Francine awakened just as morning began to break. Her eyelids flickered open, and all she could see was darkness. A lack of light in her chamber made it difficult for her to tell whether it was the morning or night. She squirmed as the straw-filled mattress pressed up against her backside. She pushed herself off the bed and winced at the least movement. They hurt, and her shoulders were sore, from the intense training she had to go through in order to prepare for her first battle at the arena that evening.
With one arm wrapped tightly about her exposed stomach, she leaned against the wall. Looking down at her legs, she noticed bruises.
In her decision to journey to Nebiru in order to find Alex, Francine didn't anticipate or anticipate becoming a fighter in any way. For the love of everything that is holy, she was a vampire royalty. And that night, she was meant to battle and win in order to survive.
And she figured she'd remain here for a long time considering the current situation. She desperately wanted to get out of this dreadful place, but she couldn't just leave without devising a plan that would actually include talking to Alex, Lucas, and Harper. Unfortunately, Gillen had taken precautions and kept Harper away from them, and the master of the casa figured that neither Alex nor Lucas would dare to escape without her.
Every day, she became more and more desperate to return to her normal life - the life she had before she and Alex made the awful mistake of succumbing to their feelings for one another. To be free again someday. She feared, though, that day might never arrive.
"Your breakfast is ready, Francine," Libby said as she appeared in her doorway . "You've got a fight to get ready for."
When Francine stood, she grimaced as she felt the pain of yesterday's match against two of Gillen champions, which had left her in soreness and exhaustion.
The news of a vampiress entering the arena had travelled swiftly across Velaris throughout the previous week. As a result, she had worked considerably harder than before, whereas Gillen's champions appeared more relaxed because they had already been to the arena.
When the evening arrived and it was time for Francine to fight, the arena was quickly filled with patrons, expectators from wealthy families, and merchants from all around Velaris. The stands had been divided into sections for the most affluent attendees. In the imperial box next to Gillen, Pompey, the champion Bartok's master, and three other high-ranking guests were Kara and Liv, their friends who thoroughly enjoyed the show, and a few slaves.
The young master Pompey smiled warmly at Gillen and the other guests. "Isn't this incredible? I've never seen the arena this packed before," he remarked as he shifted in his chair to find a more comfortable position.
"And the fact that only one fight will be taking place tonight makes it even more exciting," Gillen said. "I'm sure everyone in Velaris is eager to see a vampiress take on a champion vampire."
"I'm really looking forward to seeing this match," Pompey exclaimed.
Francine stood outside the sand pit, her arms folded, her gaze fixed on the arena beyond the entrance gates.
"Are you ready?" Harper's voice crept up behind her.
"What are you doing?" She spun around. "Harper, I don't think you're supposed to be here."
Harper's breath caught in her throat as her gaze traveled over the vampire's entire body, particularly her bare thighs, where a huge bruise was still healing. "You’re hurt. You don't seem to be healing quickly. Libby informed me about the bloodstone."
"The only reason I sip blood from the bloodstone is so that I don't crisp in the sun, Harper. And that is exactly what the bloodstone is for. With the little blood I've been given, my body just cannot mend as quickly as it typically would." Francine took a deep breath and surveyed the marks all over her body. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt as much as it should."
Harper arched her brow. "Are you serious?" She was stunned by the big purple injuries.
Francine smiled endearingly as she shook her head. "Are you forgetting that I'm not the same as you? Our pain thresholds are vastly varied. We may be interested in the same man, but we are very different."
Harper bit her lower lip and said, "Francine, I haven't—we haven't—"
"-I understand what's going on between you, Alex, and Lucas, but we don't really need to talk about it right now, Harper."
"I'm very sorry, Francine," Harper apologized quietly.
The vampiress chuckled. "Are you really?"
"Of course! I didn’t－"
"－mean to fuck Alex?"
Harper pressed her lips together.
As Francine made her way back to the arena's entrance gates, she continued her observation of what was taking place within. As much as she wanted to get down and talk with Harper about Alex, she had a more pressing matter at hand. Her fight for her life. "We'll talk about Alex later, but not right now. As you can see, I have a fight that requires my full attention."
Harper took a step back, sliding his hands into the side pockets of her skirt. "I understand. Good luck." She then walked away.
