The final man was the shortest of their group at maybe six feet, his lean muscles making him look absolutely deadly. His dark hair was slightly messy from a hand he ran through it as I trailed my gaze down to his strong jaw and the dark shadow there. I stared momentarily at the vein that seemed raised, from the tension in his body, along his neck. My tongue nearly darted out, imagining how his skin would taste if I kissed him there.
I blinked rapidly then, inhaling sharply and trying to keep from screaming out as someone bit my arm even deeper, a space up from the other bites. I would have so many scars from this, a reminder of how Malakai controlled my life, but before I could turn to see who was drinking from me, a pair of chocolate brown eyes, surrounded by long lashes, met my own… Andholy shitwas it an intense stare.
I felt ensnared, as if I was truly the prey vampyres assumed I was. I shifted where I sat, and Malakai yanked on my chain, causing me to whimper as I looked up at him. But his eyes weren’t on me—they were on the three Lords.
Crap.
Malakai stopped the next Lord in line from walking forward when the current finished and scampered away, and called out, “You three, against the wall.”
All three of them looked at the Emperor, worry flashing in the middle man’s eyes, but only for a mere second before disappearing.
“Come forward!” Malakai’s fake smile made my gut churn, and I suddenly found myself worried about them. It was ridiculous—they were obviously Lords chosen by the Emperor, so they were probably the same as him. Yet, as they neared, I was caught off guard by my desire to keep them far from Malakai’s reach. I had to squeeze my fists to ensure I didn’t move forward, and when I looked down, I realized blood was trickling down my arm from the open wounds, my head spinning.
I wasn’t sure how much blood I had to lose before I passed out, but I was hoping not much. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with my reality… although Malakai would probably heal me just enough so I’d be conscious to endure more.
He wouldn’t let me out of this punishment easily.
“Your Majesty.” The middle man bowed along with the other two, and I found I couldn’t look away from them. There was something off about the way they were acting, almost as if they didn’t like the Emperor—something I recognized since I hated him as well.
“I saw you looking at my Thrall, but you didn’t come to drink from her. Why?” Malakai asked. I was interested in that question as well. From my brief glimpse around the room, they were the only Lords that hadn’t lined up.
“We came to honor you,” the spokesman in the middle explained, “but because our own Thralls had to stay back in our lands, we didn’t feel like it was right to participate when we can’t offer their blood in exchange.”
Oh.
My chest squeezed at the thought of them drinking from Thralls. I looked away and down at the floor, masking my ridiculous hurt. I hated the idea of them having a Thrall, not only because the system was so screwed up, but because…I think I was jealous? It had to be the blood loss making me feel this way. I wasn’t thinking clearly.
My heart hammered loudly in my chest, and my head spun as I stared down at the blood pooling on the floor beneath my hand. When I gripped the chain lightly, the Emperor chuckled and grabbed my hair, keeping me upright as if he knew I was getting close to slumping over.
“Well, as much as I appreciate the sentiment,” Malakai mused, “this gift is for all. So please—drink.” The ending was a sharp command, and I stiffened, wondering what they would do.
My face flushed as I looked over the three of them, my breathing a bit uneven as I attempted to control it so that Malakai wouldn’t notice. I wanted them to prove they weren’t like every other Lord in this room. I wanted them to prove that perhaps Tristan wasn’t the only decent vampyre in this castle.
I wanted to feel validated in my instinctive pull towards them.
“Emperor Malakai, respectfully—” The first man, the largest one with the hazel eyes, seemed more hesitant than the other two, making my heart beat fast. So fast that it added to the dizziness I was feeling, and I leaned back into Malakai’s hold, my body hurting from having to sit upright.
“She looks like she’s about to pass out. We don’t wish to be the Lords that hurt your Thrall,” the final man gritted out, turning his chocolate brown gaze to me.
Malakai’s body tensed, and the room went silent. His voice dropped an octave, turning deadly as tears started to well in my eyes. I jolted as he commanded, “Now.”
It was enough to make them obey. The man in the middle stepped forward.He was actually going to do it.
Just like the rest.
ChapterSix
Kyella
It felt like my heart was breaking. But that was ridiculous, right? I didn’t know them, and they didn’t know me. They didn’t owe me any loyalty. So why did it feel like such a grave betrayal for them to obey the Emperor?
I knew in my heart that any rebellion would lead to their deaths, so why did I want them to stick up for the atrocities of my situation? I didn’t want them to be hurt.
My heart shattered in my chest as he turned his emerald gaze on me. Determination filled his eyes, as if he had convinced himself to go through with this.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged, refusing to drop my eyes from his in hopes he would see my despair.
This caused Malakai to laugh, and I knew I would be punished for speaking out of turn. For thinking that I had any sway in his court or his empire. I knew I shouldn’t have uttered a word, but I’d been physically unable to prevent myself from doing so. I needed these three Lords to prove to me that not all vampyres were sadistic bastards and that my initial draw to them wasn’t a sham.
