Page 42 (2/2)

I was no longer the favorite, of course That title alent to the newest one of us, the one whose blood was fresher, whose enthusiasht up in their infatuation that they fell into bed with the

There were irls The ones aking up fro the repercussions of our rash actions

No aner clothes could fill the void of a life lost Because that was exactly e'd given up To sustain them

And we'd done so willingly

That was the kicker, right? We only had ourselves to blame They couldn't coerce us We were asked, and we acquiesced

But that here our free will ended

That e became ere

Enthralled

Or, in the more common vernacular, thralls

We were thralls

Because ere under an ancient sort of ic that made it impossible for us to leave

We'd all tested the boundaries of the enthrallrounds without them

I couldn't describe the intensity of the pain that gripped us in thoseso loudly that when they finally pullede

The otherover him with my mouth open to drip the blood down his throat

We don't waste good blood, he'd said, not even when it coirls

I never tried to leave again I knew the very distinct borders of my prison I h, in a sick way, I was glad for the experience It stripped away any illusions I ht have had left about my situation

"It won't do any good toon the stool of her vanity to face me

Irina was tall and curvy in all the right places with rich, dark skin, a olden-brown eyes

Looks-wise, ere a stark contrast, ith my black hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and y thin body

I'd been curvier once, back before I becah blood to cause h to keep flesh on my bones My appetite wasn't what it should be

Irina had been the "new thrall" right before ether There were plenty of bedrooms in the estate We didn't have to share But the connection to other humans became vital as the months and years stretched on

"I know," I agreed,away from theseat now that the sun had finally set I could practically hear ourready to call for some of us to break their fast

"Have you been taking your iron?" she asked, slipping a pair of rainbow-colored hoops I'd given her for her last birthday onto her ears "I worry about you I can practically see through you these days"