"All right. I have seen enough. Let us go home." The Councilman told us.
We returned to the cavern. The Council thanked us for escorting them then they went into their chambers.
We heard moaning coming from the prison cells. Shaun walked towards the cell.
"Do you think that is wise Shaun?" Colleen asked him. He stopped and looked at her. "No, you are right. I will just leave it."
Liam, Lizzy and Beverly were coming down with trays of food. I could smell the food. It did not smell right. I went to meet them.
"Hello Kylie. You know we are feeding the prisoners now?" Liam said.
"Yes I know but the food smells wrong."
"Smells wrong? There is nothing wrong with the food. I watched Mistress Katey prepare it myself." He said.
"I am sure you did but it still smells wrong." The rest of the family was standing around us.
"What is it Kylie?" Shaun asked.
"It is the food."
"Oh? What is wrong with it?"
"I am not sure." I lifted the cover off of the plate. I inhaled the full scent of mortal blood. I replaced the cover immediately and stopped breathing. Shaun glanced at me then Paddy. Paddy was right beside me.
"Kylie?" He whispered.
"It has mortal blood in it."
"What?!" They all exclaimed.
I nodded stepping away from the food. We returned the food to Katey's kitchen.
"This is a first. My food being returned." Katey sniffed as we walked in.
"Mistress Katey. Kylie says there is something wrong with the food. It has blood in it." Beverly said nervously.
"Blood?" Katey went to one of the trays and lifted the cover. She sniffed. "You are right there is blood in it." She stepped back. "Whose?
"It is a mortal Katey." I said from across the room.
"It must be if you are over there."
"Connor, Suzie, Mike. Front and center." She called out to them.
The McCurdy children stood in front of Katey. "Explain why my food is being returned with blood in it?"
The three of them had a sudden interest in their feet.
"Speak up. I can not hear you."
"It is like this Miss Katey. We heard you talking to Miss Beverly about her wanting some of your blood and then we heard that the prisoners were actually hurting from their punishment. We put it together and figured that our blood would make them ill too."
"Nice try Mike." Katey said softly. "But let us handle the prisoners' punishment."
"All right." Mike whispered.
"How much blood did you put in their food?" I asked.
"I do not know. Why?"
"Are you still bleeding?" Katey asked.
"I can still smell their blood." I whispered. Katey nodded.
"Let me see." I walked to them.
They had sliced deep into their fingers. I bound their wounds up as tight as I could without cutting their blood supply.
"Miss Kylie," I looked at Mike, "how are you able not to breathe?"
Before I could answer Jules walked in from the main kitchen.
"Remember Mike, I told you about all the different people that live here?"
"Yes Sir."
"Well Kylie is the type that does not need to breathe." The three of them stared at me with their mouths hanging open.
"That means Miss Kylie is a vampire." Connor whispered.
"Yes Connor I am." I took a small breath of air. I stepped away from them.
Connor looked down at the bloody rags.
"Does are blood make you ..." He swallowed before he spoke, "thirsty?"
"No Connor it makes me ill."
"But you are a vampire. I thought you drank the stuff?"
"I drink blood Connor. Animal blood."
"You do not desire our blood at all?"
"No." I stepped further away.
Paddy came and stood beside me. "Are you all right?"
"Yes."
"No more adding blood to the prisoners' food, all right?" Katey said to her young chargers.
"Yes Miss Katey."
"If your fingers do not stop bleeding before you go to bed. Come and see me." I told them.
"Yes Miss Kylie" They said together.
"All right. Let us put some fresh food on these plates." Katey said as we left.
I started to breathe once we left the kitchen.
Paddy held my hand.
Everyone came to our quarters. I had a pot of stew simmering on the stove.
I served everyone.
"I guess even the mortals do not like the prisoners." Shaun said. "I do not blame them."
"It was none of your doing that is for sure." Colleen told him.
"I know they bring it on themselves."
Samuel, Cassie, Annabelle and Cory came in.
"Oh Good I thought we were late for dinner." Cassie said.
"No we just arrived ourselves." I said while serving them their stew.
I noticed Annabelle picking at Cory's plate. I went back to the stove and made her a plate.
"Thank you Kylie."
"No problem, my dear."
