Life had returned to normal after the spell was performed. Vivian was allowed to move back into her house in Lake Ashton as the rabid problem was solved, and now, so was the aether reservoir problem. She could return to her life as a human, and so she did. It had been three weeks that Vivian stayed at the estate, and she was more than happy to get out of there. She was glad that Niccolo agreed to send her home, the elder vampire seeming like he was going to say no at first, but finally agreed. The next day, she was packing her bags and heading home.

She returned to her job at the cafe, feeling much safer working closing shifts now that she knew no rabid was going to come out from some alleyway and attack her. Everything was back to the way it was before. Well, almost everything.

Elias was still stuck at the estate, as he was not allowed to leave. Since his family cannot find out about his new status as a vampire, he had to stay hidden at the estate for a while. That meant Elias' section of the house was always quiet, Friday nights a lot less fun without the blond man to bounce jokes off of. Vivian wondered if she and Ophelia would be able to visit Elias at the estate. She hoped they could eventually.

There was one other thing that upset her, and that was the fact she no longer shared a room with Kit. Over the three weeks she had been staying at the estate, she had grown used to being so close to the vampire, to seeing him every day and spending so much time with him. After moving back into her house, she saw him less and less.

He did show up to the cafe every now and then, ordering a black coffee and sitting there not drinking it. Instead, he would sneak glances at Vivian from his seat, Vivian doing the same from behind the counter. He still also walked her home after closing shifts, the two talking about her day on the way back to her place.

Vivian had really been wanting to invite Kit inside, to have him spend some time with her, but she was always too nervous to ask. They would simply arrive at her place, they would say their goodnights, and Kit left. Vivian wanted more though. Ever since that kiss in the library, Vivian wanted more.

She had decided that tonight, she was going to ask him to hang out. Vivian was working a closing shift and knew that Kit would be there to walk her home. She would ask him on their walk, before they got to her house and she lost her nerve. What she planned on doing with him once he agreed she wasn't sure, but the first step was getting him to agree.

Working on her closing tasks, Vivian cleaned the kitchen, took out the trash, and counted the drawers. Everything was ready for opening tomorrow, so Vivian went out the alley door, locking it behind her. When she turned, Kit was already standing there, back against the wall. He looked beautiful in the glow of the streetlamps, and Vivian wanted to kiss him right then and there.

"Long day?" Kit asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Very long." She replied, stepping down the stairs and meeting Kit. "But I'm glad I don't have that shift for a few days."

"You do not?"

"Nope. I'm working a mid tomorrow, then a few opening shifts after that. I think my next closing is next week."

"So I won't be able to walk you home."

Vivian looked up at Kit, a little taken back by his words. "Y-You could walk me home after any of my shifts, it doesn't have to be a closing one."

"Really?" Kit looked hopeful.

The woman couldn't help but smile up at him. "Of course, Kit. You can walk me home any time."

"That is good to know." Kit said, returning the smile. They stood there in the alley for a moment, just smiling at each other. "Should we head to your home?" He held his arm out for her to grab.

Vivian was more than happy to take his arm, fingers wrapping around the vampire's bicep. "Yes, let's go."

They began the walk back to Vivian's place, the woman talking about her day and all the customers that came through. Kit listened enthusiastically, chiming in and adding his own little comments. Vivian was trying to find an opportunity to ask him to come over, but she just couldn't find one. They were getting close to her house and she had still yet to ask.

But then there was a lull in their conversation, and Vivian took her chance. "Hey Kit." Vivian said, making the vampire look over at her. "You know, you don't have to leave once we get to my place. You can hang out or something you know. Maybe we could watch a movie."

"You could show me that vampire movie you were talking about."

"Oh my god, Twilight?" Vivian recalled, raising a hand to her mouth, laughing. "Yes, yes we can definitely watch Twilight. So you're interested in coming over?"

"I would love to spend more time with you, Vivian."

Vivian just looked at Kit for a moment. Taking him in. "Good, because I like spending time with you."

The two of them made it back to her house a few minutes after that, Vivian checking the place for Ophelia. The witch seemed to be out tonight, probably over at her moms. She did spend quite a lot of time with her family.

