The Vampire Lord Wants My Blood

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die. Mine didn't. The only thing that was on my mind as I stood on the bridge was the last three years. The constant pain and humiliation.

My name is Sarah and I am eighteen years old. I was supposed to be a success story. My parents had told me so since I was old enough to hold a textbook. "Be better than us, Sarah. Get into an Ivy League. Don't be a failure."

Ever since I had been old enough to understand the concept of failure, I have been so scared of it.

My older brother, James, has been the golden child. He went through life on scholarships and sport offers. He was the life of our family. He was the one they talked about at dinner parties. I was the one they introduced quickly then changed the subject. I was the one who studied until 3 AM and still only managed A-minuses which in our house was the same as a D.

The pressure wasn't just from the schoolwork though. That was the least of it. It was the unfair bullying. It started online as a joke by my loser ex-boyfriend and his jerk friends. They capitalized on things like my anxiety, my tendency to stutter when nervous and my insecurity over my plain face. They made memes out of my school ID picture. They started a hashtag that trended through the whole region for a full week. They called me "The Ghost of the Library."

My parents didn't even help when I told them. They said, "Just turn off your phone, Sarah. Focus on your future. This is what weakness looks like." They never asked if I was okay. They never saw the dark circles under my eyes. They just saw someone who was unnecessarily sensitive, not a daughter who needed saving.

The final straw came last night. I had spent two weeks working on a research paper which was on a complex analysis of socio-economic disparity in modern cities. I poured everything I had into it. I needed an A+. I was desperate for it and I prayed to whichever God would care to listen. In the end, I got a B+. When I showed it to my father, he didn't even read the teacher's comments. All he saw was the B.

"B+?" he'd asked, his voice flat, devoid of anger, which was somehow worse than shouting. "James got an A+ on his first paper. This is not good enough, Sarah. You are wasting the opportunity we gave you."

My mother on the other hand had just sighed, turning back to the sink. "Your father is right. Try harder."

How hard do I have to try for them to realize that it was my hardest? When will they stop comparing me to my brother?

That was it. That was the end of the line. There was just an empty space where hope used to be. Nothing would ever change. I couldn't keep going like this. I walked out of the house. No one noticed. They were watching a documentary about financial markets.

I drove until I got to the river, then I parked my old Honda near the pedestrian bridge. The air was cold, damp and smelled like smoke from vehicle exhausts. The water below was black and looked scary but it looked like salvation.

I walked to the middle of the bridge. The city lights were pretty and shiny. They distracted me from the water beneath the bridge. I stood there for maybe 5 hours. It should be about 2 AM currently. Do my parents know I am not back home yet? Would anybody miss me if I died? I needed someone to save me but help was not forthcoming. I was utterly alone.

I thought about texting James, but what would I say? I'm sorry I wasn't as smart as you? No. He would just say "do better".

Fuck them all.

I pulled out my phone and deleted all my social media accounts. It was a small act of rebellion but it was the most peace I had felt in years. I dropped the phone on the sidewalk and climbed the railing.

Could I really do this? Was it really worth it?

Yes.

The metal was icy beneath my fingers. A car zoomed past, its headlights briefly blinding me. It didn't care to stop. No one cared. I didn't hesitate this time. I leaned forward and jumped, letting gravity take over.

The feeling of falling was fast. It was a rush of cold air and blurring lights. There was a terrifying moment when I felt a brief spike of regret. I realized that I had made the wrong choice. I actually wanted to live. Badly.

Then came the impact. It was a hard collision that felt like I fell from a skyscraper to the concrete ground. The world went white. Pain. Intense, crushing pain everywhere.

And then silence.

I waited for the end, the cold water was dragging me down, the oxygen leaving my lungs. But the end didn't come.

Instead, I woke up gasping.

It wasn't in a hospital. It was in a bed softer than any I had ever slept in.

What the hell? Is this the afterlife? Sucks. I was hoping for oblivion when I contemplated suicide.

