Olivia's Escape Read online

  "You do know of a place where a girl could run and hide, don't you?" she whispered, grabbing Hernando's arm just as he seemed ready to leave.

  He paused. "We'll talk—later."

  "Olivia of the Clan Brown, we will be back shortly for you to try on your new gown." Wilok motioned for Hernando to leave before him. "Rest and consume nourishment until we return." With a bow, the Overseer backed out the cell door and closed it firmly behind them.

  The sound of the bolt in the lock couldn't crush her mood. Olivia squealed with joy. "What a day! I've found a way out of this hell hole—and a hot-looking guy to boot!"

  Olivia ate a bite of food, but she felt too restless to sit still. She began pacing around the room. At last she'd escape this cell! At last she'd made a friend who was... human. Hernando had said he was human on his mother's side and half on his father's. What made up his other part?

  "I'd better not think about his family, or else I might lose it." She made faces at herself in the mirror instead. What should she do with her hair? She hadn't been able to straighten it for over a week. Her kink was definitely starting to act up. Maybe she could slick it down and put it up in a bun?

  Time passed slowly. She sat at the window and observed the distant star and the seemingly nearer gas giant, thinking how she much she missed her telescope and the sky outside of her bedroom window. I will see it again, she promised herself as she closed her eyes for a nap.

  Several hours later, Olivia heard the sound of the bolt being shoved aside. She took a deep breath and prepared a big smile for Hernando who must be returning with her new dress.

  "Oh, it's you."

  She sighed. Murnau was the last person she wanted to see. He didn't grasp her disappointment as his crooked grin flashed into life.

  "I have just checked on Wilok. He and his servants are almost finished with your gown. I bring accessories to make your outfit complete."

  With a nod and a quick movement of his hand he pulled out a book-sized jewelry case and what appeared to be several bottles of perfume and cosmetics from beneath his cloak. He placed them on the table in front of her. "Would you like to try?"

  Olivia cautiously approached the jewelry case. Covered in soft, deep red fabric, it was the kind she had only seen on TV or in the movies. What sort of jewel lay inside?

  "Do not be afraid. You cannot break it." Murnau picked up the box and opened it to view. The glittering contents took Olivia's breath away.

  "Gorgeous..." She stared at the quarter-sized, pear-shaped pendant necklace dangling from a gold chain and its matching bracelet of smaller stones. "Are these diamonds?"

  "They are crystallized carbon—a very common stone here on BloodDark but very beautiful. Please wear them."

  She shook her head. "Oh, no! I couldn't. If I lost them, I'd feel terrible."

  "They are a gift. Wear them." Murnau took the necklace from the case and twirled it in front of Olivia's eyes. "Beautiful stones for a beautiful young woman, yes?"

  "If you say so."

  She closed her eyes as Murnau placed the cold jewel against her throat and fastened the catch. She could smell his sickly scent, a cross between burnt metal and dying flowers, but worse yet, she could sense his quickening breath... He was panting like a marathon runner or a sick and twisted obscene phone caller. He was sniffing her again like before—like he couldn't get enough of her scent. She tried to step away, but his hand on her shoulder forced her to turn around and open her eyes. Looking deep into his dark orbs, she found her mind drifting, drifting—

  "The gown is finished, my lord."

  The sound of Hernando's voice brought her back to her senses. How long had she been standing there in Murnau's grasp?

  "Let me see it." Olivia raced toward the door. The Overseer stood his ground until Murnau nodded, and Hernando was allowed to enter the cell.

  Her new friend waltzed in with an emerald-colored gown slung across his arms. She eagerly fingered its soft, velvet-like material, smiling and giggling. Hernando's brown eyes held promise as well.

  "It's much better than Britt's junior prom dress last year! It's perfect!" She gushed, trying to draw attention to the dress. Somehow, they had to get Murnau and friends to leave so they could communicate without interruption. "I've got to try it on to see how it hangs on me, but whatever do I do with all these golden lacings? I don't know how to work them."