The gates opened a moment later. A cool sweat dripped down the vampiress' temple, but she ignored it. She took deep breaths as she walked, each step bringing her closer to the entrance to the arena. Her mind began to tune out the noises, and adrenaline started to flow through her veins.
She made her way to the center of the arena, taking in all of the people yelling, booing, and cheering at the same time. This was more terrifying than she had anticipated .
As the crowd roared, Francine's gaze wandered around. Then she watched the opposing side's gates open, revealing a man with flaming red hair, golden hazel eyes, and a towering, muscular frame.
Inside the imperial box, the presenter stood between Gillen and Pompey. His moustache and short black hair were neatly styled and he immediately struck Francine as a guy of considerable stature as she looked up at him.
"With great honor, I introduce to you all the one and only vampiress champion ever to come from the House of Champions in all of Velaris, Casa Gillen's Francine Grimaldi," he announced.
When his house was mentioned, Gillen smiled and waved. In his finest white and red robes, his presence drew everyone's notice.
"And from House Pompey, and the current vampire champion of Velaris, Bartok!" In response to the announcement of Francine's more famous opponent, the audience erupted in cheers. Pompey grinned as he nodded to the audience.
"Tonight's match will be for the honor and glory of our dear city of Velaris. Both fighters will compete and present themselves in a manner that will make our city proud. And thus, may the best fighter win!" The Presenter's powerful voice echoed over the arena before he took his seat.
The ground trembled, and the entire arena erupted.
Bartok took a few steps to the middle, a few feet away from Francine, and smiled, displaying his claws and long pointy teeth. "Francine, lovely meeting you," he said, drool dripping from his mouth.
Francie hissed, flashing her razor-sharp fangs and claws. She charged towards Bartok with a shrieking war cry, flailing her claws violently in his direction, giving him no time to avoid her.
In the midst of a vast crowd of slaves, Harper's eyes widened as she watched Francine's animalistic side for the first time and, attacking Bartok with such blaze, such fury
The vampiress lashed out at Bartok again and again. The male vampire struck her in the head with his boots, prompting her to stagger backward. He flopped onto his side and slammed his claws into the inside of her stomach..
Francine cried out in agony. Bartok roared and hit his massive hand against her back, causing her to fall to the sands. He stomped on her spine with his boot. She screamed in pain when his boot sank deeper into her back and popped her bones. She shrieked and plunged her claws into his boot. He wailed in pain, and she smirked as she rose to her feet.
She encircled him. "I will not be defeated by someone like you," she stated calmly, hissing.
Bartok groaned and dragged his bleeding foot through the sands, glaring at her. "I'm going to have some fun with your royal ass." He burst out laughing.
Francin roared and charged at him, throwing him to the sands and severing his arm with her claws as she did so. He snatched her long hair in the middle of the struggle and she howled. He kicked her off, and she flew across the sands before landing on her back.
He growled and walked over to where she was lying. "I'm going to fuck your royal ass over and over and over again." He grinned and raised his claws in the air, preparing to sever her heart with one swift strike.
"Over my dead body," Francine grumbled and quickly she stabbed him in the gut with her longer and sharper claws. It was then that she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, before biting off the pulsing veins in his neck.
Bartok let out a yell. In his ears, he could hear the painful sound of his flesh being torn off his neck, which stunned the spectators.
Francine spit his blood before pulling herself off the sand and leaning near to his ear. "Enjoy my poison." With a smirk on her face, she dug her sharp claws and ripped Bartok's heart from his chest and flung his body aside.
The audience went deafeningly quiet. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Francine closed her eyes, and thought back on it all. She reflected about her life before she and Lucas fell into Mira's trap; she had contemplated the idea that her experience in Velaris was nothing more than a nightmare; she reflected on the fun times she had with her friends travelling Europe; she reflected on her sister, whom she recalled racing through the woods and sharing delicious strawberries with in Poland.
And she reflected on her brief but beautiful moments with Alex.
If only she could go back in time before he had not lost his memories.
Her's cheek flushed with a single tear, which could not be seen beneath the layer of dirt and blood that covered her face. She blinked her eyes wide and fixed her gaze straight on the adoring crowd, which had only recently begun to applaud her victory.
Francine's heart sank. She'd won.