I first saw the vampire Lords on a night much like this one.
My friend, Becca and I had snuck onto an overhanging balcony to watch the Lords depart from the castle. The air held a biting chill and carried the scent of an impending heavy rain.
Five figures were draped in the most opulent attire I had ever seen, bathed in the crimson glow of a blood moon.
One stood out.
With a mane of striking red hair cascading down his back in sleek waves, he exuded a sense of cruelty that surpassed the harsh moonlight itself. As the Lords moved on, he stopped and tilted his head, his gaze fixated in our direction.
Quick-witted Becca had managed to duck out of sight.
I wasn't as quick.
Our eyes had locked, and words could not describe the sheer dread and terror that consumed me that moment.
In five years working within these castle walls, fortune had spared me from being assigned anywhere near the Lords.
Then again, it was ironic how I had decided to be surrounded by vampires.
I jolted from the memory when I realised how dark my room had become.
It shouldn't be this dark!
I dashed towards my bed.
My eyesight had dwindled considerably. The effects of the potion were already wearing off!
If anyone discovered what I was, I would become one of those unfortunate human 'pets.' Blood bags for high-ranking vampires. Lucky to survive a decade, especially when most didn't last nearly that long.
Lord Fashire was the worst of them. The red-haired monster who had locked eyes with me that ill-fated evening.
He was the most ruthless Lord in the castle, and I had happened to notice his ever-changing parade of human playthings discarded like broken toys.
Rarely did any survive beyond a few weeks.
I lifted the feathered mattress of my bed to reveal a hidden compartment.
I pulled out the small vial and took a sip of the crimson liquid. Ignoring the shudder that coursed through me as the potion started to work, I returned the vial, arranged my bed, and rushed to the bathing chamber.
I paused before the mirror's reflective surface.
There, the fading red of my eyes flared to life once more, a vibrant crimson hue replacing the dullness that was previously there. My shoulders slumped as I sighed in relief. My heightened senses returned, and my hearing sharpened to its supernatural accuracy.
I was now more vampire than human.
But I would need to head back to the village to get more potions from my aunt. This disguise would not mask my true nature for long.
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My grip tightened around the edges of the heavy tray. Harsh tremors ran through me and my knuckles turned white as I fought to suppress it.
I just could not stay calm.
Four of the servants were still not back from their vacation, and two vampire Lords had returned tonight with new pets. This meant we would have to take over the unavailable servants' work to feed them instead.
Becca walked beside me, seemingly immune to the gravity of our task. She hummed under her breath as she pushed the metal cart ahead. I wish I had a similar coping mechanism. Even if I did, nothing would stop the violent turmoil within me.
My aunt had given me precise instructions regarding the workings of the potion, along with how I was to work my way around its capabilities. It possessed the power to deceive even the highest-ranking vampires.
But there was a note of caution: I shouldn't spend too much time around them.
A few minutes, an hour, or maybe even a day could be managed, but the hours before the potion's effectiveness wore off were dangerous. My heightened senses would wane and falter before decreasing to my 'normal' state.
In other words, various traits of what made me human could slip through.
I never had to worry about this around most of the servants as they were lower-ranking vampires and not as perceptive.
But the nobles…
The aristocracy of the vampire world was an entirely different breed.
Their senses were finely honed, and their powers immense. Each noble boasted a unique ability. While the potion could mask my humanity from their intense scrutiny, there were strict rules I still had to follow in their presence.
Even if the potion was in full effect.
Foremost among these rules was the imperative not to bleed or sneeze. Any bodily fluid that escaped my system would be susceptible to their acute senses. And with a thorough investigation, they could unravel my disguise.
I had no problem with these things after working here for five years.
'Stay calm. Please, stay calm.'
Becca and I were to simply serve the pets, and we couldn't leave until they were done eating. This would go on for the next few days of the new arrivals, seeing to them and assisting in their feeding and care until the other servants responsible for this returned.
We crossed the threshold into the grand wing reserved for the Lords, and Becca's melodic hums ceased.