I slammed Springer’s head against the brick of the alleyway. If he breathed, he’d be purple by now. He was 5’9” with nearly white blond hair and violet eyes. It was the bloodline of my sire that gave him those eyes, and I was about to take them back if he didn’t have the money he stole from me and a dаmed good excuse for his flippant message. “Grrllbplmm.” Springer gurgled. My lip curled into a snarl. I wanted to properly crush his throat. After everything I had done for him, for nearly eighty years, the little bаst3rd stole from me! I’d spent fifteen years tracking him down. All the way to America! I had to live out of a suitcase while trying to figure out where he’d gone! No servant to take care of my needs! Nothing! It wasn’t until a donor told me about a spell which hid you from others’ sight, that I figured it out. My work was put on hiatus while I tracked my wayward childe. Fifteen Dаmed years! Going dormant for that long, leaving my territory for that long. I was homeless and reputationless now. Only a rumor, a ghost, in the world of the undead. His little game had cost me everything I’d worked for.I tightened my grip on his neck. Taking his head off would make me happier than any damage I could do now, but I wanted more than a pound of flesh. Of course he wouldn’t be able to tell me anything if I crushed his throat. At least, not until he healed and I didn’t want to wait that long. I sighed, let him down, and stepped back. Springer dropped to his knees gripping his throat. I glared at him with disdain.“Well, where is it?” I growled. “I spent it all. I’m sorry, master! Please, don’t kill me.” He begged. He was only a hundred years old, but he’d been trouble since before I brought him over. He wasn’t my first choice for a childe of mine. If not for the fact that his father had been a dear friend of mine, I wouldn’t have. Jacob always regretted having me turn his son. So did I. He’d wanted his son to live, but life as a vampire wasn’t the same as life as a human. It had taken decades for the boy’s memory to come back. Just in time for him to sit by his father’s death bed. -“What did you spend my money on, Springer?” I hissed, stepping closer again.“A house, cars, blood, clothes. They’re all yours… well, except the blood. I don’t think her parents will sell her, but I can tell you who to contact to feed on her.” He offered eagerly. “Parents? You fed from a child?!” I saw red. The words of the witch who had told me about the concealing spell rang in my head. He was hurting someone. He was hurting a child. That was my one rule when it came to feeding. Never feed from someone who isn’t able to understand what they’re offering. Not the mentally disabled, not children, not intoxicated people, not the elderly. The punishment was death. “It wasn’t my fault! I said it as a joke and the mom just let me! I didn’t know how to handle it when she took my joke seriously. Her mom insisted on triple the payment and let me have the girl. So… I fed on her.” He insisted.“You tell her, you were only kidding and NO ONE feeds on a child. What kind of parents would let that happen? Is her mother an addict?” I asked, livid. “No. Super middle-class average family. She was selling blood because they needed the money. Now, I think they do it so they can play more.”“How long have you been feeding on the girl? You implied it was more than once.”“Ten years. I usually see her once a month. Last time, her parents said, if I doubled my payment, they’d let me take it from the artery in her thigh. That’s why I’ve been working as an enforcer. I needed the money. She’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted, master. I was addicted from the first drop. It’s been h*ll these last couple months, trying to earn it.” Springer whined. I snarled. “How many others feed on her?”They would all die. Ending with Springer. Taking advantage of children made them monsters in fact instead of in name. I wouldn’t let myself, my bloodline, or my people be tied to creatures who would do that. “Silence is the broker. She’d know who else. She doesn’t know that we book with the mom and feed on the kid. Silence just thinks the mom is popular because she’s AB-. It’s harder to find here.” Springer said. “Until I take care of this, you will stay in town. Spells won’t work this time. If you run, I will tie you to a tree and let the sun take you. Do you understand?” I said in a deadly tone.“Yes, master.”“Take me to my house.” I ordered and he led the way to his car, which was now mine as well. -We drove through the city to an upper class neighborhood. Houses were large and spaced far apart. He pulled up to a gated driveway and pressed a button on the visor to open the gate. There were security cameras on the stone posts that the iron gate was attached to. The long driveway was lined with trees. Lamps were dotted along the path, but they weren’t lit.As we approached the house, I was even more impressed. It was a large colonial style house. The porch had columns that reached up to the top of the second floor. It was white with blue shutters and a blue door. He parked the car and we went in. The entry was vast with a marble staircase and marble floors. Nothing was on the walls and he made no move to turn on a light. A cheap table stood nearby and the fake wood print paper on it scratched as Springer tossed his keys onto it. I winced. A house like this didn’t deserve cheap furniture. I wish I could say that was the worst thing. Unfortunately, he’d decided to decorate the house with furniture and items he found either on the street or at Wal-Mart. It was inexcusable. He’d been here for nearly a decade.He should have decorated the first winter he was there. Stores were open after sunset in the winter. There was no excuse for such a disgraceful setting. “This is appalling. You have no window coverings, where do you sleep?” I asked. Springer pulled out a flashlight and showed me down to the basement where there were no windows. A mattress lay on the floor. The smell of dirt, dust, and mildew tainted the air and made me sneer in disgust. Why would a man buy a house like this if he were planning to live in the basement on an old mattress like a junkie? I thought I’d suffered. He did this to himself through his own laziness and thoughtlessness. “You’ve lived here for at least ten years without basic utilities. Without moving out of the basement. Why didn’t you get a human servant to take care of your needs?” I asked. “I tried, but I couldn’t keep them. They fell out of my thrall in three days.” He admitted. “You didn’t feed them any of your blood? You were just using your mind control?” I pressed. Idiot. “I… I didn’t think to do that. Sorry, master.” Springer hung his head. Even when he was alive he’d been flighty and impulsive. It had caused the wound that made his father ask me to save him. Forever twenty and seeming to be mentally as ageless as he was physically. I sighed. This city was perfect. The vampire population was low enough to not have many conflicts, but large enough to never feel alone. There were plenty of humans to feed on and a blood broker when you didn’t feel like hunting. I was sure there was a daytime servant agency as well, Springer just hadn’t thought to look for it. “Give me the address for Silence, then I want you to prepare a place for me to sleep that is clean and safe. When I return, you WILL be here. Do you understand?” I growled. “Yes, master.” Springer bowed and dug through his wallet, handing me a card with a heart dripping blood and the name of the broker on it. I grabbed the keys on the way out and put the location in the sat nav in the car. I had to find the vampires who fed on the girl and end them, have Silence remove the mother from her menu, and figure out a way to make it up to the girl who my idiot childe turned into a delicacy in this territory. At least one of those things could be finished tonight.

The building where Silence ran her business was in an older part of town. There were several row houses that had been turned into businesses. The tree lined road was peaceful at nearly one in the morning. I climbed the stairs to the door and rang the bell. A tall woman with golden blonde hair and silver eyes answered. She was quite beautiful with an hourglass figure and pale skin that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. I bowed to her. “Are you Silence?” I asked. “Yes, how may I help you?” She replied coolly.“I have a matter of great importance to speak with you about. Your business, and your life, is in danger. I would like to offer my assistance in helping you keep both.” I told her. “Come in. I don’t want to talk about this in front of the whole world.” Silence said and led me to her office in the back. I noted that the house was tastefully decorated and well-appointed. This was a vampire who knew how to take care of herself. Glancing to the side as we walked down the hallway, I saw her human servant straightening up. The place smelled clean. A mix of cleaning chemicals, along with the scent of Silence, permeated the air. This was precisely how a home should smell. I was tempted to ask if I could stay here, but I didn’t want to risk my idiot childe running again. -Silence sat behind a large oak desk and indicated the leather wingback chairs on the other side. I sat and waited for her to be ready. The chairs were buttery and comfortable. She pulled out a little voice recorder and turned it on. “I’ll record this meeting. If the council comes to investigate whatever you’re speaking of, I want to show that I have done everything in my power. Now, please tell me who you are and what you are about.” She nodded. “My name is Victor Nightshade. I came hunting my childe who stole three million dollars from me fifteen years ago. When I found him, he told me he had spent all my money. Much of it had been spent on blood.” I stated. “I’m not responsible for what he did with your money. I hope you aren’t trying to take it back. What is your childe’s name?” Silence asked. “Paul Springer.” I replied. “I don’t want the money and I don’t hold you responsible for how he spent it.”She dug through her files and pulled out one with Springer’s name on it. After flipping the pages, she looked up and smiled tightly. “Yes. He was seeing a woman called Verity Gale for the last ten years. He’d had a few others before, but only requested her after his first feeding with her.” She opened a laptop on the desk and typed a few things in before continuing. “She’s fairly popular. Maxed out at four vampires and she has a waiting list. AB negative is rare here, but I don’t think my others are as popular. She probably offers other bonuses for additional cash. I don’t stop them from doing that, if she wants to sell herself for extra, I’m not one to tell her no.” “She’s letting them feed on her minor daughter.” I told her. Silence’s mouth dropped open in shock. Rage came over her features and she balled her fists. The elegant woman I’d met a few minutes ago was gone. Silence was seething.She wasn’t mad about them feeding on a child as much as the punishment for going against the brokers’ guidelines. I wrote them. Like in my brood, the penalty for merely trading in child’s blood is death.“That b*tch. I’m removing her from my catalogue. I refuse to be associated with the trade of children. I cannot believe this! The council would have my head. Blood brokers aren’t allowed to sell children! How can you help me? I don’t want to die for this.” She pled. See, reputationless. She had no idea who I was, or she would have been much more frightened. It didn’t matter. Once I resolved this issue, I could get a new place in the council and start rebuilding. “I need the names of everyone on that list and everyone who has fed from her. The council will look at this as retribution. I will kill them for taking a child. As my own childe was the first to feed from her, he will also die. I’ll need an appointment with the woman so I can make sure this doesn’t happen again. Can you make that happen?” I asked. “Yes. I’m printing out the client and waitlist. If they’re on it, they must know.” She said disdainfully. “Those were my thoughts.” I nodded. Silence leaned over and snatched a paper from the printer. She handed it to me, on the bottom, she wrote down an address. I looked over the list. Thirteen vampires would die by my hand, sentenced by me and my wayward childe. Their blood was on his hands. “I’m texting her that her appointment this week cancelled, but I’m trying to find someone else from her waitlist. The address I wrote there is hers. She sees clients on Saturday evenings.” She stated in a very professional tone. “I will give you my cellphone number. Text me with the time. I should be able to make quick work of this list. Is there a servant agency here? I need someone to take care of the house my childe bought.” I asked. “Not any more. They started human trafficking and got shut down by the feds two years ago. I can try to find you one from my clients, but donors don’t see themselves as servants.” Silence said, offering a small smile. “Could your servant assist me? There is no electricity or running water in the house. Having internet and a few new kitchen appliances would be nice as well. I would be willing to pay.” I offered. Her servant seemed to be an able human. I would only need him for the basics, setting up services, helping me take care of the girl, maybe finding a new servant of my own. “We’ll do this for free. You give me the address and I’ll have him set it up. You’ve helped me far more than you know. I have to run an audit on all of my donors now to make sure there isn’t any other funny business going on.” She sighed. I wrote down the information and started hunting. I wanted to be back at the house as soon as possible, just in case I had to fix whatever Springer messed up there. I looked at the sheet with the names and addresses for the vampires who’d fed on the girl. Three of them lived in the same house. Lucky me.***Three hours later, I was pulling up to my new house. I’d stopped at the hotel where I was staying and picked up my bag before I went hunting. It was lucky I did. My clothes were ruined with rips and blood. I managed to kill five on the list. The three that lived together, and two others who they’d given me information on before I killed them. Those two had given me more on the others on the list. It would make my hunt tomorrow night just as successful. I walked into the house and Springer met me at the door. “Where do you go to clean yourself?” I asked.“There’s a stream that runs through the backyard. I have a bucket by it.” He answered, ducking his head. “I truly despise you.” I growled and left the house. -Once I was clean, I went back in and made my plan for the week. It was Wednesday morning. I wanted to have all the other vampires dead before I went to deal with the mother and the girl. After putting together the information the dead vampires gave me, I had a list. Tomorrow night, I would try for another five, but four would be acceptable. Springer would be last. He would have to live the next few days knowing he was responsible for these deaths and that his was coming. I contacted the council to let them know what was happening, who was involved, and how I was fixing the issue. Rosalynn was my advocate. She and I had been friends, and broodmates, for centuries. I was happy for the assignment. “Do you think you’ll have to kill the parents?” She asked. “I don’t really know yet. Silence is the only blood broker in town, but they could sell her on Craigslist or some other online marketplace. It would attract a worse client base. The girl could get hurt further, or someone could decide to take the whole family to drain.” I told her. “Vic, we need more information on the family. Can we keep this under wraps until we know what it looks like? Have Silence schedule you for Saturday and try to get a read on the situation. I have the name of the woman and will do what I can tonight. Giselle is going to work a background check during the day. You know she’s good. By tomorrow, we’ll know a lot more and you can go into this with something.” Rosalynn replied. “Are you thinking we may need to relocate her?” I asked. “It’s possible. At nearly five thousand a feeding, her parents won’t want to give up that kind of money. It’ll depend on what else you, and Giselle, find out.” She said solemnly. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, after I return from my hunt. Stay safe.” “You, too.” She answered and hung up. Springer had pulled another mattress from one of the bedrooms upstairs and made it up with sheets and blankets. Very low quality sheets and blankets. I curled my lip at the idea of laying there for the day, but there weren’t many options. I lay down and closed my eyes, waiting for the sun.