Vivian got the TV set up to watch Twilight, excited to show Kit what description of vampires she had been working with. It had been a while since she last saw the movie ,and she wondered if it was just as ridiculous as she remembered it being. It was still fun to watch nonetheless.

Her and Kit sat down on the couch together, a bit of space in between them. As the movie started, Vivian couldn't help but think about anything besides moving closer to Kit. He was already so close to her, but she wanted him to be closer, she wanted to feel him.

Taking in a breath, Vivian scooted herself closer to Kit, until she could feel the brush of his thigh against hers. Their arms were touching as well, and Vivian could feel her skin buzzing from the touch. She tucked her legs under her then, her knees resting against the side of the vampire's legs. Kit didn't move away at all, but she could feel him stiffen the slightest bit. Should she not have moved closer to him? Was that the wrong choice? Vivian considered scooting away, but then the man reached his hand out and placed it on her knee, thumb moving forward and back the slightest bit.

They sat like they through the rest of the movie, Kit asking questions and Vivian laughing her way through the answers. It was wonderful, and Vivian was so glad she had asked Kit to come over. She would definitely have to do it again. When the movie ended, they talked about it and how Kit felt about his vampire representation, which wasn't very good.

She then bid him goodnight, and Kit left, despite Vivian really wishing he could stay just a little while longer.

✩

Besides the fact that every now then she would spend her time with a vampire, her life basically returned to the way it was before. She started to go on her jogs again in the morning, she went to her job during the day, and at night time, Kit would occasionally come over and they would watch movies together, Vivian wanting to expose the man to modern media. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

December turned to January, and Vivian's life proceeded on without any interruptions. Vivian and Ophelia had begun inviting Kit to their Friday nights out, and the vampire was slowly getting more comfortable being around Vivian and Ophelia, who constantly teased each other. Everything was perfect.

One night, Vivian was home alone, Kit having left a little while ago and Vivian straightening up the house a little before going to bed. She was in the kitchen washing some dishes when she heard a loud sound outside, startling her. Vivian froze where she stood, processing what that could have been. Setting the dish down she was watching, the woman moved towards the back door and looked outside, but didn't see anything.

Slowly, the woman opened the door and peered outside. She held the door open a little, scanning the backyard. But there was nothing, a slight breeze brushing past her and messing with her loose black curls. Must have been the wind, Vivian thought to herself, closing the door. When she turned, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

There, sitting in her living room, was Erza. Vivian felt her blood run cold at the sight of him, the pureblood vampire sitting crossed legged and looking at his nails, as if that were more interesting than her. Words escaped her, and she just stood there by the back door, completely frozen. What did she do?

"Hello, Vivian." The vampire said, dropping his hand and looking at her. "It's lovely to see you."

Vivian couldn't respond, fear holding her in place. Was this a nightmare? Kit had just left, less than an hour ago. Was Ezra waiting?

"You seemed surprised to see me." Ezra commented on Vivians silence, uncrossing his legs. "I suppose that makes sense." Standing from the couch, the vampire slowly made his way over to her. "There's something different about you, Vivian."

The spell, Vivian thinks, knowing that had to be what he was referring to. The last time he saw her, he was able to sense the aether coming from her, but now, he shouldn't be able to sense anything. No one should. "W-What are you talking about?" Vivian finally found her voice, but it shook with nerves.

"You did something, didn't you?" He asked, leaning down so he was eye level with Vivian, as if she were some child. Maybe to him, she was. "Something you shouldn't have."

"N-No!" Vivian took a step back, feeling the vampire was way too close. Having him in her home was already way too close. "I-I don't know w-what you're talking about."

"The aether. It's gone." Ezra said plainly, his expression one of boredom. "Why is it gone?" The woman just shook her head, taking another step back. Could she run? Would he just catch her? The vampire seemed to see what she was thinking, because he also shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"What do you want?" She asked, her voice wavering.

Ezra smiled at her question, a wicked smile that made her shiver. "Christopher cares for you, doesn't he?"

