Bloodmark

06: Spoils

[i do not like this chapter, so feedback, critique, and comments are needed; please point out any typos]

A guard stares down at me, eyebrow quirked. "What are you doing out here, Sierv?"

            My heartbeat stalls as fear floods my veins. Have I broken some sort of rule? I open my mouth to tell him I merely seek fresh air, but a strangled garbling escapes instead.

            He grins, and the sight of his fangs shocks my heart into function again. His incisors come to a sharp point; no doubt able to pierce flesh with little effort. Cold wraps about me, nearly suffocating me.

            The castle employs vampyrs as guards as well . . . Perhaps they are the night shift.

"Weren't thinking of running, were you?" taunts the guard. Even though I shake my head, he grips my elbow and guides me back to the servant's entrance. He lectures me on running from the castle, until we arrive at the kitchens.

            He shoves me inside, commanding that I stick to what's good for me. And standing in the kitchen is the elderly Sierv, Belef.

            Shame heats my face. My hair acts as a curtain between us so that she cannot look directly at me. While I had not run away in truth, to the kind woman, it appears I had attempted yet failed. What does she think of me?

            The guard leaves me alone with Belef. My heart clogs my throat as I wait for her admonishment.

            But she simply gestures for me to follow and says, "You must be exhausted. The first shift is always disorienting and never ending. Let's head back to the dining hall for a moment. Have you had enough to eat? Good. Should you need a snack of sorts, let me know. Just until you grow accustomed to the new meal schedule."

            Going without food is not foreign to me. Hunger-plagued slumber happened more than full-tummied sleep back in Lred. And even though I did not finish my soup and bread, it is still more than I've had in years at a single meal. I will not complain about food—compared to Lred, the castle spoils me.

            In the dining hall once more, the conversations quiet when Belef lifts her hand. I stand behind her, gaze fixed on the ground. Is this a public shaming? I can feel their eyes on me, can hear their whispers. I curl into myself.

            "The other Bloodmarks culled at the spring culling, please join me. I'm sure you are all exhausted from the long day. Let's get you to bed."

            Two Siervs, a boy and a girl, stand. The four of us exit the dining hall, moving in silence through the lit corridors.

            My heart calms. I'm not in trouble. Belef doesn't even ask why a guard had escorted me to the kitchens. A part of me wants to clear up any misunderstandings. Another part, though, remains silent, hoping the incident will fade from our memories.