Don’t Play with Your Food

She had never been human. Still, the final loss of her humanity filled Lucia with dread.

“The necklace looks absolutely gorgeous on you, my child!”

Lucia shivered as her mother’s cold hands clasped the necklace around her neck. The windows of the dressing room had been boarded up. The LED strips around the silverless mirror provided the only light.

Lucia looked in the mirror. She saw herself, black dress, red hair. And her mother. Black dress. Red hair.

We look the same age, Lucia realized.

“I know this is not easy for you, but I am very proud of you.”

Her mother’s hands rested on the sheathed dagger that she wore on her hip. Delilah van Schwert always carried a silver dagger with her.

Lucia tried to ignore the chair in the corner. Or rather what happened to be sitting on it. Lucia felt saliva building up in her mouth.

Three short knocks on the door. The signal.

“Yes, yes, come on in.”

Two men entered. Both wore the same tattoo on their necks. Red fangs in a circle.

“Out with it, boys!”

The men glanced at each other. Then the taller one took off his black bowler hat, exposing two horns. He stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“Did someone cut off your tongue, darling?”

The other man spoke up. Lucia saw the marks on his arm. Signs of lycanthropy. “We are sorry for the interruption, mistress. There have been some problems with the lixir deal.”

“Surely, any such problems can wait. This is the most important day of my daughter’s life.”

Both men turned to Lucia, as if only now noticing her.

The man with the horns finally found his voice. “Maybe we should not discuss this in front of the princess.”

“She is my flesh and blood. We don’t keep any secrets from each other. Which is why I expect her to take a more active part in our... operations after today.”

“Jack was followed home after the deal. A copper caught him,” said the horned man while looking at the werewolf.

“So, tell me, why is he here now?” Delilah stepped up to him.

“He was let go, mistress.”

A blur, and Delilah stood in front of Jack. Jack winced.

“Did you tell them anything?”

“No, I promise, mistress. I didn’t say anything.”

Delilah laughed. “You are in luck. I am in a good mood today.”

She drew her dagger. “Do you know what this is made of?”

“Mistress? Please, I am sorry.”

“Silver. Don’t worry, I am not going to make you suffer.”

Jack fell to the ground. A pool of blood under him.

“You don’t approve of this, Tom?” She stared at the horned man.

“Mistress, we could have questioned him, maybe...”

“You know very well that I don’t approve of torture. It is barbaric. However, I have to protect our clan. Those who talk have to die.”

“It was his first job... if...”

“Tell me, darling, whose fault is it?”

“Mistress, it was just bad luck. He...” She had closed the distance. The dagger was still in her hand.

“I don’t need details. I asked who is responsible. I am waiting for an answer.”

“Mistress. It is. Well...” Tom paused. He looked at the ground. “It was my fault.”

“Yes, it was. I am glad you realize it.”

Tom closed his eyes. Delilah stepped closer. “Lower your head.”

She kissed him on his forehead.

“Mistress?”

“You acknowledged that you made a mistake. That is all I needed from you.”

“But?”

“I am not as barbaric as the humans are. As long as we take responsibility, we can learn. You learned an important lesson today.”

“Thank you, mistress.”

“Now go!”

Lucia sighed. Still, she had managed to not scream or cry this time. Progress.

“Now, my child, let us proceed. We have waited long enough.”

Delilah walked over to the chair. She whipped off the wool blanket, revealing a young man. Thick ropes pinned him in place. Professionally gagged and blindfolded.

“I do have to admit, I am getting quite hungry myself, seeing him this way. And yes, before you ask, he deserves it. No one will miss him.”

Lucia had dreaded this moment. The hunger stirred inside her. Still, the human side of her was screaming at her not to do it. Maybe that was why she should do it. The screaming would finally stop.

“Your mother is so proud of you. I know it has been hard. I remember when you refused to drink any blood for months. You looked horrible. So stubborn. But thankfully you saw sense in the end.”

When Lucia had first found out where blood came from, she had gone on a hunger strike. Where blood came from. It seemed so childish now. Obviously, it had to come from humans, but little Lucia had been naive. Little Lucia had always gotten her blood in sterile containers. She had never questioned it. Then one day she found out.

The very idea of blood had turned her stomach. At first. Every day she got weaker. And hungrier. Until she caved. That was the last time Lucia rebelled.

An explosion shook the building. Lucia’s ears kept ringing.

“Oh, can they not give me a break?” her mother said while opening the door.

“Darling, I am sorry, but you will have to do it without me. I know you will do the right thing.”

Lucia stood alone with the captive. Dark hair. Kinda cute. What a waste. She sighed. She had already decided.

She opened her mouth, baring her fangs. The body moved. A knee crashed into her chin. Lucia’s vision went white for a moment.

