Two

VESPER GREY LYSAN POV 

I couldn't stop thinking about Zevran even as the maid bathed me.

Had I been too harsh with my words earlier? Despite his creepy smiles and his dark piercing eyes, he was just a boy born into a family he had no choice in... Just like me.

I dragged my fingers through my hair, then threw my head back to lessen the tension in my neck. God, I was sick of everything.

"What do you think Ilvane is going to do?" I asked, and the girl's hand froze for a moment.

"You shouldn't call him by his name after that warning he gave you at the court, Vesper. If you make Master more angry than he already is, he's really going to break you to the point of no return. You might think he can only kill you, but he can do so much worse, Vesper. So much worse" she said, her hands resuming her task and moving over my body.

The fear in her voice sent shivers down my spine. Just how cruel could Ilvane get? If he decided to really hurt me, what was the worst thing he could do? The fear of the unknown gnawed at my heart, constricting my lungs. 

"You need to turn now."

I let go of my hair and let her turn me around to wash my back. 

Wanting to stop the dark thoughts swirling in my head, I glanced back at the maid. "I don't think you've ever told me your name."

"That's because you've never asked" She stepped around me, her lips curving in a smile. It was a sweet one. "Ana. My name is Ana. But why the sudden interest"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been here for three months now and this is the first time you're asking for my name"

My brows dipped, my lips pressing inward. "I didn't think I would be here for so long, so I didn't see the need to know anyone who worked for Ilvane."

She shook her head. "You're going to get yourself killed, girl. Let go of your pride or master will strip you of everything," she said, then let out a tired sigh. "You know, I've never met your mother but I can't help but hate her."

"Why?" I asked, even though I had an idea.

"Because she knows where you are and what to do to guarantee your safety but she absolutely refuses to comply... You are her daughter, so why does she allow you to suffer so much..."

It was the same question I asked myself every second of the day, but I knew the answer... I knew why she didn't love me and why she might even be happy to just let me die.

"I always wished I wasn't an orphan you know, I thought maybe if I had parents, I wouldn't have ended up as a maid for Master Ilvane, but now, seeing someone like you abandoned to die even when you have a mother who can protect you, I think being an orphan is not that bad at all..." She uttered then froze, her mouth forming an o.

Her words shouldn't have hurt but they did, and all of a sudden, I couldn't make out the bathroom tiles as they blurred in front of me.

"I am so sorry, Vesper; I didn't mean to say that," she quickly apologized, her eyes searching mine.

I shook my head, my gaze dropping to the floor. "You don't need to apologize. Please wash the foam off me, I'm starting to feel nauseous."

"Okay," she nodded, then turned on the shower.

I held my breath as the water dropped down on me, my eyes blinking shut. The tears that had filled my eyes slid down my cheek, the sound of water drowning out one gut-wrenching sob that escaped my lips even after trying my damn best to hold it back.

*****

"Ana?" I called, staring down at my bitten-down nails. It was a habit I'd picked up from being anxious every day, and it kept getting worse. "Can you help me get out of here? My mom might not act like she cares right now, but if you help me, we can give you lots of money to start a new life and ..." 

She chuckled, cutting me off. "No, Vesper, that is never going to happen."

I stared eyes wide at her. "Maybe you don't believe that my mom will give you a lot of money..."

"It isn't about the money, Vesper". "Look, if I help you escape and by some miracle, I disappear into the heavens and never walk the earth again, Master would still find me, and once he does, he will kill me. The mafioso never forgives betrayers"

I met her eyes in the mirror. "You can't possibly believe that... Ilvane is not God"

"You're right he's not. He's a demon, and those are a lot scarier," she said, turned my chair, and crouched in front of me. "You have no idea how easy he's been on you, Vesper," she said, then took in a deep breath. "Since you've been here, how many men and women have worked with us that suddenly vanished into thin air and never showed up again?"

I stared at her, my brain working overtime. There had been a lot of faces that I'd seen from the day I was brought here that I hadn't seen again. I'd always thought it was because they were working in shifts...

My eyes widened as I realized what she was trying to say.

Ana chuckled bitterly. "They're all dead, Vesper."

My blood ran cold. "How do you know that?"

She grinned, but her sad eyes were a contrast. "Master always makes us watch their execution. He does it to let us know not to cross the line. Also, Sir Zevran carries most of those executions out, so don't let his cute look and thin frame fool you. If your mother does not comply with their wishes, he'll probably be the one to cut your head off."

I flinched, my fingers clenching on the edge of my seat.

"But Zevran is just a child" I got out, refusing to believe that he was already a killer. He could be no more than twelve surely.

"Yes, He's a child but he's a child born to a demon. He is Master's only heir, so of course, his training started from the second he was born"

Ana's eyes looked far away, but I could see the horror swirling in them. I could tell she was remembering something traumatic. 

Her gaze was resolute when she finally met my eyes.

"I can't help you escape Vesper. That is the ultimate betrayal, and People die for less here," she said, got up from her crouched position, and walked to the door.

She opened the door and then glanced back at me. "Stay and behave. Don't piss off the master more than you already have," she said, stepped out of the room, and slammed the door shut.

I sat, stared at myself in the mirror for a few seconds, and then covered my face with my hand. Then I screamed and screamed again until it felt like my throat would bleed.

"Does that help?" Someone asked and I whipped around, my neck almost snapping from how hard I'd jerked.

My gaze clashed with those of Zevran.

He smiled—the same chilling way he'd done earlier. "You don't look human at all you know," he said, tilting his head. "I've never seen anything so pretty"

I didn't know what to say to the compliment. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked, watching warily as he stared at me without blinking. 

He stepped toward me and I winced as the sharp scent of copper hit my nose.

Blood. He reeked of it.

"I came to play with you, Vesper. Let's play. Okay?"