Chapter 19 Come Out, Come Out
Come Out, Come Out
JODELLE
“Your blood, human, the adrenaline, it drives me insane,” the cackling vampire howls.
The other two vampires join in the laughter as my heart pounds frantically, a drum thundering—a beat for them to follow.
I try to steady my breathing, knowing it will not help; they can smell me from a mile away.
I think. My mind is a clouded mess as I try to recall as much information as possible about vampires.
All the things my mother and father told me and my sisters before they were taken away from us, but nothing worthwhile comes to mind.
Instead, my head fills with memories, taking me back to the night my sisters and I were taken.
It didn’t take long for the night creatures to return and decide my sisters and I were also going to the farms up North.
It was a future we sealed for ourselves the minute we didn’t flee our village when Mother and Father were taken to be sold at the human auctions.
It was foolish, yet I had no idea where to run to; none of us did.
We were the four of us, wandering prey, wondering if we would run away.
Either way, death was our foreboding; the only decision that was ours was whether it’d be a quick death or a slow, humiliating one.
It would be slow, painful, and humiliating if I didn’t act.
They dragged us out of our home while we kicked and screamed, no one daring to look at us or at the vampires taking us.
No human would dare to interfere with night creature business, and I couldn’t blame them; neither would I.
Before I was taken, I had witnessed numerous abductions in plain sight, no one batting an eye, including me.
The taking was forceful with intent. They could have compelled us, but the sick bastards enjoyed our frightened state, the fear coursing through our veins as we were taken to the unknown.
The fight we put up was a cruel joke against their superior strength.
The trip takes less than a day, and I lose track of how many times I throw up from the fast pace of our journey through forests and cities.
Arriving at Verdant Fields almost feels liberating until I see the carnage around us.
My sisters are taken to the blood farm, but I am taken to Eldririn, one of the breeding farms there.
“Where you can make pretty little humans that we can eat,” the vampire threatens.
I vomit all over him at the thought of becoming a breeding mare for vampires. He looks at me with disgust, then strikes me across the cheek. I glare at him as I spit out a mix of phlegm and blood.
“I will not be some breeding mare for you filthy creatures,” I hiss at him.
The vampire cackles.
“I will have so much fun with you; breaking strong-spirited humans is my favorite way of passing the time.” He grins widely, his sharp teeth on display, and I wince at the sight.
“Now shut up; we need to go,” he spits as he grabs my arms firmly, the shackles clanking at the movement.
Right before we are set to leave, two men walk up to us; the vampire handling me welcomes them, smiling. Friends, it seems.
“I thought you were in such a hurry, vampire. Why don’t you just invite your stupid friends, and we can get on the road?” I taunt.
The vampire jerks his head at me, his eyes thin slits of darkness. “Such a feisty little creature you are.”
Then he turns to the other two vampires. “Care to accompany us at the human's request? It seems one vampire isn’t enough for her, hah. I’m sure her blood is formidable. She has enough spunk.”
Both men lick their lips, and I swallow, unsure if my little act of defiance was a smart move. I hope their joining will slow the traveling so I can think, perhaps even escape, without the constant nausea clouding my thoughts.
They nod, and when one of them speaks I want to hug him—which I would if he weren’t a vampire.
“We’ll join, but let's take it easy, Augustus, unless you need to deliver her at a certain time.”
Augustus waves dismissively.
“Nah, we can take the broad and relax at some of the towns on our way to Eldririn,” Augustus responds.
I carefully release the breath I am holding. I might have a slight chance to break away from them, flee, run, and fight for my freedom.
“I heard Valorya is a great city to visit,” the other vampire says, a blonde-haired one.
“Isn’t that near the Umbra?” the dark-haired one responds.
“Don’t worry about the Umbra; no one has ever caught a glimpse of him in the Northern territory, even though it’s supposed to be his. Valorya is safe to visit. Let’s go through the Der Grünen and then go there first,” Augustus concludes.
The men agree, and we start walking normally—no vampire speed. I murmur a small prayer to the old Gods. It feels as if fate intervened, giving me a fighting chance.
The three vampires walk before me, and I follow them like a dog, collar and all.
Despite not using their supernatural speed, their pace is still faster than mine, and I stumble behind them, trying to keep up.
