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“What’s wrong, Caitlin?” he asked.
“I…I feel really tired.”
“She needs new blood,” Arman said as he danced nearby. “That’s the problem with a fledgling. They need frequent small feedings.”
“I don’t want her feeding off mortals for now. She’s too newly turned.”
“We can’t get to a blood bank source right now, and you shouldn’t give her anymore of your blood for another day or so,” Arman warned.
Ruric smiled. “She can feed off me.”
She started to pull away from Levka.
“Not now,” Levka said.
She hissed, and he clamped his hand over her mouth.
Chapter 20
Stasio chuckled at Caitlin as they moved toward the entrance of the ballroom. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a fledgling’s actions. This should be interesting.”
“Ruric, get a couple of people to give blood. Arman, go with him and take the blood, then bring it back to me to Caitlin’s stateroom. Stasio, you come with me.”
“It would be so much simpler if she just fed off one of us,” Ruric said, then headed out of the ballroom with Arman following behind.
“She is not feeding off anyone this early on.” Levka returned her to her stateroom with Stasio in tow.
“Quit calling me a fledgling,” Caitlin snapped, then collapsed on the bed.
Stasio grinned. “Maybe Petroski was right. A mortal who was more controllable…”
Caitlin glowered at him.
Stasio chuckled. “Except for Levka’s getting us involved in rescuing mortals from time to time, life has been rather dull. I can see now, that will change. Well, actually, it changed the instant the two of you saw each other. I’m surprised Arman isn’t raising more of a fit about all of this.”
Levka placed his hands on his hips and studied Caitlin’s mutinous expression. If she wasn’t so exhausted, he assumed she’d be giving him more of a fight. It didn’t matter. What was done was done and could never be undone. She was his to protect for all eternity, and someday when she was strong enough, she could even protect him, if need be.
Like the trials of training a puppy, accidents would occur, no doubt, and he’d have to call on every shred of patience he possessed and deal with it.
Half an hour later, Ruric and Arman arrived at the room, blood vials in hand.
Levka offered the blood to Caitlin, but she turned her head away.
Arman sat on the desk chair. “She is worse than a new fledgling because we can’t control her actions.”
She speared Arman with a dagger of a look.
Arman simply smiled.
“Caitlin, drink and you’ll feel better.” Levka reached for her chin, but she bared her teeth at him.
Ruric laughed. She turned her animosity on him. A smile plastered to his lips, he bowed. “She is a live one, Levka. I want one like her, too.”
“Not me,” Arman said. “If I ever get desperate enough, first, I will get league approval, and second, I will find a girl who is completely brain-washable. I don’t like conflict.”
“Hmm, for me,” Stasio said, “the girl has to have a love of history. If she doesn’t, it will be a no go.”
Levka sighed. “Maybe we need privacy.”