The room had windows covered in heavy, dark fabrics that were blocking the light. The air smelled different and fresh. What was happening?

My head pounded but the pain of the fall was gone. I slowly sat up, my limbs feeling alien. I looked down at my hands. They were smaller, finer and the skin was perfectly smooth without the paper cuts I usually had from endless studying. The scars from the self-inflicted cuts on my wrists were also gone.

I ran to the wall-length mirror in the corner.

I didn't recognize the person staring back.

She wasn't me. Her hair was a rich dark brown, not my ugly blonde. Her eyes were green, large and wide with shock. Her body was slender, almost fragile-looking. Does she even eat?

I touched my face. The nose was thinner, the cheekbones higher. It was a pretty face despite the look of fear etched on it. This face would clearly never have been called "The Ghost of the Library."

Where was I? Who was this?

My memories were all there. The school, the bridge, the fall. But the body was someone else's. My mind was screaming in confusion. I opened my mouth to speak but the voice that came out was higher and thinner than mine.

"Where..." I started, but stopped. The word felt somehow on my tongue.

Then it dawned on me. I hadn't died. Or maybe I had and this was some twisted second chance. But I wasn't Sarah anymore. I was inside a different life, a different body.

There was a name in the back of my consciousness that I knew must belong to the original owner of this body even though I had no real memory of her life.

Lena Hale.

I stumbled back to the bed. My head was still pounding and my heart was still racing.

The room itself was what pulled me out of my almost panic attack. It wasn't a modern house like mine had been. This was almost medieval but with beautiful, luxurious fabrics. The walls were panelled in dark wood, and the curtains were so thick they seemed to absorb all light and sound. The air was cool even under the heavy blankets.

The clothes I was wearing felt like silk made from moonlight even though it was just a simple high-necked nightdress. Could such clothes even still exist in the U.S?

This wasn't a hospital or a normal home. This was something like a palace.

What kind of society was this? Was this a new world or I somehow went back in time?

I needed information. I needed to understand why I was here and why my soul was inhabiting this new body.

I forced myself up again. I needed to find a door. The room was large, and it took a long minute to find a subtle handle hidden in the dark wood paneling. I took a deep breath and pushed it expecting a hallway but instead, I found a small, richly furnished adjoining sitting room. Wow, this must be part of Lena's "chambers". At least that's what I think they are called.

And that's where I found the first clue.

On a massive mahogany desk sat a letter opener and a neat envelope bearing a crest which looked like a bat's wing over a thorny rose. Under it was a book. It was a heavy volume bound in deep scarlet leather.

The title, written in gold, was "A Brief History of the Nocturne Territories and the Valerius Dynasty". The subtitle was "Vampires and humans".

I snatched it up, quickly reading with my heart hammering. Vampires? Dynasty? My mind immediately began filing away information. This was no ordinary world.

I skimmed the introduction. It was written in a dry, formal style, but the content was breathtaking. The world was divided into human provinces and Vampire Territories, ruled for centuries by immortal monarchs. The Valerius family were the current rulers, the Lords of the largest territory, the Nocturne. Humans lived under their governance, providing labor, paying taxes, and... I swallowed hard... submitting to various laws established for the vampires' benefit.

It got weirder when I got to the part about blood law. Humans were citizens, yes, but their fundamental value was tied to their blood quality. Certain families, those with "cleaner, purer" lineages, were highly prized, usually for consort roles or high-tier servants. Other humans were merely tolerated.

I slapped the book shut. Vampires were real. I was in a vampire society.

What the fuck? Nah, it probably was a fictional story. Yes, that's what it is.

I looked back at the mirror. This body, this Lena Hale, belonged to this world. Before I could process the true horror of my situation, the main door to the outer chambers burst open.

The sight of the people who entered was shocking and surreal. They looked like humans but better. They were carefully dressed and had great posture but they radiated an energy that felt harsh and unwelcome.

