From Slave To Queen (Athena and Michael) novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I suppress the urge to roll my eyes and walk to the seat he indicates with his hand. It’s at the opposite end of the table from where they sit, a relief for me. The girl on his lap glares at me with her eyes narrowed into slits, and the absence of her flirtatious smile already warns me we probably won’t be friends.

A servant pulls out my chair, and another uncovers the dish in front of me. My stomach instantly

I watch my host, waiting for him to do something–starting to eat without him feels rude. Though what manners are. He’s already made it clear by how he’s treated me. He’s a savage–not even a man.

, welcoming the rich aroma.

not human, surely he doesn’t even know

I grab my utensils and cut the first piece of meat, put it in my mouth, and delight in the explosion of flavors on my tongue.

“I think it would be wise to discuss a few things.” His ring–laden hand, adorned with gems of different kinds, caresses the base of the other girl’s throat. “I like to be the first to set certain rules. I find it more effective.”

“Is that a warning?” I reply.

“I don’t warn. I threaten, dear.”

“Expecting anything different from your kind would be declaring myself too stupid.”

“Mavka thinks you won’t make it to the next full moon,” he comments as if it’s nothing. “I’m willing to bet you within these walls.”

He fixes his two sapphire eyes on me and raises his eyebrows in feigned surprise while letting out a low whistle. The other girl, leans in and whispers something in his ear. Cassian lifts the corner of his mouth arrogantly.

nameless

to

me,

won’t last more than

a

fortnight

“Nothing would please me more than to stop breathing the same air as you.” I give him a forced smile.

“Perhaps I should end your suffering.”

“Please, do,” I challenge him.

He starts to tut.

“Little wild thing, there’s something better than your blood.” The girl on his lap shifts a bit when he leans forward–it almost looks like he’s going to leap over the table. “Your screams. And I intend to revel in them as I tear you apart piece by piece. Your blood will be the last thing on my mind.”

“Then what’s the point of buying me?”

“Do you need a reason when you have too much wealth?”

His way of speaking with such superiority, the way his eyebrows lift with arrogance–everything, absolutely everything, drives me mad. I focus back on my plate, cut another piece, and chew as if my life depended on it, not even bothering to look at him.

“What are you good at?” he asks, catching me off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you play, sing, paint, write….? Is there something you’re good at?”

“I thought my job was to feed you, not entertain you.”

“With me, there’s always more to do.” His fingers stroke Mavka’s skin gently. “So?”

“No, there’s nothing I’m good at.”

Even he seems a little disappointed. Oh, Cassian, believe me, I feel more disappointed than you. Abigail sings like an angel, and Silas has a natural talent for carving. But I don’t know how to do anything. I guess I never let myself enjoy hobbies or show interest in something. After all, I wasn’t meant to live long enough to continue doing it. Or at least, that’s what I thought.

“Moving on to the things I wanted to warn you about…” his expression is confusing, “or threaten you with, as I said. First and I think most obvious: any attempt to escape on your part will be punished with death. I don’t care what those absurd rules my ancestors wrote say. I’ll end your life in an instant.” In my thoughts, I’m rolling my eyes. Please, I won’t even need to try escaping. I’ll die soon anyway. “Second, under no circumstance should you let another vampire feed on you. No one, except me, is allowed to sink their fangs into you.”

It sounds possessive and dirty.

“Why?”

“The blood can get contaminated,” he replies nonchalantly.

1/3

Chapter 10

“Anything else?”

“Yes.” His eyes roam over my figure. “You may go anywhere within the castle and its surroundings as as you’re accompanied by your guards, but you are forbidden from snooping around my wing. I can’t stand your human stench in the place where I rest.”

One more insult to add to the list Cassian Draven has already thrown at me in these few hours. I stink to him. Too bad I don’t care. I lower my gaze to the silver cutlery. So much for the theories that silver affects vampires. This knife won’t be useful for anything other than spreading butter; it’s not even sharp enough to try and cut my veins and end this agony. Cassian’s presence puts my nerves on edge. like this.

“Is that all?”

We don’t think I’ll survive even a week

“One last thing.” One of his fangs greets me as his face adopts that mocking expression again. “You’ll have dinner with

“Why?” I protest, louder than I would have liked.

“You’ve been a great investment. Best to make the most of what will no doubt be a short time together.”

me

night.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. I don’t get it. He hates me and yet he wants me to accompany him every night. No doubt his hatred

his desire to see me suffer in silence. He knows–he knows I can’t stand him.

“Mavka, feed me.”

My curiosity is my greatest flaw.

الآلام

isn’t as strong as

I try not to show that I’m looking through my lashes at how the beautiful Mavka rises from his lap with a wide, beaming smile. I don’t understand what she’s so happy about. Cassian slips on a ring with a sharp point and brings it close to the girl’s wrist. The cut opens in less than a blink.

She stifles a whimper that might as well have been a sound of pleasure and raises her dripping wrist over Cassian’s mouth. The drops fall in an unrelenting rhythm. Some land on his lips and trickle down his chin, slowly staining his Adam’s apple, which moves up and down with each drop of blood sliding down his throat.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify