Defect of Servitude [Book #1]

?Ten: Memory Lane

A clicking sound echoed in the room, and the gate to the entryway crashed open against the bricks. Dust filtered into the air, pulling me from the clutches of that heinous reflection. A gorgeous woman stepped into the dim light, her shimmering blonde hair framing her face like a halo. Her eyes, the same deep black my vision had faded into, locked onto mine. She flashed me a blinding smile that sent a chill down my tailbone.

"Hello, my dear!" she exclaimed, her voice sweet yet laced with something sinister. "I know you must be scared and confused, so let me clarify."

A knot of terror tightened in my stomach as she walked closer, dangling a set of keys between her fingers. She stopped just inches away, squatting to bring her face to my level. "My name is Creed. I believe you had a run-in with my fiancé back at the Academy."

Her eyes sparkled with malice as she continued, "He became a laughing stock. The queen had him hauled off to the headmaster's office by several bodyguards. Poor thing was sobbing."

I watched, a mix of disbelief and dread flooding my senses, as she quickly unlocked my chains, her arms a blur of speed. Just as swiftly as I was released, I found myself pressed against the cold bricks, her hand pinching off my airway.

"All because you wouldn't be a good little chattel and obey your teacher," she hissed, her voice a whisper that dripped with menace.

She squeezed tighter, and little white dots swam in my vision. Her eyes flashed, the smile returning to her face like a predator relishing its catch. With a suddenness that left me gasping, she dropped me to the floor, my throat raw as I choked for breath for the second time that day.

"He was fired, by the way. Shunned. Never allowed to work with any Academy again. He's ruined," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "So it's only fair I ruin you, yes?"

Her heels clicked across the floor, a haunting rhythm echoing in the room's oppressive silence. The sound of blades being removed from their sheaths froze my breath, and I forced myself to look up, my heart racing.

"You see, these daggers are special, my dear," she purred, dragging one lightly across her lips, the blade gleaming ominously in the dim light. "Not as dangerous as they could be, thanks to humans' growing technological advances." She waved the daggers in the flickering light, their metal shimmering before shifting to a toxic shade of green. "The Wickeds found they could enchant weapons with all kinds of curses! The purer the metal, the better the enchantment."

Before I could react, she lunged back toward me, raking one of the daggers down my right arm. I had endured countless wounds before; the initial numbness was a blessing. But this time, there was no shock period—only immediate, agonizing pain as the blade made contact. An intense, burning sensation erupted, seeping into my bones.

"These particular babies have a low-grade acidic quality," she taunted, her voice sweetened by malice. "The platinum ones we have nowadays could kill anything, but I figured silver would do for a pathetic little servant like you."

She charged at me again, and I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately seeking the empty place I always retreated to in moments like this. My defenses sprang to life, and I sank into a bottomless pit of numb darkness. But as I settled into the familiar void, a burning flare ignited in my heart—not from her dagger but something deeper within me. The flame yanked me from the recess, forcing me to confront the agony that surged through my body.

Creed's hair and fingers were stained crimson, the vivid color a gruesome reminder of my suffering. I turned my head sharply, expelling the remnants of my last meal onto the cold floor beside her, my stomach churning at the sight.

"Beautiful!" she cooed, her voice dripping with delight. "Not a peep of sound from you, but I can see the agony in your eyes. I can feel your body revolting against it." I watched in horror as she leaned closer, licking the long gashes that marred my torso. "You taste so lovely. I may not be a vampire, but I know how to appreciate the flavor of human pain."