What is Taking So Long?

Why wasn't August back yet? Had she been caught? No, if she had been caught he would have brought her back here, surely.

Penelope was pacing the dark room where August had left her. She felt like a caged animal. Not only that, she had only drank a little juice that was brought in and she was feeling faint. Was it the juice? Had he put something in it? Or maybe it was simply because she was going out of her mind with worry.

August was their best hope of stopping this monster who had been kidnapping and imprisoning alyko for decades. If something happened to her and Penelope was stuck here… not only would they have failed to kill him, but Penelope would be stuck here indefinitely. She couldn't imagine a hell worse. Pacing the confines of a small room with nothing to live for. No hope for tomorrow. Just awaiting the next meal or the next alyko trick that the vampire wanted her to perform. No, she would starve herself to death before she let that happen.