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Chapter 2

Silence had fallen upon Castle Corvinus. The sounds of horrified screams and vicious animal like growls that echoed throughout the dungeons had long faded. The lycan boy Lucian; half human and half werewolf had just been forced to feed off human flesh. After witnessing Lucian's preternatural strength and agility against some of the castle's more bulky human slaves, Viktor, the castle's vicious and powerful elder, thought it best to create more of this fascinating breed and use them to his benefit.

Lucian was tired from the ordeal. He crouched in the corner of his dark and dreary cell naked and trembling in a cold sweat. His arms were sleeved in thick blood and they folded tightly around his legs. His eyes still glowing a vicious cobalt blue, streaks of blood still dripped from the corners of his mouth down to his chest. His face was written with a mixture of fear, anger, and sadness. He held his head in shame and wept silently to himself. The sniffles of his cries echoed around him in the loneliness of his cell. His unkempt brown locks draped over his back and hung wildly over his face. He hated himself for what he was; what he had done. For the first time in the eleven years of his life he was starting to believe Viktor's notions about him being nothing more than an animal. In Viktor's eyes he was of an inferior race barely even a notch above the humans. Although Viktor had raised Lucian from the time he was born he had always made it clear of his distaste for his kind. In a strange way Lucian was grateful for Viktor's mercy towards him as a child, he had even diluted himself into believing the possibility that maybe the elder did in fact care for him. Lucian began to second guess his thoughts. Viktor trained him so that he may see the hidden depths to Lucian's power; but was careful to keep his training under strict limitations. It wasn't until this night did Viktor reveal the true reasons for his training and his plans for Lucian. Lucian was Viktor's pet, his machine, nothing more.

"I'm not an animal," Lucian whispered silently to himself, "I'm not." He wondered if he was only trying to convince himself. No…. he was not an animal, not truly, the wolf may have been a part of him but it wasn't who he was.

The moonlight shown through the grates above Lucian illuminating the cell in a light blue glow. Lucian stayed off in a corner enveloped in the darkness. He looked over to his right and saw a bed of hay. The dungeon smelled of blood and feces, making Lucian's stomach turn. He thought he might throw up. Lucian contemplated the idea of sleeping in the bed of hay. A part of him wanted so badly to crawl inside and shield himself from the cold. But the idea of lying in hay only seemed to enforce Viktor's idea of him being an animal. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction. Eventually Lucian's mind gave in and Lucian reasoned that it would have to do for now. He crawled over to the pile and began to ruffle through the hay. Tossing strands here and there to dig a hole deep enough to shelter him from the chill. He sniffed back another cry and wiped his nose. It was at that moment did Lucian notice a change in the smell of the room. He sniffed again. The rank smell was still there but there was a hint of something else, something….pleasant. He took in a longer sniff. It was lavender oil. The smell was faint but it was indeed lavender oil. Lucian wondered how it possible for such a smell to come through this unbearable stench. Lucian dismissed it as nothing and went back to making his bed. He sniffed the air again and this time the smell came much stronger filling his nostrils. Lucian scanned the cell and saw nothing. Then his ears picked up the faint sound of something brushing along the floor outside the cell. Lucian alerted his eyes and found the smell's source. A small form sat leaning up against the door, peering through the grates with innocent chestnut brown eyes. Long dark brown hair cascaded down her back and framed her angelic, alabaster, face. Lucian could hardly make out those features through the squared gaps of the door. But he didn't need a perfect visual to know how beautiful she was. His eyes stayed fixated on her, almost afraid to move. It seemed almost an eternity until she finally spoke.

"Hello" she said in gentle whisper. Her voice sounded elegant, she spoke with poise and clarity. The voice was just as beautiful as the one who carried it. Lucian thought she looked oddly familiar. And then it hit him, it was the Lady Sonja, the daughter of Lord Viktor. A lump began to build in his throat from his nervousness. What was she doing here? The only visitors Lucian ever got were from the death dealers or Lord Viktor.

She winced her eyes a little, "Can you not speak?"

"Yes…. I can"

"Then is it manners that you lack? Do you not know how to give a greeting to a stranger?"

"No milady it isn't that"

A small smile spread across her lips, "Then why did you not respond?"

Lucian was getting confused he was starting to get the impression that this was all a game to her. He wished she would make her point and just leave him be. But he knew she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He decided to go along with it.

"I was…. afraid"

"Afraid?"

Lucian nodded.

