The Shadow Courtesan

By Willow Woods

A century after seeing her home destroyed and family slaughtered, Reina is forced to return to the very place she swore never to go back to: Tenebrae, a place of eternal darkness where vampires thrive and humans are forced to live as slaves.

Although Reina is now a vampire, the very creature she loathes, the vampires of Tenebrae do not recognise her as one of their own.

Determined to end slavery and destroy Tenebrae, Reina catches the attention of Master Vrykólakas, the man responsible for the deaths of her family and village, who gives her an impossible ultimatum: become his favourite courtesan or condemn the man who is both her Creator and lover to death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Willow Woods
• Release date: Oct 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781999309732

Willow Woods

Willow lives in London with her husband, their cat, Nora and hamster Little Baronness.An animal lover she fosters with the RSPCA.A fanatic bookworm Willow reads a wide variety of genres from fantasy to crime thrillers. She never leaves the house without at least one book! Fantasy is her favourite genre which has a great impact on her writing, but she is also branching out into other genres such as historical fiction.Holding an MA in Historical Research much of her writing is influenced by historical events.Willow’s first publication was The Gods’ Wrath, a short story on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. Her first published full-length novel is Where I Belong, a contemporary fantasy with a twist.

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The Shadow Courtesan

Willow Woods

Copyright © 2019 Willow Woods

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or in introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The right of Willow Woods to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

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Proofread by Becca Allen

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1-9993097-3-2 (eBook)

ISBN-13: 978-1-9993097-2-5 (paperback)

Aiséirí Publishing

http://www.aiseiripublishing.co.uk

DEDICATION

To my friends and family for their encouragement and advice. A special thank you to Tom, Andy & Rachael

for keeping me on track, reminding me that too much procrastination is bad and making sure

I don’t repeat mistakes!

And of course my awesome husband, Nick,

for supporting me in following my dream.

Also by Willow Woods

Where I Belong

The Gods’ Wrath (short story)

Part one

Chapter One

1910

The sun rose lazily, spreading scorching golden rays of light across the cracked and parched ground. The blistering heat was greeted by the futile groans of those who had no choice but to work in the fields, with no protection of shade or even the comfort of a drop of water.

A young girl, no older than twelve, with long midnight black hair pulled back into a loose plait ran through the village. She tried to take longer steps than her short legs would allow, the soles of her feet protesting with each violent contact they made with the ground. Her hands were slick with sweat and threatened to drop the bucket of water she was carrying, desperate to not spill any. She could ill afford to make a second journey. Nor could the well spare a second bucket for that matter.

Pausing in the shade of a cottage, Reina set the bucket down, fighting back the urge to plunge her face into the blissfully cool water. Instead she settled for swiping the back of her arm across her sweaty forehead. She had to slow down; turning to look back she could see there were several splash marks of water. She pulled a face at her clumsiness. The well was dangerously low. How long until it was emptied completely? Please Lord, we need rain. She prayed as she tilted her head up to look at the azure blue sky. How long had it been since it last rained?

Unable to go any further, Reina leant against the cottage. The air was suffocating, and she found herself almost longing for the bitter cold winter nights. Beads of sweat prickled between her shoulder blades and, with a heavy sigh, she leant down to pick the bucket up once more. As she picked it up a shadow passed across the sun; it lasted for barely a second, but a sense of foreboding lingered in the air. Get back to Cassandra, she told herself, walking more carefully. Her skin prickled but it had less to do with the heat than before.

'Reina, close the shutters,' Cassandra rasped before Reina had a chance to set the bucket down. The sisters were similar in appearance; both had inherited their mother’s black hair and father’s violet eyes. But where Reina was skinny and clumsy, Cassandra mirrored her mother in grace. At sixteen Cassandra should have been ready to marry, yet she was an outcast in the village and had no offers. Carefully Reina stepped over her sister, who lay on the straw-filled mattress they both shared and pulled the shutters closed. 'Thank you.'

'Are Mama and Papa back from the fields?' Reina asked as she dipped a cup into the bucket and brought it slowly to Cassandra’s lips. It was a pointless question; the cottage had only two rooms and their parents were in neither. But she had hoped they had at least been back recently.

