The Reaper's sons

Ocean

"Ten million ivinus once! Ten million twice! Sold to Count Vladimir Bartholomew!" Melody's voice echoes in my mind every minute I'm awake. I can still remember the auction like it was yesterday, yet the dreadful event happened two years ago. I recall how much I feared darkness and how my heart pounded against my ribcage as the masked man pulled me along. I couldn’t see where the man was taking me because the vampires had forced a blindfold over my eyes. Other than the hardwood floor I felt beneath my feet, I couldn't perceive anything of the surroundings. I knew that whatever he was up to, it couldn't be good - it never was when the darkness took over. My wrists bled, with each jerk of the chains the sharp iron handcuffs cut deeper into the wounds. No matter how many times the man tugged on the chain or forced me to move faster, I refused to show how much he was hurting me. I purposely avoided showering and changing clothes to appear dirty and undesirable. In order to get a decent, if not high, price for a blood bag, the Hunters had to take care of me, but the group didn’t seem to care about human well-being.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please don’t leave your seats; the auction is far from over. As always, we have saved the best for last. Tonight, we will present a special treat from the far Northern lands!" Melody's voice boomed through the speakers. She was one of the highest vampires among the Hunters, the hostess who ran the auctions. Even though her voice was reminiscent of an angel, the woman was a devil in disguise.

After the brief announcement, the masked man stood at my side and cleared his throat before bringing his face dangerously close to my neck. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat before he spoke up. "Listen kid, no one is going to hurt you if you stay quiet, alright?" The man whispered as he dropped the chains to the floor, probably an attempt to hide his words. I squinted my eyes and nodded my head, too terrified to speak up in front of such a dangerous audience.

"Prepare your wallets; the final phase of the auction is about to begin!" After the words left her greasy lips, Melody turned the stage lights on me and laughed as the crowd cheered. The man next to me gripped the blindfold and yanked it off before stepping away.

I gasped, the bright light making my eyes water even more than they had after another slap to the cheek. However, the bright light wasn't the only thing that startled me. Out of nowhere, a woman appeared, grabbed my clothes and ripped them off me, leaving me completely naked and shivering in front of a crowd of savages. Despite desperate attempts to cover myself, I couldn't; the Vampiress stood beside me and held my hands. "Behold, a pureblood human. Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on exhibit thirty-six. She passed the health tests with flying colours; she's about sixteen years old, the perfect age to start collar training." As the vampire spoke, I tried to tune out and imagine myself elsewhere, somewhere I’d feel happy. I didn't need to hear these things, and I didn't want to see the faces of those who would buy me for the next meal. "Who wants to make the opening bid?" Everyone could hear the greed in Melody's voice. It was clear that she would do anything to get as much money as she could.

"Two million ivinus," I recall an older man calling out from a distance, silencing the excited crowd for a few seconds. Whoever the bidder was, he surprised everyone, including me, even though he wanted to buy me. Perhaps we, humans, were nothing more than walking feeding bags, but even we knew how much an ivinus was worth. Five ivinus could buy a house; I could only imagine how many doors would open for me with such an amount of money.

"Three, if you can prove there's a light skin under that dirt!" A woman shouted over the crowd. Vampires were known for being rude and selfish creatures, but who would have thought that to make matters worse, they would have a fondness for humans with a certain skin colour? Racist pigs! The louder the vampires got, the more I wanted to flee. My body trembled in fear of the unknown. Everyone, including the other girls I met, knew the Hunters would sell us out. But none of us had any idea that we would be separated, let alone presented to a huge crowd of vampires while the vile creatures shouted out bids for our future.

"Ten million. I don't care about the colour of her skin, but I want to do the rank test before I take her home. Payment in advance, as usual. Pack this one well, Melody, I want to keep her untouched. If you prove she's a virgin, I'll throw in another five million." His deep voice sent a shiver down my spine. Perhaps the cold-blooded creatures around me thought it was my body's reaction to the loss of clothing, but in reality, I wasn't cold; I was terrified. Someone who had that kind of money had to have big plans for every human they bought. No vampire spent that much on someone who would die within weeks of reaching the age. It didn't matter what his name was; I knew I'd come to know him as my worst nightmare once I was locked in his chambers. Hunters sold possessions, toys, and personal feeders, not blood banks. Even though many rumoured that life would be better for those who had to wear a collar, it often turned out to be much worse than leaving the house once a week to donate blood.

The Vampiress instantly agreed to the buyer's demands. "Ten million ivinus once! Ten million twice! Sold to Count Vladimir Bartholomew!" She shouted, excitement permeating her words. Melody knew I was a virgin, they had had me in the cells since I was an infant, so some of her words confused me. No Hunter in her house would be so foolish to break the law and try to take the virginity of someone imprisoned in their cells. She had handpicked the best of the best to ensure the purity of humans under her rule. "Tank, take her to my chambers for the rank test and bring in the healers; Count Vladimir wants to run some other tests," Melody called out for someone; within seconds, a huge man was at my side. He nodded his head, but the mere action was all I could perceive, too afraid to turn my head and look up at the monstrous creature. I was sure that someone named Tank could not be a gentle and friendly creature.

"Cover her; no one but me should see her naked, and don't let her walk! I don't like my pets to be as weak and emaciated as this one. Give her food and water!" Count Vladimir shouted; he was the first to leave the room. The lights went out and the room filled with many voices, most of which cursed the auction winner as a greedy man without morals.

I felt a heavy blanket thrown over my shoulders as the monster lifted me up and carried me off the stage. I hadn't expected his hands to be so soft, his touch so gentle, his heartbeat so soothing. For the first time in years, I let my body relax as the monster carried me into the hell I would call life outside Melody's house.

"Of course, Count, only the best for our loyal patrons." Melody spat under her breath long after the vampire had left the room. She pretended to have a special fondness for the man, but as soon as he was gone, she showed complete disgust and disrespect. It turns out that vampires are nothing more than duplicitous creatures, just like they think humans are. After all, they're not all that different; everyone is looking for the best and getting it one way or another.

• Ivinus -the official currency of the New Invictus City and its territories.