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‘Of course I have no use for the brat’

I experience a flash of anger Bitch Can’t let er make me careless I flex my tense shoulders My voice is calm ‘Hoe do this?’

She reaches forward suddenly, swift as a snake, fixes her eyes on htly strokes my knuckles It is like a lover’s sweet touch I freeze: the revulsion is incredible I fight down centuries worth of instinct The kind that saved prehistoric er’s lunch I stare into her eyes She smiles sensuously Seems almost drunk with the power she has over race to be public I want you to give up every claiton wealth And then I want you to con s ‘Satisfaction’

‘Done’

She frowns ‘Did you understand what I said? You will retain neither the naton family’

‘Perfectly’

Twisted anger flashes in her eyes Did she actually iton name?

‘You’d do that for her and that…little, common spawn of hers?’ she lashes out with frustration

‘That little, common spawn is my son’

She leans back and with pretended casualness looks at her nails ‘Horong I was about you I thought even though you weren’t a real Barrington you were better than an ordinary commoner’ She fixes me with her eyes ‘But you’re not You are just like the in love with the lowest scrounger of them all You only know to put your own selfish lust ahead of truly is’

I stand and look down on her, an empty shell animated by hatred and intense jealously ‘I’ll coht I’d like black cod with ahot and prepared by a Michelin starred restaurant’

I look at her evenly ‘Would you like ith it?’

She sourmet dinner delivered to e it’

‘Goodbye, Blake’

I ring the bell to call the nurse and turn to look at her ‘If you renege on your word, I swear I will tear you apart lihs, an insolent, taunting laugh

The nurse comes and I leave her poisonous presence with relief

Twenty-One

Victoria Jane Montgoht through me His cheeks had colored He had blushed For the first titon flush with shame

I hold the power now

I lean back I know the drill—wait here until a nurse comes to fetch me back to my room The door opens, and someone comes in, but it is not a nurse A small, deathly pale man dressed entirely in black enters His shoes are polished to a high shine I stare at him with surprise

For a moment my body freezes in fear I sn that spike of fear, that unreasonable dread that he seems more a corpse that some mad doctor decided to ani, breathing hu Revulsion and horror crawl in my blood It is impossible to properly describe his bizarre appearance His nose is sharp and narrow and his , but it is his eyes that are the most sinister They are red-rimmed and the irises black, shiny, empty

As soon as those eyes connect with h me I have seen eyes like that before… I have never seen hinize him

Unsteadily I stand and curtsy on one knee It is not necessary, but I do it to ingratiate myself I need allies And allies like him are powerful, they are El sent