???’s PoV

  “Grandfather, why do I not drink?”

  The kindly looking young man with aged eyes looked down at where I sat on his knee and paused in stroking my hair, his hand raising to smooth his thumb across one side of his elegant moustache.

  “I think you are old enough to know that not everyone wants the best for you.”

  I nodded, Grandfather’s telling of the ‘Innocent Rabbit and Malicious Fox’ had made me cry for hours.

  Wait-

  “Does that mean you’re doing it because you don’t want the best for me?” I asked, feeling hot prickles start behind my eyes; I squeezed them shut, not wanting Father to beat me for making my eyes puffy again.

  Grandfather bopped me lightly on the head.

  “Owie~” I rubbed the spot and pouted.

  “Of course I do, silly girl. There’s no need to cry. Some people will support you, like me; you’re my precious family.” He sighed, his fond tone vanishing with his next words. “I’m talking about my son-in-law.”

  “Father?” I blinked in confusion and tilted my head to the side. “But isn’t he family too?”

  “That man doesn’t see you as family, only as a tool born to wield Charm. That is why he keeps sending blood slaves-“ the term fell from his mouth like a curse “-for you to drink.”

  “But why, Grandfather?”

  “It’s to have control over you, my dear. When one of our kind drinks for the first time they will thirst forevermore-“

  “Just like in those Southern stories you read me about the thief who drank the Dryads’ sap to become young but could never be quenched again!” I interrupted.

  “Similar enough,” Grandfather smiled like a cat with cream, gently rubbing his thumb across his moustache. His smile faded as he lifted his thumb away. “But with two key differences. The first is that we are real, not a story. The second is that the younger you are when you first drink, the stronger the thirst that will afflict you for the rest of your life.

  “That permanent blood desire caused by that first taste which even afflicts us who live in Phyllosto City, is the true curse of our kind, a burden none of us should carry. It’s a shame I don’t have the strength- no, that is a bit too early for you yet, my dear. When you are a little older I shall tell you of politics, but it is foolish and stubborn in a way that would only anger you. It certainly angers me,” he chuckled softly.

  I didn’t really understand but if it made Grandfather angry it must be bad!

  “Now now my dear, stop pouting. Simply remember this: you Charm, I bite.”

  I nodded solemnly, not quite understanding why it was important, sending a quick glance over to where the blood slave stood quietly in the corner, eyes blissfully blanked under my Charm, two puncture wounds in his neck from fangs- the bite my grandfather’s despite the blood slave being sent to me to drink.

  I looked back to find Grandfather also turning his eyes from the blood slave; they wrinkled at the edges as he smiled, his moustache crinkling. I reached up and smoothed it flat but the crinkles only increased; after a few seconds’ attempts he gently caught my hand in his and lowered it.

  I glanced over at the bookcase, then back.

  “What story are you going to tell me today, Grandfather?” I asked eagerly.

  “Today we shall do something a little different,” Grandfather said. My brow crinkled in disappointment and then confusion as he continued, “I want you to ask the young man in the corner there to tell you a story.”

  “But I don’t want him to tell me a story, I want you!”

  Grandfather gently bopped me on the head again, and when I opened my eyes again afterward, I caught the last of a strange expression fading from Grandfathers face. Did he look sad? Did I make Grandfather sad? Was he going to hit me like when I made Father sad? What- Before I could think any more, Grandfather spoke. “I can’t always be around to tell you stories, my dear, but there will always be interesting people in this world. Take this young man for example, I believe he was an adventurer. Why don’t you ask him about an adventure he’s been on?”

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  An adventure! I hopped up from Grandfather’s knee and ran over to the Charmed blood slave, nearly demanding he tell me everything before remembering Grandfather’s strict words last time and instead asking politely.

  “How could I refuse my mistress?” His voice sounded like it would be good for telling stories!

  I pulled the adventurer eagerly over to the chair next to the rug, which I lay on and kicked my feet against as he talked, weaving a tale of a great travel and battle against terrible foes.

  The world outside Phyllosto sounded so exciting! Dangerous beasts to slay, great journeys to take, people welcoming and weird! And also if I left I wouldn’t have to do elegance training until my whole body ached or be beaten for failing to Charm outsiders Father brought in to make me practise with!

  “One day I’d like to go and see it,” I sighed. “But why did you want to come here?” I asked my storyteller, tilting my head to the side. “Are you happy here?”

  For the first time the blood slave’s smile twitched, as though something had gone wrong with my Charm. I quickly reactivated it and asked again, again his face twisted. I activated Charm again- and suddenly Grandfather was there, his hand gently over the blood slave’s eyes.