Once her vision cleared, the young man stood at the boarded windows. How had he freed himself? More importantly, was he trying to...

“Stop!” Lucia shouted. The man kicked out one of the planks. A shaft of daylight hit her face.

“Die, foul creature! Your reign of terror is over. I am Ben Grimscar, the greatest monster hunter the world has ever seen, and you fell into my trap!”

Lucia blinked slowly.

“Why... the sunlight was supposed to kill you instantly.”

Lucia rubbed her eyes.

“Impossible. No vampire could survive this!”

“I am not...”

“Are you not Delilah van Schwert, the queen of terror?”

“That’s my mother.”

“So you’re a human child? You poor thing, living with a monster!”

“I am not a... hey, there’s nothing wrong with being a monster, you bigoted prick! You think humans are so...”

Ben put a hand on his heart. “I, Ben Grimscar, swear to free you from this captivity!”

Lucia sighed.

“Take my hand. They won’t be able to follow us in daylight.”

“That knee really hurt, you know.”

“I’m sorry. I thought you would... my blindfold had slipped. In that light it looked like you had fangs.”

Lucia ran her tongue over her teeth. They had already retracted.

“We have no time to waste. Let’s go!” He was still holding out his hand.

Lucia edged closer. She could still kill him. Easily. She wasn’t a full vampire. Yet. That idiot had interrupted her transformation. Even so, she was faster and stronger than most humans. She could finish the job. However...

She took his hand. It felt warm. Rough and calloused, so much bigger than hers. She had never held a man’s hand before. It was kind of nice. She felt her heart pounding.

They hurried to the window, where Ben tried to remove the remaining planks of wood one-handed. Soon he realized he had to let go of her.

He was the first through the window. Then he stood on the other side, arm outstretched. “Come on, just climb out. I’ll catch you if you fall.”

Lucia vaulted through it with cat-like grace.

“Wow, you’re...”

“I used to do parkour,” Lucia lied.

“Thankfully they’re still distracted by the bombs I planted.”

“You got yourself caught on purpose.”

“Only way to get close to that... I mean, your mother. I posed as a lixir dealer who owed her money. She’s pretty paranoid, but her guys never check boots.”

“She might have reason to be.”

Ben blinked. They ran out of the old industrial complex that her mother used as a hideout.

What the hell am I doing? Well, I guess there is no harm in playing along. Maybe I can get some information.

“That’s my car,” Ben said. The car in question was an old Subaru Outback.

Getting into a car with a stranger. I am sure nothing bad is going to happen.

She should end it right here. Don’t play with your food. Just kill him. Sure, he seemed harmless, but what if he had accomplices? What if he found out that she was a daywalker?

The only way to turn into a full vampire was to take a life. Any life. There was no way around it. So she might as well kill a monster hunter.

Ben turned the key. Guitars and screaming blasted from the speakers.

“That’s the band Slayer, right?” Lucia asked.

“Oh, you like metal?”

“Well, sometimes...”

“I’m Ben, by the way.”

“I know. You shouted it.”

He laughed. “And you are?”

She hesitated. “Lucia.”

Lucia’s stomach rumbled.

“Oh, you must be hungry.”

“Yeah,” she said. It wasn’t a lie. She was hungry. She couldn’t stop stealing little glances at his neck.

* * *

Lucia was small again. Small and helpless. Her mother was beside her, holding her hand, dressed all in black, every part of her body covered by UV protective clothing. How could she even see through it?

They were outside. The docks. Seagulls cried overhead. It was dark, but soon the sun would rise. Lucia hoped it would not.

An important-looking human was reading something. Lucia did not listen.

She had her eyes fixed on that wooden pole. That was where they had bound her father. Her dear father. The one who had always loved her. He did love her? Right? She didn’t remember.

In fact, she could never recall his face, however often she saw him in her dreams.

Her father had committed a crime. That was what the humans said. He had turned her mother into a vampire.

Lucia had not understood any of it. It must have happened when she was still in her mother’s belly.

They must have loved each other very much. Maybe her father did not want to see her mother grow old while he lived on for centuries? Was that wrong? If her mother had agreed to it?

The humans thought so. They would kill her father. Or not kill. They were too cowardly to do that. They would just slowly expose him to the sun. They could pretend they didn’t do it. But they did.

The first light touched the water. That was the moment Lucia wanted to wake up. She never could.

Her father tried not to look afraid. She knew what was coming, and, despite everything, he would eventually break.

She tried to look away. She always did. “Don’t look away, my child. This is humanity. You need to remember this,” her mother said.

And Lucia had remembered it. Nearly every night since she was seven. His flesh turning red, the smell, the screaming when he finally broke.

And there was nothing she could do. That was what humans were like. She would never forgive them. They took away her father. And also her mother. Something in her broke that day.

Lucia woke up screaming.