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I clenched my fists. The sight of the vampire’s mark on the girl’s neck filled me with rage. Instead of railing at him as I desired, I plopped down on the nearest bench, stuffing my mouth with a chunk of cheese.

“You’re excused, Milani,” Custodis said.

The servant bobbed a half-bow before scurrying away.

When the vampire settled across the table from me, my head snapped up. “What are you doing?”

“Sitting.”

“Why?” I scowled—something I found myself doing a lot around the leech. If I survived this, I’d have a permanent furrow in my brow.

“Because I’m locked in a cell with a bunch of thieves and murderers with little to amuse me.”

“And you expect me to entertain you?”

“You’ve proven very entertaining thus far,” he said in that smug way of his that I’d come to loath.

I grabbed a bit of meat, chewing it as though I’d like to rip off a piece of his flesh.

“Also, your lovers have threatened to dismember me should any harm come to you. Personally, I don’t want to face their combined anger across a battlefield when we enter the trials.”

I choked on my meal. “Lovers?”

His gaze hardened with something undefinable. “So fickle you’ve forgotten them already?”

My spine stiffened. “Kronk and Drazen aren’t my lovers, you deviant. We were raised together. They’re my brothers.”

“Interesting family.”

“A family that wouldn’t have been sentenced to the pit if not for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes, you.” I smacked the table, making the tray jump. “If you had kept your arrogant mouth shut instead of giving the king ideas, we would be in a minimum-security cell, wearing deactivated torques, and halfway out the door by now.”

“Right, because the three of you were faring so well.”

“Certainly nothinggoodhas happened to us since you crossed our paths. In fact, I’m starting to believe the fates sent you to punish us for some reason. The deal with Vex was a complete failure. On top of that, you threw me to the soldiers to save your own ass. Then you landed us in the trials. I want little more than to be rid of you.”

Fury darkening his brow, Victor turned to glance at the table next to us. I followed his gaze, noting three rough-looking males staring at me in a manner that made my skin crawl.

“Fine then, little sorceress. Good luck watching your own back.”

With that, the vampire lurched from his bench, storming away. Seeing him leave twisted something inside of me.

I turned back to my meal, appetite waning. Bah. Who needed him? Not me. I was better on my own anyway.

Chapter Ten

VICTOR

“I watchedyou feed from the servant earlier. It was quite titillating. You seem like a male who knows how to make a girl feel good,” purred the woman with lank auburn curls and a luminescent sprinkling of dots beneath her eyes.

She walked her fingers up my chest, and I battled with the urge to break every one of them.

Night had fallen, the bell indicating all should be abed had rang long ago. The petite woman was a fool to agree to meet with me in a darkened corner, far from prying eyes. Lucky for her, I drank my fill earlier, so I would be prepared for this very thing.

Somehow, I’d managed to avoid the sorceress for the rest of the evening, despite the close quarters. Infuriating female. How dare she accuse me of being the source of all her problems? I was the one who was kidnapped. And by a bunch of bungling thieves at that. Runa and herbrotherscould rot in this place for all I cared.