Chapter 3 Chapter 3

SERA'S POV

“Get in,” the platinum one ordered, standing at the door of the biggest carriage I had seen. I climbed in quickly, eager to begin my new life, terrified of what these men would do to me also.

The seats are pure leather, and inside of it smells cleaner and fresher than any house I had been out in, and I perched at the edge, watching the three predators step in and the door close behind them.

None of them had bothered offering their names to me, and I did not ask either. The carriage started to move, fast and steady towards my new life while I watched them intensely from the corner of my eyes.

The platinum haired one is at the end of the seat, his head outside. I trace his jawline with my eyes, the sharp edge calling to me…to caress and to use a small knife to crave it up, make it sharper. Hatred and Desire coil inside my chest, and I twist my palms to breathe the long fabric of my gown.

“Are you comfortable?” That voice. “Do you need anything?”

Why did he lie? His eyes did not show concern, yet his lips muttered the words between us. I shook my head, my gaze dropping to his moving lips.

“That's okay,” he said, “if you are uncomfortable, let me know please.”

His lips looked like they would be so soft to kiss, and mine trembled in response. As he leaned closer to talk to me, I was certain we were inhaling the same breath in the small space, from his parted lips, to my scared ones.

“We should be getting there soon,” he continued. I nod, glancing away before I throw myself at him, begging for just a kiss. The last vampire sat next to me. He had been muttering underneath his breath again, soft words I could not understand, his unblinking, darting eyes finding me at every point in time.

I adjusted a bit and he flinched, causing blood to rush up my head. He settled back into his seat, his face twisted and even in the dark, I see the monster he hides.

Pain.

Something has broken this man. Made him whatever this was. He was like that the rest of the journey, eyes moving, lips muttering and flinching every time I moved.

“We're here.”

I was sensing a pattern. The cold one led all of them, the rest followed. Or maybe, they just pretended to. My inner musings make me lose a step as I'm coming down from the massive carriage and soon, I am plummeting to the earth.

“Nooo,” I screamed, closing my eyes. Just before I hit the earth, a hand caught my waist. I am lifted up slowly, and the cold one is staring angrily at me, his hand on my waist.

“Clumsy,” he scolded, removing his hand like I was a sharp thorn. He walked away, hissing beneath his breath like I was a disease and the golden haired one stood behind me.

“That was unfortunate,” he giggled, and leaned closer to my ear. The hair on my neck stood as his breath tickled my neck, his lips seconds away from my skin. “Be careful, little pet,” he warned. “You’ll hear a lot of things here. Believe what you want, but be very careful.”

He walked away quickly, following his friend and the last one came down, barely glancing at me.

That was when I finally looked up at what was meant to be my new home.

It was enormous. One building, yet three very distinct designs that made no sense together, yet when I saw them stand in front of the rapidly opening gate, fitted them.

The moon seemed to disappear behind the structure like it was scared to be here. The first wing was made of ice. Blue just like his eyes, cold just like his heart. The second seemed to me made of gold, the shiniest and most glamorous part of the building. I saw golden flowers at the entrance, making my eyes go wider.

The third wing was something else. Thorns and trees seemed to have turned and twisted around it, and it had no light. I tried to look harder, but the darkness seemed to push me out, like it did not want me to know its secrets.

The three men barely say anything to me or themselves, instead, they walk in opposite directions, heading to their respective wings.

I stood at the gate for what seemed to be an eternity, before I took a step in. These men hated each other, that much was clear to me. They barely spoke to one another, and the carriage ride had left a bitter ashy taste at the back of my throat.

“Welcome,” a man stood in the middle of the compound, waiting presumably for me. I smiled at him, but he didn't smile back, his back as straight as an arrow, his old eyes showed no light. “The masters have asked us to take care of you and to show you to your chambers. Anything you will need to require, we will attend to you.”

We? They had a lot of servants it seemed. I followed the old man quietly, my head low even as rage bubbles in me. I was nothing to them, still they had just paid a freaking fortune for me. The least they could do was offer their names, goddamn it.

I barely notice the interior of the house, and soon, the man is pushing a door open for me. “Your room,” he said, bowing slightly. I had no luggage, and I had never owned clothes of my own, so I smiled against my judgement again. “Thank you,” I said, hoping for an answer as I stepped inside.

All I got was the door closing shut.

“Wow,” I gasp, looking around the large room. Warm lights from little torches hanging in the wall, the biggest bed I had ever seen and felt somehow softer to touch. I let my palm.run against it as I walked to the closet.

Clothes hung from every corner, all in my size. I raised a particularly beautiful grey gown in the air, sucking my teeth. The bathroom seemed to have been made with only granite, the floor cool as I walked in it, a small bath in the middle.

I walked back into the bedroom, checking the door. There was no key hole, but I was certain the old man had opened the door with a key. A gilded beautiful cage, one I could never escape from.

They were crazy, I thought, if they thought they would have access to me whenever they wanted.

I moved a dresser closer to the door. When I fell asleep, the minute someone tried to come inside, I would hear the table move. I checked the two windows, pleased when I could open it and allow the cold night air in.

But when I glanced down, all I saw was sharp rocks. No one would survive if they attempted to escape, but still a small smile tugged my lips.

I lay down on the bed, and for the first time in five years, the bones in my body relaxed. Finally, I had done it. I was deep in the heart of vampire power, with three kings. If I could learn about them, their weaknesses, their secrets, then I would finally be able to do something to them, something that could end vampires once and for all.

A small knock on my door caused me to look up in fear. I quickly moved the dresser away and sat back in bed, my heart thundering. Did they expect to feed so soon?

“Come in,” I called out. The door opened slightly and a small girl walked in, carrying a large tray between her hands.

“I brought dinner—”

“That is quite heavy,” I said, getting up to take the tray from her. She closes the door behind her, bowing slightly. “It was no problem, mistress,” she breathes.

She is so frail, I could hear her bones shake, and more importantly, she looked just as scared as I was. “That's okay,” I smiled at her. The tray was covered with all sorts of exotic meats, jasmine rice and strawberries.

“Would you love to join me?”

Just as I asked, her tummy rumbled, causing her to gasp and turn red. “Please, I insist,” I said, making space for her to sit. “I do not like eating alone.”

She started at the door, and back at me. “I shouldn't.”

“You won't be punished,” I said, understating it immediately. “Come on.”

She walked slowly, and sat on the floor. I sighed and brought the tray down, setting it between us. “Dig in.”

There was a set of cutlery, a small dinner knife next to the meat. She ate like a starved dog, pushing the meat deep into her open mouth, and I slipped the knife between my thighs, an extra source of protection.

'“Thank you,” she breathed when she was done. “You have been kind to me.”

I smiled. “It takes nothing to be kind.”

She bit her lips a bit, like she did not want to say anything. “The kings had a lottery,” she blurted, her face redder. “The mad one, he won the first night.”

The mad one. “Who was her?” I asked carefully, keeping my voice level.

“Lord Caspian,” her hands shook as he said his name. “He won against Lord Lucian and Lord Dante.”

Caspian. Lucien. Dante. Finally, their names.

“Can you tell me,” I cleared my throat, “what a feeding is like?”

Her eyes went wide and she stood up fast. “I have to leave now,” she said, carrying the half eaten tray. “So I don't get flogged.”

I heard the click of the key as she left and brought out the knife in my palm..it would do nothing against those men, but I would rather try than be willing for them.

Tomorrow night, I fell on my bed, my eyes dropping. Tomorrow night, the mad one will feed on me. Fear and terror creep up in my body, a reminder I am prey, yet there is something in my tummy.

I sleep, lying to myself that it is just adrenaline.