Thick As Blood [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

“Come on, Celeste, I don’t want to go alone!”


The auburn haired woman looked up from her book, green eyes narrowing on the woman who was in front of her. “I’ll take you out for coffee tomorrow,” it was a bribe that usually worked.


“I have a paper due on Monday,” and it was Friday.


The black-haired woman put one hand on her hip, “Girl, I know you won’t even start writing until Sunday, and you’ll be done by 5pm. All twenty pages.”


A smirk came to her lips at the confidence her friend had, even if it was false. She’d start on Saturday. She wanted this evening to do the research she would do Saturday. Such was the life of a graduate sudent, though. Both she and her friend were in the same boat, only her friend required stress-relief. Janelle had been working on the paper since Monday. They both studied Anthropology, and were in the Introduction to Graduate Studies course for the program together. “You know I don’t like these places.” But she was closing her book.


“I heard Lord Silver Fox was going to be there,” she spoke devilishly and the grin on her face widened as the woman blushed. Lord Silver Fox was the nickname of another GTA who happened to be a fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series—somehow that made him a ‘Lord’.


“Fine. You still owe me coffee.”


Celeste wouldn’t get that coffee, though. They arrived at the downtown bar, one of the more relaxed one, and mingled with others in their department. Lord Silver Fox, more properly known as Joshua, was there and provided his sage wisdom on papers, before it devolved into complaints of undergraduates and the upcoming Christmas holidays. As the night went on, the group got smaller and smaller. Joshua, Celeste, and Janelle were the last three standing.


“I’m gonna head out for a smoke, and then I’m probably going to head home,” Joshua informed them.


“I’ll join you,” Celeste didn’t smoke, but more time with the Lord was always good. Janelle, grudgingly, joined them out in the cold, until Joshua finished his one and left them. Janelle headed back in to use the restroom, while Celeste opted to wait outside.


“…damn quota or we’ll be fired,” a passerby was muttering to another, before he paused. No breath escaped him to freeze in the air when he spoke to her, “Hello there. This place still open?”


“Yeah,” having overheard a bit, “Need a drink to relax?”


He chuckled at a joke she wasn’t yet in on, “Something like that. Friend of mine is arranging for quite the party and I’ve been scouting the area.” The other one with him did just that, taking a glance around the streets. “Go see if it’d be up to par, eh?” Said scouting friend was nudged and he walked forward. Celeste glanced over to watch him go to the door, only for her attention to be snatched by the stranger, “Do you come here often?”


“More often than I’d like.”


“Not your thing, eh?”


She shook her head, “Not really,” well, a bit of a lie. The place wasn’t bad. It wasn’t some sort of club bar. She just didn’t like the idea of it.


“I’m partial to night clubs myself,” at her wrinkled nose, he laughed, “What? Not that, either?”


“Well, I’ve never actually been to one, but I—” the rest was muffled by a cloth with a scent she wasn’t familiar with, but had watched enough television to guess. She fought immediately, nails digging into the cloth around the stranger’s arm, and a leg kicking back. If there was one good thing about heels, it was that they were pointy. There was something of a yelp from the man at the connection, before all fighting ceased and the world spun into blackness.


~***~


Janelle walked out only a couple of minutes later to find a crushed cell phone, and no friend. She panicked and ran back inside, to hear the bartender tell her that Celeste had fainted, and two men took her to the hospital. Apparently, that wasn’t unusual.


Janelle rushed to the only hospital in town, but her friend hadn’t been checked in. No one had been brought in for alcohol poisoning that night. “Shoot!” Janelle at least had one number that was useful to her then.


Gael Lambert, the younger brother of Celeste and military medic, completing his undergrad in philosophy of all things. He had endeared himself to Janelle when they met, enough so that she considered him a friend in his own right, and not just because he was a sibling of Celeste. “It’s 1 fucking am.” Also with the mouth of a sailor when annoyed.


“Your sister is missing.”


“What?” Tired.


“Your sister. We were out at the bar, Marquis, and she went missing. I found her cell phone crushed outside the door.”


In his own apartment, the young man sat up and brushed stray strands of brown hair out of his face. “The bartender told me two guys took her to the hospital, but she’s not here!” Janelle’s voice was rising with panic and fear.


Gael felt it, too, though he tried to numb it so that he would think rationally. “Okay, okay, stay there, I’m going to get dressed and I’ll come meet you there. We’ll figure this out. Okay?”


“Okay,” Janelle answered.


“Okay. See you soon.” And with that, Gael hung up the phone and pulled himself out of bed. He dialed his sister’s number, but it went right to voicemail. ‘Damn it.’ So he found a pair of jeans and a black sweater, which he promptly covered with his blue coat. He pulled his boots on, and walked out into the blistering cold to find his truck in the apartment’s parking lot. He hopped right into it, and tooled on down the road to the hospital.


It was nice that he ended up at the same college as his sister.


He found a spot in the parking garage and called Janelle back to find out where, exactly, she was, and then told her how to find him.


It didn’t take her long, “We’re gonna go check out the bar, and the area around. She might have wandered into another.” It wasn’t like her, but that was what he was hoping for. It’d be better if it was someone else who was taken by the two strangers.


He could see his sister dropping her phone and forgetting it. She forgot her purse in random locations, after all.


Janelle hopped into the passenger’s side of the truck, and Gael took off to return to the downtown area to begin the hunt.


If all else failed, he’d have to talk to the bartender to get a look at the cameras. He’d figure out what happened, one way or another.

 

[Luxii]

Nicole's alarm was always set to go off at midnight. It was a little earlier than everyone else in the coven usually awoke, which gave her free roam of the house for the most part. She enjoyed the quiet time to herself, it was something that was hard to come by since there were so many of her "brothers" and "sisters" living together. At last count there were a least 15 others residing here, but Nicole only really cared for a handful of them to be honest.


She padded over to the lone window in her room, peeling back the blackout curtains to peer outside; the moonlight cast her alabaster complexion into strange shadows, deepening the dark circles under her eyes. The house, well mansion really, overlooked a local college town. Rumor had it that the mansion was haunted, which kept most of the students away. Since it was a Friday night, the town was just coming to life. Many of the humans were blowing off steam and relieving all their academic stresses from the week by patronizing many of the bars and clubs in the area. It was perfect feeding time.


Nicole had been a graduate student in this town 50 years ago before she had been... changed. Her sire - Alexis - got off on making pretty college girls forever young and beautiful, forever his. The bond between a fledging vampire and her sire was one of the most powerful unions in the world; Nicole hated it.


After stepping away from the window, she rummaged through her dresser drawers for something to wear. Her style was pretty plain, compared to most of her brothers and sisters who bought into the whole vampire stereotype: decking themselves out in black and leather. Jeans and a worn t-shirt worked just fine for Nicole; it reminded her of what it was like to be human. She dressed quickly, pulling the jeans up and over her hips, the t-shirt draped easily over her head. It's neckline was wide, dipping low over her left shoulder so that it's creamy expanse was exposed. Nothing ever had to be done with her hair; it was so blonde it was almost white and Nicole kept it cropped short in a pixie style. Even after rolling out of bed, she only had to run her fingers through it a few times before she deemed it presentable. The last step in her routine was always to line her eyes with kohl and apply mascara. With her porcelain skin, white hair and pale, pale blue eyes, she always felt too monochromatic.


There was a knock at her door. "Nikki? I know you're awake."


Dammit. It was Alexis. He usually wasn't up for another hour or so. He let himself into Nicole's room without waiting for a reply, as he usually did. Her sire was a stark contrast to Nicole in everyway. Dark, wavy hair curled over his forehead roguishly. His eyes were like pools of deep amber and they were currently sparkling mischeviously. "You're up so early, my dear. If I didn't know any better, I would say you were avoiding me."


