My eyes peek open, and I’m greeted by the dingy cell, dimly lit by a thin streak of morning light. It’s disappointing. I was hoping that somehow, through some sort of miracle, that I’d wake up at home in my familiar bed.

I unfurl from my sleeping ball. The stone is less forgiving on my back than Rahlan’s pouch, but at least the coat offers a little bit of padding.

With a small pebble as my brush, the layer of grime on the walls acts as my canvas. I’ve never been much of an artist, but maybe whoever else ends up stuck in here will enjoy my crude drawings mocking these hot-headed vampires.

The hours drag on. My cell was built with one hundred and sixteen bricks, at least from what I can see. I counted three times to be sure.

There’s no jailer, but someone has to come soon, right? I’m parched. The last time I drank was during yesterday’s river adventure.

Rahlan locked me up in here in hopes that I’d fret over the punishment, but I refuse to let it occupy my mind. It’s not like it’ll help my situation, and I don’t want to let him win.

Leather shoes tap down the stone passage. Someone’s here. I perk up in excitement but resist the urge to call out. Until I know who they are, it may be best if I don’t drag their attention.

The footsteps are light, different from Rahlan’s heavy soldier boots.

A slim figure appears in front of my cage, and I retreat back into the shadows. To my relief, her back is to me. She’s dragging a limp body - a human.

The vampire shoves the human in the cell opposite mine. The barred door screams closed, and the loud bang makes me jump. The lock clanks shut, and the vampire leaves as quickly as she appeared.

The body is as still as a corpse, but I know the vampire wouldn’t bother locking up a dead person.

I creep forward on my hands and knees, getting as close as my cell bars allow. It’s a human woman, just a few years older than me. She’s covered in a ragged gray dress, and her boney frame suggests that food is scarce. Her long black hair is tattered and splayed over her face, like she’s just been in a tavern brawl. I probably look just as disheveled.

I pull my knees in and rest my head against the rusty bars. Her chest rises and falls in a slow rhythm. How will she react to waking up in this dingy place? What if she starts screaming, bringing angry vampires upon us? Yesterday, I was hoping for a companion to comfort me, but now it looks like I may be the one doing the comforting. How can I reassure her things will be okay if I can’t even reassure myself?

An hour later, she begins to stir. I perk up but quickly scoot back in my cell, hiding myself in the shadows. She could be crazy for all I know. I doubt being a prisoner is good for her mental stability.

“Ah hell.” She bangs her arm against the bars, sounding more annoyed than anything else. I’m not sure if that means she’s levelheaded or completely off her rocker. I’d freak out if I woke up here.

She pushes herself up and rests her head in her hands. Maybe I should give her time to recover before making myself known.

She rubs her palms in circles over her eyes, and her gaze lands directly on me. “Jaclyn, you?” she asks, startling me in the process. The darkness didn’t hide me as well as I had hoped.

“I-I,” my voice hitches. I hadn’t realized how dry my throat was. “I’m Julia.”

She yawns and scratches her head. “What’s the time?” I didn’t think it was possible for a human to be so relaxed under the vampires. Her calm demeanor makes me wonder if she’s already familiar with this awful place.

“Noon. You’ve been sleeping there for the last hour.” I’m just guessing based on how the streak of sunlight has receded out of my cell.

She lets out a breath and smiles like I made a joke. How can she be content with all of this? Maybe she’s experienced it enough to know what to expect. Though I’d never admit it to Rahlan, the fear of the unknown has me on edge.

“Do you know what they have in store for us?” I ask.

She stretches her neck, trying to get a view of the adjacent cells. “That’s a nice coat,” she says.

“The uh… It belongs to the vampire who captured me.”

She straightens her legs and leans against the cell wall. “You mean your master?”

“He’s not my master.”

“Oh really? You here for the scenery?” She gestures to the bars and moldy stone walls.

I avert my eyes and curl my knees closer to my chest. I’m not owned. I’m not a piece of property. He’s not my master.

“Hey, don’t take it like that,” she says. “I envy you. I wish I had a master instead of a mistress, and based on that coat, it looks like he takes good care of you.”

“Takes good care of me?” I furrow my brow. “He tried to prostitute me.”

“Tried?” Her mouth hangs open. She probably thinks I fought him off. If only I was that strong. She beams like a child waiting to hear a story from their grandmother, but it’s not one I want to share.

“He changed his mind,” I mumble.

Her excitement fades at the realization that I was simply spared. Much to my relief, she avoids prodding further.

She shouldn’t confuse Rahlan for a good person. “He still locked me up in here though,” I add.

She smirks. “What’d you do?”

“Nothing deserving of this.”

“Ah-huh.” She picks at her teeth.

“My freedom was stolen. I was trying to get it back.”

Her eyes widen. “And you’re still alive?”

Rahlan needs me for more than just blood, but I don’t know if I can trust this woman with that information. The less people who know about my connection to Ivan, the better. For all I know, the vampires could have a price on his head.

“Why would you rather have a master?” I ask, hoping to change the topic.

“The women are venomous.”

My back stiffens against the wall. “Venomous?”

She pulls down her collar, and I take in a sharp breath. Her shoulder is black, with inky streams traveling down her chest like tree roots. They reach all the way to her left hand, threading between her fingers.

“It’s usually deadly. I was lucky. You don’t want to piss them off,” she says. “As for why I’m here, it was a snarky comment.”

I frown. “How long has it been?”

“I’ve been in Gilsa for a week, but I was taken two months ago.”

“They invaded two months ago?” How did I not hear about it sooner? We could have fled long before they arrived at our village.

“They snatched me up well before the invasion began. I was collecting medicinal herbs near the border.” Her eyes fall to her lap. “I didn’t realize they were desperate enough to take people in broad daylight.”

“Desperate?” How could such powerful creatures be desperate?

“You haven’t heard? We’ve neighbored their country for a century, yet they’ve only attacked now. Surely you didn’t think it was down to chance?”

I only learned of the invasion when they were upon us, and Rahlan brushed off my questions with condescending remarks.

She takes my blank expression as an invitation to continue. “They’re vampires. As we keep cattle, they keep us. Something happened to their human population, so they’ve taken us to replace them, and since our numbers are in great excess to meet their needs, our lives are worth little.”

She leans back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. “Apparently some human militia killed one of their lords on his own land. It gave them the excuse they needed for war. Other countries-”

The basement door flies open, making a loud clank as the handle hits the wall. Heavy leather boots strut down the passage. I know those arrogant steps anywhere.

Rahlan appears in front of my barred cell. The short beard which he grew on our journey has been shaved clean. “Ready to begin?” he says.

“Do I have a choice?” I ask.

“No. It’s just a formality.” He unlocks the cell. “Get out.”

My stomach twists. Just a moment ago, all I wanted was to be free from this cell, but if that means facing the punishment, I wouldn’t mind spending more time in here.

He won’t wait for long. If I don’t move, he’ll drag me out. I take in a breath and crawl out the cell with as much dignity as I can muster. I square my shoulders and straighten my spine, feigning confidence in the hopes of not giving him any satisfaction.

He tosses a gray garment to me. “Change,” he commands.

I run the old material through my fingers. It’s ragged, coarse, and full of holes. “I’m happy in this,” I say with a hand on my coat’s sleeve.

Jaclyn watches from her cell with wide eyes like she can’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.

“I bet you are happy in a lord’s jacket,” he says. “If you don’t like your new clothes, you’re welcome to display yourself to the city.” His hand lands on my shoulder and clamps to the leather.

“Okay, okay.” I try shake him off, but his grip stays tight. He’s not letting go. I step closer to him to at least be out of Jaclyn’s view before sliding out of the coat, but it’s still embarrassing that she knows I’m in my underwear in front of him.

He folds the coat in his arms, seeming rather pleased to have it back – the coat which is apparently too good for me. Whatever.

I gulp down a drink from the waterskin and slip on the garment. It’s an old loosely fitting dress made from scratchy material that irritates my skin. It’s fit for a slave. I suppose it was only a matter of time before he dressed me to match my role.

He grabs my arm and marches me out of the dungeon. I shield my eyes from the bright sunlight. He shoves me up the main road, almost causing me to lose my balance a few times.

“I can walk without your man handling. Let-” my breath gets stuck in my throat at the sight before me. A gathering of vampires surround a wooden platform in the town square. It’s a stage… with a pillory.