"I never would have thought a beastly animal such as your self would ever…"

"I am not an animal!" Lucian said cutting her off. He felt his anger rising. By the look on her face he began to regret raising his voice at her. But he had meant what he said. Her eyes widened a bit and then became unreadable. She looked away from him for a moment. Lucian was starting to realize the extremity of what he had just done. Because of his status it was treason to raise your voice to a vampire especially one of high rank. Lucian thought that he may have just signed his death sentence. He waited for her to call the death dealers so that he may receive his punishment. But still she did nothing. He wondered why.

"I'm sorry." She said softly "I did not mean to offend you…I was merely trying to make conversation."

Lucian nodded his forgiveness and held his head down no longer daring to look at her. He was moved by the genuine apology he had received and from a vampire no less. But he found it strange. It was the first bit of kindness he had gotten out of the many years he spent inside Castle Corvinus. That she alone would come to visit him only with the desire to talk with him made such a huge difference to him. Whether she came to visit him out of pity or actual concern made no never mind to him. It did feel nice to have someone to talk to. He was all alone in this place. He felt ashamed of his savage blood soaked appearance and suddenly felt unworthy to look upon her face.

"What is your name?" she asked

Sonja knew very well that his name was Lucian, she only wanted to get him to speak to her. Something about this boy fascinated her. Earlier tonight, as she stood next to her father watching as Lucian complete another one of his tests was when she first looked into his dark eyes. She felt something stir inside her. In the eight years she had spent inside Castle Corvinus, it was first time she ever had the chance to lay eyes on the lycan boy. Sonja's first thought was that the boy was very handsome.

Talk would spread all throughout the castle about Viktor's new "pet". Sonja had wanted to see this rare prodigy for herself; but her father constantly kept her busy throughout all the hours of the night. She would spend countless hours in the council chamber seated next to her father and would listen to endless discussions of politics. And if she wasn't in the council chamber she was either sparring with the castle death dealers or brushing up on the history of their species with the coven's historian Tannis.

When she was finally given the opportunity to see Lucian for herself, for the sake of appearances she hid her anxiousness and joy behind an icy vampiric mask that did not give any sign of her emotions. Sonja pretended not to be even phased by the idea. Her feelings emerged when Lucian gave her a tiny smile as he looked up at her from down in the chamber. She couldn't help it, she turned away smiling to herself hoping that no one saw.

"My name is Lucian."

Sonja let out a smile not showing any of her teeth. "You need not fear me Lucian; I will not bite…much."

For the first time Lucian could remember he let out a chuckle. Sonja was happy to see him smile it brought a grin to her face baring her fangs.

Lucian's eyes shyly wandered back and forth between Sonja and the gray stone floor. He never moved from crouching position so that he may continue to hide his modesty. He licked his lips and curled them in, he tasted blood. He slowly gathered his courage to speak.

"So…what is your name?"

Lucian suddenly felt stupid, he wanted to kick himself. Everyone in the castle knew who Viktor's daughter was, even the slaves. Sonja probably thought him a fool. He wished he could take back the question.

"Sonja" she responded simply

The fact that she didn't laugh at his question still didn't ease his embarrassment. Sonja looked through the bars and noticed Lucian shivering.

"Are you cold Lucian?"

"No" Lucian lied, "I'm alright"

"You are not a very good liar."

Lucian felt his face go red. "I'm sorry milady, please forgive me."

"'Sonja', Lucian." She smiled again

"What?"

"You will address me as Sonja, is that clear"

Lucian only nodded, he had never been allowed to address any of his superiors so informally before.

"Come here Lucian." She said softly

Lucian wiped his mouth with his arm to get the blood off of his face. It didn't help much he had forgotten about the blood covering his arms. The best it did was smear the blood into a dull red spot on the sides of his cheeks. His light blue eyes slowly changed back to their natural shade of brown. He stood up from the corner and slowly walked over to the cell door, still trying to hide his nakedness. Sonja didn't even flinch at the barbaric sight of him instead she turned to her side and pulled out a burgundy red blanket and slid it through the small gaps of the door.

"Here…take this."

Lucian started to pull the blanket the rest of the way through the door. For a brief moment their hands touched. Lucian flinched and quickly withdrew his hand into his lap.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…."

"It's alright Lucian." She said dismissing his apologies. She looked into his eyes through the bars and slowly moved her hand inside reaching for his bloodied one. Lucian trembled all over partly from the cold and partly from the nervousness of her reaching out to him. Sonja slid her small hand into his and Lucian held it in a gentle grip. He felt the smoothness of hers through the rough coarseness of his. Her hand was ice cold he couldn't feel any trace of heat emanating from it. Lucian slowly took his hand away from hers and dragged the blanket the rest of the way. He wrapped it around himself and the chill went away almost instantly. For the longest time they gazed at each other. That same feeling of wonder that both of them had felt earlier in the castle chamber made itself known once again. Lucian felt his fears evaporating. Her presence gave him a sense of warmth and comfort unlike anything he ever felt before.

