Chapter b21 /b

I shut my mouth and match her stride. We pass more feeders flitting from one room to another. Winter

of my room, and Naida nearly pushes me inside when she opens the door. I turn, irritated.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

turn the

heading into the quiet hallway

The door opens again, and a rushed rissa enters with her arms full of dresses and essories. Naida grabs my shoulders and hurries me to the bathtub, where a bubble bath is already waiting. She undresses me and gets me into the tub. She scrubs my arms with vigor and enthusiasm.

“Naida!” I protest. “What’s going on?”

“Cassian is having a guest tonight. You know about the Southern Territoriesb?/bb” /b

I nod.

“Good, well, the representative of the Diluted ising here–Eleazar Labrot.”

“And what about it?b” /b

“He’ll arrive just in time for dinner, and it’s expected that you’ll be there. Orders from Cassian. So you’re going to witness one scenes imaginable. They hate each other like few people do.”

“I don’t think they hate each other more than I hate him,” I mutter.

biof /i/b

the most hostile

Naida finishes my bath, helps me up, and wraps me in a thin silk robe. They lead me to the vanity, barely giving my hair, detangle it with a brush, and apply sweet–scented oils to my body.

me time

to breathe. They smooth

“Why all the attention? I don’t understand the need for these preparations.”

“Girl,” scolds rissa while braiding a crown atop my head, “even a feeder is ba /bsign of Cassian’s power. Your presenceb, /byour appearance- everything, absolutely everything, is another show of his dominance.”

“Cassian may have a reputation for cruelty and needing many of you to satisfy himself, but he’s also known for offering the best quality of life. And today, with you at the table, he’s proving it. You look healthy, you’re in perfect condition, and that’s how they must see you.”

“Quality of life you only enjoy if you survive,” I point out.

“If you survive,” rissa agrees. “We’ll make sure you survive, we promise. Besides, he hasn’t imed a single drop bof /byour blood yet. Maybe he just enjoys riling you up.”

“If that’s the bcase/b, it’s not muchfort.”

With gentle taps on my armsb, /bNaida makes me stand, and she slips a heavy red velvet dress over my head. I examine it as she cinches it to my body. It’s very elegant–so much so that it feels too grand for someone like me.

“Is there anything I should knowb?/bb” /b

“Don’t be afraid.” Naida’s fingers stroke my cheek softly bas /bshe prepares my face. “They may be enemies, but neither has anything against you. You just have to sit at that table in silence.b” /b

“Like a decorative ornament,” I scoff.

“Only speak if you’re asked to, and please, don’t contradict Cassian. Not tonight. For your own good.”

“I’ll be a perfectdy.”

“Perfect.” She has me close my eyes to apply kohl on my eyelids. “Eleazar is a charming man, don’t worry. And Cassian, though he’s not, is a master imitator. He can seem charming if that’s what’s needed.”

I nod while they work on me. The sun is setting outside the window, and I use thest remaining moments to tell myself again and again that this dinner is no different than the others. I just have to hold back my rebellious answers and everything will be fine. I already live surrounded by vampires—what’s one more, even if he’s Cassian’s enemy? bIn /bany bcase/bb, /ball vampires are my enemies. I’ve been living in hostile territory for just over

ba /bweek.

I finally slip into the small heeled shoes. rissa and Naida make me spin around in ce while they offer their approving smiles.

“The prettiest, without a doubt.”

I don’t believe it for ba /bsecond, but I won’t bwaste /bmy breath contradicting them because the truth is the work they’ve done on me is excellent. We wait a little longer until night has fully arrived, and then I leave the roomb, /bleaving them behind.

The hallways are silent, the guards nce at bme /bbsideways /bas bI /bpass by, and some beven /bshow surprise bat /bseeing me dressed like this. I go down the

12:19 PM bC /b

stairs feeling the cold on the back of

my neck.

Wait ba /bsecond–my neck bis /bpletely bare.

I panic and consider turning back and begging rissa and Naida to undo the entire hairstyle and just let it fall down my back. Two vampires at the same table with my neckpletely exposed feels like pure provocation. It’s like I’m begging them to bite me.

Stop it, ra, stop. You’re stronger than this. Walk–one foot in front of the other–and cut the inter

“Making me wait so long at the table is quite rude of you, little wildcat of the castle.”

nonsens

Cassian always seems to know when I need one of his damnedments in my head to make me keep walking, ready to throw a few insults at him. Only this time, when I enter the great hall, I don’t give him one of those mocking, contemptuous smiles. I just y my part as the submissive and pleasantdy, since there’s someone else sitting at the table. Neither of them stands when they notice my arrival.

Gentlemen? Totally extinct species.

I take my seat at the opposite end of the table, and with just one nce I find Cassian’s sapphire eyes staring at me with clear amusement. I don’t make any gesture, as my attention quickly shifts to the man seated to his right. He has a fierce and warrior–like look, bvery /bdifferent from Cassian’s mysterious and elegant air.

His hair is straw blond, reminding me of my family’s hair. Thinking about them sends a sharp pang through my chest.

“Eleazar, I present to you the most recent of my feeders, ra Voss.”

Cassian extends a hand in my direction. I force a smile.

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewiseb.” /b

That’s it, not another word. Cassian doesn’t look surprised at all. He snaps his fingers like so many other nights and immediately the human servants enter with trays in their hands. They ce one in front of me and another in front of Eleazar. Cassian is only served arge goblet.

“I don’t know if what I had prepared for you will be to your liking, although if it isn’t, you can always have your feeder brought in. None of us has a problem with you feeding from her in front of usb./bb” /b

I don’t miss the small nce Cassian throws my way, baring all his shiny teeth.

Eleazar lifts the lid of his te, revealing arge steak almost raw. From here I can see how the blood oozes. I quickly search my memory, recalling the brief information I read in one of the books during my first days here.