don’t you treat her better? The same spark from the Selection Hall ignites my tongue and the control over my body swiftly depletes.
“Sorry to say, I’ll be keeping an eye on her so you can’t go takin’ her too,” he says to Zein, laughing heartily and cutting another bite out of his plate of meat. On the other side of Zein, Madam Ceti stands prim and proper with peripherals glancing me.
“More,” Giomar says as he takes a long swig of emerald liquid out of a wine glass. His attendant moves forward, dragging the frail supply unit up to the side of the table. He releases the siphon over the food and her blood coats the plate. A string snaps and I take half a step forward but Narref yanks back on my arm. Giomar smiles at me before addressing Zein.
“Would you like any? Yours is looking a little dry since you sent that other girl off.”
“No,” bluntly, Zein replies.
Giomar chuckles, cutting another slice of meat while shaking his head.
“So, I hear you and my old supply units were good friends back at Nightingale,” he says to me, using his fork to take a bite of the bloody steak. What could he possibly be after?
“Yes.” I say, leaving out the fact that Katarii really wasn’t.
“Are they happy here? With Lord Zein?”
I hesitate, fearing where this all might be going. Zein doesn’t interject, so I respond. “Yes. He treats them very well.”
“Ah, but would you say he makes good use of them? Of their valuable, youthful blood?”
My muscles constrict and I look to Zein, who remains silent. I shake my head to answer.
“No,” I whisper.
“I could have guessed. This ol’ chap has never been the type to effectively utilize his resources. Just think. All of that blood laid to waste, and not even curbing fallen hunger.”
Suddenly, I know why he’s here, and everything blurs.
He leans back in his chair. “All right then. I’ve decided. I want ‘em back.”
All boundaries lift in an instant and everything becomes free game.
“No,” I reply and every head in the room turns to me.
Narref pulls on me, rougher this time. “Be quiet, 297-”
“You can’t let him take them.” I turn to Zein whose expression is filled to the brim with animosity.
What am I doing?
“He will kill them!”
“Stay in your place,” he growls, and with as much restraint I can muster, I step back.
Giomar laughs maniacally. “Oh Anton, this… this is too great. You’re as soft as I knew you’d be, unable to control what supply you do have.”
Embarrassment draws heat to my face. I just screwed up. Royally.
“Why the elders decided to trust you with so much responsibility, I’ll never know.” The amethyst ruler takes another swig of the clearly-alcoholic beverage in his glass.
Zein sneers. “Right. You will never know because they cannot even trust you with a simple explanation.”
Giomar’s persistent smile drops into a crisp line.
“Are you done now?” Zein asks. “Any further and I will submit this encounter to the elders as an act of treason.”
The smirk returns and Giomar shifts his gaze to me. The way he does sends fear-filled goosebumps along my body.
“Oh, so trying to reclaim what’s mine is treasonous now, is it?”
“Under the given circumstances, yes.”
I swallow heavily. Does that mean Zein’s not handing over Savvy and Katarii? Silence lingers on until—
“Right, well…” Giomar stands and drops his hand towel into the plate of unconsumed blood and food. “It’s late. And I have news to report to the council.”
“Is that so?” Zein stands as well, not looking the least bit shaken.
“Aye,” Giomar replies as his assistant helps him into an amethyst overcoat. “That their thieving poster child can’t even manage his humans, let alone our ties with Abethos.”
He snaps his fingers and marches out of the room, his attendant and supply unit falling in line behind him. Gemini appears out of an adjacent hall and hesitates.
“I-I will see you out, lord Giomar.”
“Good,” the high-strung lord utters, letting Gemini lead the way. He turns one last time to Zein and sneers. “Those rioters outside the capital may not be so crazy after all, eh, mate?”
After the footsteps dissipate and the dining hall quiets, Zein drops back into his crafted chair. “Get out. All of you.”
I swallow a lump in my throat, rebelling even as Narref coaxes me to the door. “Lord Zein, I—”
“Get out,” he repeats, louder and less patient now.
Narref basically lifts me off the floor to filter me back through the doors, of which houses an eavesdropping Madam Ceti. She’s