Vivian didn't know how to respond to that. If he finds out I care about you... Kit had warned her, and the memory made her skin buzz. He couldn't find out. "No." Vivian breathed, shaking her head. "No, of course not."

"Then why has he been spending so much time with you?" Ezra's head tilted to the side with the question, his slick blond hair falling with the motion. "Don't think I haven't been watching."

"I-I don't know" Vivian said, unsure of what else to say. What lie could she come up with that wouldn't cause him to kill her? Her life felt like it was hanging in the balance, this vampire the one holding the scale.

"Hmm." Ezra moved away from Vivian then and towards the kitchen. He seemed to look over everything, like he was at some sort of museum. "What should I do with you, Vivian?" He asked, hand reaching out to touch the vase of flowers that sat on top of a small table in the kitchen.

The woman didn't know how to respond to that, besides maybe begging for her life. "Let me live?" She asked, standing still and watching the pureblood vampire roam around her house. She was just glad Ophelia wasn't here right now, the witch over at her family's house once again for the night.

"Let you live?" Ezra repeated her words, stopping and looking back at her. "Now, why would I do that?"

Vivian could feel her hands shaking at her side, her knees threatening to give out. She was going to die, this vampire was going to kill her and Ophelia would just find her body the next morning, if there was any body left to find. "Why would you kill me?" She dared to ask, looking into his pair of deep red eyes.

"Christopher is a monster." Ezra said plainly, beginning to walk again but keeping his eyes on her. "He will eventually kill you, but if I do it, it will save him the pain."

I am a monster, Kit had said to her and it hit her then. It was Ezra, it was all Ezra's fault that Kit believed himself to be a monster. This man had fed Kit lies and forced him to kill. It was all Ezra's fault. The thought sent rage coursing through her, almost as strong as her fear. "So you're doing this for him?"

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Of course." Ezra rounded the table in the kitchen and walked back towards her. "I care deeply about Christopher. He is the longest living human turned vampire I have sired." The pureblood explains, stopping in front of her. It felt so weird to hear him refer to Kit as Christopher, Vivian almost forgetting who they were talking about for a moment.

"Then if he did care for me, wouldn't killing me just put him in more pain?" Vivian tried her luck.

Ezra just looked at her for a moment. "I suppose. But it will be worse when he eventually kills you. Although," the vampire raised a hand to his chin, stroking it with a finger, "there is another way."

"One where I don't die?"

The pureblood vampire actually smiled at that. "Well you'll die eventually. All humans do. But, I could offer you safety from Christopher. That is, if you come with me."

Vivian stood there, looking at the pureblood vampire. "Come with you?"

"Yes." Ezra said easily, hands dropping to his hips. "I will keep you safe from Christopher until the day you die."

The black haired woman blinked a few times, processing his words. "N-No, I can't go with you."

"Would you rather I kill you now then?" Ezra raised a hand, claws extended.

"No!" Vivian yelled out, taking a few steps back.

"What if I killed that roommate of yours? The witch?"

Ophelia. Vivian's heart sank. "No, no, please don't kill her!"

Again, the pureblood vampire smiled, lowering his hand. "Then you'll come with me."

Vivian was silent, feeling like her world was falling apart. Again. Everything had returned to normal, she was meant to be safe. Yet here was Ezra, threatening not only her life but the life of someone she loves. She couldn't let this vampire hurt Ophelia, or anyone else she knew. But that meant she only had one choice.

"Fine." Vivian said in a breath. "I will go with you."

"Wonderful!" Ezra clapped his hands and put one on her back, ushering her towards the front door.

"W-Wait! Can't I grab some things?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to the phone sitting on the kitchen counter, the dishes forgotten about.

"No. We leave now."

Vivian was rushed outside and into a huge black SUV waiting outside. While she was being placed in the back, she noticed someone was sitting in the driver's seat. Ezra climbed into the passenger seat, and they were off. Vivian watched as Lake Ashton disappeared from view, the SUV winding down the road that led to the highway.

