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Chapter Text

Mara shifted and winced slightly as their body ached from lying down in their cell for the past day and night. The stone felt cold against their bare skin. To their surprise they noticed the same cold came from within them. Through formerly brown eyes that had nearly entirely exchanged their colour for a bright red, they watched as faint candlelight danced on the polished dark surface of their cell floor. The feeling in their body still couldn’t be called anything near comfortable, but it made a certain improvement from the ceaseless shivering they’d woken up to only to stir in delirium before slipping into a restless sleep once more. They shifted to try to sit themselves upright when they were suddenly rushed by a brand new feeling.

Hunger.

A deeply settled hunger unlike any they had ever felt before. It felt as though they had already been starving for days, even weeks, but they knew that couldn’t be true. They had eaten only just before entering Rothmore Castle which was only hours ago, or was it indeed days? The part of the castle they were in was far too deep beneath the earth to catch sunlight, making it impossible to determine the time.

While pondering their new situation, the sound of footsteps suddenly came into earshot from down the hallway. Soon enough a painfully familiar face appeared before the bars of their cell.

“I see your turning is at last complete!”

“Turning?”, Mara whispered under their breath. They quickly reached for their neck, tracing the still fresh pair of puncture wounds that had stopped bleeding. They turned their gaze to meet Aloys’ now equally red eyes.

“Fuck you.”, they said in a surprisingly calm tone.

They looked down to the pale skin of their hands.

“Why would you even do this to me?”

“If the various factions are truly to believe they can peacefully coexist, there must be those who transcend faction boundaries to be the living proof of it”.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Allow me to put it this way, if the high priestess, indeed the second to the monarch of the mer people, can be a vampire and still be loyal and protecting of their sovereign and people, vampires need no longer be stereotyped as mindless predators driven by bloodlust”.

“Oh, so like what you did to me?”, Mara spat.

“The irony isn’t lost on me”, Aloys admitted, “but once your training is completed and you’ve gained full control of your newfound powers, you will understand me far better”.

He clapped his hands together.

“But enough idle chat for now! I know you must be starving now that you’re a fledgling”.

Mara wished they could deny it, but in that moment they craved nothing more than the taste of blood on their lips. Aloys pulled a lever outside of Mara’s view and a metal latch opened, creaking under years of disuse. Out of it a pig came trotting merrily into their cell, rushing over to a bucket of potatoes that had been placed in the corner.

“I do believe your instincts must be taking hold right around now”, Aloys said with a smile.

He wasn’t wrong. Mara could practically hear the animal’s heartbeat over its scoffing. Without really thinking or even considering their options, Mara mindlessly sat themselves beside the animal, wrapped their arms around it, and sank their newly formed fangs into its neck accompanied by terrified squealing. The taste and feeling of blood flowing down their throat was blissfully euphoric. Like drinking ice cold water on a scorching hot day. After what felt like a brief eternity they released the animal and drew back. It promptly collapsed onto its side, dead. Mara sat down, horrified of what they had just done.

“What did you turn me into”, they said shivering in disbelief.

Aloys scoffed. “Oh come now, don’t tell me you’ve never killed an animal or a fish for food before. This is hardly different”.

He wasn’t technically wrong, and the fact that they felt much more comfortable now that the burning hunger in their stomach had been quelled made them feel slightly ashamed.

“It won’t be your last one, regular feeding is of the utmost importance for a fledgling vampire.”

Mara shook their head. “No, no, I will never do that again. I- I just can’t, I can’t”.

Aloys raised an eyebrow. “The hunger will return, you know, and it’s far safer for your mental state to allow yourself the chance to feed when you need it most”.

They stared daggers at him. “Maybe it would be safer for my mental state if you’d kept your fucking teeth out of my neck”.

Aloys sighed. “I’m afraid this conversation really is taking us nowhere, my dear merling. I will return in a few hours to feed you again. In the meantime I have someone I need to speak to”.

