Let Her Go

The Night Dweller was a place of nightmares. A bar where vampires mingled among themselves, feeling free to behave as wildly as they chose. The only humans who came here were those who had close relationships with vampires. I always knew that some humans were obsessed with vampires, some even hoping to become one themselves.

There had been cases of humans in the past who willingly volunteered to be fed on by vampires, hoping they might also turn. This had been labeled as illegal by the government, and anyone caught—whether human or vampire—was taken into custody. But I knew personally that, despite the risks, some people still went the extra mile to achieve this.

Places like The Night Dweller defied such laws. Humans could get fed on by vampires for satisfaction—it was some kind of weird fetish. The only reason I knew about this was because I had once heard Emily talking about it; her stepbrother used to go there. As someone who was terrified of vampires and blood, I had never thought I would step foot in a place like this. And yet, here I was—all because I wanted to ensure my brother was safe.

The interior of the dangerous bar was dimly lit, casting long shadows that danced across the worn wooden floors. The air was thick with the scent of stale cigarette smoke, spilled alcohol, and something else that made my stomach churn. The walls were adorned with gritty graffiti, telling stories of wild nights and reckless encounters.

The bar itself was a weathered piece of history, located in an isolated part of town. Its surface was scarred and marked by countless glasses and bottles. It was a place where danger lurked in every corner, where caution was the currency of survival. A place where I should never have gone in the first place. Even the taxi driver who had dropped me off had asked whether I was sure I was at the right location.

It’s alright—all I needed to do was find Silas, and I could get the hell out of here. I wouldn’t question why my brother was in a place like this; I knew it was none of my concern. He would probably get mad, saying I was poking my nose into his business. But Silas had always had my back despite everything, and I needed to do the same for him.

I watched the men and women dressed in dark clothing move around the bar casually. There was nothing unusual about them apart from the fact that each one of them looked impossibly beautiful. But that was the thing about vampires—their surreal appearance. Nobody seemed to notice me as I stood in the corner of the bar. I took this as an opportunity and quickly dialed Tammy's number. It rang for a very long time before she finally picked up.

“I’m in the bar. Where the hell is Silas?” I asked impatiently.

“Calm the heck down, sis. Just come to the back; we’ll be waiting for you.” Tammy hung up the call once more.

I pushed my phone into my pocket and made my way toward the barstand to ask for directions. The bartender was an elderly man dressed in black. He had a bored expression as he watched me approach.

“What do you want?” he asked bluntly, not even bothering to be polite.

My anxiety grew tenfold as the question attracted the attention of some men sitting a small distance away. They all looked at me like I didn’t belong here. Clearly, I didn’t. If I hadn’t warmed up to Carter and Silas before and if my fear of vampires was still as strong as it had once been, I would probably have had a panic attack in this room full of them.

I swallowed back my fear and spoke up. “I got a call from a friend. She said I was supposed to find her in the back.”

“The back chambers?”

“I think so.”

The man was silent for a while, studying me as if trying to figure something out. In the end, he didn’t say anything offensive and simply pointed toward a door in a dark corner. “Go through there.”

“Thank you.” I clenched my phone in my hand and followed the man’s instructions. The old wooden door led to a basement. The stairs were winding, and the whole place reeked of dust and smoke. Oh, Kerry, how the hell did you end up in a situation like this? Silas better have a good explanation when I finally found him. At this point, I was already wondering why I hadn’t just called Bill. Why had I chosen to listen to Tammy and come here myself? If something happened, I had no one else to blame but myself.

The place was pitch black, and I had to rely on my flashlight to navigate through the darkness. The stairs stretched on endlessly, each step taking me deeper into the unknown. My heart raced with fear, freezing in terror whenever a rat scurried past or a spider crawled by. It felt like self-imposed torment, but I couldn’t turn back now.

After what felt like an eternity, the nightmare finally ended. I stood before a foreboding metallic door, its surface cold to the touch. A sentence scrawled in what appeared to be red ink sent shivers down my spine. It simply read, Do Not Enter.

Well, shit. At this point, I was terrified. There was a clear warning to stay out, yet I had no choice but to enter if I wanted to see my brother. I would have backed down a long time ago, but I kept reminding myself that Silas might be in trouble. With a heavy heart, I pushed the door open. It gave way easily, granting me entry into the room. I couldn’t believe what I saw.

The space had a very luxurious setting, unlike the bar I had just come from. It was a dimly lit room. A group of men dressed in sleek, dark attire sat comfortably, each holding a glass of deep red liquid. There were about four of them. Accompanying them were women adorned in scanty clothing, exuding an air of lust. The smell of something metallic was disturbing. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that those glasses didn’t contain wine but blood.

I was surprised to find my stepbrother among them. Silas stood out because he was the only one with a girl on his lap. Tammy was seated right beside him, a casual smile on her face as she watched him make out with the girl. I had no idea what was happening, but I felt pissed that I had been summoned to this hellhole thinking something bad had happened to my brother, meanwhile, he was having the time of his life. I had never thought of Silas as a player, but seeing him eat that girl’s face while his supposed girlfriend watched made me sick. Why would Tammy ask me to come here?

Despite my anger, I wasn’t willing to approach them. I was about to leave when the sound of breaking glass startled me. I turned to see the girl who had been kissing Silas toss a glass onto the ground. It wasn’t accidental—she leaned down to pick up a shard. I watched with horror as she ran the sharp edges across her arm. Red beads of blood appeared on the injury, and she presented it to my brother. My brother, who I had believed all this time, never consumed human blood.

At first, Silas looked reluctant, but Tammy whispered something into his ear, causing his eyes to turn crimson. Soon, he was leaning down and gulping the blood flowing freely. I felt like I would pass out. I needed to get the hell out of there.

“Well, what do we have here?” My blood ran cold when a voice spoke behind me. I turned around to meet a pair of hazel eyes watching me. The man was gorgeous, with messy red hair, which I was sure he had dyed, and a dangerous smile playing on his lips. Seeing those sharp fangs, I knew he was a vampire. I tried to shuffle back, but the man didn’t give me a chance. He grabbed me roughly by the arm and studied me. “Why would a human be here, hmm? Are you one of the feeders? I hope you are because you smell divine.”

I gasped as he shamelessly buried his face in my neck and took a deep breath. His head tilted back, and he groaned. I felt disgusted and angered by his actions. I wanted to hit him hard for his rough handling. “Get the fuck off me!”

“Nah, I don’t think so. Since you came here by yourself, why don’t you come inside?”

“No! Let go!”

“Deric, what’s going on there?” One of the guys inside must have noticed my struggle. I tried to free myself, but Deric pushed me forward into the room. Suddenly, all eyes were on me.

“Does she belong to anyone here?” Deric asked while holding me tightly, preventing me from escaping.

“What the fuck?” My eyes met Silas’s. He was quick to push the girl off his lap. The poor girl fell flat on the ground, unable to balance herself. I watched as Silas’s eyes turned crimson, matching the blood stains on his lips.

“Get your fucking hands off her!” he snarled.