Bloodbound

CHAPTER FOUR

Margery's POV

I bolted through the back door, my chest heaving, my legs pumping

as though my life depended on it—because it did, behind me, two of

them followed, their heavy footsteps pounding against the earth

I didn't dare look back, the yard blurred as I dashed through it, my

breath ragged in the cold night air

I rounded the side of the house and burst into the front yard, my

heart pounded as I glanced at the small black pearl in my hand

"Okay" I muttered, barely able to breathe "Let's hope this works"

With a desperate scream, I hurled the pearl into the street, it hit the

ground, shattering with a soft c***k, and in its place, a swirling

portal erupted

The edges of the portal rippled, black and blue tendrils coiling like

smoke, my legs stiffened up as I stared at it in disbelief

Behind me, the men drew closer, one of them spoke, his voice,

guttural and filled with malice, carried through the air "She’s going

to get away!"

I swallowed my fear, clenching my fists "Screw this!" I yelled,

launching myself into the portal

For a second, the world shifted, my body felt like it was being pulled

and stretched in every direction, and air rushed past me, cool and

suffocating all at once, when I landed, my feet hit solid ground, and

I stumbled forward, gasping

My eyes flew open, and I froze

I was standing in a dimly lit hall that felt like something out of an

old-timey retro novel, heavy wooden furniture lined the walls,

baroque chairs with faded upholstery and empty frames hanging

suspiciously, dusty chandeliers swayed gently overhead, their lights

casting ominous shadows

"What the hell..." I whispered, spinning in place

I patted my pocket, in hopes of finding my phone there, but it

wasn’t there, it was inside my bag, I sighed in exasperation “The one

time I need to be with my phone—”

Before I could finish my whining, one of the doors on the far side of

the room swung open with a bang

A woman burst in, her white robe flowing behind her, her hair a

tangled mess of dark brown waves, her pale face was sharp, her

movements quick and purposeful

"Oh, Laurie," she began, her voice edged with relief "I came as fast

as I—" She froze mid-sentence, her gaze sharpened, her eyes

narrowed at me as she scanned me from head to toe

"You're not Laurie" she said, taking another step forward

"Nope" I replied, backing up a step "Uh…”

Her expression twisted with confusion, and then a flicker of

discernment passed across her face "Where is Laurie?" she

demanded, her tone laced with urgency

I hesitated, my throat tightening "I... I don't know, she told me to

run, she said she'd be behind me" My voice cracked on the last

word, the weight of it all crashing over me

"She told you to run?" The woman repeated, her brows knitting

together "And she gave you her transport pearl?"

"Yes" I snapped, feeling the hot sting of tears. "Some people came

for us, I don't know who they were, but Laurie told me to run and...

I don't even know where I am!"

Her face softened slightly, and she exhaled, running a hand through

her disheveled hair "Alright. Alright. That's fine. Laurie can handle

herself"

She paused, studying me again, and her lips parted slightly "Who

are you?"

"I'm Margery" I replied, my voice shaking

The color drained from her face "So it's true..." she whispered,

almost to herself

"What's true?" I demanded, taking a step back

Instead of answering, she motioned for me to follow her "Come with

me. Quickly."

I hesitated, glancing back at where the portal had been, it was gone

now, swallowed by the air, with no other option, I followed the

woman through the hall

The further we walked, the more bizarre everything became, the

walls were lined with sconces that emitted a warm, golden glow, the

wood beneath my feet creaked with every step, and the air smelled

faintly of cinnamon and something coppery

"Where are we?" I asked

She didn't answer, simply gesturing for me to climb a grand

staircase, at the top, we stopped before a massive set of double

doors

"Wait here" she said curtly, disappearing inside

I crossed my arms, my eyes darting around the

lavish hallway, the chandeliers above were pristine, their crystals

gleaming with the dim lighting, and the delicate carvings along the

walls seemed ancient, like something out of a museum

Moments later, the woman reappeared "Margery, my name is

Katarina. I'm the third in command here in Kelna"

"Kelna?" I repeated with a scoff. “According to my instincts, we are

in some forest”

Katarina chuckled softly "Kelna may have plenty of trees, but it's no

forest”

"Okay..." I said slowly "And what the hell is Kelna?"

Her smile faltered "Wait—you don't know anything, do you?"

I stared at her blankly "Yes I don’t"

She sighed, muttering under her breath "Of course, Laurie didn't tell

you"

"No she didn’t, will you?" I asked, my frustration bubbling over

She hesitated, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear "You'll

learn in time. For now, trust Laurie, she wouldn't have sent you here

if it didn’t matter"

"How do you even know my aunt Laurie?" I pressed, narrowing my

eyes

Katarina's lips quirked into a faint, bittersweet smile "Laurie and I...

we were best friends once. Though we weren't supposed to be"

Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken history

"And you are nothing like her" she added nonchalantly

The statement hit me like a slap "What?"

Katarina winced "Never mind. Forget I said that”

"No, what do you mean by that?" I demanded, stepping closer

She waved me off "It doesn't matter right now, what matters is that

you're safe. Everyone else is preparing for the Crimson Masquerade,

so you should rest"

"I don't want to rest" I snapped. "I want answers”

Katarina nodded slowly "Fair enough. Ask me one question, and I'll

answer”

I thought for a moment, my mind spinning. "Alright. Where am I?

Be specific"

Her eyes softened as she gave her answer "You're in Aldaham, and

right now, you're in Kelna, the region of the vampires"

Her words sent my brain reeling. Vampires? Aldaham? This

couldn't be real. First, I nearly burned myself alive, then Laurie was

talking about spells, and now this?

"No" I said firmly, shaking my head "This is insane"

Katarina's lips twitched into a small, knowing smile "It's not insane,

Margery, it's your reality"