As the Vampire Realm prepares for battle against a mysterious enemy, the city's captiol is thrown into mayhem once the lost Princess returns to reclaim her throne. There's just one small problem, the Princess is human.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Her words hit me like a breath of fresh air. I know she wants to get rid of the hopeless toxins that weave around my lungs. The weight of a reality I wasn't expecting threatens to choke the life out of me.
I can't reflect for long because a set of footsteps slap against metal steps, jolting everyone awake.
The iron doors of the holding room are shoved open. The men and the sobbing woman sit up straighter, they recognise a predator has just arrived. Across from me, the woman watches the sight with concealed amusement.
Leila saunters in with a devilish grin on her face, with Horace hot on her heels. As she crosses the threshold she lets go of the iron doors, letting them fall back into place. Horace realises this a second too late, as they go flying at his face.
"Ah!" He groans pinching the bridge of his nose. "You fucking moron." His voice comes out squeezed and strained.
Leila taps her fingers against one another.
"Alright then, Lord Octavius has had to depart early from this business trade, for personal reasons. So, that means I'm in charge." A giggle leaves her lips.
Black kohl outlines her eyes as she surveys the conditions of the stolen humans. Then her gaze lands on me. When she speaks, I can't tell if she's solely addressing me, or the entire room.
"We'll be docking in just a few moments. Your respective buyers are on their way. Don't waste my time or your life by trying something stupid. After the human trades are completed, I'll personally see to it that those not sold make it to the labour camps."
"Octavius said we were both in charge." Horace corrects Leila, but she's already turned on her heel, departing the way she came. Horace is still clutching his nose as he follows behind her. The metal door whines as they leave and stomp their way back upstairs.
All is quiet for a moment.
"Jesus Christ," the sobbing woman says while turning from the wall. Her eyes are swollen and red from tears, but it's her hands that surprise me. Somehow, she was able to cut the wiring that binds her hands together. Now, she pulls at the bondage, like she's testing its durability. "That took much longer then expected." She laughs while massaging her wrists.
I'm at a loss for words, did she try to appear afraid, and frail on purpose? Were her shaking sobs just a distraction to hide the fact that she had been working on freeing her bonds?
She catches me staring at her, and winks.
"Tip for ya rookie, emotions make them uncomfortable. Besides these days no one ever comes near a blubbering woman." She stands up and stretches her body like a jungle cat, which is a contoured mass of muscular physique.
The fluorescent light drifts over her keen grey eyes. She fluidly walks to the woman across from me and in one easy stroke, cuts at the ties that bind her hands together, with a broken fragment of metal.
I look at where the grey eyed woman was sitting, and sure enough in the wall there's a broken cavity, crusted with her blood. I think of the strength she must possess, to break metal and endure the pain with nothing more then a few sobs.
She helps the other woman up and the two embrace. They mesh well together, like they've been crafted for one another. I look away shyly, as if I'm intruding on a private moment of theirs.
The man who called me a demon is looking at them with contempt, like he's witnessing a vile act. For some reason it unnerves me, I feel protective of the love the two share. They've managed to find each other despite the dreadful conditions of this life.
The two women pull apart from one another, and I'm surprised when they begin to free the rest of the captives. Even the man with the hateful eyes.
I'm the last one they free and after they do, they slink into a corner and whisper in hushed voices, ever so often they glance back at me. The woman who told me to find hope seems to be demanding something of the grey eyed one, who looks unsure. Finally, they both reach an agreement.
I'm approached by both of them, and they lean close.
"Have you got a clan, in the city?" The brunette asks me.
I don't know what she's referring to but I shake my head, "I don't know anyone here, I've lived all my life on that island."
"A clan, is a group of Vampires from the same bloodline, they travel in a pack for all of eternity, sworn in an allegiance. However, in our case a clan is a group of Humans, not all blood related but family no less." The grey eyed one speaks rapidly, as she turns to glance at the door a few times.
"Do you want to go to the labour camps?" The brunette asks me. She knows my answer already to that, but she still asks me.
"No, I don't." I say truthfully, and feel that something is about to take place. Something that is about to determine the course of my fate.
"Good," the grey eyed one nods, "then you'll be a part of ours." Her aura is that of a captain and I'm blinking in surprise.
"Don't scare her into it Josie," the other chastises her.
Josie looks around embarrassed, a slight flush on her face. "Vye, I told you not to call me that in public."
Vye ignores Josie and looks at me with soft brown eyes. "Would you like to be a member of our clan?"
I part my lips, so desperately do I want to scream out yes! I want nothing more then to be part of a family and find out what else has changed in the world. I have no doubt in my mind that people like Josie and Vye are rare to come across, genuine people that want to help. So, I just nod vigorously, as tears pool in my eyes.
This is the hope I will hold onto, that there is still some good left in the world waiting to be found.
Vye smiles at me, like she can sense my unspoken emotion.
They pull me to my feet and I wrap my arms around both of them. A sign of my gratitude.
There's a thud from above, the sound of Horace screaming as Leila's boots thud across the deck.
Vye grins and rolls her head as if she's loosening her muscles. "Ah, perfect timing. That'll be the others. Come on, we'll introduce you after we tie those two idiots up."
