The Bloodmaid's Tale

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Cora came in smiling almost dropping her tray of food as she stifled a scream. June lay on the ground, wrapped in covers and blinking in the morning sunshine.

"Dear God I thought you were dead!" she said now laughing and putting down the tray. She helped June to her feet and brushed the sleep off of her.

"Why did you think that?" she said slowly opening and closing her eyes as she fought to stay awake.

"It's just..."Cora said hesitantly "The last girl, she hung herself from the bedpost, and I thought... well it was just a bad memory" she said her eyes cast down. June looked at her and smiled. It wasn't uncommon that Bloodmaid's killed themselves, having to service their Commander's and Wifemate's took a toll on their bodies and mind. It was sweet of Cora to be worried for June.

"Well don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, I'm too tired for a suicide" she said trying to get Cora to smile.

The trick worked as Cora's lips formed a small smile "You have a dark humor about you Miss Offred" she said now giving her an apple. June looked at it and suddenly remembered Nicholiah.

"Cora, why doesn't the Commander want Nicholiah to feed?" June said.

Cora seemed taken aback by the question but decided there was no harm telling her. "He wants Nicholiah to earn his blood. The boy started out as a Guardian, and now he has become an Angel for the Order...but his father thinks very little of him, he wants him to become a Commander like himself. I think only then will he let Nicholiah feed, but by that time he will be old enough to earn his own Wifemate and Bloodmaid."

"An Angel?" June whispered to herself. Angels were the top ranking Guardians of the Order, in service to protecting and keeping the rules of the vampire race. They were the handymen of the Eye's, doing all the leg work that the higher ups wouldn't. It only made June more hesitant to talk to Nicholiah now. He could report her, and then send her away, and then they would take Sarah here and she would be faced with Serena. They could do so much to her, punishment for all of June's offenses against the Order of Gilead. They would them as an example of what happens when you don't follow the rules.

Panic ran through June's body and she desperately wanted to flee and find her sister. She wanted to protect her from the harsh eyes of Serena, and the confusing warmth of the Commander. She decided next time she would encounter Nicholiah she would not speak to him, not even look at him. This was a game and she had to play it right to get ahead and be able to be with Sarah once more.

"By the way, you'll be going out today with another maid, her name is Offglen. You two will be going to the market to pick up some fresh eggs and such since it's one of my days off" Cora said making the bed.

June dressed and put on her cloak, making sure her veil was kept tight over her face. The last thing she needed was some rouge Guardian feeding from her and another maid. A lot of humans died from just that, vampires who couldn't hold their own and were starved for blood. They fed on Bloodmaids, Martha's, and even the occasional Daywife.

Daywives were the tramps of the vampire world, they were such a mixed breed that no one could tell whether they were vampire or human. All people knew were that they needed blood to survive from death, but could eat normal foods.

Some people said that they were close to Martha's, the half-human, half-vampire rank, but some disagreed. Martha's were given a chance into servitude because somewhere in their genetic line their vampire blood was royal, and that meant they had a place in the Order of Gilead. Daywives however, had no place other than the bottom rank.