It was then Sloane realized, the surface beneath her head was rather soft and warm for an uneven, chilling, cave floor.
A steady, stroking motion detangled her hair.
Sloane sat up quickly, wincing as the cave spun around her.
Her temple throbbed and she lifted a hand to rub the aching spot, her gaze shifting to the vampire.
She was sitting now, right beside Sloane, legs crossed and her head laid on her fist as she watched Sloane realize she'd been resting on her thigh.
Sloane's heart shrivelled. She unconsciously retreated, dragging her form across the hard surface to put some distance between herself and the woman.
"There's nowhere to run, if you haven't noticed." The vampire pointed out casually, like she was just speaking about the weather.
Sloane didn't pay her any attention. She retreated as far back as her injuries allowed, before she dared another look at the vampire.
For some reason, she was even more beautiful now than she had been a moment ago, if that was even possible.
Her eyes were brighter, and now full of life, and she didn't look nearly as pale.
Sloane guessed it had something to do with all that blood the vampire had sucked out of her.
"Who...who are you?" Sloane stuttered,
The vampire quirked a brow. "You wouldn't know, even if I told you."
She sat up straighter, "You, on the other hand, are human."
"Well, kind of." She added, clapping her hands in almost childlike excitement, "I haven't seen one before! Didn't know they still existed!"
Sloane winced.
She'd begun to realize she wouldn't be able to fool anyone.
And the vampire's excitement might have grated on Sloane's nerves, but she also hadn't seen another human asides herself.
She had heard many packs kept them as slaves, but Sloane's pack hadn't been lofty enough or large enough to afford that.
Humans were expensive to purchase. Given how rare they now were since the undead pandemic.
"My name's Isla." The woman introduced, extending a chained hand. "What's yours?"
Sloane blinked, staring at the offered hand like it was a weapon of mass destruction.
And it probably was.
Vampire abilities were mysterious and unpredictable.
The vampire, Isla was chained for a reason. Who knew what else she was capable of?
But if Isla wanted her dead, she would be already, right?
"I... I'm...Sloane..." Sloane stuttered, still eyeing Isla's hand.
Isla seemed to realize Sloane had no intentions of accepting the exchange of pleasantries, because she dropped her hand to her side, her smile intact.
"Sloane...Slo..." She muttered, more to herself than to Sloane. "Can I call you that? Slo?"
Sloane wasn't certain how to respond to that.
Grayson and Carla were the only ones who called her Slo.
Everyone else found words like 'runt', 'trash', 'waste of space', and 'mistake', more convenient.
She was certain some of the Glacier pack members didn't even know her actual name.
"Well, Slo..." Isla continued, without even waiting for Sloane's consent. "You're one lucky human, to have survived a blood worm."
"But..." She added, "You won't be able to escape this place without me."
Sloane watched her warily.
Isla was right. Painfully so.
She didn't see any way out of the cave, and unlike a vampire, she was sure to die of starvation or be poisoned to death by the water from the pool if she stayed here any longer.
If anyone knew a way out of this place, it would have to be the person who'd been down here the longest.
"Smart girl." Isla commended, "I like the way you think. I'm the only one that can get us out of here."
It took a moment for Sloane to realize that Isla's lips hadn't moved.
So... how exactly, had she answered Sloane's thoughts?
"I..." Sloane trailed off apprehensively, "You can hear my thoughts?"
Isla shrugged. "When feeding, we can sneak into your head and see your recent memories. We can leave behind a communication link on our way out, if we choose to."
Sloane blanched.
A vampire...was in her head?! And had seen all her memories?!
That meant, she knew about...
"About Grayson, and your sob story of how you weren't supposed to be here, but got tricked by your pack because he fucked your twin and knocked her up. Yes." Isla interrupted, her tone exasperated. "Keep up, would you?"
Sloane flinched at Isla's crude choice of words. Her eyes stung, and her hands clenched around her dress. Or what was left of it.
Isla rolled her eyes, "You should have left the waterworks back at your pack if you have any intentions to survive around here."
Sloane gritted her teeth, blinking away the tears.
Isla nodded in approval, "Good."
"About the link, it'll fade soon enough." She added, "Unless I feed on you again, then it'll only get stronger."
"And if I keep feeding on you, it'll eventually become too strong to get rid off by simple means...and so on, and so forth."
"You're not... feeding on me again." Sloane retorted shakily, "I won't...let you."
Isla quirked a brow. "What are you going to do about it? Cry?"
Sloane scowled.
"Well, I won't have to. I'll probably only need sustenance in a few days." She continued, "If you get me out of here, I'll have more than enough options, no?"
Sloane hesitated. But her curiosity got the best of her.
"If you need sustenance every few days, then how long..." She trailed off, cowering at Isla's withering glare.
"How long have I been stuck down here?" Isla completed, her tone chilling.
Sloane gulped. "Uhmmm... never mind. I shouldn't have..."
"I don't remember." She cut in, "I don't remember much. But I can tell you, you're lucky I didn't drain you."
Sloane nodded awkwardly.
"So... what...are you proposing?" Sloane changed the topic, "If I get you... out of those chains, you'll lead the way...out of here?"
Isla nodded gingerly. "Not just out of this cave. But I'll stick with you and help you get out of Evernight safely too."
Sloane frowned in surprise.
"Only because I'm headed in the same direction anyways." She smirked. "A good bargain, if you ask me."
Sloane eyed her warily, "And you won't suddenly turn on me, and kill me?"
Isla shrugged, her brows furrowed in thought. "That is indeed a possibility."
Finally, she leaned forwards, smirking, "But it's a risk you're going to have to take."
"Fortune favors the brave, they say."
Sloane hesitated.
She had never attempted to be brave, or anything of that nature before.
She'd been too busy trying to survive each day, where could she find the time to be brave?
But now... maybe, just maybe, she could dare.
It wasn't like she had any other choice.
"Deal."