The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 1/The girl in the iron cage

Author's Note: Welcome to the edit of Slave to the Vampire Blood Lord. 

It has been a while since we (Reb and I) wrote this book. It was our first real collaboration and the first book we truly wrote together. We learned a lot but were new then.

We had a number of requests for a sequel, which was the original intention. Unfortunately, we followed Wattpad's 'just write it' mantra and then started writing a second book, which turned out to be 'I Was a Cyborg's Pet'.

So, before we came back to the sequel, we re-read the original and thought that with our experience, we could do so much better. What was supposed to be a quick grammar and spell check led to us doing much more editing of the material.

We also hate losing comments - your feedback is always so excellent. Please keep providing it. Therefore, we are editing the book as new chapters. This way, you can compare the new to the old.

So, expect a considerable upgrade to the original text and enjoy. Thanks RK&Reb. 

Chapter 1/The girl in the iron cage

As my iron cage swayed on the deck of the ferry boat, my mind wandered to places I could not go. I thought about the fate waiting for me at the hands of the vampire lord. My pulse raced like a trapped bird's frantic flutters as I gazed out from my metal box. I found my frequent breaths ineffectual. I held the bars and worried which felt colder the iron or my clammy skin. To distract my self I admired the ruined city of the dead around me.

When I looked up. I noticed the moonlight creeping through the broken windows of the dark tower. A tower casting long, menacing shadows over the streets of London.

"Steersman starboard. These waters are bad, especially now," the barge captain ordered.

"Aye, Captain." A voice replied.

As I left had I heard people were placing bets on how long I would survive. What shocked me most was that they weren't betting on the count of years, but on the count of weeks I would live. At this moment love was the furthest thing from my mind. If I felt anything it was noble or naive. In the end only one of those feelings was correct.

I was a grift to my father's people. In my eagerness to protect them from the vampires' wicked cravings I had agreed to all this misery. Now I felt the weight of my sacrifice descend upon me. I had after too much slow deliberation given myself up to the Dark House of the Meridian. Now for a brief heart beat I found myself descending into despair. I clenched my teeth, I must not, should not succumb to the shadow of fear, not here not now. Forming a fist I steeled myself for the unknown and the closing passed.

Our fleet of barges passed between the two tall pillars of Tower Bridge. Pillars that cast long shadows on the dark water below. The ship turned. It led a small group of tribute boats down the eerie Tooley Street canal. Here where the water seemed to hold ancient secrets.

In the distance, I saw my future prison, the Black Tower. It was a huge, dark, and menacing building with towering black spires that reached for the sky. It was surrounded by a moonlit lake that reflected its image. The water's ripples that made it seem arcane and full of omens.

The tower was far taller than anything else nearby. The moon's glow on the water's surface created an unsettling reflection. It hinted at hidden mysteries and a grim fate waiting for me within those dark walls.

"Captain, you're getting too close to the 'razor claws,'" the lead familiar warned.

He spoke with a serious tone, which pressed home the severity of my situation.

"We can't afford to lose his prize tribute. If we do, he'll feed on our souls." the familiar continued.

These words hung in the air. They acted as a dire warning of the the result of defing the figure they served.