I opened my eyes and saw darkness. My pantry-sized room, as they called it, greeted me in the midst of all the pain. In fact, it's a prison cell, because which bedroom has a lock on the outside?
No nightmares tonight. A pleasant change.
I heard footsteps coming. I don't even have a private space.
I learned a lot in one week.
Vampires "die" at dawn and wake up at or before sunset. During this time, we were defenseless. Sunlight kills us. The silver blade stung us deeply. Fire can turn us into torches faster than we can say "arson."
Our minds are easily distracted unless we are hunting. In return, our bodies are superior in every way and can heal even the most serious wounds if given enough time and nutrients.
We don't need to breathe, poison won't hurt us, and we won't drown. Only the destruction of the mind and heart will bring about some kind of end. This means that if one of the priests had given him blood, he might have survived.
Blood.
It is the red of the journey, the energy we need to expend to maintain our imitation of life and keep us energized. It cannot be stored. It must be consumed at the source, without it the predatory part of us takes over until it tastes the crimson nectar.
A vampire who has lost control sometimes cannot regain control. They must be hunted like wild beasts.
Hunger drives us. It taints every aspect of our lives. It can never be fully overcome, and it can never be truly satisfied. For newbies like me, it's a daily struggle to control it, and then another struggle not to fall into numbness after we drink it.
We have some tools for this. The vampire's saliva causes the person being bitten to feel extreme pleasure, then sutures the wound, making it disappear in record time. Those who have been bitten develop an unnatural loyalty to the vampire, albeit themselves.
Our eyes can cloud memories, although I'm sure it's more than I'm told.
So far I can't leave the building and every night a new human is brought to me. Use Jime
a method, I have been able to stop eating without letting Melusi
e hurt me too much. I could tell she was disappointed, and the death of the cow would be a good excuse for her to put me down.
The logistics of supporting eight vampires must be amazing.
This is usually how battle priests come to us. We have some unique features, like claws and pallor, but our fangs are usually hidden unless the thirsty grip is too strong.
We also don’t get reflected in mirrors, which I think is silly. All in all, it seems that the people who created us wanted us to infiltrate the human world. It must be difficult to hunt us down.
When I asked about the priest, Melusin became unusually tight-lipped and I had to drop the subject.
I heard a faint gasp. Joan worked up the courage to knock on my door. She didn't stay away from vampires like the servants did. There was a fire in her that they hadn't been able to extinguish. Melusine knows this, which is why I make her the first person I see in the morning. I mean, good evening.
If I drink her dry, Melusin will kill two birds with one stone. She's just so stingy.
So far I've got myself under control, but it's getting harder and harder. Melusi
e asked me to stop taking the medicine early. Every night I found my self-control getting worse and worse.
There's a knock on my door.
"Come in."
Politeness is a joke, we all know it, but I insist on any semblance of control and every bit of politeness to keep the cravings at bay.
"Mrs. Melusine invites your presence, Miss Ariana."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and she quickly left.
The breath of energy caressed my nostrils, and thirst pounded in my gut. I felt as if someone had ripped out my insides with a frozen axe. It's been a long time since anyone sucked Joan's blood. So it doesn’t hurt that I have a taste. Just give it a taste. Melusi
e can punish me later. I just need a sip. Just a few drops.
No. I can not.
When I woke up, my hand was on the doorknob and Joan was standing still with her back to the wood. She was silent, her eyes closed, her expression relaxed, but I could smell the fear in her sweat and hear the fear in her heartbeat.
She tried her best not to struggle because she knew that the smallest move would irritate me.
So close.
Very, very close.
Finger by finger, I released my hand and opened the door for her. As soon as I turned around, she was gone.
That was the latest call, but I should have gone after her and tackled her to the ground! And then—
No.
I will not.
I mechanically changed my clothes and came to Melusin's office. She was having a deep conversation with a richly dressed and attractive looking man. He didn't know what he was facing. I could tell by his flushed face and the smell of his arousal. and like Melusi
He was excited to be alone with a woman like this. His mind has not yet been tainted by one of us.
prey.