[Echo] I woke up excited, a rare thing for me. Today, Harmony had a date with the boy she’d had a crush on for the last two years, Cam. I was going to help her get ready for the date. He was taking her to lunch, then the zoo, and the botanical garden. It was a perfect first date plan. I crossed my fingers he’d ask her to the prom. She’d be over the moon!Pulling out my sweat pants and a t-shirt, I dressed and headed upstairs to cook breakfast. Saturdays were late days for the family, so I didn’t have to have it done until eight-thirty. I liked being able to sleep all the way until seven on the weekend. It made up for the week when I’d only get three or four hours of sleep. I was allowed to eat more on Saturdays, too! Three meals, and lots of water and juice. It easily made Saturday my favorite day of the week. Though, Sundays were a close second. On Sundays, my parents locked me in the basement with some food. I didn’t have to cook or clean all day. I could just rest and read. Harmony bounced into the kitchen just as I finished setting the table. She had a huge grin on her face. I loved seeing her happy. My sister and brother were my whole world.“Today’s the day, Echo! I’m so excited!” She smiled and did a little dance. “I’m excited for you!” I returned her smile. Valor, our brother, walked in the room and threw his arms over her shoulders. He was taller than us, even though he was the same age. Val was nearly six feet tall with wavy dark brown hair, almond shaped hazel eyes, and a dimple in his left cheek. Harmony and I didn’t get dimples, but she had the same hair color and eyes. Mine were a little darker. My hair was practically black, my eyes a greener sort of hazel than theirs. Val and Harmony were more tan than me, because I wasn’t allowed to leave the house. Otherwise, you could totally tell we were siblings.We were triplets. Harmony and Val were fraternal twins, and I was Harmony’s mirror image twin. They even had the same birthday. Since I was born three minutes after Harmony, my birthday was the 31st of May and theirs was the 30th. “Hey, little sisters. Are you ready for your day?” He asked. “Cam’s going to be here at eleven. Mom’s letting Echo help me get ready after she’s finished her morning work.” “I did a lot of it last night. Val, your laundry will be on your bed when you’re done with breakfast.” I told him. “You’re the best, Echo! Thanks for grabbing it last night. I really wanted to wear my favorite shirt to the movie tonight.” He winked. “Maybe mom and dad will let you come to the movie this time, Echo.” Harmony said hopefully. “Maybe.” I replied.They wouldn’t. I had to work tonight. It was part of the way I earned my keep. I cleaned the house, took care of everyone, cooked all the food, and fed vampires. Mom and dad said it was the least I could do to make up for being evil. It made them happy and kept me near my sister and brother, so I didn’t mind. Though, I was a little scared when Mr. Springer asked about biting me somewhere else. Mom told me it would happen eventually. At least he was the gentlest of the vampires. None of the others thought to ask. I heard mom and dad talking about offering it to one of the others once Mr. Springer stopped coming. He’d been willing to pay double so it must be a really important thing for them.-Once our parents came into the kitchen, I left to clean their rooms and fold Val’s laundry. After I finished Harmony’s room, I pulled out the dress she was planning to wear to make sure there weren’t any loose strings or stains. It was perfect. I went to her vanity and set out the makeup I would be putting on her and the jewelry that would look best with her dress. Harmony came in to get her towel and go take a shower. I headed to the kitchen to clean up and eat my breakfast. Eating meat was rare for me. There was almost none left over after meals normally. But, today, there was bacon, sausage, and eggs. I poured some milk and grabbed an orange from the fridge. Sitting down for the first time in two hours, I relished the moment and chewed my food carefully. The memory of my Saturday meals made it easier to get through a week of nearly nothing. I took my multivitamin with extra iron, like I did every day, and finished off my milk. After breakfast, I rinsed my dishes and started the dishwasher, then pulled out the meat for dinner. Dad wanted to barbecue, so I needed to have a selection. He liked making a little of everything. It meant I would get to eat some, too. I loved barbecue days. I went back to Harmony’s room when she called out to me. She was in her dress and needed me to zip it up. Then she sat at the vanity while I brushed and styled her hair. It was shorter than mine because she was allowed to go to salons. I’d made the mistake of asking mom if I could get a haircut when I was ten. She shaved my head. It wasn’t a great look for me. All of my clients complained. I never asked again. Now, it was nearly three feet long.Harmony’s hair went to the middle of her back. I loved helping her style it. I only ever tied mine back or put it in a braid. Moving to the front of her stool, I started applying the eyeliner and eyeshadow she liked and a little lip pencil with gloss. She preferred it to wearing lipstick. Her skin was flawless, so she never wore concealer or powders.Once I was done, I stepped aside and let her look in the mirror. “It’s amazing. You always make me look so pretty, Echo.” She gushed. “You’re already pretty, Harmony. I just polish you a little so you can shine like you’re meant to.” I smiled back. “I love you, Echo.” She whispered. “I love you, too, Harmony.” I whispered. Mom and Dad didn’t like us saying that, so we were always quiet. It was ten-thirty before we finished everything. I went to the basement to wait for mom to call me out. I was to always be in the basement for thirty minutes before company came. I decided to prepare my outfit for my client while I was there. Mom and Dad didn’t like buying me clothes other than my sweats and t-shirts, but my clients wanted me to look nice while they drank my blood. My hands shook while I looked through my options. *My entire life was spent telling myself, ‘I’m happy’. It’s given entirely to taking care of my family and living for their big moments. I’ve never gone to school, never had a vacation, and only rarely get to see the sun. I might as well be a vampire myself. I was already evil enough. All I needed was to die.I didn’t know what would happen to me once Val and Harmony were out of the house. Both were going to college. I’d already passed the homeschool exam for a degree, but I wasn’t going to college. The thought of my future terrified me. There were only a couple months until our eighteenth birthdays. Then another two months before they’d leave me. Dad and Mom talked about travelling for a year once they were away at school. Would I stay here? They wouldn’t want to take me with them. If I stayed, then I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Cooking for one, cleaning for one, never having anyone to talk to. I hadn’t been to a grocery store since I was six. I didn’t have any money.Maybe I’d leave home when they did. Run away and be evil somewhere else. My parents wouldn’t have to worry about feeding and clothing me, and I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting Val and Harmony. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Focus on now. Later will happen when it happens. I can’t fight the future, I reminded myself. I pulled a royal blue wrap dress out. It played well with my paler skin, verses Harmony’s darker tone, so she gave it to me. The dress had short sleeves and opened more around the neck. It would be easier if my client tonight was a messy eater. I would braid my hair, to make access to my neck easier, too. After ten years of this, I was an expert.When Harmony left on her date, my mom called me up and I started on my afternoon cleaning. I needed take care of the garden in the back. I weeded in the front last night. The back garden had vegetables instead of flowers. Valor sat outside, pretending to sunbathe, and talked to me while I worked. He told me about school. His last basketball game with his friends, the girl he was thinking of dating, and the math test he had coming up. Val hated math. I helped where I could, but I wasn’t much better at it. -At four, Harmony texted mom that she was heading home and I went back to the basement. I’d started the meats marinating at two and gotten all my work done, so I was happy for the break. I lay in my bed and thought about all the tasty things I’d get to eat tonight. I made a pineapple upside down cake for dessert. It was one of mom’s favorites.If I was very good, they’d give me leftovers from dinner tomorrow. Mom was making a roast with mashed potatoes and garlic roasted brussels sprouts. It was one of my favorite Sunday dinners. I planned to be very good. We had dinner at six-thirty. I ate in the kitchen while everyone else ate in the sunroom that opened to the patio. From where I sat, I could hear their conversation. Harmony was telling everyone about her date. They’d held hands while they walked in the zoo and gardens. He’d kissed her under an ivy covered gazebo and asked her to be his girlfriend. It was perfect. Our parents raved over how polite he was and how well-mannered. They really liked him and hoped her relationship would be successful, like theirs was. Val knew him from the basketball team and told a couple stories about Cam that I’m sure would have embarrassed him, if he were there. -When dinner was over, I cleaned the dishes, both tables, and the grill, then went to see Val and Harmony off. My dad used to take them to movies when I worked, now they went together. I always had to see them off, they used to refuse to go unless I told them I didn’t want to. Now, it was just tradition. Neither of my siblings knew what I did on Saturday nights. It was better that way. They both felt guilty enough for not being able to treat me like a normal sister. I stood in the living room as they got money from dad, then put on their shoes and jackets. I always felt better when I knew they’d be gone while a vampire was in the house. Harmony turned to look at me and frowned. “Can’t Echo go with us this time? I really want her to come with.” She asked. “No. Echo stays home. Go on, you’ll be late.” Mom said. “If Echo’s not going, I’m not going.” Harmony asserted crossing her arms. “Echo.” Dad said. He was giving me permission to speak so I could shut her down. I wanted to go with them. I didn’t want to get bitten tonight. But I had to and I wouldn’t let my sister put herself in danger. I never wanted a vampire near her.“You and Val have been looking forward to the movie, Harmony. Please go and have fun. Mom and Dad have their own movie night tonight and I really want to read the book you bought me.” I smiled. “I’ll stay home and we’ll read together. Mom and Dad can go out to a movie. Val can invite one of his friends and give them my ticket.” Harmony insisted. Mom’s eyes narrowed at me. This wouldn’t be good if I couldn’t get them out. I would be punished harshly for not trying harder. “How about next weekend? That way Mom and Dad have time to pick a movie to go out to.” I suggested, really wishing for her to accept it.She looked like she was going to argue again, but nodded instead. I almost sighed in relief. The sun was starting to go down and I still had to get ready for the vampire. After Harmony and Valor left, I turned to go downstairs. My entire body felt heavy. Every Saturday night, I felt like I died a little. One day, one of my clients would kill me. Sometimes, I prayed for it.“You better think of a way to get them out of the house next weekend.” Mom warned.“I’ll become sick on Friday night. It will last until Monday. During the week, I’ll make sure to work extra hard and on Monday, I’ll do any work I normally do on Saturday.” I said. “Good. Go get ready. You have a new client tonight and I want you properly cleaned and dressed. Silence says he’s very old and very rich.” She grinned. I nodded and went downstairs. A hot shower helped chase away the chill of selling myself to a ‘very old’ man. I knew he probably didn’t look it, but I was still worried. Mom told me most donors were confident, but my clients liked how scared I was each time. So I had that going for me. Most vampires liked the flavor of fear and I was terrified.