"You'd be right," she muttered. "I'm going out."


Alexis blocked her doorway with his whole body, denying her exit. "That's no way to treat me, darling." He reached a hand up and under her chin, pinching firmly. He was hundreds of years older than Nicole, thought it appeared he was only in his early 30s when he was changed, and thus much more powerful. He could've broken her neck with a flick up his wrist. She had seen him do it to others before. He studied her for a moment before releasing his grip. "I wish you would feed more often. It's not good for you to wait so long between feedings."


You could always tell when a vampire needed to feed by how dark the circles were under their eyes. Nicole's were almost purple-y black. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going now, aren't I?"


Alexis' lips parted into a smile, the edges of his fangs peeked over his full bottom lip, and he stepped to the side. "Enjoy yourself, little one," he called after her. Her skin crawled.


She would find some poor unsuspecting students and hopefully sait her thirst quickly. She never killed anyone she fed from, preferring instead to feed in small amounts from a few than to drain one entirely. A vampire's unearthly charisma would allow them to mind-wipe weaker humans; they wouldn't remember a thing afterwards. It would be a 15 minute walk into the outskirts of the city, probably another 10 or 15 before she would find a mark.



​

 

[Lucyfer]

Memory faded in and out before Celeste was able to take a firm hold of it. When she did, the ground had stopped moving beneath her. No longer was she in car, but in some sort of cement cell. It took a few seconds to even assess that much, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. ‘Well, at least I get a cot. Or something.’ Celeste didn’t sit up immediately, but tried to surmise her surroundings before giving away that she was awake.


There were sounds of others. People walking. Someone was shouting profanities, demanding answers, demanding to be released. Someone else was sobbing.


“WHERE THE FUCK AM I? YOU CAN’T KEEP ME HERE! I WANT TO SEE MY LAWYER!” Such were the shouts of what sounded like an irate woman.


Curiously, the one sobbing sounded masculine. Someone who had perhaps snapped already, laughed, and answered, “There’s no answers here. We’re here till we die.”


‘How long have I been out?’ She shifted a little, tried to feel for her phone, but the pockets of her jacket were empty. She doubted her purse was within the area, not that it would have helped. She only had the one phone.


No idea how long she’d been out, then.


No way to reach anyone, either. ‘Strategize.’


Celeste sat up and looked out the bars, which ran horizontal and vertical. No squeezing out. No window. There were lights outside the cell, but no lights within any cell. She could see the outline of other people within them. ‘Wait.’ Patience was a virtue. Patience would bring answers.


Soon enough, it did. The irate woman was answered by being pulled out of the cell by her hair and locked into shackles, to the cry of, “No lawyer is going to help a slave!” by the man handling her. Celeste ran a hand back through her own auburn hair in worry. It wasn’t exactly short. It fell to the middle of her back, and shared her brother’s wavy style.


Eventually, Celeste’s own door was opened. “You gonna come easy?”


‘For now.’ Celeste rose without speaking. She offered her hands out, imagining movement would get her closer to freedom than staying in this cell would. As soon as she saw an easy way out, though, she was going to take it.


~***~


Janelle and Gael entered the bar before last call, but not much before. Gael walked right up to the counter, “Kenny, where’s my sister?” Gael was well known enough by his appearance, the waved, short hair. It was something about his face that seemed to cause his face to stick in people’s minds, with the pale green eyes and sharp features.


“I told Janelle, she’s—”


“No,” Gael denied, “She isn’t.” Kenny began to lose some of his color.


“Oh…oh shit. I don’t know, Gael,” he said. “Ah, shit, I don’t remember how they looked at all.”


“Cameras?”


Kenny nodded, “Hold on, let me close up here and we can go take a look. “Shit!” This was not what his business needed. “LAST CALL!” He hollered, and Gael took a seat. Janelle took one next to him, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. Gael was stoic. He didn’t even look at her, but just watched everyone else, willing them to leave earlier. His eyes glared at any through the windows who dared consider entering and hindering him in his goal.


“Should we call the police?” Janelle asked.


Gael shook his head. Not yet. He’d rather figure this out himself and bury a body or two, than get the police involved.

 

[Luxii]

It was a short walk to Alexis' quarters, merely down the hall from Nicole's. His room was hung in rich fabrics, velvet and silk draped spanned the windows from floor to ceiling. Several couches and armchairs were positioned in a semi-circle facing a large flat screen TV. A fireplace roared off to the left of that. The floors were hardwood - Alexis' feet made soft padding noises as he made his way towards his bed.


There were two D-rings drilled into the wall behind the king-sized canopy bed. Chains hung from each of them but only one snaked onto the bed for the moment. There was a girl laying amongst the blankets, a pretty little thing with raven hair almost down to her waist. The chain from the wall was tethered to a metal collar around her neck. The vampire climbed onto the bed, crawling until he rested a hand on either said of the girl's pale face. There was a moment where he studied her, taking note that her chest no longer rose and fell. Two little rivulets of blood ran from a bite on the side of the girl's neck. Fuck, he thought. That's the third one in a month.





Three blood-slaves in under a month wasn't unheard of, but Alexis was usually better at controlling his bloodlust than this. He must've drank too much from the raven-haired girl, or too many feedings too close together. Her body couldn't reproduce fast enough to match the elder vampires appetite. One of the other servants would come remove her body.


Alexis rolled off the bed. This meant he would have to go down to the auctions to find a replacement and soon.


xXx


Nicole eased through crowds of drunken students. No one seemed to pay her much mind while she was out. Which was perfectly fine by her. One of the bars on the outskirts had way too many people pouring from it's doors for how early it was. It peaked her interest. Through the window, she could see a boy and a girl perched at the bar - they both looked upset.


"Hey, Nikki!"


She whipped her head around, but it was only Violet, another vampiress from her coven. The raven-haired woman had been crossing the street when she spotted Nicole. "Hi, Vi," Nicole replied. "You, uh, got a little something there." She guestured to the other woman's lip, a smidge of blood had pulled at the corner of her pink mouth,


Violet licked the corner and laughed, it was a tinkling merry sound. "Thanks, girl. It's about time you left that room of yours... when's the last time you fed?"


Nicole shrugged. "Last week, maybe?"


A low whistle peaked from between Violet's lips. "I don't know how you do it, honey. I go two days and I look terrible."


Two college boys slowly passed them by, their gazes lingering for a few moments longer than necessary. Perfect, Nicole thought. "Hey!" she called out to them. "Can you help us?"


They were all but too eager. "Of course, sweet thing. What do you ladies need?" It was the blonde one of the pair that spoke.


"I think I dropped my phone somewhere. I can't find it anywhere!" The lie dripped easily from Nicole's lips. She sounded like a simpering idiot but playing the damsel-in-distress was the quickest way to con a human male. They agreed to help her search for her non-existent phone. Violet went off in one direction with the brunette, throwing a knowing wink at Nicole.


Nicole moved into the shadows next to the side of the bar, playing the part of a drunk college girl searching for her phone. She made a great show of turning over trash, while the boy followed her deeper in the darkness. As soon as they were tucked far enough back to not attract any attention, she turned on him, pinning him to the wall and burying her face in his neck. He must have thought she had other intentions because he did not fight back. But when her teeth punctured his flesh at the junction where his neck met his shoulder, he whimpered softly. The sensation of being fed upon was actually pleasurable for the victim if done right. Nicole sucked sweetly on the boys neck for a moment, before releasing her lips with a soft pop, sealing the wound with a lick of her tongue. She left him dazed, slumped against the wall. He wouldn't remember their encounter in a few minutes.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

The group of them were led into areas that were more well-lit, though they encountered no one else. They were brought to a long room with rings along the wall to attach their shackles to. Celeste followed along, listening to the exchanges. The irate woman’s attempts to get information were useful, though the woman suffered each step of the way for what little she was able to get.


