Every time I stole, I feared getting caught.
But that wouldn’t stop me from doing it. After all, this was the only revenge I had against the vampires. They might have taken away my family, and they might have taken away my freedom, but I refused to let them take away my dignity.
As a human, I was weak and they were strong. I hated them for it, but at the same time, I envied them for it. Because after they’d murdered my family in front of my eyes and I was powerless to stop it, I never wanted to feel that helpless again.
But I did feel helpless. Every day since I was taken here. How could I not, as a human amongst such powerful creatures? To them, we were animals. We were slaves.
I wish I had the power to change that.
For now, all I had was the power to take from them. Small things, and they never even noticed, but it was the only revenge I had.
I leaned against the wall and smiled, since once again, I’d gotten away with it. And so, after taking a few more deep breaths and steadying the pounding of my heart, I turned the corner and approached the bookstore.
It was empty inside besides the owner, Norbert. He sat at his desk, his eyeglasses on as he read a book. He was an older man—I always imagined that if we weren’t prisoners in the Vale, he would have been a professor at some fancy college. Perhaps even a college I might have chosen to attend.
The moment the door closed, he looked up and smiled at me. “Annika,” he said, placing his glasses down at the table. “Anything specific you’re looking for today?”
“Just browsing,” I told him. “Have you gotten in a new shipment yet?”
“It’s only been a few days!” He laughed and leaned back in his chair. “I swear, you read faster than new books can arrive.”
“I’m sure I can find something I missed before.” I smiled and made my way over to my favorite shelf—the fantasy section—and got started on examining the spines, pulling out the titles that looked interesting and reading the back covers.
Before coming to the Vale, I hadn’t been much of a reader—at least, I’d never read books that weren’t assigned for class. Between school, gymnastics practices, homework, and spending time with my friends, I didn’t have time to read for fun. If I needed to relax after a long day, I usually went straight to the television.
But us humans in the Vale didn’t have access to televisions—or to the internet at all. And even with my work at the Tavern, now that I was no longer training for gymnastics competitions I had a lot more extra time on my hands. So I’d discovered the one pastime that humans in the Vale were allowed—books.
The books I found at the store here were much more to my taste than the books I’d been assigned to read at school. It hadn’t been long until I’d discovered that I loved getting lost in the lives and stories of other people. I loved exploring their hardships, their trials, their love, and how they overcame most everything, despite what seemed like impossible odds.
These days, books were the only things that gave me hope. I treasured them and the stories within them more than anything else in the world.
“That’ll be five coins,” Norbert said once I placed the book I’d chosen on the counter.
“I don’t have coins,” I told him. “But I do have something I can trade.”
He watched me, waiting, and I pulled one of the candy bars out of my bag. His eyes widened, and he leaned forward with such enthusiasm that I imagined he could practically taste the chocolate already.
It worked every time.
“You’re going to get yourself in some serious trouble one day,” he said, his eyes full of warning.
“Perhaps. But that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the candy,” I teased. “So… are you willing to trade, or not?”
“You know I am.” He smiled, and as he passed me the book, I handed him the chocolate.
I pulled the book to my chest to give it a small hug, placed it in my bag with the rest of the candies, and headed back to the Tavern.
Camelia
“Camelia.” Laila closed her laptop, pushed it aside, and laced her hands together on top of her desk. “I heard you wanted to discuss something with me in private?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I want to talk to you about Jacen.”
“What about him?” She leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow.
“He’s getting better and better at controlling his bloodlust each day.” I stood calm and steady, making sure not to twist my hands together or do anything else that might give away the anxiety catapulting through my veins. “Technically, he could even leave the palace, since he’s able to be around humans without attacking them.”
“I agree that he’s able to leave the palace,” Laila said. “But he’s a prince—and a powerful one, at that. If he wanted to leave the palace walls, it’s up to him to trust himself and seize the opportunity.”
“So you’re testing him?” I smirked, since it was so like Laila to do such a thing.
“I’m testing everyone,” she said. “All the time. Never forget that.”
“I won’t,” I promised, using every ounce of willpower to keep the irritation from my tone. As long as Laila lived, this was her kingdom, and I had to play by her rules.
For now.
“Anyway,” she continued. “Is that all you wanted to tell me? That you think Jacen is ready to have freedom to roam outside the palace?”
“No,” I stuttered, and then I cleared my throat, composing myself. If I wanted Laila to consider my request, I had to be as royal as possible. “I’m here because I agree that Jacen has the potential to be a powerful vampire prince. But I believe he’ll be stronger with an equally powerful woman by his side.”
Laila tilted her head and smiled in a way that made me think she already knew what was coming. “What are you proposing?” she asked.
“I would like to be betrothed to Jacen,” I said. “With the two of us united as prince and princess of the Vale, the kingdom will become stronger than ever.”
Laila was quiet for a few seconds, and I resisted the urge to fidget. She was sizing me up—I knew it. I had to prove that I was the proper match for Jacen.
After all, if Laila declared our betrothal, he would have no choice but to accept me—to learn to love me.
Given time, he would learn to love me. I would make sure of it.
“The two of you would be a strong pair,” Laila finally said, and with that admission, I could finally breathe again. “But you do realize what a union between the two of you would mean?”
“Are you referring to the fact that I would need to become a vampire?” I asked.
“Yes.” She nodded. “And, like all witches who become vampires, once the transformation is complete you will lose your ability to perform magic.”
“I’m aware,” I told her. “But while I’ll lose my magic, I’ll become immortal and gain the strength of a vampire. It’s a trade I’m happy to make. It's a trade I want to make.”
“You’ve given this much thought,” she stated, and I nodded, since I had. “I agree that you would take well to being a vampire. I would even change you myself.”
“Thank you, my queen,” I said, lowering myself into a curtsy. “That would be the greatest honor. I would be forever in your debt.”
She held a hand up, stopping me. “But there is a condition.”
“What kind of condition?” I faltered.