Chapter 3 3
He showed his fangs and I gasped, swallowing hard.
Vampire.
The rumors weren't fake. They were actual vampires, the monsters that haunted my dreams. I stared at him, unable to speak, until my stomach growled loudly, shattering the heavy silence.
“You must be starving,” he said with chilling indifference. “Set the table for the mortal and for me.”
With a flick of his index finger, a fleet of staff rushed to obey. They were dressed exactly like the woman he had just set ablaze. As he moved, I trailed after him across the plush red carpet. He took long, powerful, elegant strides; he wasn't walking fast, yet I found myself hurrying just to keep up.
We stopped before a massive, exquisite dining room. It held an absolute banquet filled with steaks, rich soups, and baked macaroni. They were foods I absolutely loved, and the aroma made my mouth water.
“Have a seat, ma'am,” a servant said, pulling out a chair.
I hesitated. Was I about to dine with the devil, only to become the dessert when I was done?
“Sit down, Rivera,” Dracleon commanded.
Hearing him say my name made me shiver as a bizarre shockwave pulsed through my body. His command felt physically impossible to refuse, and I found myself dropping into the chair.
The servant began serving me. Unbelievably, it was all of my favorites. It sent a chill down my spine because I had incredibly peculiar tastes, yet every single one of them was laid out on the table.
“Are you really keeping the human?” Zavier asked, glaring at me with pure hatred.
I returned his gaze with equal intensity. He had kidnapped me, and now he was angry that I was being kept alive?
“Are you questioning my decision, Zavier?” Dracleon’s voice cut like ice. He didn't even look up; his hands were focused on slicing into a piece of bloody, raw meat on his plate. Was that supposed to be steak?
“No, My Lord.” Zavier bowed deeply, then turned to me with a flashing smile that didn't reach his eyes. “I apologize, My Lady. I am Zavier, Knight and Protector of Salvari. You have beautiful eyes... and you smell delicious.”
The playful danger in his eyes made me freeze. Delicious? My perfume had a sweet scent, but I knew that wasn't what he meant. He cocked his head, expecting a response, but I only stared blankly back.
“Oh well. I will find out your name eventually.”
I couldn't swallow a single bite. I just stared at the food, completely unsure if it was safe to eat. Having just witnessed a girl being drained of all her blood, this felt entirely too much like a final supper before the slaughter.
“Billie, take Rivera to get cleaned up,” Dracleon’s deep voice shattered the silence. “And get the royal seamstress to take her measurements.”
As always, his voice carried absolute finality.
“Rivera,” I heard Zavier whisper under his breath.
A woman a few years older than me stepped forward. She had dark hair streaked with vivid midnight blue, and dull, silver-gray eyes.
“Let's go, miss,” she said.
I stood up immediately, offering no argument. I didn't want to be in their presence for a second longer. They terrified me, and even if I had protested, I knew it would be futile.
“We should be feasting on her, not keeping her as a pet, My Lord,” Zavier snapped in defiance behind us.
“She is my pet,” Dracleon countered smoothly, “and I do what I want with what belongs to me.”
Pet. The demeaning word made my stomach twist with disgust and dread. I couldn't hear Zavier's response as Billie led me further down the luxurious, velvet-and-gold decorated hallway.
Billie led me further down the luxurious, gold and red decorated hallway back to the room where I’d been held. Seeing the chains on the bed, I instantly recalled the woman who had tried to help me earlier—the one who had been turned to ash.
The bedroom itself was a massive sanctuary of quiet elegance, featuring soft ivory curtains, sheer silks, and fresh blush roses. It looked feminine and regal, a stark contrast to the cold, aristocratic luxury of the rest of the estate.
“It looks like something from a dream,” I couldn't help but whisper.
Billie didn't respond, following me tightly into the bathroom.
“I can shower on my own,” I told her.
“I have orders to assist you that I cannot disobey,” her voice was as sharp as a soldier's. There was no changing her mind.
She helped me freshen up, executing Dracleon’s orders to the letter. She washed my hair and scrubbed my back in a bathroom bathed in candlelight and red roses. For a moment, the ultimate luxury made me forget the danger—until Billie suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Are you okay?” I asked, stepping closer out of genuine concern.
She nodded frantically, refusing to remove her hand. I took another step to check on her, and she suddenly snapped.
“Stop!” she exclaimed.
Her hand dropped away, revealing elongated, razor-sharp fangs gleaming in the light.
Terror struck me like lightning. I bolted back into the bedroom, my heart hammering against my ribs. I had let my guard down. I had forgotten what I actually was to their kind.
Food.
A few minutes later, a styling team rushed in with racks of revealing designer gowns in heavy, dark colors—crimson, midnight blue, obsidian black, and forest green.
I wrapped my plush white robe tighter around myself. “I don't fancy dark colors,” I protested. “Or revealing dresses.”
“That is the dress code here, ma'am,” Billie said, her fangs now hidden.
My mother had once told me that dark colors made my beauty stand out more. That memory should have made me adore them, but instead, it made me avoid them entirely.
“It would absolutely complement your skin, ma'am,” one of the tailors tried to persuade me, but I shook my head firmly.
Sensing my stubbornness, Billie dismissed the team. She stepped outside for a moment and returned with a selection of plain tops and trousers that closely matched my usual style.
A small smile broke across my face. Even though they weren't fancy gowns, I could tell by the weight of the fabric that these clothes were wildly expensive. Just a few of these pieces were worth enough to pay off my mother’s medical bills.
My heart sank heavily at the thought of her. How am I supposed to help her while trapped in this place? Without me, she was going to die, and I was stuck in the clutches of murderous vampires.
I needed to find a way to save her. I needed to escape.
