Though Cass expected to be dragged before the vampire master as soon as he stepped out of the car, Arius seemed to have other plans. Cass hovered behind them, his hood still drawn over his hair, as they spoke in hushed tones with the servants who had come to meet them. Their heavy, curious stares made Cass shiver, hands clenched at his side; it felt like he was on display, and he bitterly wondered what they whispered.

Trying to distract himself, Cass turned his attention to the manor instead. Emrys’s home had been imposing, surrounded by high stone walls with thick metal gates, cameras blinking from every corner. Even the courtyards and lawns had seemed drab; any color drained by bright floodlights to make sure there were no shadows in which one could hide from their master. 

This place was much different, and Cass felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest as he looked at the low, sprawling manor. There were several entrances, each observed by a single camera focused on the door; none of them turned toward the lush, vibrant lawns dotted with flowers that bloomed under the moonlight. Paved paths glimmering with shards of glass reflected the soft light of stars overhead, burbling fountains a soft murmur against the whisper of servants. As Cass watched, calm servants walked slowly along the paths; their laughter seeming unnatural, as if they were breaking an unspoken rule.

Swallowing, Cass tipped his gaze down to the pavement under his feet. The welcoming atmosphere of the manor felt like a trap- a lure to put him off guard as he fell into the jaws of a beast. His nails bit into his palms as he waited for the thrall who had brought him to Sector 8.

“Come,” Arius said, finally turning their attention back to Cass. Their hand on the young man’s arm, theygestured to a servant. “Raielle had a room prepared for you. Kallum will show you there; wash the ash off, and you may wear anything in the closet, though I fear it might be a bit big for you. We didn’t expect you to be so… malnourished.” There was a judgmental bite to the words, and though Cass knew it wasn’t aimed at him, he couldn’t help flinching.

Bowing his head, Cass muttered, “I’ll make sure I’m presentable for your master.”

“Wait,” Arius held him back for a moment, their blue eyes soft with concern. “This isn’t for Raielle’s sake. We want you to be comfortable here, Cassius- and that means not wallowing in filth.” The genuine confusion in the human’s eyes made Arius sigh, wondering bitterly how he had truly been treated under Emrys’s care.

Cass nodded, disbelief in his hesitant steps as he followed the beckoning servant; glancing back, he saw Arius headed to a different entrance, no doubt heading to inform their master of their arrival. Swallowing, Cass pulled his hood down further over his face as he hurried after the servant’s long strides to enter the manor.

“There’s no need for that here,” Kallum spoke softly, having noticed how Cass jumped at the slightest sharpness to one’s tone. 

Cass’s fingers clung to the edge of his hood as he looked up at the servant from under its protective shade. The man was only slightly taller than him, his form slim and lithe- but he felt massive as Cass’s shoulders hunched in, a habit to make himself look as small and defenseless as possible. “But the cameras…”

Kallum slowed his steps, his deep brown eyes warm and kind as he waited for Cass to catch up to him; when the younger man naturally stayed a step behind him, he purposefully slid back to match him. “The cameras inside the manor are only decoys made to fool any unwelcome visitors,” he said, gesturing up to where one was affixed to the ceiling.

“Decoys…” Cass repeated the word in shock, looking up to see Kallum was correct; there was no blinking light to show the camera was recording. Slowly, the young man pushed his hood back, standing a little straighter. “How do you keep safe?”

“There are cameras at the entrances, and Master Raielle has deemed that enough protection,” Kallum explained, brushing back messy strands of his sandy blonde hair as Cass finally kept pace with him.

A frown crossed Cass’s face, eyebrows drawn down with confusion- unable to understand how anywhere could be safe without the many watching eyes. “How often are people sick here?”

“Aside from the recent incident at the health center,” Kallum paused when Cass flinched with guilt, clearing his throat before continuing on, “There had not been a documented case of the Blight spreading from its original host for nearly a year.”

“How?” The word was a whisper, Cass’s gaze wide as he looked up at the servant.

“It is a difficult task, but not impossible. Sector 8 is different from the rest of the city- we have a master who cares for his citizens, both human and vampire.” 

“Absurd,” Cass muttered, his hands clenched again. “Perhaps he is mad after all.”

A faint smile tugged at Kallum’s lips as he led Cass through the halls of the manor. Far from the cold, gray monotone of Emrys’s home, the walls were painted in rich warm colors, lush rugs covering wood flooring. Even the bright fluorescent lighting overhead held a soft, warm tone to fill the manor with welcoming light. “Perhaps- but if he is, I think it’s a madness the word could benefit greatly from.”

They fell into silence, Cass’s eyebrows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what he had learned. Kallum stopped in front of a large door, the heavy metal black with engraved details painted in a blue that made Cass pause- the shade eerily similar to the butterflies which swarmed him when he made use of his unnatural power. His gaze jumped to look at Kallum, his pale blue eyes wide. 

“This is your room,” Kallum answered the silent question, reaching forward to push the door open for him.