Before Mara could think of something to reply he turned around and disappeared back down the hallway. Silence returned to their cell. Mara curled up and began to quietly sob on the floor. They wanted Kore. They wanted Dawn, they wanted Circe, they wanted any familiar face to be with them right now.

But instead they were alone.

----------

Mara now found themselves in the dining room of Rothmore Castle. The manacles that bound them to a chair clinked as they shifted in their seat.

“This isn’t really my idea of a candlelight dinner”, they mocked.

Aloys chuckled. “Forgive me, but I do believe the time in which you wish to wring my neck is not yet of the past”.

That much was certainly true.

“Maybe now you could tell what the fuck your little goal by turning me is”.

Aloys sat down at the opposite end of the dining table.

“You are the first mer siren vampire to ever exist in recorded history. If you’re ever to stand a chance against Asher and take him down you will need more than simply your siren’s powers. If you’re both vampires, you will start on equal footing”.

“You do realize you turning me is enough of a reason to start a war against the vampires? Or did you not read the treaty your precious little war criminal of a prince wrote? If I can get word out to the summit council it’ll only be a matter of days”.

“You do realize a war right now would place you on opposite sides of Kore”.

The idea that they were now more than simply a mer and most other people would judge them based on their vampiric side hadn’t crossed their mind yet.

“They’re my friend,” Mara thought, ”and more than that, they’re my family. They would never hate me even if I became a vampire, right?”.

“I think it would be best for the both of us, if this little happenstance between us was kept our little secret for now”, he continued. “Besides, I do believe our shared goal of bringing about the downfall of Prince Asher still stands”.

Mara looked down to their shackles. Their newfound hatred for their sire had temporarily driven out the hatred they felt for the man who had slaughtered thousands of their fellow mers to the brink of extinction. It was true though, they still wanted Asher dead. And if it meant burying the hatchet with Aloys to see it done, they would do just that… for now.

They took a deep breath. “So, what is it you want me to do?”

Aloys’ lips curled into a smile. “I have all the necessary altars, blood bottles, books, and hearts here. We’ll gradually make you stronger through rituals, unlocking more powers as we go. Soon you’ll be able to see in the dark, turn into a bat, eventually you might even be able to see your enemies through walls and summon minions to fight for you”.

“And what about my siren song?”

Aloys’ face grew more grim. “Your song will certainly work… differently from how it did before. What exactly that entails remains to be seen”.

“You really thought this whole thing through, didn’t you”, Mara taunted.

Aloys shrugged “We are sailing through unchartered waters, but at the end we should discover the bounds of victory”, he announced triumphantly.

Mara scoffed at that last remark. Aloys got up and walked around to where Mara was sitting, placing a hand on their shoulder. They didn’t try to move away from him but froze under his touch instead.

“It might be best to inform their majest- I mean, Kore, that you are alive and well as soon as possible before they grow too worried”.

Mara jerked their shoulder forward to move his hand off.

“No, I- I don’t want them to know what happened to me just yet”.

Aloys nodded. “As you wish.”

Their involuntary stay at Rothmore Castle would feel like an eternity, they began to realize, but there was no way of stopping what had already begun.

Chapter Text

The air brushed past Mara’s bat ears as they swooped through the hall. Suspended from the ceiling were hoops which they flew through with deadly precision. The lights and pillars of the room only seemed to brush past their eyes as they focused in on each bright red hoop. As they soared through the final one, Aloys’ thumb pressed down on a button on the side of his watch.

“Twenty-three seconds, a new record. Well done, little merling!”

Mara swooped back down to the floor to return to her vampire form.

“I thought it was even faster, to be honest.”

“Well you did marvelously nonetheless, so you should be very proud of yourself.”

Flying in bat form was only one of the things Aloys had been rigorously training Mara in for the last month. He’d also been teaching them fencing, based on the lessons he’d had himself as a young human, vampire history, customs, how to focus on their newfound senses, and how to gain more vampiric powers through the blood altar.

“I’ll let you feed and by then the sun will have risen so you can go back to sleep. Tomorrow we can focus more on your vampire sword skills.”

