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Lila
THE FEAR I INITIALLY felt about being in the Chambers was quickly replaced by anger—anger that I was being held against my will, without any real explanation as to why. Wasn’t I supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? Apparently that wasn’t the way it worked around here... wherever here was.
Sometime later that day, one of the guards opened the door to my cell. I got hopeful that I was being released, that Prince Sebastian had realized this was all some sort of big misunderstanding, but then the guard placed a tray of food down on the floor in front of me.
As the guard was about to turn away from me, I said, “How am I supposed to eat when I’m handcuffed?”
The guard glanced down at me and hesitated for a moment. “Can I trust you not to try any funny business?”
“Obviously. I’m locked in a jail cell with my feet shackled together. What funny business could I possibly try?” I asked with an eye roll.
He seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. “Okay, I’ll un-cuff you long enough for you to eat. But later on, you’re getting those handcuffs put back on. That’s how we do things around here.”
“Fine,” I replied as he unlocked the cuffs. I was relieved that my hands would get to be free, even if it was only for a little while.
As the guard left my cell, locking it behind him, I glanced down at the food on my tray. It was some sort of mystery meat, a gooey mashed potato-like substance, and broccoli. Not that it mattered. I had absolutely no appetite. Wrinkling my nose, I pushed my tray away.
“I wouldn’t talk to the guards like that if I were you,” a voice said quietly.
I glanced to the cell next to me. A girl with chin-length, pin-straight blonde hair, who appeared to be about my age, was looking over at me. “Not all guards are as nice as that one.”
Her gray eyes flitted over to meet mine. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “Yeah, how did you know?”
“If you’d been here for a while, I think you would have been nicer to the guard. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen you around.” She paused and then added, “Not that my master lets me out of the house very much.”
“Your master?” I asked with raised eyebrows.
“You know... the guy who owns me.”
“Actually, I don’t know,” I admitted. “When I say I’m new here, I mean I just arrived here... like hours ago.”
“So, you’re not a slave yet?”
I shook my head. Nor do I plan to be.
“You will be soon, I’m sure. My master is awful to me, but I hear some of the vampires treat their slaves decently.”
“Wait, what? Vampires?” I asked.
“Yeah, that’s why they bring us here. To be their slaves.” She eyed me curiously. “You didn’t know that?”
“No, I didn’t.” I just gaped at her. “So, they kidnap innocent human girls to be their blood donors?”
She nodded. “Humans guys, too. Girls are usually sold to the guy vampires, and boys are sold to the female vampires.”
I swallowed hard. Was she right? Would I be a slave to someone soon? As much as I didn’t want to be a slave, I also knew I didn’t stand a chance next to a vampire.
“So, if you’re new, then what are you doing here? In the Chambers, I mean?” She paused. “Did one of the princes choose you in the lineup?”
“Choose me?”
The girl rolled her eyes, as though the answer should have been an obvious one. “You know, to be their slave. When humans first arrive here, we’re all lined up and auctioned off. Vampires who live in the kingdom bid on us, but first priority goes to the Royals. The princes choose which—if any—girls they want to be their slaves.” She paused. “The look on your face tells me you didn’t know about that, so I guess that means you weren’t put up for auction yet?”
“No.” I hesitated. “Also, no one brought me here.”
“Are you saying you came here willingly?” She stared back at me incredulously, probably wondering why anyone would do a crazy thing like that.
“Not, not exactly. It’s a long story, but a mermaid told me to come here,” I explained. Except all I could do was wonder why Ty had told me to come to the palace and why he’d thought they would explain the red sky to me or tell me how to get back home. Didn’t he know there were vampires who had human slaves here? “How did they bring you here?”
“I was just walking home from school one day and this guy was following me. I started running, but he was just too fast. He grabbed me, anyway. He put me in the back of a van, tied me up and blindfolded me. After a really long trip, we eventually ended up here.”
“Where is ‘here,’ exactly?” I asked.
“I don’t know. All I do know, from listening to my owner talk to other vampires, is that, wherever we are, it isn’t part of the human world. The only way to get here is through a portal.”
When I fell into the river, I must have fallen into a portal.
It was the only thing that made sense, the only thing that could have explained how I’d ended up in this world after falling into the Sapphire Lake.
“What’s your name?” I asked the girl.
“Remy.”
“How long have you been a prisoner for?” I questioned.
“Well, that all depends on what you’re asking,” Remy replied. “Do you mean in the Chambers... or as a slave?”
“Both.”
“I’ve been a slave for almost two years now,” she said. “I’ve been in the Chambers for two months now... I think. You start to lose track of the days after a while.”
“What did you do? For them to put you in here, I mean.”
Her eyes clouded over with a dark look. “I disobeyed my master. I don’t want to talk about it.” Flitting her eyes over to meet mine, she asked, “What about you? Why did they put you in here?”
“Prince Sebastian seemed to think I was just a slave who escaped and was trying to weasel my way into the palace,” I explained. “I don’t know what would even make him think that. All I did was tell him my name.”
“What is your name?” Remy asked, a curious look in her eyes.
“It’s Lila.” I paused and then thought it was probably necessary to add, “Lila DeHaven.”
She snorted. “Yeah, you’re Lila DeHaven and I’m Mary Poppins.”
“See? This was exactly the same type of reaction the prince had, and I still don’t even know why. What’s so unbelievable about my name? Why does no one believe I am who I say I am?” I could feel my own cheeks flush with the frustration I felt as I slumped against the wall, annoyed. Nothing about any of it was making sense.
Remy just stared at me for a moment. “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m telling the truth. I have no reason to lie. I can’t even figure out why anyone thinks I’m lying.” I met her gaze. “Why doesn’t anyone believe I am who I say I am?”
“Because.” Remy rose to her feet and moved closer to my cell, holding onto the bars that separated us. “If you’re telling the truth... if you really are Lila DeHaven...that means you’re the one who the prophecy is about.”