Snippet #2207486

If Linnie noted James's surprise, she did not comment on it. It made little difference to her at the moment. She only wondered where James would take her, and who they might encounter on the way. Linnie trusted James, but more by default than anything else. Her trust was tenuous at best, ready to snap back at any sign of betrayal. However, at the same time, she liked James. Not necessarily in a romantic way, but more like a sibling, if one she had only just met. She felt some immediate bond with him, though its source was unknown to her.

Through all of this, as she slowly regained her strength, some of her earlier anxieties began to return. Drake was not human, and Linnet wondered if James was the same. There always seemed to be an odd separation between him and the captives that was not fully explained by his state of servitude to Drake. Hassen was another worry. He could also be non-human, but mostly he just seemed to be completely insane. Linnie was content with staying out of his way, no matter what he was. To think of it, she would also prefer to stay away from Drake. She always felt like a rabbit cornered by a rabid dog, inches away from death at any given moment.

James made several motions, trying to communicate with her. It took her a moment to understand he was saying something about eating. She had little appetite, but she figured it would be for the best if she did eat. "Uh, I... food would be nice...." Hopefully she would be able to get her strength back, at least a bit, if she ate. They began to descend the stairs, and Linnie gingerly placed her feet, her knees dangerously wobbling as she tried to keep her balance. She was glad for James's arm, for without it she would not have made it down without falling, or at least resting.

After reaching the floor safely, Linnie gave a soft sigh of relief. She still felt wobbly, but at least she was not in danger of falling down the stairs. Instead of the expected turn to the kitchen, James seemed to stiffen for a moment before continuing down a hall that was all to familiar to Linnet. A look of panicked terror crossed her eyes as she took in the blood sprinkled haphazardly on the carpet. Her walk became slower and more unsteady as her entire being told her to run. She could not muster the strength to even pull her arm from James's, so she had no choice but to allow him to lead her down the hall.

Just then, a familiar white head poked out from the door. It was the same room Linnie had been in earlier. To her dismay, James immediately let go of her arm when he saw Drake, and Linnie thought he must have intended to bring her to Drake from the start. Her thoughts became more frantic and rushed as Drake dragged the mutilated corpse of Lira from the room. It seemed that his chest had been ripped open, and dark blood still pooled in the opening. Linnie fought back a wave of nausea as her eyes darted to Drake's unhappy face, before taking in the surprised look on James's face as she caught his eye.

Linnie could only numbly wonder if Drake had done that before pure panic swept through her. Drake hooked his arm around James's neck and began strangling him in a scene that seemed horrifyingly familiar to when Linnet had first woken up. Linnie wondered if it was because James had helped her instead of cleaning, but figured that was not the point, especially if James had brought her to Drake on purpose. If their goal was to terrify her, it was certainly working. Perhaps Drake was trying to make her snap, cause her terror to take over. If that was what he wanted, Linnie determined that that would never happen. A new determination flooded her, mixing with the terror, taking away the sharpness of her fear.

Her eyes became more cold and fierce, though still wide with dread. Drake's eyes met hers and she visibly trembled. However, her gaze never wavered from those terrible red eyes. The calm, cool tones of Drake's voice contradicted sharply with his choking James. After a moment, Drake released him, and Linnie let out a breath she did not know she had been holding.

Each step Drake took toward her caused her to tremble, but she stood tall and defiant as she could. She knew she would be unable to flee, and, in that moment, she did not care. She hated the thought that Drake, and even James, might get any pleasure from seeing her run. She could easily picture herself trying and falling, and the mocking laughter on their horrid faces. No, she would not run.

Anger steadily grew in her as Drake carelessly set his hand on her shoulder. With James earlier, it had been different. She had allowed the contact, even initiated it, but Drake just took that contact for granted. The fear of hurt from the simple touch, and the anger at the possibility of being hurt, steadily grew in her. She only just kept herself from writhing out of his strong grip.

She was taken aback by Drake's threat. He would punish James until she was dead by withholding food? Was that why James had seemed guilty before when he had taken soup? As Drake continued, she realized it could not be that simple. What did he really mean? All the unanswered questions began to boil in her, demanding answers, further fueling her despair. More pressure built inside her until she thought she would burst.

Unable to contain herself anymore, to endure that cold, hateful touch, she violently whirled away from the man. At the same time she pushed him as hard as she could in the hope that she could get out of arm's reach before he could harm her. She hoped she could surprise him enough to knock him off his feet. Stumbling back, her knees gave out and she sunk to the carpet. Putting her hands out for support, she looked back up into those red eyes.

Her voice began at a near growl, a sound that was disturbing coming from the throat of such a frail, petite woman. "Wot are you? I know you're no' 'uman, so wot? A vampire per'aps? Are they evan 'uman?" she said, pointing to James though she meant both James and Hassen. Her voice began to rise, anger coloring each word and making her a bit difficult to understand. "Why are ya doin' this? Wot 'ave you ta gain from this madness? Why? Wot are you?" The last word came out in a vehement shout that seemed immediately swallowed up by the walls surrounding them. There was a moment of stillness as the words echoed in Linnie's mind. She wavered back and forth between fear and hate, eyes dilating and contracting as fear washed over her only to be forced back by her intense anger.