Two for tragedy. Volume 2 - стр. 23

– That sounds very believable, Viper, but I know you're lying.

– I'm not lying! – I exclaimed in desperation.

– Why aren't you eating? – suddenly asked the vampire.

– I'm not hungry. – I had no desire to touch food.

– If you won't eat, I'll feed you myself. – Grayson's voice was cold: the tone of his voice frightened me, because I'd already realised that this vampire was the kind of vampire who always kept his promises.

He left me no choice: I put the first dish I could find on my pretty white plate, picked up my fork and knife, and silently began to eat. I was so hungry, it turned out, that I was glad to be able to satisfy my hunger with a tasty baked potato with some white sauce.

Grayson grinned at me.

– See, I knew you were hungry. You haven't eaten anything in almost two days," he said with a smile.

– Where did all this come from? – I asked. – You didn't make it yourself!

– Of course I didn't! – Grayson laughed and got up from his chair. – The cook from the nearest hotel was here while you slept, but I don't suppose you'd mind some red wine? You humans are such impractical and predictable creatures. – He took the bottle in front of him, poured the wine into two beautiful glasses and took them and headed towards me. One glass must have been meant for me. – I'll have some too, if you don't mind. – The vampire took a sip from the glass and stopped beside me, placing the second glass in front of me.

I ignored him and enjoyed the long-awaited meal, but the fork in my hand hung in the air as I glanced absently at the glass the vampire offered me, and then at him.

Blood. He was drinking blood.

A vomiting reflex swept over me. I threw the cutlery on the table, jumped out of my chair, and ran to the door, but it was locked.

He was drinking blood! He was offering it to me! Oh, my God, it was someone else's blood! Human blood!

– Yes, Viper, that's the beauty whose dress you're wearing," I heard him say in a calm, mocking voice.

The food I'd just eaten rose to my throat, and I had to cover my mouth with the palm of my hand to keep from throwing up right there in the dining room.

– Her blood is amazing. Do you want to try some? – Grayson appeared next to me and held out his glass to me.

– I'm going to throw up! – I burst out.

– Fine, you may go. But I really hurt that you're refusing to have dinner with me. – His voice was just ice cold.

The vampire unlocked the door, and I ran quickly to my room, stumbling as I went and tangling in my horrible mourning dress. Without fail, I locked myself in the bathroom, leaned over the toilet, and threw up.

"A monster! Could it be Cedric too… Yes, because Cedric drinks blood and kills people too! That's how he behaves in his castle in Prague! That's what he hides from my eyes! What an ugliness! What cruelty!" – I thought.

Soon my stomach was completely empty, and I was sitting on the cold tile next to the toilet, sobbing and wiping my mouth with a towel I'd grabbed before I threw up. Tears were streaming from my eyes. After sitting on the floor crying for quite a while, I found the strength to walk up to the washbasin and rinse my mouth copiously. My head was dizzy and splitting, my body was weak, and my eyes were blurred.

Suddenly I remembered that I was still wearing the dress of the girl Grayson had killed, and a deep self-disgust came over me. I rushed into the room, took off the cursed dress, threw it into a corner, and, rummaging through my suitcase, put on a pale pink, knee-length dress. Then, in physical and mental exhaustion, I lay down on the bed and curled up.