Thank you to everyone who has been reading the story! In this chapter you will learn about the process which Alcina chooses her candidates for experimentation. It is all about the blood. The sweet blood. Enjoy!

A few weeks ago:

Alcina stood in the Main Hall where twenty recently purchased girls between the ages of fifteen to twenty stood. She approached each maiden, grabbing hold of their chins and inspecting them. They were proclaimed to be the cream of the crop by the orphanage she had purchased them from, well, according to the Abbess, but it mattered not what they looked like. All that mattered was their blood. Would they be compatible with her own blood to survive the experiment? Or would they become servants to be prepared for harvest?

"Where are their papers?"

"Here, my lady," Rednic said, handing her the clipboard.

"Good," she smiled at their frightened faces, pointing to a petite blonde haired girl. "Bring her along, Rednic," Alcina ordered, leading them down the stairs; passed the Hall of Four, and to her bedchamber.

Rednic waiting outside of the room, Alcina closed the doors and motioned for the girl to stand by the fireplace.

"Now," Alcina took a seat in her chair, resting her fist underneath her chin. "Remove your clothes."

The blonde did as she was told, wrapping her arms around her midsection once she was completely undressed and awaiting Alcina's next order.

"Your name is Corina. 5'4. Blood type A negative, 17," She muttered to herself as she read through the girl's paperwork, clicking her tongue in thought. She turned her attention back over to the child, setting the clipboard on the table in front of her and motioning with her pointer finger for her to come to her. "What can you offer me, Corina? Are you a servant? Or noblewoman?"

"My lady?" she was confused by the question.

Alcina reached out and caressed her cheek, feeling the child tremble at her touch.

"Servant or noblewoman. Let us see…" In a flash Alcina used one claw and made a laceration across Corina's cheek.

The girl gasped, attempting to pull back, but Alcina grabbed her waist and pulled her in close, running her tongue along her cheek.

"Mmm," she hummed, knowing right away Corina would not be a candidate for experimentation. "Servant… Rednic!"

The man opened the door and bowed his head.

"My lady?"

"Take her to the servants' quarters, and send in the next child…"

"Yes, my lady," he said, allowing the child to dress before escorting her out.

Alcina tapped her foot against the rug, reading through more of the candidates files.

'Cream of the crop? I think that Abbess is cheating me. I give her flour sacks full of money and this is what she sends me?' Alcina growled in frustration, continuing to go through girl after girl unimpressed. 'They will make fine vintages, in fact, I can use both Tabitha and Illena right away, but the others will need to be harvested for a good three months before they are ready…'

Alcina rubbed her face in frustration. She was on the verge of telling Rednic to dispose of the rest when he sent in another girl by the name of Adelina. Alcina watched her closely, placing her arms down on the armrests and sitting straight up in her chair. The way this girl moved, like she owned the very castle. Her very essence prominent and powerful. How she held her head high with a touch of haughtiness about her.

She had hair the color of onyx with matching dark eyes and skin the color of honey.

Alcina was mesmerized.

"Shall I remove my clothes?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"My clothes?" she repeated, already beginning to undress herself.

"Yes," Alcina said, tearing her eyes away and looking through the clipboard for this child's file. Finding her picture near the way back, she read to herself: 'Adelina. Age 19. 5'10. O positive. Abandoned at the orphanage when she was ten…' She couldn't finish reading, her eyes drifting back to the young beauty. This one who would certainly be a candidate, but just to be absolutely sure. "Come to me." She set the clipboard down and captured Adelina's wrists, pulling her right down into her lap in order to reach her neck.

Just the feel of her long black hair tickling her face sent an electric thrill through her body. Alcina could barely contain her delight upon taking a sample of her blood.

"Do not fear me. Do not fear me," she hummed, trailing her fingers up and down the side of her neck. "Good girl. There's a good girl." Smiling as Adelina's eyes glazed over, she gently brushed the girl's black hair behind her shoulder and made the small laceration across her throat. Alcina clamped her lips down on the wound and began to suck. Softly at first, but as soon as the child's blood met her tongue did her sucking grow rougher.

Pulling Adelina closer to her body, she released a low moan in pleasure, holding the back of Adelina's neck to keep her sitting upright while her other arm was securely snaked around her waist.

'Yes, she is the one. Yes. Yes!' Finally she stopped and bit down on her own lip, drawing blood. "Drink now, Adelina." She brushed her lips against the girl's, prompting her to suck. "Drink. Good." Alcina closed her eyes, her body shuddering uncontrollably as Adelina locked her lips against hers and drank. Never had she thought she could feel such pleasure. Such peace again. This child. This child would be hers. The final piece of her heart that would be filled again… In that way she would once again feel as though Fredric, Helena and Josie had returned to her.

{…}

Two days later:

Alcina was seated behind the piano and watching Adelina dancing about. Twirling and spinning. Flowing to the music with grace and poise. The music she played was not too fast, though Adelina inquired for a song that was upbeat and fast paced.

