“You won’t have to,” he replied. “You’ve already been bitten. You have a bite mark on your neck to prove it. Everyone can see you’re my consort already. You have nothing to prove.”
Dara looked away.
“This is all too much for you,” he told her. “You’ve only been here a few days, and this was your first experience of court. You need to get out of here and enjoy yourself.”
“What do you suggest?” she asked.
“Let me take you to the games,” he replied. “That should take your mind off things.”
“Games?” she asked.
“Now that Madam Trendeaux and her daughters have been initiated, they’ll be competing for their places in our society.”
Dara’s eyes widened. “Competing? You didn’t mention that.”
“I told you people competed for the right to serve us,” he reminded her.
“You said they held competitions and fought to the death,” she said. “Is that what you want me to watch?”
He chuckled. “Of course not. That would be barbaric. They race, and they throw the javelin, and they have wrestling matches. There are many other events, but the contestants don’t kill each other. Sanctuary is a civilized place. We wouldn’t allow our human companions to do anything to endanger themselves.”
“You might not do it now,” she pointed out. “But you did it in the past.”
Andrei shook his head. “Dara, dear Dara. When are you going to believe me? We didn’t make them fight to the death or war against each other. They did that in their own cities and nations. They never did it here in Sanctuary. We wouldn’t stand for it. We want happy, healthy, living companions. If humans want piles of rotting corpses, they can have that. We won’t have it here.”
She sighed. “All right. So Madam Trendeaux and her daughter are competing in the games. Haven’t they just been bitten? They’ll be too weak to do much.”
“That’s true,” he said. “I don’t expect they will win a very high position this time around. But by the next set of games, I’m sure they’ll do much better.”
“Next set?”
“We hold the games once a month. Any human can compete if they want a better place in our society.”
“Will I have to compete?”
Andrei laughed. “You’ve already attained the highest position a human can have. Others will compete for the honor to serve you.”
“But Reeva is serving me,” she said
“If someone challenges her, she will have to accept and defeat them, or they will exchange roles. But don’t worry, I’ve seen Reeva in the games; she’s very good.”
That didn’t assure Dara quite as much as she would have liked.
“And afterward, there are the children’s games,” Andrei said.
“Children?” she gasped.
Andrei smiled. “They aren’t really competing for places. It’s just for fun for them, so they feel like they’re a part of the entertainment.”
“But they still become companions, don’t they?” Dara asked. “Reeva told me she became a companion when she was a young girl.”
Andrei locked his eyes on her. “Every human being in Sanctuary becomes a companion. There are no exceptions.”
“What about little babies?” she asked. “What happens when a baby is born here? Do you feed on them, too?”
Andrei stood up. “Of course not. They usually start when they’re about six years old, when feeding wouldn’t cause them any discomfort or danger. Now come on. I don’t like to see you lying there moping.”
She looked at her court gown. “Shouldn’t I change?”
“If you like,” he told her. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Outside? Why?”
“You don’t want me watching you change your clothes, do you?” he asked.
“Don’t you want to watch?” she asked.
“Why would I want to do that?” he asked. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your privacy.”
She examined him. Then she turned away. “Suit yourself.”
His voice took on a tone of concern. “What’s the matter?”
“I just don’t understand all this,” she murmured. “It’s exactly opposite to what I expected.”
“In what way?” he asked.
Dara faced him. “You made all that fuss about bringing me here to be your consort. In the human world, that would mean being lovers and spouses, having children, sharing each other’s bodies and our lives. Now you won’t even stay in the same room while I change my clothes. It’s nothing like a human relationship at all.”
“You’re right,” he replied. “It’s not a human relationship. We’ll be sharing each other’s bodies, but it won’t be in the usual human sexual way. Being consorts isn’t the same as being lovers or even companions. It’s much more.”
“That’s what you keep saying,” she told him. “But I am human. I can’t deny the basic human need for physical intimacy. I’m sure the other consorts feel the same way.”
