The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) by Christine Asher Read Free Book Online

me, right?   Or the vitamins were red?   My mind spun while I considered making myself throw up.  In the end, though, I decided it'd be of no use since my stomach seemed a tad on the empty side.   I shuddered, thoroughly repulsed at the plethora of horrid substances that were most assuredly percolating deep within me.
                  For real, who knows what those douchebags forced me to drink!   If it was blood, they probably gave me AIDS or hepatitis C.  Those skeezy bastards!   I sniffed at the dried goo, learned a big fat zilch, and ultimately discarded the thing onto the floor.  Outrage, anger, and unfathomable indignation filled my emotions.  And I swore to myself that one day I'd pay 'em back for putting me through this shit.
                  In desperate need of a way to expend my excess energy, I decided to walk the circumference of my cell.  It was a perfect square, about twenty feet long on each side, which meant that it took me exactly forty steps to make a full circle.  And, yeah, I deduced this useless tidbit because after a couple laps I started counting.  Why, not?  I mean, I didn't have anything else to do.  I certainly wasn't gonna talk to crazy kidnapper-guy.  I also refused to get any more worked up.
                  My efforts were successful at first, however, anger began seeping past my determination at around a thousand steps.  By five thousand, I was fuming worse than ever.   Seriously, how long would the demented asshole stand up there and, oh so patiently, wait on me?   Fucking prick .  Six thousand, seven thousand.  When ten thousand steps came, I accepted the fact that my plan had failed horribly.  He'd stayed quiet as a mouse during the entire cold shoulder session.  And I couldn't take it for another goddamn second.
                  "You're a liar, old man.  A manipulative liar!   You said that once I downed the crap in the chalice I'd be released.  That was the deal.  Yet, for some screwed up reason, I'm still stuck here.  Why is that?"  I heard nothing, absolutely nothing.  And I almost punched the wall.  Luckily, I quickly regained my wits and avoided breaking my fist.  "I know you're up there, old man.  I never heard you walk away.  Answer me, you insane son of a bitch!"
                  "I thought you desired the peace and quiet," he taunted in a real cutesy wootsy voice.
                  "Oh, come on!  Just let me out!" I yelled, resentment hanging on every syllable.  "I held up my end of the bargain, now you hold up yours."
                  "I've kept my word, child.  I told you that after you drank from the chalice you'd have the tools to be able to leave the changing room.  And that you do."  He delayed a moment for dramatic effect before continuing with added sarcasm.  "You can see the ladder, can you not ?"
                  "Of course I see the ladder.  But how in the hell am I supposed to reach it?  I can barely reach the ledge and the ladder is considerably higher than that."
                  He sighed.  "It's very straightforward, child.  All you have to do is jump."
                  "I can't jump that high," I screamed, motioning at the ladder fiercely.  "Two feet, maybe, but not five."
                  "With your transformation complete, you can travel distances much greater than a mere five feet.  Why don't you give it a try?"
                  "There's no way I can get up there on my own!  You're such a liar!  You swore you'd free me.  Even so, now you're changing the rules, giving me an impossible task, and playing more of your stupid games.  At this rate, I'll rot in this place." What bullshit!
                  "I'm a man of honor.  If you go for the ladder and don't make it, I'll lower a rope.  I promise you that, regardless of the outcome, you'll be liberated from the pit.