The leech was back to her old tricks of torturing her feeders. Javier's screams penetrated the walls and I did not know how the leech could stand the clamour, let alone how the other humans she had dragged into the back along with her endured.

Her decision had been distinctly strange and I could only imagine why the leech would need five humans for her feeding. Perhaps it was some sort of attempt at intimidation, to keep the others in line, but even that didn't ring quite true.

After a few minutes, Theo came out again, followed by his assistants. They all seemed unharmed, although who could really say what damage might have been inflicted under the surface.

He sat down next to me and kept his voice low. I could barely hear him over the sound of the cries. "We're going to go after midnight tomorrow, when almost all the vampires here will be attending their meetings."

"Surprised we're not doing it at noon."

Theo shook his head. "We considered that. But that's when security is at its highest. She's decided to allow you to come as a lookout, if you can swear not to screw up."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I want the information as much as you do."

Theo seemed satisfied with my words and he explained the finer details of his plan to me. I listened, remembered, and agreed.

* * * * *

The first phase of the plan was to lure the council slaves to the leech's chambers and it was relatively simple, a couple of her slaves went out and convinced the humans to come to her lair for food.

I thought they were rather naive to come to a vampire's private quarters, but considering their lean bodies, I supposed that a combination of desperation and desensitization to the constant presence of leeches made it worth the risk.

Mantis and Javier provided the slaves with the same meals around the table that the rest of us ate. They consumed it ravenously, until the bloodsucker wandered into the room.

Three of them cowered and froze while the fourth jumped to his feet warily.

"No need to stand. I like that my humans have made little friends. Go on. Enjoy your meals, slaves." She took her seat at the end of the table.

Any enjoyment the slaves had garnered had been snuffed out by the leech. I glanced at her and realized that she seemed to be revelling in their misery.

Theo and the tech slaves finished and headed off to their makeshift supply closet tech lab, presumably to prepare for our next move. It was far from my area of expertise so I did not question it further.

Finally, the last slave was finished eating and they sat there in nervous watchfulness, obviously torn between wanting to leave and waiting for permission to head out of her chambers.

She seemed to be trying to upset them, watching them with those light brown eyes and her fangs showing in her smile.

"Now, out of the goodness of my heart I fed you, humans, but I can't have you running around and making me sound charitable or anything like that. I need something from you, now that I've given you such a nice gift."

One of the slaves visibly swallowed and the jumpy one half got to his feet before settling down again.

They all paled before her threatening expression.

"Hold them," she commanded. "I don't want them to try to run away before I'm done with them."

In unison, her human guards got to their feet behind the slaves, one behind each. It was obvious the slaves could not match the strength of the guards, especially in their malnourished states. The desperation on the humans' faces resurged that distinct urge to go for the leech's throat again.

It was one thing if she wanted to torture her willing toadies, another if she wanted to pick on the small, weak and helpless. I gritted my teeth.

She walked to the slave nearest on her right and went up to him. He whimpered and she spoke into his ear, too low for me to hear over the sounds of his distress. He started crying in pitiable, wrenching sobs.

Then she went to the next two and repeated the same process. Their agony was apparent in their hollow eyes and shrinking stances.

The final slave was right next to me and she walked over and leaned between us. She was close enough that I could also hear her this time.

Her whisper took on an oddly song-like quality, yet had no discernible notes or tempo. "Human slave of the council, you will not notice Theo when you see him, you will build no memories of what he or those who are with him are doing. You will never wish to speak of it or him. You will obey, but forget all the orders I have given you. You will forget being fed and only remember that you were tortured while you were in my chambers. You experienced incredible torment."

The final slave shook like he was about to die.

"Now leave, council slaves. I've played with you long enough and you have begun to bore me."

Almost in unison, they scrambled to their feet and fled for the door. The leech returned to her seat without looking at me, which was perfectly fine, although I still could not escape the feeling that her disinterest was purposeful and I could only imagine what manipulations she was now planning.

She did not sit down again. "You may finish your meals, slaves." She walked out of the room, her hips swaying from one side to the other with each step.

I caught myself watching the movement and yanked my gaze away. A few more bites and my plate was clear.

* * * * *

Moving around loose in the bloodsuckers' capital was a new experience for me and rather unsettling. Normally, as a human, when I was in the vicinity of the creatures, they were trying to kill or capture me and I was trying to kill or escape them.

But here, as I walked through the cold stone halls on Theo's commands, branded and in the leech's collar, they would pass me by almost as if they could not see me, as if I were beneath their notice.

It was strange to see the creatures up close like this. Their remarkable similarity to humans when they were not on the hunt and the red of bloodlust had faded from their eyes was troubling. If it was not for the way they carried themselves with a slightly unnatural stillness, the arrogance flowing from them, as well as their expensive clothing they would be able to masquerade perfectly among humans.

Was that how the monsters had survived in the old world? Blending in among humans until they leapt out to grab their unsuspecting prey under the cover of night?

There was something unnerving about them being present but imperceivable. Strange though it might be, I thought I preferred things as they now were. How had humans managed, never knowing where the threat was coming from? How had they explained the destruction the bloodsuckers left in their wake?