  Olivia had seen such things on a costume at the local Renaissance festival and knew it took a helper to get them tied correctly. Would Hernando catch the hint?

  "Valori could help her with the lacing," Hernando suggested, laying the gown across the bed and smoothing out the wrinkles. "After all, she did do the majority of the sewing and knows how it is supposed to hang on its wearer."

  Yes! Hernando played it cool, but Olivia could tell he knew how to manipulate his masters when necessary.

  "Valori. She is a seamstress and not a house servant." Murnau didn't appear entirely convinced this was a good thing to do.

  Olivia bit her lip. How could she convince him that she could be left alone with a female servant? "Oh, please, please, Murnau," she begged. "You want me to look nice for the party, right? I've got to try it on today in case there are some alterations that need to be made."

  "The Overseer can stand outside the door," Hernando said, "Or if you wish, I could stay in the cell and aid Valori with house servant protocol."

  The demon scratched his chin with a long, pointy finger and stared at Hernando for what seemed an eternity. The boy never flinched but kept his eyes lowered in apparent submissive obedience.

  "Would this be acceptable?" Murnau asked her at last.

  Gotcha! Finally a chance to talk without the sniffer present. Olivia bit her tongue to keep from acting too excited. "Yes, it is acceptable."

  With a nod to the Overseer to accompany him, Murnau exited the chamber, leaving Hernando and Olivia alone.

  "I thought he'd never go!" She released a long-held sigh. "Will Valori help me get out of here? Can you get me back to Earth?"

  Hernando placed a finger to her lips and hushed her. He looked about the room as if checking for surveillance devices. "You're going to walk out of this cell yourself," he said quietly. "The rest will be up to you. I am no expert in the machinations of the Portal."

  "Is the Portal how I came to be here? How some of your family came to be here?"

  He winked. "You're a quick learner."

  Olivia blushed. "Thanks. But how am I supposed to operate something I don't have a clue how to run? I don't even know where it is."

  "I know of the Portal's operation only through rumor and legend, but between now and the time of the... festival... I'll see what else I can learn about it. It stands in the heart of the city. Murnau's clan are the most powerful on BloodDark at the moment, so they're in charge of it now, which is fortunate since the festivities will more than likely take place near the Portal and—"

  The creaking of the cell door alerted them to their visitor's entrance. Olivia turned to greet a gray-haired woman standing at the door.

  "Valori." Hernando nodded. "Good of you to assist us."

  "I am to help the poor thing put on her fancy frock," the woman said. Lean with somewhat-angular features, her fine, straight hair pulled sharply back into a bun, Valori stood at least six inches shorter than Olivia. Her plain black dress hung to below her knees. Her dress sleeves were rolled up, exposing the unearthly pale skin of her forearms, but her sheer presence and calm manners more than made up for her size and lack of color.

  Olivia smiled. "My name is Olivia. Come closer so they don't hear us."

  Hernando took position by the cell door and faced away from them. "Try on the dress. I'll watch for Murnau's return. Be quick."

  Valori picked up the gown and held it out for her. "Take off what you have on and slip it over your head. I'll do the laces."

  Olivia did as she was told. "You two haven't told me how I can get out of this place."

  "I told you," Hern
ando said in low voice. "You're going to walk out of here wearing that gown. We'll have to think of some means to get you away from the city once you're outside this place."

  "We could mask her scent." Valori began lacing up the golden ties on the back of the gown. "I know of a potion that can make a young thing like this simply disappear in front of the Pure Bloods."

  "A scent-masker?" Hernando grinned. "Great idea."

  "Could you put it into one of these little bottles?" Olivia pointed to the table. "They look like perfume bottles to me."

  Valori finished the lacing and stepped back to pick up the items. "One of these bottles would work well, but how can we switch it without the Pure Bloods noticing?"

  Olivia wrinkled her nose. "Hmm... You know, I don't even wear cologne. It makes me itch."

  "That would do it," Hernando said. "You tell Murnau you can't wear his perfume, but Valori can make something equally pleasing." He turned around. His jaw dropped in surprise as he took in Olivia in the gown. "You look beautiful."