It was clear they were all going to be sold into slavery, but not of the kind that immediately popped into Celeste’s head.


Apparently this was not uncommon in this town, either. This auction was held monthly, and victims would be gathered during that time to be sold off. The college town helped, since college towns expected some disappearances, but they still had to gather from the surrounding area, as well. They couldn’t do it more frequently, or it would be noticed by the humans—and indeed, that was the term they kept using, as if they were set apart from the human race.


It was that tidbit that caused Celeste to start looking closer, to try and discern a difference, but there was little time to closely examine any one of the busy-bodies. “What’s your blood type?” The one who grabbed her shackles asked.


It was such a bizarre question that she had to look up and ask, “What?”


“Blood type.” It came as a demand then.


“Er. AB-,” or was it positive? She didn’t know. She didn’t need to know. AB- sounded right, though. “Why?”


“You’ll know soon enough.” He left her to tend to others, since she was behaving. It didn’t take a genius to guess.


‘Do these people think they’re vampires?’ Her mind wasn’t willing to believe they were, though it became the guess.


A booming voice soon came from outside the room, welcoming the visitors and honored guests to the auction house. Celeste didn’t need to strain her ears to hear. The words that came from him confirmed her suspicion. These people thought they were vampires, and the ‘goods’ were advertised as blood slaves, as household servants, and all sorts of things were apparently available—even children who could be raised to a sire-able age, able to be bought young to be trained as good offspring later on. ‘This is…this is sick.’


And then the numbers started to be called, and the men in the room seemed to know who to bring out. It seemed dictated by age, for the children were the first ones to be brought out and bid on.


~***~


The feel of Gael’s glares seemed to be working, or else he was deluding himself that they were. He caught the eye of an interested woman with a pixie-cut style, but she quickly turned away, and then left his view all together with another woman and two men.


A few stragglers were daring to hang on and challenge the bartender on the time. “Come on, we got thirty minutes!” Gael tapped his foot on the metal pole that ran underneath the bar, a place those on the stools could rest their feet if they desired.


“Sorry, we’re closing early. Something came up.”


“What?” The other man asked.


“My sister,” Gael spoke up, raising his voice, “was fucking kidnapped outside these doors and I need to see the cameras, so Kenny here has to close up shop so I can watch.”


A pause followed that. “Oh….”


“Yeah.” Gael said.


The two men didn’t attempt to stay any longer. They were out the door quickly, and Kenny went to lock up. “I’ll get the laptop, all the cameras feed into it.” Kenny promised and went to one of the back rooms. He returned and set the laptop on the bar as he took a seat besides Gael. He went to the camera that pointed to the door, and rewound the tape.


It couldn’t show what happened well, at all. In fact, those in the video were little more than dark blurs, which was odd. Everyone else who showed up on the camera was crystal clear. “What the hell, Kenny?” Gael looked at him with a glare.


Kenny shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered, rewinding it again, pausing, zooming in. The figure was just indecipherable, nothing more than a black blob. “I honest to god don’t know.”


Gael looked to Janelle, and she shook her head, “I don’t recognize the voices,” and she couldn’t recognize them by their faces.


Gael slammed a fist on the counter. “Ok, go back, show me who was around then, I could try to contacts others who saw’em.”


And Kenny zoomed out. He pointed to a blonde man, “He comes in here pretty regularly. He probably went to another bar nearby, you might be able to find him.”


Gael nodded and moved off the bar. “Hey, I’m gonna go ahead and call this in to the cops. I can’t—”


“No, I understand,” now he did. He couldn’t recognize who they were, and he knew time had to be ticking. “Go ahead. Janelle?”


“I’m going to wait here and talk to the cops. Maybe I can help,” she offered with a weak smile, and then a shrug. “I’m going to call Josh, too. Maybe he saw the men when he was leaving.”


Gael nodded, even smiled. That sounded good. He wasn’t a fan of Josh, but whatever would help right now. “All right. Let me know,” and with that, Gael unlocked one of the doors and headed out to find the blond man.

 

[Luxii]

As Nicole emerged from the side of the bar, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the boy that had been sitting inside exited and brushed passed her. If she hadn't have seen him he would've bowled her right over. "Rude..." she muttered under her breath. Violet had the other of the two boys leaned against the other side of the building. To a passerby they looked like a couple engaged in a flirtatous conversation. He didn't even see Nicole until it was too late. Violet stepped to the side and in front of the two, as Nicole wrapped her arms around the boy from behind and sank her teeth into his neck. Her and Violet had perfected hunting together, making it seem like they were embracing their victims and no one ever knew the wiser. This boy's blood was much sweeter than the first; Nicole let herself indulge a little more than ususal, until Violet cleared her throat. The brunette boy sagged to the ground - anyone would have thought he was just passed out from being drunk.


Violet pouted. "I wanted some of him.'


"You snooze you lose," Nicole retorted, once again wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. This time her hand came away bloody. She was always more messy when sweet blood was involved.


Violet smiled, the edges of her lips curving up just enough without revealing her teeth. "You're lucky we're friends," she muttered. "Still hungry?"


Nicole nodded. She'd pushed her feeding an extra day and a half from her longest, and now that she'd had a taste, she could feel the bloodlust rearing it's ugly head. "Vi, don't let me go to far, okay?"


"Of course, honey," Violet replied. She ruffled Nicole's hair like an older sister would. "Let's finish up." She teeth flashed in a smile for a moment.


xXx


Alexis had made a few phone calls. Turns out the next auction was happening this evening. He hated doing things last minute but the next one wouldn't be for a month so he had to be quick. It always took place a few miles outside the city limits. They used an old military bunker to store the slaves, bringing them above ground for sale. It didn't take him long to arrive by car, he parked towards the back of the lot.


They had just started bringing out the children, but Alexis had no interest in them. Children made good house slaves but not blood slaves. Well, some sick vampire did take children for blood slaves, but Alexis was not one of them. He took a seat towards the back of the room, kicking his feet up on the chair in front of him, fingers laced behind his neck.


He hated this place. The children were all terrified, mewling for their mothers. It stank of fear and desparation. Vampires from many of the surrounding cities gathered here, so the bidding was going quite quickly. He was anxious to pick from the young women; he was beginning to get hungry.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

Gael ignored the woman, though he caught the word whispered under her breath. Normally, he wouldn’t have been so rude, but he was blinded by his own mission. It wasn’t until he was some feet away that he recalled that blond man had been walking off with that woman. He had been watching her so that she wouldn’t enter the bar.


He immediately whipped back around the corner he’d turned and retraced his steps to find the woman conversing with the other, but no men. “Excuse me,” he interrupted whatever they were conversing about, “Sorry,” he apologized then.


He was stone-sober, which was unusual for a student this hour. “I saw you with a blond guy earlier,” he said, “Do you know where he went to? He has some information I need.”


A warning was on his lips, considering what had just happened, but he kept it behind his teeth for the moment. He could let them know when he found out where the man was. Priorities came first. But he would warn them—if there was someone out and about kidnapping women, both of these women fit the bill as pretty, and potentially vulnerable. They were probably drunk.


~***~


‘16’ was her number, apparently. Before her had gone the cursing woman. Her profanities had earned laughter, and her fiery spirit had apparently attracted its fair share of suitors. Such thoughts were not inspiring, but Celeste had no intention of putting on a similar show.


