The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 1: Chapter 34

As I made my way to breakfast, I heard a commotion. Fast speech, louder than was the norm in the leech's lair.

I should have ignored the situation, but my curiosity won. I followed the sounds and the leech's voice became more distinct to me the nearer I got. She sounded furious.

Then Lucas's voice responded, "Mistress, I—"

"Don't 'Mistress' me, Lucas! You know that stupid law restricting unregistered human slave reproduction, you knew my orders, you knew there's no room for mistakes, and yet you made the very one that was forbidden to you! I allowed you to do what you wanted, but you were supposed to be careful!"

I turned the corner, and saw her standing in front of Lucas and the woman that he was so often with. She seemed to be trying to shrink away out of existence. I did not blame her.

The leech's form was tense and her eyes were red. There was no trace of the teasing, toying bloodsucker I had grown accustomed to. I understood in that moment that I had never actually seen her angry before.

"Tell me that you weren't stupid enough to put everything in jeopardy over unprotected sex?" she snapped.

"It's not, it wasn't, it—"

"You'll be impossible to replace," she snarled.

Her eyes snapped to the woman. "Tell me that it's not Lucas's," she demanded, her fangs exposed.

Lucas's woman squeaked pitiably. Lucas stepped in front of her. "You know it's mine, Vienne."

Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. She inhaled deeply, as if trying to calm herself and spoke in a more even tone. The red began to recede from her eyes. "You know what I have to do."

"Of course," Lucas said and I could not help but respect him in that moment.

"What the hell am I supposed to do without you, Lucas?"

"I'm sorry, Mistress," the woman said, her voice a plea. She was shaking in her terror and I gritted my teeth.

Lucas just stood there, waiting.

"Lucas, give me your dagger." She held out her hand expectantly.

He pulled the dagger from its hidden sheath and moved towards her. I watched, hoping desperately that he would shove it into her and avoid what she was about to do to them. Even in the wilds, word of the despicably cruel laws the vampires enforced on their slaves ran rampant.

Instead, he passed it to her without complaint.

She took it. "Both of you, come with me," the leech ordered.

I could feel heat building in the pit of my stomach. My pretense of passivity cracked under the pressure and I looked around for something I could use as a weapon.

Her eyes flicked to me for the first time since I arrived. I had not even known that she had noticed me. "Leave, Jamie. This is none of your business."

I frowned at her. "Are you really going to go through with this? You care about him, more than just a meal or a pretty face, don't you?"

"I don't care about anything," she told me coldly.

Her stare bore into me and I met her stare with my own, broken only when Lucas stepped into my line of sight. His brows were drawn down and his muscles tensed.

"The consequences are mine to bear," he said. "And I will."

Before the leech could demand he follow her, he took the shaking woman by the hand and began to lead her down the hall, much like lambs heading to the slaughter.