The Vampire Rules

by Michelle Madow

  “Impressive.” Laila raised an eyebrow and sat down on the sofa across from me. “That amount of wormwood would have knocked out most vampires. But you’re strong. Just like I intended.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve said that,” I said. “You didn’t turn me randomly, did you?”

  “Of course not.” She smiled. “I’d selected you long before stepping into the hotel bar where we met.”

  “Why?” Pain echoed in my voice, and I rested my elbows on top of my legs, feeling hopeless. “What did I do to deserve this?”

  “You’re strong,” she said. “Disciplined. Motivated. Ambitious. By all reports, you were predicted to be the hero of the next Olympics. All of those traits—the traits of an Olympian athlete at the top of his or her game—they’re the traits I was searching for. You see, the transition to become a vampire prince or princess is even much more challenging than the transition to become a regular vampire. Most don’t survive it. So I searched and found you—the most talked about athlete for the next Olympic games. You survived the change, like I thought you would. And after what I’ve seen of you so far—the way you threw off those guards, your ability to withstand high doses of wormwood, and the exorbitant amount of blood you consumed for your first meal—choosing you was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

  “But I don’t want to be a monster,” I said. “I’ll kill myself before I lose control again and kill more people.”

  “No, you won’t.” She sounded so sure of herself—like she knew me better than I knew myself. “I’ve turned many vampires who ended up doing such a thing, and they all handled their first kill with far less dignity than you managed today. You were born to be a vampire, Jacen. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can enjoy the wealth, power, and most importantly—the immortality—that I gave you when I made you a prince of the Vale.”

  EIGHT

  I stared her down, unwilling to accept it.

  “People will know I’m missing,” I said. “Like you said, I’m high profile. There are people searching for me right now, and they’re going to find me. Just you wait.”

  “No one’s coming for you,” she said simply.

  “What makes you so sure about that?” I asked.

  “Because everyone thinks you’re dead.”

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes at her, not willing to believe it. “Why would they think that?”

  She reached for something—a remote control—and pressed a button to lower a gigantic flat screen television from the ceiling. “I recorded this just for you while you were going through the change,” she said, turning the television on and clicking to a recorded news report on the DVR. “I thought you’d want to see it once you woke up.”

  The news report was already cued up—all Laila had to do was press play.

  On the screen was the hotel I’d been staying at during the swim meet—with flames and smoke coming out of the top windows. The caption below the photo read, “Hotel bombing.”

  “We’re here half past midnight reporting live at the Eastin Hotel in Toronto, where a terrorist has set off a bomb in one of the upper floors,” a pretty newscaster said into a microphone. “It appears to have been a direct attack on the USA male swim team visiting the city for the Global Aquatics Championship, as the floor they were staying on was the one targeted. None of them have been located yet, and the rescuers on the scene say it doesn’t look good. More coming on the hour.”

  Laila was emotionless as she fast-forwarded to the next update, where the newscaster announced that my teammates and I—along with many others staying at the hotel—were confirmed dead.

  “Where are they?” I turned to Laila, fury in my eyes.

  “Where are who?” she asked calmly.

  “My teammates!” I said. “Are they in this place, too? Are you hedging your bets? Turning all of us into vampires and seeing who survives?”

  “No,” she said. “I already told you—I chose you specifically.”

  “So what did you do to my friends?” It took all of my self-control not to strangle her again. The only thing stopping me was the glint of the needle tucked away in her pocket. The pain from the first two doses of wormwood was still wrecking havoc through my system—I knew my body well enough to know I couldn’t handle any more.

  “They’re dead,” she said. “Blown up by the terrorist who bombed the hotel.”

  It took a few seconds for what she’d said to sink in.

  Once it did, the weight of my teammates’ deaths crushed me.

  “You were the terrorist, weren’t you?” I said. “You planted that bomb. You killed them all.”

  “Of course not.” She laughed and pulled her hair over her shoulders. “As a vampire queen, I have the ability of compulsion. As a prince, you’ll have compulsion too, once you learn how to harness it.”

  “What’s compulsion?”

  “Mind control,” she said simply.

  “You used it on me, didn’t you?” I realized. “At the bar when you asked me to ask you up to your room, and after you’d bitten me, when you told me to stop talking and to stop fighting you.”

  “I did,” she confirmed. “And I used it on a young Muslim man the night before I met you, when I gave him the supplies and instructions to carry out his task. He was a kind, peaceful man without a violent bone in his body, but men of his religion are easy scapegoats these days. ISIS was eager to take credit for the bombing despite having nothing to do with it at all.”

  “You’re a monster.” Disgust rolled through my body as I looked at her.

  How many innocents had Laila killed in her immortal life? Did she have a heart at all?

  “I’m a queen.” She lifted her chin, holding her head high. “Queens make hard decisions for the sake of their kingdoms. If they don’t, their kingdom will fall, and they’ll reign no more. I’ll do whatever it takes to make my kingdom the strongest it can be, and I’ll always protect my subjects—especially the princes and princesses I sire. You’ll see that in time.”