"Where did you learn to dance, my child?"

"In my country dancing is part of my religion. It is what soothes the soul. Cleanses our hearts. We dance to be closer to our gods. Singing is even holier than dancing. Singing is how we give voices to our gods. They speak through us and to the world we live in, though I must say your music is foreign to me."

"And where is it you come from?"

"Egypt," she said. "That is as far as I know. I was brought to the orphanage when I was very young with only a few letters and items that belonged to my family. They made sure I knew who I was and where I came from. Even my own name."

"Adelina is not your name?"

"La," Adelina said in Arabic, which meant 'no'. "The name my mother gave me is Akila."

"Akila," Alcina hummed, enjoying the sound of her name rolling off her tongue. "I gather it means something?"

"Intelligent," Akila nodded her head.

Alcina tittered.

"The name befits you perfectly, and henceforth you shall be called Akila in honor of your heritage."

Akila stopped dancing and walked over to Alcina with a smile. Alcina stopped playing the piano, turning to face the child who so boldly captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Alcina's eyebrows shot straight up in surprise.

'This little thing already acts like she owns the damn place,' Alcina thought. 'How very amusing. This girl never ceases to arouse me in every way.' Moaning lightly into the kiss, Alcina picked the girl up and placed her in her lap. Making sure they did not break contact.

"My lady, I wish to have some more of your blood."

"Is that so?" Alcina mused, trailing her pointer finger along Akila's lips. "How do we ask, though?"

"My lady," Akila started again. "May I please have some more of your blood?"

"Mm, much better," Alcina purred, biting down on her lip to draw blood. "Take it, then."

Akila did not hesitate and launched herself at Alcina, the two remained locked together. The beat of their hearts becoming one. The connection solidified as their blood flowed through one another's veins. Growing stronger with each second.

'Tomorrow… yes. Tomorrow will be the day of the experiment.'

{…}

Alcina took a long drag from her cigarette, setting down her feathered pen and rising from her vanity. Akila's failure was a heavy blow. To have had her come so close and fail in the end…, though she acknowledged the success from it, too. She would use her blood first and wait a little while before she implanted the parasite.

"My lady," Rednic appeared in the doorway, bowing his head in respect. "Miss Adelina's body has been taken care of."

Alcina kept her back to him, drawing in another deep lungful of smoke; exhaling it through her nostrils.

"You used the incinerator, yes?"

"Yes, my lady. She was well cared for."

"Where are her ashes?"

Rednic revealed a beautifully crafted jar with Alcina's royal crest etched into it. She turned to Rednic, walking over to him and taking it out of his hands. Placing it close to her bosom, she released a shuddering sigh.

"I will need you to go back to the orphanage earlier than planned, Rednic, but only to collect girls with the same blood type as Akila. I do not care what age they are. From three years of age to nineteen. It matters not. Just bring them to me!"

"It will be done, my lady, I must go to the orphanage this week anyways due to a shipment of wine the Lady Abbess has just purchased, and the empty ones I must retrieve."

Alcina said nothing, absentmindedly stroking the jar as she thought about the next steps. Worried how many failures it would take for her to finally achieve her goal and dream. She did not notice Rednic leave. Walking out of her room and onto the terrace, she removed the lid and released Akila's ashes. They flew up into the sky. Twirling and dancing. The sight brought a smile to her face.

How she had loved to dance.

Even as she had settled her down into a bed in the nursery, Akila had inquired if they could dance some more afterwards.

"'Yes, my darling,'" Alcina had said, taking the syringe and injecting her. "'We can dance to your hearts content. Now rest. Rest.'"

The last thing she ever said to the child. That smile stretched across her face as she closed her eyes and sank into sleep.

Alcina, too, had drifted off to sleep and was awoken early the next morning by a horrible scream.

"Akila!" It had all happened so fast. One moment Akila was writhing and clawing at herself in the bed and the next thing she was unrecognizable. Just a black, lifeless mass.

"Is this why Mother Miranda told me not to be too hasty?" Alcina whispered. "Did she know this experiment would fail?"

A single tear trailed down her pale cheek.

"I am a damn fool. I was arrogant. I truly thought you would survive this…, but even a rare gem like you, my beloved Akila, is still human. Still mortal. And it proves that not just anyone can be touched by the gods. You were not destined to be chosen by my gods. You were but a mere acolyte. My heart aches for your death, but thanks to your sacrifice, I am that much closer to succeeding…"

Authors Notes: So, if you guys remember when you first enter into Lady D's castle there is a journal you can read. One of the journal entries talks about a man named, Rednic, delivering people to Alcina. I wrote him into my story as a sort of an Igor character if you will. And how Alcina turns her to be daughters I did loosely take from Dracula. Really interesting how the lore kinda ties in. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please leave any reviews.