Tomorrow came earlier than Jack expected and, true to her promise, Ash gave him a fairly light workload today which allowed him to finish a few hours after noon with a good amount of time before dinner or the party. So, seeing as he had some free time, Jack decided to take a walk through the grounds to admire his handiwork over the past few days.

Jack didn’t pay much attention during the time he was enthralled, something he learned as a way to pass the time since he was stuck in his own body. A silver lining to this was he was able to admire the work he has done as though it was done by someone other than him, in fact, doing so often made him forget he spent a week enthralled. My body still feels sore from bending over though. Jack winced as his arms pulsed in reminder.

The garden was cleaned up, all the weeds were pulled. New flowers were placed around the fountain, roses by the looks of them. They gave off a good smell. At least he had done some good work during the last week. “Finished all your work?” Tarkus asked, approaching Jack with a ladder in hand.

Jack nodded, “I was just taking a little walk before I got ready.”

Tarkus grinned, “Well you’ve been doing some good work lately. I think the Mistress will be pleased with you. I was worried, actually, that your best work would have been when you were enthralled, guess that worry was unfounded though!”

Jack waited until Tarkus was done laughing before asking him something he’d been wondering about for some time, “Oh Tarkus, I’ve been meaning to ask, what were you doing before you came here?”

Tarkus sobered up, his smile fading. “Hmm,” he grunted, “about that…” he was silent for a moment, his eyes glancing around as if checking to see if anyone else was nearby, satisfied, he sighed, “I was… a common thief around these parts. Nothing too serious, some change here and there, maybe a knick knack or two. Although… one day I stole from someone pretty important. Got caught too, that was the worst of it. They threw me in a cell to rot away. Would have too, if the Mistress hadn’t been passing through.”

“She broke you out?” Jack asked.

Tarkus threw his head back and laughed, “No! I have no doubts she would’ve been able to though. She paid my bail and bribed the judge to let me go. I’ve been working off my debt to her ever since,” Tarkus grinned, “between you and me, I’m almost done. I’ll be finished in less than a year. I’ll see if she still wants me around though.”

I wasn’t expecting that out of you, Tarkus. Jack thought, looking at him, Jack would have pegged him as just any other common worker from any major city, he didn't look like a criminal. The other man grunted before continuing on his way. Tarkus feels indebted to her, he thought, what about Anthony? What’s his story? I’m also curious about Atticus as well, since he said he was practically raised by her.

Jack sighed, turning his attention back to the fountain. The raven still had its wing spread, water still spouting forth from its beak. Ash had Jack clean the raven while he was enthralled, and now the statue didn’t have a speck of rust on it. Something Jack’s arms were still throbbing from the memory of scrubbing at it all day. Gods help me, I'm starting to feel comfortable in this place. He turned away, heading inside. The last thing he wanted was to start getting attached to this place.

---

“Here!” Anthony said, giving Jack a hearty helping of salmon soup, “Feel free to eat as much as you can. When I went to the party there wasn't any food for us humans. I’ve been told they have started serving us food now, I’ve also been told that many of us quickly lose our appetites,” Anthony winced, “they don’t exactly give us food. Besides,” Anthony made a strange face, “I'm not sure I'd trust anything prepared by Lady Willow’s… servants. Although I'd be thankful if you didn’t tell anyone I said that.”

Jack didn’t need any further encouragement and was downing the soup almost as soon as Anthony placed it in front of him. If there was any good thing about Jack being taken by Ash, it was that he got to enjoy Anthony’s cooking. It was much better than the academy’s cafeteria and was even better than his mom’s cooking. Anthony even refilled Jack’s bowl when he was running low, giving Jack a simple smile before turning around to chop meat for everyone else’s dinner.

The last bit about the Lady Willow’s servants cooking piqued his interest, however Jack decided not to press the matter. He was already beginning to have second thoughts about going, he didn't need to add another reason to the pile.

"Oh, Anthony,” Jack began after swallowing his latest spoonful.

“Hmm?” the big man asked, not turning around.

“I was wondering what you did before you came here?”

The big man laughed, “I’m not sure that’s something you would like to know,” he replied, grabbing some vegetable and some seasoning, “where is this sudden curiosity coming from?”

“As-” Jack caught himself, “Mistress Ash said I might be interested in what the other servants were doing before they came here.”

“Did she now?” Anthony asked, his shoulders sagging a little, “I’m not exactly proud of what happened, Jack. I… was a member of the Imperiums army. Just a simple grunt. We had a battle along the border against Solara, and… I fled. My entire regiment was wiped out and I ran into the countryside, abandoning my gear and uniform so hopefully no one would recognize me. Eventually Mistress Ash found me and offered me a position as the cook for her other servants!” Anthony laughed as he started dicing up the meat, “I can’t stab another human, but I have no problem cutting food!”

You’re a deserter? Jack wondered. He looked again at Anthony, and noticed just below his sleeve, was a red tattoo of a sword with the number six written below it. He was from the sixth regiment, and if Jack was doing the math correctly, the battle Anthony talked about happened about four years ago. Luckily, the Empress's forces were able to beat back the Solarans, but the entirety of the sixth regiment had been destroyed. Well, almost all of them it seemed.

"How are you enjoying the meal?” Anthony asked, moving on to seasoning the vegetables.

Jack nearly forgot about his food and began eating again with gusto, “It’s great!” He told him, “My mom didn’t really enjoy fish so it’s been a while since I’ve eaten salmon.”

Anthony grinned, happy Jack enjoyed it.

Just as Jack finished up his soup, the door to the kitchen opened and Maria scampered in. Anthony wasn’t too pleased to see her though, his smile vanishing the instant he saw her, “Don’t come any closer unless you can promise me you have clean hands!” he said.

Maria stopped and turned to Jack, saying, “I just wanted to tell you I almost finished your suit and it should be ready soon,” after a pause she added, “if you can, could you come find me after you’re done here?”

Jack nodded, “I will, thanks.”

Maria smiled and left quickly, not even so much as glancing in Anthony’s direction. Guess I’ll ask her next. Jack thought, getting up. He once again thanked Anthony for the meal before leaving. As he was about to leave Anthony suddenly cleared his throat, “Uh, Jack?”

Jack turned around, noticing the big man seemed suddenly nervous. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“I…” Anthony glanced at the clock, “I think you might want to wait a bit before going to see Maria.”

What? “What do you mean?” Jack asked, “Is something wrong?”

Anthony shook his head, “Today is when the Mistress feeds and it’s Maria’s turn,” Anthony explained, “believe when I say that neither the Mistress or Maria like being interrupted during that.” After a pause he added, “And I’m not sure if you’re going to be able to see a vampire feeding without fainting yet.”

Jack pointedly ignored the last comment, instead asking, “What do you mean they don’t like being interrupted?”

Anthony made a face somewhere between discomfort and a smirk, “I am sure you remember what happened on your first night here?” After Jack shivered, Anthony continued, “Well, Maria and the Mistress like to enjoy themselves sometimes. I just wanted to give you a fair warning.”

Jack made a sound in the back of his throat, I guess I’m not the only one she had sex with here, “Thanks for giving me the heads up,” Jack said, “I think I’ll see if there’s anything I can do until then.”

He decided to walk through the manor for a while, checking to see what else has been going on. Atticus was nowhere to be seen, probably taking care of what needed to be done for the party. Thankfully, Samantha was nowhere to be seen as well, since Jack was not in the mood to talk to her right now. I wonder how she got here though, Jack thought, She doesn’t strike me as a petty thief or a deserter, and I doubt she came here on her own free will. Although… I guess she is choosing to stay here.

Jack stopped in front of one of the many windows. Outside was a wide expanse of land dotted with several villages off in the distance, the sun was almost fully gone, but it painted the sky with streaks of golden light as it drifted below the horizon. Not for the first time, Jack thought about what would happen if he tried to escape, would he even be able to leave the grounds without anyone noticing? What would they do if he managed to get back to Rubyshire? I doubt she’d let me fully leave, Jack thought, smiling sadly.

He placed a hand on the window and continued staring out. It took him a while, but he eventually figured out he was somewhere in the northern province of the Imperium. Traveling to Rubyshire on foot was not going to happen and Jack shivered at the thought of going to any of the guardians, after seeing that two of them were snatchers in disguise, he wasn’t sure he could trust them ever again.

The faces of the prisoners flashed in his mind. He closed his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath through clenched teeth. If Ash wasn’t there, Jack could have easily turned out just like them. A few weeks ago, Jack would have laughed if someone suggested that snatchers would dare get close to a city as large as Rubyshire, but that was where they took him. He would have also laughed at the thought of being sold to a vampire, and now here is in the home of one of them.

I wonder if mother thinks I’m dead, Jack thought, It’s certainly been a while since I talked with her… When was the last time they had talked? After midterms, maybe? Gods, what did they even talk about? I should have tried talking to her before any of this started. Maybe I wouldn’t have even ended up in this situation if I did. I wonder if maybe Ash will let me write a letter to her…

“Something on your mind, Jack?” Ash asked.

Jack sucked in a breath, and spun around. Ash giggled, and apologized for startling him. Jack couldn’t help but notice the state of her clothes, her blouse was slightly unbuttoned and rumpled, her breasts visible through the open buttons. Her hair was down and ruffled as well. Looks like Anthony was telling the truth, Jack realized, his face getting warm.

Ash smiled, noticing Jack’s wandering gaze, “Today was Maria’s turn to feed me,” she explained, “I was planning on waiting until after you came by, but we got tired of waiting for you.”

“Anthony told me to hold off until you were done,” Jack replied.

Ash sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Ah, I see. Well I suppose he had good intentions.”

Jack glanced back at the window, and noticed the sun was still barely poking above the horizon, “Is the window protected or something?” At Ash’s confused look, Jack continued, “I thought vampires burned in the sun.”

At that, Ash nearly doubled over laughing, “Oh no!” she began, wiping away a tear, “I have no idea where that notion comes from.” she straightened up before continuing, “I do not like being in the sun, that is true, but…” she held up a hand towards the sun, “as you can see, I am not catching fire. The turning… it makes us weaker in the sun and we prefer walking in the night, but we can walk out in the sun without much issue.”

Jack gave a rueful smile, Well I guess there goes my plan of waiting until day to try to escape. “Is Maria ready?” he asked.

“She should be,” Ash replied, “although do try to be gentle with her, she’s always more… skittish after a feeding. I’ll be getting ready for the party, please do not take too long and if you finish before me go ahead and wait in the courtyard.”

With that, Ash walked off. Jack sighed, deciding he might as well get this over with. Making his way to Maria’s room, Jack was very surprised to see a half dressed Maria lounging on her bed. She opened her eyes when Jack opened the door, his face reddening as soon as their eyes met. Maria, simply put, was in her undergarments and Jack would be lying if he said he found it easy to tear his eyes from her.

“Oh!” Jack exclaimed, averting his gaze, “Sorry! Sorry!”

After a moment, Maria replied, “It’s alright, come here.”

Jack was expecting that Maria would have put on some clothes while he looked away, but she still stood before him in her under garments. He blushed, pointedly looking at her face as Maria moved sluggishly, grabbing the suit Jack would be wearing.

As much as he hated it, Jack couldn’t help but glance down, noticing Maria’s feet as she walked. Hers were smaller than Ash’s, but looked just as soft. Unlike Ash’s, Maria’s big toe was her longest with every other toe shorter than the one before it. Jack didn’t notice Maria was looking at him until she gave a throaty chuckle, “Ah, I thought I overheard the others saying you had a thing for feet.”

Jack averted his gaze, face burning. Unfortunately, he knew why Maria was laughing as he felt a tightness pressing against his pants. Gods damn me, Jack thought, “I’m sorry.” he said.

“Don’t be,” Maria replied, walking up to him, “I wanted to know what you thought about them, my feet, I mean.”

“Huh?” Jack asked.

“Go ahead,” Maria began, rocking back and forth on her heels, “tell me what you think, or else I’ll make sure you have a wardrobe malfunction.”

Jack’s face reddened, although it was difficult to notice with how dark the room was. He sighed, “They’re cute,” he began, “I like how they look, how your toes increase in length as they get bigger. They… look soft and I appreciate the way they’re moving right now.”

Maria laughed and held up the suit to Jack, measuring it against him. “I think I should have made this area a little bigger,” she giggled when she measured around his crotch.

Jack grunted.

Maria smiled and handed the clothes over to Jack, “Everything looks in order here. Go ahead and try it on and tell me if you need any modifications, alright?”

Jack nodded, “Mind if I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“How did you come here?”

Maria’s mood shifted. She pulled away and sat down on her bed, she sighed, “Ah, that’s always a fun question,” she shifted her head, looking at Jack with heavy lidded eyes, “I don’t think I’m ready to tell you everything right now.” she stretched, reaching behind her back and unhooking her bra, Jack gasped and looked away, earning a giggle from Maria, “aww, you don’t like them?”

“That’s not it!” Jack replied, using the clothes to hide the telltale excitement in his pants, “I just wasn’t expecting all this!”

Maria smiled, “A few years ago, this would have cost you a pretty coin to see. One night, I had an… appointment go wrong and the guardians apprehended me. Mistress Ash saved me and has taken very good care of me since,” her smile widened, “very good care.”

Jack forced a laugh, “I thought Samantha would have done all that.”

Maria bit back a laugh, “Oh no! Samantha had other things going on…” she waved a hand, dismissing Jack, “if that’s everything, could you get going? I am very sleepy.” Jack was all too happy to oblique.

---

He took a shower before putting on the clothes. True to her word, Maria tailored them to be exactly his measurements, not too big, or too small, too tight or too loose. She outdid herself here. Jack thought, looking at himself in the mirror.

He didn’t look much different than he did a week ago. Aside from the clothes, he still looked like a student from university, although Jack thought he at least didn’t look like he was failing. Probably the suit, Jack thought, smiling as he examined the suit once again, definitely not something I’d be wearing around campus. Too formal even for that place. Although maybe I might've been treated better. Heh, who am I kidding? They'd think I was even more pretentious than they were.

Ash told him to wait for her in the courtyard when he was ready and so Jack made his way back outside. He wasn’t too surprised to see Atticus loading up their carriage, but he was surprised to see Eban was the one holding the reins of the horses. Jack gave Atticus a questioning look as the man finished connecting the horses to the carriage.

“Eban’s the one driving you there,” Atticus explained, noticing Jack’s look, “the other vampires won’t be interested in a thrall's blood. And if someone does take a bite out of him… he won’t be missed too much.”

“That true, Eban?” Jack asked.

The thrall turned around, his neck moving unnaturally stiffly. He smiled, though it looked like it pained him to do so. “It is.” Eban replied, his voice flat and lacking emotion.

Jack winced, remembering when that was him who acted and spoke like that. It’s over now. He told himself, forcing himself to look at Eban, remembering Ash's words that Eban deserved his punishment for trying to kill her. The scar above her breast came back to Jack, along with the memory of his own attempt on her life.

“Remember, try to stay close to Mistress Ash as much as possible,” Atticus began, breaking Jack out of his thoughts, “and don’t make any enemies of the other guests in the party. Vampires tend to hold grudges.”

Jack nodded, his hands twitching at his sides. Believe me, I learned that.

Atticus shifted, looking around before whispering, “So… uh, did you tell Samantha something about me?”

“Why do you ask?”

“She’s been making some passes at me earlier,” Atticus blushed slightly, “can’t say I didn’t appreciate it.”

Jack thought for a moment, “I might have told her you wanted to see her bathe.”

Atticus stepped closer and laid a hand on Jack’s shoulder, “I can’t thank you enough.”

Well I’m glad for you, Jack thought, forcing a smile, I suppose everyone has a type. Jack tried not to frown when he remembered Samantha groping him when he couldn’t do anything to fend for himself. Can’t say I share your tastes though. As soon as he thought this, however, he remembered Ash looming over him in the hallway and blushed slightly.

“Oh, is everyone ready?”

Ash came towards them. Like last night, she was dressed in the same dark blue dress, her hair done up in a tight bun with two strands of hair framing her face. Jack didn’t notice how snug the dress was around her until she moved towards them, the dress clinging to her sides which was accented by how Ash swayed her hips as she walked. Jack’s eyes were drawn lower, the slit of her dress opening up to expose her legs which ended in sandals which did little to hide her beautiful feet, although Jack did notice the way Ash’s smile wavered with every step she took, almost as though her body itself was wincing with every step.

Ash stopped before them, taking a quick look at the carriage. She had her back turned when she checked to make sure the horses were properly tended to. Jack took the opportunity to take a quick peep at the back slit of her dress as well as her shoulders. He liked seeing them move, liked wondering what it would be like to touch them.

Ash gave him a small smile as she turned around and Jack felt his face warm up as he tried to look away. Ash giggled, “Well it’s nice to see someone enjoys my dress.” she turned to Atticus, “Well it seems we’re off. Take care of things while I’m gone, alright?”

Atticus nodded, and gave Ash a quick hug, “Of course, Mistress. Be safe, alright?”

Ash gave a squeeze back, “I will be, Atticus, don’t worry.” she pulled away from him before looking at Jack and motioning for him, "Come on, now. We don’t want to keep the host waiting, do we?”

Jack went in after Ash, sitting opposite of her as Eban gave the reins a quick flick and the horses started moving. They left the manor without much fanfare and the horses moved at a brisk rate. As soon as they left, Ash made a face and reached down to undo the straps of her sandals before kicking them off and giving her feet a stretch.

“Oh I hate wearing those.” she sighed, rubbing the instep of her feet, “Unfortunately, Willow does not allow me to wear my normal attire.”

“What’s wrong with them?” Jack asked.

“I just hate the feeling of anything on my feet,” Ash replied, sitting up straight with her sandals off to the side, “bothers me, I get cranky after a while. Have the servants talked to you about what to expect of the party?”

“Yes,” Jack replied, “and I promise I will be on my best behavior-.”

“Good,” Ash said, cutting him off, “something I forgot to mention is that I won’t be able to save you if you offend anyone there. I’m afraid they take any slights very seriously.”

Jack swallowed. At this point I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I should just keep my mouth shut throughout this entire thing. “Atticus said the other vampires won’t bother Eban?”

Ash nodded, “I mentioned this before, the blood of a thrall is rancid. Unless they’re starving, no one would want to drink from him. Luckily for us, that means we can take him instead of relying on any of Willow’s servants to take us back home. We’ve run into some… complications with them before since they would also like to try to take a nibble of some of my servants before.”

“Her servants are vampires?” Jack asked.

Ash nodded, “They’re her fledglings. She likes to keep them on tight leases so they’re still dependent on her and don’t become full vampires in their own right. Stay away from them as much as you can, it doesn't take much to make them hungry. I wonder if Willow ever feeds them or if she makes them fend for themselves…” Ash frowned, and stayed silent, as though she didn’t want Jack to know what she thought.

Dear gods, what kind of place am I going to? Jack leaned back in his seat, looking out the window to try to take his mind off it. If he ever survived this night, he’ll need to make a prayer to Mother Marieh, because if he survived that means someone would have been looking over him. Calm down, Jack thought, closing his eyes, just stay close to Ash and hopefully nothing will happen. Don’t talk to any of the vampires, and don’t look at any of them either. He glanced over at Ash who seemed deep in thought as she too stared out the window and into the rolling countryside. He thought he heard her humming something. Jack listened, it sounded familiar, definitely something he heard before, but maybe not for a while.

Is that… Jack thought, is that the Prayer to the Stranger? It had to be, Jack remembered now that his mother used to sing that prayer whenever his father left to go on hunting trips. She said the Stranger can see the future and can influence fate to a certain extent.

“I thought prayers repelled vampires,” Jack began.

Ash gave a sad smile, looking at Jack’s feet rather than pretending to make eye contact, “They do.” she replied, “At least… most vampires can’t stand them.”

“I saw the sign of the Mother by your bed.” Jack remembered.

Ash nodded, “Yes, it doesn’t repulse me like it would others. But…” she gave a rueful smile, “while the gods don’t condemn me as they do others, I wonder if they can even hear my prayers, or if I’m just talking to nothing.”

How come you aren’t repelled by the gods? That was what Jack wanted to ask, but decided to hold his tongue. He wasn’t sure if Ash would be willing to say, this seemed to be a personal subject to her after all.

After a few moments of silence, Ash started humming the prayer again, Jack hesitated for a moment before adding his voice to hers. Ash glanced at him before continuing, with Jack letting her take the lead since it’s been a while since he last prayed. They closed their eyes as they prayed to the Stranger. Unknown One, whom I have not met, Jack began, please, I beg of you, let us survive this twisted party, whatever we’ve gotten into. Jack felt a strange warmness in his chest and wondered if that was the Stranger acknowledging they’ve heard him.

Ash opened her eyes and went back to starting out the window. Jack’s eyes went to the raven hair piece holding her bun up and remembered all of the ravens he had seen around the manor.

Should I? he wondered, his hands clenching and unclenching by his side, Gods help me, I’m going for it! “What’s with all the ravens around the manor?” he asked.

“You’ve seen ravens by the manor?” Ash asked, a surprised smile on her face.

“I meant the hedge sculptures,” Jack clarified, “and the statues and paintings. I… haven’t noticed any actual ravens around.”

Ash’s face fell and she pouted, “I got excited there for a moment. I was hoping to see a raven near the manor.”

Despite himself, Jack smiled, “You like ravens?”

Ash returned his smile and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs before replying, “I’m fascinated by them, yes. They are interesting creatures, you see. Very smart, they can remember your face and what you’ve done for a long time, they’ll even tell their raven friends about you if you’ve been bad towards them. They don’t travel in large groups like crows do, but they do like company,” Ash continued her eyes lighting up, “they tend to mate for life. When trying to attract mates, the male will usually bring gifts to the females as a way of showing how good of a hunter he is. And when they do get together, the pair typically go on activities to strengthen their relationship, similar to how humans date-”

“What’s a group of ravens called?” Jack asked.

“A few things,” Ash replied, “unkindness and conspiracy are the ones I usually prefer though.” Ash stopped and brought a hand to her face which pinkened slightly. “Ah, look at me,” Ash said, shaking her head, “getting all excited.”

Jack fingered the silver embroidered ravens on his collar. Well I guess that solves one mystery. She just really likes ravens.

“I’ve always wanted to see one, you know,” Ash continued, looking out the window, “Unfortunately, I think the manor might be too close to the villages for the ravens liking. They usually don’t prefer civilization, you know.”

“Why’s that?” Jack asked.

Ash tapped her ear, “They don’t like the noise. There’s a few other things as well, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of crows back in the city you’re from, yes?”

“Yes,” Jack replied, “they were a pretty common sight, actually.”

“Crows and ravens don’t get along. Even though ravens are about twice the size of crows, ravens will usually lose in a fight against them because of the number advantage. People don’t think too highly about them, ravens, I mean.” Ash placed a hand against the window, “Typically, they’re seen as bad omens, or messengers from the underworld. When I was human, I remember my father shooting at a pair of ravens with his bow because they got too close to our house for his liking. He killed the female and the male fled. For the rest of his life, as far as I know, ravens hated him and went out of their way to antagonize him.”

Jack was silent for a moment. When you were human? Of course, Jack suspected she was once human, since almost all vampires started off human but were turned at one point. Still, it was surprising to hear Ash talk about it so openly. How long have you been a vampire? She looked to be in mid twenties at most, and Atticus said he had been with her since he was a child.

Ash turned back towards him, a small smile on her face, “Enough about this, though,” she said, grimacing as she slipped the sandals back on, “we’re getting close to Willow’s estate.”

Jack looked out the window, surprised the two of them had been talking for so long. The land flattened out and he could see a bit of the Wayward Ocean on the horizon. They were somewhere in the northern province of the Imperium, although where exactly, Jack couldn’t say for certain.

The road they were on led to a large mansion and Eban got down to open the door for them. Jack shuddered when he got out of the carriage. They were in the entrance way of the garden, and here large trees loomed over at the sides. There were no lights in the garden, and Jack couldn’t tell for certain if the shapes he saw moving in the shadows of the trees were real or not. He briefly glanced at Ash who frowned in the direction of the trees. I guess there is something moving in there. Jack thought, taking a small step towards Ash.

“Shall I stay here to tend to the carriage?” Eban asked stiffly.

“That sounds good, Eban,” Ash replied, “although it seems more guests are arriving, so it might be best to move the carriage so others can arrive safely.”

Jack hadn’t noticed the others coming, but sure enough, as soon as Eban began moving, Jack was able to see numerous other carriages coming. He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and moved closer to Ash when he noticed something off about some of the carriages.

What he originally thought were lanterns, were actually necromancer flames, the fire flickering and growing like a heartbeat, controlling the driver who, as they got closer, Jack saw was nothing but bones. Other carriages came as well, and Jack quickly realized Ash was the only one who used a human to drive, even if Eban was a thrall, since the other drivers were either undead or, in the case of one of them, seemed to move on its own like magic without horses or a driver.

The vampires got down, each one of them dressed in either lavish dresses or fashionable suits. Jack looked over each one of them, careful not to look in their eyes, he didn’t recognize any of them, How could so many of them be in the Imperium? He wondered. Of the gathered vampires, he noticed one who stood out among the rest.

He stepped out of the carriage pulled by invisible spirits, he was lanky, and the other vampires regarded him with respect, bowing to him as he stepped out. Unlike the other vampires, who had beauty most humans could only dream of, the lanky vampire was the only one Jack would describe as ugly. He was mostly bald, with only thin black wisps on the top of his head, his ears were pointed, and his fangs stuck out awkwardly from his mouth, even when it was closed. Unlike the other vampires, his eyes were dull gold, and Jack felt his blood grow cold as the lanky vampire briefly glanced at him. Before he could think about that any more, however, his mind quickly focused on a different thing.

The humans the vampires brought with them. The first one he noticed was a girl, a little younger than him. She was dressed in what could best be described as glorified lingerie, nothing but strings and fabric that barely covered her nether regions. She was thin, her face gaunt and eyes downcast. Despite himself, Jack couldn’t help but blush slightly at the sight of her. She tried to cover up when she noticed Jack staring, but quickly stopped when her vampire master put a hand on her shoulder. What in the Abyss?

He saw the others as well. Most of the humans, men and women, were dressed in what could barely qualify as clothing, showing off their bodies. Jack was only slightly surprised to see a skeletal looking man completely naked, clinging onto his vampire mistress when the other vampires glanced at him. Besides himself, there were only four other humans completely dressed, although none of them looked particularly happy to be here. Only the lanky vampire seemed to have arrived alone.

Jack swallowed, glancing at Ash, who simply watched everyone else arrive with an emotionless mask. He stiffened, his muscles going tight when he felt the gazes of the other vampires fall upon him. He stared straight ahead, not looking at any of them, but he couldn’t stop the horrible feeling of their eyes on him. Stay close to Ash. he repeated over and over again in his head, and please help me gods so that I don’t piss off any of them!

He gasped when someone touched him, but relaxed when he realized it was only Ash taking his hand in hers, “Stay calm,” she advised him, “and stay close, if you can.” She gave his hand the slightest squeeze for reassurance.

Believe me, I’m not sure I want to leave your side. Maybe the naked man has the right idea.

The doors to the manor opened, and about half a dozen servants wearing black came out. The servants looked better than most of the other humans, but there was something off about them. Their faces were hollow and their smiles revealed very sharp fangs and the entirety of their eyes were red. Was that the effect of hunger on vampires?

“Welcome,” one of the servants said, as they all bowed to the guests, “Mistress Willow welcomes you to her abode. Please, come inside.”