She couldn’t pretend to be broken already, though, not like the man who was sniffling in his chains. She was led out calmly, and she looked over the crowd as if she were assessing them, rather than being assessed. She tuned out the speaker, who noted her blood type, her age of 23 from her stolen driver’s license, and what other information they’d managed to pick up on her to make her appear like a more attractive bid.


The vampires were an assortment. Some could have easily blended in on the streets. Others looked like they came right out of the Lost Boys, while still others kept it ‘old school’ and elegant. ‘If they are vampires and not just…demented.’


Each second told her denial might be a pointless endeavor, though. Sure, they could all be crazed people who lived in their basements and worked the nightshift, but somehow a vampire seemed safer than a psychopath that demented.


She heard the bidding when it began, and made sure to look at each one that dared to raise their voice for her. No, she wasn’t cursing, but she couldn’t mask her own feelings of indignant rage, and she wanted each one to reconsider what they were doing in gambling their money on her.

 

[Luxii]

Alexis watched with great amusement as the first of the women was dragged up onto the stage. She kicked and screamed the whole way, spitting curses and even trying to bite one of her handlers. Perhaps in another time he would have taken part in bidding for her, but she was much to spirited for his tastes at the moment. This bidding lasted the longest of any that had happened so far. It seemed many of his brethren were eager to break the fiery human woman. The winning bid was $25,000 - not many slaves sold for that much.


The handlers dragged the woman off the stage, emptying it for the next. This next one didn't struggle, but neither did she whimper in fear. Alexis placed his feet flat on the ground, elbows resting on his knees. This girl had auburn hair that fell in soft waves down her back, her eyes pierced the crowd. There was a certain haughtiness to her, a regalness.


The bidding started and quickly climbed into the upper $10,000s before Alexis could bat an eye. There was one vampire who countered every bid instantly. He was seated off to Alexis' right. His name was James, and he was a sick motherfucker. He and Alexis were one of the few elder vampires in the region. Tales of his ruthlessness far preceded him wherever he went.


The bidding had paused at $30,000 - it had to be a new record.


"Going once, going twice--" the announcer boomed.


"$35,000." Alexis' voice boomed across the room. Everyone else was quiet.


James shot him a nasty look, lip curled back in a sneer. "$40,000," he countered.


"$45,000." Alexis smiled back at him, taunting him.


"$50,000!" You could see the veins in James' neck.


Alexis was sure he would probably regret this, but any chance to piss off James was worth it. "$100,000."


xXx


It was the boy that had almost knocked into her. Nicole narrowed her eyes at him. "Sorry, didn't see where they went."


Violet placed a hand on Nicole's arm, and turned her attentions to the boy. "Very sorry, sugar. We just parted ways a few moments ago. Pretty sure they were going to keep bar hopping though." Violet had a way with men that Nicole could only dream of having, it was something in her eyes and the way her voice rose and fell.


He was good-looking, Nicole thought as she gave him a look up and down. The most interesting thing about him was definitely his eyes; they were piercing, searching. Surely they had taken other girl's breath away before. She willed him to turn around and leave, her second feed of the night was beginning to stir, so no doubt this blonde boy he was looking for would be up and walking around soon.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

Had the black-haired woman not spoken up, Gael certainly would have demanded more of the blonde. As it was, when the darker haired one spoke, he found his attention grabbed. Her words made more sense. There were plenty of bars here, after all, it’d be difficult to know which one a pair of men were off to. “No, I understand,” Gael said, seeming almost apologetic then, as if his inquiry had been terribly rude.


“I guess I’ll have to check out the bars around. Thanks, though,” he couldn’t help but still feel a bit disappointed. “Have a good night, and be careful. There's a couple guys going around and kidnapping people,” he bid to them, before he walked around them and decided to locate the bar nearest to the Marquis and just move on through each one.


The one nearest was known as the Black Dog, a bit rowdier. His eyes skimmed the crowd, but he did not see the man he was looking for within it at first. He started to approach groups, asking if anyone had been at Marquis recently. He had a few hits, fortunately, since a lot of those who made the exodus from Marquis went to that bar.


However, his answers were almost unanimous. “I don’t remember how they looked,” was common, as if the people had erased themselves from memory and tape.


“They did say they were gonna take her to a hospital. Have you looked there?”


“Yes,” Gael sighed, the defeat growing in the pit of his stomach. “She wasn’t there.”


“Shit man,” the usual response, or some variant of it. “I don’t know then. I hope she’s okay.”


“She will be,” he spoke through his teeth and turned, left the Black Dog, and sought out the next. A text from Janelle let him know the cops had arrived, and were gathering information, too.


It was going to be a very long night.


~***~


Either vampires preferred a woman who appeared docile, or they could see that fire. Celeste’s gaze flicked between the two bidders who remained. She wouldn’t show her fear, but there were things she couldn’t control. Adrenaline was one. She could the blood in her ears with each hasty beat of her heart. It took all her willpower not to pace or struggle in the binds, if only because of the restless energy that was surging through her.


Celeste had done something very wrong to attract bidders who could afford to waste that much money. It would be difficult to escape people like that—unless they were arrogant. They both looked rather arrogant, and clearly, they knew each other. To her, that suggested the arrogance wasn’t without reason.


‘$100,000.’ It was a silencing amount. The adrenaline seemed to rush through her veins faster at the same time as her heart sank. Were she in better humor, she might have considered how nice it was to be considered worth that much, but at the second it was said, she had no humor. She kept her gaze on the amber-eyed bidder as the auctioneer called for more, but found no one willing.


Certainly, plenty wondered at why one person would be worth so much. Was it simply to spite James, or was it another reason?


She felt the tug this time and turned her attention to the handler who wanted to remove her from the stage. She gave him no trouble once he had her attention, and she was brought to a different room. “Who was it?” She asked before the man left her.


“Hm?”


“The winning bidder. Who is he?”


“Ah. Alexis. One of the elders in this area,” he told her, gave her a once over, and then something akin to pity came into his eyes, “Sorry.” And he walked back out to tend to his jobs. Alexis might be good with his bloodlust, but it was still known he went through blood slaves in short order. The guard was certain this one would be wasted soon enough, too. Better than James, he supposed.


Here, at last, Celeste began to pace in an effort to deal with the adrenaline.


When Alexis had paid up, he would be allowed to pick up what he bought and exit.

 

[Luxii]

There was no use in Alexis staying any longer. After all, he had what he came for. When the handlers escorted his new slave off the stage, he rose to his full height and headed towards the cashier. There was a moment where he and James locked eyes, James' light blue ones burned into Alexis' before he turned away with his upper lip curled into a snarl. Alexis smiled to himself: what a perfect evening. Not only had he solved his problem of being without a bloodslave, but he had gotten under the skin of one of his centuries-old rivals.


He leaned against the counter comfortably, sliding a credit card across the surface. The cashier was a small girl covered from head to toe in tattoos - not Alexis' type at all. She was pleasant enough though, and he could tell she was amazed at the amount of money that was about to trade hands. "Here you go, sir," she said after she swiped the plastic through the machine. "Sign the top copy and the bottom copy is yours. Make sure you present your copy over at pick-up and they'll bring out the merchandise." She slid the receipts to him and placed a pen ontop. With a flourish, he made quick work of his signature, sliding the top copy back to the girl and pocketing the other.


The pick up station was a few paces over to the right of the cashier. As Alexis handed over his receipt as proof of purchase the man there whistled low. "Damn, Alexis. I think you set a new record here.... hope she's worth it."


Alexis shrugged. What he did with his money was no one's business, although he did enjoy being the topic of conversation. Must be the narcissistic streak he had in him. "Make sure she's bound properly. You know how I like, right?"


"Of course, I'll have the boys bring her right up."


xXx


"Girls, are being kidnapped?" Nicole inquired as they walked further into the town.


