Page 39 of Dark Flame

With a knowing huff, he twists open the water bottle and hands it over. “Small sips, don’t fill up. Your body needs a lot more nutrition.”

I ignore him and take a long swig before lowering the bottle, not finished drinking, but he’s quick to snatch it again, capping it, and rests it beside me on the nightstand out of reach.Got it.

“You know a lot about mortal bodies.”

“You forget I was once a human.” He leans back, spreading his legs slightly and his arms landing on the armrests, like he’s settling in for a while. “It was a long time ago, and last night you reminded me of your pesky requirements, so before you die on me, figured I should get you some food.”

“And you couldn’t have delivered all this”—I gesture toward the food—“last night?”

“Leverage, Hellion. It’s all about leverage. Speaking of…” He reaches for a granola bar and rips open the package, shaking it tauntingly. “I have questions you’ll answer. For every one you do, you’ll receive food.”

My stomach growls again, and we both know at this point, he could probably ask me to crawl around on the floor or anything else equally as demeaning, and I would. Food, water, and a bed. The vampire’s lining himself up for a world of knowledge.

“I also have things I want to know.”

He throws me a look so dirty, it’s worse than the dungeon’s floor. “Food or an answer, those are your options. You get one, and choose wisely. I should note, my questions are limited, so before you think to save one or the other until the end, my end may come sooner than you anticipate.”

I nod. “Deal.”

“What was that down below?”

“Starvation and exhaustion mixed with claustrophobia, which led to a panic attack.”

“Claustrophobia?”

“That’s a question. You owe me two pieces. It means a fear of small spaces.”

Alec rolls his eyes but regardless rips off two bite-sized pieces that I devour entirely too quickly. They wake my stomach up to a painful twist. “I know the definition of the phobia. I was questioning you having it.”

“I’ve had it since I was a kid. Don’t recall how it came to be.”

He hands over another piece. “Scared of the dark too?”

I shake my head, gaining another bite. There’s only one left of the bar.

“Good. Means you and I will get along great.” He grins, his tongue flicking against a fang, seemingly mindlessly.

“Because we’ve done so swimmingly so far.”

Ignoring me, he muses, “That didn’t happen in the other cell.”

“That’s a statement, not a question.”

“Answer me,” he demands.

“The other was larger. I did feel it at first, but was able to pull myself out. Keep myself distracted. That was actually what the runes were for; I suspected they wouldn’t work as they are supposed to. The smaller cell, not so much. Water this time.”

He hands over the bottle and I down another sip, deciding my next reward will be to ask something in return.

“What happened to your parents? I know they died in a fire. Tell me the details.”

The question stuns me into silence, the bottle numb between my grip while visions of flames flit through my mind—and the burning pain associated with each one. “I, I don’t want to recount that.”

“Captives don’t get choices. Answer me.” Gone is the teasing from moments ago, the villain back from downstairs instead.

“Alec…” I plead, searching him for some sense of humanity beneath his black soul. Something that’ll get him to move on and ask me literally anything else.

“Answer the question, Sinclair, or I’ll kill anyone else alive you still care about.”