Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Minutes passed.
Xander stayed next to me in silence.
All the humans lowered themselves onto the ground and fell asleep one after another, not caring about the things swimming in the liquid on the floor.
“I have a room in the back with a bed.” Xander did not face me. “You could sleep in there if you want. I will stay out here.”
Little kids with blood-smudged faces nestled next to their exhausted mothers.
Who am I to seek comfort when they have accepted their fate?
I shook my head. “No. I’m fine. Don’t you need to sleep?”
“Not as much as I used to.”
“Is that why you’re warm, because you’re powerful?”
“Just because I don’t sleep much doesn’t mean I’m powerful.”
“The only warm vampire I’ve met was the Quiet King.” I noticed the muscle in his jaw twitch.
“Maybe you haven’t met enough vampires.”
“But I have, and they’re usually cold all the time, and during the day, they’re exhausted and can barely—”
“You ask too many questions. Get some rest.” Xander stood and headed for the steel door Ty and Victoria had disappeared through. “We’ll be walking through the sewer tunnels all tomorrow night and won’t stop until dawn.”
“Which way would we go?”
He pointed to a passageway across from him. “That way.”
“Will we be out of the city by then?” I sat up.
“Yes. It’s barely a night journey.” He opened the metal door. “When we emerge, it will be beyond the city’s gates.”
He’s being nice now that we are down here. Why?
Then, his frown returned. “Goodnight, Camille.”
“Goodnight.”
He shut the door behind him.
I remained against the wall, not tired, just nervous. So many thoughts spun around in my head. I would not put these people in harm’s way.
An hour passed.
Snoring and slow breathing filled the sewer.
I waited and made sure everyone was fast asleep.
Once I knew for sure, I silently rose and crept to the passageway across from the steel door.
Chapter 3
Hungry Vampires
Camille
When Victoria said people would die because of me, I decided to finish escaping by myself.
Those women and children deserved a chance at freedom, and I wouldn’t stand in their way.
I tiptoed through the dark sewer, barely making any sound. I’d stolen one of the women’s candles to light my path.
You can do it. Everything will be okay.
Several hours flew by.
The sun was up. Its hot rays peeked through the tiny holes in the sewer’s ceiling. Heat radiated from the stone, painting every air molecule and making my journey stifling and unbearable.
Harps and flutes played above the sewer. Then, bells chimed through the city. Next, the song of Ressi the sun goddess rang in my ears.
These tunnels must be under her temple.
Female voices rose above the flutes’ melody as they sang, “Two gods walked the universe never knowing the other existed. But when they met, they spoke no words and just kissed.”
I kept on moving forward and stumbled.
“We do the goddess’s work and never cease,” the women sang. “We give our blood to Ambi’s children to maintain the peace.”
I gazed up and squinted hard.
I could make out the women’s amber robes through the ceiling’s tunnels as they kneeled and prayed.
Only human women were Ressi priestesses and willingly committed their lives to giving vampires blood.
Like them, my mother had served the goddess when she was young. She was a beautiful tan skinned woman with long, blonde hair. Later she left her service and married my father.
“The pale god Ambi was so alone in the darkness,” my mother told me one night when I was a little girl lying in bed. “Ambi formed our planet and named it Dos. Then, he created his dark mage children with skin in shades of lovely black and brown. But when he did, the mages rushed away to play and frolic on the planet. They loved him a lot, but didn’t return much to spend time with him.”
“Mama, that’s so sad.” I gazed down at my dark brown skin. “Am I related to the mages?”
“You are mine, and that is all you should care about.” I cuddled closer to her. “Yes, Mommy.”
“With the mages gone, Ambi was so alone.” She kissed my forehead. “Therefore, Ambi created new children. He fashioned the vampire species in his image and made their hunger dependent on his blood. This way, they always returned to feed and spend time with him.”
I sat up in bed and grinned, so excited to hear my favorite part of the story. “And then Ressi came.”
“Yes.”
She laughed. “Ressi the goddess of the sun, with red hair made of fire and burning eyes. She spotted Ambi and they said no words—”
“But, they kissed!” I giggled.
“Yes.” She covered me in a quilt. “Ambi instantly fell in love with the goddess.”
“And Ressi too?”
“Yes, but she wanted him to go with her and explore the universe. She figured maybe there were more gods lingering around. But Ambi regretfully said no. He had his vampires to feed and they ate all the time, barely ever resting.”