There’s no going back.
“I ordered one of everything because I didn’t know what you wanted,” a deep voice said, snapping my attention away from Cam and toward a dark-skinned male sitting at a long wooden table. He had a plate of food in front of him, plus an array of platters spread out along the table.
His light brown eyes captured mine, his expression giving nothing away.
“Ismerelda, this is Keys. He drove us here. Keys, this is myErosita. She needs to eat.” Cam punctuated that last point by setting me in a chair across from the male. “If you need me, I’ll be in the other room, arranging for some clothes to be brought up for us.”
He gestured toward the adjoining living area and placed a kiss on my head.
Then he walked away, leaving me staring at his robe-clad back.
You’re not eating?I asked him.
Keys ordered me some blood. I can smell it in the kitchen. I’ll have that after I’m done issuing my request for our wardrobes.
He settled into a chair that faced another set of windows, his gaze on the view outside as a translucent screen appeared beside him. He spoke to the technology in hushed tones, but his mind confirmed his actions—he was placing an order for clothes. Not just for himself, but for me and Keys as well.
A human,I thought, looking at the male in question.A Vigil Cam had taken from Rome.
He arched a brown brow at me, probably because I was gaping at him. But instead of commenting on it, he scooped a bite of eggs into his mouth.
I studied his plate and noted all the plain foods. It was a typical balance of nutrients, one mandated for mortals in this version of the world.
Rather than follow suit, I went straight for the platter of Belgian waffles and slathered it in chocolate, then added a handful of berries and a dollop of whipped cream.
Keys watched, his nose crinkling in disgust before casting a furtive glance toward Cam.
“You think he’s going to care about what I’m eating,” I said conversationally, recognizing the fear. “He won’t.”
That much at least, I knew from the last few weeks. Cam liked watching me eat.
And his approving hum in my mind confirmed it.
He wasn’t looking at me, though. He was still staring outside while conversing softly with whoever was pulled up on the screen.
I cut off a piece of my waffle and brought it to my mouth while Keys studied my food. After a minute, he took his own waffle and sniffed it.
When Cam didn’t react at all, he stole a bite. “This doesn’t seem very nutritional,” Keys informed me after he finished swallowing.
“It’s not supposed to be,” I told him. “It tastes good. That’s what matters.” And it was what I needed right now—comfort.
Because I needed to feel more like myself. Stronger. Not broken.Not dead.
I wanted to feel alive, to remind myself why I’d survived this long.
Otherwise, I might…
No.
I couldn’t afford to think like that. There could be no alternative. Not yet. Not right now.Not until…
My lips curled down. I wasn’t even sure how to finish that thought.
Rather than try, I took another bite of my food, my need to replace the taste in my mouth overriding my ability to truly enjoy the flavor.
It didn’t matter that Cam had washed away the event. It didn’t matter that he’d also apparently brushed my teeth—a memory I grasped from his mind that explained the minty kiss still lingering on my tongue.
And it didn’t matter that Cam had killed them all before they’d been able to irrevocably change me. Tofuckme. To sever my ties with immortality. To ensure Ienjoyedit all because of Michael’s compulsion.