Once I washed, shaved, brushed, and dressed myself, I was ready to go. I went back to the living room as my mother was opening the door. My stomach twisted and I bit my lips together. I really hated feeding vampires. “What’s your name?” She asked. “Victor.” He answered. “Please come in, Victor. I’m Verity. We’ve been expecting you.” Mom replied with a smile as if he were just coming to visit. “Thank you.” He bowed and entered the house. When he stepped into the living room I could see him more clearly. I was right, he looked like he was in his early twenties. He was a little shorter than my dad, so just about six feet. His hair was a little long on the top and so dark it looked black, but I could see the brownish gleam from the overhead light. His skin was pale, but not as pale as most of my clients. That meant he had a darker skin tone before he died. His shoulders were broad and his waist a little narrow. I couldn’t see his eyes, because he was wearing sunglasses. That probably meant he was starving. A couple times, I’d had clients come with glasses. They were hiding the red tint to their eyes that came when they hadn’t eaten in a while. When they came to me like that, they were always rougher and less likely to numb the area they would bite. I fought the shiver of fear. When they were rough I had to wear high necked shirts and long sleeves. Feeding a starving vampire was not how I wanted to spend my evening. What if he got carried away?Mr. Springer said no one tasted as good as I did and it was hard to feed on anyone else after seeing me. I was sure he meant it as a compliment, but it only scared me more. He was wearing glasses the last few times he’d come. It was happening more and more often with my regular clients. I was afraid someone would drain me one night because of that. That was one of my biggest fears.-“This is my husband Thom.” Mom introduced Dad.“Nice to meet you, Victor.” Dad smiled. “Indeed.” The vampire replied coolly. “Where are we having our feeding, Ms. Verity?”Mom hadn’t fed a vampire in ten years. Whenever they came, it was usually because they wanted me. I had to bite my lips together to not laugh at the look on her face. Laughing would lose my chance at dinner tomorrow night.“Oh… umm… I thought you were referred to us. Were you not? Goodness, this is awkward.” Mom hummed. “What is awkward? I haven’t eaten in a while and I need something. Getting off the waitlist for a rare type like you was a relief. Now, where shall we do this? Will your husband be watching?” He asked.“No. Umm… the thing is, most people order me, but then pay extra for her.” Mom pointed to me. The vampire turned. He was probably looking at me, but his expression didn’t change at all. I walked closer to them. My dad pulled me by my arm once I was close enough and pushed me nearer to the vampire. “Why would I want a child?” He inquired. I was practically eighteen. Not a child in a lot of ways. Almost an adult in the eyes of the law. It offended me a little. “She’s seventeen. And she’s a virgin.” My mom said. He scoffed. “You honestly believe the old wives tale that we prefer virgin blood?” “No. But she scares easy because of it. She’d be terrified if you slipped your hand up her skirt while feeding. Imagine the flavor of her fear. It would be much better than an old woman’s blood.” Mom insisted. My stomach twisted at her suggestion. His fist clenched for a moment. I didn’t think Mom or Dad saw. I had no clue what was going on, but this man was a hard sell. Nothing my parents had ever experienced before. Usually they stopped pushing back once I was close enough for them to smell. I was practically bouncing inside. He didn’t want me! I might not have to get bitten tonight!“And you feel that’s worth me paying more than I’ve already paid for you? Why would you register with a blood broker if you didn’t want to sell your blood, Ms. Verity?” He asked. “All of my clients were more interested in her. They say she’s sweet and addictive. We’ve already had three offers to buy her when she turns eighteen.” Mom told him. My eyes widened and I turned to stare at my parents. They didn’t even look ashamed. They looked pleased. Like that would convince him. I hoped they were lying, but couldn’t say anything. I wasn’t allowed to speak unless spoken to. How could they sell me, like sell me, not just my blood? Of course, they said I was evil, so it was probably always meant to be the plan. That’s why they never talked to me about where I’d go. After Valor and Harmony went off to school, Echo fades away.-“How much were they offering?” He asked, bringing me out of my pity party. “The current high offer is one and a half million. If you want to try and out bid, we could be persuaded to give you your first taste of her free.” My mom replied.“Two million, if she’s everything you say she is, and I take her tonight.” The vampire stated. “Agreed. Thom please show him to the study. I need to have a word with Echo.” Mom directed. “Yes, dear. Right this way.” Dad said and turned to guide the vampire down the hall.My mom stepped in front of me and grabbed me roughly by the shoulders. I wanted to beg her not to sell me, but I knew she’d just hit me and sell me anyway.No matter what I said or did, I would be sold by the time I was eighteen. Now that I knew their plan, they’d probably be locking me in at night so I couldn’t run.Not that it mattered. I knew where this was going. He would taste my blood and know what the others did. He would buy me and I would never see my sister and brother again.“This money will help Harmony and Valor. They’ll each get five hundred thousand to cover any extra schooling they want and start their lives when they’re done. If you actually love them, like you say you do, you’ll do this. I don’t think anyone will pay as much. I lied to him. The highest anyone offered was seven hundred thousand.” She hissed at me. I was frozen. Tomorrow, Mom was making my favorite Sunday dinner. Next month was prom and Harmony would need help with her hair and makeup. Val wanted me to help him with his math. Our birthdays were in May. They always saved me some cake from theirs and gave me a little present. I couldn’t leave. Tears started filling my eyes. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Harmony said I wasn’t evil like Mom and Dad insisted I was. She said I was better than everyone in the house. She wouldn’t want me to leave. I make her pretty. “Don’t try your teary eyed cra'ap with me, young lady. All you’ve done, since the moment you were created, was take from them! Take from us! Now you have the chance to give and you’re going to be selfish, again!? It figures an evil brat like you would think you were entitled to keep living off of us. Or do you think you’re somehow worth more than he offered? Answer me!” Mom growled. She was right. I wasn’t worth that much. I only took. We’d spent the first few months of our lives in the NICU because of me. Mom’s body couldn’t carry us as long as we all needed. The doctors said she would have been able to carry Harmony and Valor for longer if I weren’t there. Harmony almost died because of me.“I was only thinking of how much I’d miss everyone, ma’am. I know I’m not worth nearly as much as he offered. I’ll go feed him now.” I murmured. “Good. Get out of my sight.” She sneered, and I turned to the hall. As I neared the study, I felt like I was going to be sick. He would drain me. This vampire would buy me and drain me before I turned eighteen. No one was ever expecting to see me again. He wouldn’t have to leave anything behind for them. My life was ending tonight. I could feel it.

