Chapter 1

“Mom no!” I screamed as the masked men ripped me from my bed, the carpet burning my skin as they dragged me across the floor.

“Luna... I'm sorry.” She whispered, sobbing into a piece of tattered tissue.

The masked men lifted me from the ground, the larger one throwing me over his shoulder, his green eyes piercing through me, even in the dark room; the only light coming from a small lamp in the corner. My heart thumped recklessly within my chest, unable to contain the fear that I felt.

What was going on? Why didn’t my mother stop them? I thrashed my entire form against the stranger, hoping that he would let go, that he would allow me to get to my mother one last time, ask her myself what was going on. Yet, his grip only tightened as he excited the room, my mother standing completely still in the corner, blocked by a dark figure wearing a suit, though I couldn’t get a better look, nor could I hear what he was saying over the sound of my petrified screams...

I tried to calm down, to watch my breathing and listen, but the bulky man forced me from the room; saying nothing as he began the decent down into the living room, my head beginning to hurt as all the blood rushed there.

Too afraid to protest, I allowed the man to shift my form on his shoulder, his grip once again tightening around my petite waist. I knew that I would be unable to overpower such a man, his strength more than I could ever obtain, even with my power.

A vampire was a creature that a witch must bow to, we have no rights when in the presence of these creatures, they owned us. My own feelings were pointless in their company, they didn’t care how I felt, how my mother felt; they only cared about what they could obtain from us, and now it seemed that the prize was me. But why? Why were they taking me from my mother? What had I done?

Tears slipped from my eyes as the creature placed me onto the floor by the front door, my entire frame trembling in horror, I knew that I couldn’t escape, there would be no use in trying, in running from the house barefoot screaming for the neighbours to come to my aid. They wouldn’t leave their homes, not for me, not for my mother. They would only see the bikes outside, and the limo with blacked out windows, that would be all that they needed to know. That would tell them that interfering would mean death. For everyone.

The bulky vampire with green eyes scowled down at me, his tone dark and stern. “Calm yourself witch, he will not be pleased if you run.”

I look a long breath, attempting to do as he commanded, but my body disagreed, fighting against my wishes; the shaking becoming more violent. How could I calm down? This situation could only end one of two ways, my mother’s death or my removal. All I knew was that whichever they chose, my life would change forever, I would either be orphaned, or forced into the work camps to pay off our debt.

The debt that my father created. Now that I was fully awake, I could grasp what was going on, but only just. I should have realised sooner who it was that was dragging me from my bed. I should have sensed it.

Yes, I was a young witch at only fifteen years old, but my mother had taught me better than that, she had tried to get me to understand. Yet, I didn’t, I didn’t understand this at all. I needed my mother; I needed my father, but he was already gone. They had disposed of him two years ago when he tried to run with us, he wanted us to have a better life; not this one. Not the one they chose for us.

I took another breath, knowing that if I refused to answer, I would see the back of his hand. “I won't run sir, so please; please allow me to see my mother.”

My heart skipped a beat, I made that sound like a demand, my kind cannot demand anything from them, we cannot ask for such things, we must wait until it is offered. I took a step back, only the find the wall behind me, the coats that hung from hooks promising me no comfort.

The vampire took a step towards me, placing his overly large hands at either side of my head, my breath now shallow and raspy. What had I done? I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut, and I needed to do it fast. There would be no second chances where they take me, there would be no talking unless strictly given permission. So why did I think now was any different? Why did I think that I could see her one last time? I lowered my head in an open sign of submission, praying that it would spare me from whatever punishment was coming.

His green eyes pierced my soul, I could feel them watching me even as I clenched my eyes shut, his voice only adding my horror. “You think that you can demand something from me witch? Is that how you think this works?!”

“No sir, I just meant that …”

“I am not interested in your excuses.” He interrupted me, but they could do that, after all; we were lesser beings. We were nothing but slaves to them, something they could use to their own gain.