บท 2: chapter 2
Chapter 2: New Town
–Valerie–
"How does this teleportation thing work, anyway?" I asked the maid as we walked briskly down the castle hallway.
"I'm sorry, Mistress. I don't know. I'm just a lowly maid, here to serve at your pleasure." She paused and brushed her long hair away from her neck. "Would you like to drink from me, Mistress?"
My eyes locked onto the pale skin of her neck, and I swallowed hard, staring at the blue veins just beneath the surface. I leaned in slightly, inhaling. Had humans always smelled this good?
Maybe just a little taste wouldn't hurt?
…No! I couldn't do that now. The truth was, the last time I drank blood, it had been so delicious I didn't know if I'd be able to stop. And I couldn't afford to lose control now—not when I was so close to my goal.
"Maybe later, when I get back," I lied while forcing a smile.
She shrugged. "Of course, Mistress. The teleportation room is just down this hall." She pointed ahead.
I let out a sigh of relief. I was so close to escaping this hellish castle. I could practically taste freedom. But just as the excitement started to build, it suddenly came crashing down!
"Hey! Someone stop her! She's an escaped prisoner!" A thrall came running from behind us, shouting and pointing. I recognized him as one of the dungeon guards. And worse—he was holding an assault rifle!
"Shit! Come on!" I reached for the maid's hand to pull her along, but pain shot through my palm. "What the—"
I yanked my hand back, blood dripping from a fresh cut. The maid glared at me, a knife in her hand. How the hell had she hidden a knife in that skimpy outfit?
"Why the hell are the Tepes vampires arming their slaves?!" I hissed, clutching my bleeding hand. I didn't have time to think about how ridiculous this all was because the thrall behind us had already started shooting.
"Die, intruder!" The maid's angry snarl was cut short as a bullet struck her in the neck. Like a puppet with its strings cut, she slumped to the floor, completely unmoving.
My eyes widened in shock, but I didn't have time to process what had just happened. I bolted toward the door at the end of the hall as bullets whizzed past me. Luckily, the thrall was a terrible shot. He hit everything but me.
"You will not escape, prisoner!" the thrall screamed once his magazine ran out of bullets. I could hear his heavy boots start thumping on the floor as he chased after me.
"Fuck you!" I yelled over my shoulder. I threw open the heavy wooden doors and stumbled inside, slamming them shut behind me. The lock clicked into place, and the doors glowed blue for a second. "What the hell?"
"The doors are enchanted with magic, young dhampir."
I spun around to see an old man standing calmly in the center of the room. The only thing that seemed out of place was the massive teleportation circle etched into the stone floor beneath him.
"Who are you?" I asked, my heart still hammering in my chest. Would he try to kill me too? At least with the fresh blood dripping from my hand, casting spells wouldn't be a problem. But something told me not to use magic just yet. There was something… off about him. This thrall was dressed oddly—like, full-on wizard cosplay with a pointed hat and robes that made him look straight out of Lord of the Rings. Like Gandalf, but creepier.
The old man was surprisingly calm, given the chaos outside. "I am Ethaniel, young dhampir," he said in a polite, almost bored tone. "An old magician who has served the Tepes clan for decades. I manage the teleportation circle, since most vampires lack the magic to use it themselves." He tilted his head, glancing at the door. "I heard shouting and gunfire. Is everything alright?"
Bang! The pounding on the door grew more violent. Whoever was on the other side wasn't giving up anytime soon, but the enchantments held strong—for now.
I flinched but forced a smile, trying to sound casual. "Oh, that? Just… uh, ignore it. Everything's fine out there."
Ethaniel chuckled softly. "I think we both know that's not true," he said, pausing before shrugging as if it didn't matter. "Then again, it's not really my problem. I'm only contracted to keep this teleportation room operational."
"What kind of thrall are you?" I blurted out, suddenly realizing something. This guy had been calling me a dhampir this whole time! He knew I wasn't a full vampire with a single glance!
He raised an amused eyebrow at me. "Me? A thrall? Of course not." He waved a hand dismissively. "I am simply a contracted magician. One who, unfortunately, made the mistake of making a pact with a certain Devil a few decades ago." He sighed, almost wistful. "I didn't read the fine print. That Devil claimed my soul and, after growing bored of tormenting me for a few years, sold me off to the Tepes Clan. I've been stuck here ever since. Only King Tepes or one of his direct descendants can free me from the contract... but that will never happen. I've accepted my lot in life."
I blinked at him. "Umm... King Tepes is my father."
The old magician's eyes widened in shock, his calm demeanor slipping for the first time. "Truly? And you're STILL alive despite being a dhampir!?"
"There were... circumstances I don't want to talk about." No way was I telling him about the Holy Grails. Those were way too valuable to spill to some guy I'd just met.
"We're all entitled to our secrets," he said with a knowing nod. I noticed how he still didn't mention which Devil he'd sold his soul to.