“There she is. Echo, this is Victor. I realized we didn’t officially introduce you two. Now, be good for him. I’ll be in the living room with your mother.” Dad said. “Yes, sir.” I replied softly and he closed the door. I swallowed and looked up at the vampire. I was only 5’4” so he was much taller. He looked down at me and his lips tightened into a thin line.“Were you crying?” He asked gently. “Don’t be afraid, little one. I won’t hurt you.” “Th-Thank you. Where would you like me for your feeding, sir?” I asked. He sighed and took of his sunglasses. I hadn’t realized until just then, that I was shaking. I hadn’t been this afraid since the first time, when I was seven. “You won’t be feeding me. I ate earlier.” He said. “I’m s-sorry.” I took a deep breath to calm my voice. “Did I do something wrong? Did you change your mind because of me? How can I fix it? Please.” I begged. “What will happen if I don’t buy you?” He questioned. The question chilled me. I worked to take control of the shaking that got worse once he asked. If it wasn’t him, it would be some other vampire. At least this one was offering a lot. It had to be him. No one else would pay that much and my siblings needed it. Mom always told me not to let the vampires know I had a sister and brother. She said it would be dangerous. They might decide to take Harmony or Val. I couldn’t imagine them having to deal with being fed on. I hated the idea of them scared and potentially hurt. This money would make sure they would never have to sell their blood.“They’ll be mad at me, lock me up, and keep taking offers until my birthday, I suppose. They’ll sell me to the highest bidder, even if it’s not as high as you offered. Your offer was really big.” I replied, quietly. “I need to make a phone call. Sit on the couch and stay quiet.” He ordered. I sat and waited. With luck, he’d take me and I could take care of my family one last time. If he didn’t want me… I didn’t like to think of which of my other clients made that seven hundred thousand offer. Some of them were really scary. “Rosalynn. I have the girl. I need the Council to reimburse me two million. The parents are trying to sell her to me. If I don’t buy, someone else will. No…. Probably…. I’ll make her my daytime servant for now. I don’t think she’ll be safe anywhere else. She’s almost as pale as I am and there are no scars on her or the mother…. I know…. I smelled it when she got close…. My thought exactly. See you Tuesday.” He closed his eyes briefly as he hung up the phone. “You’re coming with me. I want you to go pack your things.” He said turning to me. “Yes, sir.” I said standing. “But, if I go out without a bite mark, they’ll know you didn’t feed on me.” “I’ll tell them I bit your thigh. They wouldn’t see that at first glance. Don’t be afraid anymore. I’m going to keep you safe. You’ll have a lot more freedom and never have to feed anyone again if you don’t want to.” He smiled. “Really? Never again?” I couldn’t keep the relief from my voice.“Really, never again. Now, go. I don’t want to spend any more time here and we need to go over a few things before we get to my house.” He nodded to the door. I hurried out, past my parents, and into the kitchen to grab some grocery sacks for my things. I could be a servant. I already was one. Never feeding a vampire again. Being safe. That was what I really wanted. I might not be able to see my sister and brother again, but I would know they were taken care of. I hoped it wasn’t a trick to make me more eager to go with. But, he never bit me. Even though he was a vampire, I felt like I could trust him. It was enough to hope.*Ten minutes later, I had my things packed and wrote a goodbye note in black marker on the back of my door. Harmony would probably see it on Monday after school. She would make a point of trying to see me as soon as she got home, right before she changed for her after school job. They never saw me on Sunday. I was always in bed by the time they go home on Saturday night. I didn’t tell her I was going with a vampire, just that I loved her and Val and I’d see them again someday. I didn’t want her to worry about me too much, but I didn’t want her searching for me. My master might be nice to me, but there was no telling what he would do if he found out about my siblings. Rushing upstairs, I entered the living room, hoping I hadn’t taken too long. My parents were grinning and shaking the vampire… my master’s hand. I went and stood by him, waiting with my head down. “Good. You follow instruction well. Mr. and Mrs. Gale. Your acceptance of that money was an agreement. This girl now belongs to me and you have no more claim on her. This portion of our meeting, however, is a warning. The Vampire Council is aware you were trading in child’s blood. They are aware you were planning to sell your child. And they are aware that you have two others. If we catch scent of you doing anything like this again, you will be given a very final consequence. The same consequence your vampire clients have already suffered.” He snarled. My parents turned almost as pale as me. It was nice to see them afraid for once. They grasped each others’ hands and nodded quickly. “Come along, Echo. We have much to do.” My master said and turned to the door. -I wished I could’ve said something, but I wanted to leave as much as he did. I followed him out the door and to a car parked on the street. It was a pretty nice dark colored car. I don’t know what type, I’m not into cars.“Three grocery sacks.” He scoffed. “Is that all you had?” “Yes, sir.” I replied. “Call me Victor. Toss them in the backseat. You’re riding in front with me. Do you have school on Monday?” He asked as we climbed in the car. “No, Victor. I don’t go to school. I had a homeschool certificate, but my mom took it and I haven’t seen it since.” I answered. “I’ll have Drew get you enrolled. We can fake some transcripts. I just need to have him give you an assessment so we can get you in the right classes. There’s a community college here. I want you to think about what you’d like to study after high school. When you’re not in school, you’ll work for me. I have a lot of things around the house that need to be done. We’ll be changing your name to Echo Nightshade. No vampire will harm you once you bear my name.” Victor told me. “I’d like you to consider staying on with me after you turn eighteen. You deserve to be taken care of. After what I learned you dealt with, there should be a time where you can enjoy yourself as a person. A human servant is generally free to live their lives as they want. They just have to see to their master’s needs first.” He said.“Thank you. I’ll think about it.” I said and watched the scenery go past. “Have you eaten? The person we had watching you said he almost never saw you eat.” He said softly. “I get to eat more on Saturdays.” I responded. “You had someone watching me?” “We had a report of someone selling the blood of a child. We investigated. I will be staying here indefinitely to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” He answered. “So you knew about my sister and brother. My parents would never make them do that. I know they wouldn’t. I was the one…” I stopped myself. “The one what?” Victor asked. “The one who was evil. They were the ones who were supposed to be. I was the one who stole from them.” I told him.It was like the whole car turned cold. In the window’s reflection, I could see his hands gripping the wheel tightly. Mom always said the vampires liked me more because I was evil. He didn’t seem to like it, though.“Never say you’re evil again.” He said stiffly. I nodded and we drove the rest of the way in silence. I was worried I’d made him mad. I really hoped I wouldn’t be punished for it.

After about ten minutes of driving, we pulled up to a tall stone fence with a big gate. Victor pressed the button on his car visor and the gate opened. Pretty lamps lined the driveway to the house. It was a huge mansion. Like my house times two stacked on another three. It would take me a couple days to clean it. I didn’t think I’d have as much free time as he let on. We got out of the car, I grabbed my bags, and he led me into the house. There was marble everywhere. A big staircase looped like a giant ‘C’ in front of us. “Your room is on the second floor. Come on.” Victor said, hurrying up the stairs. I went as fast as I could to stay near him. He turned right at the top of the stairs and continued down the hall. When he finally stopped, he turned to me and pointed to the door. “You can make a sign for it so you can find it more easily in the future. For now, just leave the door open when you leave. Across the hall is the master suite. That’s the first room I want you to focus on, after you get the kitchen settled. I will sleep there once it’s done. I need the windows blacked out, furniture, curtains, and some decoration. I don’t like a bare room. But, first.” He said and opened the door. Victor pulled me into the room and turned on the light. It was three times as big as the little basement room I slept in. There was a bed as large as Harmony’s with a thick blanket and pillows that weren’t flat. He took me to a door that opened to a bathroom with a tub and a shower that wasn’t covered in rust and moldy cracks, like the one in my basement. Next, he showed me a closet so big, I could put my little bed in it and call it my room. It was all too much. I never imagined I’d get to have a room like this.“You might want to buy new sheets. The person who made these purchases wasn’t great at selecting quality.” Victor sneered. I went to the bed and checked the sheets. Apparently I wasn’t great at selecting quality either, because they felt amazing. I was super excited to go to sleep. “What would you like me to work on tomorrow? It’s Sunday, so not much will be open. My mom says everything is closed on Sundays.” I said. “Tomorrow, Drew will come take you shopping for clothes, kitchen items, and groceries. I’ll call him tonight. He’ll give you a rundown on what it means to be a human servant. He’s Silence’s servant and has been for over a hundred years. For now, you’re only a daytime servant. You’re here by choice. If you choose to stay, I’ll make a bond with you and give you my blood. That won’t happen until you are eighteen, though.” He explained. “Alright. I’ll be prepared.” I answered.“This is your home now. You are free to do as you like, just complete the work I assign first. Would you like a tour?” I nodded and followed him after setting down my bags. Aside from my room, there were eight guest rooms. The master suite was practically as big as the living room in my old house. Downstairs there was an office, living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, and library. He showed me the basement door and told me he slept there for now. He looked about as happy as I was while living in the basement. A few times on the tour, I nearly laughed while he growled about the furniture. I would make sure my master had everything he wanted and needed as quickly as I could. He paid a lot for me and was giving me a lot, it was the least I could do. -“I wake two hours before sunset and am usually up until an hour after dawn. The sooner I can leave the basement, the better. I’m going to give you my wallet. Use my credit card to buy whatever you want or need. I have a lot of money.” He shrugged. “I’ll do what I can, Victor.” I promised. “You should get some sleep. It’s after ten. Drew will be here around nine tomorrow morning. He has the code for the gate box, if you accidentally sleep in, he can come get you. He got your room set up and knows which one is yours.” Victor said. I said good night and headed back to my room. When I got there, I locked the door behind me, stripped, and climbed under the sheets. If this was low quality, I wondered what kind of heaven he was used to. I drifted off to sleep in a cocoon of comfort.***[Victor] After Echo headed to bed, I went to my office and sat in the cheap office chair behind the particle board desk. I detested so much in this house. With luck, Echo would prove to be a suitable servant. According to everything Drew’s friend, Gage, witnessed, she practically ran her parents’ home like one. She was a housekeeper, stylist, landscaper, chef, and handyman all in one. Echo woke around six every morning and sometimes wouldn’t sleep until two in the morning. Somehow, she still had the energy to smile and take the insults that often came from her parents. They didn’t even call her their daughter while talking to me. The closest thing was when her father said he’d be in the living room with her mother. Who could just abandon their child with a hungry vampire?Gage reported how much she and her siblings seemed to love each other. Even though they didn’t try to stop their parents from making her do everything, they still cared. I could imagine, they’d stopped trying when they were young. It’s hard to change the minds of some people. I wondered what the hll they were thinking. No one could look at that demure little thing and think her anything other than innocent and pure. Certainly a draw for many of her late clients. The rage that shot through me when she said they told her she was evil was intense. No one should ever be told that by their family. She said her siblings were meant to be, but she stole from them. I wanted to destroy her parents. She didn’t steal anything! They weren’t meant to have what she did. It meant her mother knew what was in her blood. She probably had Echo enter that room on purpose ten years ago. She had to have known the scent of a higher level dhampyr would entice any vampire. And she had to be higher level because even I could smell the allure of her blood. It was rich, but delicate. Something to be savored. Of course, I was strong enough to resist. A vampire couldn’t get to my age and be unable to act sensibly. Even Springer would have been able to resist if he hadn’t been such a selfish and greedy man.-My plan was to help her rebuild herself, then let her choose the direction of her life. I felt a little guilt. Maybe I should have left Springer alive so he could apologize to her before I killed him. It was enough to see the tiny smile on her face as I informed her parents of their crimes and the knowledge of the council. Somehow, they hadn’t broken her. I knew she’d grow stronger over the next few months. Once Echo was out of the shadow of that house, I was betting she would be as cheerful and vibrant as her sister. Even if she only stayed with me until she was eighteen, I would enjoy that distraction. It had been a couple hundred years since Geoffrey asked me to let him die. I would like to have another proper servant. Being alone was tiring at times.I could feel dawn starting to tug at me. I groaned at the idea of having to go back down to that basement. It was so musty and dirty. I hoped to have a bedroom within the next week or two. Something clean with fresh air and soft furnishings. At least I had it to myself, that was enough for now.

