Chapter 7
Piper
Iwoke the next morningfrom a loud knock on my door. The door burst open before I could even sit up in bed.
Two men came in — human from the smell of them — carrying a large flat screen TV. Agnes strode in after them, her brows furrowed and her mouth pinched together tightly.
Throwing my legs over the bed, I scrambled out of it and toward where the men were setting the television up. “What’s all this?” Thankfully, I had chosen to wear a full set of pajamas to bed this time. It would have been funny — not for me — if I’d only worn a tank top and panties to bed like usual. Though, the way the men were keeping their gazes firmly away from me made me think I could have been prancing around naked and they wouldn’t have looked.
Agnes looked from the men to me. “Unfortunately, I could not get your phone for you but when I asked Master Tuma about learning more about the modern human birthing experience, he agreed to give us this monstrosity.”
Trying to repress my emotions regarding my phone, I snorted and laughed. “For someone who has lived for centuries you are quite behind on the times. What have you been doing all this time?”
Agnes grimaced. “I’ve been busy.”
I crossed my arms under my chest, which was getting bigger than I liked. “So, what exactly am I supposed to do with this?” I flopped down on the couch and propped my feet up, watching the men attach the wires and program the controller.
“You wanted to teach me about human pregnancy.” Agnes reminded me and gestured toward the television. “This is the best I could do.”
I wrinkled my nose at the T.V. “Well, I guess we could watch some documentaries or something. Do you have any streaming services?”
“Streaming services?” Agnes frowned.
One of the men answered without turning to me. “We have all the services. If you need anything else just ask.” He sat the controller down on the coffee table and he and his friend stalked out the door.
“Well...” I picked up the remote, surveying the buttons available, “they were friendly.”
“Peons,” Agnes provided and stepped closer to the television. “Humans who serve the vampires.”
I cocked my head to the side. “They aren’t human servants?”
Agnes shook her head, her graying hair bouncing with the movement. “No. We have many humans that serve us without being blood bound.”
“Why?” I asked before being able to stop myself.
“Why what?”
I put my legs down and sat up straighter. “Why would they help you? Aren’t they scared of you?”
“Are you scared of the Durands?” she shot back, moving over to the couch and taking a seat on the edge of the cushion next to me.
Agnes never sat down around me. It was almost as if she didn’t trust me. Now she sat next to me as if she hadn’t been tiptoeing around me since the day, she was assigned to watch me.
I shifted in my seat, pulling my legs up on the couch to face her. “Maybe at first.” I thought back to when I first found out the Durands were vampires and laughed, a short sound almost a scoff. “Definitely at first. But it was more of what they were than who they were. I didn’t understand...” I trailed off, staring at the wall behind Agnes.
I might not have understood what the Durands were at the time. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. They weren’t like the others. They didn’t thrive on the pain of others. The need to feed was a necessity not something they languish in like their maker, Boris, and that asshole Valentine had.
Flinching at the memory of Valentine, I shook my head and gave Agnes a wry smile. “But obviously, I’m good with it now.” I stroked a hand over my stomach and sank back against the couch arm.
Inclining her head, Agnes gestured toward the television. “Well, what should we start with? I will leave it to you. You’re the expert it seems.”
Ignoring the sarcasm in her voice, I flicked on the television.
Let’s get this over with.
***
After hours of bloodand guts and screaming — and that was just the birthing we watched — I needed a break. It was getting close to dawn now so Agnes excused herself for the day leaving me with some rando human servant to walk me around the courtyard.