Sonja turned around looking off into the sky it was almost dawn. She looked back at Lucian with a look of longing in her eyes. Lucian knew his eyes mirrored the same thing. He wished she would stay, he wanted to say something else to her but his voice caught in his throat.

"I have to go, the sun is coming up."

Lucian knew she was right. Vampires had only one real enemy: sunlight, if they ever came in contact with it they would burn to a cinder almost instantly.

He nodded his understanding and gave her a smile before she took her leave.

She gave him one last look, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Lucian."

She rose to her feet and quickly walked back to her bed chamber. Lucian watched her as she left. He took a piece of the blanket and inhaled its scent, her scent: lavender oil.

"It was a pleasure meeting you too….Sonja" he whispered to himself. He crawled over to the bed of hay and draped the blanket over his body and drifted off into a deep sleep. It was the best sleep he'd had in years. His last thoughts were of the beautiful young vampiress.

Lucian sat alone in his cell with his knees hugged tightly against his chest and the blanket that Sonja gave him draped over his body hiding his nudity. It was nightfall again which meant the vampires were now awake and Lucian was no longer allowed to sleep. Ever since Sonja's late night visit Lucian could not stop thinking about her. He missed her company but he tried not to let himself read too far into what happened last night. Maybe it was just a onetime thing and she felt no real concern for him; only pity. After all she was a vampire, a heartless creature of the night. Sonja was still a child and perhaps in time she would grow to forget all about him once she tapped into her true vampiric nature. Her father was the ruthless Lord Viktor. How long before she ended up just like him. Lucian figured it was only a matter of time. But whatever the reason she came to visit him last night he was glad to have met her.

Lucian was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of metal footsteps coming to the door. The death dealers opened Lucian's cell with a loud creaking noise. They walked inside and forced Lucian to his feet. One of them forced Lucian a pair of brown tattered trousers and a brown vest.

"Be quick." They ordered. They stepped outside and stood posted on both sides of the cell door allowing Lucian some privacy.

Lucian obeyed and dressed as fast as he could. When he finally stepped out of the door the death dealers wasted no time to grab him by his shoulders. They practically dragged him through the courtyard. Lucian observed his surroundings. The new slaves were immediately put to work most of them still possessed a gaping shoulder wound from the night before when Lucian had bitten them. The sounds of pick axes and shovels hitting against hard stones pierced Lucian's ears. Whips cracked as they slashed through the air. Lucian also could not help but notice the strange metal collars around the slave's necks. He wondered what they were for.

The three of them finally stopped at the smithy. Carsen, the castle blacksmith stood at the opening. He was a big and husky man no more than forty, a human. Most of his features were hidden behind his thick, bristly, black beard.

"Another one." One of the death dealers spoke up.

Carsen didn't bother to look at the two death dealers or Lucian. He seemed almost robotic and immediately began to perform his duty. Without warning the death dealers slammed Lucian's body over the anvil in the center of the smithy, holding down his arms and head. Lucian began to tremble in fear He heard the sound of something sizzling behind him. Lucian instinctively tried to turn and see what it was but the death dealers pressed his face harder onto the metal anvil.

Carsen walked over to the furnace and pulled out a long metal branding rod that still glowed a hot red orange. Beads of sweat ran down Lucian's face and his heart beat quickened. He could feel an overwhelming heat growing closer and closer to his body. Before Lucian had time to react his eye finally caught a glimpse of what was happening. Carsen took the branding rod and pressed the hot metal tip onto Lucian's shoulder burning his flesh. Lucian began to fight. He grunted and yelled at the excruciating pain. He could smell his flesh burning and cooking underneath the iron. His body jerked as he tried to escape the pain but the death dealers only laughed maliciously and held Lucian down with all their strength covering his mouth. Tears leaked from Lucian's eyes. Carsen finally removed the iron exposing a bleeding flesh wound on Lucian's shoulder with a capital letter V engraved in the middle, standing for Viktor.

One of the death dealers brought Lucian's arm behind his back and raised his neck. The other walked over to the wall on the far side of the smithy and pulled off what Lucian recognized to be the collar that resided around the other slave's necks. It had four metal points that aligned along the inside. With a quick snap the death dealer locked the collar around Lucian's neck. It was terribly heavy for Lucian's small chest and there was no way to take it off, it was locked tight.