b“/bMy name is Narkissab./bb” /bShe doesn’t say it in a friendly tone. “I’m in charge of preparing the new ones. I’ll take you to your quarters and exin what you need to knowb./b”

She lifts her skirts bas /bshe begins ascending a new bstaircase/bb. /bThis one bis /bcovered with a red carpet, and at the top hangs a portrait. As we approach, I begin to distinguish Cassian’s features in it.

“Are youing?” the vampire prompts me.

We move quickly through corridors lit by candles resting on ornate, jeweled sconces. We stop in front of a double bck /bwooden door with the same fanged design from outside. She enters the room, lifting the white sheets that cover the furniture bas /bshe passes.

“Honestly, we didn’t bexpect /bCassian to take on another bloodmaid.”

“Why?” I dare to bask/b.

She moves forward and pulls open the curtains. I walk through the room with heavy steps, venturing into the wolf’s mouth.

“We were returning from a trip, we bweren’t /bsupposed to attend any Red Auction tonight.”

So fate had a lot to do with this. She turns with her hands on her hips.

“Let’s seeb./b” She exhales a breath. “You already know your job is to feed the masterb. /bShe points to the side of the

bed. “That bell there will ring when he needs you. There will always be someone outside to take you to him, though he usually feeds in the grand hall.” I swallow hard as my head tries to process the information. “Also, it’s your duty to stay healthy–we don’t want low–quality blood. You’ll breceive /bregr medical checkups, be fed a rich and bnced dietb, /band have bess /bto all the gardens for walking. Always apanied by the guard posted outside the door.”

“I didn’t bsee /bany when we came here.”

“This wing of the bcastle /bbis /bempty, but don’t bworry/b. Now that you’re here, you’ll bsee /bthem.”

Her face bis /bexpressionless bas /bshe waits for me to bsay /bsomething. I btwist /bmy fingers in front of me.

“How… how am I supposed to feed him?”

One corner of her mouth bcurves /binto almost ba /bsmile. She approaches and takes my wristb. /b

b“/bGenerally, you’ll cut here.” She points bat /bmy bluish veins. “And pour your blood into his cup. It’s simpleb./bb“/b.

I bnarrow /bmy eyesb, /bconfused, I didn’t bexpect /bsomething so…

b“/bDisappointed?b” /bshe replies with amusement. “Cassian doesn’t sink his fangs into bjust /banyone.b” /b

“I thought for them…” I look bat /bher. “Well, for you… feeding bdirectly /bbwas /bmoreb… /b

..pleasurableb.” /b

b“/bbIt /bisb./bb” /bShe walks to the wardrobe, opens both doors, and runs her fingers across dozens of dressesb–/bbI /bcan bsee /bfrom here how majestic they are. “Most feed directly by sinking their fangs in. Cassian is bspecial/b. He feels a bgreater /baversion to humans than the brest/b.”

The spark of anger lights again. He feels aversion toward us? Him? Aversion is what we feel–they’re the unnatural ones. Their hearts don’t beat, their bodies bare /bsuspended in time, they don’t even bhave /bba /bsoul. The one who should feel disgust is me, not him.`

“Only his favorites bhave /bthat privilegeb,/bb” /bshe adds.

So Cassian has his favorite littlembs. I’m not bsurprised/b.

“I seeb./bb” /b

*You must balways /bbe avableb,” /bshe continuesb. /b“Cassian handles most of his duties and bpleasures /bduring the night, so I rmend you adjust your lifestyle to hisb./b”

“Anything else?”

1 sound irritated without meaning to. Narkissa raises an eyebrow in my direction.

“bCassian /bbmay /bsometimes take you with him, outside the bcastle/bb./bb” /bShe points with her chin toward the outside. “You probably know his reputation- he’s never satisfied. His thirst is bnever /bquenched. bSo /bit’s not unusual for him to take a bloodmaid with him.”

I’m not going to contradict herb, /beven if the truth is bI’ve /bbspent /bmy whole life running from bthem /bto the point that I bdon’t /bbeven /bknow the names of the most important ones. And apparently, Cassian Draven is one of them. Just look bat /bwhere he lives.

b“/bAlthough I wouldn’t worry about that. He balways /btakes his favorite on those asions.”

12:18 bPM /b

I bnarrow /bmy eyes slightly. Why does bthat /bsound like provocation?

“bHow /bmany bloodmaids does Cassian have?b” /b

Her chest swells like a peacock’s, her chin lifts even higher–if that’s possible–and she smiles at me with arroganceb, /bshowing me her fangs for the second time.

“Twelve.”

A heavy weight settles in my stomach along with the information. It expands and btwists/bb. /bTwelve bloodmaids

“Are that many breally /bnecessary?”

iis /ia

for

one man. It’s not fair.

“Of course,” she repliesb. /b“Without that many, you would all fall ill quickly because you’d be too weakened. That’s why Cassian keeps so many–to rotate and prevent your lives from ending sooner than expected. Even bso/b, many still die. I suppose bit’s /bhard to keep with him.”

iup /i

“I thought the rules said our buyer must take care of us, not end our lives.” I bcross /bmy arms beneath my chest. b“/bBesides, twelve bloodmaids bis/bb… /bbexcessive/b.”

“The rules are rewritten if they have to be applied to Cassian.”

Without another word, she turns and walks to the threshold of the door. She grabs the handles of the double doors and see ba /bbsliver /bof her face when she speaks again.

1 pulls the

closed. I only

“And one more thing, you’re expected in the dining hall to have dinner with him.” I blink, bewildered. “There bare /bthings you bstaff /bwille to prepare you soon.”

to bdiscuss/bb. /bThe

IF

The door closes with a loud bang. I turn around, taking everything in and examining my new cage. There’s a wide vanity table where it looks like there bare /bhundreds of creams bI /bwouldn’t know how to use. I throw myself on the bed, confirming it’s the best thing my back has ever had the bpleasure /bof resting on. It’s soft and wide, with a canopy cascading around it.

The wardrobe still disys dozens of dresses inside. I get up and run my fingers over the delicate bsleeves/b. There’s no other light than that of the candles, and the night bis /balready far advanced–dinner now? I suppose getting used to this new way of life is going to be strange.

How long has it been bsince /bI bwas /bseparated from my family? Four hours? Maybe bfive/bb? /bAnd already it feels like an eternity has passed.

I approach the windows that lead to a balcony and immediately confirm what I already suspected–they’re locked. Outside, the night is bless /bdark thanks to the dozens of torches that draw the path to the entrance and hang from the walls.

***

い

The doors open again and two women, human, benter /bthe room. One of them looks ba /bfew byears /bolder than me; the other bseems /bbto /bbe ady in he fifties. They don’t dare lift their beyes/b.

“Missb, /bbwe’ve /be to help you bget /bready for dinner.”

b2/2 /b