---

Inside, Willow’s manor was exactly what Jack imagined a vampire’s lair would be. It was much darker than Ash’s, it took a few minutes for Jack’s eyes to adjust to the dimness, the paintings on the wall were all of one woman whom Jack assumed was Willow herself. It was a bit cold here as well, colder than it was outside. They all gathered in the foyer, right before a large staircase. They waited only a moment before turning their heads towards the staircase as their host arrived.

Willow wore a large dress that reached down to her feet, the dress has a generous neckline revealing a large amount of cleavage. She had auburn hair done in a braid that reached to the middle of her back. Willow smiled, revealing very white and very sharp fangs as she descended the stairs, her heels clicking with every step. There were lanterns on the side of the stairs, lanterns that lit up as Willow passed by, revealing a bit more of the manor, while also providing some measurement of warmth.

Willow paused halfway down the stairs, her eyes scanning over the crowd of gathered guests, Jack felt her eyes land on him, her gaze a heavy weight that rooted him in place. Was she staring at him longer than any others? “Welcome,” she greeted, her voice deep and throaty, “I apologize for the short notice of this party, but I believe you will all understand when you see why I have gathered you here.”

Willow led them down a hallway before leading them into a much larger room. This room, thank the gods, was much brighter than the foyer and hallway. Unfortunately, that meant Jack was able to clearly see what Willow was excited for them to see and his blood ran cold when he saw what was set up on the stage in the far end.

There was a group of humans tied to stakes. They were naked, allowing everyone present to see the deep wounds criss-crossed along their bodies. One of them had a deep gash across his neck, marking him as clearly dead, although Jack was barely able to notice a few of them were still breathing. He also recognized two of the humans tied up. The Snatchers who sold him to Ash, the same ones who wanted him to kill her.

“Snatchers?” one of the vampires asked.

Willow smiled, “I caught wind that a few of them had taken an interest in seeing us dead. I captured as many as I could that I was certain had tried to kill us. Feel free to do whatever you want to any of them, although try not to kill them. I think they would make better use as a warning to other Snatchers, to remind them of their place.”

“One of them is already dead.” one of the other vampires noted.

“Yes,” Willow replied, “you might have noticed poor Count Char is no longer with us. I might have gotten ahead of myself dealing with him. Of course, I have also provided the usual party supplies. The food will be ready in about an hour, and my servants are preparing the music.”

The lanky vampire stepped forward, his golden eyes studying the twisted display on the stage before them. Now that Jack could see better, he noticed how thin and pale the lanky vampire was. His skin was the color of spoiled milk and it looked like it was stretched thin over his bony frame. Still, judging by the way he walked, Jack didn’t doubt the lanky vampire would easily be able to break him in two.

Beside him, Jack felt Ash stiffen slightly, which did wonders for his own racing heart. Lady Willow smiled as the lanky vampire stepped forward, “Ah, Master Mikah, you have something to say?”

“Yes.” he replied in a thin, whispery voice that made the hairs on the back of Jack’s neck stand on end, “I apologize for not noticing you all have been hunted by these rats. I promise I will remedy this as soon as I can.”

Lady Willow bowed to him, “We do not blame you, Master Mikah, their actions are not your fault.”

“Still,” the lanky vampire continued, raising a long, bony hand, “I would hope you accept my apologies.” he snapped his fingers and from the hall marched several skeletons, the lights burning brightly in their empty eye sockets. The skeleton servants brought several humans with them, both men and women.

The humans brought forward were clearly terrified, shaking, looking around frantically at the gathered vampires for any shred of mercy they knew they would not receive. Master Mikah’s skeleton servants shoved the humans forward, causing them to fall on their knees and cry out. Master Mikah smiled, or at least that’s what Jack thought he tried to do, since his lips parted, revealing rows of sharp teeth, “Allow me to present to you all, a feast. Fresh blood. Feel free to do with them as you please, they will not be missed.”

Lady Willow smiled, “Thank you, master. This is most appreciated.”

Most of the other vampire guests broke out in applause and gave their thanks to the lanky vampire. What in the Abyss is this? Jack thought, feeling cold. He glanced over to Ash, glad to see her face was impassive and her hands were still at her side. Out of instinct, Jack clung to her arm, eliciting a surprised sound from her. Thankfully, she didn’t push him away, instead, her hand found his arm and gave him a slight squeeze. Just have to survive this night. Jack thought, Please don’t leave me alone with them, Mistress!

Lady Willow snapped her fingers, and some of her servants appeared on stage and began playing instruments while others brought food and placed them on the tables. From there, the party began in full. The guests dispersed throughout the hall, enjoying Lady Willow’s hospitality. Jack followed Ash as she found an empty table and they both took their seats, with Jack looking around, morbid curiosity making him wonder what the other guests were doing.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Jack.” Ash said stiffly, “Unless you want to have trouble sleeping for a while.”

I think after what I’ve seen just now, I’ll be having some problems. Jack thought, but heeding Ash’s warning and focusing instead on the bouquet of flowers in the middle of their table. Had Jack not heeded Ash's advice, he would have seen several vampires descend upon Master Mikah's humans, draining them dry in a manner of seconds. Master Mikah had already ripped out of their tongues to prevent them from speaking, so all they could have done was thrash about uselessly as they were drained of blood and left to die on the floor, their corpses collected by Lady Willow’s servants for disposal.

Poor Jack would have had trouble sleeping after such a sight, but he wasn’t looking. Although Ash was, and in her mind she said a prayer to whatever god would even bother to listen to her, The Mother, the Stranger, the Watcher, whichever of them would even bother taking her words into account, and prayed for their safety and journey to a gentle afterlife.

Jack, meanwhile, glanced over at some of the guests who wandered onto the stage and began having some fun with the captured snatchers, using their own hands to inflict whatever wounds they could to elicit a scream.

If the screams ever overshadowed the music the musicians simply played louder until the screaming died down. Jack recognized the voice of the Snatcher currently being tortured, it was the same one who laughed at him, saying the gods would have punished him if they truly cared. Looks like you’re facing some sort of punishment, huh? Jack thought, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction, Serves you right, you two-faced bastard.

“You’re not going up there?” Jack asked.

“Huh?” Ash asked, shaking her head slightly when Jack repeated himself, “Gods no,” she growled slightly, “Believe me, I would’ve had my way with the snatchers if I could have gotten my hands on them, but I will not participate in this twisted display.”

Jack noticed Ash twitched whenever the music got louder, her usually passive face quirking with irritation the longer the volume rose. Jack wasn’t fond of it either, but Ash looked like she was in physical pain from this.

“Ah, Ashley!” a voice greeted.

Another vampire, this one an older looking man, took a seat opposite of her. Beside him was a human woman, one of the few dressed in modest clothes similar to Jack. I guess that means he’s one of the nicer ones, Jack thought, eyeing the vampire carefully. The newcomer was dressed in a black suit, with golden embroidery at the seams. His hair was short and swept to the side, and his face was mostly clean shaven save for a large mustache. In his hands, he brought two glasses filled with blood, one of them he offered to Ash while the other he kept for himself.

“Rowan,” Ash greeted, “I was wondering if any of you would try to make conversation, are the others here? Eliza? Mina?”

“Eliza declined the invitation, I’m afraid,” Rowan replied, taking a sip from his glass, “I believe her excuse was she was dealing with a would-be hunter who managed to wound her.” Another sip, this time a deeper gulp, “I’ve seen Mina around though, I think she’s about to torture those poor souls up there -- ah, yes, there she is.”

The snatchers cried out and Jack had to look at what was happening. The vampire named Mina was on stage, and plunged a red hot brand into the side of one of the snatchers, eliciting not only an ungodly screech, but also causing the room to smell vaguely of burned meat.

Rowan chuckled, “Ah, and here I thought she was the gentlest of us.” He raised his glass slightly towards the stage. Ash grimaced as the noise continued to grow, bringing a hand to cover her ears until the screaming stopped and the music returned to normal levels.

“Barbaric…” Jack wasn’t sure if he heard Ash correctly, and when he looked at her, he saw she was glaring at the Snatchers, most of whom were sporting open wounds. Jack's mouth was dry, and he wished he was offered something to drink, he couldn't help but agree with Ash. These men were monsters, criminals of the worst kind, but they didn't deserve this. If the gods cared they would have done something by now. those words echoed again in Jack’s ears, and his heart hardened slightly.

“Oh, where are my manners!” Rowan suddenly began, gesturing to the woman beside him, “Ashley, I’d like you to meet Rachel, this is the first time she’s been to one of these parties, and I’d appreciate it if you could help me keep an eye on her.”

“Of course,” Ash replied, her voice stiff as she gestured to Jack, “This is Jack, he’s my newest servant at the manor.”

Rowan turned to him, and flashed his fangs in what could have been considered a smile, “Ah,” he began, holding out his hand, “good to meet you, my good man.”

Jack hesitated for a moment, I shouldn’t leave him hanging like this, and shook his hand. He was cold and his grip was tight. Still, Jack returned the smile and the greeting, causing Rowan to sit back with a satisfied look on his face. I guess that went well.

“Oh dear,” Rowan suddenly said, Jack followed the vampire’s gaze and saw that one of the guests had successfully managed to snatch away one of the humans from their respective masters. Jack couldn’t bring himself to look away as the vampire took a little nibble from their prey as their master watched dispassionately, a slight smile on his face since it allowed him to take the other vampire’s human since she was now unguarded. The human cried out slightly, struggling as the vampire ran his hands over her mostly bare body before returning the favor and taking a bite from her.

