Chapter 4: Finding the Lonely Captive of the Night

I left Nico at the tavern, safely tucked into bed. I can feel my power grow, as the sun sets. Maybe, there is something to the vampire mythos, which holds water? Something small, but not something I would miss.

The thing about the red-light district is that, everyone knows where it is. I don't take long, to ask a man for directions. It seems that he is heading the same way.

I don't judge, just follow him. I listen with half an ear about his troubles at home. How his wife began to cough up blood, ever since these blasted ships came from the East. I don't tell him that I came from one such ship. The last thing I need, is for my guide to run away screaming.

The thing about brothels is, that they all smell the same. Sure, the sweet scents may fool some people, but there is the smell of old sex that streams out of the walls. I smell the place, long before we round the corner.

I look at my guide, who is still talking. He is not my type. Not like Gaius, whose ripped body looked made to be worshiped. Then again, my guide is but a human. A family man, who, instead of being by his wife, as she dies, goes out whoring.

Not that I can judge. I am here for the same reason.

All human blood is sweet to a vampire. I can barely describe it. I have been with more than one type of person, in the past twenty years. Young, tall, short, thin, fat, old, if you can name a body type, I would simply smile at you, and lick my lips.

As the two of us, my guide and me, enter the first brothel on the strip, I look around. The place is oh so very vanilla. There are the normal whores in here.

Women, down on their luck. Each one with fake redness on her cheeks. Cheeks, which are hollow. Almost as if they are a part of the public image.

"Well, take care," my guide claps me on the shoulder, and then gets lost in the crowd. I smile at his retreating, and then look around. Now, who should I snack on?

Would it be that buxom woman, who is speaking with two men, on the love seat? Her legs are long, and she is plump enough. A well-kept whore. One who might even enjoy her work. No, I do not need her.

Then there is this thin girl, who looks around with wide eyes. A man reaches out for her, and she flinches away. He scoffs, definitely not wanting to be rejected but with just about enough humanity in him, to know that he is not wanted.

And so, I find my charity case.

With silent steps, I make it to the skittish hare of a girl. I clear my throat, and she looks at me.

"I am not serving," she sounds defiant enough, but I don't mind. After all, I can handle just about everything. What is one mortal, in the grant scheme of things?

"Are you certain? Can't you make an exception, for me?" I ask her, my hand going to hers. My pheromones are turning more than one head. Yet, it seems, her fear is stronger than my scent.

"I am not serving," she repeats, her voice going shrill.

I flash her my fangs, and finally manage to kiss her hand.

"How would you like to get out of here, then?" I tug her closer to me. Mm, what do we have here? She is blushing a lovely red color. Could we have an innocent, in the hen house?

"The Madam won't let me out," she sniffs then, and nuzzles closer to me. "My debt is too great."

"How about you change hands?"

"Change hands?"

"I need blood, not what you have between your legs," which is the truth. I have no taste for sex, unless it is with a man. Oh, how I wish that Gaius wasn't such a stubborn son of a …

"My debt is 1,000 gold coins," and this makes me blink. Just what did this girl do, for her debt to pile up like this?

"Now this, I have to hear. Are you a princess, perhaps?" I jokingly try to guess. She sniffs me once more. Coming ever closer to me.

"I used to be a noble lady. My stepmother sold me to the brothel, to help pay for the upkeep of our castle," well, this is nothing new. I sigh.

"And you didn't try to run away?"

She uncovers her leg, from the thin veils that made her look almost pixie-like. There it is, a tear shaped tattoo.

"Run away, with this? I would have ended up back in here in a flash," ah, a noble lady, with some sense in her brain? I think she will make a good mother for Nico.

"Well, let us go and pay your debt, then," I let her lead me up the stairs, and to the office of the Madam. I can tell she is mostly out of it. Then again, that is the whole point of me using precious blood, to dazzle her mind.

A short exchange with an old woman, who eyed me like a piece of meat the entire time, and I have my prize in my hands. She clutches to my arm, as I take her out of the brothel.

"You really don't want to?" I can guess that she is trying to understand me. Silly girl. I don't even understand myself, most days.

"Just your blood, my lady," she blinks at the way I addressed her. Yet, I don't mind.

Just leading her to the tavern is ok. She turns more than one gaze when she enters. Suddenly, the haze I have her in, seems to thin out. She looks down at her veil covered body, and hides behind me.

Once a lady, always a lady. I wonder if the barmaid has some spare clothes for my dear lady? One can hope.