bChapter /b4

Each chime falls over us like a bucket of cold waterb. /b

Mom grabs Abigail’s hand, and my father offers me his arm to walk.

bSs /bstands to my right and opens the door, letting in a bgust /bof freezing air.

We all seem to hold our breath for ba /bsecond and then begin to walk.

The street is empty, although dozens bof /bpairs of eyes watch us from btheir /bwindows.

#

Every full moon is an event that beveryone /bwatches from the bsafety /bof their homes, with goosebumps and aching hearts, because every time one of bus /benters the Red Auctionb, /bit reminds the others of what will one daye to their own homesb. /b

Many other auctions are taking bce /btonight in hundreds of cursed bviges /blike ours.

We walk in silence, hearing windows close and the meow of a stray cat.

b“/bbIf /byou ask me now, I’ll take you out of here,” Ss whispersb. /b

We’ll run baway /bfrom the vigeb, /bgo into the forestb, /band with the money bI’ve /bsaved, we’ll cross the bocean/b.”

My heart skips a beát, I look around, hoping no one is close enough to bhave /bheard his boldness.

“Don’t bsay /bnonsenseb.” /bbI /bgrit my teeth. “Don’t even think of suggesting something like that again. It would be treason.”

He tries to speak, but a single look from me bis /benough to silence him.

He can’t be serious about thisb. /b

Going against the rules and the system is treason.

They’d kill our whole family–or rather, drain them like pigs in the vige square.

The world has changed; bwe’re /bno longer the cruelest living being. Now bthey /bare.

They let us dream of a world where humans ruled everythingb, /band crushed that fantasy with a simple bwave /bof the hand.

“There doesn’t seem to be much of ba /bcrowd at this auction,” Momments from behind, worried.

bFewer /bpeople bat /bthe auction means more bchances /bof being bought.

bI /bswallow with difficulty, trying to dissolve the knot in my throat.

The peaked roof of what used to be ba /bchurch bis /balready bvisible /bbat /bthe end of the bstreet/bb. /b

After the vampiresb‘ /barrival, everything brted /bbto /breligion was burned and destroyedb–/bbexcept /bchurches.

They found it ironic to use them for auctions.

????

As if to say: “Lookb, /bGod, here’s bwhere /bI buy your beloved children to btreat /bthem like animals, to bfeast /bon them and break their souls.”

bWhat /bthey don’t know bis /bthat their arrival sparked, for many, a deeper need to believeb–/bto cling to a merciful being who watches bover /busb. /b

The church doors bare /bwide openb, /band from withinb, /bban /bintense orange light spills out.

We stop walking and look at each other, knowing they bcan’t /bfollow me any further.

Once again, Mom begins to bcry /band throws herself into my arms.

“I’ll pray every night for you to be safe, healthy, and strong.b” /b

“Momb…/bb” /b

“Darling, don’t scare our daughter anymoreb,/bb” /bsays Dad, bwrapping /bhis barms /baround Mom as she tries to hide in him.

b“/bShe’s strong and will fulfill her role, bShe’ll /bmanage to write to us and bring us words of relief, right?”

I nod.

b“/bSister, show them how tough the Vosss bare/bb./bb” /b

12:17 bPM /b

“You got it.” I smile.

“Don’t encourage your bsister /bto do anything breckless/bb,/bb” /bMom scolds.

“Daughterb, /byou must be submissiveb–/beven if they promise not to hurt you beyond… bwell/b, you know their word doesn’t mean much. They could still hurt you.”

“I knowb, /bMom,” I bsay/bb, /beven though I’m more than willing to be recklessb. /b“I’ll be good.”

“That’s my girl.”

I kneel down, aware that my skirts are getting stained with dirt.

I kiss Abigail on the crown of her head and whisper something silly in her ear to make herugh, then hug Ss, and finally around my parents and hold them tightly.

“I’ll bbe /bfine, I promiseb.” /b

“We love you so much, daughter.”

I give them each a loud kiss on the cheek and, clutching my skirtsb, /bI head toward the entrance of the old church.

don’t look back–their sad bfaces /bwould break me.

I quicken my steps and bcross /bthe threshold of the door.

The cold inside bsteals /bmy breath for a moment.

Despite being inside a church, little remains of its original contents.

It looks nothing like the images in books.

Everything that could have had religious meaning is gone.

bwrap /bbothollimy./li/ol

Where the baptismal font should be, there’s a pyramid of bgoblets /bfilled with crimson liquid; the walls bear no saints, only portraits bof /bbpale /bfaces.

The bPure/b, the elite among vampires, the highest authority.

The pews have been reced by luxurious armchairs, the altar is now just another table, and ba /bbfew /bbcrosses /bremain in ce, turned upside down in mockery.

A woman with an oval bface/bb, /bdressed in ba /bred velvet gown, approaches me when she bsees /bme enter.

“Your Libris, bplease/bb./bb” /b

I search in the small pouch hanging from my wrist and pull out the book that contains all my data.

The woman opens it and reads with ba /bbclear /blook of boredom.

She observes me briefly from under her bshes/bb, /bevaluating meb. /b

b“/bFollow meb.” /b

She starts walking down the baisle/b, and before bwe /bbreach /bwhat was once the altar, we veer toward a small door.

bI /bstart hearing my own heartbeat.

The cold is bstill /bbpainful/bb, /band bI /bwonder how she shows no signs of difort.

She’s human–the blush in her cheeks and herck of pallor confirm it.

We emerge into ba /broom dimly lit by candlesb, /band other faces bstare /bbback /bat me,

There are several girls and boys, ball /bwith wide, fearful beyes/b.

“Take off your dress and put that on,” says the woman, pointing to a red cloth.

I look around, searching for a screen to change behind.

1

“There’s no.”

b“/bModesty and shyness bare /bthings you can no longer afford from now on,” she cuts me off. b“Get /bchanged quickly, they’re about bto arrive/bb./bb” /b

I take the red silk garment and, ncing quickly at bmy /bpanions, I see that it does little bto /bcover our nakedness.

12:17 bPM /b

The men’s chests are bbare/b, and they wear a strange piece of clothing from the waist down.

I blush and quickly avert my gaze.

Everyone avoids eye contactb, /bgripped by shame.

I try to undo the bces /bof my bcorset/b.

“One bst /bquestion,” the woman in the red dress bsays /bbefore disappearing down the hallwayb. /bb“/bbIs /byour virtue intact?”

I blink.

“What does my virtue have to do with any of thisb?/bb” /b

“They like the taste of virgin blood,” her tone is haughty. “Your virtue will bincrease /byour priceb.” /b

“Damn pigsb…/b” I mutterb. /b

“The answer bis /bsimple: yes or no.”

She arches an beyebrow /bat me, impatient. I square my shoulders and lift my chin.

bYes/bb, /bmy virtue is intact.”

She nods bas /bif pleased with my answer and disappears.

Just a few minutes bhave /bbeen enough to ssify her bas /bsomeone I dislike.

corset, I allow myself ba /bdeep sigh and let it fall to the floor. I slip off the dress and remain in only a thin undergarment.

4

*

I hug my body before taking that off bas /bbwell/bb, /bleaving me naked. I bstare /bat the wall, pushing aside the shameb, /band without letting myself lower bgaze/bb, /bI pull the red silk over my head, which falls softly and clings to my body.