Upon waking, I stared at the basement ceiling. It was like being in a box in the ground all over again. It was a box in the ground, just with more box over it. I suddenly wished Springer was alive again, so I could kill him a little slower. Two more hours, at least, until I could leave. The door at the top of the stairs opened. I squinted to see if there was a clue as to who it was. Then the scent of her hit me. “Victor? Are you awake?” Echo called out.“Yes. Do you need something?” I asked. “I bought blackout curtains today and Drew helped me put them up. You can come upstairs if you want. Just not any farther than the first floor.” Echo replied. I felt a smile cross my face. No more basement. At least, not tonight. I was thrilled that she’d thought of it and bounded up the stairs. If I’d been thinking, I would have worried about a trick. Thank goodness she was as good and sweet as she seemed and I didn’t get burnt to a crisp. She was grinning when I exited the basement.“You seem as excited to leave your basement as I was to leave mine.” Echo laughed. “Neither one of us should ever have to live in a basement again.” I chuckled. I followed her to the kitchen, where Drew was pulling dishes out of the dishwasher and putting them in cupboards. Echo went to the counter and resumed cutting up vegetables. She must have been working on it and decided to check on me. The feeling of pride I had in her was immense. She was thoughtful and intelligent. A perfect servant. I was hopeful that she would choose to stay with me and I couldn’t wait to see what she would do with this house. “There were no dishes, utensils, or pans. I had to buy everything, including some gadgets and small appliances. Blender, microwave, toaster, you know like that.” She said as she sliced. “And the curtains.” I added. “Yes. Oh! Drew taught me about the difference in types of sheets. I didn’t realize there was one. I also got stuff for cleaning the house. Tomorrow, we’re headed to the furniture store and I have someone coming at three to give a quote on tinting the windows. I still plan to get more curtains, but I was thinking an extra dark tint on your windows might be better than paint, which can flake off. What size bed do you want in your room?” She asked. I smiled. She was much more talkative now. Drew was pretty good at getting people to relax and open up. He’s managed to get Springer to talk about a few other things before I killed him. I knew he was the best option for helping her relax. Echo just needed to see that she was safe and actually in charge of her life.“King size. I like to sprawl.” I winked when she turned to look at me. “Okay. We’ll buy a whole bunch of stuff tomorrow and you’ll really regret giving me that card.” She giggled. “I don’t think I’ll ever regret giving you anything, little one.” I smiled. Drew dropped a dish that clattered onto the floor. Echo looked relieved that it didn’t break and turned back to her work. He stared at me. “You have no idea.” He whispered. Echo didn’t seem to hear. We weren’t able to talk mentally, since he wasn’t my servant, but I could hear very well. And, depending on how much vampire was in Echo’s blood, she could, too. I shook my head, telling him I didn’t want him to say anything else and he turned back to the dishes. I had no idea what he was about to enlighten me on, but I didn’t want to upset Echo. I’d given her some work that was close to what she had experienced before, and she was adapting well. Everything else, would have to wait. -In two days, Rosalynn would come and test Echo to see what her bloodline was and how much of it was vampire. But all of the facts were already pointing to her being at least half. The question was, how. Her father was entirely human. Her mother was about a quarter, but that was baseline for the descendants of vampires. It would never drop below one quarter. No matter how diluted the line. I was betting her sister and brother would be a quarter as well. It was entirely possible that was what her parents meant when they said she’d stolen from the other two children. They were probably under the impression that the other two would have been half or more, but she absorbed it from them somehow. We tried to look into their birth after I spoke with the last three vampires on my list. But it was like the family had just appeared, fully formed, in town almost sixteen years ago with three two-year-olds. It meant they were running. But why? If her sire came for her, they would’ve been compensated. Even more than I gave them. One of the vampires had been old and experienced enough to know what she was. He offered the family seven hundred thousand dollars for her. She was worth exponentially more. Her parents’ greed was a boon for us. If he had gotten her, and decided to sell, he could have made up to a billion dollars. The conditions for breeding with a human are fragile and have to be exact. It happened so very rarely, that the babes ended up on the auction block rather than being raised by their mothers. Though we could breed with other supernaturals, it was rare. Hybrids were the most common product of these couplings. Any who wanted vampire children, needed someone with human or vampire blood. So dhampyrs of any level were sought after. Only those of Echo’s level were in enough demand that they were worth paying for. -I hadn’t realized how long my mind had wandered until the buzzer for the gate rang. Drew and Echo were leaning against the counter, eating large bowls of spaghetti. It smelled amazing. Unlike most vampires, I loved the smell of garlicky foods. Putting up my hand, I headed toward the hall. They resumed their meal as I went to answer the buzzer. In the entry, I hit the intercom button to the gate. “Yes?” I asked. “Silence sent me. The code for the day is sherry.” A female voice said. “Pull up in front of the house and knock at the door. Someone will greet you.” I told her and opened the gate.Echo walked into the entry and smiled. “I’ll get it. The sun’s still up. I know you hate the couches in the living room, but it’s not as bad as the rest of the furniture. You should feed in there.” “You are excelling as a daytime servant, little one. I shall await her in there. Thank you.” I bowed. Echo’s smile grew brighter and she bounced a little at the praise. She’d rarely gotten praise in the time Gage was watching her. I wanted to make sure she knew she was appreciated. I went to the living room and stood near the fireplace. The room smelled cleaner. Echo must have been cleaning before she started making dinner. There was a knock at the door and I heard her answer it. “What’s your name?” She asked. Her mother had done the same thing. I realized, the only time Echo must have seen someone answer the door was when her mother was greeting vampires. The story of needing to be invited in was true, we couldn’t enter anyplace we were unwelcome, but we didn’t go flying out if the welcome was rescinded. Instead, we were compelled to leave, often in a great deal of pain. That wouldn’t work on a human.“My name is Helen. I’m here to feed your master.” The woman answered. “I’m Echo. Welcome to our home. My master is in the living room. Please follow me, and excuse the furnishings, they’re temporary.” She replied graciously. A few moments later, they entered the room. I could smell the woman’s scent along with vanilla. Not the chemically created vanilla from perfume, but vanilla extract. She’d been doing this a while. We hated perfume, it ruined the flavor of the blood when we took it from the neck. “Master, this is Helen. She is your donor tonight. Will you be needing me or shall I return to the kitchen?” Echo stated. I turned. Echo was slightly bowed and the woman looked a little annoyed. Most humans took issue with human servants. She had taken on the role on perfectly. I was impressed. “Return to your meal, Echo.” I said. “Helen, thank you for coming.” “No problem, sir.” Helen smiled. Echo turned and left the room. I walked to Helen and took her hand, guiding her to the couch. She was 5’6” with short blonde hair that framed her face. A pixie-ish features, big blue eyes, and a trim figure. She sat and the furniture instantly made her look less attractive. How I hated the hideous gray furnishing. I joined her and leaned in for my meal. Silence had been sending me donors free of charge as thanks for dealing with her issue and payment to reprimand some donors and buyers who had been taking advantage of her lax rules on extras. She was sending me mostly Rh negative donors, which were my favorite. I appreciated the consideration. I didn’t need as much blood as a younger vampire. Being over eight hundred years old has a lot of perks. My meal was done relatively quickly. As I pulled back, Echo entered the room with a tray, which she sat on the plywood coffee table. On the tray was an assortment of meat, cheese, fruit, and crackers, with three bottles of different juices. She knelt in front of the table and smiled at Helen. “Please, have something to replenish you before you leave.” Echo said softly. Helen laughed. “No one has ever brought me a snack after. I usually keep stuff in my car. Thanks.” “I remember what it was like post feeding, and I didn’t have to drive anywhere. Master, Drew would like to speak with you in your office. I’ll take care of Ms. Helen until she can safely leave.” Echo replied. I stood and bowed to Helen. “Thank you for your donation. It was lovely. Please, have a good night.” “Sure thing. You can request me anytime. Have a good night.” She said, but her eyes were all for the food on the tray.