The car was completely silent the whole way there, Vivian too nervous to say anything and Ezra seeming to be comfortable with the silence. It had to have been a couple hours later when they turned off the highway and began going down local roads, the forest slowly overtaking the area until they were surrounded by it. Peaking out front, she saw they were following a single lane concrete road that led deep into the forest.

It was quite a long drive down the road before the forest gave way to an opening, a black brick manor built right in the middle. It reminded her of Niccolo's estate, but this place was a bit smaller, and felt a lot less grand. It was definitely still a mansion though, ivy growing up the walls and added a small amount of color to the black.

The SUV pulled in front of the mansion, a ground of what looked like servants in their uniforms came rushing to the car, opening their doors. One offered a hand to Vivian as they opened the back door, but when her eyes landed on red ones, the woman refused and climbed out of the car on her own.

"Come." Ezra said simply, leading her up the stairs and into the mansion. It was much darker and creepier than Niccolo's estate, the walls a deep red and furniture dark wood. Black marble pillars held up the ceiling in the foyer, candle light above reflecting off the smooth surface. Vivian wanted to reach out and touch the marble, but Ezra was moving too quickly and she knew she had to keep up.

They went up a staircase, down a few halls and around a handful of corners before they arrived in front of a door. Ezra turned to Vivian then. "This will be your room."

"My room?" Vivian repeated, surprised. She half expected the vampire was going to throw her into a cell or something, not give her a bedroom.

"You are not to leave the room unless accompanied. I do not need you running around my manor causing chaos." He said firmly, and Vivian just nodded her head. A bedroom that was a cell, perfect. "I will send a maid to you in the morning."

"O-Okay." Vivian replied when the vampire went silent, assuming he was waiting for her response.

"Do you understand?" Ezra asked, his voice serious. "You are not to leave this room."

Vivian nodded her head again. "Yes, I understand." She confirmed verbally, assuming that's what he wanted from her.

"Then, goodnight." The pureblood vampire said before turning on his heel and walking away, leaving Vivian alone in the hallway. Well, almost alone, as there were what she assumed to be guards stationed in the hallway.

Feeling uncomfortable by the way the guards looked at her, Vivian quickly opened the door and stepped inside. She was greeted by a grand bedroom, the walls the same red as outside and furniture dark. There was a wardrobe, a set of tables and chairs by a fireplace, and a large canopy bed pressed against the far wall. It was much smaller than her room that was given to her at Niccolo's but just as nice. Only, it didn't feel nice. It felt like a cage.

Closing the door behind her, she looked for a lock but found none. Great.

Vivian walked around the whole room, looking at everything. Nothing felt safe. Not the chairs or the bed. There was a window by the bed, and when she went to it, she saw that it could be opened. Unlocking it, the woman pushed the window open, having to use a little force. She assumed this window must not have been opened in a while. It finally gave way to her, opening outwards and letting the cold January air inside. Vivian stuck her head out the window and looked down, seeing that it was a far fall down to the ground. If she jumped, would she make it?

The thought of escaping crossed her mind, but she decided against it. She could see vampires wandering outside, torches in their hands. One of them would be sure to catch her if she ran, and the jump might cause her some injury. She would think of an escape plan later, for now, she just needed to survive the night.

Vivian refused to sleep. Instead, she sat below the window and stared at the door, waiting for someone or something to come bursting through it. She watched it all night and into the next morning, sunlight slowly filling the room around her. The woman didn't trust that no one would enter the room as she slept, the vampires looming outside her room a threat. She grew more and more tired as she sat there though, feeling her eyes dropping once the sun had finally decided to rise.

A knock on the door roused her, the woman unaware that she had fallen asleep. "Miss Vivian?" A voice called from the other side of the door. Vivian stood from where she sat on the floor, her body aching and sore. Who the hell was outside of her door? "I am coming in." Vivian stood frozen as the door opened, revealing a petite woman with long blond hair. She wore what she assumed was a maid's uniform, apron and little white hat to match. "Good morning Miss Vivian." She said with a curtsey. "I am Alice. I will be your handmaiden from here on out."

"My what?" Vivian asked, confused by the whole thing.

