~ Chapter Three: Answers ~

Pain flared up Lucia's arm, soaring around the circumference of her wrist and forcing her awake. The former princess clenched her jaw from the pain as she grasped her right wrist with her other hand. Before Lucia's eyes a thick black line had been engraved into her wrist, blood was pooling to the surface of her skin but slowly the bleeding was coming to a stop.

"It seems the slave contract has finally taken effect, your blood was refusing it making the process longer and the pain worse, unfortunately for you," Sabina was leaning against the frame of the door with little care for the pain Lucia had gone through.

Lucia's head was buzzing as she stared at the black tattoo-like scar which was throbbing as if it had its own heartbeat, fortunately the pain was slowly fading away.

Slowly coming to her senses, the room seemed to bright. Was this Sabina's doing? She looked up at the witch and didn't see her holding anything, or the famous red glow she had when she used magic. Her eyes scanned the room and managed to take in everything, but when she looked to the window her eyes burned. Not painful, just too bright. There was also a strange unending noise though right now she wanted to focus on seeing correctly. Lucia automatically looked away from the day-time view, blinking away the brightness, all while Sabina simply watched.

As Lucia blinked again and again, the brightness seemed to dim and return to a somewhat normal vision but the sound didn't go away. Thump. Thump. Where the hell was it coming from? While her sight was now normal, she could see everything in detail, so clearly, as if she was wearing magnify glasses on her eyes.

Lucia finally spoke up "What is happening to me?" Lucia ducked her head down at the loudness of her own voice. Was she screaming? She didn't intend to scream. Then Sabina chuckled, but so loud. Why was everything so loud? And that enending thump! Where was it coming from. And this bed, the sheets, the mattress, why was everything so uncomfortable!

"Breathe," Sabina's voice was breathy but back to a normal volume it seemed, so Lucia looked up at the witch. "I'm whispering right now, child. Your body is still adapting to the vampiric transformation. Calm yourself. Set your own senses and breathe."

Lucia listened to Sabina's advice and took slow, deep breaths. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. Lucia let loose a small hum and fortunately the sound was normal again. Opening her eyes, the thump had stopped, the brightness was normal, her sensory adaptation had kicked in.

"What just happened to me?" Lucia's voice was still on the quiter side in case her mind felt like exploding with noise again. "There was this unending thump, I could feel, everything . . ."

"Your vampiric nature, along with whatever other gifts that curse has left you with. Your senses will be raised, emotions heightened, it will be a wild ride for you from now onwards. As for the thump," Sabina grinned, "you were hearing my heartbeat."

"Your heartbeat," Lucia gasped. Would she hear it again? Maybe if she tried? Something in her switched, her ears seemed to open and the thumping of Sabina's heart sounded, as well as the ticking of the watch on her arm, but then the creak of the house sounded too loudly and Lucia ducked into herself in pain again. Too loud.

"It'll take some time to adapt and hone your own senses once again," Sabina spoke.

"This-this is insane," Lucia whispered to herself but then remembered her current situation. Her short thin fingers smoothed over the black tattoo. "This is a slave contract?"

"Correct, as I said earlier this binds you to me until your debt is payed. I'll know your location at all times and have the ability to summon you with the flick of my wrist," Sabina indeed flicked her wrist and Lucia's head filled with two words: master calls. Watching the shock flash over the little girl's features she let out a chuckle, "It''s quite handy, don't you agree?"

Lucia tightened her grip around her wrist, wishing the black line would vanish. She finally mustered up some courage, "Are you really the Red Witch?"

"I told you last night I was," Sabina shook her head as if dissapointed.

"Right after you told me not trust anyone," Lucia responded and the witch burst into a grin.

"I suppose I did, what a good little listener you are! Hmm. . ." Sabina hummed in thought and then her eyes focused on the candle next to the young princess. With merely a finger, the witch's aura glowed red around her hand and the candle's flame burst to light next to the former princess.

Lucia pushed herself away from the witch and the candle, huddling into the corner of the bed rented out by Sabina. While Lucia was amazed by the talent, magic without a spell performed only by the best magicians, Sabina really was the Red Witch. Who else's magic was such a vibrant red! It's exactly as the rumors said, then last night with her potions. . . Lucia could have died.

"Does that prove I'm the Red Witch?" Sabina cocked her head to the side with a smirk. Lucia nodded her head but didn't utter a word. "Like I said last night, I am Sabina. I have no last name, so I do not belong to any house but my own. As for you child, Lucia Emilia Valtori, you will, for now, scrap such a name while a slave to me. If you dare spread such words of being a Valtori, while no one will believe you, I'll return to my original plans. Do I make myself clear?"

Lucia nodded her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Speak when I ask you a question child."

