Famine's Feast by Debra Dunbar

Author:Debra Dunbar [Dunbar, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Published: 2016-12-15T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

We hadn’t been in the main room more than a few minutes before the other Balaj arrived. One of Leonora’s door vamps announced each of them in turn. Eight vampires, all in formal tuxes, even the women. Simon entered last, wearing a suit that didn’t look like it came off a rack. The room suddenly seemed too small, the nine Philly vampires dominating ten times as many of Leonora’s.

Leonora approached with her own guards. They stood for a while in a tense face-off. “Welcome to Baltimore, Simon,” the Mistress finally said.

“Lovely city, Leonora,” Simon drawled in reply. “I hope this visit won’t be my last.”

It was a subtle reminder of his intentions. Leonora smiled, flashing bright white fangs. “Perhaps next time I’ll journey north to see your city.”

She had no intention of expanding her territory, that I knew. Maybe in time, once her Balaj had grown beyond the ability of the territory to sustain their needs, but not now. It would spread her too thin—dangerously thin.

“Perhaps.” Simon seemed like he didn’t care if she went there or not.

Pleasantries and threats exchanged, Leonora spread her arms, leather bodice creaking and straining against her ample cleavage with the motion. “We have humans to satisfy every need. Please, pick amongst them and indulge. This is a feast, and I expect everyone to feed as often as they wish.”

“I assume those not part of this buffet are marked accordingly?” For some reason Simon’s words sent a chill down my spine. I wasn’t marked, but I’d put a sword through any vampire who didn’t take “no” for an answer, as well as any of them that tried to snag Erica.

“There are a few unmarked blood-slaves. They’ll identify themselves to you. All the available humans here are willing, so the only refusal you’d encounter would be from a blood-slave.”

He nodded, his eyes searching the room. “And if a blood-slave says ‘yes’?”

The room was suddenly silent. Even I held my breath. This wasn’t something I ever thought about. Were blood-slaves property, owned by their vampires, or did they have the ability to leave one of them for another? The paired humans I’d seen seemed very devoted, even in love, with their vampires, but maybe that wasn’t always the case.

“We ask that you respect blood-slaves and not attempt to poach,” Leonora said, her voice tight. “Such a thing would be seen as an act of war.”

Simon smiled. “Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we?”

Holy crap. These vampires took their blood-slave relationships seriously. I glanced over at the woman beside me, and saw a muscle tic at the corner of her jaw. Her hands were tight fists, her breath shallow. She was like a rabbit in the briars, trying to be very still, very quiet.

I’d need to make sure this rabbit was safe from the wolves. Ten hours until dawn. I wasn’t sure the vampires would be partying that long, but I needed to be prepared to go the distance.

“Then please mingle,” Leonora stepped back, her guard moving aside to let the other vampires advance into the room.

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