chapter 3

I quickly looked between the 3 elders sitting in front of me. The woman's faces were frozen in pleasant smiles and the man still turned around digging through the files. I couldn't help the tears that started to flow down my face as my chest heaved up and down. A panic attack, something I haven't had for months but had suddenly sprung up like weeds in a garden of roses. I gripped the Lacey fabric over my chest, the horrible feeling of suffocating coming over me. All I could think was that I needed to get outside as I shot out of the chair and ran out of the office door and back down the hall.

Those 3 slips of paper felt like a fate worse than death. I didn't mind being a sub, I didn't mind going to Silver Divinity...but a little...the lowest ranking of all subs. I wouldn't get any other job, this would be my fate. Forever getting treated like a child, not allowed to do anything better. Stuck. Stuck was the only word I could think of as I sat at a bench just outside of the school. I let all of the emotions I was feeling out. The screams and wails coming from my mouth could wake the dead. I was scared, I wouldn't be going home with my mama and Papa. Id likely not see them till after I graduated and even then it would be up to my Dom whether or not I'd get to. I curled up on the bench bringing my knees up to my face.

"Now why is such a beautiful girl crying alone?"

I gasped looking over my knees to see the most handsome vampire I have ever laid my eyes on. I blushed going back to hiding my face, for some reason he had a very calming aura. "Oh she's shy?" The man kneeled In front of me chuckling. I peaked my head back over looking around again, everything was still frozen. The wind blowing through the trees frozen in time, the lightning bugs unmoving. Everything coated in a gray tone. I was still moving faster than time itself. As I looked back at the man I studied his features.

Medium length black hair, half of it tied into a bun. His bangs looked shorter than the rest of his hair. His red eyes were dark almost sinister looking but the rest of his face showed nothing but kindness and empathy. 3 freckles adorned his face, one under his right eye, another on the left side of his nose, the last on the bottom right of his chin just under his lips. His skin is a beautiful dark blue and his ears are longer than most vampires. As he brushed the hair out of my face that was now most likely messily falling out of it's buns. I could see his nails; long, black, and very pointy. A pure blood no doubt. A very powerful one to be able to interrupt another vampire's powers. "Hi cutie, can you tell me why a beautiful rose like you is out here crying?" I blushed again looking away feeling utterly embarrassed. "I didn't get a role I liked." He sat next to me looking up at the night sky.

This was when I noticed his outfit. Definitely one of the spiffy outfits we were made to wear for the role selection. A frilly button up under a black tail coat and a pair of black dress pants. He looked almost royal as his skin slightly glowed under the moon light. "I don't like mine much either, wanna make a deal?" I looked at him puzzled. "What? a deal? are you some demon? I won't be selling my soul for another role." He turned his head looking at me with wide eyes holding back his laughter, failing and bursting out laughing. "No, no nothing like that." He cleared his throat trying to be serious again. "We become role-less together if we both decide we hate our roles. I would have enough money to support the both of us for the rest of our lives but we would be outcastes for not going by the will of the elders."

I gasped, my mouth dropping open as I slowly uncurl myself. I looked down genuinely thinking of the deal the man next to me offered. "What do you get out of it?" I asked looking back over at him. "A companion, maybe a wife if I'm lucky." He turned to me grinning. I blushed looking away quickly avoiding his smirk. "I-I guess that would be something you get out of it." He just chuckled seemingly amused by my blushing. "So is it a deal desert rose?" I looked back at him before taking his hand in mine giving it a firm shake. That's when I noticed the 2 lines on his right hand. "We should at least know both of each others names, shouldn't we?" I asked giving him a questioning look. "Mmmm, but that would take all the fun out of it." before I could even open my mouth to protest he gave me a light kiss on the forehead. A rushing feeling causing a gasp to escape my lips. "Don't worry ill find you in 2 weeks if things don't seem like a good fit. Otherwise I hope we get the chance to meet again beautiful."

I tried yelling out. Screaming that I wasn't ready yet but I couldn't get the words out fast enough and I found myself sitting in front of the 3 elders once more staring at the slips of papers again. "Are you okay Ms. Moonstone?" The woman to my right asked. I took a deep breath nodding my head. Not only did he interrupt my ability to travel outside my body but he was able to send me back to my body very quickly. With just a kiss, I rubbed my forehead still feeling disoriented. When I took my hand from my forehead and looked down at my finger tips I noticed a faint black ash covering them. Whoever that man was had very very powerful powers. I wonder how old he is? my eyes widened as I covered my mouth with my hand realizing I just made a deal to marry a man who I had no clue of his name, his age, I knew nothing of this man.

"Here you are Lilith. You are to report to the auditorium and you will be sorted. A shuttle will be there to pick you up when all Dom's and Sub's have been accounted for. Snacks, drinks , and meals will be given so don't worry about going hungry. Now hand be that hand of yours so we can make this official." The Elder who had been in the middle through the whole process had an odd looking tool in his hand. it looked almost like a stamp but with tiny sharp barbs sticking out of the bottom. I slowly and shakily held out my pale hand, my black nails looking odd with my very pale skin. The man slowly placed the stamp down and rolled it back and forth. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from crying out. A faint red glow admitted from the line before it turned black on the back of my hand. I whimpered taking my hand from the man and holding it close to my body.

I grabbed my paperwork and square cloth and quickly walked out of the room. Who knew getting a tattoo stamp with magic would hurt so badly. It felt like thousands of needles poking into my skin leaving a faint tingling sensation that ran up my arm. No doubt branding me to my role. I was greeted by my worried mama and papa. I handed them the fabric square and looked away not wishing to meet their gazes. I was enveloped in a hug by both of my parents who now understood why I looked so depressed. "It's okay baby, were still proud of you."