––––––––
The hours dragged by. Olivia paced her cell and bit her nails. When would Hernando and Valori return with the magic potion that would make her invisible? All right, she knew it wasn't an invisibility potion, but if it made her less sniffable to these people, who lived to sniff her, then she welcomed it.
She ate some supper, but she couldn't sit still. Finally, she gave up her pacing, shrugged out of her festival gown, slipped into her night shirt and crawled into bed.
Upon waking, she bolted upright at the sight of a new bottle on the table.
"However did that get there?"
"I brought it."
Olivia pulled the blanket to her chin. "Hernando?"
From the shadows near the doorway he appeared. Olivia sat up and smoothed her sleep-tossed hair back from her face. "How long have you been standing there? How did you get in here?"
Hernando left his hiding place and approached the table. "Not very long. I know one of the Overseers on duty during the rest period. We're from the same clan on my father's side."
"He's a friend?"
"Not really. We are clan brothers. He owes me a favor."
"But the Overseers look a lot like Murnau and he looks like a..." She hated to say vampire, but what else could she call the ruling class of BloodDark? A cold shiver tingled down her spine. She pulled the blanket tighter around her body.
His big brown eyes look sad at her reaction. "Don't be afraid, Olivia. I'm not going to sniff you."
"Whew! That's a relief. Is your clan brother going to help me escape this prison?"
Hernando shook his head. "He can't go against the house he serves without suffering a severe punishment, but he did let me in to deliver the scent-masker that Valori created for you. You need to start dousing it on a little at a time. Tonight is the festival."
"Tonight?" Olivia jumped up and began to gather her soap and toiletries. "I want to bathe first before I put it on."
"Yes, that would be wise. You must put the scent-masker all over your body. You must cover the entire surface of your skin with it."
She gulped. "Not just behind my ears, huh?"
He nodded.
"Will you be at the festival?"
"Only the Pure Bloods are allowed to be there." Hernando shrugged. "I'm supposed to know my place."
"Murnau and his family, they're Pure Bloods I take it?" Another nod. "So, why am I invited? I'm not from this planet at all."
"That's why you're invited." He turned his face away. "You're the reason for the feast."
Olivia tilted her head and observed her new friend closely. "You don't seem very comfortable saying that I'm the guest of honor."
"It's not what you think. You're not a guest—you are the feast."
"Say what?" Olivia took a step backward. "You're telling me that I'm on the menu?" She'd been right all along!
"Not exactly."
Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest it was beating so hard. "Explain it to me. Explain why they're not about to perform a reenactment of the Donner Party with yours truly as the main course."
He slowly turned to face her. "The Pure Bloods...they want your blood. It intoxicates them. It makes their festivities special. It's why they brought humans to this world in the first place."
So they are vampires! No wonder I can't get that idea of them being bloodsuckers out of my mind. Another horrifying idea struck her. "Hernando, these Pure Bloods? They've traveled to Earth before, haven't they?"
"Yes, they have. Many times over many hundreds of years in search of new blood for their needs. They abduct only a few humans at a time so no one grows suspicious, and the missing are assumed to be dead or runaways. Occasionally Pure Bloods have been seen and reported to authorities, but my mother told me that most humans think they're nothing but creatures from mythology."
"Super creepy creatures at that!" She shuddered then sighed. "But why take me?
"Your blood is the most prized of all." His face reddened slightly. He averted his eyes. "I heard Murnau talking about you. You're young and a virgin. They can smell it. Your blood will taste a hundred times better than any other human's—a thousand times better than any of my people's."
Olivia felt her stomach churn. "Ugh! Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I wanted you to get your rest, that's why. You'll need all your strength to get away from them."
He was right. Knowing her captors' true nature wouldn't have helped her sleep at all.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to go now and get things ready." Hernando's smile gave her hope. "Valori will be here shortly to help you with your gown lacings."
"Wait—don't go yet." She reached out and touched his arm. He stopped and looked down at her hand. Olivia blushed and pulled it away. "Sorry if I acted rude. I appreciate what you're doing for me—risking for me."
"Don't be sorry." He took her hand in his and gently stroked it with his thumb before letting go. "I have to go. Don't forget what I told you about the scent-masker."