  "Thanks." She twirled about the room, hoping to hide her blushing cheeks from his appreciative stare. The emerald gown flared about her gracefully. "You really think I can waltz out of here in this dress and wearing a scent-masker?"

  Hernando laughed and took her by the hand and spun her about again. "It won't be easy, but you seem determined to make it work."

  "You will need others to help you." Valori grasped Olivia by the wrist and stopped their dancing. "Be certain to wear the scent-masker on the night of the festival. It will save you."

  Olivia's head spun from both the twirling and the excitement of escape, but Valori's tone held an undercurrent of deep concern that made her take notice. "Don't worry. I will."

  The sound of marching Overseers in the passageway caused them to scatter. Hernando looked through the door's opening. "They're coming."

  Hernando jumped back as an Overseer barreled into the room. The door was flung open for Murnau to enter. He gave Olivia a long, hard, lingering stare. "The gown suits you well." He turned to Valori. "There is no need for alterations?"

  "No, my lord, but there is a problem with the cosmetics."

  "I'm allergic to them," Olivia offered, "but Valori says she can make me others that are suited to my skin type."

  Murnau wrinkled his brow and twitched his nose like a rabbit sniffing an enemy. "Is this true?"

  Valori bowed. "Yes, Lord Murnau."

  "You cannot go without cosmetics?" he asked Olivia.

  "These make me itch. I wouldn't look my best for the festival without some make-up. I'd rather not attend if I couldn't look my best."

  "That's human females for you," Hernando commented under his breath. "They're always worried about how they look. They won't cooperate if they can't look perfect on special occasions."

  Murnau stared hard at his servant. Olivia observed the demon weighing the suggestion carefully. He looked put out by learning such information from a lower caste inhabitant of BloodDark. The old snob! At last, he nodded.

  "Very well. Valori will make these cosmetics before the end of the time period."

  "Thank you. Oh, thank you!" Olivia clapped her hands together. She couldn't help but smile.

  Hernando frowned and shook his head. He didn't seem happy with her eagerness. Perhaps she was giving them away? She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

  "You are welcome," Murnau said. He turned to his Overseer. "Escort these servants back to their duties."

  Olivia stood motionless as Hernando and Valori left, but in her heart she was already out the door.

  Chapter Five

  The hours dragged by. Olivia paced her cell and bit her nails. When would Hernando and Valori return with the magic potion that would make her invisible? All right, she knew it wasn't an invisibility potion, but if it made her less sniffable to these people, who lived to sniff her, then she welcomed it.

  She ate some supper, but she couldn't sit still. Finally, she gave up her pacing, shrugged out of her festival gown, slipped into her night shirt and crawled into bed.

  Upon waking, she bolted upright at the sight of a new bottle on the table.

  "However did that get there?"

  "I brought it."

  Olivia pulled the blanket to her chin. "Hernando?"

  From the shadows near the doorway he appeared. Olivia sat up and smoothed her sleep-tossed hair back from her face. "How long have you been standing there? How did you get in here?"

  Hernando left his hiding place and approached the table. "Not very long. I know one of the Overseers on duty during the rest period. We're from the same clan on my father's side."

  "He's a friend?"

  "Not really. We are clan brothers. He owes me a favor."

  "But the Overseers look a lot like Murnau and he looks like a..." She hated to say vampire, but what else could she call the ruling class of BloodDark? A cold shiver tingled down her spine. She pulled the blanket tighter around her body.

  His big brown eyes look sad at her reaction. "Don't be afraid, Olivia. I'm not going to sniff you."

  "Whew! That's a relief. Is your clan brother going to help me escape this prison?"

  Hernando shook his head. "He can't go against the house he serves without suffering a severe punishment, but he did let me in to deliver the scent-masker that Valori created for you. You need to start dousing it on a little at a time. Tonight is the festival."

  "Tonight?" Olivia jumped up and began to gather her soap and toiletries. "I want to bathe first before I put it on."

