The Death Thief

Welcome Home

"That's...that's not a choice." The words barely broke past my lips. The air needed to provide my tongue voice was constrained by the swelling fear in my heart and the rising panic clenching my throat.

"Actually, it is," said Antonov matter-of-factly. "You choose to either live or die. It just appears to be a lack of choice because only one option is really viable in most situations."

"If you're here," said Kyra, her words precise and clear, her eyes still and strong as they focused in on me, "then you must not want to go home anyway."

"We don't know that for sure," said Everett in a whispered growl. "The mages are struggling..."

"Of course she wants to go home," interjected Antonov, whose voice had picked up a tick of impatience. "She just hasn't realized yet that her new home is my manor." He then approached the bars and extended a hand through them. "Please, let me sponsor you. Look to my wives, they are fine, healthy women. I won't hurt you and you can come to know this town in the comforts only I can offer."

"The human housing is just as comfortable," added Everett.

"Do they have goose down pillows and 900 count Egyptian cotton sheets?" asked Antonov. Everett didn't respond. "Human housing is just a slightly more comfortable version of a jail cell."

"That's not true," snarled Everett through gritted teeth, his dark eyes burning as he glared at the side of Antonov's blissfully oblivious head. Then he took a breath and cast his gaze towards me. "It's not," he added in a more sympathetic tone.

"I..." I looked over at the two women, still silent and stoic behind Antonov. At that point, I could only believe what my eyes saw — making assumptions in a town like Whisper Valley wasn't going to get me anywhere. And what I saw was two healthy women, kept in fine clothing and treated with care. I wasn't sure I could take the word of anyone in the room in regards to what people were, considering they'd labeled Antonov as a vampire, but I was willing to accept that if they called these two women human, then they must be. At that moment, to me, human equated to sane, and, for me, that meant Natasha and Scarlett were my best chances at getting real answers.

"I'd like to go with Mr. Antonov."

"It's Lord, dear, Lord Antonov, but I'll let that pass for now," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You have much to learn."

"Ms. Cross, please reconsider," begged Everett as Kyra unlocked my cell. "You are safe in human housing. You'll be with other Bodies."

"I'm not just a body," I mumbled as I passed him on my way out of the cell.

"I know that," said Everett with a groan and a swipe of his large hand through his messy brown hair. "You just have a better chance of learning about this world around those who aren't sponsored yet."

"My wives did not magically forget who they were once they married me," scoffed Antonov as he ushered myself and the other ladies to the door. "Please do not disrespect them."

"Why can't I say a word without y'all finding some sort of offense?" he growled.

"Because you're a thuggish brute," answered Antonov with a shrug. "Now please give my regards to Calista. I'd wish her well on her new endeavors, but we're pushing dawn and I really must get home."

"Have a good morning Dragan. You too ladies," said Kyra with a nod of her head.

"You too my mistress," he answered in a rather deep bow before pushing us out the door.

The light orange of dawn had begun to brush the bottom edge of the night sky, but the pale circle of the moon still lulled above the horizon and dark swallowed the landscape. I tried to look around to get my bearings and establish some idea of where I had lost myself, but all I could gather in the dim light was one long street bordered by squat buildings that never stretched higher than two stories.