'No,' Cassandra rasped. 'It’s too hot for them to go back and forth. Not that it matters…' Reina’s eyes warily searched her sister’s face for signs of her sickness. Every so often she was plagued with migraines, but with those came visions. She had foreseen the fire which had spread through the outskirts of the village the previous summer. She had warned her parents of the accident that would later claim the life of their brother.

'What have you seen, Cassandra?' Reina fought to keep her voice and hands steady as she refilled the cup. What would her parents say? Should Reina even warn them? They refused to believe that Cassandra’s visions were anything other than demons which would soon be expelled from their eldest. Sitting beside Cassandra on the hard floor, Reina held out the cup of water but her sister had fallen into a deep sleep. Wake up! Reina wanted to scream at her, but she swallowed a mouthful of water instead. Surely it would be cruel to wake her sister when she slept so rarely? It is probably nothing; it may just be the heat. She has been wrong before. She tried to ignore the nagging voice that pointed out Cassandra had rarely been wrong.

'A storm is coming…a storm of death,' Cassandra mumbled but she didn’t stir from her slumber. 'No mortal will tell of our tragedy.' Reina turned her head sharply to question Cassandra but still her sister did not move. Assured that Cassandra was deeply asleep, Reina stepped up to the shutter and pushed it open. A storm was certainly what they needed, but there were no signs of the weather cooling. Maybe she is just having a dream, a normal one.

Settling back beside Cassandra, Reina picked up her teddy bear and pressed her face into its coarse fur. Rocks of fear dropped into her stomach and she tucked her legs tightly to her chest. Beside her on the straw mattress Cassandra began to snore lightly. Carefully Reina moved off the floor and squeezed herself close to Cassandra and curled into a tight ball.

Had this ever happened before? Reina had never known her sister to confuse her visions for dreams, but surely it must have happened. She yearned to lean over and wake Cassandra, to question her about what she had seen. But what if it was just a dream? Why cause worry unnecessarily? Trying to comfort herself with this thought, Reina moved closer to her sister and closed her eyes. She would rest for just a few minutes.

The sound of rain falling tugged Reina from her slumber. Groggily she blinked several times to try and clear her eyes of sleep and was surprised to find the room was dark. She could barely see Cassandra sitting up with her back against the wall. Fumbling against the darkness, Reina stood up and looked for something to light a candle. How late was it?

'Where are Mama and Papa?' Reina asked in a hushed tone; something about the air cried for caution and she felt a stab of fear. Outside the shuttered window she could hear shouting.

'They won’t be coming back.' Cassandra’s voice was hauntingly calm and Reina moved to open the shutter a crack. 'No, little sister.' Cassandra pulled Reina so she was sitting beside her on the floor. 'Don’t be scared, it will be over quickly.'

'Cassandra, please, you’re scaring me!' Reina cried. 'Where are Mama and Papa? What is happening?' The shouts outside the cottage were growing closer: a mixture of cruel laughter and panicked cries for mercy.

'They seek offerings for their Master.' Cassandra’s tone was soothing but this only frightened Reina further.

'Who?' But her question was drowned out by the sound of the door to their cottage crashing open. Pouncing to her feet, Reina yanked open the door to the bedroom, relieved to see her mother standing in the main room soaked to the bone. 'Mama!'

'Hush, child!' But her mother’s tone was not scolding as she swept her daughters into her arms. 'We must pray, I am sure God will protect us—'

'He cannot save us, Mother. Nor would he care for three peasant women.' Cassandra’s voice had turned scornful as it always did when religion was mentioned in front of her. Reina looked at Cassandra in horror; how could she speak such blasphemy? She turned to look at her mother, but she could only make out a pair of bright hazel eyes in the darkness.

'He will protect those of us who are loyal to Him.' Never had Reina heard her mother’s voice so cold and low. 'Those demons outside are here for you. Why else would they come to our village?' Reina stood up as her mother pulled at her arm; she could feel something cold and sticky imprinted on her arm from her mother’s hand and a metallic stench filled her nostrils. 'Get out, witch, go with your kind.'

