Heather awoke from the fading nightmare to the sound of screams and smell of rose petals. A heavy knock on her cart woke her fully. The box car she had fallen asleep within was pitch black. Heather had been chosen so her sisters could eat well through the coming winter. A generation before, her aunt had been chosen to do the same for her mother. While others made a run for it, Heather accepted her fate. The nobles took their tribute in blood, and it was her time.

 

If she ran, her father would be blamed and take her place.

 

She wished she had gone was taken with Amy; at least then she wouldn’t have been alone.

 

Heavy hinges creaked open, and the faintest moonlight filtered in. A towering dark-haired youth with tragically beautiful high cheekbones stood still enough to forget he was alive.

 

“Is it my time?” Heather asked.

 

“Follow me, and don’t run; it's too late for that.” The youth said.

 

She followed behind him and gasped at the sight around her. A garden of blue roses in bloom climbed up the walls of a tower within Grey Keep. Damp stone glittered in the moonlight giving the castle a magical atmosphere grander and larger than she had dreamed.

 

“It's beautiful,” Heather said.

 

“Thank you,” The man said.

 

“Do you tend the gardens?” She asked.

 

There were no other guards, and the gate behind her was wide open. But she wasn’t dumb; the guard would catch her if she ran. No amount of luck would matter against a lesser vampire. Hope died when her mother chose her to give up as a tax to the nobles. If she were lucky, some noble would take a liking to her and use her for sex and blood. She might get pregnant and become the noble’s mistress while her youth lasts.

 

She watched the youth’s back and hoped it was him. She had never seen a more beautiful man in her sixteen years.

 

“Did you hear that the lady’s familiar was slain by a human? They say the man was the size of a bear and terrorized the elves.”

 

At those words, her heart beat a little faster. Familiars of nobles were almost as strong as lesser vampires. She couldn’t see a knight in shining armor come to rescue them from the nobles.

 

“Don’t pay attention to the gossip. Many want to observe your reaction and make policy from such a low subject pool.”

 

The youth-led her to an elevator, where she heard another scream much louder than the others. Heather’s heart pounded in her chest. This was it; she was about to find out what the nobles had in store for her. She preyed to be given as even a practice girl to a bratty noble or a nursemaid to a young lady.

 

 The elevator stopped, and a massive man-shaped thing wearing a long cloak full of holes cut them off. It turned its head, and she saw too many eyes and stitches across the monster’s face. Too many grasping hands reached out of the cloak for her until the youth blocked their path.

 

“Enough, Victor; this one isn’t for you.” The youth said.

It clicked then for her who this creature was.

 

A room of laughter escaped the creature sending a chill down her spine. There were too many voices to it. “A hog to slaughter for my mistress will soon be in my trough. She is picky; there are always leftovers.” The creature said.

 

In the youth’s shimmering eyes, she saw pity. He could save her. She prayed he took a liking to her and requested her instead of the monster’s mistress. Anything was better than being that creature’s leftovers.

 

She mounted her courage and put on her saddest face. Then, the moment she had the youth’s attention, she took her chance.

 

“I heard stories about the mad doctor who sewed bodies together. Deus blasted the thing with lightning, but it rose, killed the doctor, and sewed the man’s body to itself. They say it takes parts from young girls to make a lady for itself to this day.” The youth narrowed his eyes. “If you have any decency in your heart, don’t let it use me.” Heather said.

 

“I will try.” The youth said.

 

She was brought to a door where she heard women splashing and playing. The screams had stopped before she reached the top floor. It never meant anything good when the screams stopped.

 

An impeccably beautiful lesser vampire with snow-white hair and lovely red eyes waited at the room's entrance.

 

“Took you long enough; you will entertain us if the bath gets cold.”

 

Were they washing her before she had sex with the noble, or would she bathe with the noble as a toy? It was better than the food.

 

Her heartbeat evened out, and she relaxed. Getting out may not be an option, but there must be a way to survive longer. If she could get pregnant with a noble’s child, all her problems would be solved.

 

The maid opened the door, and she screamed until the youth covered her mouth. Girls in her age group were stacked with the save two slits in their throats. Their naked bodies were tossed in the corner of the room while the monster searched through them. Just when it felt like her heart would explode, her eyes met those of the lesser vampire, and her body froze. Her mind continued to freak out, but her body calmed down.

 

“There, that’s better.”

 

“After this one is drained, could you have her incinerated? I promised I wouldn’t let her become a part of Victor.” The youth said.

 

She chose to hold on to that shred of decency she was allowed to keep. Even if she was going to die soon, she wouldn’t become a part of a monster.

 

“Your promises mean nothing to me, but a gold piece might change my mind.”

 

“I could buy a dozen replacements for her with that.”

 

Victor approached, reaching out with too many hands. She felt them grasp her cheeks, and the youth didn’t protect her this time.

 

“This skin is so smooth, and I want it. Do not get between us, Victor. My bride must have this smooth skin.” Victor said.

 

Her mind recoiled even as her body remained frozen.

 

“We can’t let lady Elizabeth’s bath get cold.” A maid yelled.

 

Heather was rushed inside a room where the most beautiful woman she had ever seen was bathed in blood. The silver hair beauty with lithe features, full breasts, and hungry red slit eyes barely gave her a glance. Other beauties enjoyed the company of each other in the bath, reaching fingers between thighs below the blood-filled tub.

 

She was taken to a machine, strapped in, and flipped upside down. The teen felt her blood pounding in her eardrums as she was lowered facing the pool. One of the beauties sat up on the corner of the tub and spread her legs wide. She spread her legs, revealing her tight labia and another vampire moved, lunged, and sank her fangs into the vampire’s thigh. After a moment, she pulled away, licking her lips before moving on to the vampire’s inner depths. The maid moved around her with practiced ease turning her until her neck was better facing the tub.

 

Heather screamed inside her head as her body rebelled, obeying quietly like a doll. She couldn’t even fight against the straps. There was no hope; all the stories lied; there was never a noble to take an interest in her or a chance to have a child.

 

The nobles moved closer, breasts exposed, as she felt two light slashes. Her blood gushed out of her with every calm heartbeat. Then, as it fell on the girls, they massaged their breasts and rubbed between their legs with Heather’s lifeblood.

 

When her blood stopped flowing, she thought that was it, but she was left to linger as her mind shut down.

 

“You will go to the elf lands and avenge my familiar. But do not worry, you won’t go alone. I will send my vagabonds to smoke out the human who slew my familiar.”

 

She hoped the human killed all of them.

 

Heather awoke to pain, lancing up her body, and felt needles poking through her skin. “There is life in this vessel yet.” Her eyes opened, and needle-sharp barbed black worms dug into her. Her eyes widened as a feminine face stared down at her. She screamed as her body merged with a monster. Twisted thoughts screamed with her as the black thread touched her mind.

 

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