The Bride of Glass (Glass Vault Book 2) Read online

  A frown was already spreading across Red’s face from Vale moving away from her. “What do you think of the new additions?” Her frown turned to a look of hope—she was always wanting Vale’s approval like the little servant she forgot she was. He knew she had a hidden agenda, most likely with his father.

  “They work.” Vale built the outside, but Red came up with the ideas for the inside. With her experiences she remembered from her past life, she wanted to include real life horror events, altered human fairy tales, and horror films humanity stuffed their faces with popcorn while watching. She wanted it to be sporadic with the common denominator being horror. Vale didn’t care. He only needed the souls.

  A huge smile spread across her face, and it glowed with pleasure.

  “Follow me.” He turned and walked away from her. This was the first and only time he would let her out of her cage. Vale allowed her to stay within the trees on Oak Street, but he had a barrier up, preventing her from completely leaving.

  “So, you appreciate the fact I added the trolls?”

  Coming to a halt, he shot Red a glare. “Didn’t I say they work? Why are you asking me this again?”

  Red rubbed her palms against each other, and all Vale could pay attention to was how dirty her nails looked. He shuddered while sliding his eyes up to her brown ones. “But you said nothing else.”

  Vale ground his teeth back and forth, wishing he did not need her for today. He clenched his teeth together and told her, “I said they work.”

  Ignoring his tone, Red looked genuinely pleased again. If he could use a knife on her today, he would. She wanted to have several displays that didn’t only use the souls from the Underworld but the beasts as well.

  The entire walk to Neven Lee’s house had Vale yearning to be alone because Red purposely walked as close to him as she could get, even though he moved away from her each time.

  Neven’s two-story house came into their line of sight, and they quickly walked the remainder of the way.

  When they reached the garage at the front, Vale shoved Red hard to the side of the house, making her knock her arm into the brick. He felt silently pleased when he saw her rubbing at her bicep and attempting to hide her anger.

  Vale darted next to her as the front door swung open, and Neven Lee descended the steps, gearing up for a run. Vale gave Neven a small amount of a serum in his lunch the day before to give him food poisoning for a short time, but only enough so he would have still felt like doing his run today like he normally did after school. He knew Perrie would want to visit him after he was sick, and this was a for sure way of knowing she would be there.

  What a pitiful human being, Vale thought as Neven jogged away. Perrie normally would wait for him at his house and watch television in his room awaiting his return.

  Walking away from the side of the house, Vale glanced back at Red. “Follow me.”

  She grinned and quickly caught up with him.

  Because Neven Lee had left the door unlatched for Perrie, it was already unlocked when Vale twisted the knob. He barely looked around the house he had been watching for weeks now. The entire dwelling was mundane and not to his liking with its boring cloth furniture and photographs of Neven Lee throughout the house. Heading to the stairs, Vale ascended them as Red staggered behind.

  When he reached the second floor, he found Neven Lee’s bedroom door wide open. Vale could smell the reek of his basketball clothing in a pile in the corner. He would like to find Neven Lee right now to show him how pathetic he was.

  Vale turned to look at Red who was delightfully gazing at the bed, and he gave her a bored look. “Undress.”

  Eagerly, she reached for the buttons of her pants while Vale removed his own clothing, tossing them beside the bed next to Red’s. Walking to the dresser covered in band stickers, he turned on some music and cranked it up like Neven Lee did.

  Vale turned back around, and Red was already sprawled naked on the bed, inspecting him with hunger. He heard a car engine pull into the driveway and knew it was Perrie Madeline. The thought of her reminded him of all the things he wanted to do to her, and that had him ready instantly.

  Leaping to the mattress, he collided with Red, lifting her on top of him, and she squealed with pure pleasure. Vale added a charm to his face, so Perrie Madeline would see Neven Lee, not August, who she thought he was.

  Vale watched Red move back and forth on top of him, and all he could envision were her filthy nails on his chest. He heard footsteps climbing each of the steps. To distract himself, he closed his eyes and thought only of Perrie Madeline, imagining it was her on top of him instead.

