Page 43 of Mortal Blood
“Fine. Get him out of here. Make sure you’re back before the end of my lesson.”
“Yes, Instructor,” I forced out. Wouldn’t want him to miss his daily dose of tormenting me, after all.
I hurried out with Sam before he could change his mind, and we’d made it as far as the end of the corridor when a shadow fell across our paths. Great. Just what we needed.
“Thessalia. What do you want?”
“You and I need to have a little talk.”
“Little busy,” I said, jerking my thumb at Sam. “Thanks to that stunt you and your brother pulled.”
“Oh, we’ll do far worse than that if you try to deny me.”
I opened my mouth to do exactly that, but Sam gave a quick shake of his head and averted his eyes. “I’m fine.”
“See?” Thessalia sneered. “Your little pet is unharmed.”
“He’s not a—” I shook my head and blew out a breath. I wasn’t sure if she was deliberately trying to get under my skin, or if that was truly how she viewed him—the latter, knowing her—but either way I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was getting to me. “Just say what you’ve got to say.”
I moved my arm from Sam and he nodded gratefully, leaningback to rest against the wall.
“You owe my brother. I refuse to allow you to humiliate him like this for your own satisfaction.”
“My own satisfaction?” I gaped at her. “Do you really think I’m getting some kind of sick pleasure from his dependency?”
“I know you do.” Her dark eyes slashed across my face in a way that I suspected she’d have liked to do with an actual weapon. “Why else would you force him to come begging for your blood?”
“Begging? Do you even hear yourself? He never begged, not a single time. He never even asked until Cole warned him off. He just took, without permission.”
“And you view this as some kind of penance? That is why you torment him and deny him?”
“For the last time, I had my own shit to take care of yesterday. And if you have a problem with my family coming before your brother’s addiction, then I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to get used to it. Yes, I said I’d meet Thaden last night. And yes, something else came up. Deal with it.”
I made to turn away and she caught my arm.
“Deal?” she said, arching her brow. “That is an interesting choice of word for one who doesn’t seem so keen on upholding her own deals.”
“I’m not the one not upholding my end of that deal, Thessalia. I snuck out of Iron Shadow’s packlands all summer to let Thaden feed, and hell, I’ve even let him feed every week since I got back, despite him turning out to be a racist bigot who can’t stand the sight of me ever since he found out I was a dhampir.”
“You think—” She cut off sharply, clamping her lips shut.
Something about her expression gave me pause.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She waved a hand. “Continue your pointless diatribe.”
“No. You were about to say something. What was it?”
She looked briefly uncomfortable. “It is not for me to say.”
“But you’re going to tell me anyway,” I pressed. “Because I’m guessing Thaden doesn’t know about this little chat.”
“How dare you try to make demands of me?” she hissed.
“I’m not one of your simpering sycophants,” I said coolly. “You should be used to that by now. I don’t care who you are on the outside, I care that you’re in my way.”
“Maybe you should have a little more care,” she said. “Because like it or not, Iamprincess of the Moritego clan and you are little more than a gnat to me.”