'Mama, no!' Reina detached herself from her mother’s sticky hands and threw her arms around Cassandra to stop her from leaving. 'Cassandra, please don’t go!' Cassandra gently removed Reina’s hands from her shoulders, pushing her back lightly.

'Reina, you have to promise me you will be brave.'

'I—'

'Please, Reina…promise me, let me take one small comfort from tonight.' Reina frowned and shook her head. How could she make such a promise? Cassandra opened the door and the moonlight shone into the small kitchen, flooding it with a silvery light. 'Please.'

'I – I promise,' Reina stammered, holding out her hand in hopes Cassandra would come back inside. But her sister merely stepped outside into the torrential rain, a serene smile on her pale face. The door to the cottage slammed shut, enveloping Reina into darkness once more. Her mother stood with her back to Reina, her forehead pressed against the door. 'Mama—'

'Reina, hush,' her mother scolded. 'Your papa and I should have banished that witch from our home long ago. The Devil has come for her…perhaps this is our fault…'

'Where is Papa?' Reina asked as she was shepherded back into the bedroom.

'I don’t know. We were in the fields when the storm hit, several people were swept away. Your father and I became separated…' Her mother trailed off and Reina swallowed a hard lump in her throat. A frantic knocking on the cottage door caught both women off guard and Reina jumped to her feet. 'Reina, have you not been listening? There are demons outside—'

'But it could be Cassandra – or Papa!' she quickly amended, knowing her mother would not open the door for Cassandra. The fear in her stomach was no longer heavy rocks but a sharp pain which stabbed at her repetitively.

'Please, I need sanctuary!' a woman’s voice called out over the storm.

'The church will give you sanctuary!' Reina’s mother called out and Reina stared at her in horror. First, she had banished her eldest daughter and now she was refusing sanctuary?

'There is no church – it has fallen to these demons! Please have mercy! My sisters of Christ and I have been forced to flee, please!'

'Mama, we cannot ignore a nun!'

The woman continued to plead through the door. Her cries tormented Reina, mixing with her fear and making her tremble. She tasted salt on her tongue and realised she was beginning to cry. Her mother tugged at her arms, but the sound of the woman pleading was unbearable. Disentangling herself from her mother, Reina ran to the door and yanked it open. She was startled to find a woman dressed not in the dark garbs of a nun but a red silk blouse and elegant long skirt standing before her. Meeting the woman’s pale eyes, Reina felt a sense of warmth envelop her. The fear in her stomach disappeared and she smiled at the woman.

'Will you offer me sanctuary?' The woman’s ruby red lips curled up into a smile as Reina nodded, unable to find her own voice. Stepping back, she almost bowed to let the woman step through. It was clear the woman was no nun, but the sense of warmth she emanated pushed all thoughts of fear and doubt from Reina’s mind. She was too hypnotised to see the woman’s smile turn cruel. Her hand was still resting on the door as she turned to see her mother recoiling in horror.

'Reina – run!' her mother shouted as the woman turned her attentions back to the girl. 'Run to the next village – warn them!'

'She will not get far, scrawny little thing that she is.' The woman’s voice had turned to boredom and she reached out for Reina’s chin. 'Poor child, you will not survive the night. Why not let me end your suffering now?' Nodding, Reina stepped towards the woman, her eyes transfixed to the woman’s silver eyes.

'Reina!' Her mother’s voice pierced through the warmth and Reina tripped backwards, startled. 'Go!'

The ground which had only a few short hours ago scorched Reina’s bare feet was now flooded with the downpour, causing her to slip over several times. All around her the village was in disarray; doors were ripped from their holdings, the few cottages with glass windows had been smashed and several bodies littered the ground. Reina didn’t pause, her mother’s words fresh in her mind. Warn the nearest village. She didn’t stop to think how far the nearest village was. If she could make it to the forest, then she could seek shelter and hide in there.

'Are you lost, little girl?' A large hand landed on Reina’s shoulder, pushing her down into a puddle. 'Should I help you home?'

