“Pardon me. Am I boring you?” I hissed, turning to look back at him. I yanked on my chains. “I suppose this is just an ordinary day for you. Leading people around in chains.”

He ignored me.

“Very well. As you say, my lord,” the secretary-soldier said hastily, also ignoring my outburst but shooting me a shocked glance. “It is a true honor to be in your company as you return with such a very prestigious captive.”

“I’m not a fucking captive,” I snarled, spinning about to face the man.

The secretary gasped and backed away, tripping on a rock and nearly toppling over in the process.

Behind me, Drakharrow snickered. The first sign he might be something resembling a human that I’d seen. I looked back at him and glared.

“Do try to keep your footing, Lucius,” the young lord drawled. “She’s just another blightborn, not a unicorn.”

“Indeed not! She may be far more important than any mythological creature of legend,” Lucius squeaked as he stretched out his hands to regain his balance. “Though of course, there is a connection between...”

“This conversation is growing tedious. Look.” The blond man pointed ahead. “We’re nearing the city. The matter will be settled soon.”

Lucius scuttled away, still muttering excitedly to himself.

I looked ahead to where he was indicating and drew in my breath. We had come to the top of a high rolling hill. Below us lay a city.

I had come from a castle which floated in the sky. I had used powerful magics to bring it down to earth and kill the ones who dwelled within it.

Already that seemed so long ago. So impossible.

Yet despite the wonders I had witnessed, I could honestly say I had seen nothing quite like what lay before us.

The city itself was built on a smaller scale than I had expected, but nevertheless looked grand and affluent. It lay affixed to the edge of a dark and restless ocean, where tumultuous waters splashed against white sands. Beyond the edge of the city limits, three enormous iron bridges stretched out, leading towards three rocky islands.

On the first island, perched like a white nest on a dark cliff, lay a structure built from bright, gleaming stone. It glistened upwards like a luminous pearl against the roiling gray waves and rapidly dimming sky. Soaring narrow spires filled its center while slender, graceful columns rose around the structure.

On the second island, a castle of deep onyx-colored towers and arches twisted skywards in shapes and at angles which should have been impossible, reminding me of the sharp, pointed fangs of a great stone beast.

The third and final island held the largest building of all and one which I suspected might be the oldest. Looking as if it had arisen from a jumbled mix of eras and styles, it resembled a castle or a great fortress. The structure sprawled like the web of a spider, spiraling outwards from a cluster of six towers, each of a different material and design. The only thing which provided any sense of continuity to the building, whatever it might be, was its color. All of the materials that had been used were of a dark crimson shade, nearly black.

I schooled my features carefully, trying not to disclose my impressions. If my captor could play at boredom, so could I.

“What is it?” I asked, trying to sound careless. “What is the name of that town ahead?”

“Town?” I caught the note of annoyance in his voice. “That is no mere town.”

I shrugged. “City, then. What does it matter?”

“What does it matter?”

To my shock, I heard him dismounting behind me. In another moment, he was at my elbow, marching by my side.

“That, girl, is no town, but the capital city of Sangratha.” I could feel his eyes on my face. “Honestly, if you are a spy for the borderlands, you’re the worst one I’ve ever seen. How could anyone not know of Veilmar?”

“Oh? And you catch a lot of spies, do you?” I looked him up and down, letting my eyes linger on his black cloak and impeccable armor. “You don’t look the sort to get your hands dirty.”

“You don’t know anything about me, as we’ve already determined,” he retorted.

I tilted my head. “I know you’re noble. That you’re used to giving orders, not following them. That you’re used to people doing your bidding–instead of you having to work to get what you want. I’d say I know enough.”

He was silent.

“That man you killed. Barnabas,” I ventured. “There was something strange about him.”

He snorted.

“I mean, beyond the obvious,” I snapped. “His teeth. They were... elongated. I think he was going to... bite me.”

The pale-haired prince burst into laughter. “Do you now?”

“I don’t see what’s so funny about...” I started to say. Then I stopped.

He was smirking down at me coldly–smiling, if you can call it that, for the first time. With his lips parted slightly, I could see that his incisors were even longer than Barnabas’s had been, and they narrowed into sharp, delicate points.

“Fangs,” I said hollowly. “You have fangs.”

He sneered. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of highbloods where you come from or I really will wonder if you fell from the sky. Or perhaps hit your head too hard against a rock.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or have drunk a little too much?” A hand darted out and he tapped me on the side of the head, hard.

“Ow! I haven’t had anything to drink, you fool,” I exclaimed.

“I’m the fool but you’re the one with naught in your head.” He shook his head.

“I read a passage in a book once...” I began.

“Oh, you can read? I’m speechless.”

I ignored him. “It spoke of creatures with sharp teeth that drank blood. They could not go out under the light of day. They attacked at night, sucking their victims dry. They led long lives.” I snuck a look at him, hoping beyond hope that he’d tell me the book was mistaken.

“Well, three out of five isn’t bad,” he remarked. “We can walk in the light, as you can well see.” He pointed upwards at the fading evening sun, which had come out from behind the clouds. “We lead long lives.”

“But you... drink people?” I stared at him, trying to keep the horror from my tone. “You drink blood?”

He smiled, cruelly and slowly. “We are vampires. It’s what we do.”

“So you’re what? Taking me back to your people to be drained?”

He stretched his arms over his head and I tried to keep my eyes off the muscles rippling beneath the dark cloak. “Perhaps. Who knows what they’ll do with you? It’s an honor to be drained, you know.”

I couldn’t tell if he was joking. Somehow I doubted it. “You’re a monster.”

He smirked. “Stop, you’re hurting my feelings, blightborn.”

“Don’t pretend you have any,” I snapped.

“You’re right. They’re a weakness, so I won’t.”

“Why do you need to take me anywhere? Why not leave me alone where you found me?”

His lips twisted. “On a heap of dead bodies? I should have thought we were doing you a favor.”

I raised my wrists. “Ah, yes, if only all men were as courteous as you,” I said sarcastically, clanging the metal chains together. “I’m quite killed with kindness.”

His mouth twitched. “Many women would beg to be in your position. Perhaps not while walking on quite such a dusty road...”

“I don’t wish to hear of your disgusting sexual exploits,” I said, making a face of disgust. “Save your bragging for your men. They won’t care if you tell tall tales about the women you tie to your bed.”

“I have no need to make up stories,” he snapped, sounding irked.

I tossed my hair over my shoulder but said nothing.

I could feel him staring at the red tresses for a moment. Finally, he said, “You asked why we’re taking you with us? Well, you heard what Lucius said.”

“That it’s because of my hair? A rather stupid reason.”

He snorted. “I agree.”

I glanced at him. “You do? Well, then... Let me go.”