's feet shuffled around above me, almost like he was fidgeting or something.  I couldn't tell for certain, though, on account of my cold cement enclosure and the endless darkness.  "Luna, you need to listen," he warned, adopting an earnest tone.  "I can sense your energy level and I'm unsure how many more days you'll be able to endure.  You must drink from the chalice."

             
I clenched my fists in aggravation. 
So, he was on the chalice kick too, huh?  Great, just fucking great.
  "Look, I'm not gonna drink the shit!  I've already made that exceedingly clear to the old man."

             
"Did you call him that to his face?" he snickered, working hard to deflect my outrage.

             
"Of course I did!  Why should I be nice to my
kidnapper
?  And he probably is old, after all, he sure sounds older than dirt."

             
Adrian let out several seconds of bellowing laughter before finally pulling himself together.  "And he didn't reprimand you?"

             
Glad to be entertaining, dickwad
.  "No.  And, for real, it's not as though he could do much worse.  He already locked me up in this crap hole.  Fuck him!"

             
"I wouldn't goad him on.  You don't know who you're messing with."

             
"Fuck him and fuck you too," I grumped, hostility exuding from every pore.  "I'm not gonna cooperate, no matter what you do to me." 
If I was gonna die, I'd go out kicking and screaming.

             
"You need to see reason," he asserted, raising his voice urgently.  "The chalice is your one shot at survival." 

             
He must've assumed that, if he kept at it, I'd eventually be convinced. 
Sorry to tell you buddy, but it's never been that easy to manipulate me.
  My mom raised a strong woman, not some shrinking violet that'd simply accept her fate.  "So, why's drinking that stuff,
whatever it is
, my only option?  It makes more sense to me that I'll survive by escaping.  I mean, I was doing perfectly fine until you people showed up."

             
"Yes, you were.  Regrettably, your circumstances have changed.  If you decide against drinking from the chalice, you will die.  There's no avoiding it."

             
I took a few deep breaths, giving a sudden dizzy spell time to subside.  "What's changed about my circumstances?  And why does my refusal to cooperate automatically mean you guys'll kill me?"

             
"Unfortunately, even the most basic of explanations is significantly complex.  And, considering your unwillingness to broaden your perspective, wasting the time would be counterproductive.  Nonetheless, I do feel it's important to
reassure you.  I give my word that the chalice's contents aren't harmful."

             
Uh, huh.
"So, let me get this straight.  You want me to guzzle down some mysterious shit that,
on your word
, won't hurt me.  Also,
on your word
, you want me to accept that this is the only way I'll stay alive."  My eyelids were growing heavier by the minute, yet I refused to give in to the comforting pull of another blackout.  Instead, I carried on with my cynicism.  "Why in the hell would I trust my kidnappers?  Do you think I'm retarded or something?"

             
"No, I don't, Luna.  I hold you with more esteem than you know.  That's why I'm here, remember I'm on your side," he pleaded.  "Your death would be a travesty.  You must listen to me and drink."

             
"Okay, so why the chalice?  Why not just give me the stupid, lifesaving liquid in a cup?"

             
He sighed, apparently exasperated with my questioning.  "You're an important person to us and this is the vessel that's been used during ceremonies of this nature for centuries.  It's tradition."

             
I shook my head in astonishment.  "You really are a whack job aren't you?"

             
"No, Luna," he growled, his calm and collected demeanor bursting at the seams.  "I speak the truth and you must hear me."

             
"Yeah, okay, sure. 
If you say so
."  When would the guy catch on to the idea that I wasn't gonna take his
word
for anything? 
He was a lunatic of the first order, exactly like the old man. 
I had a better chance of evading this mess on my own.

             
"Please listen to me. Don't do..." His comeback trailed off as we both heard footsteps moving toward us.  "I must go.  It'll be better if no one discovers that I've been here.  Please
keep this meeting to yourself."  His voice shifted into a whisper.  "If you see me around court, don't pay me any special attention.  This is important, Luna, for your safety as well as mine.  Don't speak of my visit.  In fact, don't even think of it.  Merely remove our conversation from your thoughts entirely." 

             
He'd barely finished speaking when I heard the whooshing sound again and, somehow, I intuitively knew that he'd departed.  My brain hurt from struggling to conceptualize it all.  Seriously, how had he come and gone with nothing more than a whooshing sound?  Could I be hallucinating?
I've definitely been stuck here long enough.
  And why was it so important for us to avoid being seen together?  Also, the stuff about not thinking of his visit? 
Crazy talk, right?
  And what did he mean by court?  And, most importantly, why was this happening to me? 
Why fucking me
? 

Chapter
4

             
"Are you prepared to drink from the chalice, my child?" the old man asked, his scratchy voice echoing down from above.