I hurried out of the cellar and closed the door behind me, and, separated from the rest of the castle by the heavy, powerful wood, the girls' pitiful cries fell silent.
I felt sick to my stomach. I clutched the wall with my hand, and breathing loudly, horrified, and with a boundless dislike of Grayson, I wondered feverishly whether I could have taken the liberty of setting the poor captives free. I couldn't wait to run back to the dungeon and break down the rusty bars, let the girls out, give them freedom and comfort, but… Then Grayson would kill me for sticking my nose in his business. I was sure of it.
Just forget about them? Ignore the fact? It was impossible: I closed my eyes and saw the unhappy girls in front of me, their hysterical screams ringing in my ears.
Perhaps I was soon to be in one of those cells. Because I was determined to talk to Grayson about the prisoners and try to get him to let them go. Even at the cost of my own life.
Tired and broken, I walked out of the castle into the park and sat on a bench by the fountain. The morning, which had recently seemed joyful and hopeful, was as dark as the sky above my head: the smell of a thunderstorm was in the air.
"How many days have passed since Grayson locked his poor prisoners in the dungeon? How many horrors they must have endured and are enduring every day! Are they receiving food and water? Lord, if you are, how do you allow such things to happen? How do you allow some of your children to abuse and kill your other children!" – The thoughts in my head were interrupting each other, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from crying at the sheer injustice.
Soon it started to rain, but I didn't want to go back to the castle: I was disgusted to be in a vampire's home. So, without moving, I sat in the summer rain and thought about the poor girls locked in their cages.
My thoughts were interrupted by the quiet rattle of the gate opening, and as I glanced up, I saw Grayson's car pulling into the park. The gate closed immediately. The car stopped at the stone staircase, and in a few seconds the master of the castle himself stepped out of it. From now on, in my eyes he wasn't just a monster-he was a maniac, a sadist, a madman. I began to hate him even more, if that was even possible.