Chapter two

4.30 a.m.

I'm sitting down reading a book, perfectly content when my bloody brother rings the door bell. I know it's him because nobody else knows where I live, unless they somehow tracked me down. I walk over and open the mahogany door. It's Sebastian standing there with a girl, grinning like a maniac. Her eyes are as wide as saucers and her wrists are tied up.

"Get inside, her too." I can feel my cool slowly slipping. He knows I didn't want this and he completely ignored me.
"Cool, come on sweetie." He drags the girl inside. She struggles to stay near the door, where she can get out. Sebastian walks over to the couch and pulls the girl onto his lap. She fights for all she's worth but it hardly registers with him. I lock the door and walk over to them. She finally stops, and I yell at Sebastian, "What the hell do you think you're doing Sebastian? I told you I didn't want some slave. I expressly said not to bring some strange girl here!"
He gives me a 'jeez lighten up' look.
"I'm serious Sebastian did you even listen to me?!"
"Of course I listened to you brother. I just thought you might change your mind once you saw your present. It's so cute." He pinches her cheek and makes noises like he's talking to a baby. Anger flashes in her dark eyes but she keeps still.
"I want her out of here. Now. Take her back to wherever the hell she came from."
"The market that is. Nobody else will buy her at such a steep price."
"How much did you pay for her?" I ask. He's so stupid. I can't believe he pulled something like this.
"Twelve grand."
"What? I don't even want her, you just wasted twelve grand I hope you know." He looks crest fallen. "A guilt trips not gonna work on me Seb. Just take her back to where she came from. Not the market. Where she came from before that."
"Look," he says in his most oily tone, "keep the girl three days and see if she pleases you, if not, I'll get rid of her." If I make him take her now there's no doubt that he'll do something suss with her. He's got no respect for human life.
"Fine, but you're still in trouble."
"I'm really sorry," he says and shakes his head looking at the floor.
"Cut the shit Sebastian. Now get out of here."
"Aren't you even going to say thanks for your present?" he has the nerve to smirk as he opens the front door of the cottage. I pick up a shoe and chuck it at his head.
"OK, gone..." I hear him trailing off into the distance muttering something about an ungrateful younger brother. Good.

I go to the kitchen and get a butchers knife out of one of the grey drawers. I'll cut the rope on her wrists. Better do it slowly or she'll think I'm trying to stab her. A human girl in my home. Almost as strange as it is irritating. It's dangerous too, what if the cops are actually competent enough to find her? What if he picked the daughter of somebody important by accident? I swear under my breath as I walk over to the girl. That'd be something he'd do. She flattens herself against the couch and looks at me like I'm about to gut her.

"Relax," I tell her as I kneel on the dark blue rug. I pick up her wrist and start to use the knife as a saw, slicing the ropes between her wrists. It takes me about fifteen seconds to get it all undone. She shakes her wrists free of the frayed remains of the ropes. I gather them up silently and put them on the coffee table. I'll get rid of them later.
"Are you OK, did he do anything to you?"
She shakes her head. "He said I had to be in good condition. Untainted. For when he gave me to you." I shake my head at that. Sebastian loves to play sick little games with the girls. He's more into messing with their minds than anything.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about him. Look I'll drive you home tonight. The sun's almost up so I'll have to wait till about six tonight. That's hours away so why don't you get some sleep?"
"Yeah, good idea." She sounds unconvinced.
"I'll get you a blanket. Unless you want to sleep in my room?"

She shakes her head. Doesn't talk much. "I'll be back in a second." I exit the room and head down the corridor. It's dark. I don't have lights. She makes me aware of that. I open a cupboard door. I haven't really used this little closet much. There's a couple of blankets and a pillow. I don't really need blankets. Haven't for a long time. It just makes me feel safer when I wrap one around myself. Reminds me of before I was turned.