“Well, it seems the festivities started,” Rowan muttered, “Rachel, please be a dear and stay close to me.”

Rachel nodded, “Yes, of course,” and moved closer to him, keeping her gaze low.

Jack gulped, trying his hardest to keep his gaze on the table rather than wandering around where he might catch the attention of one of the other partygoers. Last thing he wanted was to lock eyes with them and have them decide he’ll make a nice quick bite. Just stay close to Ash, Jack thought, scooting a little closer to her.

“Would you mind keeping an eye on Jack?” Ash asked suddenly, leaping up from her chair, “I need some air.”

“I’d be delighted to!” Rowan said as Ash walked off, not even waiting for an answer.

Gods above, what in the abyss are you doing? Jack wanted to run after her, but stopped himself, Abyss, if I run off I might upset Rowan. If any of these other vampires bite me, I’ll be seen as open season. he looked over at Ash as she retreated, Please come back soon!

“Sorry I’m late,” a new vampire, along with her human, arrived at the table. Jack recognized her as Mina, and saw that her human was dressed similarly as he was and also looked deeply uncomfortable at the prospect of being here, “Eliza told me the hunter was tipped off by one of those snatcher bastards and I had to teach them a lesson. Oh, I see Ashley isn’t here.”

“She’s getting air,” Rowan replied, “ you know how she gets with loud noises and such. This is her human, a new servant named Jack.”

Mina turned to him, and Jack gulped as he felt her gaze. She had a look in her eyes he didn’t trust, the same look he saw on the Snatchers as they were given the money from Ash. She smiled, and Jack noticed it didn’t reach her eyes, “Pleasure to meet you, I’m Mina.” she nodded towards her human, a meek looking man a few younger than Jack, “This is Ethan, he’s been around here a few times.”

“Is he brave or stupid?” Rowan asked.

Mina giggled, hiding her fangs with her hand, “Well, I do offer a good motive for any servant who does me the honor of coming to one of these. Ethan’s the only one who thinks the risk is worth the reward.”

Jack glanced over at Ethan, he noticed the younger man moved his chair closer to Mina and was very close to her. He took the opportunity to glance at Mina and noticed that while his body wanted to run, Mina herself wasn’t bad to look at, especially with her dress showing as much as it did. She had some nice curves to her, with her scarlet dress emphasizing her hour glass figure, and her neckline left little to the imagination. Ethan noticed Jack staring at Mina and gave him a wink and a small smile. Jack couldn’t help but smile as well.

Mina took a sip from her glass, “So, Jack, what do you think of working for Ashley? Is she a good mistress to her servants?”

Jack blinked, “Uh… working for her is nice…” Abyss, what am I supposed to say? I was a thrall for most of my servitude so far! And I'll be damned if I tell them that! “the other servants like her as well. Atticus especially-”

He was about to continue when Mina snorted, “Please do not speak of that brat here.”

Rowan nodded in agreement.

Jack couldn’t help himself, “Why? What did he do?”

Mina gave him a look before asking, “Oh? Did Ashley not tell you? Strange, normally she doesn’t keep it a secret from her servants. I think she normally tells them after a few days if I remember correctly.”

"Keep what a secret?” Jack asked.

Mina and Rowan exchanged a look, What am I about to get into?, “How old do you think your mistress is?” Rowan asked, “And don’t be afraid to answer, we love seeing the faces of humans when they hear our real ages.”

“I dunno, a few centuries?” Jack asked.

Mina giggled, while Rowan nearly choked on his blood, “Hardly.” Mina replied, “I believe she’s about thirty nine.”

Jack nearly jumped from his chair. Mina and Rowan chuckled at his response, with Rowan nearly spitting out the blood he was currently drinking. Thirty nine!

“Atticus helped her kill the owner of that manor,” Mina continued, “and she took over from there. I say, for a human, Atticus has quite the ego on him, what I wouldn’t give to knock him down a few pegs.” Mina licked her fangs as she said that, and Jack couldn’t help but feel vulnerable, especially without Ash present.

“Now now,” Rowan chided, “it’s not polite to speak ill of our friends. Even if I’m loath to call Atticus a friend.” Rowan waved a hand in Jack’s direction, “But Jack, I’m willing to extend whatever protection I can. And as a personal favor to Ashley, I'd even look after Atticus.”

Jack let out a small sigh of relief. Well I’m glad we got that sorted out. While Jack was focusing on the conversation between Rowan and Mina, he wasn’t paying attention to the party happening around him. The musicians continued playing, while the other vampires continued their twisted game of trying to sneak a taste of the other humans.

Some of these poor humans were deliberately left to fend for themselves by their masters, and some had taken to hiding or even running away to try to find an inkling of safety. However, Willow’s servants stalked the grounds, making sure no one came in uninvited, or left without their master. Unfortunately, for the humans who thought escaping would be their best means of surviving, Lady Willow’s servants did not simply contend themselves with a single sip and a few vampires would end leaving with one less human.

Jack also was unaware that he had caught the attention of the host of the party. Lady Willow had her eyes on him ever since she had seen him with Ashley and had been trying her best to keep tabs on him. Unfortunately for her, Ashley was always frustrating with her friends who never wanted to share their humans. Ethan and Rachel looked appetizing as well, but Ashley always had a habit of getting on her nerves, and she needed to be taught a lesson.

Jack was unaware he had gained the attention of any other vampires, instead, he was still wondering where Ash might be. How long has it been? She should have been back by now. Before Jack could ponder any further, one of Lady Willow’s gaunt servants shambled over to their table, “Rowan,” he wheezed, “the Mistress would like to have a word with you.”

“With me?” he asked, pulling Rachel closer towards him, “Did I do anything to offend her?”

The servant shook his head, and Jack thought he saw the servant glance at him, “No, nothing like that, she simply wished to discuss your hosting abilities.”

Rowan sighed, “So I’m to host next, huh? Very well, take me to her. Rachel, stick close. Mina, would you mind taking care of our guest?”

Mina nodded as Rowan was led away. Jack gulped, suddenly feeling nervous, more vulnerable than he was before. Ash, please come back. Where are you?

“It’s strange for Ash to be gone this long,” Mina commented, frowning, “I guess something must really be getting to her for her to be gone this long.”

“She leaves often?” Jack asked, glancing around.

Mina shrugged, “Sometimes. She complains a lot about the noise and the amount of people. Strange girl, that one. Still, I’d rather take her than most of these others -- oh, poor girl.”

Jack couldn’t stop himself and looked at where Mina was looking and saw one of the human women slumped over, dead from blood loss. The vampire responsible was giving his condolences to the human’s master, although she barely looked bothered, more annoyed than anything else.

“You know, that’s almost how Eliza lost poor Sarah,” Mina commented, “that would have been a shame, we all love Sarah.”

Well, at least I was fortunate enough to not end up with one of them as a master. Jack thought, shaking and cold, I hope Ash comes back soon, I really don’t want to be alone right now! He let out a breath, No, I’m not alone. Mina is here, and while I don’t exactly trust her, she said she’d watch over me. Gods, please watch over me

Unfortunately for Jack, the gods had other matters to attend to, leaving him at the mercy of the guests in the party. Master Mikah wandered over to their table, giving what could be a smile as he approached them, “Ah, Mina, I was wondering where you were.”

“Oh, Master Mikah, what brings you here?” Mina asked, grabbing Ethan and bringing him closer to her.

The lanky vampire took a seat beside her. If he took offense to her shielding Ethan from him, he didn't show it, “I simply wished to ask if there was anything I could do to atone for what happened to poor Eliza? I feel…” he drifted off as he noticed Jack was sitting nearby, “I am sorry, but do you wish to go elsewhere? I’d rather not talk about my shortcomings in front of just anyone.”

Jack gulped. Are you kidding me? he glanced at Mina who gave him an apologetic look, this was out of her hands. If I leave then I’ll be- Jack nodded, standing up, find Ash. I need to find Ash! In a voice much more calm than he actually felt, Jack said, “I’ll be going now. Pleasure to meet you all.”

He barely registered Master Mikah saying goodbye as he went around, trying to avoid the attention of any of the other vampires as he looked for Ash. Dodging anyone he came across, Jack caught a glimpse of her resting on a bench in the balcony and made his way over there. He was stopped when the host, Lady Willow stepped in front of his path.

She smiled, her fangs hidden, but Jack could almost feel their tips driving into his neck as she leered down at him. “Are you alright, little one?” she asked, her voice a mixture of concern and something else Jack couldn’t quite place.

He nodded, and tried his best to look as unbothered as possible, “I’m doing fine,” he replied, “I was just looking for my mistress.”

“Oh dear,” Lady Willow said, bringing a hand to her mouth, “do you want help?”

Jack shook his head, “No, she’s right there, actually.”

Something flickered across Willow’s face for a moment as she followed Jack’s finger. Before she could say anything more, Jack had already slipped by and walked onto the balcony where he found Ash resting. He ran over to her, causing her to look at him as he sat beside her.

“Oh,” Ash greeted, “hello Jack. Did something happen inside?”

Jack took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, unfortunately it had little effect, “Where were you!” he asked, his voice low, but the emotions still very raw, “Rowan and Mina were called away and I had to find you before I was grabbed! The host nearly cornered me as I came out here!”