  "Yes, that would be wise. You must put the scent-masker all over your body. You must cover the entire surface of your skin with it."

  She gulped. "Not just behind my ears, huh?"

  He nodded.

  "Will you be at the festival?"

  "Only the Pure Bloods are allowed to be there." Hernando shrugged. "I'm supposed to know my place."

  "Murnau and his family, they're Pure Bloods I take it?" Another nod. "So, why am I invited? I'm not from this planet at all."

  "That's why you're invited." He turned his face away. "You're the reason for the feast."

  Olivia tilted her head and observed her new friend closely. "You don't seem very comfortable saying that I'm the guest of honor."

  "It's not what you think. You're not a guest—you are the feast."

  "Say what?" Olivia took a step backward. "You're telling me that I'm on the menu?" She'd been right all along!

  "Not exactly."

  Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest it was beating so hard. "Explain it to me. Explain why they're not about to perform a reenactment of the Donner Party with yours truly as the main course."

  He slowly turned to face her. "The Pure Bloods...they want your blood. It intoxicates them. It makes their festivities special. It's why they brought humans to this world in the first place."

  So they are vampires! No wonder I can't get that idea of them being bloodsuckers out of my mind. Another horrifying idea struck her. "Hernando, these Pure Bloods? They've traveled to Earth before, haven't they?"

  "Yes, they have. Many times over many hundreds of years in search of new blood for their needs. They abduct only a few humans at a time so no one grows suspicious, and the missing are assumed to be dead or runaways. Occasionally Pure Bloods have been seen and reported to authorities, but my mother told me that most humans think they're nothing but creatures from mythology."

  "Super creepy creatures at that!" She shuddered then sighed. "But why take me?

  "Your blood is the most prized of all." His face reddened slightly. He averted his eyes. "I heard Murnau talking about you. You're young and a virgin. They can smell it. Your blood will taste a hundred times better than any other human's—a thousand times better than any of my people's."

  Olivia felt her stomach churn. "Ugh! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

  "I wanted you to get your rest, that's why. You'll need all your strength to get away from them."

  He was right.
Knowing her captors' true nature wouldn't have helped her sleep at all.

  "If you'll excuse me, I have to go now and get things ready." Hernando's smile gave her hope. "Valori will be here shortly to help you with your gown lacings."

  "Wait—don't go yet." She reached out and touched his arm. He stopped and looked down at her hand. Olivia blushed and pulled it away. "Sorry if I acted rude. I appreciate what you're doing for me—risking for me."

  "Don't be sorry." He took her hand in his and gently stroked it with his thumb before letting go. "I have to go. Don't forget what I told you about the scent-masker."

  "I won't. I will see you again, won't I?"

  "I'll be there. When the time is right, I'll show you the way out of the feasting hall."

  Hernando left her cell as silently as he'd entered.

  Olivia followed his instructions to the letter. She bathed and applied the scent-masker all over the best she could, but it proved difficult. She couldn't tell if she had applied it to an area or not. It held no scent or at least it held no aroma she could detect. Perhaps that's how it worked? It was so subtle that only vampires could sense it?

  What had Hernando called Murnau's people? The Pure Bloods. Maybe without any scent whatsoever they'd have nothing to sniff and without a good sniff... Well, Murnau seemed to enjoy poking his long, pointed nose in places where it didn't belong.

  "I hope I stink to high heavens. No self-respecting vampire will want to drink my smelly blood!" She laughed, but it sounded weak to her. No time to be afraid, she made herself eat the food the guards delivered, but it tasted even blander than usual.

  Standing in front of the mirror, Olivia worked on her hair for an hour before the guards opened the cell door and Valori appeared.

  "Very pretty," the petite gray-haired woman announced. "I do like an upswept hairstyle with a formal outfit."

  The door closed and locked behind her. Obviously the Overseers trusted that the two of them wouldn't get up to any trouble. Olivia grabbed the gown off the chair back and rushed to the older woman's side.

  "Valori, do you know the real reason why I was invited to the festival?" she whispered.