Sloane couldn't believe her eyes.
The woman was clad in a sheer black dress that couldn't have provided much cover from the chilling cold temperature of the cave.
The fabric looked to be far more luxurious than anything she'd dealt with in the laundry room, even when covered by a thin layer of moss.
The woman was on her knees. Her head bowed and her hair fell like a curtain over her face.
Most importantly, she was completely motionless.
Sloane watched with apprehension, for any signs of life, but there was no movement. Not even a single twitch.
'Was she...dead?' Sloane wondered, her brows drawing together in sympathy.
Sloane rose up to her feet slowly, her dress dripping a steady stream of water as she braved a step closer to the chained woman.
Just then, the chains rattled. A dry, hoarse cough echoing through the cave.
Sloane froze in place.
She wasn't dead, after all.
And in some ways, that was even more horrifying than finding a dead woman in the middle of nowhere.
As the woman's head lifted slowly, Sloane retreated warily, her eyes frantically glancing around for an escape route.
She hobbled over to the nearest wall, her hands searching around desperately. "No no... please... there has to be something..."
But the cave was walled on all sides. No entrance, or exits.
How the hell did anyone get down here?
Sloane wondered if the woman had fallen in like she had.
But that didn't account for the silver chains.
Someone had to have to put them on her.
Sloane dared another glance at the woman, just in time to catch a glimpse of pale skin, eyes as blue as the clear sky, and chapped lips.
Her features were sharp, and perfectly proportioned, like they'd been painted on.
She was beautiful.
In a way Sloane had never seen before. And had it not been for her eyes, Sloane might have mistaken her for a vampire.
But alongside their pale skin, vampire eyes tended to take a darker color scheme.
Reds, blacks, grays...or at least that's what the actors in the plays claimed.
The woman whispered something hoarsely.
But Sloane only saw her lips move.
"I...I... what?" Sloane stuttered uncertainly, taking a few hesitant steps closer.
"Thirs...t...y..."
"Thirsty?" Sloane repeated, her eyes darting to the pool that she'd fallen into.
It wasn't so far from the chained woman. Still, her chains obviously had limited reach.
Like someone wanted to make sure she could see the water body, but never be able to touch it.
Sloane winced at the cruelty, thinking back to all the nights she'd been left to starve, when a disgruntled pack member tossed her daily share of stale bread into the laundry buckets.
She'd watch the bread grow soggy, and break apart in the dirty water, knowing she would not be seeing another meal for another full day.
It was the worst feeling.
Having something that could spare you so much pain, right within your reach, but still, out of reach.
Sloane weighed her options.
She would have to scoop the water with her hands and take it over to the chained woman.
That meant getting close.
The guidebook clearly said, everything in Evernight was inclined to harm.
But they didn't say anything about a woman in the tunnels.
She looked somewhat normal to Sloane.
On the other hand, she was imprisoned down here, in chains that probably weighed more than a boulder.
That was the farthest thing from normal if Sloane had ever seen one.
"Thir...sty..." The woman whimpered again, her head dropping weakly.
Sloane's eyes widened. "Gi... give me a moment!"
She hobbled over to the pool, quickly rising her dirt and goo covered hands, before she moved slightly to scoop out a cleaner part of the water.
Her hands were held together as she made her way back to the chained woman as fast as her legs could carry her.
Crouching down, she lifted the water to the woman's lips. "Here... it's not much but..."
Sloane trailed off when the woman's head jerked up suddenly, a pair of glinting fangs now protruding from her lips.
Vampire!
She was one after all!
The splash echoed as the water hit the ground. She tried to make a run for it, but she wasn't fast enough.
A searing pain tore through her as the woman's fangs sunk into her left wrist, ripping clean through her flesh and sinking so deep, Sloane was certain pulling away would rip her own arm off.
Those clear blue orbs met hers, once innocent and vulnerable, they were now wide and almost frenzied.
Sloane could have sworn, amusement flashed through them as she hungrily gulped down her blood.
Sloane's vision spun. The room swayed around her and the strength left her legs, forcing her to drop to her knees and grab hold of the ground to steady herself.
"I...stop... please..." Sloane whimpered, trembling.
She didn't.
Dark spots danced at the edges of Sloane's vision, just as the regrets set in.
It had been stupid of her to think she could afford to help a stranger, when her own survival wasn't even guaranteed.
Still, this was a better end than being digested by a worm.
At least, her remains would be left intact.
Even if it wasn't, it wasn't like anyone would care to retrieve them.
Alpha Mercer... Sancia... the Glacier Pack...
They sent her here because she was disposable. Because she was the sacrifice that would cost them the least...
That would cost them nothing.
And then, there was Grayson whom she'd trusted.
She'd loved him with every fiber of her being, and where did all of that lead her?
Right here. To Evernight, as Sancia's replacement.
To her death.
This time, when the darkness tugged at her consciousness, Sloane didn't resist.
-----------
Sloane grunted weakly, as her eyes reluctantly fluttered open.
It took a moment for her vision to focus, but when it did, she was staring up at the rocky cave ceiling, and the gaping hole she'd fallen through earlier.
'What happened?' She wondered, 'I didn't die?'
"Ugh, finally." A voice grumbled, "It was only a little sip and you went down like a log of wood. I really thought you were going to die."
"If those bloodworms were going to disturb my peace, they could have at least gone for someone with some flesh on them..."