  “Sleep,” he commanded, and the blood slave’s trembling stopped.

  “Sana-“ he began sharply, then stopped as he glanced down at me. He knelt, gently placing his hand on my shoulder. “Be careful of what questions you ask someone Charmed to please you.”

  “G-grandpa-“ I began, voice trembling, but Grandfather placed his finger on my lips.

  “Calm yourself, think and consider,” he said. “The next time you visit me, tell me what went wrong. Charm is a powerful ability, please use it with care. Understand?” I nodded and he removed his finger.

  “It’s time for you to go to your etiquette lessons. Before you go, I have one more warning for you so listen closely and remember my words.” He took a deep breath and spoke with solemnity. “If you ever must drink, drink only to satiate your thirst, never because it feels good.

  “And I’m sorry Sana, but the first time you drink, you will kill whomever you feed upon.”

  “Please, brother, just stop drinking, it’s-“

  He scoffed scornfully and sank his fangs into the blank-eyed woman in his grip.

  “Brother! I was just-”

  “Aaahh~” he moaned, lifting his head, his eyes half lidded and shining with an intense mania, taking a long breath before bending his head back to her neck.

  “Brother stop- you’ll kill her if you drink more!”

  “I don’t caaarrrre~,” he mumbled, lips brushing her skin.

  “But I do.”

  Brother’s eyes blanked, his grip slackening, a stupefied smile spreading across his face. “Then of course I’ll let her go, for you, my beloved sister.”

  “Go now,” I told the pale-faced woman, who nodded at my words and stumbled off almost drunkenly, a hand reaching out to catch herself on the wall, clearly anaemic.

  “Sister…” the word tore its way from brother’s lips in a low growl, his fingernails extending into claws, a trickle of blood visible at the corner of his viciously twisted mouth. “You dare-“

  “Son, Daughter, come.” The command flowed through the air like a whisper, the authority within unchallengeable.

  We shared a glance, his eyes still blazing with rage but with a hint of something deep within that scared me more than a little- vicious glee perhaps?

  We flowed through the halls together in a blur -it wouldn’t do to let Father wait- rapidly reaching Father’s sanctum, the doors already sliding open as we arrived.

  Father sat on his throne, the crimson gemstones set into its golden surface and black upholstery exactly matching Father’s black and red cloak with its golden embroidery.

  He smiled, an empty expression. On him it always was.

  “I have brought you a gift, Daughter-” none of Father’s gifts were good things “-an A-rank adventurer from Arrivin. Charm him.”

  I did so; his will was surprisingly strong, but Brother was harder to Charm by far. I hadn’t even needed to touch him, merely turning to emphasise my body in the way that had been habitually engrained into me was enough.

  “Drink.” Father’s command hung in the air like a proclamation of doom. So this had finally come.

  “I will not.”

  “I am ordering you to. Will you disobey me, Daughter?” A shudder ran down my spine, the memory of whip strikes re-tearing my skin even as it regenerated, but my resolve remained firm: I would never drink. I would accept whatever punishment Father handed down, but I would never drink.

  All I could do was try to convince Father. I would likely fail; Grandfather had tried long before me and he had been a much better speaker than I.

  “How many blood slaves- people- die to overdrinking? When it’s so unnecessary when we can sustain ourselves easily on the mana here in Phyllosto City? It’s just cruel! In twenty years I have never drunk blood, and I never intend to!” I declared, voice shaking only a little at how Father’s expression darkened more and more.

  “So, you’ve learned more than you should from that that fool grandfather of yours.” His short perfectly formed claws clicked on the arm of his chair for a moment in exact sequence before stopping sharply. “How unfortunate. If only I’d killed him sooner then maybe you wouldn’t be ruined.”

  I controlled my expression with long practise but Father still noticed. He always knew how to read people.

  A cruel sneer cut across his face. “Though maybe you can yet be saved.”

  He waved his hand and the door slammed open with a thunderous boom.

  “I hereby banish you from Phyllosto City. You may return only when you’re desperate to redden your mouth with fresh blood. I wonder how long it’ll take before your ethics fail against your need to survive.”

  My heart sunk low at his tone- he was absolutely certain I would drink. But I refused.

  “Oh, and Daughter?” One finger flicked out, a red slash striking the blood slave, his torso sliding into two halves, bisected.

  I felt my eyes dilate as the enticing scent of the pooling blood washed over me, followed immediately by revulsion; I had just watched a man die and my first reaction was to how delicious his lifeblood smelled.

  “When you return you will never disobey me again.”

  I silently turned and left, hate in my heart and the scent of blood bringing saliva to my mouth.