Lucia's throat felt dry, "Y-yes, Sabina." Such weakness like a stutter coming out of her mouth felt pathetic to the former princess. She was raised and trained to be the perfection of an elegant woman, yet here she was huddled away from the witch in fear. Her head had started buzzing again when Sabina had been stern. Lucia felt angry, but something within her felt worse.

Sabina eyed the small girl, "Good. I will grant you a name request out of the mercy of my heart, be it something I deem fit."

Trying to hush the buzzing in her head with thoughts of names, the first name that had popped up in her head had been Arabella. Such a beautiful name had belonged to her mother, but it was famous from the passing queen; nevermind the heavy pressure that came with the name, thoughts of her elder brother Laurent, who would be cursing away and hurling items at her for daring to even think of using such a name came into her mind. Then another name filtered through, "Why not just use Emilia? Not many people know my middle name, and it would still be a name I recognize."

Sabina hummed for a second in consideration but finally nodded her head, "Alright, Emilia it is. I suppose I should give you some details about how this master-slave contract works. For starters, I paid two-thousand gold for your scrawny body."

Lucia couldn't help but become dumbfounded by such a number. On one hand, the former princess found herself grieving for her own worth dictated by only a small number, and while it is quite a lot, especially when she has no copper to her new name, to truly be given a value in general was hurtful; on the otherhand, this worked out in her favor to some degree. In truth, Lucia couldn't put a number to her own self anyway, though she was sure the Queen would have no difficulty. Her elder brother might have even handed her over with no charge!

"In order to remove the slave contract, you'll be working for me, my own little guinea pig," Sabina smirked, amusement dancing in her eyes as she thought of the possible experiments she could conduct on a vampire. "Out of the mercy of my heart, I won't put interest on the number, but every night spent in this bed, every ingredient you take by your own expense, any hot water you use will add to the total sum you'll owe me."

Lucia paled at the wicked witch's words. Only moments before had she been able to relax herself out of the corner, now she tightened her grip around her knees. What a sadistic woman! How much time would be spent paying off her debt? How much would she even get for helping Sabina anyway!

"How much will I earn by helping you?" Lucia tried to collect herself, remain dignified and stoic as always, but the nerves were slipping through every time she thought of the cost.

"Depends on what you're contributing. I'm not completely evil child, I'll have my familiar keep track of how much you owe on the small chalkboard I keep in the kitchen," Sabina spoke.

A familiar! Weren't creatures extremely hard to bond with! She must have a giant snake or something! As if on que, a small black cat sauntered into the small room and brushed itself up against Sabina's legs.

"Just waiting to make an entrance weren't you!" Sabina rolled her eyes and picked up the fluffy cat. Lucia had a desire to pet the kitty, she had always wanted a pet. Recalling what Sabina has said to the animal- This must be her familiar!

"This is Spells, a cocky little devil this one is," Sabina ran her fingers through his soft coat, her eyes gentle.

"Tis I! Hello master ~ " Spells said looking up at Sabina. Wait, it can speak!

Lucia stared in shock at the cat. It had only looked like it was meowing, yet his child-like voice, similar to her younger half-brother Elijah's voice was so clear.

"Y-you can speak?" Lucia yelled out.

The witch's eyes narrowed and her gaze flickered from Spells to Lucia.

"This child seems to hear me Master," Spells whispered, but his voice was still audiable to Lucia's new heightened hearing.

"Am I not supposed to?" Lucia asked.

"Only I should be able to hear Spells, to you he should sound exactly like any regular housecat. . ." Sabina hummed in thought and her lips curved upwards into a smirk, "How interesting."

"W-whats interesting?" Lucia stammered.

"I'm guessing it's because you're both monsters, you'll be able to communicate," Sabina sounded convincing.

To keep calling Lucia a monster. Was she really such a monster now? Brushing past the moral questioning, Lucia thought of another question, "Am I allowed to find work outside of you?"

"As long as it doesn't effect me, I don't have a problem with it. However, wandering into the Higher Class side of the wall is forbidden, as is exiting the city without my permission. If you so much as manage to get a breath out of the city boundary or caught up on the rich snobs side of the wall, I'll lock you in a cage and do my experiments no questions asked."

Lucia nodded in understand. "Now, go get washed up, you're a mess. The bathroom is just down the hall," Sabina ordered, but as she saw the young girl hesitating she couldn't help but chuckle. "Consider your sum untouched until after your bathe."

The former princess shot up out of bed, scurrying out from the corner and ready to bathe but as soon as she took her first step towards the door, pain soared through her body. Lucia's small legs gave up underneath her and her knees came crashing to the wooden floor with a loud thud. She just barely managed to catch herself with her hands before her face followed in pursuit of her knees.

"Pathetic," Sabina scoffed, but she moved forward and lifted Lucia back onto the bed; she examined the new cuts and scrapes now on Lucia's knees and palms. "While I'm not an expert in Vampires, especially the mystery that is pure bloods, normally yesterday's amount of blood you drank lets you get through at most a week feeling strong. I'm speculating that since you're sick, and now injured, your recovery requires more blood."