Violet smiled at her. "Of course, Nik. Did you forget the auction was tonight?" Nicole had forgotten. It wasn't something she thought about considering she never had need of that particular set of services. "I know I heard Michael and David talking about how they hadn't met their quota yet for tonight," the raven-haired woman continued. "That poor boy is probably looking for a girl they took last minute."


Nicole twisted her lips into a scowl, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans as they walked. "It's not right," she muttered. She didn't understand the point of blood slaves. What was wrong with feeding from a new person every time? Feeding continuously from the same person was... too intimate.


Violet's merry laugh snapped Nicole out of her inner dialogue. "Honey, you know that's just the way things are. But come on, cheer up! We have some more hunting to do for you, hm?"


Nicole nodded. As they passed The Black Dog she caught sight of the rude, chocolated-haired boy from earlier. He was interrogating many of the patrons, no doubt inquiring about the missing girl. Was it his girlfriend? Sister? Either way Nicole felt a pang of sympathy for him. She wished she could tell him to stop wasting his time, whoever it was that he searched for was not coming back.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

For how much Alexis had paid, there was no one who was going to deny him a few extra things, like proper binding. As Celeste paced, another vampire approached her and said, “Come with me now, your new master has decided you’re all he’s getting tonight.”


The terminology was disliked. ‘New Master’—as if she’d ever had one. As if she ever truly would. This situation would be temporary. Despite how her nose wrinkled at the words, she did follow without comment. The vampire took her into a side room and undid one of the shackles, only to rebind her hands behind her back.


Though that was irksome, it was not that which caused Celeste to actually flinch and step away, while the vampire wasn’t holding the shackles. It was the metal collar he found. For some reason, that of all things was what she wanted to avoid, though at the moment she couldn’t have put into words why. Instinct, intuition, she simply knew she didn’t want to wear it.


Of course, what she wanted didn’t matter. “No point, girl,” the vampire said, and within a second he had his hand around her upper arm. Either he didn’t know his strength, or he meant to hurt her, for it certainly hurt. Her first instinct was followed, and she tried to pull her arm out of his grip, tried to step back. “I’m not the only one here. You’re wearing this out even if we have to chain you to a wall first.” Logically, she knew he was correct. She was outnumbered, with hands behind her back.


Her posture relaxed. Resistance ceased. “Think of it as a pretty new necklace.”


‘Pretty my foot.’ Tempting as it was to ram the stiletto into his own foot, she resisted, and held still. Slowly, he released her arm, and she turned her head to glance at it, imagined it would bruise later. His hand found her chin and he tilted her head up, before the collar was slipped around her neck and fastened there. She held her breath during the act, and let it out in a huff.


“Come on,” his hand moved to her back, between her shoulder blades, and he pushed her forward. She walked, the shackles and collar forcing a posture of dignity, shoulders back and head up. Rather than think of it as mockery, however, Celeste fell into it like it was natural—it was, without the shackles.


“Here she is,” the man said once Alexis was in sight. He gave a slightly harder push to ensure the woman would take a few steps away from him. The first step was stumbled, but Celeste took the other few steps closer to the buyer without any issue. She knew, had they met in different circumstances, she would have wanted to get to know him far better than she knew Lord Silver Fox.


As it was, she supposed this was best. Good to know the man before her was scum before it would hurt. ‘Well, this is still probably going to hurt.’ Emotionally, she corrected her internal voice. It knew what she meant.


The man echoed the sentiments of many others, “Hope you get your money’s worth.” Very few in the history of the auction sold for so much. David and Michael were going to get a good cut, despite how few they’d brought in. The boss was likely to be so happy, he’d forget numbers, just this once.


~***~


In the second bar, Janelle actually called. Gael stepped away from the group he had been talking with, stepped outside, and answered, “Hello?” He couldn’t hide his annoyance with being interrupted, and he watched the doors to make sure no one left that he hadn’t gotten to talk with already.


“Hey, the police say they’re going to check the CCTV. They think the guys must have taken her to a vehicle not far, and they might be able to run the plates to find her. Either way, they can put out an alert for information on the vehicle. Even if they changed the plates later, someone might have noticed the vehicle and where it went.”


Gael could hear that Janelle was trying to sound positive. When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Gael, there were others that went missing tonight, too. They think it’s connected.”


“Does that make it more likely they’ll be found, or not?”


“I don’t know,” Janelle said. “But the police think they were probably taken alive, only….” Hesitation, “Well. I’m sure you can guess what they think.”


One arm folded itself over his chest. His back fell against the building. “Yeah.” Alive. He knew it was the better fate, but he didn’t wish it on anyone, not even his worst enemies. No one here was being taken for ransom, unless they were going to try and ransom the university. Besides, they would have targeted a sorority girl, not some graduate student who had a roommate solely because it was the only way to pay the bills and have extra cash. “She’ll be okay. Maybe they just need an organ she can live without,” he lied to her, to himself. “We’ll find her, or she’ll figure something out. That’s what you anthropologists do, right? Get involved in another culture? She’ll figure it out….” Criminal cultures were a culture. She’d adapt. She’d get out, if he didn’t get to her first.


“That’s right,” Janelle agreed, “She’ll be all right.” She continued the lie. “Where are you at now, Gael?”


“Outside Mike and Molly’s. I need to head back in. Oh, for the police, there were a few people at Black Dog they might want to talk to. I don’t know, maybe they’ll have better luck than me.” His eyes followed those on the street, skimming faces. Most were now familiar, people he’d recently spoken with, people who hadn’t been able to help.


“I’ll let them know. Call me when you’re ready to go, okay?”


“You…just let me know when, and I’ll take you back to the hospital.”


A sigh. “Okay. Good luck.”


“Yeah. Bye.” Click. He shoved his phone back into his coat pocket.

 

[Luxii]

She came forward without complaint, head held high, though she stumbled at her first step. Looking at her up close, Alexis decided he had had prettier slaves, but something about the way this one held herself made up for that. He closed the gap between them and took her by them arm with one hand, raising the other to wave back at the slave master in thanks. Many hungry eyes passed over both of them and Alexis smiled when he heard the whispered conversations. They would be talking about this night for weeks, no doubt.


He left the silence to hang between him and his new pet. She was avoiding his gaze without looking meek, something about that irritated him but he brushed it off. They arrived at his car shortly. It was an obnoxiously extravagant Lamboghini Veneno, all black with leather interior. When you've been alive for the better part of a thousand years, you took time to enjoy to the physical pleasures each century brought. This was a far cry was the old methods of transportation Alexis had used in the past, and was by far his favorite. The ride back would be uncomfortable for the girl since Alexis had no plans to unbind her hands just yet. He put his hand on the small of her back as he helped her into the passenger's seat, making sure she was all tucked in before closing the door.


The ride back to the mansion wouldn't take them long. Which was just as well. Alexi would have her properly prepared and then sent to his room. Then they would really get to know each other. He licked his lips in anticipation.


xXx


After the fifth student, the circles under Nicole's eyes had faded away almost entirely. Violet had sampled another one or two, but had already completed the majority of her hunt before she had seen her "sister". They now strolled arm in arm back up through the city's outskirts, up the winding road to the mansion they both called home. That was the nice thing about being undead, Nicole thought, you never got winded walking up this bloody hill. Any human would've been panting at this point.


Violet had kept up a pleasant chatter the whole walk back, but Nicole simply nodded and made the appropriate "hms" and "ahs" when needed but couldn't have told you what the raven-haired girl had been talking about. As they crossed the threshold of the mansion, a loud vroom of a car's engine told Nicole Alexis had apparently left but had now returned.


