forced me to find
another girl tomorrow night. And make sure to dispose of her away from the
house. We cannot afford suspicion. Take her to the river.” It seemed every
other week someone washed up dead on the shores of the Seine. One more
emaciated woman made little difference. His callous disregard for Adele
elevated my contempt for him to a new level.
As he promised, Adele proved the first of many. Sometimes
Julian acquired several bloodslaves at once, allowing each to live a little
longer. I learned to feed the tiniest amount from two or three women a night.
The petite apéritif did not satisfy, but it kept me from feral madness.
Julian abused them worse to spite me. One girl, only
seventeen, he broke her neck. She lived on for hours, crying and begging for
my help. “ Aidez-moi, je vous
prie! ” I gave her a merciful end, but I hated it, and I hated Julian
more each time I donned the mantle of death.
Then Julian brought me Lucas. He was a street urchin
begging on the boulevard, barely thirteen or fourteen. He didn’t know his own
birthdate. He’d been born in the backroom of a brothel, raised by whores who
would not claim him. Lucas made the mistake of grabbing Julian’s attention the
wrong way. It’s not wise to pickpocket a vampire.
I became physically sick to my stomach when he presented me with
this teenage boy. I recognized the hungry, predatory gleam in Julian’s eyes.
“I’ve brought you a friend to play with. Lucas, meet your new mistress, Madam
Michelle. She will take good care of you.”
The bright colors of love and devotion swirled into Lucas’s
aura the moment he set eyes on me. The boy was infatuated with me, and I knew
instant terror.
I begged Julian, “ S’il
vous plait Maître !
Take him back.” As if he was livestock sold at auction.
I didn’t wait for Julian’s permission. I grabbed the boy by
the arm and hauled him to the door. “You must go now. You must leave this
place and never return!”
To my dismay, Lucas opened his fool mouth and sealed his
fate. “I would love to serve Madam Michelle. I will do anything you ask of
me. I am your humble servant.” He bowed low, a filthy, charming boy pretending
to play servant. “If you ever need anything, say the word and I will find a
way to get it for you.”
Horror froze me in place. Julian smiled, pleased. “See,
Michelle, he is yours. Make sure to take good care of him.”
I wanted to kill him. Julian. I thought of it many times
before, but it never seemed possible. I wondered if there was a way to kill
him.
The boy distracted me from my thoughts of murderous
rebellion. “I am very good. I will help ease your pain.” He offered to rub my
back and feet. He did this for the girls at the brothel. I had to admit, he gave
a decent back rub.
I couldn’t help but fall in love with the boy over time.
His cheeks were ever smudged with dirt. His mangy pile of reddish-brown curls
needed a cut badly. And his hazel eyes worshipped me. Everywhere I went in
the house, he was there.
He quickly adapted to my schedule, running out into the
streets to beg during daylight hours, returning to the townhouse at night. He
stole flowers and perfumed soaps from the brothel to bring to me and the
bloodslave women.
“Why thank you, Lucas. That’s so sweet.” He hugged me
close. The boy was enraptured, obsessed. He preferred to sit next to me,
almost in my lap. Offering anything he could think I might want or need. I was
deathly afraid of what might happen to him.
Julian soon revealed his game. A week after he brought me
Lucas, he made his demand. “You’ll not feed from a single person until you
feed from Lucas first.”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe to speak. I contemplated
suicide to save the boy’s life. If I couldn’t kill Julian, surely I could find
a way to kill myself?
I begged shamelessly. “I
another girl tomorrow night. And make sure to dispose of her away from the
house. We cannot afford suspicion. Take her to the river.” It seemed every
other week someone washed up dead on the shores of the Seine. One more
emaciated woman made little difference. His callous disregard for Adele
elevated my contempt for him to a new level.
As he promised, Adele proved the first of many. Sometimes
Julian acquired several bloodslaves at once, allowing each to live a little
longer. I learned to feed the tiniest amount from two or three women a night.
The petite apéritif did not satisfy, but it kept me from feral madness.
Julian abused them worse to spite me. One girl, only
seventeen, he broke her neck. She lived on for hours, crying and begging for
my help. “ Aidez-moi, je vous
prie! ” I gave her a merciful end, but I hated it, and I hated Julian
more each time I donned the mantle of death.
Then Julian brought me Lucas. He was a street urchin
begging on the boulevard, barely thirteen or fourteen. He didn’t know his own
birthdate. He’d been born in the backroom of a brothel, raised by whores who
would not claim him. Lucas made the mistake of grabbing Julian’s attention the
wrong way. It’s not wise to pickpocket a vampire.
I became physically sick to my stomach when he presented me with
this teenage boy. I recognized the hungry, predatory gleam in Julian’s eyes.
“I’ve brought you a friend to play with. Lucas, meet your new mistress, Madam
Michelle. She will take good care of you.”
The bright colors of love and devotion swirled into Lucas’s
aura the moment he set eyes on me. The boy was infatuated with me, and I knew
instant terror.
I begged Julian, “ S’il
vous plait Maître !
Take him back.” As if he was livestock sold at auction.
I didn’t wait for Julian’s permission. I grabbed the boy by
the arm and hauled him to the door. “You must go now. You must leave this
place and never return!”
To my dismay, Lucas opened his fool mouth and sealed his
fate. “I would love to serve Madam Michelle. I will do anything you ask of
me. I am your humble servant.” He bowed low, a filthy, charming boy pretending
to play servant. “If you ever need anything, say the word and I will find a
way to get it for you.”
Horror froze me in place. Julian smiled, pleased. “See,
Michelle, he is yours. Make sure to take good care of him.”
I wanted to kill him. Julian. I thought of it many times
before, but it never seemed possible. I wondered if there was a way to kill
him.
The boy distracted me from my thoughts of murderous
rebellion. “I am very good. I will help ease your pain.” He offered to rub my
back and feet. He did this for the girls at the brothel. I had to admit, he gave
a decent back rub.
I couldn’t help but fall in love with the boy over time.
His cheeks were ever smudged with dirt. His mangy pile of reddish-brown curls
needed a cut badly. And his hazel eyes worshipped me. Everywhere I went in
the house, he was there.
He quickly adapted to my schedule, running out into the
streets to beg during daylight hours, returning to the townhouse at night. He
stole flowers and perfumed soaps from the brothel to bring to me and the
bloodslave women.
“Why thank you, Lucas. That’s so sweet.” He hugged me
close. The boy was enraptured, obsessed. He preferred to sit next to me,
almost in my lap. Offering anything he could think I might want or need. I was
deathly afraid of what might happen to him.
Julian soon revealed his game. A week after he brought me
Lucas, he made his demand. “You’ll not feed from a single person until you
feed from Lucas first.”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe to speak. I contemplated
suicide to save the boy’s life. If I couldn’t kill Julian, surely I could find
a way to kill myself?
I begged shamelessly. “I
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