When I walk back into the room she's half way out the window. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Thanks for the cliche," she says, "but I'm out of here." She slides further out the window. It's only her ankles left now. Soon they disappear and I hear her running. Leaves crunching under her feet. Dammit. I swing open the door so hard I hear a cracking noise and bolt after her. I catch up to her quickly and grab her arm.
"Let go of me!"
"Why? You'll die out here. I said I'd take you home."
"Because I know what you are!" I'm confused for a second.
"My brother told you."
"No. 'The suns almost up.' A strange market where girls are sold illegally. You're very pale." She's smart. But probably insane.
"Vampires aren't real." I say flatly.
"I didn't think so either, but I know one when I see one. Plus they have superior strength. I've never been overpowered by a guy before but when I was taken I felt like I used my strength up in five seconds." Her face clouds with the memory of it.
"You really just gathered that I'm a vampire from that?"
"Yeah, and I think I felt your brothers fangs brush against my neck before. That's kind of when it all clicked." I stand there for a minute, amazed. She's not yelling 'no, dont hurt me, you aren't real!' She's perfectly composed. She punches me. It hurts but enough for me to let go. She does it again, harder.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Getting away before you turn on me!"
"I'm not going to bite you."
"Yeah, I really trust you." She pulls with all her strength and her arm slides out of my hand. I shrug my shoulders.
"Fine, have it your way." I wrap my arm firmly around her shoulders and start walking back towards the house. She's forced to move along with me or else trip and fall on her face.

Anastacia

Once we get back in the house he looks at the door, his arm still around me. For some reason it doesn't seem that urgent to shake it off. The door's going to need some repairs. It's all cracked around the hinges.
"Now, sit down and behave yourself." He sounds like a school teacher but when I turn to face him he doesn't look mean.
"Fine," I snap. I pick up the knife from the table as I walk across the room.
"Hey, put that down," he scolds me. I glare at him and sit down in the very corner of the room. I'm not taking any chances with a blood sucking vampire. This floor is hard. I'm going to have to be pretty stubborn to stay there leaning against the stone wall for more than a few minutes. He doesn't seem to care. Sits down on the couch.
"This going to be a pretty long day," he comments. Yeah, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. The adrenalin is wearing off and I feel exhausted. His face goes a little blurry. He's got an almost innocent look about him. Weird considering how many people he must have killed. "No..." I mutter under my breath "must not fall asleep..."

8.30 am

Where am I? In the middle of nowhere in a vampire's home stead. Should have known something like this would happen to me. My eyes adjust to the dim light of the room. The curtains are shut. The sun must have come up. I'm surprised it wasn't up when I was running around before. I have no idea what time it is. Seems like ages since I was grabbed on my way home. That's strange, I'm not sitting up. I'm not in the corner any more either. I'm laying on the couch, a pillow propping up my head.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" It's the vampire. His hair is slick with moisture. They take showers?
"Fine, why did you move me?" I ask.
"You looked a bit uncomfortable." Guess I must have been. I still don't want him carrying me around when I'm asleep though.
"What's your name kid? You never said."
"Anastacia."
"That's a nice name." He smiles like he's remembering something bitter sweet.
"Don't call me that though. Everybody calls me Stacey, or Stace."
"I'll just call you Stace then."
"What's your name?"
"Nicholas, Nick for short."
"I would say nice to meet you..."
"I think the circumstances have stamped out that phrase."
"What's the time?" I ask. He seems so casual. He doesn't even talk like he's from a different century. God knows how old he is. There's a few things I'd like to know.
"It's eight-thirty."
"Shit. My mother will be worried if she's up."
"Well you better call her. Make something up, tell her you'll be home tonight."
"Yeah. You have a phone?"
"Yeah," he says and takes a cell out of his pocket. I have a cell too but I don't want him to know that. I dial the land line. It takes a while for her to pick up.
"Hello, Mum?"
"Anastacia?" she answers in a groggy voice.
"Yeah, it's me."
"Where are you? I just checked your room on the way out here you aren't there."
"Yeah I know, I stayed at Kimberley's place last night. I just forgot to call we started watching a DVD as soon as I got to her place. I just... forgot."
"I'm glad your safe honey, but I got a fright when you weren't there this morning."
"I'm sorry." How could I ever tell her?
"When are you coming home?"
"I'll be home..." Shit what am I supposed to say? "Tonight. After work. Two people called in sick I have to cover someone's shift." I hear a deep sigh on the other end of the line.
"Suppose you won't be home till two am again then?"
"I finish at twelve, I'll be home by twelve thirty."
"Ok, make sure you come straight home you know I worry."
"Sure, Mum." Yeah, she worries now. At night she's too busy thinking about her woes and skolling red wine to think about me. I shut the cell.
"Well, buys us some time."
"Yeah."
"You seem a bit shaky."
"Nah, nah I'm fine." Why does he even care? He may not eat me but I don't think we'll be having a heart to heart any time soon. I can't stand it though. I have to know.
"So tell me about your past." I sit up and pat the space next to me on the couch. He sits down, closer to me than I expected.
"It all started one hundred years ago this day..."