Sure enough, the silhouette of Alexis' car was unmistakeable. Nicole hated that stupid car. Much too flashy for her own tastes, but Alexis loved that dramatic flair. She turned on her heel and disappeared into the house, leaving Violet to race to catch up with her.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

Celeste wouldn’t fill the silence. She had no words for the man who bought her, not yet. She wasn’t sure she ever would. Anyone who paid such a ridiculous amount of money for a person wasn’t going to be talked into letting them go. She kept her gaze forward, keeping the man just in her peripheral vision. The car he had was no surprise—the Lamborghini brand wasn’t even a surprise. She had expected something like a Rolls Royce or Maserati from him. As such, she was able to keep from looking impressed at the extravagance. ‘And so he’ll live in a mansion. Wait.’


Her steps didn’t cease, but her mind ran ahead to guess which mansion. There was only one that came to mind, and she and her brother had often talked of going to prove it wasn’t haunted, but never did.


She took her seat wordlessly, and tried to adjust herself so that she was comfortable, but it never happened. Every slight adjustment just made her uncomfortable in a different way. Eventually, she gave up, and just leaned against the door to watch the cars and lights zip by. Sure enough, the driver took her to the haunted mansion. ‘Well now it all makes sense.’ It was haunted by a group who thought they were, or actually were, vampires.


There were two women near the door, but they disappeared from Celeste’s sight as the car turned off. ‘Slaves or vampires?’ She supposed both might be an option as she leaned her body away from the door so that she wouldn’t fall out when it was opened.


~***~


The bars closed, and Gael was left with nothing but the promises of police officers to check CCTV, and Janelle’s silent guilt as he drove her back to the hospital. “I’m sorry,” she said at last, “I should have—”


“It isn’t your fault,” Gael interrupted as he pulled into the slot next to her car, and let his truck idle. “I’m going to head home and get some rest. Leave me messages if you hear anything, all right?”


Janelle nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”


It was a comfort thing, more than anything. Gael couldn’t promise it, though. “Maybe,” was what he said. Janelle smiled, but it faltered. The lie couldn’t hold up. She slipped out of the passenger seat and walked to her car. Gael waited until she was out of the parking lot.


Then, he dug out his phone and dialed another number. “Hey, Landry. You’re on duty now, right? Awesome. I need CCTV access.”


Gael knew his military connections would come in handy one day. Given, he just joined so that his college would be completely paid for, but he had soon found there were other perks. The brotherhood was just the best one. “Yeah, I’ll be there in about…thirty minutes.” The base was a bit out of town, though there was a bus to it. Many of the college students were a part of the ROTC. He wasn’t sure if they had legal access to the CCTVs, but he knew there were enough hackers on board. The school was known for its computer sciences, after all.


It was newly built, too, the old bunker abandoned a few years ago when the new one had been built.

 

[Luxii]

It only took Alexis a few moments to position his car right in front of the mansion. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Nicole and Violet vanishing through the front door. His feet crunched on the gravel as he opened the passenger side door and gently helped the girl out. He must've gripped her upper arm a bit too tightly for she winced. It was the first reaction he had gotten out of her. He was torn between applying more pressure to see if she would scream, but thought better of it and relaxed his grip ever so slightly. You get more flies with honey, so the old saying went.


As they came through the front door, another servant woman rushed to the entrance, kneeling in front of them obediently. She gave the girl a pitying glance before casting her eyes respectfully to the floor. Alexis shoved his newest requistion forward. "I wanted her prepared and in my quarters in the next hour, understand?" his voice was harsh, echoing off the catherdal ceiling above them,


The servant woman didn't flinch. "Yes, master," she murmured. Her warm hands pressed into the girl's shoulders, guiding her down the hall.


xXx


Nicole watched from the upper balcony, disgust curled her full lips into a grimace. Violet had taken to her quarters for now. No doubt she was really bedding one of the other vampires that lived in the house. This flavor of the month was Nicholai, if memory served. He was a newly turned fledgling, certainly no match for Violet's feminine charms.


So Alexis had purchased yet another slave girl. Didn't that make this his fourth this month? She felt a twinge of pity for the girl, as she watch Alexis shove her forward, barking orders at the servant like he always did. The servant woman, Mya, had been kind to Nicole when Nicole had first arrived at the house. Her kind face and warm demeanor were almost motherly. She had served Alexis since she was a small girl and had known no other life. Now she would go to prepare this poor girl, much like she had prepared Nicole her first evening here.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Definitely going to bruise.’ It was the thought that came with the wince and the pain as Alexis gripped her upper arm exactly where the vampire in the auction house had. It was apparently still tender, and his grip was harsh.


It softened rather quickly, though. Apparently her expression hadn’t gone unnoticed.


They were greeted immediately upon entering the home. Celeste’s stomach knotted at the second look of pity. Her mind ran with arguments of how this had to be a dream, a nightmare, but those happy thoughts weren’t allowed to last. With the shove forward, she shook herself back into reality. ‘Even if it is a dream.’ She told herself, ‘We don’t have to see it through as scripted.’ Though she wasn’t seeing a way out yet.


Sure, there were windows, and there was a door, but while bound her escape attempts would be futile when eyes were upon her.


More hands moved to guide her, and she belatedly recalled the words Alexis had shouted. ‘An hour.’ Preparations. How grand.


Celeste waited until they were in another room to speak to the woman leading her on, “What lies in my future?” Celeste’s voice shook a little while asking the question. She still wanted to be prepared, even if she knew she wouldn’t like the knowledge. She didn’t want to be surprised by anything that was to come. She needed a level-head.


~***~


The road was long, and the night was dark. The way there stopped being well lit after he left the city, but Gael kept the truck on path. He turned the radio off after a few minutes of finding himself irritated with every single station.


The silence treated him better. The silence was a thousand times more distracting, if only for its strangeness. He was alert to all things around him, and every sound his truck made, all the way up to the gated entry of the ROTC base. He slowed his car to a stop at the booth. “Dorothy,” the guard greeted him, “You’re far from home.”


“Yeah, but I need to be here.” Dorothy had become his nickname, because his first name reminded someone from Kansas of Dorothy Gale. It had, unfortunately, stuck. “Gonna let me in?”


“Yeah, yeah,” the metal gate began to move to allow him passage, and Gael drove on through and found his usual parking space free. Most of them were at this hour, though. He hopped out of his truck and called Landry again to find out where he ought to go to get a look at the CCTVs.

 

[Luxii]

The walk to the bathing room took a few minutes. It gave Mya and the girl the opportunity for conversation, and she had asked what the future held for her. Mya had this conversation countless times with other girls, some cried, some screamed, but not many were as stoic as this one.


"Well, dear, don't be afraid. Master Alexis might seem aloof and harsh, but there are many worse vampire lords out there. I can assure you of that."


The older woman took a deep breath, this next part usually made or broke the girls. "Your role here is a special one. Some vampires... They take special slaves for feeding." She paused her, giving the statement a moment to sink in. "You will need to be ready day and night should Master Alexis have need of you. You will be taken good care of, I am always around the house if you should have need of anything."


They reached the bath doors, golden embossed wood spiraled over both doors in intricate patterns. Mya swung open the door on the left. The room was tiled from floor to ceiling. A deep inset pool in the center was the main focal point. Mya busied herself by filling the tub with a few fragrant oils before turning on the water, steam quickly filling the room.


"Let me help you out of those ropes," she said to the young girl. "I'm afraid the collar will have to stay." She unbound the girl's arms but grabbed a chain that was attached to a D-ring in the floor next to the tub and attached it to the collar around the girl's throat.


Mya's eyes were apologetic. "I'll let you undress and bathe, my dear. I'll be back in a moment with some clean clothes."


xXx


Alexis watched both slaves disappear around the corner, then shot his stare up to the balcony. Nicole met his gaze without flinching. There was a time when she would've cast her eyes to the ground like a slave, but that was a long time ago.


