Fear flung me out of bed. I wobbled on two feet, cursing the lack of bodily protection from my powder blue pyjamas. Shaking my head a little, I balled my hands, begging my system not to forsake me. “Why are you here so early?” I scowled. “Actually, why are you here at all?”
“It’s ten a.m., you lazy slob.” Evelyn’s teeth flashed in a smile. “And can’t we visit our favourite Cinderkeep sister?”
“I’m not your sister.”
“You’re right. You’re not.” Lydia shot forward, her peach dress flaring around her knees. “Where is it? Give it to us and we’ll leave.”
“Give you what?”
Evelyn sighed and tapped her foot. “Don’t play stupid. Give it to us.”
Anxiety scratched down my spine. “I can’t give you what I don’t—”
“Hisblood, you little seductress.” Lydia held out her hand. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him. Whatever you’re letting him do to you means you get special privileges. So...gimme.”
My heart thudded hard enough to bruise. “I don’t...I don’t have any more.”
“Oh, come on.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, her black hair glossy even in the dull day. “Don’t make this hard. Just give us his blood and we’ll leave.”
“Where are you keeping it?” Lydia asked, her gaze flashing around my pavilion. “Tell us right now.”
“I already told you,” I snapped, my temper helping chase away some of my anxiety. “He hasn’t given me any—”
“Liar.” Evelyn shot toward me. Her hand cracked across my face so hard, my head snapped sideways.
Tears stung my vision.
Did...did she really justslapme?
Cupping my stinging cheek, I blinked back the pain.
My first instinct was to fight back but...I wasn’t an idiot. “I’m not lying.”
“Find it, Lydia,” Evelyn commanded, stalking away from me to join her as Lydia shot toward the sideboard and wrenched open all the drawers. Ripping them off their railings, she tipped them upside down, sending papers, pens, and all the folded cranes I’d made—when I’d been bored on those first few days of captivity—flying.
“Can’t we just talk about this?” I asked, wincing as yet more stuff joined the mess on the floor. “You don’t have to get crazy.”
They ignored me.
Kicking aside the mess, they scanned the chaos for another vial like the one Lucien had given me. When they found nothing, they took their destruction into the kitchen.
The cutlery drawer was flung aside, the pantry ransacked, and fridge left open.
Bottles clattered, glasses shattered. At least they didn’t ruin any wine—seeing as I’d already drunk the meagre supplies that’d arrived a few days earlier.
The soft hiss of fabric shredded as Lydia attacked my wardrobe.
“Will you stop?” I crossed my arms, ordering my legs to stay stable even as a migraine slowly built behind my eyes. “You can clearly see I don’t have anything.”
“That’s going to be a problem if it’s true,” Evelyn muttered as she ripped out a cushion’s stuffing and shook the case. “You better hope we find something.”
“Last chance, little whore.” Lydia smirked like a deranged villain. “Where are you hiding it?”
“I told you; I’m not hiding anything. I honestly don’t have any more.” Forcing my tongue to work, I rushed, “I’m not one of you, remember? I’m not here to do whatever it is that you are. I’m not lying or trying to win over you. All I want to do is rest and stay out of trouble until I can somehow find a way home.”
“We can send you home.” Lydia grinned. “Today if you don’t behave.”
I gulped.