They were Shane and Irina Hale, Lena's parents I guess. Surprisingly, I knew their names. Hmmm. I must still have some of Lena's memories somewhere.

"Lena! You are awake," Shane said, his voice held no relief, only irritation. He was a tall man, smartly dressed in a dark suit, his face filled with disapproval.

Irina, a petite woman with tightly bound blonde hair rushed forward towards me. I stepped back trying to avoid her but she grabbed my arm, her fingers digging in painfully. "Are you mad? You've been unconscious for nearly two days! The doctor said it was a severe fever that broke. You cannot afford this weakness, girl!"

Of course it was my luck that I would wake up in the body of another daughter who was considered a disappointment. Couldn't I get a reprieve?

"Fever?" I managed to croak out, my voice sounding shaky. I remembered falling into water, not a fever.

"Silence!" Shane barked, stepping into the room. "You were supposed to be ready. You are a disgrace."

I pulled my arm away from Irina. "What are you talking about? Where am I?"

Irina stared at me as if I had grown a second head. "The Hale Manor, you foolish child! Stop this pretense. We have a crisis. The Ball is tomorrow."

"The Ball?"

"Yes, the Sanguine Ball!" Shane hissed, leaning closer. "The Lord's annual selection event. Your sister, Rue, is supposed to be presented, along with Alice. But Rue is violently ill. Now, because you came of age two years ago, you must go in her place!"

He paced the room, running a hand through his hair. "It is a scandal! We told everyone we only had two eligible daughters! You are unknown, unpresented, and-" He looked me up and down with crushing disdain. "-utterly unprepared. You are our last resort to comply with the law. We must present the two daughters we claimed to have."

My mind raced. So, Lena Hale was the disliked third daughter they kept locked away, only to be dragged out as a contingency plan. My old life of rejection had merely been replaced by a new one.

"Why me? Why not just say Rue is sick?"

Irina wrung her hands. "Because the law is absolute, Lena! Every human family of rank must present every eligible daughter. Failure to comply means a loss of title, territory, and potentially, the Lord's displeasure. And you know what that means." She didn't have to finish the sentence. In this world, the Vampire Lord's displeasure likely meant death.

Shane grabbed my shoulders, his grip hard. "You will go. You will wear a veil. You will remain silent. And you will pass as a distant relative in Rue's place. Do you understand? Do not let your existence be known, and do not, under any circumstance, draw the Lord's eye."

He released me with a shove, leaving me reeling.

The irony was painful. I had chosen death to escape a life of being unwanted. Lena was being forced into a situation where she was unwanted and yet expected to risk her life to save her family's social status.

"I understand," I whispered, the words tasting bitter. I had no choice.

Tomorrow, I will attend the damn Ball.

The next day was a blur of instructions, coupled with the shock of this new world I was pushed into. I honestly still did not understand what was going on. Shane and Irina kept referring to me as Lena. I realized that I had to start thinking of myself that way to avoid questions I had no answers to.

As the academic that I was, I knew that I needed to gain more information about this new life if I was going to survive. I lost my life once, I would not give it up again.

First, I had to meet my supposed sisters.

I wore the dress given to me by Irina and she ushered me out of my small, hidden room. We walked down a long, dim corridor to the main family wing of the manor. The Hale home was large and expensive but it didn't feel like a home. No personal touches or pictures. It was really sad.

We entered a drawing room where two young women were sitting. Alice and Rue. Shane was already there.

Alice looked like the older. She was stunning. She had the perfect blonde hair and high cheekbones that Irina would wish she still possessed. She was wearing a gown meant for the ball which was a shimmering silver thing that hugged her upper torso. How do noble women in this world manage such heavy dresses? It must be torture. Ugh.

When she saw me, her perfect face twisted with disgust. "Father, why is she out here? And why is she wearing one of Rue's rejects?"

"Silence, Alice," Shane snapped. "Rue is incapacitated. Lena will go in her place. No questions."

