Page 34 of Light in Your Eyes
My shoulders sag in disappointment because there's no reply yet. He hasn't even read it.
My mind is telling me that something bad has indeed happened to him during his mission, but worrying will do nothing to help me. I just hope that he will respond as soon as possible so that my worry will be eased.
I glance at Kellan again, thinking that I shouldn't be depending on other people that much. My job here is to take care of Kellan, and I can't do that if I'm being a crybaby.
With that thought in mind, I head to the door, preparing to get food for myself and Kellan. We can just have our meals inside this room.
When my hand touches the door handle, I glance back one last time at Kellan and find him still sleeping soundly on the sofa. I step out of the room and close the door behind me softly.
I hope that the hallway will be deserted, but that would be too good to be true.
While I'm trying to find my way to the kitchen, I pass some people who automatically snap their heads toward me as soon as I walk by. Their gazes make the hair on the back of my neck stand. The atmosphere here hasn't changed at all. It's still as horrible as the night they were trying to drown me.
The air around me feels like it's made of sin. No kindness. No empathy. Just evil.
I can hear their whispers.
"Look. That's Kellan's slave."
"Do you think that he touched her? I don't think he ever touched a girl."
I can feel the girls' jealousy all over the air. While I'm trying to ignore all their acquisitions about me, one comment makes my pulse quicken.
"Look. It's the girl without the tattoo."
Fear builds up inside me again. I want to run for my life. I don't belong here. They're supposed to kill me. I don't know if Kellan claiming me as his slave would save me anymore.
It's not that difficult to find the kitchen. At this hour, that's where everyone practically comes and goes.
Many kinds of food are already prepared on the giant kitchen island, where everyone can just grab a plate. The sooner I can get out of the kitchen, the better. I take a tray and start to prepare the food for Kellan and myself.
A whistle catches me off guard. I snap my head toward the source of the voice, and to my horror, Luca is staring at me.
Luca crosses his arms over his chest. "Look who we have here. Kellan's slave, who is apparently a girl without the tattoo."
Everyone's attention is immediately on me, even more so than before.
I try to ignore him, focusing on pouring mushroom soup into a bowl. My hand is slightly shaking when I proceed to grab the toast. I pray in my heart that he will just go away, but unfortunately, he walks in my direction instead.
I'm about to grab the drinks when I collide with someone's chest. I almost drop the tray. When I look up, I find Luca staring down at me with a smug grin. He's accompanied by two guys, who stand on each of his sides.
"Well, then." He raises an eyebrow mockingly. "Did he treat you better than we did?"
Chills run through my skin as I remember what this man has done to me. They laugh.
"Come on," his friend says. "You need to tell us if he gets bored with you already so that we can start teaching you a lot of wonderful things without crossing him."
"Unless our king wants to share." The other guy smirks. "It's risky." He tsks. "But maybe it's worth a try."
"Careful, guys," someone interrupts, and when I turn my head, I see a tanned guy with curly hair shooting a warning look at the three of them. "As far as I remember, Kellan doesn't like to share. Do you not remember the way he challenged us to fight him over Layla? I would think a million times before going against him."
My chest is filled with relief. Finally, someone is trying to knock some sense into them.
Luca's face hardens as he considers it.
Before Luca can make a move toward me, the guy who just stood up for me grabs my arm, dragging me away. "Come, Layla. I'll help you get the drinks."
I glance back at Luca and his friends. He mutters something under his breath before the three of them leave the kitchen. I sigh in relief.