Aloys had graciously given Mara a family heirloom as a welcome gift. A very handsome blade that bore the name “Eclipse”, which had seemed very appropriate to both of them. As Aloys noted down the time and put away his pocket watch Mara lingered, nervously shifting on her feet, instead of going to the room where Aloys kept their live pigs.

“Something wrong, my dear?”

The mer took a shaky breath.

“I’ve been thinking about my old life a lot, specifically the people I’ve left in the dark,” they rushed to add, “and I’ve decided that it’s time to tell Kore about what happened.”

Aloys hummed thoughtfully.

“Yes, I suppose the longer we wait to inform them, the more likely it is that tongues will begin wagging with dangerous talk.”

He clapped his hands together.

“Very well then! We’ll go visit the mer monarch tomorrow instead, but… under one condition.”

Mara waited with a bated breath they didn’t even need.

“You tell them only that which I bid you to tell them, is that understood?”

Mara considered his request carefully. In all likelihood, that meant not telling Kore about how they had been locked up or turned against their will, how they’d been left in a cell to cry for days on end before Aloys trusted them enough to have free movement throughout the castle. In short, they would have to lie to Kore’s face.

“That sounds reasonable.” Was all they managed to say.

“Excellent, I’ll see you again tomorrow then.”

Somehow, even after being separated from them for a month, Mara was not looking forward to seeing Kore again.

Kore was tending to their crops on a sunny day. The weather did little to lift their spirits however. Sleep had been coming to them with more and more difficulty as they worried about where Mara was or what had happened to them. People were on the lookout, so that gave them some hope, but they still needed every distraction they could find to keep their mind off it. As they lifted their head up two figures in the distance suddenly came into view, one of them carrying an umbrella over both their heads. As they squinted, the identity of the shorter one suddenly became very clear to Kore.

“Mara!”

Kore got up and ran towards them. They could feel tears of relief begin to well up in their eyes. A month of worry suddenly washed off them. However, as they came near, something else caught their attention. Their clothes were different, darker. And they had a red glow in their eyes. And why were they under an umbrella on a bright day anyway? And who was this tall figure beside them who, based on their white hair, red eyes, and carrying the umbrella, was clearly a vampire? They rushed to embrace Mara.

“I missed you so much, I- I was already starting to fear the worst.”

Mara caressed the other mer’s back to reassure them.

“I’m so sorry, I wanted to tell you sooner, but the time wasn’t right.”

Kore pulled back to look at Mara. The faint smile on their face barely showed off their newly formed fangs. They were a vampire.

“Oh, when did- how did… what?”

“I’m sure all will become clear very soon.” The other figure finally said. “Could we perhaps carry on your reunion inside? You see, my arm is getting rather tired.”

Kore was still a little shaken from the encounter.

“Of- of course, of course. Please do.”

Once inside the trio sat down to talk things over at length.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t really know who you are.” They asked the mysterious vampire.

He bowed. “The fault is not yours, my name is Aloysius de Rothmore, I am the owner of a small castle in vampire territory who’s been corresponding with Mara. But, you may call me Aloys.”

Somehow knowing his name didn’t put Kore at ease.

“He’s the one that sired me,” Mara added, “and he has a lot of information about Prince Asher that we can use against him.”

“But- why did he sire you?”

That was the question Mara was dreading the most. They felt a hand rest against their back as if to quietly remind them of their little agreement.

“Prince Asher did a lot more to our people than you know, Kore. He’s the general from the war.”

That revelation brought a certain dread over Kore. How many times had they been close to him at meetings and other events and not realized?

“Aloys here has a record of letters and other documents that detail how guilty the prince is, and we can use it against him to get him kicked off the summit council.”

Kore struggled to organize all this new information in their mind.

“But- why does that mean you had to be turned then?”

Mara struggled to keep their composure, but they could feel their sire’s gaze staring at them.

“Even if he gets kicked off the council he can still run away, and we’ll need someone who’s at least also a vampire to kill him. That’s why I’ve been training under Aloys for a month.”

“And you couldn’t tell me? I’ve been worried sick about you!”