“Do you mean sex?” he asked. “If you mean sex, you can have sex with any human you want. I can see to that if you like.”
She gasped. “You want to arrange for me to have sex with another man? Is that what you think I want?”
“Do you not want sex?” he asked.
“No!” she cried. “I mean yes. But I don’t want some strange man you’ve arranged for me to have sex with. I came here to be with you. You say you brought me here because you love me. Well, I came here because I love you. I want to give my body to you and only you, and I don’t mean for you to feed off me and parade me around in fancy clothes. I want us to be closer than anyone else. I want us to be two sides of the same coin.”
“We are,” he replied. “You’re my consort. I couldn’t be closer to anyone if I wanted to be.”
“But you don’t desire my body,” she pointed out.
“Oh, I desire your body,” he countered. “I desire your body more than any human man ever could.”
“You know what I mean,” she shot back. “You don’t desire me in a sexual way.”
He made a troubled face. “Sex is meaningless to vampires. What I want from you is so much more than that. I desire your body in its purest sense. I desire that part of your body that represents your highest self. I desire your blood, your essence.”
She turned away. “You don’t understand.”
“It’s you who doesn’t understand,” he told her. “You will understand one day, though, after we’ve been consorts for a while. You’ll see that the bond between us is deeper and stronger than anything we could ever have through ordinary sex.”
She didn’t turn around. “If you’re going to wait outside while I change, you might as well go. This isn’t getting us anywhere.”
He nodded and went out.
Dara stared out the window. If only the tiny twitter of a house sparrow rang through that window to comfort her soul. What she wouldn’t give for that.
Chapter Four
Reeva came back in and quickly had a change of clothes set out for Dara that would suit her visit to the games.
She traded her ornate court gown for a light blouse and a long skirt. A pair of ankle-high leather boots and a matching leather jacket completed the ensemble.
When she opened the door to face Andrei, it was with a refreshed air. The disquiet and doubt she had experienced earlier faded away, and she looked forward to the excitement and exhilaration of the games.
Andrei took her by the hand, and they walked side by side down through the main foyer into the street.
People of all colors and ages mingled in the square in front of the palace. They smiled and bowed to Andrei, and to Dara. Would she ever get used to that? Would she ever get used to having other people waiting on her, dressing her, and bowing to her?
Vendors tended stalls on the side streets. Children ran and shouted through the square. Women carried baskets of laundry here and there. Industry, contentment, and tranquility reigned throughout the city. Sanctuary really was the shining city from Dara’s dream. The noise of human activity even obliterated the curious absence of bird songs.
All at once, Dara glanced around and noticed one other strange difference between this shining city and home. No animals of any kind lived here. No dogs or cats trotted through the streets. No squirrels chattered in the trees. In fact, Dara couldn’t even see any trees, or plants of any kind.
“What’s wrong with this place?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” Andrei asked. “Sanctuary is perfect.”
“There are no animals and no plants,” she said. “There are no trees or flowers. There aren’t even any weeds growing out of the cracks in the pavement.”
Andrei laughed. “You should be happy about that. People spend a fortune to get rid of weeds.”
Dara didn’t answer, and they continued on their way.
She couldn’t get her mind off the lack of animal and plant life. None of the windows had flower pots in them. No ivy trailed over the doorways. Courtyards and squares graced the intersections of the streets, but no gardens, no parks, and no trees. People walked everywhere. No horses pulled carts or wagons through the streets. No one rode on anything.
“Did you know,” Dara said, “some religions forbid people to live anywhere where there are no trees?”
Andrei raised his eyebrows. “Is that so?”
Dara nodded. “And did you know that the human brain can’t function correctly if a person doesn’t see a certain shade of green?”
Andrei laughed. “What shade of green is that?”