Melusi
e toyed with us with a long introduction. His initial frustration at being interrupted turned into pure lust at the sight of two beauties.
I can only imagine what a lewd picture his twisted mind must have painted. How many more insults do I have to endure before it's over? I've only been here a week; a week spent constantly battling my own and Melusine's little humiliations.
Finally, I got a chance to hug him under some ridiculous excuse. I wrapped my hands around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck.
I'm in the cabin.
One lick, one bite.
at last.
I took a couple more sips instead of enduring the pain of that bitch's claws on my neck. She drew blood.
After I was done, she carried him to some unknown place while I tried to wipe the memory of his manhood off my belly. I wish cotton pants would become popular.
With a knock on the door, two other vampires join us, Melusi
e continues her "lesson".
What happened next made my predicament almost unbearable. I have been stripped of my humanity and now the Princess of Lancaster wants my sanity too.
Her teachings are a tragedy of four people in two acts. First, she would demonstrate her knowledge of a particular topic, such as the superiority of Lancastrian philosophy, and display as much arrogance and mockery as possible.
When she did, my classmates, Silly Charlotte and Silly Sophie, would gush over Melusine's intelligence and overall superiority.
Praise must be properly stacked, and each day the princess will choose a different favorite who will receive her kindness, while the other two accumulate harsh criticism and disparaging comments.
Suffice it to say, I only participated to the extent of impunity.
After a while, she would test our understanding with tricky questions. She has a way of inserting snarky comments and casual humiliations into every sentence with the goal of mortifying the rest of us.
She expertly divided and conquered us, constantly pulling our team down but encouraging enough to foster a nasty form of competition. She was helpful and helpful and she did her best to keep us on our toes.
I can only grit my teeth. Her numerous slights to me were not insulting to me, but more that she thought she was smart. She was only able to do so because my two companions were as intelligent as a withered turnip between them.
I don't know who turned these two brainless idiots into night monsters. I think they should stab themselves in the groin.
"So due to the difficulty of creating spawns, our numbers are limited. Dear Ariana, can you tell me why?"
"Only a master can create a monster, and it takes an average of a century to become a monster. The process itself is also laborious and will debilitate the master for years."
"I'm sure you'll be Master soon, Mistress, I feel your presence already," Charlotte gushed to the sow.
"Well! Sometimes I can't tell whether it's you passing by or Mrs. Moore!"
If the War Priests broke in right now and set us all on fire, I'm sure I'd let them do it, and be grateful.
"Of course, we Lancastrians always pick the best stocks."
How could she say such a thing with a straight face?
I saw the malicious glint in Melusine's eyes and knew I should nod along with the two lackeys. I have to put up with her for a while longer before she changes her goals.
"Yes, we have a responsibility to share the blessings of our good upbringing with those of other bloods, don't you, Ariana?"
"Of course, the hostess and I will be forever grateful for your presence. I consider myself lucky to have been taught by you."
I could feel eyes glaring at me because I was clearly above those two fools in rank.
"Indeed, you will definitely feel grateful for receiving such a favor, right?"
I nodded in agreement. I don't like the direction things are going, but I have to play along. Whatever Melusine asked me to do, I was forced to do it. My only hope is that she loses interest in causing trouble for others.
"Due to the tragic betrayal of ungrateful barbarians, we are in desperate need of help in running this city. Surely you will agree to help us?"
I freeze. With no heartbeat and no need to breathe, we vampires can achieve a state of perfect stillness, as I'm demonstrating now.
I definitely needed to show a little fear and give in. If she guessed the truth she might withdraw the offer and watch me suffer.
I gulped in mock nervousness, winced, and gave her a nervous smile.
"Of course, Miss Melusine, I will be happy to repay your kindness."
I beg you, accept this lie. I would do anything to get away from this tea party drama, even if it was just for a few days. I want to shovel horse manure truck by truck. I want to crawl in the mud and catch frogs with my bare hands. Please, let me go.
Three cruel smiles told me that my little facade was successful.
"Then I will start a separate class tomorrow to prepare for you!" After all, we don't want your poor performance to shame your benefactor. "
For the next hour, I could barely contain my excitement. I forced myself to show appropriate concern and act more submissive than usual.
at last.
