Twin Flame

Chapter Two

When I woke up, I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not. My head throbbed and my vision was unfocused, but coming into view better with each passing second. My mouth was dry and I could have sworn I had pieces of cotton stuffed into my gums. My entire body ached, a dull shooting sensation that wracked me all the way down to my bones.

The lights above me were annoyingly fluorescent and my body felt shaky. My eyes traveled around me and I suddenly felt terror rush into my veins. I was in a plane. The world whizzed by me, clouds floating lazily by the windows, while I hurtled in a jet. The plane was not a standard commercial one, but rather a sprawling private space that glittered with crystal fixtures. There were four rows of seats, all spread far enough from each other to allow ample privacy. A small standing bar was placed to the left and three enormous flatscreen televisions jutted from the wall.

I blinked rapidly, trying to get my bearings, but it was impossible. Far too late, I realized that my wrists were bound. Panic surged through me and I attempted to get to my feet, but found I was restrained by my ankles too. Heavy chains were shackled to the floor. I was sitting in one of the airplane rows, a luxurious seat that was roomy enough for two of me. I tried to scream, but my voice choked and came out extremely muffled. I tried to lick my lips, but it was clear there was duct tape plastered to my mouth.

Despite being exhausted and nauseas, I frantically tried to release myself from the bindings. I desperately wriggled my hands, kicked my feet, and thrust my hips forward, trying in vain to free myself. After about three minutes of this, I was winded and the chains cut cruelly into my delicate skin.

"Are you done?"

A voice from behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin. My eyes widened as a man came forward, strutting in front of me. He stared down at me with an assessing gaze. My mouth dropped open. It was the bartender from Ace's.

"Mfph!" I shrieked through the tape.

He clucked his tongue and continued to look me over. He carefully picked up a strand of my hair and examined the color. I jerked my head away from him and he growled. Literally growled. He bent closer to me and stared into my eyes, like he was searching for something in my soul.

"If I take the tape off, you will not scream. No one will hear you. As I'm sure you guessed, you're very far away from others at the moment. Screaming will do you no good. "

I could barely believe any of this was happening. If I hadn't had such a searing headache, I would be sure I was having a really weird dream.

With one rip, the man pulled the duct tape off my lips and I let out a small squeak of pain. I opened my mouth to scream and he grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head to the side. The scream died in my throat.

"What did I say about the screaming?"

I just stared at him in open mouthed horror. All I could stupidly say was:

"You're the bartender. "

He snorts and picks at something underneath his fingernail.

"Oh, you're sharp." He says sarcastically. I glare, despite the crippling fear in my chest.

"We have thousands of agents in all sorts of locations. Bars, laundromats, malls, colleges, wherever pretty girls like you may cross. We're always on the lookout for the next one. "

"Next one?" I stammer out.

"Well, obviously, you're not the first. I mean, you saw how smoothly this whole operation ran. You're just another face in a sea of people."

What did he even mean? My stomach clenched nervously and the sick feeling intensified.

"Is this... Is this a trafficking organization?"

The man just looked at me until he threw his head back, laughing hysterically, like I had said the funniest thing in the world. After a minute, he wiped an actual tear from the side of his eye and chuckled.

"Not in the way you're thinking. "

The way I'm thinking? There was only one way I was thinking - I was going to be sold as a s*x slave. He interrupted my thoughts.

"Humans are so simple minded. "

I quirked an eyebrow up at him. "Humans?"

He completely ignored my question and went back to examining me. He tilted my chin up and turned my face side to side.

I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip.

"Don't move. Let me look at you. "

My breathing hitched in my throat and he smiled wickedly at me. My eyes focused on his mouth and I gasped. His teeth were horribly disfigured. The two canines were elongated, ending in razor sharp points that brushed his bottom lip.

"Your teeth! They're... sharp?"

He tilted his head mockingly. "The better to eat you with, my dear. "

I flinched. Okay, not trafficking. Cannibals, maybe?

"What do you want with me?"

He raises an eyebrow at me. "I couldn't care any less about you. I'm just the delivery boy. But I'm going to get a hell of a raise. Not only are you gorgeous, but your blood type is extremely rare. They're going to love you."

My... blood type?

Cannibals, definitely cannibals. Then another part of his sentence clicked in my brain.

"They? Who is they?"

His grin widened and his teeth jutted... No, not his teeth... His fangs. I saw a flash of red in his eyes and he laughed. Then his muddy brown eyes shifted completely to a vermilion hue. I screamed and before I could blink, his fingers were around my throat.

I abruptly stopped screaming and his grip loosened. He leered down at me.

"You're... You're not human." I manage to choke out.

"What gave it away? The super reflexes? The red eyes? Or the fangs?" His tone dripped with sarcasm.

Vampire. It all clicked. He was a vampire. Red eyes and fangs. And interested in blood type.

"What do you want with me?" I whispered.

His smile turned even darker.

"Again, it's not what I want. But they're going to eat you up. Literally."

"Who?!"

"Why, the Princes, of course. "