Chapter 5 I'm Evil

Eleanor's POV:

"I've already arranged for someone to come and handle Donovan," Sebastian was saying to my parents. "He'll be taken to the council dungeons to await trial. You needn't concern yourselves with him."

My father nodded eagerly. "Of course, Mr. Astoria. Whatever you think is best."

Sebastian's tone suddenly dropped, turning cold and dangerous. "And let me make something perfectly clear. If I ever discover you've been selling your other underage children's blood to vampires, your fate will match Donovan's—just like every vampire who has ever tasted Eleanor's blood." His crimson eyes hardened. "The council takes a dim view of those who exploit children. Am I understood?"

My parents paled visibly, their smiles faltering. "Absolutely, Mr. Astoria," my father stammered.

I stood beside Sebastian, head down, waiting. The unconscious vampire on our living room floor was apparently the least of anyone's concerns now that money had changed hands.

"Come, Eleanor. We have much to do," my master said, turning toward the door.

I followed without a backward glance.

He glanced at the few grocery sacks I was carrying as we approached his sleek dark car. "Is that all you had?"

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Call me Sebastian. Put them in the backseat. You'll ride in front with me." As we climbed into the car, he asked, "Do you have school on Monday?"

"No, Sebastian. I don't go to school. I had a homeschool certificate, but my mom took it and I haven't seen it since." I noticed his brow furrow slightly, and panic fluttered in my chest. Was he reconsidering his purchase because I lacked proper education? "But I read a lot!" I added hastily. "I taught myself history and mythology and several languages. I'm not stupid, I promise."

He studied me for a moment before turning his attention to the road ahead, leaving me uncertain what my new life would hold, but certain it couldn't be worse than what I was leaving behind.

As we drove in silence, my stomach suddenly growled loudly, the sound embarrassingly clear in the quiet car. Sebastian glanced at me, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

I nodded hesitantly, unsure if I was allowed to admit such a basic need. "Yes, but I'll be fine," I whispered.

"What would you like to eat?" His question surprised me. My parents rarely asked what I wanted, usually just providing the bare minimum to keep me functioning.

"Anything is fine," I replied automatically.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. "That wasn't my question, Eleanor. What would you like to eat?"

The directness of his gaze made me realize he actually wanted a real answer. "Um... maybe a burger?" I ventured cautiously.

Without hesitation, he turned at the next intersection, pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant I'd only seen from a distance. It looked much nicer than any place my parents had ever taken me.

Once seated at a corner table, I stared at the menu in wonderment. Sebastian watched me with an unreadable expression as the waitress took our orders—a burger with everything and a chocolate milkshake.

As she walked away, a thought struck me. "Do you... do vampires eat food too?" I asked quietly, curious despite my nervousness.

Sebastian's mouth twitched with amusement. "We can, but there's little point. Human food tastes like ash in our mouths—bland and without pleasure. Blood is our only true sustenance and delight."

When my food arrived, I hesitated only a moment before taking a bite. The flavors exploded across my taste buds, and I couldn't help the small sound of appreciation that escaped me. Sebastian's lips curved into a slight smile as he watched me eat.

Mid-bite, a thought suddenly occurred to me. "Sebastian," I said, setting down my burger, "what will happen to Donovan? How will the council... execute him?" The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. What if mentioning another vampire annoyed him?

Sebastian's eyebrow arched. "You seem concerned about him," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

I shook my head quickly. "No, not really. It's just... I heard you say that all the... customers... who used me faced serious consequences."

A darkness passed across Sebastian's features, but it wasn't directed at me. "They will be executed," he said simply. "All of them. As for Donovan, I'm saving him for last. Each remaining day will be quite unpleasant for him." His voice was calm and matter-of-fact, which somehow made his words even more chilling.

His words sounded brutal, but they washed over me like a strange comfort. For the first time in years, someone was actually protecting me. I returned to my food, feeling oddly safe despite the conversation's dark nature.

I continued eating my burger, enjoying the explosion of flavors with each bite. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. I lowered the burger slowly and looked up at Sebastian.

"You knew about my parents selling my blood," I said hesitantly. "Have you... investigated my family?"

"I did," he confirmed.

"You're not going to..." I swallowed hard, setting the burger down completely. "You're not planning to buy my siblings too, are you?" The words tumbled out in a rush. "They've never sold blood to vampires. They're safe. My parents only treated me this way because they think I'm evil."

Sebastian's face darkened instantly, his jaw tightening as his eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't ever say that about yourself again," he growled, his voice low and commanding.

I froze, the food in my mouth suddenly difficult to swallow. The burger that had tasted so delicious moments ago now sat heavy in my stomach. My fingers trembled slightly against the table as I stared at him, unsure what to do or say.

Sebastian must have noticed my reaction because his expression softened unexpectedly.

"Eat," he encouraged, his voice gentler now. "I'm not angry with you, Eleanor."

I picked up my burger again, taking a tentative bite as he continued.

"Your siblings are safe. I have no interest in them," he said. "And you are not evil. Whatever your parents told you about yourself was a lie to justify their behavior. Nothing more."

I nodded slightly, focusing on my food while processing his words. The burger was still delicious, but now I had even more to think about as I ate.

I followed Sebastian up the winding driveway to an enormous modern mansion. My heart pounded against my ribs as I tried to absorb every detail. The grounds were surprisingly neglected, with overgrown grass and untrimmed hedges—nothing like the immaculate estate I'd imagined a vampire would maintain.

I kept a careful distance behind Sebastian, stealing glances at what might become my new home. For just a moment, I found the place strangely beautiful. The cool autumn breeze played with my hair, and for the first time in ten years, I felt a whisper of something like freedom.

When we stepped inside, the musty air hit me immediately, and I couldn't help but sneeze. The foyer was spacious and shadowy, illuminated only by the soft glow of wall sconces that Sebastian switched on, revealing layers of dust floating in the air.