Several nights have passed where I had decided to imprison myself inside my room. I locked myself up mainly because of my mood. Like the other vampires, feeding on animals and birds has set me on edge. I lay in bed trying to control my hunger for human blood. My gums are sore and my fangs tingle with anticipation. The best solution would be to pretend my bed is a coffin for the next century and forget that hunger actually exists.


    A woman’s voice sounded from the door, “My Lord, I have brought you your meal.”


    I stumble out of my bed and notice the weakness in my body. The pillows, which usually cover the majority of my bed, are now bunched around the foot of my bed. I carefully walk over the pillows to not trip and tumble down the stairs to the bottom floor of the room. The amount of weakness I feel could be a result of the sun still setting. I look through the drapes to see the sun’s mocking rays start stinging and burning my face. Following the path to the door, I unlock the knob to allow my sire Reeta inside. She brought with her a metal cage with a black raven pecking its beak at the sides.


    Her straight sandy blonde bangs frame her face and the rest fall waist length in the back. “Calix tells me your favorite animal blood source is from ravens. I hunted this one just for you, my Lord.”


    I take the cage from her and set it on the floor. Her amber eyes are full of misperceptions as I gently hold her by her chin with the arc of my hand,“Your brother knows me well, but how well do any of you really know me?”


    She does not have any answers for me, but struggles to come up with one. She holds her breath as I turn from her to take the raven out of the cage. I hold the raven around the body to pin his wings and offer it to Reeta. She takes the raven and holds it just as I did without question.


    “Feed.” I order her, and she does.


    I watch her from my bed as she feeds, and my fangs ached fiercely. She breathes heavy as the raven falls to the floor as stiff as a board. I smile at her and pat my hand on the side of the bed.


    “Come over and sit Reeta.”


    Reeta eagerly ambles over to the bed and sits beside me. Her amber eyes are still glowing red from her feast which excites my angry fangs. I pull her closer and uncover her shoulder by lifting the collar of her shirt. I do not hesitate to bite down and do not restrain from sucking intensely. She groans in pleasure and shutters from the thrill of my touch. Her groans rouse my entire body to want to touch every part of hers. The strength that I lost is regaining little by little with every swallow of her blood. Though we are still clothed, I can feel her breast from underneath her rose print blouse. I throw her down on the bed and climb on top of her as she uncovers both sides of her shoulders, thus giving me options where to bite next.


    I take my fingernail and slit a small line on my own neck where a few drops fall onto her pale cheeks. She bites into me timidly as I take advantage of a fresh spot on her opposite shoulder. Her legs wrap around mine with vigor. Her fingers explore my back muscles and claw at my shirt. The amount of blood I take from her begins to weaken her even though she fed off the raven and sustained herself with my own blood.


    I freeze instantaneously when a scent of a human comes wafting through the villa household. I lift myself off of Reeta, who is panting, but also sniffing at the same scent as I am. I do not wait for Reeta to leave before I change my clothes. I remove my ripped shirt that Reeta had clawed and pull on a red button-up long sleeve shirt. Reeta watches engagingly as if I were putting on a show as I change into faded dark jeans. I slip on black shoes that I recently bought in France and then leave with her still on the bed.


    I run over to Calix who is overseeing a household of vampires looking out a large window. All of the vampires, including Pomepy and Lanzo, are interrupted by my presence. Simultaneously, all vampires in front of me notice the blood on the side of my neck where Reeta’s bite marks remain. I can smell Reeta coming from behind me as her wounds are healed, but not washed off.


    Envy fills the room with hints of anger toward Reeta. Calix stands with his mouth open but hands me a handkerchief to wipe away the blood from my neck. Reeta runs from the group and I hear her crying all the way to her bedroom.


    I clear my throat and address Calix, “I smell a human on the grounds. Is it possible that it is one of the Phalanx Hunters?”


    The vampires clear the way as I walk to the window to look out toward the small cemetery mostly housing dead humans who did not survive being turned into vampires by myself. The scent is from a small child who is playing around with some flowers on a grave.


    Calix explains from behind me,“It’s just a small human child, but it could be a trick. There is no way to know for sure.”


    I look around at the vampires who are gaping at me and the small child outside. “Does anyone have candy on them?”


    They are stunned by my odd question, but search their pockets anyway. Pompey flashes away and then returns just as quickly with a handful of cherry licorice sticks. He hands them to me and I place them in my pocket.