I might be able to get out.
broken
I woke up to whispers.
Cows are strange animals. They are unusually obedient and loyal, but their other flaws feel even more serious. They backstab, plot, and slander to win the favor of creatures who will never see them as a source of blood and a bedwarmer.
However, they also have their uses.
After a week of doing nothing, they began to treat me with indifference.
They didn't seek my help because of my outsider status and rumors about my ancestry, and my unresponsiveness meant they lowered their guard around me.
So I gathered quite a bit of information.
Most of it makes me sick.
The Lancaster vampires are a bunch of mean, vicious, promiscuous people. Everyone has their own shortcomings, twisted desires and bad habits. They are all abominations, each in his own way.
Melusi
e likes to break up couples. She would stalk them for days, seduce their fiancées, and then arrange a public confrontation. The more violent the breakup, the better for her.
Lambert is a compulsive liar who preys on young and ambitious businessmen. He will deceive them and cause them to perish. Only in the moments when they fell did he show something more aloof than usual.
Charlotte is a violent bully with an inferiority complex. She loves to sabotage servants, I believe she used to be one.
Sophie has only the wit of a boiled potato and half the charm. She did not act too cruel because she lacked the cunning to do so. Of course, this could be an act and I never let my guard down around her.
The Weasel Man takes orders from Wilburn, a serial rapist. It was only his fear of Melusine that kept me from his attention. I guess he did something to her and she made the lesson that followed unforgettable.
The burly, balding man was called Harold, and he was very quarrelsome. Every slight against him eventually turned into corporal punishment, and no amount of pleading and promises could change his belief that everyone was insulting him behind his back.
If their continued existence doesn't prove that God has abandoned the world, I don't know what will.
"My name is Ariana and I am my own person. I want to live, escape, and go home."
I repeat these words every evening in those brief moments of peace before hunger and thirst turn me into a demon disguised as a human.
I said it in Akkadian, the language of vampires. I was surprised to find other people learning it too. I don't know how this knowledge crossed my mind, and I'd rather not ask.
Soon after Joan knocked on my door, thirsty. This time, I didn't invite her in. Instead, I dismissed her quickly. I put on one of my four outfits and walked out.
All my clothes looked worn out and dated, but they were functional. I looked like the daughter of a troubled family, all to satisfy the image of the world that existed in Mel Lucin's twisted mind.
They're not even comfortable, especially on my, well...
They are too tight.
Charlotte's round shape blocked the passage.
"Yeah?"
"Mrs. Melusine has asked you to come to the training room. It's time to make yourself useful, tramp. You can't keep living off our generosity."
"The House of Lancaster certainly welcomes those of lower birth into the fold. It's a shame that some of us will never rise above their former station," I replied.
Her fat chin quivered angrily at my rebuke. Ah, but her master must have liked Rubensian women, and was short-sighted and deaf. Maybe he lives in some remote corner of Finland and she's the only woman there for a month. I can't think of any other explanation.
She didn't pull away, her scowl turning into a smirk, and I braced myself for another stupid idea to come to her confused mind.
"The mistress will teach you how to fight. Perhaps a lecture will force you to learn some manners."
"Maybe I need a partner to practice with?" I sneered.
My smile.
I'm thirsty and this stupid sow is blocking my way. Show her the fangs. Remind her of what my vampire siblings are famous for.
She shrank back as I walked past her.
I may be weak, like all fledglings, but she is weaker. She is the dregs at the bottom of the barrel. I'm going to let every encounter crush her ego until she learns to stay away from me.
The Lancaster training room is on the first floor. Even if there is a basement, I have never seen it. Melusin is waiting. She was wearing a strange outfit, a cross between traveling clothes and armor. She also holds a sword. Sophie was already sitting next to me, and Charlotte came in right after me.
There are no humans.
This is not very auspicious. If Melusine invited an audience, that meant she wanted to humiliate me. She gave me a training sword and showed me the proper handling and some basic moves, while the two clumsy guys fawned over her "grace and elegance."