"I won't. I will see you again, won't I?"
"I'll be there. When the time is right, I'll show you the way out of the feasting hall."
Hernando left her cell as silently as he'd entered.
Olivia followed his instructions to the letter. She bathed and applied the scent-masker all over the best she could, but it proved difficult. She couldn't tell if she had applied it to an area or not. It held no scent or at least it held no aroma she could detect. Perhaps that's how it worked? It was so subtle that only vampires could sense it?
What had Hernando called Murnau's people? The Pure Bloods. Maybe without any scent whatsoever they'd have nothing to sniff and without a good sniff... Well, Murnau seemed to enjoy poking his long, pointed nose in places where it didn't belong.
"I hope I stink to high heavens. No self-respecting vampire will want to drink my smelly blood!" She laughed, but it sounded weak to her. No time to be afraid, she made herself eat the food the guards delivered, but it tasted even blander than usual.
Standing in front of the mirror, Olivia worked on her hair for an hour before the guards opened the cell door and Valori appeared.
"Very pretty," the petite gray-haired woman announced. "I do like an upswept hairstyle with a formal outfit."
The door closed and locked behind her. Obviously the Overseers trusted that the two of them wouldn't get up to any trouble. Olivia grabbed the gown off the chair back and rushed to the older woman's side.
"Valori, do you know the real reason why I was invited to the festival?" she whispered.
"Of course, my dear." She took the dress and held it so Olivia could slip into it. Once it was over her head, Valori began to adjust and tie the laces.
"You do? Why didn't you warn me?"
"It wouldn't have made a bit of difference." Valori's calm manner and soothing tone did nothing to calm Olivia's nerves. Why did Valori and Hernando act like nothing unusual was about to happen?
"You are a young and healthy virgin, a highly prized find," Valori continued as she began to lace up the back of the dress. "The Clan naturally would want you for their feasting. Telling you about what fate awaited you wouldn't have maintained your health. For one thing, it might have kept you off your food and prevented you from sleeping well."
"You sound like Hernando." Olivia smoothed the skirt with her hands, relishing the soft velvet material. "I don't understand how you two can put up with these bloodsuckers."
Valori adjusted the last tie and took a step backward to see the final result. "There you go. Shall I help you with your jewelry?"
Olivia nodded. "All right, but you didn't answer my question."
The seamstress picked up the necklace case and removed the bracelet. "I put up with the Pure Bloods because I am part Pure Blood myself, as is Hernando."
"No way!" Olivia pulled away just as Valori closed the catch on the bracelet. "But...but Hernando looks human. You look human, too. You don't look like Murnau or the Overseers. Their faces look more pointy to me. Their front teeth are narrow and sharp. Hernando has just the...the fangs."
Valori gave a soft chuckle. "We are part human. In fact, we are more human than Pure Blood, but there is some little part of the Quadsang race that rejoices in the sharing of blood..." Valori's dark eyes glistened with a faraway look. She seemed to be seeing something far in the past or future. After a moment, she sighed. "It's hard to describe. BloodDark is our home, and we hope someday to free our peoples from the tyranny of Pure Blood rule."
She picked up the necklace, flung it around Olivia's neck and fastened it. "I remember I had a scrap of cloth leftover." Valori removed an emerald velvet ribbon trimmed in gold from her apron pocket and helped Olivia to fix it in her hair like a tiara. "There, you look lovely."
Olivia turned around and around, admiring herself in the mirror. She didn't recognize herself. The emerald gown brought out the golden undertones in her complexion. The gold of the lacings and trim made quite a regal impression. The glimmer of the diamonds at her wrist and throat twinkled like missing stars from the dark world's sky. I'm Cinderella going to the ball—or at least to a party full of vampires.
"Hernando will be working as a doorman tonight," Valori said, snapping Olivia out of her daydreaming. "He will signal you when it is time to leave the feast."
"Will they... will they allow me to leave without a fight?"
"The Pure Bloods?" Valori bit her lip. "They might—if they don't realize you've left the hall for good."