Sabina looked the child over once again before determining her next move. Rolling up one of her long orange sleeves, Sabina spoke, "In the future I'll be charging you for this child."

"Y-you want me to drink your blood again" Lucia found all of this unbelievable, "I can't just eat normal food?"

"Just take your fill and stop with all your questions!" Sabina was starting to get annoyed with the child sat next to her but continued to explain anyways. "A human's blood holds more nutrients for monsters like you. I'm telling you this because you are now my prized guniea pig, but if you don't eat, you'll grow weak and useless and will become an irrational creature who would kill endlessy to fill yourself up."

Lucia swallowes the lump in her throat. She'd become exactly like a scary monster if she didn't eat? "But won't I hurt you?"

Sabina stared down at the small vampire, "Of course it hurts, your fangs are stabbing into my skin child. Through experince and learning to control yourself you'll eventually become better. There was once a famous vampire whos bite was quite pleasurable to the woman he drank blood from."

Lucia only listened to the witch and tried to make sense of her situation. "How is it you know so much Sabina?"

The master of the small girl smirked, "I'm the Red Witch, child. if I didn't know this much I'd be almost as pathetic as you right now."

The former princess growing used to Sabina's forward way of speaking only nodded, satisfied with the answer. Strangely it didn't seem like Sabina comments weren't meant to be mean, but instead a reminder to how weak Lucia really was.

"Well get on with it little monster! I won't be cutting my precious skin for you like I did last night, so follow your instincts and sink your fangs into my arm," Sabina pushed.

Taking a deep breath, Lucia still couldn't process the idea that she had actual fangs. It was true she had always been different from most people, especially her own family in terms of traits. One such physical difference was her now literal fangs that Sylvia used to only tease Lucia for when she smiled, but to think they were even longer now. . . Thinking about the delicious taste from yesterday, two teeth on the top and bottom of her mouth seemed to get longer and sharper when Lucia ran her tongue against them.

Gently taking Sabina's wrist in her small hands, Lucia stared at the tender flesh of Sabina's tanned skin. Sabina let out a laugh after a moment of silence. "You really don't have to think that hard about this little monster. I can already see your fangs, just follow your instincts."

Lucia closed her eyes to let her instincts act foe her. Sabina's heartbeat was once again ringing in her head, such a steady beat, like drums. Her breath was calm and collected and her scent intoxicating with the scent of flesh and blood so close.

Lucia brought her mouth to Sabina's wrist and let her fangs sink into her flesh so easily. She couldn't helo but to bring forward slow mouthfuls of blood, soon Lucia found herself pulling more quickly. The former princess felt ravenous, like she couldn't get enough. She didn't care as the blood ran down her chin and neck, all she cared for was the taste. It was better than her favorite dessert, chocolate pudding! In fact, Lucia couldn't even describe the taste or senation, accept for the fact that it was the most delicious substance she had ever tasted.

Lucia's breathing had become erratic, her heart beat pounding, her hands tightening around Sabina's arm so absorbed in the taste and the power she felt reaching her limbs. There was a buzz of satisfaction in her body, her body felt strong and capable and the wounds and pain she had recieved in the last couple days had been relieved.

Suddenly a high pitched noise imvaded her skull. Lucia let go of her grip around Sabina's arm, retract her fangs and instead clench her own head, trying to soothe the pain.

Fortunately the ringing stopped and she was met with a stern looking Sabina. "I shouted your name quite a few times. You nees to learn control! You were like a tick that wouldn't let go." Sabina was now nursing her arm, her eyes like blades as she stared down at her slave. "I told you to follow your instincts, but don't become absorbed in them."

Lucia felt guilty for actions, her bite so deep on Sabina's skin, it would definitely scar. "I didm't even hear you, I'm so sorry Sabina."

The former princess felt like crying, she even may have been. Why had she been so stupid? She got absorbed for what only felt like seconds and caused Sabina harm.

"Why are you the one crying little monster? I'm the one who had your nasty fangs in my skin," Sabina flicked Lucia's forehead. "You're new at this, just learn to control it, then understand when to stop."

Lucia rubbed at her forehead where Sabina had flicked her. "How can I learn to control being a vampire?"

"Hell if I know! I'm not an expert on your kind, but I can tell you right now theres a lot more to you then just vampiric nature. While what I do know is limited, it would be better foe you if you go about figuring yourself out on your own."

While it was disappointing that Sabina wouldn't tell her, Lucia understood that learning by way of experience would be much more beneficial than trying to do what Sabina expected her to be capable of doing.

"You've had your meal, so enough chit chat! You're filthy! Take a look in the mirror and take a bath!" Sabina yelled playfully and pulled Lucia up. The witch pushed her in the direction of one of the narrow hallways in her house and pointed to the last door before turning to who-knows-where.