Page 99 of Crimson Oath
She slowed when she heard harsh voices in the distance.
“…this kind of waste.” The voice was full of derision. “Do you think the clan has endless coffers?”
“So we need to stop giving the children snacks?”
Tatyana froze when she heard Rumi’s voice.
“Are the small humans starving? No. They get enough food. They don’t need cakes and treats all day. They should be working with their parents anyway, not playing in the forest like wild animals.”
She crept forward, keeping to the shadows as she slipped around the corner silently.
In the distance, hidden between two old-fashioned vardos, Rumi and Katrina were standing across from Vano and a Hazar Tatyana didn’t recognize.
“So is this how it is now?” Rumi asked. “You’ve seeded informers within the caravan to report back to you about every piece of coin?”
“Do you have any idea how much this operation costs?”
“I know how much some of the vampires are paying to be here.” Rumi didn’t back down. “And I know how hard my brothers are working in Minsk and Budapest building houses and stacking bricks so their families are provided for.”
“It is not your role to question your terrin about how our labor is divided.” Vano’s voice rose. “Who do you think you are?”
Rumi lifted her chin. “It’s not the role of the kitchen or even the terrin to tell Poshani parents how to raise their children. If they’re hungry, we feed them.” She slapped one hand in the other. “That is ouronlyrole.”
“You waste our hard-earned money.” Vano spat out his words. “Ungrateful?—”
“Who is earning the money?” Katrina cut into his tirade. “Because I don’t see you packing up trailer lines or hauling wagons, Vano.” She sneered at him and said something low in Poshani that Tatyana didn’t catch. “Don’t you lecture us about work when you?—”
Vano lifted his hand to strike the woman, and Rumi lifted her hands and shouted, “No!”
Tatyana nearly lunged forward, the air around her vibrating with evening mist, but Vano froze, and the Hazar with him leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
Vano’s open hand turned into a pointing finger that he placed under Katrina’s chin. Tilting her head up, he hissed, “Know your place, whore.”
“Vano, this is unacceptable.” Rumi straightened her shoulders and stepped between Vano and Katrina. “Not even a terrin may address the cooks of the kamvasa in this way. I will be speaking to Radu about this.”
“You do that.” Vano stepped back and straightened his shirt. “And stop feeding the children cakes.”
Tatyana felt frozen. The idea of any of the vampires committingviolence on the humans of the kamvasa felt like a slap across her own cheek.
Was this the dark side of the Poshani clan? She knew it had to be too good to be true. There was no community of humans or immortals where mutual respect was truly honored. That was a pipe dream, an ideal that she’d built up in her own mind because she liked it here and it felt safe.
She should have learned by now.
You’re not a starry-eyed child, Tanya. Grow up.
She turned and started walking back to her trailer. It was only two in the morning, but maybe her mother would be awake. Maybe Anna wouldn’t mind her call even in the middle of the night.
Her mind kept turning back to Rumi and Katrina standing in the darkness, chins lifted in defiance of the powerful vampire who was lecturing them.
Not even a terrin may address the cooks of the kamvasa in this way.
Tatyana stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder toward the kitchen wagons. She should have known by Rumi’s shock and Katrina’s anger.
I will be speaking to Radu about this.
This wasnotnormal behavior. Rumi was going to report Vano because it was abnormal.
She started walking back to her trailer again, but for the first time in months, she felt like there were eyes on her back.