"Jealous, Nikki?"


His voice made her fingers shake. Her teeth gritted together almost painfully. What she wouldn't give to punch him square in the throat.


"You wish," she muttered, turning on her heel to leave.


"Why don't you help Mya with my new pet?" The question was not a question at all - it was a command. His smile didn't reach his eyes.


It was a simple form of torture. Alexis surely got some sick pleasure from having Nicole dress up all of his new toys. He liked to remind the feisty blonde of her beginnings to the coven, to remind her of her place, for she knew better than any what fate held in store for these frightened girls.


One day she would refuse, spit in his face and tell him to piss off, but he would most likely have her killed on the spot. She'd seen others executed in far worse ways for much less. For now all she could do was nod, then make her way down the hallway to the bathing room. Her hands still shook with anger, she clenched them to keep them still.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

Celeste couldn’t have cared less about whether or not there were worse vampire ‘lords’, as she phrased it. The fact she was being removed from her life was bad enough, the ultimate sin. It mattered little how long she would be here, or how she might suffer, when she was removed from her dreams.


“Ah.”


It was all the reaction Celeste was willing to give, verbally, to her role. ‘I have need of a paper to be written. I have need of a way to convince Lord Silver Fox to stop smoking. I have need of freedom!’ She bit down on her cheek to keep that outcry silent, for she was not about to start revealing the growing frustration.


This was not the life she wanted, this was not the life she would have.


She cast her eyes around the room. No window here, not that it would matter. Though her shackles were undone, a chain was put through the d-ring of the collar. A deep breath stopped the outcry, but her hands shook. Her body trembled, not at all from the cold. ‘No. No. No.’ A constant denial. It wouldn’t make it go away, but it kept her focused. “Thank you.” The words were curt and insincere.


Right then, Celeste hated the woman almost more than she hated Alexis, for being party to this plot.


She swallowed down the anger and undressed. She stepped into the bath, hot and fragrant, and submersed herself immediately. Though she knew it wouldn’t work, she still tried to get the collar off underneath the water, prayed that somehow the water would make it slippery enough that it would come undone, or somehow slip over her head.


Celeste held her breath past the point of it being painful, but eventually, mortal needs overcame her own desires and she surfaced, breaking the water to take in a deep breath. She’d gotten nowhere with the collar. She’d just ruined her nails, breaking them and chipping off paint on the metal. “Damn it,” she cursed as she opened her eyes.


There was someone else in the room. Her expression faltered, anger to surprise, and then it shifted back to the indifference she intended to wear in the presence of all in the house.


~***~


Landry wasn’t the one in the surveillance room, though he joined Gael shortly after Gael entered. “So, what do we need, Dorothy?” Landry asked before the actual surveillance man got to speak. An arm wrapped around Gael’s shoulders as Landry led him over.


“My sister was taken outside the Marquis. I want to figure out where she is.”


Landry and Donovan both froze where they were, surprised, despite the fact they’d learned Gael could be a hard man to shake. “Why didn’t you say that on the phone?” Landry demanded.


“It wouldn’t have done you any good,” Gael slipped into a chair besides Donovan. Landry immediately took to leaning against the back of it. “It would have been sometime during the midnight hour.”


“Any idea what direction they went, in case we can’t find them outside the Marquis?” Donovan asked, though already he was bringing up several of the cameras positioned around the downtown area.


Gael shook his head. “No. I know she wasn’t the only one taken, so I guess we could look for other strange occurrences, too. Might help.”


“Gotcha. Well, Landry, wanna go get us some coffee?”


“Fine. You all need sugar?”


“And cream,” Gael said.


“Women,” Landry said as he pushed himself up and walked out of the room.

 

[Luxii]

When Nicole entered the bath room the new girl was already submerged in the water. She probably was trying to use the water as lubricant to slide the collar off. It wouldn't work. Nicole had tried the same thing. Her auburn head broke the surface of the water and Nicole was able to get a good look at her for the first time up close.


She was pretty enough, Nicole supposed. Alexis usually liked his slaves pale-skinned and dark-haired - this girl was definitely not the usual. Her green eyes flashed at Nicole, then turned to proud indifference.


"I'm Nicole. And I wouldn't bother with the collar. It will only break your nails."


The girl didn't answer her back, not the Nicole expected her too. She was one of those strong, silent types, hm? It didn't matter, Alexis enjoyed breaking these kind of girls most.


A knock at the door and then Mya appeared, clutching a pile of clothes in her hands. Nicole took them from the older woman. "I'll take it from here, Mya. Surely you have other things to do."


"Thank you, Nikki." The older woman smiled. "You have about 40 minutes until Master Alexis will be expecting her."


"Well, Master Alexis," Nicole said with a smirk, "can suck my ass."


Mya laughed, placing her hand over her mouth as her belly jiggled with happiness. "Oh, child, you know you shouldn't say such things."


The older slave left the room, still chuckling under her breath. The door swung shut with a click.


"Alright," Nicole continued. "Let's get you out of there, princess." She offered the girl a fluffy towel. "Go ahead and dry off, then put these on," she motioned to the pile of clothes next to the towel.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

The stranger spoke from experience, that much Celeste could tell, but she did not seem as much a slave as the older woman. She didn’t answer, but took the stranger in before the woman returned with clothing.


The exchange between Mya and this ‘Nikki’ almost caused Celeste to smile. Certainly, her eyes lit up to see Nikki insult Alexis so casually. The older woman left, leaving Celeste with the more amicable one—or at least her insults made her seem amicable.


Whether or not it was true or sincere dislike was another matter. She lifted herself a little to take the towel, “Celeste,” she said, not a fan of ‘princess’, particularly given the situation. She lifted herself out of the tub, using the towel as a shield before realizing it was likely pointless. She had to dry off and change, and Nikki gave no indication that she was going to leave.


She eyed the top, though, wondering if the chain would at least be removed before she had to try and figure out how to put it on. Usually tops were put on over her head. The chain could pose a problem. Either way, she didn’t mention it immediately, but swallowed whatever modesty she had left and dried herself off, taking some time with it.


She didn’t want to see Master Alexis any sooner than necessary. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to let me escape, would you?” It was clear she knew the answer, but the question had to be asked regardless. “I have a paper due on Monday and my teacher won’t accept being kidnapped as an excuse.” It wasn’t on the list of acceptable excuses, anyway.


It was petty and mundane, but it was also her reality—the reality she wanted to go back to. She was going to cling to that dream, that possibility, for as long as she could.

 

[Luxii]

"You know, it would almost be worth dying to see the look on Alexis' face," Nicole said with a snort. "But unfortunately I don't feel like having my neck snapped, so you're stuck here with us."


Nicole liked this girl, Celeste. Most of the girls Alexis brought home were simpering, weak idiots. This girl had spunk and brains to boot. She saw the auburn-haired girl eyed the top that was laid out for her, then trailed a glance over to the chain that tethered her in place. "You can step into that and pull it up over your hips. It's stretchy." It was a black tank top and wide, roomy black pants. All the blood slaves wore similar outfits. The tanktop left their throats exposed. Would want anyone to actually work for their food now would we?


Celeste reminded her of someone... but she couldn't put a finger on it. Probably another student Nicole had seen in her trips to the city.


"Now, hop up on this bench when you're done. I'll just have to braid your hair." This was the reason Nicole had shorn off all of her hair. Alexis was obsessed with long hair in braids. It was easy to grab and pull on, just something else to be used against the slave. But if his new toy wasn't perfectly displayed, Nicole had no doubt she would be the one punished for it.


