6. Expectations beyond limits.

The vampires and humans.

Ocean

"They say that I was nearly sixteen when the Count bought me. Honestly, I have no idea how the years are supposed to go by; I only know how the day goes. The other girls, well, my friend Freya - she knows how we are supposed to count time, and she takes notes. At the end of each day, she adds another number. The auction was two years ago, so I know I'm almost eighteen now." There are so many things I would rather keep to myself, but the vampires will see that I am lying. There's no proof that Octavius or Kieran won't hurt me if I tell lies, so I decided to tell everything I could. "My biggest mistake was believing in the guard. Before Vladimir took me to his nightclub, he demanded the rank test - whatever that means. I'm not sure if you want to know how it went, but the process was heinous and extremely painful. I thought they were going to draw my blood like they usually do, but instead, they cut out a piece of my flesh; that's why I have this scar." I roll up my sleeve to reveal the huge, square-shaped scar on my upper arm. It didn't look like a typical scar - it went below my skin, meaning there was a big chunk of flesh missing there. I shift in my seat and look down as the vampires take their time looking at the unusual scar. Then, as the men retreat, I can finally hide the hideous thing and continue talking. "I am aware of the number things you use, and apparently, my number is quite rare. That's why I mentioned the guard - he told me there wasn't a vampire who could afford me, but as it turns out, I was his property before the rank test since Melody took Vladimir up on his offer."

The room falls silent as all three of us sink into their thoughts. There were many details Octavius and Kieran did not know about my life, and since I was willing to tell them more, they patiently sat back to wait until I felt comfortable enough. "He took us to the club, and the guards showed us to our rooms. I wouldn't call those rooms comparable to what I was shown today - the place we called home was more like a dungeon for prisoners. If there was one thing that mattered to the Count, it was the remote control for my collar. The other girls got regular collars ages ago, but I'm stuck with this damn electric thing. I can't even count how many times he had used it to make me suffer," I slid a finger under the collar around my neck. Usually, they were fancier, and the kind of collar I wore was one used for animals. Was Vladimir purposely making me feel like I was nothing more than a caged animal, or did he see me as just another toy? Why are those thoughts coming to my mind only now? I quickly regained my posture and kept talking. "My life there may seem rather plain to those who hear my story. On the days the nightclub did not open, I ran errands for the Count while he followed me. Most of those days, he would surprise me in a dark street, shock me with the collar, or try to get a taste of my blood. Every time I reminded him that I wasn't of age, my friend told me to use it - it worked, but not without consequences. Then, on the days the nightclub was open, I had to dance. Luckily, Vladimir never allowed us to be completely naked in front of the men, but that doesn't mean we didn't feel violated. Before you guys showed up, he promised that he would sell me on my birthday - many men are eager to take human's virginity, at least that's what Vladimir told us. So technically, my life for the last two years has been a vicious cycle of pain, humiliating dancing, and fighting for my purity. Nothing big, really." A tear slides down my cheek as the memories flood back into my mind. Perhaps my words sound like it was nothing, but the things I felt, and saw were a different story. You must stand in my shoes to understand the feeling.

Suddenly, Kieran grabs the nearest chair and throws it against the wall before he storms out of the room. I jump up in my seat, worried that my words had set the vampire off and he would come back to teach me a lesson. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset him," I stammer, struggling to hold back the tears that run down my cheeks. Fear has always been absent in my life, but I don’t think that Vladimir’s vicious behaviour has ever scared me as much as Kieran’s anger.

"Don't mind that imbecile; he's in denial. My brother is not particularly good at expressing any emotion that is not pure rage. Anyway, let's stop thinking about the negative aspects of life and change the subject. You live with us now; you're safe. Breathe, Ocean." Octavius places a hand on my shoulder and gives me a little squeeze to let me know he's there for me. "How about I tell you more about the rank system, so you don't feel so lost when someone mentions the numbers?" He suggests.

"That would be lovely, thank you," the tension in the room breaks as soon as a faint smile crosses my lips. My head lifts, eyes locked on the vampire.

"Let's start with the vampires, shall we? Aside from those that feed on blood, there are many other species. Some argue that these are the next steps in evolution, but more argue mutation. Most famous, of course, are the vampires from the lost history books - feeding on blood, avoiding sunlight, the undead. To put it in simple words - that would be Kieran and me. Then come the skinners - an ugly, terrifying creature that feeds on skin, but even the ancient vampires would do anything to destroy their existence. Furthermore, the immortal leaders disapprove of the waste the skinners leave behind, taking the least vital part of the body and leaving a bloodstream behind. As hated as the skinners are, they can't get even close to the crawlers. Another mutation of an ancient vampire - they can't walk, hence the whole species crawls. Unlike others, they don't feed on humans, but still have the primitive instinct to hunt and kill humans. Most crawlers drag their victims around until they get bored and bury the bodies. Last, but not least, there are the Daywalkers - an unusual mutation that occurs when a human woman carries a child, is bitten by a vampire, and gives birth to it before becoming a vampire herself. Daywalkers can walk around during the day, mingle, and feed on human food. There is no other information about them, but the vampires know that there are already more than a dozen Daywalkers. They are one of the biggest threats to the old vampires - a new, superior species. Most Daywalkers live their lives as humans without knowing their true selves; therefore, it's nearly impossible to track them down. Personally, I'm obsessed with them - the idea of being able to walk under the sunlight excites me. It's been centuries since I've seen the bright day star." I listen to the passion in Octavius' voice and smile. The vampire did not put his own and the mutants' as better. Instead, he spoke of his desire to see the sun and feel the sun's rays warm his skin. I’m sure the sun must be beautiful if the man could not forget the magical object. I wouldn't mind seeing it for myself someday. His zeal and passion are admirable. They remind me of Freya and make me miss the terrible place because of the people I had to leave behind.

