6. Mating Ritual

Scarlett

My room is an archaic wonder, and there’s a doe-eyed maid hovering over me with interest. She stabs a needle into my thumb, and she hums with excitement when blood wells under the skin. “I’m only a few centuries old. Not old enough to have been alive when humans graced these lands. You’re the first I’ve seen.” Her eyes seem to grow bigger and bigger with each word. “You bleed red! I suppose that answers my questions on your monthly cycle too! I can’t believe there are beings who bleed red! How colorful!”

What the actual fuck? Snatching my thumb back, I scuttle away from her. “Where are we?”

She snorts. “The castle.” I blink once and she is in my face again. “Is it just you, or are there other variety of humans who bleed in other colors?”

What is her obsession with the color of my blood? I awoke a few minutes ago to find her braiding and curling my hair, my body in the most comfortable chair I’ve ever sat on. I don