  Chapter 5

  Perrie

  I grow exhausted, and the electricity at my fingertips barely comes to life. I turn around to find Vale waiting for me to spark up again. We have been at this for weeks now.

  “I can’t anymore. I need to rest,” I plead.

  Vale runs a hand through his blond curls, moving his lower jaw side to side. “We can stop for a little while.”

  He approaches me while reaching a hand out, and for a moment I think he’s going to strangle me again. “You’ve done beautifully, my bride.”

  Elation flows through my veins from his words and all we have done to the town.

  “Where will we go for the night?” I fiddle with the buttons lined down the center of my long white dress, covered in filth along the edges—wanting to continue as far as the land goes for Vale, but I’m drained.

  “We will be meeting Red a few miles from here at an old house.” He looks at me with a blank expression, but I know he’s awaiting my response.

  I let out a low growl and didn’t even realize how loud it would sound, but there’s something about her I don’t like.

  Vale walks to me and lifts my chin between his index finger and thumb. “You know she means nothing to me. If I could get rid of her in a second for you, I would. But my father wants her here.”

  Nodding my head, I gnaw on my lip to keep from speaking words I would rather not communicate aloud. I’ve been having more and more thoughts recently slide in, but before I can fully grasp onto them, they exit.

  Vale lets go of my chin and begins walking, so I follow behind him. I survey all our work along the way. Statue after statue, houses destroyed, trees fallen, and streets cracked. I smile to myself but don’t feel as fulfilled as I once did.

  When we arrive at an old two-story house, I stop in front of it and have a look around as Vale walks the porch steps. For a second I think maybe I should run, this would be the perfect time to get away, but where would I run to, and why would I want to?

  Turning back around, Vale walks down the steps toward me. “What do you think you’re doing? Get inside. Now.” Grabbing me roughly by the upper arm, he pulls me harshly toward the front door.

  He practically throws me inside, and I fall to the wooden floor. The thump sound rumbles throughout the sparse house. Then he hurries back to me and lifts me in his arms in one swoop, setting me gently on a soft green couch. Without another word, he exits the room.

  Sitting patiently, waiting for him to return, I hear a clacking of heels descending the stairs. I know who it is immediately. Fannie. But Red to Vale.

  Staring straight ahead, I hope she’ll leave in another direction and not approach me, but that wouldn’t be Fannie.

  Fannie walks into the large living room until she stands directly in front of me, red hair wilder than ever. Her eyes narrow at me as if she’s trying to make me disappear.

  “You’re still here I see. But it won’t last. Nothing ever lasts for him.”

  I don’t answer and that only causes her anger to grow. She loves to tell me the same thing over and over about Vale.

  “Don’t worry, you will get what’s coming to you.” Then she turns on her heels and clacks away into another room.

  When we first walked out of the Glass Vault weeks ago, Fannie tried to take over the decision making, and she always would push me out of the way. Vale would
n’t have any of it.

  Footsteps march through the hall as a clack of heels follow behind. Vale takes a seat in front of me on a wooden coffee table with a file in his hand, picking at his nails.

  I have noticed this habit for a while, and I’m not sure why he does it. When he finishes, he takes out a napkin and cleans the file. Fannie watches him with lust gleaming in her eyes, as if she’s ready to rip his clothing off in the middle of the room over watching him file his nails.

  Vale’s green eyes meet mine, and he reaches across to take my hand without a word. He picks and cleans out all the dirt under my nails, pulling my hand to his mouth and softly blowing away the small debris. I’m more excited about the look of disgust on Fannie’s face than about how nice it feels that Vale is taking care of me.

  Fannie takes a seat next to him on the wooden table. “Why don’t you ever clean my nails, Master?”

  He ignores her, and I smile to myself.

  Vale releases my hand and tucks away his file. “I have something I want to show you.”

