Bloodbank

Thirty

My veins were thrumming. I couldn't tell if it was the poison's doing, or fear.

The doors to the mansion, mere steps away, were immense. Intricately worked iron, gilded edges, large enough to crush an elephant. I was surprised when they cracked open, surprised that something that large could be moved. It was a show of wealth - as was the rest of the house - yet I was resisting the urge to flee.

Mason untied the ropes around my wrists. I heard a blade behind me and deduced they had also released Scott. I flexed my hands, free for the first time in days.

Slowly, the entrance hall was revealed. It was like a castle, candlelit from chandeliers, lined with eerily lit gothic statues. We stepped inside, onto a soft red rug.

"Welcome."

I didn't see him at first. He blended into his home, but as soon as he spoke and stepped forwards, it was difficult to unsee him. Clothed in black, shoulder length black hair, the tallest man I had ever seen. I wondered how I hadn't spotted him at the auction, where he had bought me, but if he was that good at hiding, no wonder. He was impossibly attractive, but not in the same way as Scott. Scott was angular and otherworldly, a marble statue. Lord Tenebris was ancient. His face had seen centuries, but he had no wrinkles to prove it. He moved as though to observe that which he had already seen hundreds of times. It felt ridiculous to even be in the same room as this being. 

I couldn't see a single feature that linked the father and son. Had Mason lied to me?

Tenebris scanned the group, and approached Mason. He was close enough to smell me - the pounding of my heart threatening to choke me.

"I see you have been successful," his eyes dropped to meet mine. And there it was, irrefutable proof. Scott's green eyes, on another man. I broke eye contact with him instantly, struggling to breathe. A part of me had doubted it until now. A part of me had risen with hope upon seeing this man that could never be Scott's father. And those hopes were dashed the moment those green eyes had touched me.

"Did you doubt me, Lord?" Mason asked, dropping into a bow. I had never seen him be so respectful.

"Never." Tenebris's lips quirked into a smile. His eyes - which now I could not stop staring at - landed behind me, and the smile left as soon as it had appeared. "My son."

I was pulled out of the way, my body moving like a doll's. I was weaker than I had ever been before, no strength to fight back. Why hadn't Tenebris drank my blood yet? Wasn't he desperate to taste what he had bought so long ago?

Scott knelt, his green eyes looking up to meet his father's.

"You tried to keep my property from me." Tenebris chuckled, "and you failed."

"I was going to take her back here myself, father," Scott began, still kneeling on the floor.

Tenebris raised his hand and slapped him, impossibly fast.

"Do not lie to me, boy." Tenebris laughed, a laugh which echoed around the immense hall, surrounding us, "I know you wanted it for yourself."

Scott's gaze was fixed on the floor. His face was still battered from his previous beating. Another bruise would soon be added to his collection. I would have felt sorry for him, but I almost wanted to thank Tenebris.

Tenebris turned back to Mason, "Stay for as long as you like, you are my guest here. I shall give you your reward shortly."

"Thank you, my Lord," Mason smiled. He turned to leave, to the guest quarters I assumed, but paused, "your men attempted to steal from you."

Tenebris' eyebrow twitched, so quickly I almost didn't see it. "Thank you for letting me know."

And Mason was gone.

Tenebris turned to Scott, "give my prize a tour of the house. You know where the room for new acquisitions is."

Scott picked himself up off the carpet. Strangely, I did not fear Tenebris. Perhaps it was part of his power, of which I had no doubt - a predator that made you feel comfortable. He hadn't looked at me for longer than a second yet, had given me no attention. I was struggling to figure out his game; I was clearly no more than an object to him, but if he had sought after me for so long would he not be gagging for a taste?

"And don't try anything." Tenebris finished. Scott nodded, and took my arm in his. I flinched, not wanting to touch him, but not having the energy to fight back. He was being so obedient - was he afraid of his father? Desperate to please him? I had never seen Scott like this, and I realised how little I knew about him.

He led me through the entry hall, to another ornate door, this one wooden. I couldn't mask my disappointment as we began to leave - I had expected Tenebris to have drunk from me on the spot, for him to already be dead and on the ground before words of welcome were exchanged. At this rate, I didn't know if I would survive until he drank from me. I didn't know if I would survive after, either. Scott had no reason to give me the antidote now. I would never trust him again.

As soon as the door closed behind us, the screams of Tenebris' men filled the immense house.