First Bite

Penance

Santana had never met the Queen. She knew Sue had a reputation for being brutal and demanding, and Santana didn't want to think about what she'd be required to do. She wanted to avoid it as long as possible. But she knew she couldn't. Quinn had given a comman, and there was no avoiding it or putting it off.

She tried to stop her fingers from shaking as she typed out a text to Brittany. So, so sorry, sweetie, I can't make it tonight. I know you wanted me to be there, and I wanted to be there too. I promise I'll make it up to you. Something came up that I couldn't get out of. You can be mad at me all week and I'll understand. Be safe tonight. Love you forever.

She tucked her phone into the breast pocket of her leather jacket and took a deep breath, looking ahead at the palace before her. She had seen pictures of the palace, but never been here. She didn't have a reason to, and she knew commoners never got to come here unless they were in trouble. She just hoped she'd make it out alive.

Her heels made sturdy, satisfying clicks on the concrete of the walkway. The lights from the pools on either side were glaring and made her feel dizzy, but she focused her attention on the door in front of her. One step at a time, one word at a time, one thought at a time. The guards on either side of the door gave her a nod, and she was about to enter when she felt her phone vibrate against her breast. It quickened her heart and calmed her at the same time. Brittany had responded.

She took her phone out.

I'm not mad, just sad you'll miss the party. I'll be safe, promise you will too? Love you forever.

Santana swallowed and closed her eyes for a minute. I'll be as safe as I can.

Santana tucked her phone away and raised her head again. If she presented herself with authority, maybe she wouldn't be punished as harshly.

Santana had a pretty darn good idea of why she was here. She'd staked a vampire, which was equivalent to murder in the human world. Even if that vampire had been about to hurt Brittany, she probably shouldn't have staked him. If only she'd listened better to Quinn when Quinn was trying to train her to control her temper.

Santana rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe she was actually regretting not listening to Quinn.

After taking a moment to still her heart and lungs, Santana entered a stately room with Greek pillars lining the walls that were lit with deep emerald lights. Animal skins hung on the walls, and Santana thought it was odd that the Queen had done something so... human. Animals were too easy to hunt for vampires, so a skin was nothing to brag about. But as Santana looked closer, she saw they were skins of rare animals. White lions, panthers, cougars, cheetahs. The Queen had surrounded herself with the hides of the noblest, most intelligent, and rare animals, and somehow that made Santana's stomach turn more. The Queen collected rare breeds. Santana couldn't help but feel, with her pulse and working lungs, that she was a rare breed herself.

"I expected you to dawdle a little bit on your way. Nice to see I can still be wrong once in awhile," the Queen said with a smirk.

She was seated crooked in her enormous, red leather throne, holding an equally enormous goblet that could only be filled with the rarest blood on earth.

"Of course, your highness," Santana said, trying not to sound scared. "I wouldn't waste time when you've called me."

Sue gave Santana a patronizing smile and tilted her head.

"Well, it's good to know there are some vampires who are still afraid of me," she said. "I thought after I let that bengali tiger loose during Coachella I had nothing left to live for."

Santana gave a faint nod, not knowing how she was supposed to respond to that. "My Maker said you wanted to see me and that I was to carry out your wishes before dawn."