'No – I’m not lost.' Reina tried to stand up but the hand on her shoulder refused to relinquish its grip. 'P – Please I’m n – not lost.' She could see the outskirts of the village. If only she could break free. As the hand pulled her up she didn’t resist and forced herself to go slack.

'Good girl.' The owner of the hand turned her around and she found herself staring at a man with long blonde hair and silver eyes. His handsome looks were marred by the sinister smile and crimson stained lips, a stain Reina was sure could only come from blood. 'Now – let’s take you home.' The man stooped as if to pick Reina up and she quickly kicked him in the shins. Taking her chance, she turned and sprinted towards the outskirts. She had to get to the forest. It might not guarantee her safety, but it would surely have more places to hide?

'No!' Reina cried as a sharp pain tore through her scalp and she was pulled backwards. She craned her neck to see the blonde man pulling her plait. Strong fingers squeezed her throat, cutting off her air. 'I – I’m not lost!' Reina rasped as her vision clouded. 'Please…'

Chapter Two

The sound of creaking and a rocking motion stirred Reina back into consciousness. She lay in a heap on the floor of a coach, her arms and legs almost entangled with those of the person beside her. She was surprised to see the boy beside her was awake as their eyes met. He moved his eyes from side to side ever so slightly, as if gesturing for Reina to remain silent and still.

'There is no point in either of you pretending to be asleep,' a voice scolded them. 'Neither of us are fools.' Strong hands pulled Reina up and she felt a wave of dizziness sweep over her from the sudden movement. A woman with silver eyes, a sharp chin and dark hair stared at her in disgust. 'Honestly, Lance, could you not have found something a little bit bigger? She is good for nothing but the food stores – and even there she will be a disappointment.' The woman’s words were followed with several sharp prods to Reina’s shoulders and stomach.

'Give her a year or two – I am sure she would make a good warmer.' Reina blushed at the suggestive tone and craned her head to look at the man who had seized her in the village. 'She has fight in her.' Sharp fangs were revealed as he smiled cruelly at Reina, but the woman scoffed in reply.

'How many slaves have you known to last years? I doubt this one will even last the journey home.' Reina squeaked as she was pulled backwards onto the man’s lap, his fingers grazing her neck as he tilted her head up to look at him. 'You should just kill her now, Lance, and be done with it. I am sure you would be forgiven for returning without an offering – the village yielded little to us. I think very few will have made an earning this time.'

'Would you like that, little girl?' A sense of calmness, the familiar feeling of warmth that had enveloped her when she’d opened the door to the cottage, crept through her veins. Don’t look into his eyes! a voice screamed at Reina and she fought to break her gaze, succeeding only when a thumb pressed into the hollow of her throat. 'I can end your suffering now – it will be relatively quick compared to what awaits you.'

'Don’t,' Reina whispered, too frightened to even shake her head. 'Please don’t kill me.'

'Perhaps I will keep her for myself.' The demon, Lance, spoke over Reina’s head to his companion. 'She may even end up at auction – why should I pay for what is rightfully mine?'

'I would like to hear you say that in front of Master Vrykólakas,' the woman scoffed. Reina blocked out the sound of their voices, thankful when she was shoved away from the man and back onto the floor of the moving coach. Questions swarmed through her mind, but she was too frightened to ask them aloud. Where were they going? What had happened to her mama and papa? Was Cassandra safe? What had happened to the village? Questions she yearned to ask but knew she would not like the answers. Why did I open the door? she berated herself. Had she ignored the woman and just clung to Mama, would she be here now?

'We will see who fetches the better price upon our return.' Reina was brought out of her train of thoughts by the crude statement and she suppressed a shudder. She recognised the boy beside her as one from her village, but his name was a blank upon her memory.

'Should we ever return,' the woman grumbled. 'That village was too far out – these peasants will have no hope of even speaking our language.'

'Then teach them,' Lance snapped. 'Do not think to question Master Vrykólakas. We cannot continue to raid mortals nearby; they will not remain ignorant for long. Or would you prefer they discovered our home for your own personal convenience?'