There was another knock at the door, and Mya poked her head back in. "10 minutes," she warned before shutting the door with a click behind her.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

“Well darn,” Celeste understood why Nikki wouldn’t, though, and it gave her a better idea of what Nikki’s status was in all of this. Not free enough. “I suppose I’ll stay for now, then.” And she approached the clothing laid out as the instructions were given. She set the towel aside and pulled the top on over her hips, odd as it was to do. She slipped the straps over her shoulders, and then pulled on the pants.


‘Well, this wasn’t as extravagant as expected.’ So there was one surprise, however slight. Somehow she’d expected to be put into something ridiculously elegant for display, but apparently that wasn’t so important. Then again, if she was to be a blood slave, clothes likely had little meaning. ‘Wonder if my diet is going to be dictated, too.’ Stray thought, a curiosity about whether or not food affected taste. Apparently blood type did, for them to be asking about it.


‘Won’t matter.’ Her mind insisted on that.


She approached the bench and took a seat as the knock was heard. Apparently quite a bit of time had been wasted, for she was expected in ten minutes.


A sigh parted her lips and she folded her hands atop her lap. “How long have you been here?” She inquired of Nikki, keeping her gaze at the floor a few feet ahead of her since there wasn’t much else to look at while Nikki did her hair. It’d been a while since it was braided. Usually she just brushed it out and went about her day. There was little time to do all the wonderful things she had imagined she’d do with long hair, though that was her own fault. She liked sleep more than she liked breakfast, so she didn’t leave much time for getting ready before classes.

 

[Luxii]

Her fingers deftly wove the strands of Celeste's hair under and over each other, it barely took any effort anymore - it was mostly muscle memory now. She thought it odd that Celeste actively tried to make conversation with her, none of the other girls had ever done that.


"About... 50 years, give or take. I was probably about your age before...." Her voice trailed off. That part of her life didn't need to be talked about, right now at least. "I -- uh-- I was a student at the university, Anthropology major."


She had still taken classes for a little while after, but soon dropped out. It was hard when you couldn't go outside in the sunlight for very long. Her fingers came to the end of the braid, which she secured with a rubber band from a drawer next to the bench.


"Listen, just-- don't fight him. Alexis has no qualms about smacking slaves around. Don't give him a reason to punish you - you will regret it." Why was she saying all of this? What did she care about some slave girl? But the words kept pouring out of her like water. "My room is down the hall.... if something happens, just scream and I'll hear you."


Their time together was drawing to a close, Nicole had to get Celeste upstairs in the next 5 minutes.
​

 

[Lucyfer]

Celeste smiled, but it wasn’t happy, when the woman told her what her major had been. ‘Oh.’ The study had no doubt changed in 50 years. She had read enough scholarly articles to know that, but to think this had happened to someone like her…it made it all the more real.


This woman was now a vampire, if her words were honest. Celeste had no reason to doubt her, but of course, no reason to trust her either. In this case, she went with trust. If it was an elaborate ruse, she’d give the woman credit for the act. It was good.


Advice came flooding from her, and Celeste listened to it all, nodded when it was finished. ‘I thought you didn’t want to die.’ Screaming, if it came to that, would mean the situation had gotten dire. Life or death. “Thank you,” she said as she rose. The braid felt strange. She couldn’t help but turn her head, just to see how it felt, how it moved, when her hair was usually loose. All the weight concentrated in one area was different.


She decided to share, “I’m an anthro graduate,” definitely present tense. It wasn’t going to change. She wouldn’t let it. “You know, they do a lot of…online courses now. It might be possible to start again,” though Nikki would have to start from scratch, though. Fifty years changed a lot—not to mention credits seemed to expire after five years anyway.


She looked down at the chain again, then at Nikki, “I suppose I shouldn’t be late, lest you or I get in trouble for it.” Celeste wouldn’t fight. It would do her no good and she knew that. There would be other ways to figure out an escape, but fighting was not going to be that way. Much as she dreaded what was to come, she understood there wasn’t an escape.


It wasn’t death, at least. It was a temporary setback, an obstacle, an annoyance, but not death.

 

[Luxii]

It was oddly ironic they shared the same major. Thought no doubt the program was vastly different now. It was sweet of Celeste to offer up the idea of online classes - a girl like her didn't deserve this. None of them did. She threw her a wry smile while she unhooked the collar from the chain in the floor.


"Look, just don't run, okay? I'd have to take you down and I don't want to do that."


Nicole took the other girl's arm, hooking the together at the elbows, much like her and Violet had walked arm in arm earlier. They walked down the hallway together, steps echoing off the walls and ceilings. The house seemed deserted, no one was walking about, which was odd for this time of night. Guess everyone knew better than to stick their noses in this little parade that Alexis insisted on everytime he brought a new slave girl home. It was if it say "look! look at what I have!". It childish.


Their path led up one of the double staircases and down another hallway. Alexis' door was the last one at the end, the largest living quarters. Nicole opened the door, her eyes instantly adjusted to the low level of light. Alexis had all of his drapes covering the windows even though it was the middle of the night.


"You'll have to get on the bed... sorry." Nicole hated this part. She would have to tether Celeste to yet another chain that was anchored into the wall behind the bed. And then she would have to leave her.



​

 

[Lucyfer]

Don’t run. She almost laughed at the advice, “All right,” and she let arm hook with the other girl’s. At least there was this, she supposed. It was not much of a hope, in fact, in many ways Nikki denied Celeste hope of a normal life later, but she would take what little comfort could be had from this vampiress.


Celeste didn’t struggle, nor did she fight. There was no running, she simply stayed in pace with the other girl, and noted how expansive the manor truly was, now that she was inside. ‘How many others are here?’ Little noise was being made to give away how many lived in these walls. She knew Alexis, Nikki, another woman, and the older slave. With a mansion this size, there had to be others.


Alexis’s room was dark when they entered it. Celeste squinted, and her eyes took a bit more time to adjust to the limited lighting. She could make out the general area of the bed when Nikki mentioned it. “Of course,” and she unhooked her arm from Nikki’s to walk over to the bed.


Celeste hated this collar. She hoped it didn’t ruin necklaces for her, later in life.


The metal of the chain was obvious. Celeste climbed onto the bed and folded her legs under her to sit, rather than lay down. She offered one, single nod, to indicate she would be all right with Nikki proceeding with the necessary arrangements. Once again, she clasped her hands in her lap, though if necessary she would allow them to be maneuvered and bound.


Her eyes averted to the blankets. Her mask returned.


~***~


“There’s no cameras that we can follow it with from here.”


The words that came from Donovan were damning, as the three men watched the black SUV disappear out onto the road. “I mean, I can guess some places it might have gone, but it could have gone way out of state, too.” Donovan was a realist. He didn’t imagine it had stayed near.


Gael gripped his coffee cup harder. He was all but spitting with anger over this insight, and he knew he needed to restrain it. Getting angry at Donovan wouldn’t fix anything. It wasn’t his incompetence, it was only that their access was limited. “I can call around, or—” he saw Gael stiffen, then. “What is it?”


Gael’s eyes were locked onto a camera that showed himself, talking to two blurs. “Dorothy? Earth to Dorothy?” Landry waved a hand in front of his eyes, and Gael slapped it away.


“There,” he pointed. “See those blurs?” They both nodded. “Follow them.”


“Why?”


“Because the people that took my sister were blurred, too.”


“Coincidence.”


“Bullshit.”


Neither of the men were willing to question Gael when he was angry, even if they thought his idea held no water. They followed the women on their path that night, observed them meet up with other men, and even observed a few get left behind, slumped against a wall. “Do you think they’re muggers?” Landry asked.


No one answered him. The blurs had just become very interesting to both Donny and Gael.