  “Show me.” Pulling myself to stand, I follow him and Fannie down a long hallway with photographs of people along the tan walls. We pass by a large kitchen with a bowl of fruit in the center of a table, and I can smell the rot right away as tiny flies buzz around the blackened produce.

  We reach a door, Vale opens it to stairs leading down to the basement which is already lit with candles. My heart suddenly pounds against my sternum, and I’m not sure why. I normally don’t get nervous or worried about anything.

  Letting Vale lead the way, I slowly walk down the wooden steps as each one groans. My upper body stays close enough to him in case Fannie might decide to push me down the stairs. Not that anything would happen to me, but it would still hurt.

  When we reach the bottom, I spot a woman tied up on the ground. She isn’t only a woman, she’s one of us.

  I twist my head to Vale who is already observing me in a questioning way. I’m not sure what kind of answers he’s looking for.

  “Why is she tied up? Why isn’t she out on the streets?” I demand. Something inside me knows she shouldn’t be tied up like this, not only because she should be out working.

  Her black hair is all knotted up, and she appears pale even with her brown skin. Lifting her head, she looks from Vale to me. Her dark brown eyes stop on me, growing wide.

  The woman lets out a string of muffled words I can’t understand with the red cloth tied in her mouth, wrapping around to the back of her head.

  “We have to send her back,” Vale finally says.

  Fannie shuffles between Vale and me, knocking me into the wooden stair rail. A pain radiates through my side, but stops almost immediately. She walks to the woman, lifts her up by her hair with one hand and her yellow dress with the other, then places her in a metal chair.

  She’s dressed similarly to Fannie, so they must know each other. “Hello, Catherine. We only left you for a moment. I told you we would be back,” Fannie coos as she slowly strokes the woman’s cheek.

  My eyes flicker for a moment, and an image comes to me of a lady with black hair lying in a pool of blood with the same yellow, satiny dress—half her face destroyed and the other half matching this woman’s.

  The image drifts away, and I try to latch onto it to bring it back—so I can remember the rest, but it’s already gone.

  Thrusting herself out of the chair, Catherine tries to run at Vale and me, but Fannie yanks her back by the hair and already has a knife at her throat. Catherine slowly takes a seat, but there’s already a small line of blood forming at her throat.

  “Do you think they are starting to remember?” Vale asks Fannie. He strokes his chin at least ten times, considering whatever situation both of them seem to be wondering about.

  Who is starting to remember? And what are they starting to remember? Is that what keeps knocking at me?

  Vale and Fannie both eye me closely, but I keep my eyes focused on Catherine and my expression neutral.

  Fannie’s eyes slide from mine to Vale’s like a slithering snake taking its precious time. “I do not believe so. What I think is the Glass Vault should not have chosen this one. Her life was built upon bringing down crime, and in the end, that need to better the world drew her back out.”

  Vale looks at me again, and I stare at him, but he doesn’t say anything. Catherine mumbles something and releases hysterical, muffled wails with her eyes focused on mine. I’m not a mind

  reader and have no idea what she’s trying to say, nor do I care.

  “Hand it to her,” Vale says to Fannie. I whip my head to him, and he’s talking about me.

  Fannie lets out a loud, frustrated huff. “Why do you keep favoring her, Master? Catherine is mine. She’s been mine. I want to help send her back to the Glass Vault.”

  “Don’t you dare undermine me,” Vale growls. He even has my hair standing on end, and I’m usually used to Vale and his moods.

  Fannie doesn’t show the least bit of fear. Her eyes narrow at Vale. “I said, she’s mine.”

  “Do I need to send you back along with her?” Vale is calm, but there’s a note to his voice Fannie must pick up on, and she releases Catherine’s black hair by thrusting her head forward. Catherine takes the opportunity to shoot up one more time. Vale is there in a split second with his quick speed and has a hold of her by the waist and his other arm wrapped around her throat.