    Pompey scratches his head,“I am lost, my Lord. What does candy have to do with this situation?”


    I keep my eyes on the human child as I answer, “Human children like sweet things. The child is obviously lost and this is no place for a child.” I state in a matter-of-fact tone.


    I put my hand on the door and look back at Calix, “Your sister tastes exceptionally better than you, and I simply could not resist.”


    His amber eyes lower as the rest of the vampires hold their breath. I grab the doorknob and turn. Lanzo nervously holds onto my hand in protest.


    “My Lord and master, the sun has not set yet and will hurt your delicate skin. Please rely on me to do your will.”


    I crush Lanzo’s hand easily, to the point that I could hear the bones cracking, “The sun does indeed burn, but I am a pureblood. Surely you know I will not engulf in flames like any common vampire. You are my sire; therefore, you will burn to death in the sun. You cannot do anything for me without bursting into flames first you idiot. Do not stand in my way again because my dear Lanzo, my patience with you is wearing very thin.” I release Lanzo’s hand and watch the bones heal themselves as Lanzo bows and replies “Yes, sorry my Lord.”If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Lanzo backs away in shame into the shadows and the other vampires follow his example. I open the door and step out into the yard. The warmth of the sun irritates my skin as I walk normally toward the cemetery. I do not feel any eyes on me other than the vampires from inside the villa. The evening breeze taunts me with the human child’s blood scent, I must overcome the thirst. Years of perfecting my control cause my skin to relax regardless of the sun’s brutalizing waves. My eyes sting and blur slightly, but I focus steadily on the little human female. She squats down to grab a stick with her stubby little hands. She uses the stick to poke at a bee that is resting on a blade of grass. I observe from the shadow of a tree as the bee becomes agitated. She continues to poke at the bee, ignorant to the potential danger of being stung.


    Her light almond curls bounce as she follows the angry bee to a magenta Tuscany garden rose. She uses her tiny fingers like pinchers to pick up the bee. She instantly flickers her fingers, allowing the bee to fly away. She closes her tiny right palm and her eyes swell with tears. Her lower lip quivers uncontrollably and she places her right index finger in her mouth. Despair washes over her face as she registers the pain of the bee sting.


    I step silently through the grass over to her and calmly touch her almond curls. The sweetness of her blood is almost too much to resist and if I were a common vampire, she would already be dead. She turns around lost in her own hopelessness and cries irrepressibly. I crouch down to her toddler level and pull her closer into an embrace. I stroke her short curls only to watch them bounce back like springs. She wails louder while sucking on her injured index finger. I stand up with her in my arms and get a better look at her. Her mouth opens halfway and saliva leeks out the sides and down to her chin. Tears continue to stream down her cheeks.


    I talk to her as if she were able to comprehend my words,“Humans are such interesting creatures. Humans are curious about life in ways they shouldn’t and end up hurting themselves in the process.” I hold her petite finger to examine it. The bee sting had swelled the tip of her finger. I kiss the injury while ignoring the rush of blood flowing through her veins. Just a simple kiss is able to immediately heal the sting, and I display the finger in her unfocused blue eyes.


    “Learning that the bee does sting when provoked should teach you not to do it again.” I instruct her knowing full well that her toddler understanding is limited.


    Her face is wet with tears but only a few straggling tears continue to escape down her cheeks. I carry her over to a stone bench where a shade casts over from the nearby tree. I sit down beside her and dig into my pocket to pull out one cherry licorice candy. I hold it in front of her sapphire blue eyes, and she smiles with great enthusiasm. Her hand wobbles toward the candy and operates her fingers around it. She tugs it out of my fingers and plays with it around her mouth. She takes it out again producing slobber buildup all over her hand.


    I smile at her, but then notice bruises on her petite arms. The little skirt she wore uncovers more bruises on her legs and thigh. As she nibbles at the candy, I turn her torso around to lift her shirt up. More bruises litter her back and I run my fingers over her soft gentle skin. She does not wince from me touching the bruises, which tells me that she is tolerant to the pain. I sit her back down facing forwards and allow her to continue eating her candy.


    She stuffs the remaining bits of candy in her mouth and chews loudly. After swallowing the candy, she smacks her lips together and smiles at me so big that her eyes shut. I can’t help but to laugh at her quirkiness.


