Page 73 of Cloak of the Vampire
It was unbelievable. It was the third and last month already. What was even more unbelievable was the fact the Auction was drawing near, and with it, so many things that needed to be done.
“The Auction has a few stages,” Abe explained during our first class of the last month. “First, all the vampires put on auction will go through the Exhibition process. Who can tell me what this stage is about?”
Zoey raised her hand immediately. Once Abe allowed her to speak, she said, “It’s about the Lords checking us out, measuring us up, and talking to us as prospective vampires for their Leagues.”
“Correct.” Abe smiled. “To summarize, it’s the mingling part of the evening, when you can socialize with the other Lords and try to appeal to them.” He paused and gave us all a hard look before locking his fingers behind his back and starting to pace. “Bribes, blackmailing, all this nonsense won’t work on them, and I urge younotto try.”
Abe motioned for Jakob, whose hand was up, to speak. “How do we appeal to the Lords?”
“That, you’ll learn in our next lesson,” Abe replied as he stopped pacing and turned to face us. “Now, let’s talk about the Blessing. Who knows what’s the Blessing stage?”
Again, Zoey’s hand was up, but this time Jane’s was up, too, so Abe nodded to her. Flustered, because she was picked over Zoey, Jane started to ramble. “I work for Maika in VR, and she told me that we need recommendations from our temporary employers for the Blessing part.”
“It’s true,” Abe said, “but it’s not all. Anyone else? Zoey?”
Jane deflated, and Zoey shot her a smug grin before replying. “The Blessing stage is when each Lord gives a few words about each newcomer and tells the audience about their performance in their temporary job assignments. The Lord then declares their favorite newcomer.”
Abe gave her an encouraging smile. “Correct yet again,” he said, and Zoey looked as smug as a peacock. “Now, let’s talk about the third and final stage: the Auction itself.”
Silence spread through the class as theAword echoed across the room.
“You would be called one by one to the stage and show off your best talent as Commons,” Abe said quietly, breaking the silence and drawing our attention. “After you perform, the bidding will start until someone buys you out.”
Hesitantly, Jakob raised his hand. “What happens if no one bids on you?” he asked, and tension filled the room.
Abe gave us a grim look. “Make sure you don’t find out the answer for that one.”
On that ominous note, Abe switched gears. “Since we’re a mere four weeks away from the Auction, your preparations start today.”
Abe offered us all a reassuring smile, as though he felt the anxiety that spread throughout the room. “You will go through a talent evaluation with the events committee members. It starts today after the break and will last until next week.”
I was no longer calm, and neither were my peers. Zoey was biting her nails with nervousness, Tansy was more quiet than usual, Bryce tried to laugh it all off with a joke, while his eyes were full of fear, and the rest seemed as though doom had befallen on their formerly good fortune.
“After lunch break, you have an assessment class where you will discover which talent of yours is best suited to show off in the Auction and increase your chances at being bid on,” Abe continued, ignoring the general dismay in the classroom. “Make sure to explore your options because, once you choose your performance, you cannot change it.”
After that, I wasn’t that calm anymore.
Because I needed to figure out a plan quickly. The problem was that I didn’t know what I wanted. Did I want Ragnor to buy me? Did I want to be bought into another League? Or perhaps, should I give this all up and become Leagueless?
It was an opportunity to get away from everything. I had a chance to return to some semblance of a normal life in another League, or without one, and make sure I was back in full control of my life.
Fucking Ragnor in dark rooms was not part of said control.
Neither was Logan’s renewed presence in my life.
Not to mention that Cassidy, the reason I was here to begin with, was like a constant reminder of how daring to care for another person led to doom.
The Auction hall was like an underground Olympic arena, with hundreds of seats surrounding a surprisingly small stage. On the seats nearest to the stage sat three people. Two of them I recognized—Magnus and Margarita, Ragnor’s Lieutenants. The third person was a woman with a severe face and bushy eyebrows who reminded me of Frida Kahlo.
Margarita, sitting between the other Lieutenant and the stranger, rose to her feet. “Newcomers, take a seat in the first rows,” she said. “We’ll call each one of you for the assessment, and the rest shall wait. After you’re assessed, you are to return to your seat and wait until everyone is done.”
Once everyone was seated, Tansy was called to the stage. She seemed oddly serene as she went over to the stage. She looked tinier than ever, standing on her own, with her plait almost touching the floor. I glanced at the judges and saw Magnus’s eyes were staring at her in a sharp, predatory way that gave me pause. Considering the way he licked his lips, it only affirmed my suspicions that whatever his intentions were, they were not holy.
“It is written here that you dance,” Margarita said, looking at a piece of paper in boredom.
Tansy bobbed her head in a nod, sending strawberry blonde strands over her neck.
Margarita yawned. “Let’s see it, then.”
