The Blood Mirror Never Lies novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Hunger

The Elder's dinner was held in the great hall on the fourth night, and I was ordered to attend.

"A prisoner of the Lord must be seen," the Elder said, when Cassian protested. "Or people will say you are hiding her."

So I sat at the foot of the long table in a black gown that Tobias had found.

Forty vampires sat above me in candlelight, and each of them had a cup of warm red at their elbow.

Mine held water.

"The Unwritten are struck from the Court's rations," said Odette, quite sweetly, from three seats up. "It's only a formality. I'm sure she won't mind."

Cassian's knuckles went white around his stem.

I lifted my water and drank it down.

I had not fed in four days. I hadn't told anyone, because I hadn't understood what the shaking in my hands meant.

I understood when the room began to tilt.

I got through the roast. I got through the toast to the Lady-to-be.

I got as far as the first landing of the east stair.

Then my knees went, and the stone came up very gently to meet me.

An arm caught me before it did.

"Don't," I said. "My terms."

"I'm aware," said Cassian. He lifted me anyway.

Tobias must have heard us. He held the tower door open and said nothing.

Cassian set me on the bed, and the room swayed.

"You've been starving," he said. His voice was strange. "I should have known. I have your memories of the cellars, I know what the Unwritten are given, and I still..."

"Stop. Don't."

He pushed his sleeve to the elbow.

He drew a small knife from his belt and opened a clean line across the inside of his wrist.

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