    I lift her back up and sit her on my lap where she stares blankly at my shirt. “What is your name little human?”


    She smiles again but this time giggles, showing her teeth. Her little arm stiffens playfully and she speaks softly but taut, “Ava.”


    I stroke her curls again before introducing myself, “Well little Ava, my name is Eero.”


    “Air...Arrow?” She spits it out to try and say it right.


    I laugh again, “My name is Eero, but I guess you can call me Arrow, it’s close enough.”


    She clasps her little hands together and blushes, “I...funny.”


    I blink my eyes at her in bewilderment, “I suppose it has been many years since I have truly laughed.” I talk to her again but mostly to myself,“I can just be myself around you. Human or not, I find myself rather fond of you.” I lean toward her and place my forehead upon hers.“I am going to protect you.” Her sapphire blue eyes go cross-eyed with my close proximity.


    I lean back, propping my arms on the back of the stone bench thinking to myself, I have a household of vampires who would love to eat you. And now that they know your scent, they can track you down anywhere.


    Ava plays with a button on my shirt while I think of the best way to keep her safe. I carefully take Ava’s arm into my palm and lift her wrist toward me. “What I plan to do is mark you as my own. No vampire will dare attack a pureblooded vampire’s property. Even for other pureblooded vampires, it would start wars. My little human, you are my first and only property.” She stares at me with confusion, making her cheeks poof out. “Don’t be frightened, it will not hurt a bit.” My fangs tingle with exhilaration as I use the tips of my fangs to pierce her wrist lightly. I use my fangs again to draw my own blood from my finger. I tap my blood in the small openings of her wound made by my fangs. My blood seeps within her wound like a soap sponge. I bend down to her wrist to kiss the wound; therefore, sealing the mark on her wrist.


    I talk to Ava to explain more as her head lulls to one side like a perplexed puppy, “My blood has been sealed in your wrist. My vampire blood will not spread through your body, so you don’t have to worry about becoming a vampire. Besides, I would have to drain you of your blood first. You shall live your life the way you like. But you must remember that you are mine and will always be bound to me.”


    Ava doesn’t appear to comprehend and grins once again at me out of nervous habit. I bring her closer into another embrace, but this time she hugs me back and squirms at the same time.


    I pick her up and stand her on the grass. “Walk with me, it is time you are to return home.” I doubt that she knows how to go back home or even where her home is, but I’m sure it’s not far.


    The sun taunts me by boiling my eyes as I lead the way toward my villa. Ava skips through the grass to keep up and hums noisily. I see that most of the vampires have their faces practically glued to the window pane, watching the whole affair.


    I stop to stoop down to Ava and use my finger to lift her chin. I narrow my eyes to compel her, “Stay here until I come get you.” Her eyes blink and stand motionless. I smile at her briefly and continue toward the back entrance. All the vampires jump back into the shadows as I step through the door.


    Calix comes from down the hall, “My Lord, is it true that the human child is just lost?”


    I shrug,“I did not sense any other humans apart from the female child. She is in need of supervision until she is properly returned home. I shall take her to town and inquire the townspeople of her parents. I will leave with her henceforth.”


    Calix and the rest are dumbfounded with my decision, but do not protest. Lanzo winces mentally with emotional pain from the back of the group. I stroll over to him and look into his green eyes. He cowards under my gaze as I stand perfectly tranquil.


    “Lanzo, I am sensing that you are disturbed by my decision to mark the girl child.” I elevate my head sideways to lecture the rest of the vampires,“The human child is now mine. Preying on humans will gain suspicion from the Phalanx Hunters, and her scent would have haunted every single one of you. My mark will ensure her safety and the protection of my foolish sires.”


    I close my eyes, marking an end to the conversation, and walk away. “Pompey, go fetch my hoodie; I need it to keep the sun off of me until the night draws nigh.” I step outside, while putting on my hoodie, and return to Ava who is still standing in the same place. As I look at her, I contemplate the real reason for marking her. If one of us were to eat her, it wouldn’t affect a thing. There were no vampire hunters, because if there were, they would have stopped me from marking her. I couldn’t even answer a simple question; why did I mark her? Perhaps I marked her subconsciously for a reason. I take her small hand and she shakes herself alert.


    “Let’s go take you home, little human.”