Lord of the Night

Chapter 22: The Queen

The rules Isalio listed disgusted me, but none were worse than the bow. On command, I repeated the list of rules back to him. His brow only creased further.

I folded my arms over my chest. "Did I get something wrong?"

"The words are correct. It's hearing you say it that makes it sound wrong. I'm just struggling to imagine you actually doing the things you're saying."

"Do you need a demonstration?"

He sighed and shook his head. "There's no time. Just tell me one thing before we go—what are your hard limits?"

"My what?"

"The most important thing for you to do is follow my command. So, what commands should I not give?"

I eyed him with a raised brow. His tone was at once firm and tentative; at once commanding and begging. I wondered why he didn't just force me to submit. Surely the slave bond would have made this easier for him. Instead, he was putting me in a collar and handing me my own leash.

"I don't know all of my limits," I said slowly, still perplexed by the question, "But I don't think I can...touch you."

He breathed a pained laugh. "Don't worry; I don't want you to touch me. Anyway, I won't be able to wear the cuff at dinner, so we need to avoid contact."

"You can take my lifeforce without touching me, can't you?"

"I can. But I just fed, so my control is higher right now."

That admission punched me in the gut. Not only was I failing to protect humans, but they were dying to protect me. "So that's why it was necessary? You butchered human cows just to stop yourself from taking my lifeforce?"

He frowned. "First of all, I didn't butcher anyone. I take a little lifeforce from many humans so I don't have to take too much from any one person."

"But that still kills them eventually, doesn't it? Because humans don't regenerate lifeforce."

His jaw set and eyes flashed. "Humans will die either way, Remgar. The best thing you can do to protect them right now is to focus on this dinner."

My brow furrowed. I had persuaded myself I might learn something useful to help humanity if I ever escaped, but that could not possibly be Isalio's reasoning. "How will this dinner help humans?"

"I need to regain the confidence of the Queen and King, and preferably also the General"—I glowered, but he continued rapidly—"so that they will continue following my plan."

"Your plan to use the rest of my people as cows?"

He exhaled heavily through his nose and shook his head. "Trust me; my plan is better than theirs. Now come on—we're already late for dinner. Let's not make it any later."

He trudged toward the door. Fighting a fresh bout of nerves, I ducked my head and hurried after him.

At the cusp of sunset, jewel tones washed the hallway. Emerald moss; topaz curtains; amethyst sky through the full-length windows. I noticed the same mirror I had seen on my first pass though, and I practiced imitating Isalio's expression when he had demonstrated a bow. The mirror didn't break, so I figured I must have toned down the fury in my gaze successfully. However, the clothing Isalio had given me was not helping. The black t-shirt clung to my muscles like a second skin, and the blue jeans pulled snug around my hips and thigh muscles with each stride. I wondered if I should have changed back into the shredded uniform.

Too late now.

We reentered the tiny metal room I had mistaken for my cell. Even though I was prepared for the movement this time, my stomach still lurched. I anchored myself in a corner by gripping the bars along the wall as we shot down, left, right, and up a little again. Isalio headed toward the door the second the movement stopped, but I remained locked in place, fighting to calm my stomach and even my breaths.