Mara felt guilt wrapping around their throat.

“A brand new fledgling is a danger to people around them. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I did anything to harm you.”

“And you couldn’t even tell me that you were gonna be turned into a vampire in the first place?”

“If I did I knew you were gonna try to stop me. Am I wrong?”

They weren’t wrong, Kore realized, but the feeling of betrayal was still there.

“I chose to be turned, Kore. I can’t keep living here with you, piecing together the shards of our people, while Asher gets to sleep easy and feel safe.”

They could see the logic in Mara’s words, but something still felt off. The words coming out of Mara’s mouth didn’t sound like their own.

“I guess you’re right-”

The other vampire leaned forward.

“Today is perhaps not yet the time to discuss this, you two having been reunited so recently, but we should plan how to bring this information before the summit council once Mara’s training has been completed.”

Kore’s mind was still reeling.

“Yes, I- I think that would be best. And thank you for looking after Mara.”

He smiled.

“The pleasure is all mine~”

Chapter Text

Moonlight shone over a small village. It was unremarkable as can be. Living in it were simple farmers who spent the days tending to their crops and cattle, and the nights in the local tavern. This evening was no exception. From the woods emerged a figure dressed in a black cloak, hood drawn low over their face. Only a few brown curls poked out. The townspeople couldn’t know that this was a vampire seeking out its prey. They carefully circled the outskirts of this village, just beyond the tree line and well away from any lights or prying eyes. It didn’t take long to find the tavern, following merry voices singing folk tunes for likely hours more to come. By the sound of it, some had already looked deep into their cups. They wandered slightly closer, using the walls of other nearby buildings to stay out of sight. Now it was time to play the waiting game. The vampire looked up to see the moon shining bright above them. Once they had worshipped it, and even been its high priestess, but those days were past and now their life was a living sin. Their thoughts were interrupted by the tavern’s door falling open and a young man drunkenly stumbling out to the sound of raucous laughter. He steadied himself on his feet and began to wobble down the alleyway.

“He’ll do just fine.” They decided.

The vampire set off after him. His drunken pace meant the man was easy to catch up with. As they walked beside him, still unnoticed, they broke the silence.

“Quiet evening, isn’t it?”

The man was so startled he nearly fell but managed to catch himself on a nearby barrel.

“Sorry- I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The man looked them up and down and tried to puzzle a sentence together.

“It’s- fine, I w-wasn’t paying… attention.”

His speech was slurred but he was still sober enough to keep up conversation.

“I just saw you walking alone and figured could use some company.”

“Well, that’s… n-nice but I u-usually go home by m-myself.”

“I take it you have someone waiting at home?”

The man chuckled.

“Hah, nah- I’m a b-bit of a loner.”

“Really? I didn’t expect a handsome guy like you to be single.”

Their hands moved to draw back their hood. Their bright red eyes were now plain to see.

“Sorry for talking to you without introducing myself first.”

The young man’s eyes suddenly widened as he realized who he was talking to.

“Y- you’re a-!”

They quickly placed a finger over his lips to shut him up.

“My name’s Mara~ What’s yours?”

The young man clearly struggled to come up with a response, no doubt a combination of the alcohol and the sudden encounter with a vampire.

“I’m… B-benjamin.”

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Benjamin, or may I call you Ben?”

The confused look on his face didn’t seem to waver.

“I uh- sure. Aren’t- aren’t you gonna drink my blood?”

Mara scoffed.

“Ah yes, because that’s all vampires do, isn’t it? Drink blood from unsuspecting strangers?”

“W-well isn’t it?”

“You haven’t met many vampires, have you?”

“None-” He confessed.

“I figured. See, it’s not food I’m after tonight-”

Their lips curled into a smile that barely concealed their fangs.

“It’s pleasure~”

Ben struggled to make sense of all of this.

“Pleasure?”

They took a step closer to him, almost pinning him against a wall.

“Since you’re not familiar, let me tell you that vampire territory… can be a very lonely place for someone like me.”

“Don’t you have other… vampires to t-talk to?”

