The Amendment

Chapter Nineteen

I walk into the great hall and sit at my designated spot at the table, Dagon sitting ramrod straight beside me. He doesn't have a shirt on since he wouldn't be able to put one over the chain, and his chest is rigid from the way he's sitting. 

It's hard to keep my eyes off of him, but I manage. He's more handsome than any human I've ever seen, but he's also the most angering person I know. The way he smirks, the slight upturn of his lips and the way his eyes glint mischievously makes me want to tear his feathers out. 

I thank Jandro as he places some puffin in front of me for supper, and then watch as Dagon gets the human plate, which is what I thought was chicken. I look away from it but find myself wanting to have a piece, and I mentally scold myself. Then I think about how it could be an affect of Dagon changing me, and I feel a hint of worry at the thought. 

"So, for my new regulations, since there aren't many puffins or to go around, we'll be out for humans for most of the time. Sometimes we'll have something else, but mainly a human course." Dixon says while looking at me the whole time, and I feel bile rise into my throat. It doesn't help when Dagon leans over to whisper in my ear, "Imagine eating the veins, guts, the dried blood inside the muscles."

"Shut up." I twist my head to look at him, to see the same smirk on his face. I decide it's better than his demon eyes, and I scowl before turning back to see Dagon picking up my puffin chunks. I swipe at his hands with my talons and miss, and I watch as he puts my food into his mouth. 

"Curses upon your head, Dagon." I mumble angrily, and he laughs before putting his plate in front of me. I look down at the chicken-like chunks, and the image of the girl strapped to the table comes to my mind. The tears running down her face as she was trembling in fear. 

I push the plate away from myself and say, "Eat it Dagon. I'm not chewing on a human."

"Oh come on, you liked it." Dagon says to me as I gradually hear everyone else start to talk, trying to get away from our conversation that is turning ugly. 

"No I did not." I argue, and I can see by the way Dagon tilts his head sideways that we both know I'm lying. The look he's giving me is infuriating, the same stupid smirk; but that I can't outsmart him is even worse. 

"Fine. It was alright until I found out I was eating a person. It's wrong to even think about eating what my brother is." I tell him before he says, "Eat a piece of it then, and prove to me you're not just trying to let me win."

"I would not let you win. I'm telling the truth that I didn't think it was too bad, but I am not eating it." I growl at him, and he narrows his eyes at me just before Dixon says, "You may as well get used to eating a human, Amethyst. That's all you'll be supplied with."

"Then I'll starve and die." I announce stubbornly, and I look back to Dagon with a small smile. But he's no longer looking at me, and he is locking eyes with Dixon. I look between the two brothers to see them communicating with their eyes, and I give up trying to read them. I look around the table to see Jericho laughing with Huntly and Koray, and see Jandro who's smiling. 

I turn my gaze to Julissa who has moved from her seat and is sitting sideways in Dixon's lap, her head against his chest and her legs over his armrest. I sigh and then look to Dagon who takes the plate from in front of me and then grabs my throat, holding me against my chair. I scowl at him as I'm lost in confusion for his actions, and I watch as he grabs a piece of the human off of the plate. He puts it in front of my face and then says, "If you do not eat this, I will force feed you."

The smell of it runs up my nose, and my stomach growls instantaneously. I feel anger rise in my stomach at my body betraying my mind, and Dagon laughs before putting the human part up to my lips. I keep a straight face but let my eyes blaze holes in Dagon's brown eyes that are brimming with mischief, and he says, "Just take a bite, and I will leave you alone."