Page 8 of Taste of Fate

When Cyan stopped at one door to unlock it, I touched the plant at the nearest side table. It felt real and looked like some kind of fern.

The portrait on the wall below the light was of Cyan and another vampire I didn’t recognize. He hadn’t been part of the small group that collected me. Their arms were around each other, mouths open and grinning with laughter. The other vampire had longer hair brushing the tops of his shoulders, and his eyes were a darker shade of red, almost brown.

“Here we are,” Cyan said brusquely. He stood aside and gestured the way through the open door.

I didn’t exactly want to be in a confined room with him, but what other choice did I have? I stepped through.

To my surprise, the room was far more spacious than I imagined. It was more like a small apartment, or a hotel suite. There was a small living room with two couches and an armchair, a TV, and a bar overlooking the room. Not much of a kitchen besides the bar and sink, but I supposed vampires didn’t do much cooking.

“There’s a second bedroom through there.” Cyan pointed to a door off the living room. “It’s a bit small, but it’s all yours. The bathroom is shared.”

“Um, thanks,” I croaked, realizing it had been hours since I said a single word.

Standing in the entryway, I turned to look at him, my confusion only growing. First he didn’t want to kill or even bite me in front of everyone back in Sapien, now he was showing me a bedroom like we were going to be roommates? What had I actually signed up for here?

His shoulders sagged a little at my expression, the youthful boyishness of him suddenly looking much older and weary. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the couch. “Would you like anything to drink? Water?”

I wet my cracked lips, only then realizing how thirsty I was. “Sure, thanks.”

If he was planning on drinking my blood at some point, he wouldn’t give me anything poisonous, right?

Cyan took his leather jacket off, dropping it over the back of a barstool before he opened a small, countertop refrigerator on the bar and pulled out a sealed, plastic water bottle. He handed it to me, then seated himself at the opposite end of the couch with a strained smile. I started entertaining the radical thought that maybe he didn’t want to hurt me.

“If I may take a wild guess,” he began. “You weren’t exactly jumping for joy to become the Half-Century blood pet.”

As he spoke, I unscrewed the cap on the water and gulped down half the bottle. “What gave it away?” I wiped my mouth.

He let out a soft chuckle, propping an arm on the back of the couch. His T-shirt sleeve rode up with the movement, exposing a flexed bicep. “I’m not sure how you were selected, and you don’t have to tell me. But we drew straws and I got the short one. That’s the only reason you ended up with me. Nothing against you personally, but I didn’t want a blood pet. Still don’t.”

I blinked at him, my confusion mounting. “You don’t want my blood?” The question I didn’t dare ask screamed loudly in my brain. Does this mean I can go home?

“It’s not that. I’m sure your blood is perfectly fine.” Cyan’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know about being a blood pet?”

I shook my head. “Nothing really, aside that I belong to you and you drink from me.”

He let out a long breath, running a hand over the short fuzz of his hair. “Right, okay. Well, here’s the thing.” He sat up taller. “A blood pet has to be claimed by a vampire. This means no one else can feed from you, and likewise, it’s frowned upon for a verakt to feed from anyone besides their blood pet. There is,” he gestured between us, “supposed to be a commitment here, on both ends.”

My mind reeled as I sucked down the rest of my water. “So it’s like…a relationship?”

“A type of one, yes. Blood pets and verakt often end up with romantic or sexual feelings, but that isn’t always the case. There are plenty of platonic situations as well.”

I took in his posture on the couch, the way he settled into the cushions. He was like a tiger at rest, beautiful and alluring but deadly even when relaxed.

“If I were to drink from you, that would be seen as making the relationship official,” he went on. “Sort of like a consummation. Not exactly, but similar idea.”

“And this kind of relationship,” I hedged. “Is not one that you want.”

“You get it,” he said with a fanged smirk and approving nod. “I like variety in my blood meals, and have never felt the need to claim a pet. So, yeah.” He scratched at his temple, his smile charming. “We both got kind of screwed on this, didn’t we?”

“Then what does this mean?” I tried to smother the hope brimming in my voice. “If neither of us want this, then what’s the point? Why do this at all?”

Cyan’s smile dropped, his eyes sharpening. “Because this agreement is the only thing keeping up your people’s so-called independence. If it weren’t for this, nothing would stop the vampire clans from moving in, gorging themselves on blood, and dismantling everything you’ve built for generations.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t make a difference to me, but I’m guessing that’s not what you want.”

I shrank back against the couch. “Right, sorry. Forget I said anything.” My head was so scrambled, I’d forgotten what Nancy had been beating into our heads the moment before she announced Amy’s name up on that stage.

Cyan’s expression softened. “You’re already here and I’m not completely heartless. I’m also never one to go back on a deal.”

Neither was I. I didn’t want to imagine the kind of stress Amy would be under if she were here instead of me.

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