Still no one.
I'm so thirsty.
I turned my attention back to the little princess. Watching her reminded me of Jimena's comments about the Lancastrians. She mentions their lack of strength on the battlefield, which I can tell by comparing the two women, is accurate.
Melusine may have had formal training, but she was no master. Her movements were too mechanical. She lacked the fatal grace and seamless ease of the Cadiz squire. Every demonstration Ximena gave was natural and effortless.
After a while she ordered me to imitate her gestures and I tried my best to learn them. It was the most constructive activity I have participated in since arriving in this den of depravity. No amount of thinly veiled insults could ruin my fun.
This physical activity even distracts me from my thirst. Since I don't talk or think, life is simple. I rush, I cut, I move. I let my body and inner demons guide me. It already knows how to do it. I just have to listen and follow.
"Well, your posture is still awkward, but I guess I shouldn't expect too much from someone like you."
It seemed that my enjoyment was too obvious.
"Now we start with a bare rod. This is the most important lesson of the day!"
It’s time to accept the inevitable humiliation. I just want it to be brief and not too painful. Melusin recovered a strangely carved glove. I thought, it would look nice to wear at a ball, but the amount of metal it uses makes it look like a knight's gauntlet.
"Now, attack me," she said confidently.
Should I drive faster? That would make me thirstier.
In the end, my pride wouldn't let me give up and let her win easily. my move.
When I reached her, she raised her gloved hand and spoke quietly.
"explode".
I ducked to the left. Something hit me in the waist and legs. I was let fly and spun.
how?
I hit the weapons rack. The steel beam hit my body and I fell to the ground.
My head was spinning and pain clouded my mind.
"Aaa level!"
This breaks my heart. Why do you need to fight this? You can’t consume it. too strong. Door. out. prey.
That's why no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to top me, Ariana. You come from an ordinary background. You were never a warrior. You're just a decent farmer at best. I come from a noble family of wizards and was conceived by Lady Lancaster herself. No amount of time and personal effort can bridge this gap. The sooner you accept this fact, the better. "
"...Mage?"
"Yes, a mage. You are still an ignorant little thing, but don't worry. I will let you witness my ascension, as long as you remember your place."
I need manna now. Need it, need it, need it.
The red-haired woman saw something in my face and grabbed me by the neck. She took me out. This time I won't resist. She was taking me to bleed. I know.
We found a woman with dark hair. cute. The taste of horror. she knows. My smile. tears. beauty.
Wait, no, need to remember.
cabin.
Maybe not this time? Maybe this time I can let myself go?
Joan.
No, this is a scam. That redhead woman hurt me.
I'm sitting in the cabin. Outside, the wind rustled the sugar cane, carrying the smell of wet earth. I'm safe. This is a great place. My name is Ariana. Melusi
e is a prodigal.
Something was banging. The pace is too fast, and
I pulled the wound out and licked it clean. Joan was unconscious and pale, but it looked like I stopped in time.
I won't satisfy that whore. If I kill a cow, it is because of my decision.
Finally "Ah. Your self-control seems to have improved under my guidance! Even the descendants of Devourers can make a difference if they have a stern hand to guide them."
It occurred to me that her whole family's freak farce was so twisted that she might be serious. In a few decades, I'll try to revisit this while skinning her alive with a rusty letter opener.
"Now you can finally repay our kindness."
Ah yes, I should be grateful for their precious gift. They call it a gorgeous wardrobe for the bedroom and my four outfits.
I followed Melusine to the entrance. Apparently, 20 minutes of training would make me qualified for the role of a soldier. I spent so long listening to Dad until he allowed me to get an unloaded pistol.
I was distracted. I wonder how my family is doing. They must have thought I was dead. I remember waking up in the hospital that first night
I was in too much pain to remember anything. I think my father was there too. Then the man dragged me out of the room and to the basement. I died there on the third night. I push unwanted memories away.
If they see me again, they'll know. The loss is too great. I will carry these scars for the rest of my life.
Should I try it?
I must. I want closure. I have to say goodbye to my past self. Hopes and plans to bury human Ariana. sad.
