“Oh, then you’ve been a donor before?”
“Still am. I’m Ren.” She offers her hand.
I shake it and give her my first genuine smile of the day. “So you’re a donor and you deliver food?”
She nods. “Yes, all of us who deliver trays are also donors. We do this on our days off. It’s a way to earn money when we can’t give blood.” Her eyes shift to the door. “If they ever offer you a position, you should take it. It helps toward your debt and allows you to meet the other girls. You know, get outside your room.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Three years. I’m one good tip away from buying my freedom though.”
“Three years!” The schedules of income and expenses are unbalanced, but certainly a beautiful woman like Ren would make enough tips to make it out quicker than that. Unless I’m missing something.
She holds up a hand. “When I came here, I had a health condition that Marabella cured. My debt started out higher than yours.”
“You’re better now?” It would be rude to ask what was wrong with her, but I’m painfully curious.
She nods. “Three years sober.”
Oh. I look her over again. She’s the picture of health with dewy skin, clear eyes, and straight white teeth. “The past three years seem to have agreed with you.”
She nods. “It was the right choice for me.”
I take another bite of food. “Thanks for staying with me while I eat. I think I’m going to go crazy in here for three days with nothing to do and no one to talk to. I tried to call my friend last night and couldn’t get any reception.”
“We’re too far underground.” She reaches into her kimono and pulls out a paperback novel. “Something to help pass the time.”
I look down at the shirtless man with a sword on the cover. “Thanks for this.” I have books on my phone I can read without a connection, but there’s nothing like the feel of a paperback.
“Anytime. Oh, and it might not be three full days. They’ll check you tomorrow, and if the shake works, you’ll get another client the next day. Some girls take up to three a day, but Marcel told Marabella he took too much from you for you to see anyone else today. Wild that he admitted that.”
“Yeah. Wild.” I finish off my shake. “Um, is he really commander of the guard?”
“Sure is. Most of the girls in here would give their left tit to donate to that guy. Attractive, wealthy, and powerful. You got hella lucky to have him be your first.”
I eat the last bite on my plate.
Ren picks up the tray, looking disappointed. “I guess I should get back to work. Don’t take this the wrong way, Eloise, but once they start letting you out more, be careful. Let’s just say you are the nicest person working here right now.”
I laugh. “You’ve known me for like five minutes.”
“You can learn a lot about someone in five minutes.” She’s halfway out the door when I realize I’m allowing a wealth of information to slip through my fingers. “Oh, Ren, can I ask you since you’ve been here for a while, do you know if the queen ever makes public appearances?”
She squints over her shoulder at me. “Why do you want to know?.”
I shrug. “I’ve never seen a queen before, human or otherwise. Call it a dream.”
Ren’s brows lift. “When you put it in human terms like that, I guess it makes sense, but Valeska isn’t that kind of queen. I’ve heard she comes out when they have military parades in her honor, and sometimes she visits the masters of the different covens to solidify support, but I’ve never seen her in person myself. Honestly, if you have your heart set on it, you might be disappointed. She rarely bothers with anyone but the elite. Well, unless you’re chosen as one of her personal blood donors, and I don’t envy anyone in that position.”
“Why not?”
She sniffs. “Because in the three years I’ve been here, I’ve known a lot of girls who were sent to the palace. None of them ever came out again.”
A woman named Holly visits the following morning, dressed in a lab coat. She draws my blood. I must pass whatever test they run, because Ren tells me at dinner I’ll have a client the following day. On schedule, a key slides into my lock and another vampire enters my room.
This one isn’t in uniform like the commander. He’s dressed in a bespoke suit tailored in a fabric that drapes elegantly over his tall, distinguished form. A diamond-encrusted watch glints from his wrist, and a gold ring sparkles on his finger. He’s brunette like Marcel, but his eyes are lighter, almost golden.
I check the position of my daggers under the guise of straightening my robe and make sure my belt is tied tight. I might have to wear the robe, but I’m wearing it in the most conservative way possible. “Hello. I’m Eloise.”
