Chap 2

Amelia's POV

"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" Elizabeth asked as she pulled away from me and hurried back to chopping the vegetables in a hurry. 

It made me momentarily forget about my own troubles and be truly intrigued about what could be happening that made her so rattled and looking like she was running out of time. 

Speaking of which, I was also here to ask about the reason why I had been sent to the kitchen by Cassius or the Master as he often reminded us. 

"Is something happening? Do you know why I was ordered to come to the kitchen?" I asked her and she didn't answer immediately, hurrying over to check for something in the kitchen drawer and shaking her head when she didn't find what she was looking for before finally turning to face me. 

"We don't know either. All we know is that the Master is having a guest over tomorrow and has ordered us to ensure that all the preparations are in place. Perhaps that is why you were sent here. Sit, I'll whip up something quick for you to eat." 

Nodding gratefully, I sat on a stool, resting on the kitchen counter as I tried to understand why Cassius was having a guest over when everyone knew how much he hated guests in his home. 

The hate was so bad that the number of people that entered and left his house was very limited. It also explained why besides me, there were only about eight maids including the security guards in the vampire's mansion.

Did he have a secret that made him so secretive?

Then again, it could be thanks to that cruel personality of his that no one wanted to associate with him anymore.

I knew Elizabeth wouldn't know who was coming and what their plans had been put in place. So I decided to not probe and ask more than that.

"What about Elena? Where is she?" I asked Elizabeth as she placed a plate of hot porridge in front of me and rubbed my hair affectionately before returning to what she was chopping. 

Elena was one of the Master's maids but more importantly, she was a friend even though it was sometimes impossible to find time to just sit with her and speak about the mundane things of this life. 

"She is decorating the dining room with two others and another maid is preparing a room for the guest."

This sounded like a big deal and I was curious about who the guest would be. 

Heading over to the sink to wash the plate, I thanked Elizabeth and she directed me to find Elena who had been placed in charge of sharing the chores for the day. 

By the time I was done, it was nightfall and I slumped on my bed, my body aching even more after the events of today. 

Looking at the huge clock on the wall, my fatigue turned to anger as I remembered that I still had to go back to the Master's room tonight to see if he needed me.

More like if he needed to torture, molest and rape me. 

The urge to murder him came with a vengeance even though I knew it was no longer possible after trying and failing so many times. 

Forcing myself up, I sighed and started to arrange my room, wondering who the guest was that had us scrubbing the floors with such intensity and making everyone walk around on eggshells, desperate to ensure that everything was perfect for tomorrow. 

My eyes caught my necklace on the dressing table and I abandoned the bed I was making and reached for it. 

Opening the locket, I touched the picture of my mother with shaky fingers and sat in front of the table. 

This necklace was the only thing I had from my past life. Before I was taken by Cassius. Before I became a sex slave to a ruthless vampire. 

I didn't have any memories before I was taken by him and all that I remembered was when Cassius took me seven years ago, at the young age of thirteen, I was wearing this necklace with this picture in it. 

I didn't even have any memories of my mother besides this picture that without a doubt proved that I was her child. 

I'd inherited her long straight ebony hair. I didn't know how long hers was because, in this picture, it was packed into a bun away from her face. Mine stopped at my waist and tangled so much, I chose sometimes to not comb it for days. 

We both shared emerald green eyes and even her smile was the same, though I couldn't remember the last time I had ever looked as happy as she was in this picture. 

I didn't think it was possible to be happy again, because since Cassius took me to use for his own pleasure and pain, I had tried so many times to escape and it had only ended in torture and my near death. I had given up when I tried to kill myself and even that was not allowed with him watching my every move. 

There was a knock on the door and I shoved the necklace into the drawer just as Elena entered my room, turning around to give her a nervous smile. No one could know I still had this necklace, especially Master Cassius who would see it as something that gave me joy and take it away. This was the only thing from my life that was not under his control. 

"Hey, you look like you need to sleep for a couple of days," Elena said with a tired smile and I nodded with a yawn. We were all tired after working so hard today. 

"I could say the same for you," I answered and when she yawned, I raised my eyebrows and she chuckled. 

"Well, I have good news. Master says to tell you that you do not need to come to his chambers tonight." 

I was shocked. I wasn't sure if this was good news. Was I supposed to be happy or worried about my life now that for the first time, Cassius did not want me to please him tonight? 

I doubted Elena would know the reason for this so I just nodded. 

"Thank you."

"You can finally get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." She said and waved at me before she left the room. 

Immediately the door closed, I rushed to hide my necklace in the wardrobe between my clothes and quickly tidied up my room before I climbed the bed. Sometimes, I wondered why I was the only one Master likes to torture. Not that I wanted him to do what he did to me to any of the other maids, hell, I wouldn't even wish that for my enemy. But, there was Elena and others and he chose to make me his only sex and blood slave.

Staring at the ceiling, I wondered if Master Cassius had an ulterior motive for not inviting me to his chambers tonight and who the guest was that made him allow visitors when he did not ordinarily allow outsiders into his mansion. 

I yawned again and the fatigue made my eyes groggy, but I feared sleep. 

I feared that when I closed my eyes, I would be plagued with nothing but nightmares like every other night. 

I feared that when I closed my eyes, I wouldn't wake up. 

I feared that the nightmare of Cassius sucking my blood until I was nothing but an empty husk would become a reality.