Mara giggled.

“Most vampires there are old farts who know nothing about romance. I need a real man to satisfy me~”

He could begin to see the vampires true intention and wasn’t sure what he thought of it.

“I- I’m sorry to d-disappoint you, but I’m just… a virgin.”

Mara hummed.

“Doesn’t bother me. I’m sure there’s lots of things I could show you~”

Suddenly feeling a hint of panic rise, Ben tried to slip away.

“I’m s-sorry I really have to g-go-”

Mara quickly grabbed his wrist and placed his hand against one of their tits.

“All of this could be yours for a whole night~”

He used his moment of hesitation to consider his options. Out of every vampire he could’ve run into, this had to be one of the better looking ones. He’d always pictured vampires as old crones with ancient looking white or grey hair, pale skin stretched over sharp features, and boney fingers. But this one had beautiful chestnut curls, cute freckles, and a heartwarming smile. If they were human he wouldn’t have thought twice about taking them home.

Fuck it. He wasn’t gonna let a golden chance like this slip him by.

“My place?”

“Lead the way~”

Ben lived in a simple hovel by himself on the other side of town. Its interior was sparsely made up of a one-person bed and a single chair and table.

“I know it’s not m-much, but it’s… home.”

Mara took his hand.

“Don’t worry, it’s not exactly the house I’m interested in~”

His mind returned to the business at hand.

“S-sure, uhm… shall we?”

Mara took off their cape and let it fall to the floor. They’d made sure to put on their most revealing top just for tonight, and the look in Ben’s eyes told them it had the desired effect. Playfully they pretended to pull him in for a kiss before pushing him onto his own bed. He was still so drunk that it took little effort. They sat on top of him to straddle his legs and looked down.

“Ready, big boy~?”

Fuck, this was really happening. He was finally going to lose his virginity, and it was with one of the most gorgeous people he’d ever laid eyes upon.

Mara leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

“Ready~?”

“R-ready-” He mumbled.

Swiftly, Mara sank their teeth into his neck. Their hands moved to pin his arms down. Ben began to struggle as he realized the catastrophic mistake he’d made. They were much stronger than he thought.

They were a vampire, what did he honestly expect?

His blood might have been the best thing Mara had ever tasted in their life, vampire or not. The alcohol in his bloodstream gave his already sweet blood a wine-like taste, and it only left the mer vampire wanting more, greedily lapping up every last drop. As he could feel the blood rush out of his artery the room around him began to spin. After what felt like an eternity Mara drew back to place a single kiss on his lips, leaving them stained with his own blood.

“I’m sorry this is how it has to go, Ben, but if it means anything to you, you’ve been a delicious treat to me~”

He finally slipped into unconsciousness as life left his body and only a limp corpse remained. Mara got off him and licked the blood off their lips. If every drunk virgin tasted like that, Mara wouldn’t mind making a habit out of missions like these. They picked up their cloak and put it on once more, preparing to slip away like a phantom into the night. One last time, they turned around to look at the remains of their meal. Once they would have felt enormous guilt to have taken an innocent life, but they doubted this one would be sorely missed. They had become a lot more self-serving in the months since their turning, courtesy of Aloys Rothmore. Not sparing him another thought, they headed back to Rothmore Castle.

“I take it your mission was a great success?” The lord of the castle inquired.

Mara nodded.

“Everything went as you said it would.”

Aloys placed down his book to get up.

“So you see, a vampire doesn’t need force or other nefarious powers to catch their prey. Depending on the person, simple charm might suffice. And you have plenty of that.”

They hadn’t really thought of themselves as particularly charming or attractive before, but tonight had left them with a strange new sense of confidence.

“Would… would it be possible for me to go on similar missions in the future?”

Aloys made an amused noise.

“Gotten a taste for it, have you? Very well, as long as you make sure you’re not caught and the prince doesn’t catch wind of your doing, feel free to kill as many peasants as you can muster. You’re excused.”

As Mara headed back to their room in the castle, they wondered if they’d have just as much chance with the pretty barmaid of the tavern.