Chapter 15: Not All Monsters

••{RHIANNON’S POV}••

My throat still burns from earlier, and the bitter taste in my mouth is a constant reminder of the horror I witnessed at that table.

Even as I stare at my reflection in the mirror, all I see are those hearts.

The way they ate it so casually.

The way they licked the blood that stained their lips.

My stomach lurches and bile shoots up my throat. I gag, quickly slapping a hand over my mouth, terrified I’ll start retching again.

I thought I was getting used to them.

They look human.

They talk like humans.

They breathe, smile, laugh, and argue just like we do.

Somewhere along the way, I let that lower my guard. I let myself look at them, completely forgetting what they truly are underneath all of that.

But tonight...

Tonight tore the veil right off my eyes.

That dinner reminded me that they are monsters. The kind who drink blood like wine. The kind who sit at a table and eat hearts like delicacies.

And for a moment, while I watched them, all I could think was...

Is that going to be me one day?

If they find out what I am... what my blood can do... will they carve me open like that?

Will my heart end up on a plate?

Will my blood sit in wine glasses, passed around like some luxury vintage?

Goosebumps prickle all over my skin as a shiver crawls up my spine.

I wish I could stop seeing it.

I wish there was a way I could forget what I saw. But the memory seems like it’s been burned into the back of my mind and now it’s all I can think about.

Azræl says I’m safe here, but at this moment, I feel everything but safe.

The doors suddenly open and I nearly jump out of my own skin.

I quickly glance over my shoulder to find Azeria stepping into the room.

꧁ ✧༺ ❦ ༻✧ ꧂

𖤐••{AZERIA’S POV}••⛧

Rhiannon scrambles up from the chair the moment I step inside.

I can hear her frantic breaths and the rapid hammering of her heart all the way from here.

Even though there’s already enough distance between us, she still staggers away from me as if I might lunge and attack her.

What pains me isn’t the look of fear on her face.

It’s the disgust.

Fear, I can handle. I’m already used to humans cowering before me even when I mean them no harm.

But the utter revulsion?

I have lived for thousands of years but that is something I still struggle with to this very day.

"Come in," I say, gesturing to the maid standing outside the door.

She slips in quietly, carrying a tray with Rhiannon’s dinner.

"I’ll take it from here," I mutter under my breath, taking the tray from her. "Leave us."

She bows her head, closing the doors quietly as she leaves.

I carry the tray to Rhiannon’s bed and set it aside before lowering myself onto the mattress.

"Come sit," I tell her gently.

She doesn’t move from the corner of the room where she stands.

A soft sigh leaves my lips.

"It’s alright, Rhiannon," I say, my tone soft and inviting. "I know you’re afraid but I would never hurt you. I swear it."

Still, she refuses to move. Not even a single inch.

I sit patiently for what feels like an eternity, waiting for her to come to me. And eventually, she begins taking small, cautious steps toward me. Almost as if she were approaching a wild beast that could snap at any moment.

I don’t blame her at all.

My brother was the one who kidnapped her and brought her into our world after all. Anyone in her shoes would be just as frightened.

Finally, Rhiannon settles on the bed. The only thing separating us is her dinner sitting between us like a fragile border neither of us wants to cross first.

The room stays quiet for a moment longer before I break the silence.

"Azræl said you haven’t eaten anything in the last two days," I murmur. "Please, eat something."

She carefully lifts the tray onto her lap, and her hand trembles slightly as she brings the bread to her mouth and takes a bite. She eats very slowly at first, but a moment later, she begins devouring everything on her tray as if she’s been starved all her life.

I can’t help the smile that tugs at the corners of my lips. She must be really hungry.

But there’s something else that I notice. And quite frankly it’s obvious.

She keeps watching me from the corner of her eye. And that finally forces out the question that’s been sitting on my tongue since I walked into this room.

"You think we’re monsters, don’t you?" I ask quietly.

She stops and turns to fully face me, but she doesn’t answer.

Her silence is answer enough.

We sit in silence for a while after that. But the longer it stretches, the ache in my chest grows even more painful.

"When you look at me..." she murmurs, her eyes on the tray, "what do you see?"

"A person," I say without hesitation. "I don’t see you as my next meal. Or something to satisfy my hunger."

I move a little closer.

"I see someone who’s hurting," I continue softly. "Someone terrified and grieving, but still trying to stand her ground."

Rhiannon lifts her head and we lock eyes with each other.

"I see someone worth respecting," I add.

I hear her swallow nervously, and her heart is still racing.

She still doesn’t trust me.

"If you were in my place and the only way you could survive another day was to feed on humans... you would," I say. "Anyone would."

"So... there’s nothing else vampires can eat?" she asks quietly.

I reach over and pinch a small piece of bread, then I put it in my mouth and begin to chew.

"We can eat everything humans do," I explain. "But it gives us nothing. No taste, no satisfaction, or even strength."

She nods slowly. "I understand."

I shift even closer. "I’m really glad I got to meet you, Rhiannon," I say. "I had to beg Azræl until he let me bring your food myself."

A thin smile touches her lips. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

A genuine smile breaks across my face. "I have to admit, I really like you."

Rhiannon’s brows immediately rise. "Why?" she asks, her tone suspicious.

"Your boldness," I answer. "Your sharp tongue. And the way you talked back to my mother at dinner?" I huff, shaking my head from side to side. "Oh, she’s going to be fuming about that for the next century."

For the first time, Rhiannon bursts into laughter.

It isn’t loud or dramatic.

But it’s real. And finally, the rapid beating of her heart begins to slow.

"I didn’t mean to say that," she says, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I was already in a sour mood. She pushed me over the edge and I just... snapped."

"I understand how you feel," I say.

Her shoulders drop, and that moment of happiness vanishes from her face.

"If you really understood you’d let me go," she says. "Help me escape."

For a heartbeat I almost want to say yes.

But I can’t.

It doesn’t matter what I feel.

I just can’t go against my brother’s wish.

"Rhiannon, I’m sorry," I say. "But if there’s one thing I know about Azræl, it’s that he doesn’t act without reason."

I reach over and rest my hand gently over hers. It warms my heart when she doesn’t flinch or pull away.

"I don’t know why my brother brought you here," I continue. "But I know he has a purpose. A good one."

Rhiannon stares at me but doesn’t say anything in response.

I lift my hand and cup her face, lightly caressing her cheek with my thumb.

"Be sure to finish your food, alright?"

She gives me a nod.

"Goodnight," I smile, rising to my feet.

"Goodnight," she whispers.

I start making for the doors, but the moment I touch the handles, her voice stops me.

"Azeria?"

I glance over my shoulder.

"Thank you again for tonight," she says.

I incline my head. "You’re welcome."

Then I leave the room, gently shutting the doors behind me.