The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 1: Chapter 32

Running into the leech in the halls on the way to breakfast was not my preferred way of starting my morning, but some days it was simply unavoidable. She smiled at me like she was truly happy to see me and I could not help but notice the way her eyes looked bright when she seemed happy, nor could I fail to notice the way her clothing hugged her curves, even though it was the last thing that should be catching my eye.

The observation annoyed me and I met her eyes again. "Good morning, Jamie," she said and her smile turned into a smirk.

It seemed she was looking for a challenge as always, so I decided to deny her the pleasure. "Good morning, Mistress."

Her smirk widened into a grin that showed her fangs. Was there anything I could do to make her unhappy?

"That was an excellent fight you had yesterday. Thank you for leaving Marcel intact. He would be very difficult to replace."

I shrugged. "I don't doubt it." It seemed unlikely that she would be able to find another human so enthusiastically willing to prostrate himself in front of her.

Still, Agro had put up a good fight. Dismantling him would not have been that easy. I supposed her words meant that she had been watching, although I had not noticed her in the crowd.

While I had not been searching, I could not help but be aware of her when she was present. One way or another, the leech had gotten into my head.

"Are you heading to get some breakfast?"

"Yeah."

"What a coincidence, so was I. Although, I suppose it's more like supper from my perspective. Want to share?"

I fell into step beside her since my only other option was to turn around, and that would appear to be running.

"I'm sure the kitchen makes more than enough so that you could have some, too," I said simply, intentionally ignoring what she had actually been hinting at.

She smiled. "Alas, human food doesn't really do much for me now. It's rather bland, unless the kitchen spices it up with a blood sauce. Perhaps they might be able to manage an eggs blood Benedict? Perhaps they could stir blood into the Hollandaise sauce at exactly the right temperature. My late husband Terry was quite impressive in the kitchen and sometimes he would make me my own bloody version of whatever he was eating. It was quite nice of him. He did not like my cooking though."

Not surprising. "What did you try to feed him, raw hunks of bloody meat?"

"Oh, I'd never do that. Food safety, and all that, etcetera, etcetera. Besides, animal blood really doesn't agree with my constitution."

"Why not?"

She smiled and met my eyes. "It tastes terrible. I don't know how any vampire could possibly endure it. Cooked meat tastes fine though, if bland."

We arrived at the dining room. A number of her favourites were already sitting around the tables and Mark and Travis sitting alone together, although clearly observed. They seemed to be subjected to the same forced contact with her guards treatment I had received since I was brought here.

"So, anyone ready again to lend me some blood?"

I would have liked to go and sit beside the new slaves, but it would make my interest in them too obvious, so I got my food and sat down in the most isolated place I could manage, a few seats away from Jeffry. He paid me no attention. I began to eat, passively listening to the sickening conversation while they debated whose turn it was to feed the leech.

The idea revolted me. It was settled that it would be a guy I barely knew named Ian. While he finished eating, she sat amongst them and they made pointless small talk.