The woman’s muttered response was in a language Reina barely recognised as Latin. Each Sunday she attended Mass, but the priest would only speak in the strange ancient language, fully aware that none of the villagers could understand him.

As the two demons carried on their conversation, Reina took the opportunity to survey the interior of the coach. Thick black curtains covered the windows and Reina noticed they were pinned in place so that no light could filter into the interior. Glass-covered gas lamps provided a dim source of light. The heat in the coach was sweltering and Reina longed to unpin the curtains and pull them back, to feel some form of breeze against her perspiring skin.

The journey passed agonisingly slowly. With the curtains on the coach fixed shut there was no way to tell how much time had passed. The coach would stop intermittently to let Reina and the boy out, so they could wash. Lance and the woman would take it in turns to disappear into the darkness, returning with a satisfied look and a red stain upon their lips. To add to the captives' torment, both demons had begun speaking only in Latin, leaving Reina completely lost. She could see the boy had no idea of what awaited them either.

'Where are we going?' Startled at the boy’s courage, or stupidity, Reina looked at the demon woman in front of her.

'You do not speak unless spoken to,' the woman hissed, reaching down to strike the boy, but Lance lent over to seize her arm.

'If you strike him, he will no doubt bleed. I have no intentions of returning home without an offering because of your own stupidity.' With a scowl and an impatient huff, the woman settled back in her seat, glowering between Reina and the boy. Both the man and the woman’s tempers had deteriorated throughout the journey.

Huddled against the door, Reina drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. The coarse fabric of her skirt scratched against the skin of her forehead as she rested her head against her knees.

'Get up.' A sharp kick sent Reina’s legs flying out from beneath her head and she sat up with a start. 'Julianna will take you to a nearby lake to wash. Do not think to flee, you will not get far.' Nodding, Reina stood up and stretched her legs as she was let outside of the coach. The woman, Julianna, stood several feet away scowling as she waited for Reina. Would running really be worse than what they have planned? Reina wondered as she followed Julianna down a path and towards the lake.

The air was warm but there was a small breeze which tickled through Reina’s hair, sending the loose strands of her plait brushing against her face. Quickly she unbound her hair, closing her eyes and inhaling the deep scent of heather.

'Don’t dawdle.' The woman pushed Reina forwards, almost sending her toppling in the lake.

'I can undress myself,' Reina snapped as the demon’s hands began tugging at her clothes. She stepped away from Julianna’s grip, ducking behind a close-by tree, and stripped to her undergarments.

The water was cool and refreshing against her skin, but Reina forced herself to wash quickly. She could feel Julianna’s eyes on her, watching her in an almost hungry manner. As she washed she gazed up at the dark sky. Where were they going? How far from home had they travelled?

'If I were you I would make myself look presentable,' Julianna’s cold voice taunted Reina as she made her way back to the grassy bank. 'It will certainly make your fate easier.' Reina kept her eyes focused on the ground; she desperately wanted to snap a retort at the woman, but she was too frightened. She had no idea what either Julianna or Lance were, but they were certainly not human. Does it matter what my fate is? Reina wondered, I’ve already broken my promise to Cassandra, surely for that alone I will be punished? With nothing to dry herself with, Reina could only put her old clothes on while she was still wet.

As Reina reached the coach, she exchanged a wary look with the boy. He shivered slightly just as she did, but she was thankful for the sudden chill. For too long she had been suffocated by the heat of the summer.

'We will reach your new home tomorrow evening.' Lance addressed them both, squeezing Reina’s arm as he helped her into the coach, lowering his head so he could whisper in her ear. 'Try to survive until the next auction. You will learn soon enough that a friend will make your new life easier. And your death that much quicker.' Reina tilted her head to glance at him, gasping in fear as a pair of fangs clicked from Lance’s mouth and rested on his lower lips. Biting her tongue, she ducked her head and slipped back into the coach, wordlessly sitting on the floor.

Despite having travelled together, Reina had not spoken to the boy once and was still oblivious to his name. What does it matter? From what they have told us we'll be dead soon, she thought bitterly and suppressed a shiver.