"Oh... I get you now." Olivia grinned. "I tell them I need to go powder my nose, before things get too serious, and I slip out of the party without hurting anyone's feelings." Or before anyone can begin sipping my blood.
"Yes, something like that. Hernando has made arrangements to get you out of the city." Valori took her hand and squeezed it. "Good luck, my dear."
"Thank you." She squeezed Valori's hand back. "I hope I'll be able to return soon from Earth with help and rescue the other captives as well. You won't always be enslaved to these Pure Bloods."
Valori nodded. "Yes, some day we will all be free of tyranny and hatred. I probably won't live to see that day. The future is for the young, for you and Hernando, so promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"Always treat him well."
Olivia stood speechless as Valori exited the cell. What did she mean by treat him well?
Minutes after Valori departed, they came for her. Olivia took several deep breaths and held her head high as four Overseers escorted her from the cell that had been her home for over a week. She made careful note to remember which direction they took as they headed toward the feasting hall, so she wouldn't make a wrong turn while escaping later.
From the castle-like fortress her escorts guided her across a large cobblestone courtyard. Was this the same courtyard that held the Portal Hernando said had brought her to this world? It didn't quite look like it, but she couldn't be certain. They must have exited from another door of the prison than where she had entered. The twists and turns of the maze of corridors had confounded her attempts at keeping a reference point.
Olivia looked to the sky to re-orient herself. Something seemed different. The blood-orange star grew larger in the sky, rapidly approaching, but still it offered little light and no hint of warmth. The neighboring gas giant hung low on the horizon. Its reflected brightness struggled to illuminate the planet's surface.
"Weird. They've picked the darkest day of the year for a festival," she mumbled to herself.
"That's why we need your light to brighten our celebrations."
Murnau's chilling voice came from directly behind her. Unnerved, she halted on the spot. Had he been following them all this time? Why couldn't she see him? She took another deep breath and acted as if his stalking hadn't fazed her.
"I'm not carrying even so much as a candle. How can you see where you're going in this gloom?"
"Our eyes are used to the low level of light." He now stood in front of her, his nose twitching while he sniffed at her. "We'd wonder the same of you on your overly starlit world—how can you see in all that light? We wear dark glasses and avoid the direct sun on your world in order to see well."
"Makes sense, but you could have at least offered me a lantern or flashlight so I could avoid tripping in this long gown. I'd hate to ruin its hem before I arrived at your clan's hall."
He clapped his long hands twice. The Overseers activated a glowing orb on the top of their staffs. "Will this light suffice?"
She nodded. "Thank you." I'd better nab one of their sticks when I make my exit or else I'll really get lost.
They carried on in silence as they crossed the courtyard and headed toward another great complex of similar style and size to the fortress but with many more windows and what appeared to be balconies on the upper levels. Olivia heard the sounds of a crowd laughing and chatting with great enthusiasm. Reedy music accompanied by the beat of a bass drum played in the background.
Quite a rocking party. If I didn't know about their odd tastes in nourishment, I'd gladly enter that lit chamber in the center of the main building.
They paused at the hall entrance. Murnau lifted the metal knocker on the huge wooden door, knocking twice before the sounds of the party-goers quieted.
Olivia swallowed hard and mentally prepared herself. You're going to pretend like you're having a good time and then get the hell out of here. Look for Hernando, but don't act too obvious. She forced a serene smile and folded her hands together as the monstrous double doors opened wide.
A collective gasp greeted her. Blood-red light flooded the room, momentarily blinding her to its occupants.
"Olivia of the Clan Brown," Murnau announced. The crowd divided as he took her by the arm and led her into their midst.
Olivia blinked hard as the faces of Murnau's clan came into view. The long, pointy noses, the thin, pointed chins, the odd downturn at the edge of their lips... Yep, they are definitely family. One big inbred family!
She smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "Nice to meet you all. What's the name of your band?"
A murmur arose as the clan members chatted among themselves. Olivia felt like a creature in a zoo who couldn't understand what was being said but instinctively knew she was the topic of conversation.
Murnau tapped at his wrist band. "I apologize. We do not have enough devices to help translate your words. Those who have one must pass your message along to others."
"Bummer. How do you ask for a dance in your language?"
