I am in a giant birdcage, sitting on the stoop of a mansion. My hands and feet are bound and my voice has been locked away. And there are four half-starved vampires staring me down, each holding one of four keys to the cage. I might be fucked.

Let me go back a little bit.

Like many, I was born under the rulership of the Familia Sanguine; and like many I volunteered to be a servus sanguine - a blood thrall - in the Palazzo. But unlike most, I wanted to become a fidelis sanguine, even though it meant being passed around like a fancy wine among friends. The important part was that the blood enchantment they 'bestowed' on fidelis sanguine thralls gave me the energy to talk to the vampire nobles I was feeding. I just wanted to find common ground, and with vampires that never spoke to humans, it was surprisingly easy to start a conversation. But that's all it ever was, a conversation. It's not like I was doing anything illegal - not in that case, at least. But the council disagreed.

This morning, I was dragged from my bed, slapped with a bunch of binding ribbons, shoved into a cage, and shipped off to a mansion surrounded by an impassable boundary.

And now I'm staring down four hungry vampires, trying to weigh my risks without panicking. I have one ace up my sleeve, that can save my life...but might also get me killed later on.

The men see the four keyholes on the cage and each pull out a key. They nod to each other, and move in with a rush.

The cage is open with a flash and I'm pulled out onto the cold floor, gripped by their equally cold hands. They seem to have enough presence of mind not to rip me apart. I barely have time to make my decision before they bite in unison, and I lose consciousness, praying that I will wake up again.