Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 6: In Bed with the Viper

Nadia watched Blair as the countess did her vanishing trick. Blair looked around, eyes wide. She hadn’t been able to follow the countess’ passage. That worried Nadia. She thought it worried Blair too from the woman's expression. Blair had fought immortals before. Nadia suspected Blair was unprepared for one as old as the countess. 

Nadia wrestled with her feelings, trying to sort out her anger about Blair’s lack of trust. The mistrust made sense. Why would Blair trust Nadia? But why did it matter? Why did Nadia want Blair to trust her in the first place? And Nadia did want Blair to trust her. 

“That wasn’t good,” Blair said into the silence. 

Nadia nodded. “I did warn you. You can’t defeat her.”

Blair dropped her head. “I know. This is not going to be pleasant.”

Nadia’s eyes widened. “You still intend to try and fight?”

“I’m dead either way. I’d rather die a hunter.”

“But she’ll make you suffer so much,” Nadia said. “She’ll torment you. She’ll torture you. She’ll play with you like a cat with a mouse. Please don’t be her mouse. Be a gentle plaything.”

“Like you?” Blair asked.

Nadia nodded. “I’m not brave. I know that. But I’m alive. And you could be too. For a little while. But at least my way you won’t suffer. If you fight her, you will.”

“No worse than you’ll suffer putting up with princess betrayer there.” 

Nadia turned to glare at Hester as the other girl sauntered towards them. Hester returned Nadia’s glare with a wide smile and narrowed eyes. She looked like a cat that had spotted a fat and injured pigeon. 

“You had your say,” Nadia said. “Blair asked me to continue her tour. And I hope she is enjoying that tour.”

Blair looked at Nadia and raised an eyebrow. Hester giggled and covered her mouth. Nadia almost snarled. Hester was laying the innocent waif act on thick. Blair glanced from Nadia to Hester and back. Nadia cringed, the act couldn’t be working on Blair. Could it?

“You don’t own our new arrival. What if she wants to deal with somebody who isn’t in bed with the vampire. Because you are literally in bed with that vampire.”

“We are all in bed with the countess,” Nadia heard her voice rising. 

“But you choose to go back for more to keep your sexy little ass safe and sound.” Hester added. 

Nadia tried to bring her volume back to a polite level, and failed. “We are going to die. The countess wants me for whatever reason. So not fighting the ancient immortal being keeps me alive. So playing along with her games keeps me alive. How is that some great betrayal?”

Hester stepped back and put a hand to her chest. Her lips curled into a gasp. 

“And who has the countess’ ear? Who do the guards listen to among us girls? You want us to believe what? That you earned those favors without leading the countess to pick other girls first?”

“I would never do that!” Nadia found herself shouting. 

“How do we know? You’re alone with her every night. We’re trapped in a cage with a ravenous tiger. And you’re in bed with the tiger!”

“So are you!”

“Not like you are. You like it!”

Nadia swung her arm and struck Hester with the back of her hand. Hester stumbled back and stared at Nadia with wide eyes. And then the smile returned. 

“I hit a nerve. Don’t like hearing the truth, do you?”

Nadia looked at Blair. The other girl stared at Nadia with her mouth open. Nadia looked back at Hester, a bruise was already growing on her chin and cheek. 

“You wouldn’t know the truth if you were in bed with it.” Nadia said.

Nadia clenched her eyes closed. Her body shook. She knew she’d made a complete disaster of this. She couldn’t look at Blair. 

Instead, eyes still closed, she blurted out, “I’m sorry Blair. We’ll have to continue this tour later. I’m not in a state to give explanations right now.”

She spun on her heel and marched away from the two girls without looking back. 

She heard Hester’s voice, “I can finish the tour for you, my brave hunter.”

Nadia wanted to scream and cry and hit the walls. Instead, she kept walking. 

= = =

Blair watched Nadia stalk off. She wanted to chase after the princess. She took a step to follow and Hester grabbed Blair’s arm. Blair looked back at Hester, the other girl looked at Blair with a quivering lip. Blair grimaced and looked away. Hester had egged Nadia on until she lost her temper. Blair hadn’t missed that. But still, Hester wasn’t wrong.

Nobody else had the ear of the countess like Nadia did. Nobody else had the same opportunities to point the sacrificial knife at other girls. But Nadia did not like Hester. Blair could see that. And wouldn’t Nadia have dealt with Hester by now? Nadia could have pointed the countess to feed on Hester if, in fact, Hester were correct. 

Blair looked back at Hester.

“Hester,” Blair drew the name out. “What do you want from me?”

Hester looked at Blair. “We are going to die. We all know this. We try not to think about it. I only want to enjoy time with the big sexy monster hunter and forget that I’m going to die very soon.”

Blair nodded, and then turned away once more. She felt an attraction to Nadia. She knew that. But Hester seemed attracted to her and seemed like a safer option. But Blair hesitated to pursue somebody only because they had an interest in Blair. This shouldn’t be her goal. She should be looking for weapons against the countess. But she felt that attraction to Nadia. And playing the game seemed wise. Maybe she could trick the countess into thinking she’d given up on escape. She shook her head. She didn’t believe that. 

But Nadia’s face floated in Blair’s mind. Blair turned back to Hester. No. She would pursue Nadia, for show. Now, of course, she had to politely dissuade Hester.