Unchained

Chapter 4

The banquet hall was busy with the guests. Mostly residents from the town but a few others that traveled from out of town.

Ophidy knew only a few that were immediate relatives, but since her mother's death her father kept a close eye on her and she lived a very sheltered life.

Her uncle approached her.

"Uncle Oziaus!" She called as he neared, he held a big smile.

"How are we feeling love?" He said as he wrapped his arms in a hug around her, "I trust you tried the new pill, it should be especially effective."

She smiled, "It's actually really wonderful, I feel like this is the closest to normal I've ever felt really." her smile grew to a grin.

She loved her uncle, he was more welcoming and warm than her father. He was a scientist that had a lab high in the mountains. She didn't see him often but when she did she felt this is the relationship she was missing with her father. She hadn't so much as spoke to her father this whole event. She caught sight of him a few times speaking with prominent figures but for the last hour he had been missing. Probably stepped away for private conversations.

"That's grand, we should have enough to last quite a while, our new source is young and powerful enough to produce enough samples, we have brought some to the charity event." He continued.

Ophidy couldn't stop the feeling of horror that she felt in the pit of her stomach.

"You mean a single source is where this is coming from?" She said somewhat stunned.

Normally they only capture and take what they need and release. There was no point in destroying the livestock so to speak.

But the thought of one individual creature having to give so much for those that didn't need it seemed somewhat selfish. She may have been sheltered but she read enough books she had her morals at least.

"Is the creature... Okay with that?" She asked carefully.

He glanced at her curiously. "Well they are a criminal from a violent gang." He paused but looked her square in the face after a brief moment and continued, "I'm not sure if your father would be pleased by me telling you this... but if it helps, know this criminal is from the gang that killed your mother."

Ophidy gasped, not expecting that revelation.

It took her a few moments to process that information, her head felt as if it were spinning.

"How do you know that?" She asked, her voice slightly trembling.

"Well she is from the Abraxas gang, that is the demon group known for killing vampires. He was the one in the area when your mother..." He trailed off, not wanting to go into particulars. "She was found out snooping our lands and got in a fight with our guards."

She nodded, "I see "

She ...

So that means it was a female creature. What could it have been? Certainly not a dragon. That would be much too dangerous to keep confined and it's powers much too great to try and harness. A dragon wouldn't want to hang around demons either.

He clapped a hand on her shoulder, "Cheer up, this is a grand occasion. It's not often you can benefit the masses and also get vengeance!"

She smiled weakly and nodded.

That somehow didn't make her feel better. She felt very conflicted right now.

Her uncle bode her farewell and yelled a greeting to a group of people before walking over and getting lost in conversation with them.

Ophidy didn't feel very social. She normally wasn't around so many people with all these different personalities. Suddenly she wasn't in the mood to be there at all.

She stood next to the table, many chalices filled with blood lined it and she wondered if all this too was from the creature locked up and basically being tortured.

She almost didn't realize when she was no longer alone. A young man with messy black hair and dark black eyes stood next to her. He was taller and lean. He smirked at her. His fangs long and pearly white.

"Hi there Lady Yanik. I saw you standing here alone and thought I'd introduce myself." He smiled and his eyes crinkled warmly but Ophidy had an uneasy feeling about him but she smiled back to be polite.

"Hi, please, just call me Ophidy. Might I ask your name?" She thought it weird to ask but he didn't introduce himself.

"Yes I'm sorry, I should have started with my name. I'm Jeffery, Jeffery Bix." He held his hand out and she shook it loosely.

She couldn't help but analyze his hands and concluded they most certainly weren't the ones from her dream. Thank goodness.

"And you can just call me Jeff." He smiled in a way that others would probably call charming but Ophidy smiled uneasily. Please don't say he was flirting with her.

"Okay." She responded, she felt her face growing warm from the awkwardness she was feeling. She hoped he didn't think she was blushing at him. "What brings you all the way to the charity Jeff " she questioned after a few moments of silence.

"I'm here with my father, he works at your uncle's lab. As his firstborn son it's sort of a responsibility to come to stuff like this." He twirled his hand gesturing to the full banquet hall.

"Also I heard you'd be here." He added, looking her in the eyes and gave a smirk.

She inwardly groaned. This was going to be a long night.