The crate hit the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
Eira's spine slammed against the wooden floor, and her ribs flared with pain. Around her, the other prisoners groaned and cursed, rubbing their bruises and pulling at their chains. The lid creaked open, and light filtered through the cracks
The vampires didn't even glance back. They simply turned and vanished into the mist like shadows.
Eira pushed herself upright, wincing as her wrists screamed against the metal cuffs.
They were in a valley now. The execution ground.
It stretched wide and hollow, surrounded by jagged cliffs and crooked trees. The air outside was damp and cold, and smelled like old blood and burnt incense.
Eira's breath fogged in the air, as she scanned the valley. No walls. No gates. Just the crate and the endless night.
Human guards arrived shortly after, dressed in tattered ancient-style armor. Their necks bore faint red scars, half-healed bite marks. They looked tired, bitter, and cold.
At least they were human. That made them easier to talk to.
One of the prisoners, an older man missing an ear, called out to one of them. "Oi, when's the slaughter, son?"
The guard didn't even blink. "Tomorrow, at noon."
Eira's stomach twisted.
Another prisoner asked "Then why dump us here now?"
"So you can beg the gods for forgiveness." The guard muttered dryly. "Not that they give a shit."
Eira's voice was low, cautious. "How do they kill us?"
The guard looked at her, eyes dull. "They drain you. Every drop. Slow. Like a ritual. It's supposed to be poetic."
"Poetic?" Eira whispered, getting annoyed. "Fuck that."
She turned, looking around the crate. There had to be a way out. She needed a plan. Fast.
Human maids arrived at dusk, carrying trays of food. The smell was surprisingly pleasant. The platters consisted of roasted meat, soft bread and warm broth.
Eira blinked at the tray handed to her. It looked… edible.
She took a bite, grateful for the warmth. But a prisoner beside her, a young boy with shaking hands, asked the maid "Miss, why is the food good today?"
The maid didn't smile. She sighed and said softly "Because it's your last meal. By law, it must be decent."
Eira stopped chewing.
Her appetite vanished. She took a huge chunk of meat, then pushed the remaining toward a malnourished looking woman curled in the corner. "Here…" she said. "You can have it."
The woman looked at her with grateful eyes, then nodded and took the food.
That was probably a stupid thing to do, but truly, she had lost her appetite.
Midnight crept in like a thief. Most prisoners curled up and slept, their bodies too broken to care. The few still awake, whispered to one another in the dark. The guards still stood like statues, their breath fogging the air.
Eira couldn't sleep.
She'd already napped before the transfer. Her mind was too loud now, buzzing with fear, paranoia, and desperate prayers.
Then she heard a melodious sound coming from the distance.
Music.
Strings, a drumbeat, and voices humming in perfect rhythm. It sounded soft, lilting, ancient.
She crawled to the edge of the crate, peering through the slats.
On the far side of the valley, under a canopy of lanterns, a group of girls danced. Their gowns flowed like smoke, embroidered with silver and rouge. The hair braided into elegant coils or left flowing down their backs.
They looked young. Twenty, maybe twenty-seven. Their faces were beautiful, gracious, and focused.
They danced for hours.
Eira watched, fascinated. They made mistakes, corrected them, laughed, cursed, and kept going. It looked like a rehearsal for an important event.
She felt a stab of jealousy. They were free. Moving. Breathing. While she was chained in a crate, waiting to die.
When they finished, they packed up and left, their silhouettes fading into the mist. The valley fell to a bone-aching silence again.
Eira sat back, hugging her knees.
Out of boredom, she began to hum the tune, unknowingly. It comforted her, strangely. She closed her eyes and let the melody guide her.
Then her body moved demurely. Her feet shifted. Her arms lifted. Her hips swayed.
She was dancing like the girls.
Not just randomly—perfectly. Every step, every turn, every flick of the wrist matched the dancers she'd watched. She remembered it all. Down to the tiniest detail.
Her body was responding like it had practiced for years. She stopped, startled by how natural it felt.
Her brain felt… upgraded. Like someone had installed the choreography into her skull.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered to herself.
A voice answered softly "You can't sleep either?"
It was the older woman. The one she'd given her food to.
Eira panted. "What?"
"You're still awake. Thought maybe you couldn't sleep."
Eira smiled and nodded slowly. "Yeah…um..my head feels too loud."
The woman handed her a thin, lumpy pillow. "Try to rest. Tomorrow won't be easy."
Eira hesitated, then took the pillow. "Thanks."
She lay down, clutching the pillow, and forced herself to sleep.
•••••
Eira woke up to shoutings and mild chaos.
The sun hadn't risen yet, but the prisoners were already awake, arguing. The guards were shouting, and the air buzzed with tension.
"What's going on?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
A man leaned toward her. "Shitty stuff. You didn't hear?"
"No. What happened?"
"One of them dancer's gone missing."
Eira's eyes widened. "What?"
He spat on the other side, and grinned nervously. "Oh yeh. One of the maids told the guards."
"Oh my God. How did it happen?"
"No one knows." He shrugged. "She was the lead. The one who did all the fancy moves. Everyone's pissed. If the nobles aren't satisfied with the performance tomorrow, they'll skin everyone alive."
The guards looked furious.
"Stupid little bitch." One of them snarled. "She's gonna get us all whipped. Where are we going to find a replacement?"
Eira's mind raced.
She remembered the girl. She'd watched her dance, fascinated by her aura. Of course, she'd also memorized her steps. Even now, she could see them, clear as day.
An idea bloomed in her mind. A dangerous one.
She stood.
"Quiet, please." She said, loud enough to silence the crowd.
Everyone turned.
"I'm a dancer." she said. "I can replace her."
The guards stared. The prisoners gawked, then filled the space with mocking laughter. "Lass, you better sit your ass down before they kick it down for you!" They shouted at her.
But Eira just rolled her eyes.
"You?" One guard said, with an amused smile. "You're just a fucking thief, bitch!"
"I'm also your only chance." Eira said, biting the insides of her mouth. "I know the routine. I watched them rehearse, and I remember it all."
The guards frowned, then walked towards her "How do you remember something you just saw once?"
"Not to toot my own horn, but I have a sharp brain. I can memorize something by just looking at it once."
The other guard muttered. "That's not possible. The mutt's just trying to escape the execution!"
Silence stretched between them as the former guard assessed her. "If you're lying, I'll bleed your throat myself."