Blood Trial Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #1) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,89

want to hear me starting a rebellion. “And for a race who supposedly reveres children, how does it make sense to make them slaves? That’s whack. Plus, I thought this clan operated legally.”

“This clan does,” she said quietly. “The Indebted don’t.”

Huh, so that’s how they got around the pesky law. Using Indebted to do the dirty work was the same as Kyros personally breaking the law in my book.

Laurel didn’t respond to my first observation. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. But her silence was enough agreement for me.

I pursed my lips. “How old are you? If that’s not offensive to ask.”

I watched as the vampire’s face shut down—the cloak had descended again. She turned the key in the ignition. This car had a key and an ignition. Old school.

“Two hundred and eighty. Indebted for half of that,” she answered as the engine thrummed.

“That’s disgusting,” I announced, making her jolt again. One hundred and forty years in servitude.

“My father went berserk and killed ten children and their parents. It was a heinous crime. This is how Vissimo punish such crimes.”

“The punishment should be confined to the person, not their children,” I said, my heart clenching at the thought of her continued servitude. That was messed up logic right there.

“The crime wasn’t confined to adults. Why should the punishment be?” she replied in a wooden tone. “And it is just the eldest child who inherits the debt.”

Just the eldest child. How nice of them.

I could tell Laurel didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. She’d learned to say such things to appease others.

“I have twenty million dollars left to pay off,” she said, pulling out of the park. “Another century and I should be free.”

I reached out and placed my hand over hers on the wheel. I didn’t speak, squeezing her hand.

The cloak dropped and—whoa—a red tear, blood, slipped down her cheek. She dashed it away so fast my brain tried to convince me I hadn’t seen it.

Clearing my throat, I leaned back in the seat. “Minimum wage much?”

She inhaled. “Depends on the job. The more dangerous, the quicker you pay off the debt. Being Indebted has a high mortality rate. I choose to live—which comes with longer servitude and lower pay.”

“I hope you’re getting paid a flat mil for this driving lesson then. It’s unlikely you’ll make it to the end of the day.”

Laurel snorted. “Nonsense. A car crash couldn’t kill me.”

“Oh good,” I said politely.

How did they die? Seemed bad manners to ask—so I’d save the question for Kyros.

We reached the exit of the garage, and she indicated right.

A man stepped in front of the car.

Laurel cursed and slammed her foot down. We weren’t travelling fast, but the car screeched to a halt.

The car settled on its back wheels with a jolt and I exhaled, lowering my hand from the dashboard.

“What an idiot!” I shouted at the man.

“Basi,” Laurel said in undertones.

Squinting, I looked again.

Oops.

It was Jet Black. One of Kyros’s brothers. Gerome or Lionel, I couldn’t remember which.

He beckoned to Laurel, who killed the engine and exited the vehicle without a word.

Crap, did I get her in trouble by airing all my opinions on Indebted? My eyes widened as she passed Kyros’s brother the key. With a cursory glance at me, Laurel strode past the car and into the depths of the garage.

Jet Black clambered in.

“Kyros and his fucking sports cars,” he grumbled. “Who wants to be crammed into a tiny piece of metal? Big engines, big cabs. That’s what I’m about.”

I didn’t doubt that. My interactions with Jet Black were thus far confined to him pushing Kyros’s buttons, him fighting Kyros, and him throwing me under the bus on Level 66.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

He shifted around in the car seat to look at me.

Kyros was bigger than him, and yet his brother appeared squished into this car where Kyros didn’t seem to have any issue getting into his. Jet Black’s eyes were bright blue like his father’s. He was muscular and tall like all the male Vissimo, but on a whole other scale to those I’d seen. Did the royal blood give him an extra boost? All Kyros’s siblings were more somehow—whether more muscular, ferocious, or beautiful.

I’d been half asleep, and then half out of my mind after the Level 66 thing, but I recalled his eight siblings were scary as shit. This one, however, had a boyish quality to his features that made me want to relax. I didn’t