  Fannie walks to me with the knife forward like she wants to slam it into my stomach. She curls her lip in disgust at the last second when she flips the knife for me to grab by the black end. Stomping up the stairs, Fannie slams the door as hard as she can, leaving me, Vale, and Catherine alone. I’m glad she’s gone.

  “Do it.” Vale’s eyes penetrate mine with pure darkness.

  I stare at Vale, not knowing what he wants me to do. She’s immortal. If I stab her, it isn’t going to do anything. She will heal. “What do you want me to do?”

  Vale’s smile grows wicked. “This one has been a naughty, naughty little thing. She has been trying to stop what we are attempting to achieve. Catherine here will be going back to the Glass Vault with the other souls.”

  Those are not answers. “She’s immortal. Catherine can’t go into the Glass Vault, and she will only heal.”

  His grin slowly withers away. “Are you questioning me, Bride? Immortality can be taken away if I choose.”

  “I’m not questioning. I only wanted to know how.”

  His smile grows even more vicious than before. “We have to continuously torture her until she is knocked unconscious, and then I can send her soul back before she awakens once again.”

  I clench the knife in my hand. Something has me not wanting to do this, but the other half is thrilled with the prospect. I haven’t done anything besides turning civilians into glass, with the soul disappearing as soon as they are turned. This is different.

  My hand slaps the knife silently at the white skirt of my dress before I find myself being pulled toward Vale. His pleased expression has my heart pounding violently, aching for recognition and gratitude.

  Vale has Catherine’s head pulled back and throat ready. She’s still trying to tell me something, but her words don’t matter to me, only Vale’s approval. Bringing the edge of the knife to her soft flesh, I slice a crisp line against her neck. Warm red blood drizzles and a slight sickness settles in my stomach, but I savor the rest.

  Chapter 6

  Before—Officer Elise Rodriguez

  The day before, Officer Elise Rodriguez had driven up and down Oak Street two times, moving her head slowly back and forth, trying to make sure no ground was left uncovered.

  She even got out of the car and walked through all the trees lining the street. There was nothing but trees, and there weren’t any freshly cut down ones like Perrie Madeline mentioned.

  Elise thought to herself repeatedly, maybe this girl was making the whole story up to hide something, but there was something about Perrie that made her believe she
was telling the truth.

  She had encountered countless desperate individuals who told their stories in the same way Perrie had sprouted out her emotions. Most of the time she didn’t believe them, but Perrie seemed different.

  One more time, Elise told herself when she woke from bed early that morning. She would get in the car and try going down Oak Street again to give herself peace of mind.

  Elise sipped her coffee, examining and flipping through her notes to try and link all the missing person’s cases together, but they all seemed random except for Maisie Jaser and Neven Lee. She still considered the young high school seniors may have run away together.

  Setting down her coffee, Elise gazed at the sheep sprawled across the mug as she continued to brainstorm. The phone rang, pulling her out of her reverie.

  Elise picked up her phone and didn’t recognize the number. “Officer Rodriguez speaking.”

  “Yes! Officer Rodriguez?” a male voice frantically asked. “My daughter is missing.”

  Another person missing? she thought as her shoulders slumped.

  “Slow down, sir. Did you go down to the police station and fill out a missing person’s report?”

  “I’m headed there right now, but my niece Maisie Jaser was reported missing already, and now my daughter Perrie Madeline is missing, and my sister gave me your number.” The man spoke so quickly that all his words were garbled and blended together.

  Hold on. Now Perrie is missing, too? “Are you sure, sir?”

  “Yes, I’m sure!” he cried.

  Something strange was going on beyond people going missing more rapidly. “Go to the police station, fill out a report, and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Okay.” Perrie’s father hung up before she could release another word.

  One more time, she thought again. Elise was already dressed in her police uniform. Strapping on her gun, she grabbed the rest of her things and hurried to her vehicle.

  She was going to figure out what was going on here, and her feelings about this museum were piecing together. She flew down street after street, reached Oak street, and hung a right.