I go to the armoire in my bedroom and take out the matching robe that goes with my nightgown and slip on some panties. Then I return to see he's standing in the living room, glancingaround.
"Can I get you anything to drink? What would you like?" I point to the kitchen but stop speaking when I see his expression. He's smirking, a very wicked smirk, and I know what he's thinking. I can't repress asmile.
"Ah, those dimples," he says and reaches out to touch my cheek. "Remind me to make you smile more often. But now that I've tasted you, Eve, you must know I'll wantyou."
I frown and fear races throughme.
"Don't be afraid," he says. "I'll want you but I won't drink your blood. I havedonors."
He must do something to calm me, for I relax at his touch and then he drops his hand. I go to the kitchen to get a glass of water for myself for the night's events make me feel as if I've run a marathon. He's serious once more when I get back. I sit across from him, the glass of water in my hand, butterflies in mystomach.
"First," he says. "I want to say how pleased I was by your performance tonight. If there was any doubt about your worth to us before, there can be none now. You're very gifted. I'll need to train you, of course, but once you are fully trained, you'll be so very important tous."
I can't help but respond to his words. I'm pleased that I did well. It makes me feel warminside.
Then he leans over and takes my hand from across the coffeetable.
"Just know that I never wanted this for you. I did everything I could to preventit."
I nod. He did try to keep meout.
"Michel, tell me how it is between vampires and humans. I know there's the treaty. But beyondthat."
He considers for a moment and inhales deeply as if steelinghimself.
"The Treaty prevents vampires from killing humans for their blood. But it says nothing about the relationship between us. Eve, between humans there exist laws and rights and responsibilities. You are equal before the law. There are laws to protect you from each other. There are no such laws that govern relations between vampires and humans. There are no rights. There are no protections save one – the prohibition against murder." He glances away as if it’s hard for him to admit this. "In our dealings with humans, for the most part, you are our servants, our slaves. At the most, you are our subordinates. Never ourequals."
I frown. "Why? Who would agree tothat?"
"The Council. They knew that vampires would never consent to a treaty if it meant that we would be expected to treat humans as our equals. We're not. We are stronger, faster, more able. Our senses are sharper. Our minds faster. We can compel you. We can control you. We are your masters. Only humans like you – those who can’t be compelled, are immune to compulsion. You’re the wildcards. Theproblems."
"So you treat humans like servants andslaves?"
He nods. "That is the way it's done. You will find very few vampires with any power who treat humans asequals."
I don't say anything for a moment, the knowledge not sitting well in my gut. Slaves? Servants?Subordinates?
"What aboutyou?"
He hesitates. "When I am with other vampires, I fit in. When I am on my own? I don’t tend to interact with humans. In my dealings with humans through the SCU, I rely on rank to determine how I treat a human. Most are automatically mysubordinates."
I make a face. I don’t like that. Not onebit.
"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Eve but it’s the truth. My kind view you as food. As toys. As amusements. Astools."
"I don’t know what tosay."
"When you're with me, when we are around other vampires, its essential that you adopt the proper decorum. You have to act subordinate or else you'll be at risk, at least until you learn to fight and avoid beingambushed."
I sigh and point to the manuscript, for as curious as I am about the relationship between vampires and humans, I’m even more curious about it. "Are you going toread?"
He opens it to the first page, running his finger under the text. He reads for a moment and then inhales heavily as if the words arepainful.
"Une pleine lune se lève, tachée de rouge des feux dans la place du village..."he says, reading first in French, his voice hesitant, already filled with emotion. He sounds so cultured with his soft French accent. It contradicts the content of the words hereads.
"A full moon rises, stained red from fires in the village square where five heretics burn at the stake. The Crusades broke my family, estranged me from my brother and now have killed me. I died, not on the battlefield as befitting a knight protecting my father's estate, but in a bed in an abandoned castle at the hands of an ancient vampire who bewitchedme."
He pauses for a moment, and I realize that this is very painful for him, and part of me feels incredible guilt that I'm intruding on hisprivacy.