Perhaps the bloodsuckers had been more careful then, although it was difficult to imagine ostentatious creatures like the one who held me being subtle enough to blend in.

Or creatures like the two in the hall ahead of me. I instantly recognized the brown haired creature as Magnus, from the profile I had studied while they had visited the leech's lair. The second was also familiar from my time in the databank archives, although I could not recall his name. The fact I could not remember likely meant he was not particularly out of the ordinary for a bloodsucker.

Neither paid me any mind as I slowly approached.

"I must commend you on your bill proposal. Too many of us are fixated on the flashier aspects of life, and too few pay attention to the regular maintenance that supports our existence. And I can certainly pledge support for it, although of course I cannot speak for Willow or Katter, although I can't imagine why they might oppose," Magnus said, his voice full of his assumed self-importance.

"And I of course can support your bill in return. I haven't turned a fledgling in quite some time, but I do feel quite a lot of sympathy for poor Willow. Does she know where the young one ended up?"

"Sadly, no. She did not take well to the change."

"A shame. I do hope she finds somewhere safe to end up and avoids the pitfalls of starvation."

"Indeed. Starvation is a terrible thing. We saw much of that during the human suppression wars. A starved vampire will do anything, attack other vampires, or even resort to animal blood."

The unknown vampire nodded his head. "I've heard stories about the human suppression."

"It was a terrible time. Bad memories, be glad you weren't there, Councillor Enrique."

"Indeed. Still, I commend you for your service to vampirekind."

I would personally like to commend him by pinning a medal through his chest.

Magnus nodded his head as I began to pass them on the opposite side of the hall.

His eyes reached me and I put my gaze down not only to play the part of the good slave, but to also hide my desire to kill him.

"Isn't that one of Vienne's?"

Damn.

I kept walking.

"Halt, human," Magnus ordered.

If I ignored him it would reflect badly on the leech and she had warned harshly against that. For the moment, my goals and hers seemed to have allied in a twisted way and that meant that I was going to have to pretend to respect the disgusting monster who thought he could order me around. I stopped.

"I've seen this slave before. I was there when she bought him."

I considered the vampire's words. I could vaguely recall another vampire being there with her, although at that time they had been nothing more than two monsters with the wrong faces that I still wanted to kill.

They were still both monsters I wanted to kill, but I had other priorities for the moment that took precedence.

"I'm surprised she brought him along with her, I would have thought this slave would have already bored her considering how easy she claimed he was to break," Magnus said, walking closer to me and circling me like a cat toying with its prey.

I kept my face impassive and my eyes down. I wanted to take him out with every fibre of my being, but there was nothing I could do but endure him in that moment. I had the strongest desire to clench my teeth, but I forced my jaw to remain slack.

Enrique shrugged. "Looks like he makes a nice quantity of blood and what else really matters besides that?"

Magnus laughed. "Well, we don't quite see eye to eye on that, my friend."

Enrique watched Magnus walk around me with an expression of good-natured indulgence.

"But Vienne does. She knows the joy of a good spark in a human. Most of them have it, even if they've lost their pride and their dignity and everything they owned, most of them still have the instinctual desire to survive, if only you know how to draw it out. But the best ones are the ones who are still fighting. Breaking humans down to that moment that the spark goes out is the truest delicacy and that, my friend, is when blood tastes the finest of all."

"I'll have to take your word for it, I'm afraid," Enrique said, still smiling at his fellow repugnant bloodsucker.

Magnus turned his attention back to me. I kept my form as relaxed as I could, even as he walked behind me and into my blind spot. "I wonder what she sees in you. What's your name, slave?"

I thought quickly. They tried to strip our names from us, along with our humanity. "I am slave to my mistress."

The words were bitter, but they suited my goal.

"You don't seem to be afraid of me," he commented.

I definitely preferred when these leeches were ignoring me like I was worthless. "My mistress is the only one I fear," I lied, hoping that he would bore of his games soon. It was damn hard to think of properly pathetic responses to his questions. Maybe the best strategy would be to pretend to be Agro. If I could pull it off.

"Fascinating. I suppose she did find something in this one, after all."

Enrique looked bored. "The only thing to find in humans is blood. They're here today, gone tomorrow. They serve their purpose and then the remains are to be discarded."

Magnus chuckled. "You just don't understand the art of breaking humans, Councillor. But Vienne understands me and I understand her."

A feminine voice I knew all too well broke into the conversation. "Then you'll certainly understand I don't appreciate when people play with my food, Magnus. And you also should remember that I don't like to share," the leech said as she walked forward.

I almost felt relieved to see her, not so much because I needed the rescue, but because my desire to attack the leech had been growing by the minute. Breaking its neck would not get me too far without weapons and even weapons would not get me out of this capital that was filled with an unimaginable number of leeches.

"My apologies, Vienne. My curiosity got the better of me."

She continued with no sign of that habitual smirk on her face. "I will accept your apology, but kindly remember in the future not to interfere with my possessions. My slaves have tasks to do, Magnus, and you were holding him up."

Her brown eyes met mine. "Human, get going, now."

I took my opportunity and I obeyed in spite of the fact I still wanted to do the opposite of whatever the leech wanted from me. Good sense propelled me onward and I made my way back to the leech's chambers without further interruption.