Defect of Servitude [Book #1]

"We are all broken, that's how the light gets in."
-Ernest Hemingway

The chamber suffused with stifling silence, broken by the steady ticking of a clock that had become all too routine over the past year. I stood at attention, my posture rigid and practiced—a result of countless hours of grueling training. Today was the day I'd dreaded: the day of the auction.

The woman I had been a year ago is now a distant memory, replaced by someone else entirely. The terror that once clung to me like a shadow became buried deep, masked by a façade of obedience. I had learned to keep my emotions tightly controlled, knowing that any sign of defiance would be met with swift and brutal punishment.

The door to my cramped quarters creaked open, and a handler stepped inside. The instructor didn't speak; he didn't have to. We both knew what today meant. As I followed him down the dimly lit corridor, my mind raced with the horrifying possibilities of what lay ahead.

I thought through past conversations with the other thralls as they discussed auction day, comparing the creatures who would one day be our keepers. They all had different opinions on who would be the worst.

288 claimed that Wickeds were the most terrifying since their servants existed only to provide body parts for their arcane curses. They wouldn't survive more than a month. I'm not afraid of death; they conditioned me to accept it as a work hazard.

284 was terrified of Werewolves because they used their servants for breeding purposes. Female werewolves became infertile during their transformation and needed human mates to carry on the bloodlines. I'm not afraid of breeding; they conditioned me to accept and submit to all commands of my Master.

287 wouldn't say much to anyone except during these discussions. She would take anything but not a Succubus. Succubi used their chattel as bait to lure their prey into a trap. The servants had to sit in the shadows and watch their Sire seduce every ounce of soul until they had nothing left. I'm not afraid of witnessing horrible events; they conditioned me to endure situations others could never imagine.

No, the Vampires caused me the most trepidation—not that I would ever express such a view. We were not allowed to have opinions. The punishment would be severe if guards discovered us discussing a future owner in such a distasteful tone.

Vampires kept their property the longest. They forced their servants to feed the masters and follow commands without hesitation. Vampires had venom that could make one feel as if they were burning from the inside out for hours if they disobeyed in any manner—or if a vampire simply decided they wanted to inflict pain. They would bleed their servants or make them beg for death. Vampires don't let a person die until they are too fragile with age to continue working after a feeding. That's a long life. I'm terrified of a long life.

It had been an extensive period since simple fear could cause my heart to pound, but that idea caused it to beat erratically. The handler must have smelled it. Within a blink, he bared down at me, smiling in a way that held no happiness. The corners of his mouth stretched to reveal his jagged teeth in perfect detail.