I left the room and headed to my office. I wondered if Drew actually wanted to speak to me or not. When I opened the door, he was spinning around in the office chair in front of my desk. I rolled my eyes. “Really, Drew? How old are you?” I scoffed. “Nearly two hundred in human years, Victor. I still enjoy spinning on these chairs. You’re never too old to enjoy a good spin.” He laughed. “Tell me that again in six hundred years.” I shook my head and closed the door. After I was seated, I motioned for him to go on. “So you didn’t notice that innuendo earlier?” Drew chuckled. “I could ask ‘what innuendo’, but that would give away the answer.” I replied. “When you implied you had a lot more to give the girl. Wink, wink.” “You have a filthy mind. How does Silence put up with you? You didn’t say or do anything dirty with my Echo, did you?” I growled. “Your Echo?” He raised his eyebrows. “I bought her, she’s mine. It’s a statement of fact.” I answered. “I didn’t do or say anything inappropriate. We left first thing this morning. She asked me for help with the curtains before she bought them. I have never seen a woman shop as coolly as she did. She only tried a few things on, then just bought things in those sizes and brands. It was like she didn’t even care how they looked and fit. Food shopping was the same. She went in with a list in her head and got exactly what she needed. No weighing her options, not meandering down aisles. We stopped for lunch, and it was the first time I saw her not know exactly what she wanted. She looked like she was about to cry, so I asked her what she didn’t like and ordered for her. Echo said she’d never been to a fast food restaurant before and just couldn’t decide. She used my phone to make calls, then set a timer after we got the groceries put away and started washing the new dishes before cleaning all of the rooms down here, then putting up the curtains for you. No breaks, just working right along until the timer let us know it was time to start making dinner. She set timers every fifteen minutes, so she’d know when you were awake. Echo really is a natural at this. Within a week she’ll have your house perfect. I can guarantee it. She prepped that snack tray before she made dinner. She bought all those things in preparation for your donors.” He reported. I smiled. At least something came of her horrible parents’ behavior. It would be beneficial to me to keep her around. Once everything was in order, she’d easily be able to run my house and have a life of her own. “How is everything else coming?” I asked. “Paris says he can assess her on Thursday. It’s cutting it close, but he can print the transcript while we’re here. I can get her enrolled on Friday and she can be in school a week from tomorrow. Cass called and told me he has everything in order to get her name change put through fast. We can have the documents by Wednesday.” Drew stated. “Good. I’ll get a cell phone ordered on my plan with next day delivery. She needs to be able to use her own. You’re not always going to be there for her. Take her to an electronics store and get her a laptop as well. She’ll probably need one for school.” I decided. “Yes, sir. If you’re done with me. My master wakes in twenty minutes, I would like to be there for her.” He smiled. “Go ahead. Thank you for your help today.” I stood and shook his hand. Pulling out my computer, I ordered a phone with a case for Echo, then got to work on the information Silence had given me. She was still running her audit, but there were already a few people who needed to be dealt with. I’d take care of a few once Echo went to bed for the night. I didn’t want her to worry.I could smell cleaning chemicals Echo was using as I worked. It was a nice change from dust and dirt. My mind seemed to focus more knowing she was working away. *After some time, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID, it was Rosalynn. “Hey, Rosy, how’s your trip so far?” I asked. “I hate everything. I’m in the cargo container of a plane. It’s cold, and my blood bag popped, so I’m covered in blood, freezing, and hungry. I can go a couple of days without any, but it’s not exactly ideal. Anyway, I found a truck to deliver me to your house, so no one has to pick me up. I’ll be there either Tuesday morning or afternoon. Can you have the blood broker send someone for me. I like B positive.” Rosalynn whined.“I remember. I’ll let Echo know so she puts you somewhere safe and I’ll call Silence to get your donor set up. Anything else?” I inquired. “How’s the girl? Are you managing to not taste her?” “Echo is doing well. She’s spent a lot of my money today and will spend even more tomorrow. Right now, she’s cleaning. And I’m a little offended that you would ask me if I’ve fed on her. She’s a child. I would never. I will help you with the testing, but that blood will be taken by a needle, not by my mouth. Rosy, she was shaking like a leaf when she thought I was going to feed on her last night. I’m surprised she didn’t find a way to run today.” I told her. “Well, she knows you’re a member of the council. There’s no reason to run from someone who’s there to protect you.” She scoffed. That was what I forgot… I didn’t tell Echo I was a member of the council just that I was investigating. I should probably let her know what was going on.“You did tell her, didn’t you?” Rosalynn asked in a rueful tone. She knew I didn’t.“I may have skipped that, Rosy.” “You better fix it before I get there, or you’re in deep trouble, young man.” She scolded. “You’re only fifty years older than me, Rosy. And you’re not my sire.” I teased. “Fix it, Vic. We need her to know what’s going on. If your assessment is right, she’s the first half blood in three hundred years, the first half blood ever not sired by a full vampire, and the first half blood ever to be raised as something other than a warrior or a broodmare. We may need to check the siblings, too. They might be the same, but present differently.” Rosalynn insisted. “So, I’m guessing I can’t keep her then?” I chuckled. “Depending on who her bloodline belongs to; it might be a hard fight to keep her. Oh, I almost forgot. You’re officially being named master of the territory. There’s been a council seat available in that area for a while. You can pick your two supports and start righting the area. I know you missed running a territory.” She said in a sympathetic tone. “Thanks, Rosy. I’ve already been working on cleaning it up.” “Why did you give everything up to chase that childe instead of just letting him go?” She asked. “Not like I had anything better to do….” I scoffed. Everyone asked me that. “Seriously, Rosy!? He stole from me! I don’t care that I didn’t need the money! It was the principle of the thing! You don’t bite the hand that feeds you, you don’t steal from your fcking sire!” I shouted. “Language, Victor.” Rosalynn scolded. “Sorry. You know how I am about honor and rules. It really gets my goat, Rosy.” I sighed. “Well, your other children are certainly afraid. You hunted him relentlessly and killed him as you said you would. Showing no favoritism and no sentimentality.” She said softly. That was what I had intended. The year I gave him was what I would have afforded any childe who made a mistake. The fact that I’d trusted him to come back, and hadn’t sent trackers to find him, made it seem like I was favoring him. There was a knock on my door. I called out for Echo to come in, she was the only one it could be. She looked worried. “Are you okay, Victor? I heard you yell.” Echo whispered. I set my phone down. “Did I scare you, little one? Don’t be afraid. I was just a bit emotional. It doesn’t happen often. You’re safe.” “You sounded really mad. Is there something I can get you? I know you don’t eat, but I could make you a milkshake or something with the bags of blood in the fridge and some sauces. I heard chocolate sauce goes well with O type blood. Would you like that?” She said quietly. “Yes, please. Thank you, Echo.” I smiled. “I’ll be back in a bit.” She nodded and left the room.I picked up the phone. Rosalynn was laughing. “What exactly is so funny?” I asked. “You. Oh my goodness, she treats you like a child. It’s hilarious! Honestly, the best part of this trip! You had a temper tantrum and she offered you a treat like a doting mommy with a spoiled child.” She snorted. She laughed so hard she snorted!“She’s just trying to be a good servant. Not treating me like a child. Now, stop laughing or you’re going to be on blood bags your entire visit. You need my permission to feed on humans in my territory, remember.” I warned. “Okay, Mr. Grumpy. I’m going to sleep. See you in two days.” She said as she hung up. I could hear the blender going in the kitchen. Was she treating me like a spoiled child? Geoff used to give me treats when I got angry, too. He actually spent ten years perfecting several candies he could keep in a pouch for when I got moody…. Maybe I needed a little reflection on that.

A little while later, Echo brought in a tray with two milkshakes. One was nearly black, probably mine, the other was pink. She set the dark one in front of me with a spoon and sat in the chair on the opposite side of the desk with the other one.“I figured I’d take a break. I never got to have one of these, but I made them all the time.” She smiled. “What flavor did you pick?” I asked. “Strawberry.” She told me and started eating the treat. I tasted mine. My sire was fond of blood foods, but never tried it myself. It was actually really good. Echo giggled as I was eating making me look up.“I’m glad you like it. I was worried I wouldn’t mix it right. Mr. Springer told me about it. He said every blood type has a flavor that goes well with it. O type is chocolate, B is caramel, A is hazelnut, and AB is toasted almond. O is salty, B is sweet, A is tangy, and AB is a mix of the three. Or something like that.” She shrugged. I thought about it as I ate my treat. Springer was the reason she knew this, not Drew. I forgot how intimate feeding can be when you have the same donor often. She would have been his friend, in a weird way, but he told me he was trying to bite her thigh. That wasn’t something you did to a friend. That was foreplay. He didn’t even know what he was feeding on, he was naturally drawn to it.“You seem a lot more relaxed than I expected in such a short time.” I observed. “When you said you wouldn’t feed on me; it didn’t feel like a lie. It felt like the truth more than anything anyone has ever said to me. I trust you and I don’t know why.” She replied. I did. Dhampyrs, like vampires, feel comfortable in the company of other vampires and dhampyrs. Echo knew I wouldn’t lie because of how I acted. Her relaxed attitude was because she didn’t have the threat there and could enjoy the feeling of being with her own kind.“I need to talk to you about this whole situation.” I told her. “Alright.” She sat up straighter and looked directly at me.“I realized, I was pretty vague about what’s going on. I was angry at your parents and the state of affairs as a whole. So I’m going to reintroduce myself and tell you everything you need to know.” I said. “I appreciate that. It’s pretty confusing to me.” Echo smiled softly. “My name is Victor Nightshade. I am a member of the Vampire Council, a governing body which regulates our activities for the safety of both humans and vampires. I’ve just been named master of this territory. The region you live in.” I explained. She nodded, taking in everything without question. “I was hunting one of the vampires I made. He stole a lot of money from me a few years ago. When I found him, he told me about you. As a member of the council in earlier years, I created the rules we have against feeding on children. It was already a rule of my bloodline. He was sentenced to death along with every vampire who fed on you, or was on the waitlist to feed on you.”“So, Mr. Springer is dead?” Echo asked. “Yes. He was the last to die. Are you okay?” “He was the nicest one, but I was scared of all of them. Thank you.” She said. “It’s my job, but, after meeting you, I’m glad I was able to do it. I hunted all of the vampires and gathered information. There was a man watching your house, to see if there was anything else to be concerned about. He told me about your siblings, parents, and activities. The last three vampires I killed gave me a lot of information. One had offered seven hundred thousand dollars for you. He knew your value, but under-offered betting on your parents not knowing the difference.” I told her. “My value?” She squeaked. “The vampire told me you were a dhampyr. Your scent confirmed it. A dhampyr is a human/vampire hybrid. More than that, the vampire said your father was human and your mother was only one quarter vampire. You present like someone closer to half.” I informed her. “I’m a vampire? No, that can’t be right. Why is it special?” She asked.“You’re right, you are not a vampire. You are stronger, faster, healthier, and more persuasive than a human. You can walk in the sun like they do. You can heal like we do. You won’t age as quickly once you reach twenty-five. Given the right conditions, you could live several hundred years. You’re harder to kill than a human or a vampire. When you die, you will be reborn a fully functioning vampire and start your own bloodline. While you’re alive, though, you are the only one who can easily procreate with a vampire. Having children as a vampire is difficult. There are a lot of conditions that have to be met. If the person you are breeding with is a dhampyr, it is as simple as it is for humans.” I explained. “Sounds like you got a bargain.” Echo’s voice was wispy and broken. “If anyone else had found you, they could’ve sold you for hundreds of millions of dollars. Older vampires would pay anything to be able to have a true child. By the middle of next week, you’ll have my name. No other vampire can take you then, except for your sire, if he still lives.” I said. “So do you plan to have a baby with me, then?” She asked. Echo was shaking. She smelled terrified. I’d never been one to enjoy that scent. Especially from women or children, and she was both.“No, Echo. I plan to keep you safe until you’re eighteen and can choose the life you want. You’ll keep my name, even if you don’t want to stay with me. If you get married, do not change your name. Without my name, you’ll be stating you are unprotected. On Tuesday, another representative of the council will be arriving. She and I will test you to find out who your sire is. I hope to petition him with the fact that I’ve already purchased you from your mother. With luck, he won’t feel the need to challenge my claim.” “I don’t want to go. I want to stay here. I want to be near my family. Please, don’t let him take me, Victor. Please.” She pled, weeping. “I will do everything in my power to keep you, Echo. I promise. Trust me.” I said. “I-if he tries to claim me. I want you to drain me. Don’t let me be someone’s baby factory. That’s what they’d do isn’t it? They’d keep me locked away, pregnant as often as possible. They’d make me do it, even if I didn’t want to.” Echo cried. “Probably. It’s been the fate of female dhampyrs in the past, that they were used to repay debts by having children for any vampire their master owed. I can’t promise that I’ll drain you. It would end badly for me if they decided I was stealing from them.” I told her. “Then I’ll kill myself. But I’m hard to kill… how would I do that? Can you tell me? How? I can’t live like that, Victor! I won’t!” She was hysterical. This was getting out of hand. We didn’t even know if he’d try to take her. I handled this badly. She seemed a lot stronger than she was. Though, she wouldn’t really be able to fight, so it was pretty much the only option. “Let me research it. For now, we should carry on as we have been. He may not even be alive. There are a lot of vampires who do Silly things and die young. There are older vampires who get complacent or arrogant and end up dead. There are others who tire of living and decide to greet the sun. If I have to, I can pay quite a lot of money. You may have to eat ramen for a century or two, but we can manage it.” I said. She laughed and sniffled. “Better than some of the things I’ve had to eat. I’ll trust you, Victor. You said you wouldn’t feed on me and you haven’t. You trusted me not to try and kill you while you slept. You gave me your credit card. And you paid a lot of money for me when I thought I wasn’t worth anything.”“Why don’t you head to bed? Drew will be here in the morning. We’re keeping the dhampyr thing quiet. Don’t tell him. You still don’t have my name. He is Silence’s servant. Right now, she only has loyalty to herself. Rosy will arrive Tuesday. I want you to have her box moved to a safe place inside. When we test your blood it will be taken via a needle and tube. No one will lay a fang on you, without your consent, while you are in my home. Okay?” I asked. Echo nodded. She took the cups and headed out the door. Before she closed it behind her, she looked up and me and smiled a little. “If you save me, you can feed on me whenever you want.” She murmured, and closed the door. I shook my head. Even though she’d been afraid of me just last night, she was offering to let me feed on her. It showed me just how much she didn’t want that fate. Talking about death is abstract. She’d experienced feeding a vampire and hated it.

