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"Just eat.” She rolled her eyes and practically tossed the plate at me again. "You are going to need your strength. The more blood they take from you, and they will be taking a lot, the harder it is to build up reserves. Bacon’s the best for it. Protein. Salt. Iron. Fat. Eat."
She was holding the plate below my nose.
God, I knew she was right. Even without the whole blood replenishment thing, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I needed to eat. I gave her the best glare I could summon and grabbed a piece of bacon off the plate. Thankfully, my stomach didn't turn quite as much as I expected when I put it in my mouth.
"Jett and I were housed in the same wing. Most places around here aren't like this. You belong to the kings, so you are under lock and key. Everyone else has chores and rotations and eats meals in the mess hall. Although, this is better. I can't tell you how many times I've just been scrubbing the floor when a Synian is suddenly thrusting his way into me as he holds me against the wall." Her voice caught and I couldn't quite tell if she was thinking back on it in horror or pleasure. Probably pleasure. Even the few times I'd been bitten had blurred that line for me. Dawn had been here much longer.
Besides, the way Dawn was staring at the door, licking her lips, looked close to how the Covenless looked when they hovered in the alley around the red door.
"Anyway.” She shook her head and shifted her weight. "I knew your brother. I saw Theon drag him away, although that wasn't when he sent you the letter. He sent it one month earlier, almost like he knew something was coming. That the king would come for him. That he knew what he was."
"You mean Fae?" The word still felt weird on my tongue, like my body was rebelling against the idea.
"Or something.” She shrugged and snatched a piece of bacon. "But there was this one Synian, Christian, who kept coming to see him. Some of us were beginning to wonder if they were lovers. He was there almost every night. The sounds that came from them were different. Calmer. Enjoyable. I don't know how to explain it. But then one day Christian turned up dead, and the next day Theon was at Jett’s door. We didn't even recognize Theon at first, but he went in, Jett was screaming, and then Theon dragged him out. We didn't see Jett for months."
"Not until the explosion." I filled in the gap. Dawn nodded once, her jaw square as she leaned in. I shifted back, the plug moving inside of me as my muscles tightened.
"He was trying to protect you, Jaide." It took me a second to realize she was scolding me, but I just scowled right back at her.
"Well, I was starving, so he can suck it. I would have ended up here anyway. Well, here or killed by Fae. You know what happens to unbonded Omegas and there was no way in hell I was making it to a sanctuary." I didn't even bother to keep my voice down, but she wasn't backing down.
"A Fae mercenary could have found you." It was a fool's hope, and she knew it.
"And fucked me to death?" I screeched, our outbursts getting louder, coming faster.
"And what exactly do you think they will do to you here?" she roared. I bit my tongue before I could answer, bringing our screaming match to a halt. There was too much information coming at me from all angles, and it was suddenly very clear that no one was on the same page.
Parris didn't know what Elliot had said, if Elliot was real.
Dawn didn't know what Elliot had said, if Elliot was real.
Elliot was, somehow, the missing piece to all of this. Elliot and Garret were. Elliot had mentioned Garret, after all. I had seen them together. If I needed answers, it clearly had to come from one of those two.
"Dawn, do you know whose room this is?" I asked before downing the last of the orange juice. Dawn looked like she was about to laugh.
"You're in Garret's wing, it’s one of the rooms for his blood slaves. You're his blood slave... so..."
"Do you know Elliot?" I asked, cutting her off.
“Who?” She shook her head. "I thought you were here for Jett?"
"I am, I just... I think I am not the only one looking for him. I think whatever happened with Jett and Christian, they want to recreate with me.”
"You mean the explosions and killing Healynas?" she asked, turning to the window before she stood, sending the bed bouncing a bit. Thankfully it didn't hurt as much that time, I was clearly getting used to it.
"Yes, and whatever else Theon has planned. I think Jett knew what it was." We were both staring at the door now, my mind buzzing as it tried to replay that scene. I wasn't there, but I could almost see it. See the pain and panic on my brother's face. I had to know what happened.
And I think I knew just how to do that.
"Can you get me to his room?" Dawn whirled around at that, her face shocked before she began to laugh. I didn't join in and her laughter quickly turned to horror.
"Oh! You're serious.” She gave one more heartless bark and my stomach dove to my toes.
“Yeah. If he knew something there might be something in his room that could help me. I need--”
“You need common sense, that’s what you need.” Dawn jumped to her feet, leaving the bacon and the empty juice carafe on the bed as she grabbed her cart again. “You want me to sneak you out of your suite and to the free hall? That's across the complex, down two floors. You are bound to this room. You have masters. You have king masters. If anyone finds you, and finds out that I took you, that’s it. I'm done. Not just kicked out, dead." The panic on her face grew as she continued to back away from me, right to the door.
"But it's the only way to find out what happened."
"No, it's not, there's always another way. And no offense, I don’t care enough about this mess to risk my life. I won't do that, Jaide. It's not worth it. I'm sorry." The apology was nearly lost as she slammed the door behind her.
