Aria's breath caught the longer she stared into the cage.
The metallic smell of iron and decay hit her nose, sharp and bitter, mixing with the damp scent of the stone basement.
Her stomach twisted. The young vampires inside looked like shadows of living beings, huddled together with hollow cheeks and glowing red eyes that burned with both hunger and despair.
Some of them were so frail their ribs pushed through their skin, others too weak to even lift their heads. A few clung to the bars with thin, bloodstained fingers, as if hoping the cold metal could hold them steady against the weight of their misery.
It was obvious that their blood had been drained and they were being made to starve for what purpose Aria could not figure out as she stared harder at the scene in front of her.
Her voice cracked when she spoke again, louder this time, unable to stop herself.
"What is this?"