The coach lurched to a halt and Reina cried out in shock as her arm was seized and she was pulled outside. Two more coaches were lined up beside their own; each one had a terrified person cowering beside it.

'Forgive me, Julianna – I thought you were exaggerating that so many had failed to secure a prize.' Lance bowed his head to the dark-haired woman, a smug smile crossing his lips. Reina’s eyes quickly searched the two humans, but neither were her mother, father, or Cassandra. 'There’s no point looking for someone you might know.' Lance smirked. 'They’ll either be dead or dying soon enough.'

'Please,' Reina begged, daring to speak for the first time in what felt like days. 'Just let me return home. I – I promise I – won’t mention this, I’ll—'

'You have no home. And you would be better learning to keep your mouth shut; I thought you had learnt that during your journey.' Reina blinked back tears and looked away from his hungry silver gaze. 'I meant what I said.' Lance lowered his voice as they approached a foreboding stone building. 'Try to survive the next few years. You’re pretty, but young. If you can survive a bit longer, you’ll find a more rewarding death.' Reina felt bile rise in her throat at his suggestive tone and she somehow fought back the urge to kick out at him.

Lance pushed her through a door to the building. The revolting smell of burning flesh made her gag and she turned her face away, holding her nose tightly. Following Lance, Reina approached two men standing beside a forge. The intense heat made her break out in a sweat, but neither Lance nor the two men seemed the slightest bit fazed. As Lance spoke to the men, her eyes swept around the small room. Her legs urged her to break into a run, but the only exit was through the door they had entered.

Promise me you will be brave. Guilt washed over Reina as she realised she had never stood a chance of keeping her promise to Cassandra. It had been broken the moment she had made it. Was this her punishment? Absorbed in her train of thought, she missed one of the men addressing her. A sharp poke between her shoulders brought her back to her senses.

'He wants your name,' Lance hissed. 'Not that it matters, after tonight you won’t need it anymore.' It isn’t too late, Reina told herself firmly and she forced herself to first meet Lance’s eyes before turning to the two men before her. It unnerved her that like Lance, Julianna and the woman who had burst into her cottage, these two men had silver eyes. Was it the mark of a demon?

'Age?'

'Twelve.' Reina’s voice was uncertain.

'Pity,' Lance sighed. 'I doubt you will make it to womanhood…it is a pity.' Reina’s lip curled in disgust and her fingers twitched as if she were about to slap him. Instead, she clenched her hands into tight fists and turned to look at the forge. She missed Lance’s reply. Her eyes were fixated on the tallest of the three as a pair of thick muscled arms reached into the roaring fire, pulling out two long rods which glowed cherry red.

'No!' Reina cried out as Lance gripped her left arm, firmly placing it over a wooden block. 'No, please!'

'The more you struggle the more it will hurt.' Lance’s tone was almost kindly but still Reina struggled, fiercely trying to wrench her arm free. The world around her seemed to move in slow motion. Horrified, Reina could do nothing but watch helplessly as the two rods were pressed firmly against the inside of her left wrist. She didn’t recognise the shrill voice which ripped through the room. She didn’t realise it was her screaming until her throat felt as if it had been torn to shreds. The scent of her seared flesh made her retch once more, but this time Reina did not fight to keep the bile down and instead let it fall onto the floor. She was in too much agony to take satisfaction that some splashed onto Lance’s elegant boots.

Only once the rods had been set aside did Lance release her, pushing her roughly to the ground. Huddling in a heap, Reina cradled her wrist, loathing herself for sobbing but unable to think clearly. She could hear the clinking of coins being passed, followed by retreating footsteps.

Reina was unsure of how much time had passed, whether the two men left the room or if she continued to sob in front of them. She barely registered the gentle pair of hands helping her to rise or the soothing voice guiding her from the building. Her mind was focused on the torturous pain emanating from her wrist and the liquid oozing from the fresh burn.

Chapter Three

Reina was delirious over the next several days. She could remember nothing of her arrival, or even leaving her village. She was aware of several blurry figures surrounding her, coaxing a slimy and foul-tasting concoction down her throat.

