A Vampire's Life Book 6

Chapter 8

Zane was still riled up by her words such things are not for a slave's knowledge. Was it too hard to say they were having a party? Did she need to constantly remind him of his bondage to her family? Was she keeping him at arm's length, trying to avoid any involvement with him? Was a possible relationship frowned upon by her family? Zane had found an empty bottle of rum on the floor and another bottle of rum in the hands of one very drunk slave keeper, now passed out on the lounge in the slave's quarters. He took the bottle, still very full and set about emptying it for him. In his drunken wanderings, he had ventured around the house, unnoticed by the guards. Maybe it was luck, maybe they could see he was drunk and they were waiting for him to do something stupid. Like venture too close to the electric fence. Or maybe end up in the lake. Zane drank straight from the bottle as he fumbled his way around the property, listening to the animals, wondering what animal was making what noise. It was all very foreign to him. He knew of rats, big, beady eyed rats. There was the occasional stray dog or cat, he had seen his fair share of cockroaches and spiders. But nothing like he had seen at this place. Zane found himself at the stables, his free hand running along the wood, listening for sounds of these creatures called horses. He had never seen something so majestic as these animals. They stood tall and proud and liked it when he ran the brush over their body. Being taught grooming skills was an interesting lesson, but it was one that was suggested he should learn with vigour. By the maid that ran the kitchen. She was full of suggestions; it was almost like she knew that Zane wanted Ariella. Learn how to tend to the horses, maintain the cherry blossom at the far end of the house, persistence is the key, don't give up hope. But he had. One little sentence had crushed any hope he had. He knew she was cold, he could see it easily. But Zane held hope that he could change that with just a little affection. If he showed an interest surely he could change the way she was? Clearly not.

Love in his world was always fleeting. No one ever stayed still for long enough to maintain anything serious. People kept to their own in the outside world, moving around to avoid detection. His longest relationship had lasted two weeks, then she disappeared without a trace. Zane had wondered what happened to her, fearing that she might have been caught by the vampires and sent to the farm for breeding. Or worse yet, caught by the rogues. That was a fate worse than death. For men it meant that you were pitted against each other, if they let you survive. The bare fisted fighting at the slave vendor was mild from what Zane had heard. No one wanted to be caught by the rogues. If you were a woman and caught by them, you would wish for death. Zane dreaded the thought of any woman being caught by them, they saw the women as they play toys, to be sold and used as they saw fit. He was glad to be away from that world. Even if he was in servitude now, at least he was safe. For the time being anyway. The thoughts of his future always lingered with the thoughts of what he needed to do. Dead man walking hissed through his mind.

He continued around the house, the moon lighting a milky path across the stones in front of him. A gentle breeze floated through the trees. Turning the corner, he realised he was now facing the section of the house that was Ariella's quarters. The downstairs section was something he had only seen through the windows. A lounge area with a large fire place, the desk she frequently sat at was closest to the window. On the other side of the room was one very large piano, black and glossy. Upstairs was her bedroom; he had looked at her bed with wishful thoughts. Wondering if he was ever going to get the chance to lay on it. Not likely, not when she still treats him like a slave. He thought she didn't see him as a person. Just a slave with a number, owned by her family. Zane stumbled over the paved court yard, drawing closer to the grand tree that sat in its centre. It was broad and flourished with beautiful green leaves, shading much of the area. Running his hand over the bark on the trunk, he heard a noise behind him. Spinning around and almost dropping the bottle in his hand, he saw the queen standing behind him. Her belly was full with pregnancy, the dress she wore flowed freely around her frame. Gone was the black hair with green tips from the music video, now she had black hair with long blue streaks.