Octavius clears his throat and smiles, "Just like vampires, there are different ranks of humans in the New Invictus. The lowest rank is blood bags, sorry but that's what we call them, it might be hard to get rid of the habit, but I'll try. Anyway, no one feeds directly off them, but their primary cause is to give blood to those in need. Usually, the vampires sort them into ranks, the highest being nine. Then there are servants and followers. These humans serve the assigned vampire, but the superior cannot feed directly on them either. Feeding off a human's jugular vein is an extra only a few can afford. Servants and followers have the luxury of choice; they can bank their blood every three months and refuse to donate if they don't want to draw blood. As for rank, they wear a bracelet with a number ten engraved on it, between the blood bags and the "elite." The only untouchable ones are allies, humans who do the dirty work of burying and killing other humans at the vampire's command. No matter how much someone wishes to taste their blood, a vampire can face the death penalty for feeding on allies. Even though the system claims Invictus has humans up to fifty-five ranks, allies carry a higher number. It does not increase their value, but the number sixty tattooed on their forehead gives away the secret. Then there is the most valuable kind of people - the high-ranking entertainers. Only the richest and most influential vampires can collar a pureblood human, a rarity, a delicacy. We were not the only species to leave the shadows - with us came many more, and even more took in humans to mate with. Within the first hundred years, the population was nearly overtaken by hybrids. Vampires do everything they can to collar the pureblood humans and raise them as their pets. Unlike others, these humans are kept in private chambers where the owner can take care of their property and wait for them to blossom. Collared humans are the forbidden fruit, especially women. Well, at least that's what our law says; you're pretty much proof that some owners abuse their power. Money can buy a lot here, but not everything, sweetheart. The law is dispassionate towards those who ignore it. The owners often make them work in nightclubs as exotic dancers, bartenders, or waitresses. It's a power play that shows the wealth and endless potential that can be achieved if you find the right connections. But unfortunately, these women are nothing more than an accessory, a doll that others look at but never touch. We don't know how the Council vampires set the numbers for the human elites. Usually, those of rank thirty and up are the ones we call forbidden fruit - the ones who take time and are worth every hour of waiting. Once they reach that age, however, their purpose will change." Octavius coughed and averted his eyes. The simple act made me think I would find something that would not make me happy. Despite that feeling, I sit patiently, waiting for the vampire to continue talking. "The owner will begin to feed on them. It is not enough for an adult male vampire to take some of the woman's blood to reach the euphoric, almost drugged state of bliss - they must perform coitus for that. Most collared women don't reach the age, but those that do die within a few weeks if the owner is inexperienced. Even the ancient vampires can't help it; they want more and let greed devour them."

I swallow loudly. I know the meaning behind the fancy word Octavius used, probably intentionally to agitate me. My eyes widen as I let my mind repeat his words. Did he mean I would die because the two brothers would feed on me during sex? Why would I even want to sleep with them? "Wait, so you brought me here and went through the trouble of getting a doctor here just so I'd sleep with you? I know I have no choice, and you can kill me whenever you feel like it, but this is ridiculous. I've never been with a man, let alone kissed one - what makes you think I'd do something like that to you? It's fine by me to be here so you can suck my blood, but that's it. I'm not going to get involved with the undead. Kill me now, right now, but I refuse to sleep with you, either of you." The look of terror on my face reveals how truly frightened I am. Octavius jumps to his feet as soon as he registers how much unnecessary stuff he had said. Not once did the vampire consider that I might understand his intentions.

He hovers over the table, bringing his face insanely close to mine. "Calm down; I never said you have to sleep with me or my brother. Well, at least for now. Let us see what the future holds for us, who knows, you might fall in love with us." He wiggles his eyebrows and sits back down.

I stare at the vampire, thinking of how wrong I was. Octavius seems nice, but deep down, he is just as sick and twisted as the rest of the bloodsucking maniacs. "Never in a million years would I fall for someone who kills to live forever. Let's see who falls in love with someone, because it won't be me. Even if you torture me, I won't say those words. Vampires and their nature - they always underestimate everyone. Selfish asshole."