Annabelle held Oda closely as she watched Bree come into the room, holding Jasper’s hand as he toddled next to her.Bree had explained to her son that Oda was a human child, and very fragile.“But humans bad, right Mommy?”
She sighed, then smiled down at her vampire son. “Oda isn’t.She is just a little tiny baby and we are all going to help raise her to be a good human girl.”
“Can I play with her?”He looked up at his human mother with excitement in his eyes.Vampire children were pretty much nonexistent, and he only played with adults before this.“I be careful.”
“She can’t walk yet.And she is too heavy for you to carry her.”
“I vampire, Mommy.I carry her.”
Bree shook her head and smiled at him. “No.Not yet, ok? You can look, but,” she touched his nose, “absolutely no biting!”
Annabelle stood before Bree, the Emperor’s wife.She looked down nervously.Bree wasn’t used to this, she hadn’t seen any human slaves in a while since she was ordered to be isolated from them until she was turned.The only slaves she met were when she and Zane were together, and they were so afraid of Zane that she never dreamed that they could ever be afraid of little ol’ her, too.But, here was Annabelle, a young mother like herself, and her chin was nearly on her chest as she bowed.“Please, Annabelle.You don’t have to act like a slave girl around me.”Bree’s gentle laughter was soothing and Annabelle looked up at her.“You are so beautiful, Annabelle.Your hair so fair, your eyes so green.Don’t hide them, stand tall and confident.”
Annabelle did as she was told.Bree was actually taller than she was by about an inch or so.“Please, allow my son to see your daughter.”Annabelle knelt in front of Jasper and when he saw her baby, he became transfixed by her.
Jasper had never seen a thing so tiny alive before, besides animals.Oda’s eyes were a crystalline green color as she gazed at him curiously.She moved her little arms and legs with the gentle jerking motions so characteristic of a small infant.“Wowwww…. She cute!Jasper like her!”He then reached out and touched the tiny baby with his fingers.Their coldness startled Oda and she whimpered.Annabelle gasped.
“Don’t worry,” Bree spoke softly, “he won’t hurt her.”She then knelt next to Jasper and Annabelle.Nobody noticed when Zane hopped happily down the stairs that led into the room.
“Ah, our little vampire meets your little human!” Bree looked up at him lovingly and Annabelle jerked her gaze up fearfully.His silver eyes looked into Annabelle’s.“How are you doing, Annabelle? Are you ready to be shown to the room in which you will live?” Zane knelt down next to her.“And your duties, as our slave. You must be shown what to do.”
“Master, of course.”
“Bree will take Oda and we will entertain her while you settle in.”Bree then gently took Oda from Annabelle’s arms.Jasper squealed with excitement.“She’ll be well cared for, Annabelle.My wife loves children and lord knows it has been a long time since she has seen one that isn’t our son.”
As Bree and Jasper left the room to go out on the balcony for some fresh air, Zane led Annabelle down a long hall.At the end of it was a door, and it opened up to a large room.It was Mitzi’s old room and hadn’t been used since she had left.“You will need to clean it on your own time.This should grant you some privacy when you are not working.Your child will be kept in another room, a nursery, where we as well as a nanny will care for her while you work.” Zane was not looking at her as kindly as he was before and it frightened Annabelle.“You are a slave.Your days will be long.As you can probably tell, my private quarters are quite large and there are many rooms.Sometimes I will require that you cook light meals for us.You shall not meddle with any of my other, common slaves.”Zane walked further into the room and drew the curtains open, allowing the light of the sunless day to flood into the room.Annabelle could now see how dusty it really was. “You must not forget that you are a slave, and you will be treated like any other slave.Disobey me and the consequences will be severe.”
