[Scarlet, Our Little Fang!]

  Scarlet groaned as she lay on one of the cushy red sofas, heels rising and falling on the armrest as Maria and Fiona were being measured in the room over. The main reason she was taking up most of the couch was so Illa wouldn’t try to snuggle next to her; the girl was nervous, but it grew too much at times to have her always latched onto her arm.

  What do I do, Rachel? I can’t see that far through these walls, and I don’t want to compromise Fiona or Maria’s privacy by spying on them… Do you take off your clothes when you get measured? They didn’t tell us…

  “I’m so thirsty, Scarlet…”

  Leaning to the side to look down at the ginger vampire girl lying on the floor and rolling around as if bored, Scarlet sighed; she had to have ADHD. “You’re always thirsty, Illa. I swear, I haven’t had a drop in, like…a while, and I’m fine. It probably won’t be long before the party starts anyway.”

  “Yeah, but you’re totally awesome, and I’m a little wimp,” Illa cried, flipping to her belly to look up at her with big blue eyes. “How long do you think Cássia will be gone for? What if she’s getting bullied by those other maids who totally want her job? You saw how she was fidgeting and struggling in that intro. Maybe we should go look for her.”

  “She’s with Rachel right now,” Scarlet defended, now having worrying thoughts about the 13-year-old getting whipped with chains by her abusive seniors. “We…don’t know if they abuse her. She was really, uh, formal with them, I guess you could say.”

  “Duh! Scarlet, why wouldn’t she be nice to her bullies? Plus, you heard her talk about manners and how The Countess makes her act all uppity and classy. Don’t get me wrong! I think it is absolutely adorable, and I want to smother her in hugs and head pats, but don’t you feel, like, I don’t know…something’s wrong?”

  Belly squirming without Rachel nearby, she filtered out the walls, only able to penetrate two rooms at max past the veins of blood that ran throughout the whole of the colossal castle; it wasn’t nearly enough to find Rachel with how far they’d gone, but one thing caught her notice.

  “Cássia is back?”

  “Huh?! Where?” Illa demanded, legs rising, spreading out, and hoisting herself up to look left and right like a drug addict looking for their next fix. “Do you think if I act more cold she’d look at me like a big sister and want hugs? Maybe it’s how they operate here in Torture Land? Ooh. You don’t think she’s a sadist or a masochist? I’m not quite sure which one she is yet.”

  “She’s thirteen—allegedly—so chill,” Scarlet shot back, getting up and stretching out.

  “And I’m sixteen,” Illa huffed before a giggle shook her frame. “Allegedly! Maria’s fun, by the way. It’s so cool that she can tell when someone is lying—oh, hey, Cássia! Where’s Rachel?” she asked, a frown touching her mouth as she looked past the brunette in the empty hallway.

  “Occupied,” Cássia smoothly returned, showing her charming, little-fanged smile while displaying a wine bottle. “I told you we would cover your thirsts, Lady Illa. I was careful when selecting it from the stores.”

  Illa’s eyes began to water, her nose coloring as emotion overtook her. “You do care about me, Cáss! Will you pour it for me? Please! I’m too weak to open bottles. Show me more of your cool floaty blood stuff! How do you even do that? I get Scarlet and The Countess, but how do you do it?”

  Cássia strained a laugh, her noble facade breaking a little at the ginger’s pushy personality, jumping up to crowd the brunette. “I, umm, get the feeling you are asking me those questions to direct me to want to pour you a cup instead of answering. Well played, Illa.”

  “Ho-ho! See, Scarlet,” the girl boasted, puffing up her modest chest as she joined them. “I’m smart like Rachel, too! Aww. She’s actually pouring me a glass. We’re budding pillow buddies, Cáss!”

  Scarlet didn’t even feel like it was worth reigning the girl in at this point; Illa was just a really weird, touchy-feely teen, awkwardly looking for friends. The smell that blasted out of the bottle made her cover her nose and step back, though.

  “Umm, I think—eeesh! What the hell is that smell? It’s…so strong?! Is it poisonous blood or something—bad blood? No, it’s just…ultra-potent. What is it?”

  Illa lit up at the reaction, eyes sparkling as she accepted the glass the 13-year-old poured. “Oooh! Mystery blood. Blah-blah! Watch out, Scarlet, Cássia’s trying to do something sneaky.” She let out a giggle. “Is she trying to dope us up to do unspeakable things to us when we’re loopy and easily persuaded into dark, cozy, fuzzy places? Hmm-hmm?”

  “Eh-hehe.” Cássia placed the bottle on a chair-side table, the red liquid flying out of the glass to fill Illa’s cup. “You have quite an active imagination, Illa. It is from the private stash of this castle’s former owner, and I am told it was quite the delicacy within this world, taken from one of the rare Sea Maidens within the depths of the ocean.”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Scarlet was more interested in that story than the intoxicating blood itself, trying not to let her mouth salivate as she refrained from partaking in it. She sat on the couch and motioned for Cássia to join her, with Illa already having her first cup without a care in the world.

  “Please, sit. I want to hear more about this world of…vampires; is it a world of vampires, or are they a minority?”

  Illa choked as the blood touched her lips, cheeks going bright pink. “Eh! W-Woah, Scarlet, youb godda try this,” she burped, having only taken a tiny sip. “Is my tongue numb? Ack-ack! Wooh! Mmm. I-I can’t speab right. Hehehe. Hic! Ugh…”

  “Illa? Illa!” Scarlet hopped up in a panic as the ginger’s eyes rolled back, and she slid onto the carpet, her dress being dragged up to her lower chest. “Cássia, what did you do to her?!”