"A dance?"
"Yes, a dance. This is a festival, right? You have music, so you must have a dance floor, right?"
Olivia turned about, indicating the open area. She had to distance herself from Murnau and check out the hall thoroughly in order to find Hernando and her escape route. What better way than by pretending to be caught up in the excitement?
"Dancing. You must know what I mean. It's movements of the body in response to the music's rhythm." She wiggled her hips and gave a flourish of her hands. "Like this."
The crowd ooed and ahed and gladly let her have the floor. Their previous festival guests must have never entertained them in such a manner. Olivia twirled about and left Murnau standing with his mouth wide open. After watching her for several minutes, a few clan members took to the floor and began copying her motions with great enthusiasm.
"You got it going on!" She laughed and deliberately lost herself in the growing numbers of couples, singles, and groups that took to the dance floor. The women dressed in velvet gowns similar to hers, some in Victorian fashions of bustle and lace, while others wore what she could only describe as saris or togas. The men wore formal clothes similar to those seen in a Shakespearean play or a nineteenth century western—complete with top hats. The heat of the room didn't seem to faze them.
She dabbed at the sweat forming on her brow from her exertions. I'd better not sweat this scent-masker off before I can get out of here.
Once Murnau was completely out of sight, Olivia turned to look about the room for Hernando, only to catch sight of the most handsome Pure Blood she'd seen so far. He stood tall and proud in a group of four young males, his golden mane of wavy, shoulder-length hair and bright blue eyes making him stand out heads above the rest. His gaze caught hers across the dance floor and fixed her to the spot. A moment passed and seemed like hours, and Olivia couldn't fight it. The handsome alien seemed more elven than vampire to her, his smile not as crooked, his nose not as pointed as Murnau's.
Who is this god-like being and why is he associating with these lowlifes? Why can't I make myself look away from him?
Olivia shook her head and blinked hard. Now wasn't the time to become hypnotized. She had to escape this place and these people. She searched the sidewall areas for any sign of Hernando. Long tables laden with native food sat untouched, and there was a noticeable lack of punch bowls and cups. The only source of illumination came from torches fixed high on the wall, bleeding their weak, rosy light across plastered walls lacking any other adornment.
At last she spotted him.
"Hernando!" she called out just above a whisper. The noise of the music and laughing dancers drowned out her words. She gave a quick look over her shoulder then headed toward her friend guarding a small, curtained archway. It had to be the back door exit.
"Olivia—stay where you are!" Too late. She had already crossed to his side. The heavy, maroon-colored curtain swished opened.
"Our guest?" A deep, feminine voice came from the darkness within. "Why don't you join me?"
Olivia gulped. Hernando kept his face a blank, but she could see him clinching his fists as he stood at attention. Uh-oh.
"Come child," the voice commanded. Olivia got the idea that refusing a direct order from this person wasn't exactly a good idea. She stood tall and slowly walked through the archway to the room beyond to meet its mysterious occupant.
The side room she entered was as small as the hall was large. The lone piece of furniture appeared to be a throne of sorts, situated on a raised dais. Her hostess possessed a most regal bearing. The narrow-faced woman's silken burnt-orange gown trailed behind her. A crown made of thin, twisted strips of gold and silver rested atop ebony hair that hung straight and loose to her waist. She took her seat and indicated for Olivia to stand in front of her.
"You are our reason for feasting tonight," the woman began raising a long-fingered hand to caress Olivia's shoulder. "Murnau chooses well. He is a good hunter and knows where to look."
"You mean he's the one who kidnapped me from Earth?" Olivia worked hard to prevent fear from creeping into her voice, as the woman's near presence made her stomach churn and her teeth itch. When her hostess drew nearer and began to sniff, Olivia bit her lip to keep from screaming. Where did Hernando go?
"I believe he did coordinate this last incursion on your world. The good quality humans gathered will last our clan for some time." The patrician woman paused in her sniffing and frowned. "Too much sweat and scent from the others are mixing with your own."
The scent-masker worked! Maybe this queen bee type would call an end to the festivities right now? "So, you're in charge of this... party?" Olivia flashed an innocent smile.
