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He went to bars and strip clubs a lot, one of his vices. I wouldn’t complain about exploring different scenarios as long as he didn’t make me watch him fuck or try to get a bonus drink from me. Sometimes, I served more like his wingman than his squire. No chicks who were sane would pick me over him. I made him look damn good.

As his squire, I got to dress in a white wool tunic and nice pants, the best material I’d ever worn. Drusilla dressed even better. She donned an exquisite silk gown with a belt from the shoulder to her hip, like the ancient Greek women. One time, I pulled at the fabric around her waist just to feel the material—I appreciated the fine things in life even though I hadn’t been given any good stuff—and she swatted my hand away with a scowl on her face. I bet if the prince did the same, she’d throw herself at him and beg to be fucked.

Other than the prince, she was mostly in charge of me. She prohibited me from wearing a wrinkled outfit and unpolished shoes, saying I’d bring shame to His Highness.

“It’s not like the prince wears my wrinkled clothes; I’m wearing them. So how can I bring shame to him?” I argued.

“How dare you think the prince would wear a servant’s clothes?” she scolded.

Drusilla was not always unkind to me. She was just stuck up, like everyone else. The whole realm was about power, then getting more power.

“What we do and say reflects on the prince!” she added.

“That’s a lot of responsibilities,” I said. “And if all of what we say and do reflects on the prince, he’ll look like a piece of shit.”

Drusilla tried to hit me, but I ducked.

~

The vampire prince and his entourage, me included, strolled through the woods toward the Jubilee Haven, the main dining hall for all students and faculty, one of my favorite haunts. Food comforted me. I’d put on some good weight after being in the realm for a week.

I sidled up to Louis at his summons, trying to match his long strides with my own sprints. I had shorter legs, if he hadn’t noticed already, but he didn’t care, as selfish as he was. But at least I wasn’t panting due to years of practice being on the run. If I sweated, panted, or my heart pounded too hard, the scent of my blood would become even more potent. The last thing I wanted was to tempt the prince at my own expense.

“How dare you say that I’m not a good, diligent student!?” Louis growled at me.

I could feel holes burning into the back of my head as the guards scowled at me. They didn’t like it that I had a mouth on me. They also craved my blood, but they had more discipline. I bet that they hoped their prince would get bored of me and toss me aside one day, preferably sooner rather than later, so they could all swarm me, draining me dry.

I’d prayed for the sunlight to toast the vampires so I could sleep longer in the morning, but the local vampires were much stronger than their brethren in the mortal realm and thus could withstand the morning sun. Only they couldn’t run around under the direct sunlight at high noon.

“But sir.” I gazed up at the prince. He was dressed as usual—a white button-up designer shirt with expensive slacks that hugged his powerful legs. “Didn’t you say you liked me to speak my mind? You said it was quite refreshing.”

“Now you keep track of my words?” he demanded.

“Only the important ones, sir. I also write things down, including when you take my blood, for our records, even though I have a photographic memory.”

He growled.

“Having a photographic memory isn’t all blessing,” I offered in a hurry. “I’d rather unsee many things and erase bad memories.” I gave him a meaningful look, as I really wanted to erase the ones when he banged two chicks at once.

Sy, on the other hand, voted to keep them as a stimulation for her next feeding, so she could compare notes. We’d always been on the run in the past and hadn’t had much chance to access the internet, or Sy would’ve spent all the time watching porn.

“What makes you think I’m a bad student?” He still sounded irritated, like a belligerent puppy who wouldn’t let go of a bone.

“I checked your schedules, sir. You never follow them. You skip a lot of classes. Other students would’ve been expelled.”

“Dare you judge me, little Bob?”

“No judgment here, sir. I swear on my mother’s black soul,” I said huskily. “What I was saying is it’s good to be fucking powerful in the realm. You can stomp anyone lower than you like a bug and then walk away with a career criminal smile on your face.”

He nodded before narrowing his eyes on me, as he couldn’t decide if I was complimenting him or being sarcastic.

“Shut up,” he said just as a raven appeared out of nowhere, diving toward me at a sharp speed, its claws out. I moved in a flash and ducked behind Louis.

The prince’s hand lashed out, faster than committing a sin, and clutched the raven’s neck before the guards could shoot forward to shield their prince. I peeked out from behind the prince’s broad back. The black bird stared straight at me, darkness swirling in its eyes.

Shit! It carried Ruin’s signature.

How had it followed me here? Had Ruin built other creatures besides Shriekers since I’d fled? He hadn’t needed to use others when he had me. My father could possess his foul creatures. A chill slithered up my spine. My heart pounded. If Ruin had spotted me through the raven, I wouldn’t allow him to spy further. And if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t allow the raven to report back.