Zane was sitting in a chair in his living quarters with Bree.She was sitting at his feet, her head in his in his lap, her body shaking with her quiet sobbing.He was stroking her hair.
When Zane told Bree about Darius and Mitzi, she was shocked and angry.When he told her why, she understood.She did not beg or object because she really did believe that Zane was on to something.Mitzi belonged to Zane and he could rightfully do what he wanted to do with her and Bree had no say in it.But Bree knew why he was doing it and she agreed with him that it was a good decision.“I am worried about Mitzi, though.” Bree said quietly when she lifted her head to look at Zane, her face red and swollen by her crying.She sniffled heavily. “She will miss us so much.”
“Well, if Darius is kind to her, he will allow her to visit us, or at least accompany her here to visit us.”
“But he is so powerful and so hateful.I fear so much for her, Zane.What if he decides to hate her for what she did so long ago?She would be treated like one of your slaves that had disobeyed you and lord knows what that would be like.I can only imagine.And Mitzi is so gentle and kind.What if Darius never sees it?”
“Darius likes you and even admires you.And, you are as human as any other vampire’s slave is, as Mitzi is.There is hope for them.If I didn’t believe in it, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
“How are we going to tell her?” Bree started sobbing again. “What if she hates us for this?”
“Now, now, Bree, I just got you to calm down.Mitzi won’t hate us at all when what happened to us happens with her and Darius.”
“But what if he just makes her into a common house slave?His fantastic castle is huge.He will lose sight of her and forget all about her.He won’t see her much and she will just blend in with everyone else.She will be right back where she was before.I’m so scared, Zane!Oh God help her!”
“Bree, Mitzi is so much like you.She will understand.I know she will.Look at how quickly she forgave me after all I had done to her.More so,” Zane took Bree’s hands in his and kissed them, “look at how you forgave me, and I did worse things to you than I ever did to her.”
“Oh!” Bree put her head back into Zane’s lap and started sobbing again.Zane once again rubbed the top of her head.When she looked up at him again, she looked worse than before.Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. “Are there conditions?Like, if you give her to him for nothing in return, can he not be allowed to harm her or not be allowed to make her a common house slave?”
“Bree, once he owns her, he can do whatever he likes with her.He can eat her as soon as he gets her home if he wants.” Bree gasped. “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I realized something today when Darius and I were talking.I know what I am doing.If I put restrictions on this deal, it will not go well.I know Darius.Please trust me.”
Later that morning Bree and Zane went to Mitzi’s room to give her the news.They did not, however, tell her that the whole idea was for Darius to hopefully fall in love with her and marry her.They just explained to her that Darius was in desperate need of a gentle, sweet slave girl to help him around his quarters. They said that Darius was having trouble finding a slave that he could trust and that is why they were giving her to him.When they were finished, she just sat down on her bed and cried.But, she did not protest or object or beg them not to give her up to Darius.She only expressed her lament about her mistake those several years ago, a mistake that would haunt her for a long time to come.“He is the only vampire I have ever mouthed off to, though. The only one I disobeyed, ever in my whole life.He hates me.”It was the only thing she had to say on the matter.
“I don’t think he hates you.” Zane looked at her, looked into her frightened violet eyes.“I can tell from talking with him about this.Darius is not one to express himself a lot, but he – well let’s just say - I know for a fact he doesn’t hate you, Mitzi. And besides, Bree had spoken out to me a lot worse than you ever did to Darius.”