Alice stood up, her eyes blazing. "You can't be serious! She'll ruin everything! She's been hidden for four years because she's useless. If Lord Alistair sees her..." She trailed off, unable to voice the likely punishment.

"He won't see her," Irina interjected, quickly pulling Alice aside. "She'll wear a thick veil, Alice. She won't speak. She will stand behind you and melt into the crowd. She is simply a required body to satisfy the law. You, my beautiful girl, are the true prize."

Alice crossed her arms, still glaring at me. Her resentment was a serious one and I had no idea why it would be that strong. She had been going to the ball for the past 4 years and she wasn't picked. What makes her think this time would be any different? I guess she must hate that this year, it looked like I was threatening her position.

Then there was Rue. She was sitting on a plush sofa, wrapped in a heavy blanket despite the warm room. She was also very beautiful, though in a softer way than Alice. She had the same rich dark hair I now possessed.

She looked pale, shivering slightly, her eyes hollowed.

"Rue, tell your sister what she must do," Irina commanded.

Rue looked up at me. Her eyes were clouded with sickness.

"Just stand still, Lena," Rue whispered, her voice weak. "Don't attract any attention. If you draw the eye of a vampire, especially the Lord, it's not just you who suffers. They can demand anything. You know this."

I didn't know this but logic lets me understand that it means danger. Here, Vampires have all the power.

"Why was I hidden?" I asked, unable to stop the question.

Shane turned on me instantly. "You dare question us? You were so sickly when you were young. You were small, and frankly a waste of the resources that we should have poured into your sisters. You brought the family nothing but stress. Now you will obey or I will ensure you spend the rest of your definitely short life in the service barracks."

The cruelty was surprising, yet familiar. My parents' emotional neglect had been replaced by this family's open hostility.

Irina grabbed a stack of faded, dusty photograph albums. She opened one and flipped through the pages quickly. "This is how we maintained the façade," she muttered to me. "When people ask, you are an extremely distant cousin who just arrived. You were studying abroad in the outer colonies. Remember the story in case you are asked. You have never lived here."

"But I have memories of being here," I protested, a slight tremor in my voice. The memories were blurry, incomplete and felt faraway but they were there. I remembered the garden, the library.

Irina laughed, a short, humorless sound. "Nonsense. You've been isolated in the west wing since you were sixteen, except for mandatory tutor sessions. We told people you were sent away. You have lived a life of total hiding for four years. No one knows you. That is the only thing saving us now."

This explained the kind of room I woke up in. Lena wasn't just unwanted, she was kept hidden. I looked at Rue again. She caught my eye and there was a strange look in her eyes that looked really similar to pity.

"I'm sorry, Lena," she mumbled, not looking at her parents. It was the first genuinely kind thing anyone had ever said to me in my life...well, my old life.

The rest of the time was spent being fitted. They forced me into a stiff, dark-colored dress, another one of Rue's hand-me-downs that was intentionally plain to make sure I faded into the background. Irina layered my face with some makeup and then placed a thick, black lace veil over my head.

"The veil stays on at all times," Irina instructed. "It hides your features. You will be a shadow and let Alice draw all the attention."

As the evening hour approached, Shane delivered his final warning. He emphasized the core structure of this vampire x human society.

"I should remind you because you have been acting muddle-headed since you awoke. The Lord, Alistair Valerius, holds the annual Sanguine Ball to choose a human female whose blood appeals to him. He has never chosen a female since the murder of his father four years ago. His mother, Queen Mother Mira is alive but she has been in perpetual mourning. This is a very unstable time. If you do anything to offend the Valerius line, we will all pay. If he asks you a question, you look at Alice and she answers for you. Just follow her lead."

I had been thrown into a game I didn't understand but I was going to observe, learn and survive.

I followed Shane and Irina into the large, waiting carriage.

Do not draw the Lord's eye, I repeated in my mind. Be invisible. Survive.