DEAD SEED (AKA "Vampires Don't Exist")

NINE: Sadie and Mabel

CW/TW: Rape & torture

It was a few nights later. The sun had set and most of the vampires had gone out for the night. Aralyn knew the majority of their faces by now, but they had never been formally introduced to her so she didn't know most of their names. They ignored her for the most part, knowing she belonged to Aimeric.

Aimeric decided to stay in that night while the others went out. Aralyn wondered what the vampires did every night. Did they have to feed each time or were they just getting out of the house? They were probably lurking in alleys, raping and tormenting unsuspecting women. And men.

Aralyn did her best to keep Aimeric satisfied. After that awful night in the basement, she was afraid to even look at him the wrong way. Never again did she want to experience something like what he had done to her with the water and forcing her to kill that man. She knew he wasn't bluffing when he said he would make her do worse to the prisoners if she didn't obey him; she didn't have a choice but to be submissive.

She had never hated anyone as much as she hated him. Every time his fingers crawled on her flesh or ran through her hair she was overcome with malice. She had to stifle vomit. But then, he knew exactly how to touch her to make her feel boundless sexual pleasure, even without having to entrance her (though he still did that sometimes). And she hated him for that too.

"Come out to the garden with me," Aimeric said to her. She had been eating dinner and was taking her last bite when he spoke. She hated that he never left her alone unless he went out to feed.

When they stepped into the dark night, under the light of a full moon, a gust of cold wind hit her cheeks. She turned her face out of its reach, which meant turning into Aimeric's chest. Of course he enjoyed that, thinking she wanted to be close to him. They went around to the backyard, the wind now at Aralyn's back, making her hair dance around her shoulders and the long white skirt she wore billow around her legs.

It was nice to be outside again, breathing in the crisp cold air and feeling the wind in her hair, despite the chill it left on her skin. They followed a path to the center of the yard and Aralyn was taken aback for a moment. It looked nothing like the mansion. It was vivid and beautiful, well taken care of. The path they walked was lined with flowers that were starting to wilt from the cold. Purples, pinks, reds, and yellows danced in the wind, welcoming her.

The garden was out of place in this macabre world of torment and death.

Aimeric led her to a curving stone bench that sat underneath an old oak tree with orange leaves. Some of the leaves had fallen to the ground. She hugged herself against the cold as she sat on the bench. The loose pink sweater she wore wasn't enough to keep her warm. If she was permitted to come outside again anytime soon, she would remember to bring a coat or a blanket.

"What do you think?" Aimeric asked as he sat beside her.

"It's nice," she said quietly.

"I have someone take care of it."

Maybe you should have someone take care of the house, she thought.

"That is an excellent idea," Aimeric said.

Aralyn's eyes shot up at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to think that. I meant no offense."

"No, you're right. The house is in poor shape. Would it make you happy to have it cleaned and updated?"

She answered carefully, worried it was a trick question to make her seem ungrateful. "Whatever you want, Master Aimeric," she mumbled.

He grinned. "You are learning. I'm proud of how much you've grown in only a few days. As a reward, I would like a list of requests from you."