Surprisingly, the fact that devils were real didn't even phase me at this point…
"Look, I'm trying to escape," I said, flinching as the pounding on the door grew louder. It sounded like the thralls were hitting it with something heavy now, and I could see the wood starting to splinter, the enchantments keeping it sealed were starting to fail. "Help me get out of here, and I'll agree to free you!" I blurted out!
His eyes flickered with interest, and he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You'd do that? A bold offer…Princess." He said the word with a chuckle, because technically I was a vampire princess–despite how fucking cringe that sounded. "But if I help you, you'd better keep your word. I've been stuck in this wretched castle for far too long," he complained.
I could feel my anger boiling over. He was trying to act like we were on the same level, like his years of imprisonment compared to what I'd been through! "I've been stuck here my whole life!" I snapped. "I've never even gotten to see what the sun looks like!" Not in this life, at least.
Ethaniel's smug smile faltered for a moment, and I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—sympathy? It was hard to tell, but it didn't matter. The door wasn't going to hold much longer. "Alright," his voice got a bit quieter. "You've got a deal. Step into the circle. Where do you want me to send you?"
I stepped into the circle and thought for a second before speaking. "Can you send me to Britain?"
That's where Rowena was from, and it might be my best shot at getting my own wand. Plus, the only languages I knew were Romanian and English. Getting dropped in a country where I couldn't even communicate? Not ideal.
"You got it, princess," Ethaniel replied, as the teleportation circle beneath me lit up with a bright green glow. "You'll be gone in ten seconds." He looked at me expectantly, as if waiting to see if I'd really keep my word.
I smiled, letting out a genuine sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ethaniel. As the daughter of King Tepes, I release you from your contract. You are free."
His eyes widened for a moment before a wild, almost manic grin spread across his face. "Finally!" he shouted, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "You won't have to worry about any vampires chasing you for a while, princess! I'm going to destroy the teleportation circle and burn this damn castle to the ground while they're all away!" He cackled, his laughter filled with a crazed sense of victory. "Finally free!"
I barely had time to process his words before the scenery around me shifted. One moment, I was in the Tepes castle, the next, I found myself standing in some old, abandoned warehouse. Dust coated everything, and cobwebs draped from the rafters. Golden light seeped through cracks in the boarded-up windows.
Tears stung at my eyes as I looked at that golden light. It was real sunlight! My heart pounded with excitement as I sprinted toward the warehouse doors, eager to get outside. They were locked, but that didn't matter. A quick Alohomora spell had the chains clattering to the floor, and I shoved the rusty doors apart with all my strength.
A huge smile spread across my face as I stepped into the light, feeling the warmth of the sun wash over me. I wasn't burning! I wasn't turning to ash! Dhampirs really could survive in sunlight. The sheer joy of it made me want to stand there forever, just soaking it in, something I'd only dreamed of until now.
But reality kicked in, pulling me back. I couldn't linger here. I glanced back at the warehouse and spotted a teleportation circle carved into the concrete floor, similar to the one back in the Tepes mansion. My chest tightened. This rundown warehouse was likely owned by my clan, which meant I wasn't safe yet. It was broad daylight, but that didn't mean there weren't vampires lurking around.
I needed to get out of here, just in case.
I looked around. The streets were deserted, and all the buildings nearby were boarded up, giving the area a ghost-town vibe. Lucky for me at the moment. I had to be careful about being seen by anyone. I was wearing rags that were caked in blood and looked like I just killed someone–which I had to be fair.
I needed a bath and a new outfit as soon as possible…
Now then, where on earth was I supposed to find either of those things? Sure, I could give myself a shower with the Aguamenti spell Rowena had taught me, but I really didn't want to waste my tiny bit of remaining magic reserves on something like that.
First things first, I had to figure out where in Britain I was. I thought it was London, but I couldn't be sure. I picked an empty road and started walking. The gravel felt weird under my bare feet, a little uncomfortable, but there wasn't much I could do about it.
I'd been walking for about five minutes when I saw the first sign of civilization. A small group of homeless men were slumped against the side of a dirty brick building. They didn't even look at me as I walked up to them.
Actually, they weren't really looking at anything. I waved my hand in front of their faces to see if they were even awake. They weren't. Then I saw why. There were needles and syringes scattered all over the ground next to them. These guys were totally out of it, tripping hard as balls.
All the better for me, I guess.
I hesitated for a second before rummaging through their stuff, looking for the least gross clothes I could find. Not exactly a lot of options, but I grabbed some baggy sweatpants and a gray jacket that didn't smell too awful. I even found a pair of shoes—just a little too big, but they'd do.
Now I just looked like a homeless girl. Which, unfortunately, was a massive upgrade from how I'd looked earlier…
I glanced back at the stoned out guys one last time. They were still sitting there, staring into space, not even blinking. They had no idea what was going on around them.
Would they even notice if I... took a little drink?
I bit my lip in indecision. I didn't want to hurt anyone innocent, but I was literally starving after 20 years of nothing but pig blood!
I didn't want to be a monster—but wasn't I already half of one?
