Heathcliff looked from me to Gabe. "What's going on with you two? Are you a couple now?" He seemed irritated, and I sat back, surprised. Gabe would have to answer this one, because I didn't know either.
Gabe gave Heath a pointed stare. "You've known about my feelings for Snow for quite some time. It wasn't until last night I had a suspicion she might feel the same way about me."
His feelings, I thought. I was shocked, but worked to keep it hidden behind a blank face.
Gabe continued, turning to Dorian. "You guys don't have a problem with me asking out Snow, do you?"
Hey, what about me? As much as I was certain my feelings for Gabe were obvious, shouldn't he have mentioned this to me first?
Dorian shook his head. "It's cool with me, man."
Heathcliff turned his attention to me. "How do you feel about all of this? About you and Gabe?"
I blew out a breath. "I'm not sure," I said, pulling my hand from Gabe's, and biting a nail. Of course I liked him, but this conversation didn't sit right. Gabe's green eyes penetrated mine. "I think we should talk, alone, don't you?" I asked in a whisper, though it echoed around the room.
His eyes fell, and I wondered if I'd hurt his feelings. "You're right," he agreed.
Hiro walked in with a silver tray that was almost as big as him. On it sat a white teapot, and several cylinder-shaped cups. He set it down to my right. I watched as he poured the tea in four cups, and handed one to each of us. "Drink," he said. "Grandfather will be with you shortly."
Then he was gone.
I picked up the cup, and the others followed. I sniffed it, letting the steam hit my face, and it was then that I realized it was quite chilly in here. The tea smelled good, like peppermint. Carefully, I took a sip, and swallowed. The heat hit the back of my throat, and I felt it go all the way down to my stomach. Contentment fanned through my insides, like the sun on a hot day. I took another sip, then set down the cup.
"Is that sugar?" Heathcliff asked. I opened the container, and looked.
"Sure is. You want some?" I picked up the white container and handed it to him.
My eyes suddenly seemed to have lead on their lids. I struggled to keep them opened. I watched Heath put one, then two, then three scoops of sugar in his tea. Dorian did the same. By the time Gabe reached for the sugar, my eyes had shut.
Chapter 8
When I opened my eyes, I immediately realized I wasn't in the dining room any more, but lying on a satin-soaked bed. Thick, white curtains sealed me in like leftover spicy tofu in a takeout box. Sitting up, the slick red sheets fell into my lap, and saw I wasn't wearing my clothes anymore. Instead I had on a black silk nightgown with thin straps.
What in the world, I thought, to bewildered to be nervous. I remembered I'd been tired. Perhaps the old man had put me to bed.But where were the guys? I needed to get out of here. Hopefully they were okay. We still had a Musical to attend tonight.
"Gabe," I called out, trying to find a separation in the curtains.
"Hello, Snow White." It was a male voice, low and soft. It sounded familiar, but it wasn't Gabe's.
"Who's there?" A little more vigorously, I ran my hands over their velvety softness, searching for an opening.
I heard a click, and the room was blanketed in darkness.
"W-What's going on?" My voice didn't sound like my own. It'd raised an octave.
This is what terror feels like, I told myself, standing up on the mattress, trying to pull the curtains from the frame. "Where's Gabe? Where's the old man?"
"Relax, beautiful. You've been chosen by her Highness, and the Queen always gets her way."
Even freaked, I noticed a twinge of regret, or remorse in his words. Focusing on that was pointless though. Escaping. Getting out of there in one piece, that was priority number one.
I'd moved from one side of the bed to the other, trying to get out. Without meaning to I stepped off the edge, and between the curtains and the mattress. When my foot hit the floor, a sharp pain zinged my knee, but I barely noticed. Swinging my other leg around, I placed it on the floor, scooted onto all fours, and climbed out of the curtains.
Free! I let out a sob of relief, but quickly covered my mouth. If I couldn't see, then maybe he couldn't either. Wiping my eyes, I stuck my hands out in front of me, feeling for the wall, or a chair, or a door, and took a cautious step forward. My knee gave, and I whimpered.
"This isn't funny," I said, my teeth chattering.
A moment later, I bumped into something. It was pliable yet solid. Apprehensively, I touched it, trying to figure out what it was. It wasn't a door, or a chair.
But a person.
The face was unshaved. His hair soft, and thick. Shoulders broad, and muscled. His chest taut. When my mind realized what my hands were doing, I screamed, and took a step backward. Strong hands grabbed me by the waist.
"Snow," he whispered. His breath brushed against my cheek, and smelled of peppermint tea. A wave of relief washed over me. It had to be one of the brothers.
"Who is this?" He hadn't really sounded like Dorian, Heathcliff, or Gabe, but he'd kept his voice low, so the possibility of it being one of them still existed. I reached up, and touched his face with my hands. It wasn't Gabe. Of that I was certain. Heath was tall, like this guy, but he didn't have scruff on his face. Dorian was taller than them both, and certainly as brawny.
"If you're trying to tease me, I'm not laughing. I hurt my knee, and I'm scared." Another sob grabbed my throat, but I clamped it down. I hoped my honesty would reprimand him, and he'd turn on the lights.
"I'm not teasing. This is deadly serious." His grasp on my waist shifted as he pulled me firmly against him with one arm. His other hand slid into my hair. With a firm yank, he pulled my head back, exposing my neck.
I sucked in my breath, preparing to scream. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and I could see the red tinge in his eyes. They glowed the way the old man's hallway had.
"Who are you," I asked again.
He opened his mouth. I saw his white teeth, witnessed his canines grow. Without thinking I kneed him in the groin.
A look of humorous surprise sprang into his eyes before burning anger.
I felt his teeth sink into my neck, felt my skin part like a boat gliding through water. When he started to suck, everything became hazy, like a dream. My body suddenly ached for his touch even as my mind revolted. I heard myself sigh, and pushed my neck deeper into his mouth. He shuddered, and the pull of my blood from my body became stronger.