If Jack wasn't as overcome with emotions as he currently was, he might have thought twice before talking to Ash in that way. Ash, however, looked at him for a moment before blinking away a tear and saying, “I’m sorry, Jack.” Ask replied, resting a hand on his head, “I’ve failed you and I have no excuse for that.”

Jack noticed Ash sounded tired and he just now noticed she slipped the sandals off her feet. “What are you doing out here, anyway?” Jack asked.

“The noise was getting a bit much for me in there,” Ash replied, “loud noises don’t really sit well with me, combine that with these Abyssal sandals and I was about to have a breakdown in there. I needed to come out here to… unwind for a bit before I came back. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was gone for so long, and that you’d be left alone.

Jack breathed out, “You know, I’m surprised you didn’t get angry with me.”

“Hmm? What for?”

Jack hesitated, “Snapping at you like that.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like it, but you were right about it,” Ash said, slipping on her sandals with a sigh, “I suppose I’d best rejoin the party.”

“Ashley-”

Ash held up a finger, “If you do want me to snap at you, keep calling me by that name. I’m Ash, Mistress Ash, to you.”

Jack swallowed, but smiled, “Is there a reason Rowan and Mina called you that, Mistress?”

Ash sighed, “They call me that because that’s my name, Jack. Is it really that hard to understand? I just prefer going by Ash, nothing more.”

“I think Ash is a nice name.”

Ash gave him a tired smile, “Let’s just rejoin the party, alright? And do me a favor and try not to cause me any headaches.”

Jack moved closer to her, “I’ll certainly try.”

Ash smiled and got up, Jack followed closely behind her as they rejoined the party. The music slowed down, and guests made their way onto the dance floor. Several of them, both human and vampires, started waltzing to the music, exchanging partners here and there, weaving together on the dance floor.

Jack was surprised that none of the other vampires were interested in taking a bite from their dance partners. Guess there has to be a line somewhere. He watched the vampires closely, noticing the longing in their eyes, the hunger, the desire. The humans, for the most part, kept neutral expressions, although some of them genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Jack hesitantly glanced towards Ash, “Shall we dance?”

Ash grimaced, “I don't dance, I'm afraid. Not in front of others,” she glanced around, frowning slightly when she found who she was looking for, “Ah, I was wondering where Rowan had gotten to.”

Jack saw Rowan dancing among them, his partner was the human girl, Rachel. He danced close to her, letting go reluctantly when it was time to switch partners, from there he was partnered with Ethan, Mina's servant. Rachel seemed to be enjoying her immensely, not caring as she went from one vampire to another. Gods, is she smiling? Jack watched closely, seeing her smile widen as the other vampires grew more restless with her in their arms.

Ash led Jack back to the table where the two of them sat down, watching the dance unfold. It seemed the servants had placed some food and water on the table, and unfortunately Anthony was correct that the food wasn't the most appealing thing. Did they burn the bread? Jack scooted his food away from him, glad he ate before he came here.

While Ash claimed not to dance, Jack did notice her nodding her head along to the melody. Heh, she can be cute… sometimes. Jack blushed and drank some water, did he seriously just think that? Ash was beautiful, that was obvious, but… Gods, I think I've been around her for too long. Jack thought, hoping the warmth in his face wasn't what he thought it was. I won’t… Jack put the cup down, he wouldn't what? What would he do if he ever tried to escape? His family probably won't want him back and he was probably expelled from the university due to how many absences he's had by now. Even if he was let back in, he wouldn't be able to afford going there much longer.

This really is my life now, huh? Jack thought, looking back the dancers, the gods are simply laughing at me, aren't they?

“Mistress,” Jack began.

“Hmm?” Ash asked, “Something wrong, Jack?”

“While you were gone, Rowan and Mina told me a little bit about…” Jack paused, hesitant, “your sire.”

If Ash had any reaction toward that, she hid it well, keeping her face impassive. She reached over for her goblet of blood and took a little sip, “Ah, what about him?”

Jack blinked, that's all? “You… don't have anything to say?”

Ash gave him a strange look, “What would I have to say about him? He was my sire, and I killed him. That's all you need to know.”

“Mina and Rowan were surprised I didn't know much about him.” Jack said hesitantly.

“I try not to talk about him,” Ash looked over at the dance floor, “he wasn’t the nicest of vampires.”

Some people might have picked up on the hint and let the subject drop, at least for the time being. Jack was not one of those people, “Mina said Atticus helped you kill him?”

Ash smiled slightly, “He did, and for that, he has my eternal thanks. He was just a boy, he never should have had to do that though,” her smile left and she looked sad, “please, can we stop talking about this? Now is not the time for a conversation like this.”

“Why hadn’t you told me about this before?”

Now Jack could see Ash was getting angry. She set down her glass with a sharp clink and glared at Jack. He took a sharp intake of breath as he felt her eyes meet his and felt her hypnotic gaze on him again. His body became heavier and he felt himself beginning to drift off. He struggled, before ripping his gaze from her. He gasped, hands clenched into fists, Gods! Did she just-! his mouth was dry as he hesitantly looked back at her.

Ash sighed, “Temper, temper.” She rubbed her eyes, “My apologies, Jack. But please stop pushing the matter.”

“The others know, don't they?” Jack asked, an edge to his voice, “They know what happened?”

“Yes.” Ash replied stiffly.

“Would you have told me?”

“Eventually,” came the reply, “I might've done so already if you hadn't stabbed me with that knife.”

Because it reminded you of yourself? Jack closed his eyes and took a breath. He messed up, his ego had gotten the better of him again. Earlier he was frantic, wanting nothing more than for Ash to be close by, and now that she's here the first thing he did was make her angry. Dad would say he was right about me if he was here, Jack thought bitterly, well I won't give you the pleasure, old man.

He was about to apologize when Ash suddenly stood up and started walking away, Gods, please don't go! “Mistress?” Jack called, “Where are you going?”

“To get some air.” she replied, not looking at him.

Jack glanced around frantically, both Rowan and Mina were nowhere to be seen. He gulped and got up, trying to follow Ash.
She paused, standing rigid. If Jack had been more observant, he might’ve noticed the slight trembling in her hands, “Where do you think you're going?” Ash snarled.

“W-with you.”

Ash looked at him sideways, “Really? After that?”

Jack nodded, not trusting his voice.

Ash closed her eyes, “Fine then. Follow.”

Thank you, Mistress! Jack sighed. When they were safe, he would have to profusely thank her, but right now, he was content to follow her.

He was keeping pace with her, making sure to mind the other guests when suddenly, Jack felt someone grab him from behind. Before he could react, could cry out, he felt something thick and heavy press against his mouth and he was lifted up and carried away.

Gods, what's happening? Jack thought, thrashing in his assailant's grip, but to no avail.

Ash hadn't noticed, still walking over to the balcony. She'd notice he was gone though, right? She wasn't that mad at him, was she? No, Jack remembered their ride in the carriage, she wouldn't leave him alone. He looked over at her pleadingly as he was dragged away, but Ash still had her back to him.

Although whether she would or wouldn't, it didn't matter now. Jack was rushed away from the ballroom and carried upstairs. He caught hoarse whispers from his kidnappers, saying to be careful with him because the Mistress wouldn't want him hurt.

Jack gulped, still struggling, but not having any effect on breaking free. The Mistress? as they carried him throughout the hallway, Jack caught a glimpse of them through the window and saw they were the servants of Lady Willow. Gods help me. Jack's blood turned cold and he started flailing about in force, although all that accomplished was a muffled curse from one of the kidnappers and a punch to his gut that took the wind out of him.

Shortly afterwards, the kidnappers opened a door at the end of the hallway and dragged Jack inside where he saw Lady Willow sitting at the edge of a bed, waiting for him.

She tilted her head, “he's hurt. I ordered him not to be.”

The servants all bowed sharply, “Apologies Mistress, but he was giving us trouble.”

“A little human gave three of my servants trouble?” Lady Willow asked, crossing her arms, “I’m not sure whether to be impressed by him, or disappointed in the lot of you.”

Beside him, Jack felt her servants stiffen sharply, “Forgive us, mistress!” one of them spoke, her voice high, “We were caught off guard.”

Lady Willow clicked her tongue and got to her feet. She walked over to Jack and kneeled down in front of him. Gods, this again. Jack fought the urge to struggle, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good. Lady Willow’s fingers crept beneath his chin and lifted his head up to look at her. Jack was fast enough to avoid direct eye contact, focusing instead of her eyebrows.

Lady Willow gave him a small smile, and Jack couldn’t help but notice her fangs seemed to be longer and sharper than Ash’s. “Well I see you know better than to look us in the eyes. Did my servants hurt you too much on your way here?”

Jack shook his head. If he managed to survive this, he’d rather not make any more enemies than necessary. Please! Ash! Please notice I’m gone! Please… don’t leave me here!

Lady Willow’s smile widened and she rose to her feet. She gestured to her servants, “Leave us, your work is done. Go feast on the snatchers for all I care." As soon as the servants left the room she gestured for Jack to stand up, “I prefer you on your feet, fighting.”

Jack did so, “Fighting?”

Lady Willow clicked her tongue, “You can ignore eye contact with me all you want, human, but I can see you won’t go down without a fight. That’s good, I’m not in the mood for easy prey tonight.”

