"Now, how may I help you, young sirs?" The matron asked, raising her brows.
The man who had assaulted Eve was the first to answer. The vampire waved his hand at the woman, trying hard to suppress his irritation. "We meant no trouble. We were only looking for pets." He said, his glowing eyes landing on Eve begrudgingly.
Eve stared right back into the eyes of the creature, unflinching against the threat in his gaze. For some reason, she felt incredibly brave at the moment, unlike how she had felt all night long amidst a room full of predators snatching the first human to fall to the magic- and some otherwise.
It was probably her anger against the grave injustice committed against her kind that was pushing the adrenaline to her system. The witch stepped towards her left, interrupting the creature's view of the girl. Eve was once again startled by the woman's moves. It felt like the matron was protecting her once again and not bothering to hide it.
'Or was it something else?' A voice in her mind asked. 'Is it because she wanted something from you? How do you know that she is just keeping you safe so that you don't escape with a lighter punishment for the treason that you've committed?'
The matron glanced between the two vampires as she continued. "You know the rules. Only the weak." She paused, watching their eyes avert in guilt. She sighed, forcing a smile on her face again as she pointed a wrinkled finger towards her left, through the carved balusters of the stairway. "There, in the corner. Will a man and three women be enough for you sirs?" She asked, with the hospitality of a gracious host.
Eve opened her mouth to protest. But no sound came out. She clutched her throat in shock, watching a few slaves- three women and men huddled together in a corner in fear, their eyes widening at each scream of a victim and each thud of a limp body hitting the ground.
"Very much so." She heard the vampire say, sounding much satisfied with the exchange. "Thank you, Madame Mariya."
Eve stepped towards the witch hastily, her heart hammering against her chest in desperation as her eyes watered. But the vampires disappeared in the blink of an eye, the smirk on his lips challenging her even in the last moment. Screams followed their disappearance, reflecting from the domed ceiling and the moon that was painted in the sky, dispersing through the large room.
A lone tear slipped through her cheeks. With a click of the matron's hand, she felt her voice return back to her.
"How could you do that?" Eve asked, staring at the witch in accusation, forgetting for a moment, her own position.
The matron ignored her, turning towards the tailor's daughter. "What are you waiting for, child?" She asked, raising her chin at the girl.
"But she hasn't fallen yet." Eve protested, quickly coming to stand in front of the slave.
The witch sighed, finally acknowledging her presence. There was a slight frown on her lips as she said, "It's either him or one of those out there." She paused, pointing to the moving moaning crowd of creatures on the other side of the stairs. Eve frowned, not liking either of the options. Seeing that she had fallen silent, the matron turned back to the person in question. "So tell me, who do you choose?"
Eve watched as the tailor's daughter step away from her, her face blank as she bowed her head at the matron. "As you command." She said through clenched teeth.
Ivan nodded at the witch, turning away from them without a word. This time, instead of disappearing, he walked slowly, letting Litty follow him at her own pace. Eve watched the two slowly fade into the crowd until their figures couldn't be spotted.
She felt bitter- as if she had exchanged one evil for the other. She knew that going behind them was not an option. Making a scene out there wouldn't do good for anyone. All she could do was wait. Wait and hope that Litty would return in one piece before the matron decided to expose her crime.
The witch's sigh pulled her attention back to the woman. "It's been only five minutes since I left you." The matron said, putting a hand to her head in defeat. "Yet you somehow managed to find trouble again. I thought you were smart but.." She trailed off, revealing nothing more as she shook her head in disappointment.
Eve didn't reply, instead she stared at the woman with the deepest of frowns expressing full well her annoyance at the whole situation. It was not like she had a choice. It was not her fault that she and her kind were only food to those like them. Not that she ever had a social flair, but she knew that she had to say something, if not do.
"Matron." A familiar voice broke the silence between the two of them.
The matron's face lit up as she turned around. But she was quick to mask it again, keeping her guards up for some reason. "Emilya," She said, nodding at the younger witch in front of her.
The silver-haired beauty glanced at Eve worriedly before turning back to the older woman. "The king has arrived." She said, her face bereft of any emotion.
Eve's heart dropped at the statement. A pair of gleaming golden eyes flashed in her mind, quickly turning into slits- the eyes of a predator with midnight black fur. She didn't dare to look at the matron, afraid that she would expose her crime. Rage mixed with fear laced through her veins, leaving her in a flurry violent of emotions.
"Finally!" The matron exclaimed, the corners of her mouth stretching into the slightest of smiles. "You may leave now." She said, waving at Eve dismissively, without bothering to even glance at her.
Eve shook her head. "But I-"
"Now, before I change my mind." The matron said, interrupting her. Her voice dropped as she reached out to grab her hand. "Go to your quarters and shut yourself in. Don't come out no matter what." The witch whispered, leaning close to her.