My Immortal by Anastasia Dangerfield Page A

I
can't. I am restrained and instead I suck in a breathless gasp,
rubbing those splinters into my sensitive flesh.
    My heart beats a thousand beats per minute
but I am trying not to panic. I'm trying to rein it in.
    Another blow, this one to my temple and my
head rings loudly.
    "Where's your night vision at now, freak?"
one of the Guards asks.
    I distract myself by noting everything that I
can in the darkness that might help me in any situation.
    I know from experience that if I let my
temper get the best of me my eyes will burn red and my fangs will
elongate.
    It makes the Guards happy when that happens
and they shoot me with a few trial syringes that react badly each
and every time.
    They study me in all sorts of ways, painful
and uncomfortable.
    If I did let my natural instincts flare I
would be able to see at least. The red is my night vision of sorts,
among other things.
    I must find my happy place and think of
Alexia. She's the only thing that keeps me sane in this hell that
I'm living. She keeps me calm and my temper in check. Red eyes and
teeth held back.
    She keeps me alive.
    For now.
    "Well, I didn't want to have to do this, but
you disappoint me, Shadow." His voice I hate. It has become
familiar but I never get to see his face. I would love to stare him
in the eyes, that way if I ever get free he will be the first one
to die.
    A torch is lit and it draws my attention
being the only thing I can see.
    "Tsk tsk tsk," the evil man tutts. "Why look
away? Face your nemesis."
    My lip curls and I can't keep my wrath in
check. "I would if you would show your ugly face."
    There is a moment's pause before he speaks
again. "If you could see me right now, you would see a huge smile
on my face because nothing brings me more pleasure than burning you
with this fire and watching your little fangs appear and those two
red orbs."
    The Guard with the torch jabs in towards me,
taunting me and I cringe back into the splinters feeling liquid
trickle down my sensitive flesh of my back. No doubt it's more of
my blood.
    "You'll never figure out how to replicate
those kinds of things. The Overlord is crazy if he thinks he can do
that. He's not a god!"
    He laughs deep and cryptically.
    "Ugly and stupid too. You should have never
been born! But to correct your idiocy, we aren't trying to
replicate them. We are aiming to make them a permanent, constant
feature on our new weapon against those of your kind. And the Hell
Horde."
    A Guard walks forward and shows me his
gleaming knife in the torch light before he makes a gash in his
palm. Blood wells to the surface and he sticks it up to my
nose.
    I grit my teeth together and hold my breath.
Male laughter taunts me, echoing off of barren walls.
    I recite what I noted in my head of my
surroundings: surrounded by dirt walls that cause an echo, no
windows so we must be underground, and…and the Guard spears his
bloody palm onto my nose. I turn my head but his blood is dripping
from my nose now and my breath is short. I open my mouth for air,
trying my best not to smell anything.
    "Don't fight it. You're just wasting
everyone's time. You haven't had blood in a week, I know you're
ravenous. Just take what's been given to you."
    The blood runs down from my nose, small
amounts pooling into the corners of my mouth. I shut my lips
tightly but now I'm screwed. I have to either open my mouth for air
or my nose. I will either taste it or smell it.
    I open my mouth and it leaks in, bursting
with robust flavor on my tongue. My gums are severed moments later
by my long, throbbing fangs. I spit the blood out, refusing to
swallow that filth, even if to just make a point.
    "I will die before I live off of any of
you."
    The Guard snarls from somewhere behind me and
I want nothing more than to see the coward's face!
    "It is you that is not worthy of our blood
you idiot! You may yet have your wish and this world will be a
better place without a freak like you in it! Burn him!"
    My body trembles from my insane lust of