"Who the hell are you?" asked Daryn, trying his best to move. But he was strapped tightly on the bed, and with all the pain shooting through his body he was short of wincing. "And why am I here?" He remembered how the cockpit blasted to pieces and his last chance to communicate with the civilization, with the nearest tower was blown away. He remembered a woman giving orders to the men around her to bag him. Why did they want him? Why did they abduct him?

"Too many questions, Lykae…" said Emma in a soft voice. She walked over to him and with her fingertips stroked his left forearm, which was the only thing that wasn't covered in bandages.

​​

"Stay away from me," he growled. "And tell me everything!" He looked around the room. It was a dimly lit space and more like a dungeon cell than a proper room. He didn't recognize this place though in his mind he could feel something familiar about the place. He turned to see her and when their eyes met, her eyes flickered black. "I assume I am still in the Amazon jungles." The smell of moisture and woods and leaves was heavy. "Who are you working with and what advantage do you have by bringing me here?" He spoke like a king.

Emma laughed softly. She raked her claw along his skin and said, "Don't raise your voice at me Lykae else I will drink you dry." She sniffed him and took in a deep breath "Your blood is going to give me so much power," she said greedily.

Daryn gritted his teeth in revulsion and tried his best again to shake his body, but more than the straps, it was his weakness that didn't allow him to get up.

She traced her hand to his heart and said, "Imagine digging that heart out and eating it." She removed her hand abruptly and turned towards the window where on a narrow ledge medicinal lotions of various colors in glass bottles were kept.

"Explain to me what is all this. Explain everything!" Daryn demanded, cursing her on the inside.

"Everything is an illusion Daryn. Nothing is what it is," she said with a smile as she picked up a bottle and sniffed its contents. "I was asked to bring you here and that's what I have done."

"Asked by whom?" Daryn frowned. For God's sake he was on his way to his gold mines. "I demand that you release me now! I was on my way to business as usual when my aircraft crashed. How did you know that I would even fly here that you are saying you were asked to bring me here? What is all this mystery?" He sounded frustrated and bewildered. He never liked to be kept in the dark.

Emma turned back to see him. She crossed her hands across her chest and narrowed her eyes. "You are so naïve. Everything that happens in Amazon jungles is a part of the plan. Always remember that." She turned back to look outside the window, which was sealed with glass. "I am here to fulfill a plan, and you are here as a means to fulfill a plan. Nothing is, as it seems…" her voice trailed away. She stood there watching the scenery outside.

"Stop fucking speaking in cryptic language. I don't want to hear your plan. If you can't talk to me properly then I need to meet the person who is your boss," Daryn scowled. "Don't test my patience vampire. It won't be good for your health." The only people who could kill a vampire were a Lykae. However, at the moment he was so immovable—it was frustrating.

Emma turned back to gaze at him and hissed, "I would love to suck you dry Lykae!" She walked back to him. "Just remember one thing, I am not on your side, neither am I your enemy. I am here to—" she bit her tongue and clenched her fists. "Just understand that you are nothing but only a part of a plan, a bigger, sinister and evil plan. If you want to survive the shock, you have to maintain your sanity. And that's all I am ever going to tell you. After today you are on your own!"

"Knock it off Emma!" a voice inundated from the shadows.

Daryn went completely still. He was struggling to move his fingers, his arms and legs to be free but after he heard the voice, his body went limp. His facial muscles went slack when he looked at her with a flat gaze. He felt his muscles had frozen. There was a heaviness in his limbs, no, a knot in his stomach. There were no thoughts that crossed his mind for a moment as his brain stopped working. Vertigo grasped his head.

His mother Sedora was standing on the doorway, her face half covered in the shadows.

Sedora walked inside—her face had that arrogant and winning expression. She was wearing an olive silk gown that had diamond studded all over the lower half. The neckline was round and instead of sleeves the arms were covered with gold chains that ended on the wrists. Her black curly hair was woven around a gold diadem she wore.

She was wearing a beautiful necklace that radiated brilliantly. Made from rare white gold, the necklace was adorned with seven types of jewels, each of which was bedecked in thick gold spikes that emerged from a solid gold chain close to the nape of her neck. The jewels were sprinkled in a way that they formed a wave pattern. And that was the highlight of her gait, her body and her soul…

The necklace was so beautiful that Daryn was dazzled by its brilliance. He gulped.

Sedora walked up to him. "Hello Daryn," she said with a lovely smile.

"Mother?" he said in a whisper. He was so puzzled. His skin was lined with goose bumps.

"You can leave Emma," said Sedora before she addressed Daryn.

Daryn's gaze went to Emma. She was viewing the necklace on Sedora with so much intensity, it was as if her eyes were glued to it. Emma's breathing increased and with difficulty she controlled herself. "Yes, my queen," she said in a low voice and left.

"Queen?" Daryn said. Did that mean that he was abducted because Sedora wanted that? Was Sedora behind all this? And why was his mother dressed like a… queen? Why was she here? What was she doing here? Nothing made sense. His eyes were wide with fear. Thousands of questions bounced around his head. Was Sedora responsible for his state? "What is going on?" he asked, absolutely confused.

Sedora looked at his face and gave him a mesmerizing smile. "There is nothing to fear son," she said. "Before you ask me questions, let me answer them. Yes, Emma brought you here because I wanted her to, because I instructed her." She took his right hand in hers. He was shivering, but not with cold. "With you here, I will embark on a higher mission. I need you only for a few days, maybe a few months. After that you would be of no use to me. I will eliminate you." She stroked the burnt skin on the back of his hand and he bit his tongue not to shout in pain. "I will personally kill you."