Fall With Me

building’s lobby, the guards immediately handed us over to the care of several women, whom I assumed were in their mid-twenties.
    From there, each of us was ushered into a series of beauty regimens – including a warm bath, massages, manicures, pedicures and facials. We were perfumed with scents that I found absolutely intoxicating. Finally, wearing white silken robes, we were led into a dressing room where a dark-haired young woman handed us parcels that contained what we were to wear. I felt my gut clench when I saw the lacy lingerie and the pearl white gown I had been given.
    It dawned on me suddenly what all these beauty treatments were for. They were preparing us for him. I found myself shaking as I slipped on the garments, the gown hugging my curves at just the right places. I checked the way I looked in front of a full-length mirror and drew a breath. I couldn’t remember ever feeling more beautiful than I did at that moment, and yet, I felt nothing but absolute dread. I had a sinister feeling that it was likely not to a young girl’s advantage to look stunning at The Shade.
    “You look gorgeous,” the dark-haired woman who handed us our clothes told me, as she helped zip up my dress from the back.
    “What’s all this for?” I asked in a hoarse whisper. “Why are we being dolled up like this?”
    Watching her in the mirror’s reflection, the sadness that traced her pretty round face didn’t escape my notice.
    “Rumors are that you girls are to be part of the prince’s harem. All of The Shade’s Elite have harems of their own. You girls are lucky enough to be chosen to serve the legendary Derek Novak himself. That’s all I can reveal to you, but one thing I do know for sure is that you can’t afford to displease the prince.”
    She brushed a gentle hand over my auburn hair, arranging it so that it fell perfectly in place.
    “But don’t worry … considering how stunning you look, I doubt it will be difficult for you to please him.”
    She then walked away, making it clear that she wasn’t willing to say anything more.
    Please him. Shivers ran through my body as questions about my fate began flooding my mind. Being a member of anyone’s “harem” sounded terrifying to me, but I knew that prying for more answers would most likely lead someone – most likely, myself – into trouble. So, I had to make do with keeping my ears open to the hushed whispers being exchanged around me. All I gathered was that the prince had been asleep for hundreds of years and that “the vampires” see him as some sort of “savior”.
    I also realized that the women dolling us up were all humans. I wondered if they too were kidnapped like I was.
    Once we were ready, the guards who had escorted us to “The Baths” came for us. I’ll never forget the look on the face of one of the guards when he saw us.
    “The prince is one lucky bastard,” he muttered under his breath, before instructing us to stand up and follow them.
    We were led back along The Vale’s cobblestone streets. This time, however, I was too overcome by anxiety to be capable of admiring the town.
    It wasn’t long before we were led to an exit on a different side of The Vale. We once again found ourselves being herded through the forest until we reached another clearing. There was only one structure that presented itself to us – a temple of sorts, with white exterior and a cavern-like roof.  Under the moonlight, the whiteness of the building made it shine amidst the black of night.
    “Welcome to The Sanctuary, ladies,” one of the guards said, a smirk on his face as he ogled us with his amber-gold eyes.
    They made us enter the front door. It was in the well-lit corridor in front of us that we saw Lucas and Vivienne.
    I could feel Lucas’ eyes on me, making my insides squirm again. Vivienne instructed us to follow them and we did. We soon turned a corner and walked into a large candlelit chamber.
    Standing there, I found myself unable to pry my gaze away from Derek Novak, as I tried to gain some understanding of what all this buzz surrounding him was about.
    He was what every teenage girl would most likely describe as hot , which was rather ironic considering how pale and frozen he looked. He had the same features as his brother, but there was something more refined about him. There was a hint of boyishness in his face. I could instantly tell that he was younger than Lucas. I entertained the thought that perhaps I was indeed better off