Dara spoke in a serious voice. “It’s the shade of green that matches the chlorophyll in plants. The human brain is designed to function best when it sees that green. Psychologists have done studies on people deprived of contact with green plants. They aren’t as productive, and they aren’t as happy. Their brains start to atrophy, and their hormonal system becomes unbalanced.”
Andrei turned away. “I know what you’re saying. But as you can see, the people of Sanctuary are perfectly happy and productive. There’s nothing wrong with their brains.”
“Maybe there is something wrong with them,” Dara muttered.
“Like what?” he asked. “What do you think is wrong with them?”
The words rushed out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Maybe what’s wrong with them is that they think being bitten and bled by vampires is a good thing. Maybe what’s wrong with them is that they think being slaves and servants and livestock is the best thing for them. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with them.”
Andrei didn’t get angry like she thought he would. He glanced around in silence for a moment.
“I can understand why you might think that. You just came here from the human world. You value independence. Naturally, you would think anyone who willingly gave it up was misled, or crazy. But it isn’t like that. We don’t force anyone to do anything.”
“I never said you forced them,” she returned. “That’s just the problem. They don’t have to be forced. They do it of their own free will.”
He shook his head. “You’re new to Sanctuary. Everyone has a period of adjustment they go through. But you’ll see. Look. We’re almost to the arena. Have a good look around while we’re there. See if anyone here has an ‘atrophied’ brain.”
As he spoke, they joined a crowd of people moving toward an enormous building at the conjunction of three streets.
People laughed and jostled each other in their haste to get through the doors. Children jumped around in all directions, but the adults made no attempt to restrain them. An electric charge of excitement rippled through the crowd.
The excitement of it caught hold of Dara, too, and she forgot all about atrophied brains and slavery. A flush of happiness brightened her cheeks, and her breathing quickened. She smiled up at Andrei, and he smiled down at her.
Whenever someone saw her holding hands with Andrei, and noticed the bite mark on her neck, they would give her a nod of respect, and stand aside. She couldn’t stop herself from swelling with pride to be escorted by Andrei. She never experienced any respect or honor like this back home.
The crowd surged through the doors and spread out into an open arena with a vaulted ceiling and rising tiers of stands on all sides. Andrei climbed the stairs, and Dara hurried after him. “Where are we going?”
He nodded toward the top of the arena. “The Royal Box is up there, but we’ll sit next to it where we can see and hear everything better.”
They stopped on a platform at the top of the stands, and they took their seats on a wooden bench. Other people sat nearby, but no one sat next to them. When they spotted Andrei, they moved away and left a bubble of space around him and Dara. She glanced to her right and spotted the king and queen in their box. The king nodded to her, and the queen smiled. Dara smiled back.
Then she remembered: They weren’t people. They were vampires. They would just as soon bite any person here and drink their blood as look at them. How could she ever get used to that fact? Even her beloved Andrei, with all his professions of love, wanted her for her blood and for nothing else. He didn’t even want to have sex with her.
She didn’t have time to think about any of that, though. A cheer rose from the crowd, and Dara gazed down into the central arena.
A group of competitors ran in through a door in the side of the stands and formed a line across the arena. They waved and blew kisses to the people in the stands. Madam Trendeaux and her daughters were among them.
“What kind of game is this going to be?” Dara asked.
“A foot race.”
“Is that fair?” she asked. “Women racing against men?”
Andrei shrugged. “Anyone can compete for any position. It’s their choice.”
Dara looked around the track along the outer wall of the arena. “Where’s the finish line?”
“This will be a test of endurance,” he said. “Not speed. The women will have the same chance to win as the men.”
The runners formed up on the track and looked in their direction expectantly. The king stood up in his box and struck a mallet against a round metal gong. The noise echoed across the arena, and the runners rocketed forward at the same moment.
The spectators erupted into thunderous cheers. They called out to the runners and cheered them on.
Several of the contestants quickly fell behind, including Madam Trendaux and her daughters.
Three men took the early lead and put more and more distance between themselves and those following them.