Zane ascended the stairs, reveling in the jade colored marble that surrounded him, one of his favorite colors.He slid his hand along the rail, marveling at how the shades of green and white and cream and gray swirled liquidly together.He loved this hall, this wide stairs.He thought of the day that Bree had upset him and he had bared his fangs at her.Oh, how he still hated that moment.He had been so angry with her, but so mad at himself, too.That girl could really confuse him at times.But, she made his life interesting, no longer dull.After a thousand years of the same day after day after day of living under a terrible curse, he was now free, saved by a girl from the very race he hated, the same race that his mother had come from, the same race that had cursed him.A race whose blood flowed in his own veins.
The human race.
Zane reached the end of the stairs. He stopped to look at the halls ahead of him, wide halls reaching out in all directions, diagonal, straight, perpendicular, supported by white marble pillars that met arches overhead.Lots of light spewed in through windows that were hidden around the bend, windows up high and big.Zane appreciated his wealth and all that it entailed.He knew that he was richer than anyone ever was, human or vampire, in his empire or the human world.It has taken him a thousand years to acquire it, and in no way would anyone ever take it from him.Granted, his father was wealthy and Zane was sort of born into it, but he had made it so much greater.Was it ridiculous to have so many possessions, to live in a castle that had hundreds of rooms, was it wrong?No, Zane decided.It wasn’t.No vampire was left wanting, and if they were, Zane would take care of them until they could take care of themselves.
Zane kept himself company in this time of quiet contemplation.He loved this time to himself every so often.Bree was somewhere with Jasper, oh that boy was getting big fast!It seemed like just yesterday Zane was huddling under a curse, full of hate and anger and a fire that he could not release.He had people, even vampires, plotting against him, hoping to destroy him and take over his empire, but nobody dare to challenge him now.He was too powerful.And, he did realize that it was partly, if not wholly, because of his humble, sweet human wife.
While Zane was deep in thought, enjoying this time to himself, a slave girl walked around one of the pillars and stopped suddenly when she saw the great vampire.It was rare that a slave see him more than a few times in a few months, the castle so big and all, but this girl had bumped into him just yesterday.When she halted, her bucket of water sloshed and she slipped on the spilt suds.She careened forward, losing hold of her bucket, dumping the contents of it all over Zane.
The girl froze in horror.Zane also froze, more from shock than anything.He was dripping wet and now, stunk like soap.Around his feet the water spread, and a dirty sponge slid past him, stopping just beyond his foot.
The slave girl wanted to run.But, she couldn’t move she was so terrified.Zane spun around on her and glared at her.She shrunk from him and gasped.She was frail, as most of his female slaves were, and young, maybe twelve or thirteen. Her tawny hair was loosening from the clip she used to keep it neatly in place.Strands of it hung in her face.
The anger was more than evident in Zane’s face and eyes. The girl only looked up at him silently with huge, chocolate brown eyes.A single tear ran down her cheek.She whimpered, trying to keep her soft sob in check.But, she said nothing.
“You clumsy, useless slave!” He roared at her.She did not run or plea or beg.She just said nothing while Zane ranted vehemently at her. “Look at what you have done?Have you anything to say for yourself!?”The girl only shook her head from side to side solemnly.Then, a weak, “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” He yelled fiercely down at her. “Will such pathetic words undo what you have done to the fine leather I wear?”Zane knew he was being ridiculous.He could afford all the leather in the world and then some.The girl said nothing.But, he was so angry that he had been so rudely interrupted from his happy thoughts. He pointed at her with such anger that she winced, half expecting fire. “SPEAK!”