  Cássia giggled, the blood in Illa’s cup freezing in the air as she took control of it. The brunette smoothly took her seat, and her thin blood snaked out to lift the sleep-mumbly girl onto a nearby couch to rest. The Noble Vampire was now drooling out of her mouth—pink-faced and totally wasted.

  “It is a blood narcotic of this world that I mixed into it, usually personally crafted for progenitor children when going through their…difficult ages. At least, that is what the young serving girls at the castle told me when The Countess took up residence here. I figured you might need a break. Was that too forward of me?” she asked with a nervous smile. “I will admit that it was done more for my sake than yours.”

  Scarlet knelt down to check the girl, allowing her instincts to take hold of her. Crimson eyes swept through the ginger’s burning body, and she felt a weird, compelling heat radiate out of her. So far as instincts went, Illa wasn’t dying; in fact, it felt like she was in a dream world, hunting for something to satisfy her incessant thirst, which was better than outside, Scarlet supposed.

  Still a bit on guard, Scarlet forced a laugh and went to sit across from the brunette. “I guess she could use a good sleep. I just hope she isn’t too hyper after waking up. Umm. Where’s Rachel?”

  Cássia smoothed out her silky dress, a charming smile brightening her cheeks. “You needn’t worry, Lady Scarlet. Anthony, Nia, and Rachel are making plans with Lady Aurora and The Countess. I returned to save you from Illa…in several ways,” she said, shaking her head and looking at the giggling 16-year-old, now twisting left and right on the couch, hugging a pillow close to her breast.

  “Yeah…” For some reason, Scarlet felt comfortable with the cute brunette’s disarming presence. At the same time, she felt like there was something she was hiding; of course, that went for everything in this whole castle. “So, did you have the time to tell me more about yourself and this world?”

  Nailed it, she internally cheered, thinking that this was precisely what Rachel would do. I need to scope out the land and figure out what exactly is off about this girl. Now that Illa’s been taken off my plate for a bit, I can put my full attention on Cássia! What are you about?

  Cássia’s fangs gleamed with a toothy smile. “I’d love to chat! Oh, ahem. I mean, of course, Lady Scarlet. Can I begin by suggesting you do drink a little blood from…this other bottle I brought,” she asked, pulling out a small vial.

  “Why?” Scarlet slowly asked, accepting it as the girl floated it over to her. “Why is it blue?”

  “Another special item from this world,” she explained, a concerned frown now touching her face. “I would suggest it because the Crimson Moon accelerates and intensifies the thirst for blood. You do have a very high tolerance and are very immune to most any instances of mental impairing effects, but I expect that this will be one of the few that can…excite you. That is supposed to help…at least a little.”

  A shiver ran down Scarlet’s frame, wondering if that was the reason for Illa’s sudden desire for blood and that maybe she’d let a ray of the red moon touch her skin when they left the hall. “I’ll…think about it.”

  “No, don’t stop!”

  Scarlet jumped at Illa’s shout, her throw pillow pressed against her face and giggling giddily while nibbling on the edges. “Haaa. She’s going to kill me.”

  Cássia’s voice lowered slightly while observing the blushing ginger, having a makeout session with the fluffy cushion now. “You should learn how to control your abilities quickly, Lady Scarlet… Soon, you will not be able to rely on Lady Rachel. You must make hard decisions.”

  A short silence ensued, and Scarlet sat back, eyeing the worried look on Cássia’s young face. “Are…you saying you know something that you want to tell me…but you can’t?”

  The brunette shook her head. “I could tell you…but I was warned not to. Please, just trust me,” Cássia said, fingers knotting in her lap, “please, do not hesitate to kill. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts. That is all I can say.”

  Vision falling to her black fingernails, Scarlet curled them into a fist. Rachel told me the same… I have to do better. There is a deeper game being played here, and Rachel is off doing her own thing. I have to do my own part. There are things only I can do. I can do this! I can get my dad back.

  Eyes rising, determination on her face, Scarlet rose to her feet. “Cássia, can you take me to Selene’s room?”

  Uncertainty crossed the brunette girl’s face for the first time, looking off to the side as if looking for permission from someone. “Mmm. That…could end badly, Scarlet. Are you sure? Until First Blood is spilled within the castle, the bell will not chime, and The Hunt will not begin, but if it happens when you are near her…or the Crimson Moon touches you.”

  “I’ll take us right there!” Scarlet chirped. “I can teleport us through shadows so as not to touch them. C’mon! I can do this. I’m not useless. Okay? I’m sure I can come to…some agreement with her. I can do things, too.”

  “If…that is what you desire, Lady Scarlet. I will show you the way,” Cássia smiled, rising to her feet. “Should…we leave a note for the others?”

  “Oh, right! And cloaks; we’ll wear cloaks. Let’s do this.”

  “Yeah!” Cássia grinned. “I’m happy I was able to serve your party, Lady Scarlet. Thank you for being so kind to me.”

  - Growing Community =D

  View and help

  Support me on and get up to: Note that instead of 'first of the month' billing, I have opted into 'pay on the same day you sign up'!

  + Weekly Poll On Next Week's Priority Series

  + 6 Chapters (6 Weeks) ahead in A Tail's Misfortune

  + 6 Chapters (6 Weeks) Ahead in The Oscillation Rewrite

  + 6 Chapters (6 Weeks) Ahead in UE Rewrite

  + 6 Chapters (6 Weeks) Ahead in Veil of Chaos

  Patreon Exclusive Novella Books

  + Ask a Character any question you want and they'll respond in-character!

  + All my commissioned artwork is up for free on my Patreon!

  Current Books on Amazon and Audible:

  Series Books

  The Oscillation

  Book 1 - Chaos

  A Tail's Misfortune

  Book 1 - Transformation

  Book 1 Audible - Transformation

  Undying Empire

  Book 1 - Foundation

  Novellas (Stand Alone; Same Universe)