'You must drink.' A soothing voice broke through the haze of Reina’s mind. 'She’s burning up. Her brand is infected…'

'The fools. They have been branding us for centuries, you think they would know not to torment the newcomers and do it properly. Just let her die – it will be a mercy.'

'It is not for us to decide whether she lives or dies – we must help her. If God wills her to die then she will, but we cannot just leave her to suffer.' Reina let out an agonised scream as she felt something tear from the inside of her wrist.

'Shut her up before they come in here!' a voice hissed. Reina fought as something was poured down her throat, sweeter than the first concoction but sickeningly thick.

Sleep brought Reina little comfort. She slept in short bursts, aware in the back of her head that she had contracted a fever and would most likely die. She longed to plead with whoever was trying to help her to just leave her to die, but her mouth could not form the words. She was trapped in an endless nightmare of faceless voices and agonising pain. Her family were never far from her mind. Were they too suffering from this Hellish fever? Where had Cassandra gone? Mama, no! she pleaded, watching as Cassandra was pulled from the cottage, shadowy hands reaching out to seize her.

'The fever is passing…I am not sure if you have shown this child a mercy.'

'Where am I?' Reina groaned, trying to sit up, but her limbs had turned to jelly. Somehow, she found the strength to open her eyes, surprised when the room finally settled down and stopped spinning. A girl who appeared no more than a year or two older than Reina hovered beside her. Her pale face was covered in dirt and creased in anxiety.

'Tenebrae.' She spoke in a familiar accent, but Reina didn’t recognise her. 'Your fever has passed; you have been here for a few weeks now. We did our best to hide you, but you will have to move now. Staying in one place too long…it is best not to get comfortable.' Reina’s head buzzed with questions, but she was unsure of where to even begin.

'You will have to work. The fever did not kill you, but the vampires will not take that as a reason for your lying there. Unless you would rather end up in the food huts.' Food huts? Vampires?

'I don’t…what happened?'

The girl helped Reina to sit up, her brown eyes searching Reina’s face as she deliberated what to say.

'There is no time to sit idly by,' an older woman scolded. 'Talk while you work.' Barely able to stand, Reina followed the girl from a small hut. She had just woken up but all she wanted was to curl up and go back to sleep.

'Come, we will wash the floors – it is easier and will help you build your strength.' Reina followed the girl to a well. Haunted by the memory of the last time she had used a well, she filled a bucket and forced herself to carry it upright. 'Tenebrae is a cursed place, the sun never shines here. No one knows why, there are rumours the master vampire sold his soul to the Devil – but they don’t have souls. It could be witches, it’s said he keeps a group of them…' She shrugged and trailed off. 'Don’t make friends, never tell anyone your name and never ask for theirs.' The rules were endless; never sleep in the same place twice in a row, don’t sleep for more than a few short hours at a time. Keep moving.

'What kind of life is this?' Reina asked, horrified; how was she going to survive?

'It isn’t. We work until we die. The best you can hope for is being found unconscious by a hungry vampire. Some are taken to the food huts, others…' The girl shivered. 'Never stay in one place. It’s the best advice I can give you. Every so often they round up a number of slaves and sell them at auction.' Reina noticed that the girl’s voice had hardened.

'Keep moving,' Reina repeated and nodded to herself. In the back of her mind she couldn’t help asking: why had they let her live?

Tenebrae was a horrifying place. With difficulty Reina had picked up some of the Latin other slaves taught her. Very few spoke her own language and she tried her best to grasp the ancient tongue. It was not only the language that was strange but the clothing of the demons who lived there. It was as if she had stepped into a forgotten time. The women wore sumptuous gowns with tiny and embellished waists, draped sleeves, and full skirts. The men wore lavish jackets over full-sleeved shirts and strange-looking trousers.

She had soon learnt that the demons were vampires, creatures of the night who satisfied their hunger on blood.

Reina listened to the advice she had been given on her first day. She slept sporadically and never in the same place. It was difficult to sleep, even for a precious few hours. If she wasn’t woken up by her own nightmares, then she was woken up by the screams of those tortured for sport.

The infection on her wrist had cleared completely, leaving in its place a shining white mark against her