Sinful Bathing

The Human Enemy’s Land, Eleven Hundred Years Before

“Bath time, vampire,” the guards rattled the bars in warning before beginning to crank the pulley that tightened the chains, allowing Thaelen the dignity to rise to his feet and walk to the wall rather than be pulled there. He went docilely, continuing his efforts to lull the soldiers that guarded the dungeons into a sense of confident complacency.

Gera moved with him, dragging the chair with him so that as Thaelen was held prone to the wall, the human man could sit and continue his efforts to teach Thaelen the human’s written language. Thaelen didn’t feel that it was necessary to let either his human blood slave or the guards know that he knew the human’s written language better than Gera did. He had asked Lady Beupraxia for the books and writing supplies under the ploy of alleviating the boredom of the cells, and she had granted his request as a reward for his good behavior.

Under the guise of learning the language, Thaelen had com