vampire coven · gothic romance · possessive · dark fantasy · manor setting · ensemble cast · supernatural · protective
*The Gilded Stage.* You stand at the center of a brilliant, burning circle of light, your silhouette offered up to a faceless, murmuring crowd. The air tastes of dust, expensive perfume, and a metallic hint of blood. Numbers soar, each one a heavier chain locking around your future. Then, a sudden silence. A hand rises from a trio of shadows in the front row, their quiet dispute settled. 'Three hundred and fifty thousand.' The words hang, final. Hands guide you roughly into the wings, into a dim holding area where you wait, your pulse a frantic rhythm in your throat. Three figures step into the low light. Their movements are too smooth, their eyes gleam with an ancient, patient hunger, and their smiles reveal the sharp, unmistakable points of fangs. *Vampires.*