Fear gripped me: you could expect anything from him, I'd learnt that forever.

– Oh, damn it, you ruined my surprise! – The vampire said with reproach in his voice.

– What surprise? – I was surprised, not understanding what he was getting at.

– Well, all right. Did you find them?

– Yes! How did they end up there? What do you want to do with them? – I exclaimed.

The captives were his surprise to me? So he wanted to tell me about them?

– It's very simple. But be patient: soon you will have the surprise I have prepared for you.

– Will you let them go? – I asked with hope in my heart.

– But then the surprise will be ruined," the vampire smiled and held out his hand to me. – Let's go to the castle, can't you see it's raining?

– Will you kill them? – I asked quietly.

– It's a surprise," Brandon said shortly. – Now get to the castle, you're all wet. I don't want you to catch cold. – He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

We entered the lobby of the castle, and the vampire wanted to leave, but I grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket.

– Brandon! – came out of my mouth.

The vampire raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he stopped.

– Let them go! – I begged

– No," he said harshly.

– But why? – I exclaimed.

– Viper, they're my food," Grayson grinned. – They've been dead to the world for a long time.

– Please! Please! Kill me instead of them, they're....

– You care so much about them?

– Yes, I feel so sorry for them! – I pleaded, but I saw with despair that Grayson remained indifferent and callous to my pleas.

– You can feed them if you want," Grayson said, taking my hand off the sleeve of his jacket. – They didn't seem to have eaten anything for three days or more, I don't remember exactly.

"How calmly he talks about it! Feeding them! Like animals in a zoo!" – I thought contemptuously, but I was nevertheless overjoyed that I could do something to help the captives.

– Where can I get food? – I answered readily.

– In the kitchen," the vampire said, and started up the stairs.

I didn't need to be told twice: I rushed into the kitchen. Bitter experience had taught me not to look in the fridge, and I started looking through the cupboards and shelves for food.

The food, or rather, last night's dinner, was in a cupboard with clean plates. Apparently, Grayson had never been in the kitchen before and didn't know where to put the food properly so it wouldn't spoil. I gingerly tasted the food to see if it was edible, and luckily, the only thing missing was the meat, which had been out of the fridge all night and now smelled foul.

Finding a large metal tray on one of the shelves, I set the plates of food on it and grabbed two glasses and a carafe of water. The tray loaded with plates was heavy, but I carried it quickly, imagining how long it had been since the unfortunate girls had eaten. I was almost running, and stopped just before the door that led to the dreaded corridor. Placing the tray on the floor, I opened the door with difficulty, stepped inside, clapped my hands to switch on the light, took the tray and walked towards the cells where the girls were sitting.

As if sensing my presence or awakened by the light of the lamps, the vampire prisoners jumped out of their corners and clung to the bars.

– Save me! Please let me out! – they shouted, but when they saw the tray with food in my hands, they went completely mad and shrieked: – Give it to me! Me!

– Please, please, calm down! It's all for you! – I tried to calm them but it was as if they didn't hear my words and continued screaming. Their screams made my soul bleed. I put the tray on the floor, picked up a large plate of boiled potatoes, and held it out to one of the girls, who clutched it frantically and pulled it towards her. Alas, the bars prevented her from taking the plate into the cell, so the girl dumped the potatoes on the floor, in front of the bars, and started eating them with her hands right off the floor.

– And for me? Now me! – shaking the grate with her hands, the second girl shouted.

I hurriedly grabbed a plate with some salad and handed it to the girl – she threw it on the floor and started eating the salad mixed with the shards of the broken plate.

The thought flashed through my mind that in her mad devilish hunger this girl would eat the shards too, and I tried to pull them out, but she roared like a beast and slapped my hands, leaving deep long scratches on my right hand. I laid out the remaining food in front of the cameras and with tears in my eyes, in pain and horror, watched as the poor captives, probably mad from their long stay in the cages, ate the food right off the floor, growling and giving it to her.

Suddenly remembering to give them water, I poured water into glasses and placed them next to the food, immediately regretting that I had only taken one carafe. I quickly ran back to the kitchen for the second carafe, and as I was walking back to the girls, I almost ran into Grayson. But I didn't have the time or energy to tell him what I thought of him, so I went back to the girls and put a carafe of water by their cells so they could drink water whenever they wanted.

– See what some people can get into," I heard Grayson's mocking voice behind me. – They've already turned into animals. It's disgusting, don't you think?

– You turned them into animals! – I blurted out. – But God will punish you for everything you've done to them!

– God? – The vampire laughed, his loud laughter echoing off the walls and the high ceiling. Hearing the vampire's voice, the girls cowered in the corners of their cells with screams of terror. – God hasn't been interested in what's going on in the world for a long time!

– What a monster you are! – I whispered, looking at the girls, who were so frightened by his appearance that they were sobbing hysterically.

My head spun, and I leaned against the wall to keep from falling.

– Ah, you know, I've been thinking about what you said. – Grayson checked the pulse on my neck with a concerned look. I shuddered in disgust. – I'll let them go.

– You will? – I whispered happily, more excited than I'd ever been in my life. – You'll let them go?

– Yes, if you want me to," Grayson said seriously.

– You know I want to so badly! Please! – I begged quietly, glad that his soul wasn't as rotten as I'd thought it was, that he was going to do what I asked.

– Well, then we need to… What is it? – Grayson frowned, grabbing my hand and examining the deep scratches one of the girls had left on it.

– It's nothing! It's just scratches! – I said hurriedly.

– "Just scratches"? There are millions of bad bacteria, dirt, rot under those girls' fingernails! You need to wash your sctratches right away! – the vampire said harshly, and I thought he was angry.

– Yes, of course! I'll do it as soon as you let them out of here! – I promised, looking at him fearfully. – I promise!

Grayson was silent and stared at me intently.

– All right. How could I refuse my guest? – he said in a cheerful tone. – But first I want you to meet them. – The vampire led me to one of the cells.

I looked at the girl sitting in the corner, crying, dirty: she reminded me of a member of a primitive tribe – so horrible she looked.

– This is Susan, the daughter of a small English nobleman. Susan is a fine horsewoman, loves to play cricket, and is also well versed in painting and English sport. I met her in London, a month ago, and persuaded her to come away with me, which she, quite willingly, did.

A month? So this poor girl's been in this cell for a month?!

– And this is Lourdes. A fiery, passionate Spaniard who loves the sea, ships and music. I think she can play the flute pretty well. I met her in Lisbon, where she was on holiday with her father. She left with me the day after we met, half a month ago, seventeen days ago to be exact. You see what a girl's frivolity leads to?