“Mitzi?” Zane looked into her bedroom and did not see her. It was still pretty early so he was surprised that she would be up.Bree had taken Jasper to the balcony for some fresh air, he had been crying all that night. Bree and Zane wondered if Jasper could sense the hostility in Zane earlier, he was after all an oddity - the full blooded vampire son conceived by another vampire.So far Zane was the only vampire that was born, not made, with the exception of their son, Jasper.But, Zane was half human.Jasper on the other hand -was not.
Zane entered into Mitzi’s dark room.She had the curtains pulled and he didn’t want to turn on the light in case she was sleeping on the settee by the bay windows around the corner and beyond the bed.It didn’t matter anyway.He could see fine.
Mitzi’s room was pale purple.The rug was white, the heavy curtains were deep violet, the light curtains white, the rods silver.The bed was white with deep violet, lavender and white bedding.Her bureau was painted a soft purple with silver knobs.Mitzi loved purple, it was her favorite color.The room nearly went with her smoky violet eyes.Bree had helped her pick out the design and colors of her room with her, Zane said to do whatever they wanted.Slaves were then sent up to finish the room in a day so Mitzi could have her own bed that night.
“Mitzi?Are you in here?”Zane’s smooth voice went unanswered. He went to the other side of the room, the settee was empty.When he peeked into the bathroom with its swirling pink and purple colors, it was dark and also empty.“Mitzi?”
There was then a sound coming from the large closet.It was a thump, as if something got knocked over.Zane walked with purpose over to the closet and opened the door.When he turned on the switch the long closet space was flooded with light.Not many clothes were hung within, mostly house slave uniforms and a few dresses for walking.The dresses were most likely Bree’s, she probably loaned them to Mitzi.Zane got irritated at the thought, then dismissed it.He wasn’t here to punish or harm Mitzi, he reminded himself.He called into the closet and commanded Mitzi to come out.
Mitzi heard the sound of his voice and froze.An empty shoe rack had fallen over when she had tried to push herself as far as she could behind it and the clothes that hung next to it.Zane must have heard it.He called to her again as he stepped inside the closet. She tried to remain as still as she could.What if Chloe had told him something that would get her into trouble with Zane?Chloe was always trying to get rid of Mitzi.She knew that Bree liked Mitzi and saw her as a threat.She would smile sweetly at Bree, then turn to Mitzi and glower. Mitzi was afraid that if she mentioned it to Bree that Bree would not believe her.She trusted Bree though.It was Zane that terrified her.He was always so mean to her even when she had done nothing to deserve it.“Mitzi, don’t make me come in there and get you.” Zane stepped further into the closet. “I know you are in here. I’m a vampire, I can smell you.Come out.”Still she did not move.Zane walked to the end of the closet and pushed the clothes aside.When he exposed Mitzi, she winced, then cowered deeper into the corner as she tried to hide once again behind the hanging clothes.
“Master?” Her voice was a gentle plea, a soft meep filled with sadness and fear. “Please don’t hurt me, I have done nothing.” Mitzi, always so weak and timid.Zane knew that it wasn’t just his mistreatment of her that had made her like this.It was her now dead husband that had done this to her.The horrors he had put her through, good lord.
“I know you have done nothing, and I am not going to hurt you.I know the truth.” Zane reached his hand out to her. “And if it makes you feel better, Chloe is now dead.”
When Mitzi heard this, she shuddered.She did not know if she should be relieved, or terrified.“Y-you… ate her?”
“Burned her.” Zane was looking down at Mitzi as he waited for her to take his outstretched hand.She looked at it as if it was a thing that could scorch her, then turned her eyes back up to Zane’s.He spoke evenly, and there was no malice in his voice.In fact, there was no emotion there at all to indicate he had any remorse whatsoever for what he had just done.“And all of the rotten worms that worked in the kitchen.Gone, all the them.Burned in my fire.”