  “In the meantime,” she continued. “You’ll learn to control your bloodlust. Vampires need more blood when they’re newly turned, so you’ll be weaned down until you’re drinking a normal amount each day. Then you’ll be tested to ensure you’re in control. As long as you’re strong and disciplined—which I know you are, since that’s why I chose you as my newest prince—you’ll get through this and claim your rightful place in the Vale.”

  I could barely pay attention to what she was saying.

  Because right now, my entire family thought I was dead. Blown into pieces.

  But I wasn’t dead. And as long as I was alive, there was a chance I could see my family again.

  I would do anything to see them again—even if that meant playing nice with Laila so I could squeeze as much information out of her as possible.

  Gathering information was a good goal. Because once I had enough information, I could figure out a plan to get out of here and go home. I didn’t know what I would do with myself when I got home, but I could figure that out later.

  Now, I needed to focus on escape.

  “You’re saying that I can learn to control this… bloodlust?” I watched Laila carefully as I spoke. “That I can stop myself from killing?”

  “You must stop yourself from killing.” She sat straighter, apparently happy with where this conversation was heading. “If a vampire can’t maintain control of their bloodlust, they risk revealing our existence to humans. And while we’re powerful and strong, humans outnumber us. The supernatural community as a whole is better off keeping humans in the dark—especially now that humans have created weapons that could obliterate us with the touch of a button.”

  “And what about the vampires who can’t control their bloodlust?” I asked.

  “Like I told you before, I chose you because of your determination, discipline, strength, and ambition,” she said. “Not only will you learn how to control your bloodlust, but you’re going to be one of the st
rongest, most powerful vampires alive. Besides myself, of course.” She smiled, widening her eyes in a way that would have looked innocent if someone didn’t know better.

  “You didn’t answer my question.” I raised an eyebrow, unwilling to let her steer me off course so easily. “What happens to the vampires who can’t control their bloodlust?”

  “They’re not allowed to live,” she said simply. “At least, not the ones from our kingdom. And as you’re a vampire of the Vale—a prince of it—our kingdom is all you need to concern yourself with right now.”

  “How many other kingdoms are there?” I asked.

  “Six, including the Vale.”

  “And what are they like?”

  “I’m here to oversee your transition—not to be a history teacher.” She scrunched her nose, as if my question demeaned her. “The palace library is full of books with answers to those kind of questions.”

  “I’m allowed to leave my room?” Given my treatment since waking up, I hadn’t expected as much.

  “Of course,” she said. “You’re a prince, not a prisoner.”

  I was thrilled to hear this, but worried at the same time.

  “What about the humans?” I asked, voicing the cause of my concern. “If I run into one and smell their blood, I might…” I trailed off, unable to say it out loud.

  I might murder them.

  “You won’t run into any humans in the palace,” she said. “The only humans here are in the dungeons.”

  “Humans don’t work in the palace?”

  “No.” She laughed again. Clearly, she found my ignorance of life in the Vale amusing. “Humans are slaves. They give us their blood and do menial labor in exchange for their homes in the village at the outskirt of the kingdom. The respectable jobs—such as serving the nobility in the palace—are given to vampires. You’ll only see other vampires in the palace, and your personal bodyguard will escort you everywhere you go.”

  “You’re giving me a bodyguard?” I imagined it was to keep an eye on me rather than protect me.

  “You met him earlier—he brought in the first human for your transitional meal,” she said. “His name is Daniel, and he’s one of our best. I wouldn’t give you anything but the best.”

  I nodded, feeling devoid of life as I took in everything from the past few hours.

  None of this felt real. It felt like a bad dream—like I would wake up and everything would be back to normal again.

  Neither of us spoke for nearly a full minute. Eventually she walked over to sit next to me, and she placed her hand on my leg.

  I wanted to flinch away. But I just stared at where she was touching me, not moving.

  Because with her this close to me, the needle full of wormwood was closer than ever.

  If I got that needle, I could stab her with it and run.

  But where would I go? The palace was full of vampires, and guards were outside my door. I guessed the guards had needles full of wormwood too.

  I wouldn’t make it five feet before they took me down. And that was all assuming that wormwood affected Laila at all.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in,” she cooed. “But I’m here for you, for anything you need.” She locked her eyes with mine, wet her lips, and leaned forward, her hand inching up my thigh.

  Playing along would be a good way to gain her trust and improve my chance of escape.

  But my stomach twisted with revulsion at the thought of being intimate with the woman who had stolen my life from me. Despite how beautiful she was on the outside, I only saw one thing when I looked at Laila now—a monster.

  So I turned my head from her and leaned away.

  Silence lingered in the air as she took in my refusal, and I flexed every muscle in my body, preparing for her to punish me with another dose of wormwood.

  She drew her hand away from me, but she didn’t reach for the needle.

  “Fine.” She spoke coolly, and she stood, staring down at me in disdain. “You don’t have to want me romantically. But I’m your sire, which means we’ll always be bound. I urge you not to forget that.”