"Your handmaiden, Miss." She repeated, walking into the room. There was a man behind her hauling a trunk, carrying it into the room and placing it in front of the bed. "I am here to assist you with whatever you need."

Vivian's eyes were on the trunk, horrible thoughts crossing her mind. "W-What's in there?" She asked, pointing to the trunk.

"Your new wardrobe, Miss." Alice answered, curtsying at the man as he left and moving towards the trunk. "The Master has gathered quite a collection for you."

Opening the trunk, swaths of fabric were revealed, silks and the finest linens spilling out. Vivian moved towards the trunk and grabbed one of the garments, pulling it from the trunk. It looked like a dress straight out of the 1400's, reminding her of historical paintings from the medieval era. "And he wants me to wear these?"

"Yes, Miss." Alice smiled, almost like she was excited.

"How do you even put this on?" Vivian said, looking the dress over. It was much fancier than anything she had seen before. It looked like it belonged in a museum or something.

"With help." The handmaiden said, and Vivian looked over to her. Red eyes stared back at her. Vivian felt a shiver run down her spine. She was once again, surrounded by vampires. At least this time she wasn't hiding the fact she was an aether reservoir. "Would you like to put that one on, Miss?"

"No." Vivian said, carefully placing the garment back in the trunk. "I don't want anything from your master." She said the last word with venom.

A look of fear crossed Alice's face. "B-But the Master has requested you change and meet him for breakfast."

"I'm not going to breakfast with that vampire."

"Miss, please." Alice begged, and Vivian wondered for a moment why the maid was pushing so hard. "If you do not we... we will be punished."

"Punished?"

"Yes, Miss. Whipped."

Vivian stood silent for a moment, looking at the small vampire in front of her. If she refused to go to breakfast with Ezra, he was going to whip this poor vampire? Vivian wanted to say she didn't care, that it wasn't any of her concern, but she knew that was a lie. The black haired women would never let anyone get hurt on her accord, even some vampire.

So Vivian let out a breath and looked back down to the trunk. This time, she pulled out a deep green dress, the silk smooth against her fingers. "Fine."

Alice's face lit up. "Oh, thank you Miss!"

The two of them got her ready, hair piled up on her head in braids, the dress tight against her chest. It was a little uncomfortable, this being the first time Vivian had ever worn a corset. She felt taller somehow, the corset and dress making it hard for her to slouch her shoulders. Once she was dressed and Alice determined she was ready, the two of them left her room and went to meet Ezra.

The vampire was waiting for her inside a large dining room, the table set up with plates of fruits, vegetables, bread and different style eggs. It looked like a whole buffet, and Vivian's stomach quickly turned hungry.

"Ah, there you are!" Ezra said as they walked in, the vampire standing. "I was wondering when you would arrive." Vivian stood at one end of the table as Ezra approached, Alice standing behind her. When he finally stood in front of her, the man forcibly took her arms and made her spin. "Wonderful. You look absolutely wonderful."

Vivian nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Come, take a seat." Ezra motioned to the table. "Let's break our fast together."

The black haired woman was led to a chair and took a seat, the table already set up for her. Looking over the food, everything looked delicious and she was slowly growing ravenous after her all nighter. But she stayed still, watching as Ezra returned to his seat, Alice standing behind Vivian's chair.

"Please." Ezra said, gesturing towards the food. "Dig in."

Vivian didn't move though. She simply looked at the food, hesitating. What if something was poisoned?

"Nothing is poisoned." Ezra said, as if reading her mind. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already." The vampire took a sip from his goblet, lips stained red as he pulled it away. Blood, Vivian realized, feeling her stomach drop. "So eat."

Her hands were shaking as she picked up a fork and knife and grabbed some food from the table, placing it on her plate. As she ate, she was surprised by how good the food was, the meat savory and the fruit sweet. Still, she ate slowly, very aware of Ezra's eyes on her. It felt overwhelming, his gaze. It made her skin prick, unease churning in her stomach as she swallowed down a bite of egg.