Jack swallowed, and glanced around. There’s only one way out and Jack doubted she’d let him escape. She’d be on him in an instant if he turned his back on her. He had no weapons, and nothing here could be used as one either. If it came to a one on one fight she’d easily overpower him. Gods! Jack swallowed and stepped forward, raising his fists.

Willow smirked, bemused, “You want to fight?” She stood still, at rest, “Go ahead, I'll give you the first hit.”

Jack gulped, She's playing with me. Still, he stepped forward, closing the space between them before striking out.
He nearly tripped forward as his fist struck nothing but thin air, Willow moved at the last second, one moment she stood in front of Jack, the next, she stepped to the side of him. Before Jack could recover, Willow shoved him, causing him to nearly fall. Jack kept his footing, and twisted to face her, only to see she moved again. where-? Jack's eyes frantically searched the seemingly empty room, but Willow was nowhere to be seen.

Cold hands gripped his shoulders, their touch was soft, but invasive, “Boo.” Willow breathed against Jack's ear.
Jack sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and tried to break free, but Willow’s grip hardened to steel, her sharp nails dug into his suit, and Jack grunted as he felt her nails pierce through his skin and drew blood. That was what caused Willow to release him, and Jack put some distance between the two of them before turning to face Willow.

She wasn't looking at him, instead staring at the tiny drops of blood on her fingernails. Jack's heart thundered against his ears as she brought her fingers to her mouth and licked the blood off.

“Delicious,” she said, her mouth curving slightly, “I see why Ashley doesn't want to share you with the rest of us.”
Jack clutched at his wounded shoulder and took a step back, his teeth bared in a snarl. Willow, however, didn't seem intimidated in the slightest, giggling behind her hand as Jack backed himself against a wall.

“Word of advice, dear,” Willow began, walking towards him, “Don’t go around baring your teeth in front of a vampire, you're not as scary as you think.” To punctuate her point, Willow bared her fangs at Jack, fangs that looked like they wouldn’t be as gentle as
Ash was. Jack imagined them piercing his neck and wasn't sure if she'd be satisfied with just one bite.

Shaking, Jack raised his hands again, and Willow giggled, readying herself for another strike. Instead, Jack sprinted towards the door. Willow made a sound in her throat, clearly taken by surprise, but the shock quickly wore off and she was on Jack before he was halfway to the door.

She grabbed his wounded shoulder and threw him onto the ground. Jack whimpered, lashing out blindly, although his kicks and squirms barely had any effect on her. “My,” she chuckled, “You're a funny one,” she giggled as she wrestled Jack's arm to the ground, “but don't get too ahead of yourself, human.”

Jack squirmed, hoping against hope that he'll somehow be able to break free from her. She put an end to that quickly though, shifting all her body weight onto him, pinning him against the floor. This is it, Jack realized, I'm dead.

Willow bent down, planting a small kiss on his cheek, “Well, you've certainly surprised me a few times, little boy, but I think I'll take what's mine now and have my way with you then. Or… should it be the other way around? What do you think?”

“Keep your filthy hands off me!” Jack snarled.

In response, Willow chuckled and placed her hands on his shoulders. At first her touch was gentle until she dug fiercely into his skin, shredding his suit a bit in the process. Jack screamed out, and Willow simply laughed.

“I'd have thought Ashley would've taught you some manners,” Willow began, loosening her grip on him, “but it seems she can't do that right. Oh well, more of your delicious blood for me.” She bent down and licked straight from Jack's wound.

Jack stiffened, clenching his teeth in response. Her tongue was cold, and he felt the tips of her fangs graze him with every lick. Finally, blessedly, she pulled back.

“Be grateful I haven't bitten you, yet,” Willow whispered against his ear, “otherwise, the others might think they'll have a chance at you.” Her hands wrapped around Jack's neck, drifting up to his face, “Well, little boy? Still think my hands are disgusting?”

“No.” Jack breathed, feeling his face getting warm.

Willow smiled, “Flip over, I want to look you in the eyes.”

Jack did so, the thought of trying to run came to him again, but he shut that down. She was already upon him, there's no way he'd get to the door in time. He looked at Willow, keeping a neutral expression, although that was ruined somewhat by his face still feeling warm.

Willow’s hands came to his chest, resting over his heart, “I can hear your heart, human. It's beating rather fast, why is that?”
Jack glared at her.

Willow giggled and, in a single swift motion, ripped Jack's suit in half, exposing his torso to her. Jack yelped, and immediately tried to cover himself, but Willow grabbed his wrists and wrenched them apart easily. “None of that now,” she hissed, her eyes glowing red, “I want to see what kind of meal I'm going to enjoy.”

Her eyes raked over his body, taking in everything, but focusing mostly on the veins and arteries crisscrossing beneath his skin. As much as Jack hated this, as much as he was terrified, he couldn't help himself.

Willow stiffened as she felt something poking at her waist. She looked down and laughed as Jack's erection stood tall against his pants. “Oh my! I've never had this happen before!” She calmed down a little, “Oh, human, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?”
Jack licked his lips, his face crimson, “What exactly are you going to do?” he asked, “If you’re not going to bite, how are you going to get a good meal out of me?”

“Mmh,” Willow replied, “your blood is tasty, yes, but that wasn't the meal I was hoping for. In fact, your little situation is very fortunate as it means less work for me.”

Jack's eyes widened, and he started struggling anew, but it was no use. Willow’s smile widened as she reached down for his pants, grabbing them by the waist, and was about to pull them off when the door flew open.

Ash stood there, her expression dark, and eyes glowing red against the shadows of Willow’s manor. She wiped the back of her hand against her mouth and Jack noticed her dress was ripped along the sides, her hair was disheveled, and her hands had blood on them. “Your servants told me what you were doing,” Ash snarled, “eventually. They're fine, although they might go catatonic if they aren't properly taken care of.”

“Ashley,” Willow sighed, standing up, “you always show up at the most inconvenient of times.”

Ash crossed her arms beneath her breasts, “I'm taking Jack with me and we'll both be taking our leave.”
Willow giggled, “I'm afraid that won't be possible, you see, young Jack threw a few punches at me, and I'm sure you understand why I simply can't let something like that slide, especially not in my own manor.”

Ash growled and glanced at Jack. His shameful expression was evidence enough for her as she sighed, her expression softening, “Very well,” she straightened up, smoothing out her dress and her hair, “What will it take for you to forgive my servant? Some of my riches? Land? You can even have my thrall if you want.”

Willow tilted her head, licked her lips, “there is something I've always wanted from you, Ashley. And I think you know what it is just
as much as I do.”

Ash lifted an eyebrow, “All this for that?”

Willow shook her head, “No, I was explaining to dear Jack here that this was originally done to get back to you for not participating in our games, for killing your sire, but… seeing as that is in ruins, I think I'll happily settle for something else.”

“Very well,” Ash conceded, “on one condition,”

Willow sighed, “Are you really in a position to make demands, Ashley? Very well, get on with it.”

“Jack,” Ash began, “look me in the eyes, now.”

Jack did so, not wanting to cause any further trouble than he already had. He felt her gaze envelope him, felt his body lock up as he was lost in her control.

“Rest now, little one.” Ash commanded, her voice softened as she added, “I’d rather you not see what is about to happen.”

Jack didn't even fight it, the command came over him and darkness overtook him. He slumped onto the floor, deep in sleep.
Willow smirked, walking over to Ash. Unlike Jack, Ash kept a neutral expression as Willow drew close. Ash met Willow’s gaze, her hands tightening to fists at her side. “Very well,” Ash began, undoing her hair bun and letting it waterfall down to the middle of her back, “your move, Willow.”

“You can take off your sandals, if you want,” Willow chuckled, sliding her own braids out of her hair, “I know you don't do well in those,” Willow started slipping out of her dress, flashing her fangs dangerously at Ash.

Ash needed no other encouragement, throwing off her sandals almost immediately. She waited as Willow got undressed, eagerly throwing off her dress. Despite the situation, Ash had to admit Willow was beautiful. She was shorter than Ash was, but the fierceness of her gaze made her height seem irrelevant. Her breasts, once Willow’s bra came off, were large and soft looking, her nipples already aroused at the thought of what she was going to do with Ash.

Willow smirked as she noticed Ash’s gaze, “Like what you see?”

“What do you care?” Ash asked.

Willow came closer, fangs flashing in the darkness as she reached out for Ash’s dress, “I want you to have some fun, too. Or, as much fun as you can have, I suppose.” Without warning, Willow suddenly reached forward, seizing Ash’s dress by the collar and ripping it in half. Ash didn’t even so much as blink as the ruined remains of her dress pooled around her naked ankles.

“I always admired these,” Willow began, fondling Ash’s breasts through her bra, “There… we… go.” she said, snapping off Ash’s bra and sending it to the floor as well. The last to come off was Ash’s panties which Willow slid off eagerly, smiling as Ash’s clean shaven pussy greeted her. “So beautiful.” Willow breathed.

The other vampiress stood up, looking at Ash’s body up and down before closing the distance between them. Ash kept a stony expression as Willow’s thumb teased a nipple, coaxing it erect; despite her expression, Ash could only hide her reaction so much as her toes curled against the carpet.

Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Willow whose grin widened, her other hand drifting between Ash’s legs. “I always thought you were beautiful, you know?” Willow began, her fingers trailing down Ash’s flat stomach, closer and closer to her pussy, “Such a shame, really, that John Ruthven was the one who turned you. I would have loved to have you all to myself.”

Willow’s hand stopped as Ash replied, “I see how you treat your servants, I think I was better off with my sire,” she flashed her fangs in a gesture that wasn’t quite a smile, “besides, if I ended up here, you would have just ended up sharing my sire’s fate.”
Willow grunted, her hand slipping into Ash’s folds. Despite trying to keep a flat face, Ash’s body showed her arousal as Willow’s fingers slipped in easily. Once again, Ash bit back a moan, struggling to keep a neutral expression as Willow explored inside her.

“I’m not too sure about that, love,” Willow whispered huskily, closing the gap between them, “I only treat my servants this way if they disappoint me, would you disappoint me?”

“I’ve…” Ash bit back a moan, struggling to stay on her feet as her legs wobbled from the feeling between her legs, “I’ve disappointed my sire several times, the last time was when I drove that stake through whatever remained of his heart.”

“You did that?” Willow asked, “I’ve heard your precious Atticus was the one who did the deed?” Willow giggled softly, “To think, a little boy was the one who took down the mighty John Ruthven. Or, are you perhaps trying to protect him from us?”

Ash licked her lips, Gods damn me! Her legs wobbled dangerously, she pressed an arm against the wall to steady herself. “It was me who killed my sire,” Ash replied, “Atticus helped, but I was the one who plunged that stake into him.”
“I see,” Willow began, bringing her face closer to the nipple she’d been teasing. Ash braced for what she knew was coming and just barely managed to bite back a sharp gasp as Willow bit down not too gently. Unfortunately, Ash’s body betrayed her as she shuddered violently, and Willow’s finger no doubt experienced how wet she was becoming.

Ash brought her free hand to Willow’s neck. She grunted, clenching her teeth as Willow continued sucking. I need… Ash shivered, to stay focused! She glanced over at Jack, laying passed out on the floor. This one is always causing trouble for me.
She knew she only had one shot at this, and the only thing she could do right now was play along. Willow moaned against Ash’s nipple, her free hand going to her other breast to play with it as she fingers went deeper and deeper. Ash stiffened instantly as Willow managed to find and flick her clitoris. “Ah, there it is,” Willow chuckled, briefly releasing herself from Ash’s breast.

Ash tilted her head back, biting down on her lower lip as Willow kept going. It was starting to become too much and she knew if she waited too long Willow would undoubtedly find more ways to toy with her before even thinking of letting her and Jack go.
Willow shifted her weight, standing up, probably trying to go for a kiss or something. Now was her chance!

Willow gasped as Ash managed to push her off, sending her to the floor. A mix of surprise and anger registered briefly on Willow’s face before Ash descended upon her. Willow tried to fight back, tried to ward Ash back, but Ash’s hands pinned Willow’s wrists to the floor while a knee to the stomach kept her from being able to move much else. The two vampires stared at each other briefly, Willow’s eyes wide as she realized she was quickly losing control of the situation.

Willow opened her mouth, no doubt trying to call for any of her guards, but Ash moved quickly, cutting Willow off by pressing their lips together. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Ash pressed her mouth against Willow’s, her tongue entering Willow’s mouth. Beneath her, Willow still struggled, but couldn’t do much with Ash still on top of her. Ash could feel Willow was panicking
now.

The other vampiress whimpered as Ash broke off the kiss before striking, violently, at her exposed neck. Willow stiffened as Ash’s fangs pierced her skin, unlike human blood, vampire blood tasted rancid, especially to other vampires. But it wasn’t the taste that Ash was doing this for, it was to weaken her, it was to send a message.

Ash kept going, swallowing every last drop of that gods awful filth that entered her mouth. Willow stopped struggling after a few seconds, she might’ve tried calling out to any nearby servants if Ash didn’t bring a hand to clamp down over her mouth. Ash felt the tears trailing down Willow’s face as the other vampiress realized this wasn’t a situation she could get out of.

Despite Willow’s terrible insult, killing her wasn’t something Ash planned to do right now. After making sure Willow was weakened enough, Ash pulled away, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked down at Willow, her expression one of nothing but contempt, the other vampiress shivered from the blood loss, and her facade of control was broken completely.

Willow was openly weeping, hands covering her face which was streaked with tears, “Please! Ashely! I beg you! I beg you! Please don’t kill me!”

“Calm yourself,” Ash commanded, “I’ve decided to spare you your life, on the condition you forgive my servant for his actions.”

“Done!” Willow sobbed, “Just… please don’t let anyone else know about this!”

“Oh?” Ash asked, raising an eyebrow, she bent down, tilting Willow’s chin up so they were looking at each other, “And what’s in it for me to do that, huh?” She flashed her still bloody fangs at Willow, “I don’t think you’re in a position to be making demands, are you?”

Willow made a pathetic sound in the back of her throat, wide eyes glancing around to think of anything to get out of this. If Willow’s heart was still beating, Ash was sure it would have been pounding frantically.

Ash chuckled, a humorless sound in the room, “I think an exemption from some parties is justified, if anyone asks, just say I’m busy taking care of some of your business. Do you understand?”

Willow nodded her head eagerly.

Ash smiled, a genuine one, “Good,” she bent down to pick up her clothes and sighed when she saw Willow had been a little too eager in removing them. Oh well, I’m sure Jack will appreciate the sight when he wakes up She put on the torn remains of her clothes. The front of her dress was torn open down the middle, leaving nothing to the imagination. She turned to pick up Jack, thankfully, he was still under her hypnosis and would hopefully stay that way a little bit longer, “farewell, Willow,” Ash began, leaving the room, “this has certainly been one of your more enjoyable parties.” She left without looking back.

None of the other servants moved to stop her. They were either unconscious, slumped against the walls and floor, or else fled somewhere else. She doubted any of them would try to stop her now. The sounds of the party a few rooms over came to her as she descended the stairs. Normally, she’d be able to tolerate such loud noise, but combined with how uncomfortable she found these damned sandals, well she was more than happy to leave already.

She was almost disappointed to see Eban was still unharmed sitting on the carriage. He greeted her stiffly as she approached. At least I can give him some more of my blood to keep the enthrallment going, Ash thought, ordering Eban to get the carriage ready to go, Lost One knows Willow gave me enough vampire blood.

“Ah, leaving already, Lady Ashley?”

Ash turned as Eban brought the unconscious Jack inside the carriage. Master Mikah was standing a few feet behind her, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight. Gods, I didn’t hear him behind me, Ash forced a smile, “Master Mikah, hello. Yes, I’m sorry to cut my visit short, but as you can see, my servant has been all partied out.”

Master Mikah’s eyes leered over Ash’s thorn dress, a smile forming on his twisted lips, “I see he wasn’t the only one. I wish I could have seen it, you and Willow, I mean.” his long pale tongue came out, licking his lips, “It’s certainly been a while since I’ve seen beauties like you two.”

Ash’s smile faltered, only slightly, “I’m sure Willow would have enjoyed your company, Master,” she nearly spat out the title, “I’m sure she’ll be happy to have you.”

Master Mikah chuckled, “I doubt she’s in much of a state to join the rest of us in the ballroom, wouldn’t you say?” Ash gave him a level stare in response, to which Master Mikah simply glanced at Eban as the thrall prepared the carriage for travel, “You have a safe trip back home, Lady Ashley. I think I’ll be visiting your manor soon. What was it called? Ravenwood?”

Ash nodded.

“It wasn’t always called that, though, was it?”

“No,” Ash replied, “My sire called it Crowrest.”

“Another thing you’ve taken from him, then.” Master Mikah said, “Very well, I’m looking forward to my visit to Ravenwood, Lady Ashley."

Great, just great. Ash forced a smile, “I will be eagerly anticipating it, Master Mikah.”

“Mistress Ash,” Eban began stiffly, “we’re ready to head out.”

Ash nodded and got inside the carriage as Eban flicked the reigns and they began their journey back home. The first she did was take off those sandals, Ah! There we go. The second thing she did was check up on Jack. He was alive, still breathing, and it didn’t look like Willow succeeded in taking a bite out of him.

If she did, I’m pretty sure she would have gloated about it, Ash thought. She sighed, glad to see Jack, at least, made it out of this alive. You did cause me some problems though, she thought, shivering as she remembered Willow running her hands all over her body. Still, I’m glad you came with me.

Jack stirred and Ash pressed him against her. With a grunt, Jack woke up, confused to find they were both in the carriage and still alive. He looked up at her, his eyes still hazy from hypnosis induced sleep, “What happened?” he asked.

Ash gave him a kind smile, “We made it through the party,” she replied, “and I owe you a favor for going through this for me.”

Jack nodded, “Oh… right,” he winced and reached up towards her sleepily, her hand met his as Jack continued, “I’m sorry for making you mad earlier… that was dumb.” tears welled up in his eyes as he added, “But, you still came back for me.”

Ash gave his hand a small squeeze, “I do try to take care of my servants, Jack. Even when they’re giving me headaches.”
he yawned, beginning to doze off again, “I think… I’m going to sleep for a little bit longer.”

“Then sleep little one,” Ash replied, “I’ll bring you to your room when we’re back home.”

Home. It was strange to Jack that he agreed with calling the manor that.