The Vampire's Tribute
Even at fifteen, she was still too young.
There were only three other tributes chosen, and each had a chance of becoming the blood pet of the infamous and ancient Vampire Duke Damien. My sister had as good of a chance as any to be his personal slave. How could they demand someone so young to face such a cruel and bloodthirsty demon?
My mother’s expression was bleak, her face pale and sallow. My sister was still trembling, even as she packed the things most important to her.
A hairbrush from our grandmother, a picture of our deceased father and another of our family, a blanket that was only halfway completed, that she had been working on with the neighbor who had been teaching her to knit.