She noticed that Ezra wasn't eating, which wasn't exactly strange. Vivian knew that vampires didn't eat, as she never shared a meal with Kit and or seen him eat something throughout the day. It made sense, they drank blood so what need would they have for food? What was strange was how closely he was watching her. His eyes never leaving her, his face giving away nothing that was going on through his mind.

"How was your first night here?" Ezra asked suddenly, right as Vivian took in a bite of thick ham.

Vivian covered her mouth as she chewed, feeling rushed. "It was fine." She finally said, taking a sip of her water to wash the meat down all the way. "Thank you for the room."

"Where else would I have put you?" His voice leaned more towards accusing rather than friendly.

Some cell underneath this place, Vivian thought, assuming his mansion was much like Niccolo's estate and had a dungeon somewhere in the basement. "I'm not sure. I just wanted to thank you."

"Hmm." Ezra replied, as if thinking. "You don't look very well rested."

Vivian froze as she lifted a grape to her lips. Well shit. "New beds make it hard to sleep." She lied, feeling his gaze become heated.

The vampire across from her was quiet, eyes narrowing. "Do they?"

"Yes." She nodded, picking up her glass of water again. Nerves made her hand shake the slightest bit, the glass trembling.

"Hmm." Ezra hummed simply, leaning back in his chair. He let out a breath. "I do not see it."

Vivians eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "See what?"

"Why he cares for you." The vampire sounded annoyed, fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. "You are very uninteresting."

The woman should have been hurt by the vampire's comment, but she wasn't. Coming from this vampire, it was almost a compliment. Maybe it meant he would leave her alone, if he found her so uninteresting. Maybe he would return her. "Oh." Vivian finally managed out, setting the glass back down on the table. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He said, waving her words away. "I suppose some humans cannot help it. Your existence is rather boring, isn't it?"

Again, the woman felt she should have been offended, but she didn't. It was kind of sad that he thought this way. Did he have such little regard for human life? "I don't think so." She replied, setting her fork and knife down. "I think life is very exciting and rewarding, especially since it's so much shorter compared to vampires and witches. We have so much less time but we make the most of it. I think that's beautiful, that life is so precious and short. It means we only have a small amount of time to enjoy our existence here."

Ezra just looked at her, almost assessing. "I see." The vampire finally said, leaning forward in his chair, pushing to stand up. "You're one of those humans."

Vivian felt the blood drain from her face. Oh, shit, she had definitely said the wrong thing. "W-What do you mean?"

The vampire pushed away from his chair and began to walk towards Vivian, the woman's heart racing in her chest. "You believe your life is actually worth something. That your existence has any meaning." His voice was cold as he spoke, hand running the length of the table as he walked down it and towards her. "It is the absolute worst. You think your lifes have more worth than vampires."

The woman shrunk in her seat as Ezra approached her. "I-I didn't mean to imply that-."

"Silence." Ezra cut her off, and Vivian instantly shut her mouth, fear and panic making her nauseous. "I don't want to hear your excuses." The vampire slammed his hands down on the armrests that were on either side of Vivian. He trapped her, Vivian sinking back in her chair. "Your life is worth absolutely nothing. The only point of your existence is to feed vampires and keep us alive. You are nothing more than food."

Vivian shook in her seat under the intensity of the vampire. Holy shit, this was terrifying. Her blood rushed through her veins as her heart raced like a rabbit's. She didn't know what to do, wasn't sure if her life was about to end right then and there. So Vivian did the only thing she could think of. "Yes." She agreed, her voice barely a breath. "Y-You're right."

"Of course I am." Ezra bit out, but pushed off the arm rests, stepping away from her. "Alice."

"Y-Yes, Master."

"Take Vivian back to her room. She is not to leave it." Ezra spared her one last glance, and then he walked out of the dining room, leaving Vivian in complete silence.

The woman let out a shaky breath she wasn't aware she was holding. Vivian stood from the table, legs wobbly. Alice moved to catch her, but Vivian steadied herself. They didn't say anything as they left the dining room and walked back to the bedroom. Vivian was then locked in her room, her cage, and left for the rest of the day.