I couldn’t think of an easier way to tell her everything. I knew dumping it on her like that wasn’t great, but I wanted her to have as much time as possible to process it. I had to believe that she would be okay. After she slept and had something to occupy her mind, she would feel better. Echo wasn’t going to let this eat at her. She was going to pull herself together and do what she could. I could see that sort of resolve in her personality. There was one way I could guarantee she didn’t have to do what her sire wanted…. I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I know she would have been considered an adult when I was alive, but she was so big eyed and innocent about so much. Seeing her as anything but a child was difficult.I worked through the night on the research needed for the vampires and donors Silence wanted me to reprimand. I would do that tomorrow night. The scene with Echo had me worried about leaving her alone. Dawn arrived. I worked for half an hour after and started to head to the basement. I couldn’t wait for the house to be done, so I wouldn’t have to sleep there anymore.When I opened the door, the smell of mildew was gone. It smelled clean. Echo had cleaned the room. She stacked my mattress on the old mattress Springer had used and changed the sheets to Egyptian cotton. She must have bought them yesterday. I would have known if any existed in this house. I smiled. Did she buy them thinking of me? Echo really was the best servant I’d ever seen. All of her work had been done to make me comfortable. She did things for herself, but tried to anticipate my needs and preferences. She was polite and hard working. If there was any way to keep her safe, I’d find it. Even if it meant going to my sire for help. I faded from the world thinking about how I could save Echo and keep her for myself. -[Echo]-I hadn’t slept well last night. It didn’t help a lot when I was at the furniture store with Drew. The sales guy was thrilled at my running all over to find things. I told him I needed the highest quality of every item I was looking for and kept remembering things just when I thought I was done. He looked sad when I had to go to the appliance section, but waited nearby in case I remembered something else. Which I did. Once I was certain I had everything, we went to the registers. The number that came up made me nearly panic, but I remembered Victor saying he could afford to buy me. This wasn’t anything near what I cost. Not even near what he paid my parents for me.We arranged for everything to be delivered after noon the next day and they said they would put things anywhere I wanted and install my washer and dryer. They pushed off all of their deliveries for the next day and hired a moving company to help. When you spend a lot, I guess they give you a lot.I called and found a hauler to take away the old furniture to be donated to the women’s and children’s center downtown in the morning. Now that I knew what size the beds were, I had Drew take me to a store for sheets, blankets, and pillows. While I was there, I bought decorations for the house, too. We went to the bookstore and I bought a whole lot of books for Victor’s library. I offered the cashier extra money if he could bring them to the house and put them up. My sister was a cashier and I knew they didn’t make a lot. He jumped at the offer of a thousand dollars, cash. It was probably a lot more than the job was worth, but I didn’t want to be stuck in the library all day while I had to try directing furniture. Drew told me we needed to go to an electronics store for a laptop. While I was there, I bought a desktop computer for Victor. They said it was one of the best. I bought a few video games and one of each type of console. I always wanted to play the games my brother had in his room. I added a huge smart TV and got a bunch of movies, Drew said the smart TV was a good idea. He told me the consoles would play movies, so I didn’t get a Blu-ray player. The TV would be installed on Wednesday. Now, I was waiting for the tinting guy to finish counting and measuring the windows for the tint. Once I had the quote, I would hire him and offer extra to get it done before the end of the week. I got the basement cleaned up a little, but I wanted Victor out of there as much as he wanted to be out of there. No one deserved to live in a basement. He should be able to enjoy his house. Drew walked into the living room and sat next to me on the couch. I was grateful to have him helping me out so much. Even if he was a bit of a perv at times. He was shaking his head. “I have no clue how you convinced them to deliver, set up, and install everything the next day. I’ve never had shops jump to do that, and I’ve spent as much as you or more!” He said. I remembered what Victor said. I was more persuasive because of my blood. Had I done that? I hadn’t even tried. “You weren’t a cute girl with big eyes.” I laughed. “That must be it. Your big… eyes.” He chuckled. I blushed. I knew he was saying something dirty. He always did. Drew told me he liked making me blush. It was weird. He seemed so happy, I just let him. I didn’t want him to want to stop helping me. There was a buzz from the entry. I went to answer it. “Hello?” “Delivery.” “Come through to the house.” I said and opened the gate. “It’s probably your phone. You don’t have a box for deliveries by the gate. You should get one. I already hired landscapers to take care of the grounds. They have their own code. So don’t worry if you hear people mowing the lawn and stuff.” Drew said. “Where would I find a box for deliveries? How big of a box do I need?” I asked. “I’ll take care of it. You shouldn’t have to worry about it right now. You have a lot on your plate. I can’t hang around today. My mistress needs me to be home before dusk. I’m gonna leave you on your own tomorrow. I have errands and stuff to do.” He told me. “Okay. I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help, Drew.” I smiled. There was a knock at the door and I answered it. The man had me sign for the small box and left. I opened it quickly and pulled out the phone box and a cover that was in a plastic package. Drew helped me get the phone set up and charging before he left. I liked the case Victor picked. It was dark blue with cherry blossoms on it. I liked the time when our cherry tree would bloom. Flowering trees were my favorites. They were pretty, but useful. The tinting guy told me they could completely black out the windows upstairs and just do a dark tint downstairs. I asked him to black out every window. I told him I could open the windows to get natural light and fresh air at the same time. He said there was an option for an opaque white covering that would let in light, but no direct light. I thought of Victor, smiled, and agreed. The tinting guy would use that on all windows in open areas of the house, all the rooms downstairs, and on my bedroom windows. The other bedrooms would be blacked out. It would be nice not to have my days spent in a cave.When we were trying to schedule, he was looking at three weeks out. I needed this done before tomorrow night. I wanted to have safe and comfortable spaces for Victor and his friend. So, I put in the effort to really convince him. It took almost an hour to get him to, not only agree, but agree to bring every installer he had the next morning so it would be done quickly. I did end up paying double his quote as well. It was worth it. Victor would be up soon. I went to the kitchen to start preheating the oven for a baked potato and start marinating my meat. There was a grill in the stove top. I was planning to have a steak, potato, and salad. I prepared a tray of snacks for whoever was feeding Victor tonight.