They laugh at my inferior being and pull the leash taut occasionally just to see me fall.
My knees and feet are a bloodied mess from crashing down on stones and gravel—the rock cutting into my skin, the soles of my feet filthy and ruined.
Yet, somehow, I manage to push through the pain and ignore it.
I need to be ready to flee, and I can’t let the hurt hold me back, preventing me from escaping this ordeal.
I grind my teeth as I get up, pushing myself off the floor and getting on my feet one foot after the other.
Their hollering laughter roars in my ears as they humiliate me.
“Augustus, her blood, it smells so delicious. Can’t we have a small taste?” the blonde vampire asks.
Augustus shakes his head dismissively.
“I’m supposed to bring her to the farms, but if a Blood Witch wants her and offers enough money, I’d sell her, and some of those damn witches don’t like the blood being mingled with our saliva, which makes it less pure. Anyway, taking a bite could bring down her value.”
“What do you mean by selling me to a Blood Witch? What use could I be for a witch?” I interrupt, horrified.
All three vampires turn their heads at me, first frowning, then their bellowing laughter cuts through me like a knife, making me feel like an idiot for even asking.
Within a second, Augustus is behind me, his foul breath on my skin, and I shiver.
He trails a finger along my arm, eliciting goosebumps.
I can’t have him hurt me; I need to escape.
My mind races, leaping from one half-formed idea to the next, each more frantic than the last. No plan seems right.
His voice brings me back to the present as he speaks softly in my ear.
“Such a pure little human, so na?ve… I wish I could keep you all for myself.”
He whiffs at my hair, and the motion makes my skin crawl. The other two vampires watch us with intrigue and anticipation, following Augustus’s every movement.
“I’m not na?ve,” I sneer in response.
Augustus spins me around, making me face him.
“Oh, but, love, you are.”
He caresses my cheek, and I pull away my face and glare at him. I bite the inside of my cheek and force myself to shut my mouth.
“Blood Witches, the only ones that still roam this continent… are a special breed of witches, performing their magic and rituals with blood, preferably human blood. You see… humans are not contaminated in any way; your blood is not touched by any form of magic, making it ideal to use it for precisely that. So, Blood Witches pay good money for humans, especially when they are still young, healthy, strong… and a virgin.”
I snap my eyes at him. He grins, showing his razor-sharp teeth. “Sore spot, it seems. Good to know; it’ll add value for you.”
“I swear if you don’t shut up, I’ll make you, asshole,” I shout, then proceed to spit in his face.
The vampire snarls at me as he wipes away the phlegm from his face.
“You disgusting bitch… I wasn’t sure if I would be willing to sell you to a Blood Witch, but now I am.
Oh, right, love, fun fact: Blood Witches can only use blood that they obtain violently.
I’ll make sure to find a witch with a knack for torture, just for you,” he hisses at me, fury written all over his face.
I swallow. Shit. I start apologizing and pleading with the vampire.
The farms don’t sound so bad now, but my pleas go unacknowledged.
I insulted him too deeply. Vampires are vain and proud creatures, Jodelle.
I hear my father's voice telling me. Without looking at me, Augustus yanks on the leash, making me stumble forward as he mumbles with his traveling companions.
When we are almost at the border of the woods, the vampires decide to take a break.
As before, they remove my shackles and tie me to a branch of a tree. When the knot is set, the dark-haired one looks at his handiwork.
“You are really good at that, you know,” I say attempting to flatter him, but he barely acknowledges my existence.
“Augustus, shall we leave her here and find ourselves a bite real fast?” he calls out instead.
I see Augustus thinking it over, and I realize this is my one chance.
My mind is ablaze, firing off wild scenarios, each more terrifying than the last. What if they catch me?
It doesn’t matter; anything is better than being sold to some fucking Blood Witch.
I sit down meekly at the base of the tree, my tied arm in the air, and I start to sob softly as I rub my sore feet with my free hand.
I sigh deeply, as if I feel relief I don’t have to stand, let alone walk, for a while, and I stare off in the distance as if I am dissociating.
I feel Augustus’s burning stare, trying to decipher whether I am genuine or pretending.
I avoid his eyes as if I’m too afraid to look at him, remorseful of my previous actions.