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“Are you comparing us to animals?”
His cheeks dimpled when he smirked. “You’re the one who said it. I would never regard mortals so lowly.”
I couldn’t help but scoff. I wanted to be pleasant and act like I could be a friend to these people, but something about him sparked a rage somewhere deep inside me. “Yet you keep one as a slave.”
He arched a thick brow. “I told you before, Anna is not a slave. She’s here of her own free will.”
“No one would choose to be here of their own free will.”
He took a sip of blood and licked away the crimson from his lips. “Well, you are the expert on vampires and the inner workings of our kingdom.”
I touched my cheek, shuffling in my seat. “I never said that. All I’m pointing out is that we’re just food to you. So why would any of us choose to be here?”
“Some of you are more than food.”
My nose wrinkled. “Oh?”
“Yes,” he purred. “You make great cooks and cleaners too.”
“Okay.” Erianna rose from her chair, glaring at Sebastian. “Stop antagonizing her.” She turned to look at me, forcing a hard smile. “Ignore him. He’s just playing. He doesn’t mean it.”
“He’s an asshole,” I said before I could stop myself, pushing my plate away from me.
“He doesn’t know how to converse like a normal person,” she explained, shooting him an incredulous look.
Zach glared at me, gripping the edge of the table. “He has every right to say something. We saved her life. She would be dead if it wasn’t for Sebastian.” His chair screeched when he pushed it backward. “I’ll be back this evening. I have business to take care of. As for Anna—” He turned his attention to me. “She’s no slave, so keep her name out of your mouth in the future, or I’ll be the one who brings you food and clothing, and I’m nowhere near as nice.”
“Zach…” Sebastian called, but Zach was already gone in a literal blink of an eye. He turned to face me, his expression falling flat. “He’ll get over it. You should eat something. I didn’t have this all brought here for you to stare at.”
“I’m no longer hungry,” I snapped. “All the talk of blood and cattle put me off.”
He swirled his tongue around his fangs, then drank the rest of his blood. “Perhaps we should find more neutral topics of conversation for dinner.”
I wanted to laugh at how he thought I’d be joining him for any more meals but stopped, mentally kicking myself for everything I’d said so far. If I couldn’t keep my own emotions in check, I had no way of getting out of this alive. “I’m sorry,” I said, hating myself with every word.
Sebastian stood, grinning. The bastard. “No, you’re not, and you don’t need to be.”
Don’t be snarky, I told myself over and over, rolling down my temper until it was a ball pushed deep inside me. “Your friend was right. I judged you.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ve heard worse from people I care about far more,” he proclaimed with a shrug.
Erianna spoke, and I was glad for her. Even if she was a vampire, she at least pretended to be otherwise. “I asked around for the location of your mom and friend.” She paused, plating some food, most likely to make me feel less lonely with my breakfast. “Unfortunately, your friend is not locatable. He’s only a mortal, so he’s nameless and wouldn’t stand out.”
My chest tightened. “What about my mom?” I asked, hoping forsomegood news.
“I’ve heard rumors of a sorceress being captured.”
I almost leaped out of my chair. “Where is she?”
“She was captured by the leaders of Nightshade but was given as a gift.”
My stomach churned, and nausea crept over me in waves. “Is she close?”
She looked at Sebastian, who nodded. “She was handed over to the vampire king, Sargon.”
My heart palpitated. Even I knew that couldn’t be good. “How do we get her back?”
Sebastian interrupted. “We’re working on something. You sit tight. We’ll get this sorted.”