  She turned around and left the room without giving me a chance to reply.

  As the door slammed shut, I curled my hands into fists and swore that someday, she would regret ever choosing to turn me into a vampire prince.

  NINE

  For the next week, I spent as much time as possible in the palace library, reading what I thought looked like the most important books in the non-fiction section. The texts were lengthy and wordy, especially the ones from centuries ago that were written in older forms of English. But I powered through them anyway.

  Because to escape the Vale, I needed to know as much about the kingdom as possible.

  I returned to my room at sunrise. As always, a large glass of blood waited for me on the table.

  I downed the blood, but it wasn’t enough. It was like I’d had an appetizer but no main course.

  I needed more.

  With the glass still in my hand, I marched to the door and opened it. Daniel and another guard were in their positions outside my quarters.

  “Your Highness?” Daniel’s arms went to his sides as he stood to attention.

  I’d never get used to that title. But what he called me was hardly a concern right now.

  “I need more blood.” I was quick to get to the point. “The amount I’m getting isn’t enough.”

  “I understand.” He stared straight ahead, not meeting my eyes. “I sent your complaint to the kitchens yesterday.”

  “And they gave me less today than they did yesterday!” My nerves felt like they’d reached a breaking point, and I threw the glass to the floor, shattering it in my fit of anger.

  Daniel didn’t flinch. “They’re weaning you down to the point where you’re satiated with a normal amount of blood each day,” he repeated what he’d been telling me throughout the week. “You might feel like you need more blood than they’re giving you, but you don’t. That’s your bloodlust talking—not your body. We’ve all been there before. The only way to overcome the bloodlust is to refrain from gorging yourself on blood you don’t need.”

  “I’m not asking to gorge on blood.” I grit my teeth together, not understanding why he didn’t get it. Like he’d said, he’d been there before. He should understand. “I just need enough to function. One more pint a day. That’s all I need.”

  I hated begging, but I was desperate. It was harder and harder to focus every day. Each day, I was inching closer to a breaking point.

  “You’re getting all you need.” He finally met my gaze, surprising me with the worry in his eyes. “You need to learn to control yourself. If you don’t… well, you know the rules as well as we all do.”

  Vampires who can’t control their bloodlust aren’t allowed to live.

  It was the most important rule of the Vale. And if there was one major takeaway I’d had from my recent reading, it was that the supernaturals loved their many rules.

  “Fine.” I marched back into my room and slammed the door shut behind me. Daniel was only trying to help me—I knew that—but it didn’t mean I had to like what he was saying.

  I got ready for bed and tried to sleep, but it was impossible. As the week had progressed, falling asleep had been getting harder and harder. Now, all I could do was lay there, trying to think of ways to get more blood.

  Despite what Daniel had told me, this had to be more than my bloodlust talking. I needed more blood to function. I clearly wasn’t being given enough.

  Maybe Laila had taken my rejection of her advances harder than she’d made it seem? Maybe she was withholding blood from me as an act of revenge?

  When hours passed and I still hadn’t fallen asleep, I knew I only had one option. I’d have to go to Laila and beg her to understand. I’d do anything—literally anything—if she’d give me more blood.

  If that meant taking her to bed, then so be it.

  But it was noon—the middle of the night for vampires. I
f I woke Laila from her sleep, I’d only irritate her.

  I’d have to wait until sunset.

  For now, I raided the bar inside my quarters, finding the closest thing that resembled blood—a bottle of red wine. It looked like a fancy vintage, but I didn’t care. After uncorking it, I didn’t even bother pouring it into a glass. I drank it straight from the bottle.

  It didn’t take long until the bottle was empty.

  I left the empty bottle on the table and pulled open the curtains to the doors that led to the balcony. I’d been in the palace for a week, and had yet to step outside. I’d spent the nighttime hours in the library, so I was only in my quarters was when the sun was up. And one of the first things I’d read about vampires was that while the sun didn’t incinerate us on the spot, exposure to it was painful and draining. It was why vampires followed a nocturnal schedule.

  Maybe if I stood in the sunlight for a few minutes, it would drain me of enough energy that I’d be able to sleep.

  It would be painful. But at this point, I was willing to try anything for a few hours of sleep.

  I opened the door to the balcony, and the sunlight poured through, so bright that it felt like I was looking directly at the sun. I blinked a few times, but that didn’t stop the light from feeling like it was burning my retinas. I needed a seriously strong pair of sunglasses. But I didn’t have any right now, so I forced myself to step out onto the balcony and into the sun.

  As expected, it burned my skin. You know that feeling when you’ve been sitting outside for too long and you know you’re going to have terrible sunburn? It was like that times ten. Every instinct in my body told me to go back inside, but I fought it. I even pushed up my sleeves, forcing myself to feel the sun against as much of my skin as possible. Forcing myself to endure the burn.

  I deserved this pain after killing those people. I should make stepping out into the scorching sun a routine—a reminder of everyone who’d died because of me.