We reached the lobby and turned left, which I knew was Beaudoin's office. I know he's human, but he's not a cow. I smell Mrs. Moore on him.
"You are to assist Bodoin as he sees fit. I am a busy woman, and while you run errands for him, I will get back to doing more meaningful things."
She turned and left.
curious.
I knocked on the door and a bored voice asked me to come in. I closed the door behind me and caught Beaudoin staring at my ass as I turned around. I hissed softly, which was enough to remind him that I wasn't playing.
"Really? What do you want from old Bodoan?"
He had a strange accent, and even though I'd heard Acadians and Choctaws speak English, I couldn't put my finger on it.
"I'm here to assist you."
"I don't need the help of a newbie who's less than a year old!" It takes a deft hand. Mrs. More herself said I could use Melusine for the task. "
I would add laziness to Melusin's long list of shortcomings.
"She did say she didn't want to run errands for you."
"Really?" Well, you ask her to come back so that I don't tell Madam, okay?"
"Of course, Baudouin, I will convey your message."
"No, wait," he said as my hand grasped the handle. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Baudouin's office revealed a lot about himself.
I was impressed by the organized stacks, neatness and emphasis on function over form. Under his appearance, he is a perverted and abnormal robber. In fact, he is a perverted and abnormal businessman.
That's even more dangerous.
"Maybe you will."
I can understand the pain of forcing a little princess to do anything meaningful.
"What do you need?" I asked him.
The man leaned back in a comfortable chair.
"A young gangster named Andre Velleman had the audacity to take over one of our warehouses. Yesterday he and his gang broke in and set up camp among our boxes of fine china."
Baudoin waited to see my reaction. I motioned for him to continue. If he needed Melusin, that meant solving the problem with a scalpel, not a hammer.
"Normally, I would just let the boys sit on it and be done with it. Unfortunately, Wellman is the son of two important people, and killing him would destroy our working relationship."
"I suppose they can't keep him under control?"
"Unfortunately, Velleman is at an age when he rebels against authority. Because of his ancestry, he considers himself untouchable and flaunts his status to anyone who will listen. To make matters worse, he attracts a group of Kids from good families, any massacre could impact our bottom line for years to come."
"Do you need someone to convince them to leave without resorting to violence?"
"At least there won't be too much violence. He gets angry easily, and your fellow immortals tend to be rough. I need to be careful. I also need to give a clear warning. We can't be stepped on at all. So I can't bribe him."
"It's a delicate balance."
"Now you know why old Baudouin is troubled, girl. What can an artist like me do without a suitable agent to carry out my will?"
I scoffed.
"I'm willing to try, but I need some quid pro quo."
The cunning negotiator's eyes suddenly turned cold.
"what is that?"
"Just general questions about the world. Even though I've learned a lot, I still have a lot to learn."
"The materials Melusine chose are not to your taste? Let me guess, you know all about the noble history of the Lancastrian family?"
“Since the War of the Two Roses, decade after decade.”
He smiled softly.
"Very well, as long as it's not too serious. You're not going to provoke old Baudouin now, are you?"
"of course not."
My smile. He swallowed nervously.
I believe I will never tire of the effect these eight fangs have on people.
"Before we leave, there is a small safety concern. I'm sure you'll understand."
I immediately became alert.
"I want you to wear this when we go out."
He stood up and walked over to a safe. After a while, he took out a pair of ornately decorated bracelets from the box. Looks like jewelry worn by gypsies. All gold and bright colors.
"What's up?"
"A tracker, linked to Mrs. Moore herself."
"magic?"
"Yes. If you dare do anything to harm me or the tribe, she can track you down and incapacitate you. It also means our reputation. Don't even think about taking it away. People better than you have failed ."
I weighed my desire to get out of this filthy cave against my unwillingness to be chained like a dog. Ultimately, I chose sanity over dignity. Besides, if it ever came to that, I might be able to chop my arm off and reattach it later.
I'm so desperate.
The bracelet is cold against my skin, and I can feel something lurking in the patterns of gold and stone that decorate it.
"Then let's go."