I made up my mind. I'd only take a little blood from each of them. Spread it out so none of them would lose too much. If I went too far, I could always use my Healing Grail to fix them up after. Provided I didn't accidentally kill any of them.
I crouched down in front of the first guy and leaned in close to his neck. I opened my mouth wide, and bit down!
His body jerked a little when my fangs first pierced his skin, but after that, he stayed still. The moment the blood hit my tongue, I had to stifle a moan. It wasn't as incredibly orgasmic as I remembered—probably because of all the drugs in this guy's system tainting the blood—but it was still exactly what I needed. I drank a few deep gulps before forcing myself to stop and pull away!
His heartbeat had slowed slightly, and he looked a little paler, but overall he seemed okay. If anything, him being a druggie probably saved his life. I wasn't sure I could've stopped myself if that had been a regular person I was drinking from. I'd have to remember that for the future.
I glanced down at my new jacket, relieved to see that I hadn't spilled any blood on it. That would've been just my luck. I made sure to carefully drink from the next two men as well, not spilling a drop. Neither of them reacted when my fangs sunk into their necks. I drank the same amount from both of them as I had from the first guy.
When I finished and wiped my lips, I felt a weird sense of pride. None of them were dead, and I didn't need to waste any of my magic healing them. I grabbed a few more paper towels and wiped the rest of the blood off my face. My hair was still a disaster, but I pulled the hood up and figured it would do for now.
I didn't feel full—I'd basically been blood-starved my whole life—but I was sated enough to move on. Plus, my energy was back. I could cast at least a few dozen spells before tiring.
"Time to go," I muttered to myself as I stood up and started walking again. This time, I followed the sounds of the city. The farther I went, the more obvious it became that I was in London. I stuck to the sidewalk, head down, blending in as much as possible. Looking like a homeless girl had its perks—most people just avoided me.
As I walked, I mentally ticked off a list of things I needed. First: a bath. Second: some proper clothes. Third: shelter for the night. I hadn't slept in bed in 20 years, that needed to be rectified!
All those things required money. Which, of course, I didn't have.
"I wonder..." I mused as I passed by a bank. An ATM sat right out front, and no one was using it. "Could it really be that easy…?" I asked myself. I approached the machine and raised my thumb to my mouth, biting down. "Alohomora!" I whispered, casting the spell.
There was a soft click as the industrial lock on the ATM popped open. No alarms. Nothing. Holy shit it WAS that easy! Magic was pure bullshit and I absolutely loved it!
Heart racing, I stepped closer to the machine, using my oversized clothes to hide what I was doing. I slowly opened the small hinge door, and my eyes widened at what I saw. There was a large stack of bills inside the machine. Nearly a foot tall!
I didn't know how much money it was, but it was a lot.
I quickly stuffed my jacket pockets full of cash and bolted back into the crowd. The whole thing took less than 30 seconds. Even if someone had seen me, they wouldn't have had time to react.
There was still plenty of money left in the ATM, but I didn't need to get greedy. Besides, I could always do this again if I ran out, right? Next time, though, I'd be smarter—maybe rob a bank at night when there were fewer witnesses.
"Now I just need to find a hotel that takes cash," I muttered with a happy grin.
Things were starting to look up for me. That turned out to be easier than I thought as well. A few blocks away from the bank, I found a small, rundown hotel right off the street. The woman behind the counter gave me a suspicious look, eyeing my oversized clothes and hood, but her expression quickly changed when I slapped a stack of bills on the counter—around 500 pounds. The sign behind her said rooms were 100 a night, way cheaper than I'd expected it to be. Then again, this place was kind of a dump.
"I need a room for three days. Keep the change." I told her while keeping my head down. Maybe I was being more paranoid than I needed to be, but I didn't need any questions about why my eyes were bright red.
Her own brown eyes lit up as she plastered on a huge fake smile. "Certainly, miss! Enjoy your stay, and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask me!" Yeah, she was definitely hoping for more big tips from me.
I grabbed the metal key she handed me and headed up to room 203. Once inside, I wasted no time heading straight for the bathroom. It took me over an hour to scrub all the blood off. The water turned cold halfway through, but I didn't care. Weirdly, the cold didn't bother me much anymore—probably one of those vampire perks.
When I finally finished, I dried off with a towel and smirked at my reflection in the mirror. Growing up in a dungeon, baths were a rare luxury. If I was lucky, they let me clean up once a month.
But now? I could enjoy it as much as I wanted. And damn, I had to admit—vampire genetics did me well. I had a perfect hourglass figure, perky C-cup breasts, and an ass someone could bounce a coin off of. Considering I'd been practically starved for most of my life, it was almost ridiculous how perfectly filled out I was. Guess I really was just built different in this life.
I really didn't want to put those grimy, homeless clothes back on now that I was finally clean, but they were all I had. With a sigh, I slipped them back on, the fabric feeling even worse against my freshly scrubbed skin.
Fortunately, with my pockets full of cash, it was time to go out and do some proper shopping!
XXX
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