The sniffing started and stopped again. Her hostess acted two parts puzzled and one part frustrated.
"I am Drucinda, high priestess of the Clan Alphan. We control the Portal this millennium. We feast to celebrate the renewal of life on BloodDark."
"You mean you celebrate the arrival of new slaves and..." Could she say new blood?
Drucinda pulled her hand away and sat back on her throne. "Humans exist to serve the race of Pure Bloods. To serve the Clan Alphan is the highest honor a human could hope to obtain. You would do well to remember that, Olivia of the Clan Brown. You will serve us or you will be cast out to the dayside to burn like an ember."
The dayside? This world actually possessed a functioning sun as well as a dying red dwarf companion star? At last she knew of a place where she could hide out where the bloodsuckers couldn't follow. Olivia tilted her chin up, defiant.
"Better to burn than to grow cold as an empty body drained of its blood."
Drucinda tossed her head back and laughed hard. Her sharp teeth flashed white between her blood-red lips. "Oh! You are most enjoyable. Murnau was right."
The priestess drew nearer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "My dear child, we would never drain you of your life essence. No, we do not waste our resources as humans do. We will keep you safe and well. Our precious provider of clean sustenance—you'll never want for anything.
Except for my freedom you mean. Time for my exit. Where is Hernando when I need him? Suddenly Olivia felt a cold tingle along her spine. Was it because Drucinda had started sniffing at her again or was it something else? Someone was watching from behind the curtain. Hernando?
Just as Olivia started to turn and seek her escape, Drucinda jerked away and let out a high pitch howl. Olivia froze, her heartbeat galloping with fear. Overseers appeared from out of nowhere and came to the aid of their leader. Two grabbed Olivia by the arms and another two dragged Hernando from his hiding place behind the drapes.
"Our feast is spoiled!" the high priestess cried. She sat on her throne and pouted. "Bring Murnau at once!"
The Overseer commander bowed and left to do his mistress's bidding.
"You!" Drucinda pointed a sharp nailed finger at Hernando, narrowly missing the end of his nose. "You have compromised our provider of sustenance. I smell your scent on her. You have been with her!"
Olivia blinked and stared at Hernando's wide grin. So, that's how you're going to get me out of here? You're going to make them think I'm a fallen woman. Well, it's not something I'd want my parents to think, but if it keeps my blood inside my body, I'll play along.
The commander escorted Murnau into the room seconds later. Olivia could tell the dark lord was experiencing the equivalent of a cold sweat. He went down on a knee, gazing up at Drucinda with a look of fear and pleading.
"My priestess and my queen," Murnau said, his groveling barely disguised by niceties. "Pardon my confusion at your dismay. You have met our guest?"
"Imbecile! Your nose must have been ruined by Earth's foul atmosphere."
Drucinda took to her feet. Olivia chuckled softly. The high priestess looked as if she could eat her underling alive. "How dare you call the Feast of New Life and bring a tainted sacrifice?"
"But, my lady, I examined her thoroughly. She is without flaw."
"She has been with this boy." Drucinda motioned toward Hernando. The Overseers dragged Hernando toward Murnau. Olivia winked at him and Hernando saucily winked back. "Explain to me how a human girl kept in the fortress could have been tainted by this Quadsang?"
"It is impossible, my lady." Murnau stood tall and thrust his chest out. "We have the best soldiers and the most secure cells and all the proper protocols in place and—"
"And an idiot in charge of it all!" Drucinda shouted.
Murnau cowered. "Yes, my lady."
The high priestess meant business. Olivia had no doubts about it. Heads were going to roll, and Murnau's was first on the chopping block. How were she and Hernando getting out of here without meeting a similar fate?
"Who besides this boy has had contact with the girl?" Drucinda demanded.
"An old retainer, Valori. She helped Wilok construct the gown and aided the girl in dressing."
"Could she have enabled the boy to sneak into the cell at some time unknown to you?"
"I don't need any help to sneak into a cell," Hernando declared. "When I see something I like, I take it."
Murnau stared daggers at Hernando. Drucinda's porcelain complexion turned whiter yet. "Boy, you admit you have spoiled our feast?"
