Polly flew behind Sergei, following him as they sped through the night. It felt to her like they'd been flying for hours, and she had an increasingly bad feeling as they went.
As dawn finally broke, a structure became apparent in the distance. He suddenly dove down low, and she followed.
Polly's eyes open wide in surprise, as the structure came into view. There, spread before them, was a magnificent castle, one of the largest she had ever seen, shaped in a huge horseshoe pattern, with high walls, and parapets crowning each of them. In the center, was a semicircular courtyard, with a circle in the middle, atop a knoll, and a grass hill at its far end.
"Arundel Castle," Sergei announced. "It is where I live."
Without a word, he dove down low, right into the courtyard, and Polly hesitated for a moment.
She was beginning to feel inside of her that something was wrong. She wondered once again whether she could trust him. But once again, a part of her desperately wanted to try anything for an antidote for Scarlet and Caleb. She would do whatever she had to, take whatever risk she needed to, even it involved this.
Polly dove down and landed beside Sergei in the courtyard, then followed him as he strutted across the perfectly-manicured pebbled path, towards a huge oak door. He yanked it open, creaking as he did, and stood to the side, waiting for her to enter.
He smiled at her, and Polly scowled back.
"I didn't come here for a visit of your home," she said. "I came here for the antidote. Where is it?" she demanded, standing before the door, hands on her hips.
"So impatient," Sergei replied. "Just relax. We are going to get your antidote. I don't keep it outside, obviously. It is safely secured inside."
Polly stood before the open door, debating. She felt such dark energy coming from inside, and a part of her wanted to flee.
But a different part refused to listen to reason, as her emotions told her she needed to find a cure.
Polly stepped inside, into the darkened space, barely lit by a small stained-glass window.
As she did, the huge oak door slammed behind her, Sergei standing just a foot away, and she flinched at the sound.
She heard Sergei's dark laughter in the darkness.
"So jumpy," he said.
And then he reached up, and she suddenly felt his icy cold hands on her shoulders.
She spun around, and brushed them off of her.
She was appalled to see that he still had feelings for her, and that he was obviously still trying to seduce her. If he didn't show her where the antidote was soon, she was going to leave.
But he just grinned back down at her, an evil grin.
"You are still so naive, aren't you?" he said darkly.
Polly felt her heart drop at his words. Where was this going?
"Did you truly think I would lead you to an antidote? And why? I hate all of your friends. And I would enjoy nothing more than to watch all of them die slowly and painfully." Polly's heart pounded in her chest. It was a trick. All of it. She had been tricked. Once again.
Now, she was furious.
Polly reached back, made a fist, and threw it, aiming right for Sergei's face.
But he was much faster than she thought, and he raised a single hand casually and caught her punch in mid-air.
With his open palm, he squeezed her knuckles with such strength, that she felt herself crying out, as her knuckles were squeezed in agony from his grip. She had never known he was that strong.
Polly dropped to her knees in pain from his grip.
He continued to smile down at her.
"I brought you here because I enjoy playing with you. I brought you here to make you mine.
Forever, this time. My slave. So you can make up for the way you treated me back in France. For making a fool of me, for making me lose Caitlin. Having you here, as my prisoner, will bring Caitlin and her crew here like a lamb to slaughter, and then I can present them all as my gift to Kyle." She looked up and saw how ugly and evil Sergei was as he stared down at her and revealed his true self. Just as she had remembered. She felt so furious at herself for believing him a second time.
"And if they don't come for you, if they never come for you, then I shall just keep you here, as my slave forever."
At that moment, several other girls stepped out of adjoining rooms, and Polly was shocked to see that they looked similar to her. They all walked slowly, their hands and feet bound in silver chains.
As if under a trance, obediently following Sergei's orders, they all went to the large oak door and barred it shut with a huge silver post. Polly gulped as she watched her only way out barred and blocked by a dozen female vampire slaves.
"Don't worry," Sergei said, laughing. "You will get used to being my slave. After several centuries, you won't even remember that you lived any other way."
