I peek to find Kaius clutching the vampire that’s holding onto me by the neck. His face is the picture of indifference. His body is loose, the only sign of tension at all is the bruising grip his fingers have on the other vampire.
The rest of the servants have all knelt to the floor, their eyes locked on Kaius as if awaiting instruction–or punishment.
A muscle in Kaius’ jaw flexes and he tilts his head back to examine the man he has in his grasp with disgust. “What seems to be the problem here?”
The vampire shakily points to me. “The cattle–”
Kaius squeezes his throat tighter. “I seem to recall hearing her tell you that she is not cattle all the way from the other side of the palace. Are you calling my guest a liar, worm?”
“No…no of course not.”
Kaius gives him a humorless smile and lets him go. “Good.”
“My sincere apologies, my Lord. I meant no offense to you.”
“No, of course not. You’d be foolish to purposely offend me,” Kaius agrees before turning to me. “What about you, Adelasia? Did thisworm–” he glares at the vampire who seems to shrink at the degrading tone in Kaius’ voice, “offend you?”
It goes silent again, and I realize he’s waiting for my response. I open my mouth, but no words come out, so I simply shake my head. Kaius nods, and his eyes catch on the handful of fruit and cheese I dropped that sits discarded on the ground.
He uses a hand to motion towards the table in the center of the room. “Please help yourself.”
I approach the table. My hands tremble as I pick out another selection of fruits, nuts and cheese.
I hear an awful squelch behind me.
I’ve heard that sound before, when Kaius ripped out the heart of the two vampires that kidnapped me.
Just as I was that night, I’m stupid enough to turn my head and look. Kaius steps over the dead body and one of the servants hands him a wet cloth to clean his hands. The dead vampire turns to ash, and the servants return to their duties.
I make every attempt to avoid eye contact as I gather the food again, leave the kitchen, and make my way back through the halls to Saddiq.
When I get to where I left him, he’s nowhere to be found, and the water goblet I gave him sits discarded on its side.
“Looking for something?”
I huff at the voice behind me before turning to face Dravon. I give him my best scowl, and he gives me an insincere grin in return.
“Where is he?”
“What concern is it to you?”
“Where is he?” I repeat.
From down the hall, I catch Kaius in my peripheral vision, and as quickly as we make eye contact from afar, he’s at my side, examining Dravon suspiciously. Then, he looks at me. “What is it?” he asks me.
“The prisoner, Saddiq. I want to know where he is,” I tell him without breaking my hateful stare at Dravon.
Kaius looks to his advisor. “Tell her,” he commands. Dravon narrows his eyes at me. “Now.”
Dravon’s jaw moves from side to side in annoyance. “Dungeon,” he replies. He barely moves his shoulder to avoid bumping into me when he walks around us. I huff and look at Kaius, who is obviously awaiting an explanation.
“He was hurting him. Whipping him and then forcing him to clean up his own blood.”
“Dravon has always been a sadist,” Kaius says, then he looks at the food in my arms. “You weren’t in the kitchen for yourself.”
“No, I wasn’t,” I confirm. “Please take me to him.”
Kaius nods towards the long end of the hallway as a gesture to follow him. He leads me down several flights of stairs and out of the palace, taking me directly to the dungeon in the cool moonlight. When we arrive, I rush straight to Saddiq’s cell and kneel. He looks surprised.