"I was spoiled before I met this handsome devil," Olivia said with a saucy grin. "Murnau is an idiot to think he'd found a virgin. Whoever heard of a seventeen year old virgin in the good ol' USA in the twenty-first century? He's definitely losing his game."
"My nose does not lie—you were perfect." Murnau narrowed his beady eyes. "I will prove it."
"Bring the retainer Valori here at once," Drucinda ordered an Overseer. "We will have the truth of this matter."
Olivia leaned toward Hernando and whispered, "This was a part of your plan of getting me out of here, right?"
He shook his head. "Not really. Just follow my lead. It might work out for the best."
"What do you mean it might work out?" Her heart beat so loudly in her ears it must be audible all the way to Earth. "What if it doesn't work out at all?"
He shrugged. "No time for that now. Keep silent and let Valori do the talking."
A moment later the Overseers escorted the calm and collected gray-haired woman into the throne room.
"We found her hanging around the hall's food preparation area," the commander announced.
"I was not hanging around." Valori cast a defiant gaze at her accuser. "I volunteered my services in the kitchen."
Drucinda slowly approached the older woman and scrutinized her face for several long minutes. "You are familiar. This one has been a servant for a long time in our household."
"Yes, my lady. I am a skilled seamstress and cook. I have served the Clan Alphan well for many years. To whom should I give thanks for this great pleasure in meeting you at last, my high priestess?"
"No thanks are necessary if you are not to blame for this rogue ruining our feast." She indicated Hernando with a toss of her head. "So, tell us truthfully... Did this Quadsang male have relations with this human female?"
"Did I let the two lovers make a nest, my lady?" Valori touched her heart and sighed. "I cannot lie. I can't stand it when two such obvious soul mates are kept apart. I did help them get together without Lord Murnau's permission."
"Impossible!" Murnau shouted. Drucinda silenced him with a look.
"From her scent, I would say not." The priestess turned to the Overseer commander. "These three are to be removed from our presence immediately and sent with the others to the farm."
"Not the farm!" Hernando cried. "Please, my lady. Valori is old—she will never make it there, and Olivia is so young."
Olivia gulped. We're getting out of here, but it doesn't sound like we're going to Disneyland.
Murnau fell to his knees. "My lady, they should be killed for their grievous offense against you and our clan."
"There is no use wasting three perfectly good workers to appease your guilt, Murnau." Drucinda nodded to the Overseers for the prisoners' removal. "I've made up my mind. Besides you know how long the average farm worker lasts in the heat of the dayside. That will be punishment enough."
"Will it?" Murnau sneered. "I will make whoever is responsible for this fiasco pay for damaging my reputation."
Olivia gulped. His angry stare told her he meant revenge. I've made an enemy. I hope my new friends will more than make up for it.
The Overseer grabbed the three of them by their elbows and half-pushed, half-dragged them through the curtained archway and back into the hall proper. The music ended abruptly, and the dancers stopped their movements. A murmur of whispers began as they were led past the festival-goers.
What a pity. They must realize the feast has been canceled.
Suddenly, a female clan member began to wail. Her shrieking caught on and others joined in the sad, piercing cry.
"Wow, we've really ruined their party," Olivia shouted as the mourning cries grew louder.
"Yeah, they'd been looking forward to this all year," Hernando shouted back. A screeching Pure Blood couple fell to their knees in front of them, forcing the Overseers to drag them around the obstruction.
"They're going to miss me," Hernando explained. "They had such high hopes."
"As dinner?"
"As their personal assistant. I showed great promise."
Olivia frowned. "Must be nice to be wanted—for other than your blood."
"Don't be jealous," he said under his breath. "They wanted you for more than your blood as well. They need to increase their numbers to keep their power, and healthy, young human females make the best surrogates."
"I was going to be married to one of their lot?" Her stomach churned at the thought. "Become the mother of baby bloodsuckers?"
"Yes, it's possible. That's why we had to get you out of here. The Alphans have held power on BloodDark for too long. We couldn't risk them strengthening their position in the clan order. We had to get you out of the city."
"Who are we?"
Before Hernando could answer they were forced out into the darkness and separated.