Just One Drop

Chapter 18- The Craving

Braith's POV

"You told me she wasn't human!" I shouted, eyes blazing with an un-earthly fire.

"I said nothing of the sort," Morina replied calmly, looking much too smug for my liking. "I may or may not have suggested that she possessed inhuman qualities. The rest was all you."

"Morina," I warned, pointing at her. Tread carefully now, tread carefully."

She slapped my finger away and laughed heartily. "Oh, make all the threats you like, you wouldn't get rid of me. I'm too valuable."

Normally, though I'd never admit it, I would've agreed, and I'd have to negotiate myself to a deal. But now... Now Morina had woken the beast inside me. And the beast wasn't happy.

"No, of course, you're right," I admitted, keeping the threatening demeanor. "But of course, I don't have use of your parents, do I? Do I need to bring them in?"

She tried to stay calm, but I could hear her heart-beat speeding up, and I could feel the nervousness radiating off of her. "No... You wouldn't."

"You don't mess with me, Morina. Now, I'm going to give you some time to think about where your true loyalties lie, whilst I feed. Have an answer by the time I'm back."

I walked out confidently, closing the door behind me. I knew what her decision would be. She would tell me everything this time, not just bits and pieces.

I headed downstairs, unsure of my preferences for the meal. Julianne? Felicia... Quinn? Felicia... Arabella? Felicia... Heather? Felicia... Rosalie? Felicia!

I tried to shake the thought out of my head. Not Felicia, anyone but Felicia. But my mind persisted.

'FELICIA!' it screamed. 'FELICIA!'

I changed directions, beginning to head for the kitchens. As I walked, every slave or servant I encountered cowered away from me. I smirked. I loved this feeling. A feeling of pure power and might.

I ducked into the kitchen, startling most of the workers. The head chef ran up to me.

"Good evening Your Majesty, what is your want?"

"Have you got any A negative blood-bags?" I asked.

The chef looked surprised. I had never asked for blood-bags before; I preferred my blood fresh, straight from the source.

"Yes, yes of course, follow me please."

He showed me through a few more kitchens. All of the workers I encountered bowed or curtsied politely, but still cowered back.

We stopped in a storage room, where he showed me to a large refridgerator labelled 'A blood-bags'. He opened it, eyes scanning the shelves, before resting on one in the middle. Smiling, he pulled out three blood-bags labelled 'A negative'. I could tell he was relieved he had them in stock.

"Ah, here they are Your Majesty. What would you like us to do with them? We can-"

I interrupted him. "I'll take them straight from the bag. Thanks."

I grabbed the bags out of his hands and walked out confidently. Perhaps this day wasn't going all too terribly after all.

Felicia's POV

Smiling, I wiped the sweat off my brow. Who knew that working could be so satisfying? I suppose it gets better when you're surrounded by friends, laughing, socialising.

Socialising. What a strange word. A word that, up until a few weeks ago, had been practically unknown to me.

Maddie and Tristan were fun to hang around. We shared funny stories and laughed at stupid jokes. When I first arrived, I thought I'd never know true happiness. But perhaps, just perhaps, I'd found a little slice of it right here.

Suddenly, Maddie burst into hearty laughter, snapping me out of my daze. Looking up, I realised that Tristan must've told a funny joke. Damn it! That meant I'd missed the punch line.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Tristan laughed and mussed my hair. I pretended to pout at him as I tried to fix it.

"I-" he began.

Maddie interrupted, wheezing with laughter. "He- I- *hiccup* and then- *wheeze* chicken- and- *snort* it- road- I-"

She burst into laughter again. Tristan and I simply looked at each other for a second.

"I think she's gone loopy," Tristan mock-whispered to me.

"Yeah," I mock-whispered back. "Very loopy."

Then we too burst into laughter, positively howling with it. I wished the moment would last forever.

Braith's POV

I was on my way up the stairs when I thought of it. Perhaps Felicia had a point about my siblings. I hadn't seen them since... Well, since... Huh.

The last time I saw Damien was the day before I drank the potion. Last time I saw Imogen was... Three days before I drank the potion? Four? And Chloe? I hadn't seen Chloe since a full week before I took the potion. I think... I couldn't even remember!

I sucked all three blood bags dry in just a few seconds, and handed them to a slave washing the windows. From there, I decided Morina would have to wait. I was going to pay a visit to my siblings.