Free Dark Studies (Arcaneology) by C. P. Foster Page B

her, so she received more blood than the others. It left her feeling strong and whole, yet so sick inside she could hardly bear it.
    The party had been under way for a couple of hours when Sarah and the rest of the slaves were brought from the cellar and displayed to the dozen or so guests. Strings of tiny bulbs lit the warehouse the enclave had converted into their private fortress. Rugs and pillows were scattered over the concrete floor, and furniture was arranged in groups to encourage conversation. The guests sipped their hors d’oeuvres, glasses of blood Isabelle had poured from bottles and warmed in a microwave. As the crowd of predators turned their attention to dinner, one of the newer slaves began to cry. This incited a great deal of interest. They started to argue until Antonio, the leader of their little flock, decided which of the guests should have the pleasure of her fear. The winner led her away, triumphant, and proceeded to torment her on one of the couches while the others watched. Sarah just stared at the far wall. They wanted a reaction, something to titillate and make them feel powerful. Refusing to give it was the one small act of rebellion she had left.
    A tall, athletic female walked up and studied her. Sarah paid no attention. Out of her peripheral vision, she had an impression of a black leather vest that showed off muscular arms, tight leather pants, and hair dyed as yellow as a school bus.
    “This one looks interesting,” the vampire mused.
    “You think so?” Lily, a petite Asian who had recently joined the enclave, shrugged. “I think we’ve broken her. But her blood is still good.”
    Jacob, who had been watching to see that all the guests were taken care of, joined them.
    “She is sweet,” he agreed, “but she’s almost used up. I don’t think there’s much left.” He tapped his temple meaningfully.
    The yellow-haired vampire grinned. “She’s the least broken of them all. There are feelings down there, locked away where she thinks we can’t get at them. Do you have a private room where I can work on her? Give me a little time, and when I bring her out you’ll see plenty of reaction.”
    Lily narrowed her eyes. She shared a look with Jacob, who smirked and gestured to a set of stairs that led to what had once been offices for the warehouse.
    “We use that for storage,” he told their guest. “It’s quiet enough. Feel free.”
    The vampire took Sarah’s arm and led her away. Her grip was firm but not particularly rough.
    Sarah hid a grim smile. This creature was in for a rude surprise if she thought she could get past Sarah’s walls. She’d hidden her feelings so deep, even she didn’t know how to find them anymore.
    The storage room housed a jumble of furniture, clothing, old computers, wooden crates full of empty bottles that had once been filled with human blood, and other bits of detritus. When the door closed, the vampire stood for a moment, listening, then turned to her prey.
    “What is your name?” she asked.
    None of them had ever wanted to know before. Was this how she intended to begin peeling away her layers of emotional armor?
    “Mary,” Sarah lied.
    The vampire dropped her voice to a whisper. “Mine is Vanessa. I’m here as an advance scout for a team of vampires working for the Covenant. You’ve heard of it?”
    Sarah eyed her. “I’ve heard Alaric and the others laughing at it. They say the new rules are for vampires who’ve gotten old and soft.”
    “I’m sure they do.” Vanessa snorted.
    Realizing the vampire had managed to hook her into showing interest, Sarah went back to her blank stare.
    “I’m going to get you all out of here,” Vanessa promised. “Where do they keep you?”
    Should she answer? She didn’t like giving the female what she wanted but couldn’t think of how it would harm her. “The cellar. The stairs we just came up? If you go down instead, that leads to our dungeon.”
    A scream penetrated the thick walls. Vanessa