I walked around the first floor, closing all the curtains and making sure no sunlight was getting in. As I reached the basement door, it opened. Victor was smiling and wrapped me in a hug. It made me feel happy and safe.“Thank you so much for cleaning that basement, little one! It was so nice to wake up somewhere clean again.” He laughed. “I figured you might be in a better mood if you slept well, Victor.” I replied. “Are you having dinner?” He asked. “It’s just after five. I was starting everything warming up and getting the curtains closed for you. The window guy opened them all. Then I was going to open the door and go start cooking.” I explained. “I’ll come with you, then. You can tell me about your day.” Victor took my hand and led me into the kitchen. He was acting weird. It made me wonder how weird he’d be tomorrow night. I needed to stay up and get the rest of the house clean. Luckily, there wasn’t anything going into the bathrooms, I could do those tomorrow night. I worked on cleaning the potato, and rubbing the skin with oil and salt before putting it in the oven. While I worked, I told Victor about all the things I’d seen and done during the day. He was thrilled that tomorrow was the last day he was going to spend in the basement. Once he was up for the night tomorrow, I’d strip the mattress he was using down there and wash the sheets before putting them on my new bed. He wouldn’t need queen size sheets anymore. I’d finally get to see what ‘high-quality’ sheets were like.We didn’t talk about the vampire thing. Or the half-vampire thing. I just wanted time to feel normal. Instead, we talked about what I would need for school next Monday, my nerves about going to school for the first time, and what would happen tomorrow when everything came. It took me until one in the morning to finish all of the cleaning in preparation for the movers. When I got up, I would strip my bed and prepare for it to be moved out. I didn’t mind the mattress, but Victor wanted me to have good quality items. I stopped into his office before I headed to bed. “Victor?” I said from the door?He looked up from where he was moving his files into boxes and waved me in. Victor seemed a lot more relaxed than he had last night. There was no shouting this time. “What do you need, princess?” He asked. I blushed. Drew called me princess sometimes, I guess Victor liked it. I didn’t mind when he did it as much as when Drew did. It was better than ‘little one’.“I’m heading to bed. If you just want to put the files in the closet, I would appreciate it. Make sure your laptop is somewhere safe, okay?” I replied. “Sleep well, little one. I’ll have my office done by morning.” Victor said. “I’m going to have your friend put in the dining room. We don’t have people over, so I didn’t buy a table for entertaining, just a small one for the kitchen.” “Perfect. See you tonight.” He winked. I headed to my room. Mr. Springer may have been the gentlest of my clients, but Victor was the nicest person I’d ever met. He cared about me and made sure I had everything I wanted or needed. He was always kind. I was thinking I might like to stay with him. I wanted to be his servant after I was eighteen. I couldn’t think of anything else that would suit me as well as that. -The next morning, I woke at seven, dressed in jeans and a gray t-shirt, and went to have breakfast. People and workers would start arriving at nine. I wanted to have as much time to myself as possible. I knew the house would be full and I wasn’t used to that sort of activity. Once I cleaned my dishes, I looked at the clock on my phone. It was eight-thirty. I checked that the file boxes in Victor’s office were put away and was pleased to see he’d finished the work. I opened the doors to the dining room on my way back to the kitchen. With plenty of time before anyone arrived, I was a little curious. Living with a vampire was so different from acting as a donor. I knew he was just downstairs, virtually dead. Part of me wanted to go look, part of me hated the idea of seeing it. It would be Victor, but not Victor. A buzzing from the entry pulled me from my thoughts. Saving me from the temptation. I went to answer it and let in the men who were moving the old furniture out. I locked the gate in the open position. I knew it wasn’t entirely safe, but it would mean I didn’t have to run back and forth all day. The men started in the rooms upstairs and finished with the living room. I was happy the stuff was going to a good home. The cashier from the bookstore arrived shortly after with his friend and I had them pull into the garage. There was a door there that was the closest external door to the library. They started loading in boxes of books right as four trucks with the tinting company’s logo pulled up. Their boss started issuing orders. He came and talked to me. I hadn’t realized the guy giving the quote yesterday was the owner. He gave me a time frame now that he knew how many people there were. The men got to work on the upstairs windows. With the white windows, Victor could feel like a human again. He could enjoy natural light without it hurting him. I grinned and headed inside to sweep where the old furniture had been and get everything ready for the deliveries. All the decorations I’d bought were stored in the garage. I’d put them up once everything was in.As I was finishing up the living room, a delivery truck pulled up. I went out to meet them. A man approached. While two others were pulling a long crate out of the back. “Miss Nightshade?” He asked. It was the first time anyone had called me that. I was a little nervous about answering to it, but I needed to get everything handled. Victor was counting on me. “Yes. How can I help you?” I smiled. “We have a delivery of your loved one’s remains. Where would you like us to take her?” He replied. Victor’s friend Rosalynn. I needed to act as if I was expecting this. I needed to put myself in the place of someone who had lost a loved one.“Oh, goodness. Auntie Rosa. Please follow me.” I said somberly. I led the men to the dining room and had them place the crate on the ground. They offered to pry the top off for me and I graciously agreed. Inside was a really nice casket. It was opalescent with gold handles. Very pretty. “Thank you so much for bringing my aunt back home.” I told them as they were leaving. “No problem, Miss. We’re always happy to reunite family. You have a good day. We’re very sorry for your loss.” He nodded and the men headed back to their truck. I secured the dining room door and went to check on the men unpacking the books. They were chatting and having a good time. I went to the kitchen and grabbed some cookies I’d baked yesterday, taking them to the guys. They were grateful. Less than an hour later, several large moving trucks pulled in front of the house. The men doing the tinting had finished the upstairs and were nearly finished with the downstairs. In a couple hours, Victor would wake, I didn’t know how long before his friend did. After directing the appliance men to the laundry room, I took up a position on the upper floor to direct the bedroom sets. Nine queen beds with dressers and nightstands for the other rooms, one king sized bed with dresser and nightstands, a small couch, coffee table, and chairs for Victor’s room, a small computer desk and office chair in mine, and some little tables for the hallway were all placed. I directed the position of everything in Victor’s office, the set up for the living room, the layout for the family room, and the placement of the chairs and tables in the library. The dining table and chairs had been set in the perfect place, so I didn’t want to move them. The cashier from the bookstore, Steve, and his friend, Mark, offered to help with making beds and hanging paintings. Several of the movers stayed behind and helped with hanging curtains. I was really getting good at influencing people.

Everything was done twenty minutes before Victor woke up. They even helped me sweep and wipe everything down! I was just closing the door when I saw a car pull up. I wasn’t expecting anyone else. I went outside and closed the door behind me. It was Ms. Helen and a man. She smiled and waved. “Hey, Echo!” She called out. “I found Glen broke down on the road. Give her the code word, she knows me.” “The code word is wine-dark.” Glen responded. “My master isn’t awake yet. I don’t feel comfortable having you in the house until he is. Please have a seat on the bench, I will come for you once he’s up for the day.” I told them. “No problem. You guys are cool. I’m not going to fuss.” Helen nodded. I turned around and went in, locking the door behind me and promptly setting the gates to close so no one else could show up unexpectedly. I unlocked and opened the dining room door and then the basement. After, I pulled out the snack tray and popped juice bottles in the freezer to chill. Victor would be up soon, and I was guessing his friend would probably be up right around the same time. I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared for a strange vampire in the house. Not many women fed on me, but they weren’t any nicer than the men. It worried me a little. -“Good evening.” A female voice said from behind me. I managed not to jump and turned toward the voice. A young looking woman was standing in the dim arch of the dining room. She didn’t look like she was going to come any closer. She was about my height with pale skin, violet eyes like Victor, and long, blonde hair. Her clothes were covered in blood. It made me nervous, but Victor promised me that no one would hurt me. I trusted Victor.“Are you Ms. Rosalynn?” I asked. “Yes. The house is lovely. Victor told me everything was horrible.” She smiled. “I fixed it. Let me run up and get you something to change into. I would offer you a shower, but the donors have arrived and are waiting outside.” I told her. “Thank you, Echo. I’ll wait here.” I ran up to my room and grabbed a pink sundress from my closet. It would work, she didn’t have larger curves and wouldn’t need underclothes. I wondered where her luggage was, or if she’d just banked on borrowing from me. I also grabbed a wash cloth so she could clean up in the bathroom downstairs. When I returned, I let her know it was safe to go around in the house because the sun was blocked. Rosalynn was grateful and took the items to the bathroom. I went to the basement door and met Victor as he was coming up. He looked around at the lightness of the kitchen. “There’s no direct sunlight. The windows are covered with a white plastic that keeps it out. You can safely come out.” I said. “It’s been a long time since I was out in a place as light as this.” “I thought you might like feeling a little more alive when you get up early. All of the rooms downstairs have this covering, all of the open areas upstairs do, too. Only the bedrooms are blacked out entirely.” I explained. Victor stepped out of the doorway to the basement. He smiled and looked around. The kitchen was much warmer looking since I added the decorations. The table was set with placemats and a pretty centerpiece I liked. “Please head to the living room. The donors are here. Rosalynn is getting cleaned up a little. I’ll let them in when you’re both settled there.” “Thank you, Echo. I can’t wait to see everything.” Victor said and headed to the living room. When Rosalynn came out of the bathroom, I sent her along and started her clothes soaking in cold water. Once that was done, I went to the front door and guided Helen and Glen to where the vampires were waiting. “Wow, Echo! I’m impressed. Just two days ago this was so bad, Glen. Like really cheap stuff. I almost didn’t believe you when you said it was temporary. It looks so nice now!” Helen raved. I kept walking. Something about her annoyed me and I really didn’t want to have to make conversation. I was exhausted and had no idea what to make for dinner. Maybe I’d just have a salad. Making decisions was difficult when I was this tired. It was super hard not cooking from someone else’s instruction. I should make a meal plan. Then I wouldn’t have this problem. I shook my head. I needed to focus.“Ms. Helen and Mr. Glen have arrived, master. Is there anything else I can do for you?” I asked. “No, thank you, Echo. Go rest.” Victor smiled softly. I bowed and headed to the kitchen. He only took five minutes to feed last time. I guessed it would be the same for her. If she got up this early, then she would have to be around the same age… right?-Setting a four-minute timer, I went down to the basement and stripped the mattress there. I’d call haulers to take the two mattresses away later. I carried my bundle up to the laundry room and got them started in the large washing machine just as my timer went off. After pulling the juices from the freezer and gathering up the tray, I went to the living room. Both vampires had finished their feedings and were stepping away from their donors. I’d timed it perfectly. I didn’t want to see them having their meals. I set the tray down and handed Helen a bottle of cranberry juice. She’d told me last time that she liked it. Glen looked happy and took an orange juice. Victor and Rosalynn left the room without saying anything. “I think this is my new favorite client. Comfy furniture, polite vamps, and free snacks.” Helen grinned as she sipped her juice and nibbled her food. “I’ve been feeding vampires for three years and none of them were ever like this.” Glen said. “You said you used to be a donor, too, right, Echo?” Helen asked. “Yes. I don’t do that anymore.” I smiled politely. “Why don’t you have any scars? Did you get them lasered off? I knew someone who did that once they quit.” She said. I didn’t like the way she was digging and asking questions. Lying would serve me best. I needed her to drop it and leave.“Yes. It was a fairly painful recovery, but I didn’t have the scars anymore.” I nodded. “How old are you? You don’t look old enough to donate at the Red Cross, let alone to vampires.” She pressed. “Twenty-two. I only did it for a year or so.” I smiled as I lied. “Wow. You got that baby face. You want to go out with us Friday? Me and Glen take that night off to party with our friends. You’ll have fun.” She insisted. “I have dinner with my family on Fridays. Thank you for the offer. Are you about ready then?” I asked, standing. “Yeah. I have one more client tonight. I can’t normally pull doubles, but your boss doesn’t take much.” Helen chuckled. “I’ll walk you out.” I offered and led them to the entry. -Once they were gone, I leaned against the door and sighed. She tried to get me to go out with her last time, too. Since she was still feeling well after, she wanted to party. I didn’t like her. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was her attitude. She didn’t like me when she first came in, but then decided to be nice. I don’t like when people change quickly like that. I went back to the living room to clean up the mess, then to the kitchen to look over my options for dinner. Maybe just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I really wanted to take a bath and go to bed. Victor wanted to do that test, though. Walking to his office, I paused outside the door. I should check with him. If I set an alarm, I could nap on the couch while I wait for the laundry. “But, do you really think that’s the best idea?” Rosalynn asked. “It’s really the only option. She’s talking about killing herself. If it looks like he might be the type to take her, I’ll marry her.” Victor answered.Marry? I couldn’t imagine. I didn’t know what to think of that. It wasn’t worse than death, I suppose. There had to be a better option.“Fine. Let’s do the test and see if it’s even a concern. I’ll take care of the paperwork if it is. She can’t act like she’s your servant if you do this. When she’s around other vampires, she has to be your wife.” Rosalynn warned. “She will be. Echo is a wonderful actress. She only behaves like a servant around people she doesn’t know. Otherwise, she’s just normal.” Victor said. I tapped on the door. I didn’t want to hear anymore. I just wanted to do the test and go to bed.