I blinked. “Good night.” Or afternoon, whatever it was right now.
Malik grumbled in irritation, “Just go to sleep, Braita.”
“Okay,” I whispered. I snuggled further into my comforter and closed my eyes. They were letting me sleep here. And they were not too angry. That I could handle.
My groggy eyes slammed open into darkness when I heard their bedroom door click closed. I watched as Leo jerked upright in bed. His golden eyes cut through the darkness with a violent glow. He also appeared to have a gun aimed at the door. I still did not remove my hand from under my nightgown where my palm rested on the handle of the knife I had thieved from their closet of horrors.
Unexpectedly, Leo lowered his weapon and yawned so grandly that I thought his jaw might crack from the pressure. “Winslet, this is not a good time.” He lifted his free hand in my direction. “As you can see, we have company.”
I peeked over my shoulder. All I could see were two green eyes glowing near the front of their bedroom. Having Human eyes in this situation was more than frustrating. That green gaze bore directly at me, and I watched as they narrowed to thin slits.
“She’s not Mian,” the intruder, Winslet, whispered. “What is she?”
“Human,” Malik grumbled harshly. I felt the bed shake, and then he growled, “Get out. Our sleep has been interrupted enough this day.”
There was a minute pause, and then I squinted when their bedroom door jerked open, allowing a brief glare of bright light inside. I saw a flash of a Mian woman with deep crimson hair wearing a black robe disappear out the door. It shut with a booming slam hard enough for the steel door to vibrate. I blinked, gazing at where the woman had disappeared. “Acquaintance of yours?”
“She’s one of our lovers,” Leo huffed, lying down. “You know, for our barbaric needs.”
In the blackness of their bedroom, my cheeks flushed. “Do you want me to leave?” I knew they did not have a Harem. It had been obvious by the fact they wore no rings other than mine, but they had explained as much when they had shown my bedroom to me. But even in my own discomfort, my brows began to furrow. I grumbled, “You two weren’t very kind to your…friend.”
Malik snorted, getting comfortable once more. “I was growing bored of her.”
“Same here,” Leo muttered, his voice muffled with his face smashed against his pillow.
Interesting. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“For the love of all that is holy, just go to sleep,” Malik growled.
I grunted, whispering in English, “Someone’s grumpy when he doesn’t get his beauty sleep.”
There was a long pause, then a hard snorting laugh erupted from Leo. “True enough.”
I had just learned their hearing was also exceptional – even in English. Another fact to ponder.
After I got some sleep.
My stomach growled. “I’m hungry.” These Mian seriously did not eat. “I haven’t eaten since I left Joyal.”
Malik peered up from the book he was reading on Human genetics. “What?”
“Food,” I expounded, throwing my hands up into the air. We had been inside their bedroom since we had woken. The only time I had left was to take a shower in my own bedroom, and change into a t-shirt of Leo’s and a pair of pajama bottoms of Malik’s. Both were utterly enormous on me, but at least they were clean. I pointed at my stomach. “Humans obviously eat more than you people.” More jabbing motions at my stomach as it growled again. “Food. In my belly. Please!”
Malik blinked, then flipped to a page in his book. He read from it a moment, and then leaned to show Leo, where he sat next to him. He pointed at the page. “It does say here that Humans should eat at least three times a day. At the minimum.”
I stared in frustration, crossing my arms.
Leo read the passage, and then lifted his glowing eyes to me. “You should have told us before now.” A golden brow lifted. “What do Humans eat?”
My nostrils flared. “I want meat. Bread. Maybe some damn pasta.” I glared. “Even pets on Joyal are respected better than this. Humans do research before we own a living, breathing being.”
Malik actually rolled his eyes. “We know plenty about Humans, but Leo and I didn’t expect to have to deal with one so…closely.” He tossed the book aside and stood. “Come. I’ll take you to the kitchen. You can pick out what you want and, hopefully, quit whining. The cook will help.”
I grumbled under my breath, but stood from the recliner I was designating as my own.
I glanced at Leo where he still sat. “Are you coming?”
He shook his head, and continued reading from the halo-pad he had been perusing. “No.”
My brows furrowed as I rubbed at the center of my chest. “Okay.” And still, I did not move.
Bit by bit, he peered up. His lips pinched. “Why are you watching me?”
My cheeks flushed, and I clasped my hands behind my back to keep from fidgeting. “It’s just…” I cleared my throat. “Being bound. I don’t particularly like the feeling when you guys are too far away, and the kitchen is on the first floor.” Our bedrooms were on the top floor. “Yesterday wasn’t pleasant when you two left me alone.” They knew this. They had dealt with the aftermath of the guards.
Leo chuckled softly. “Yesterday, Malik and I traveled to the wall bordering our city when the Human slaves arrived. You going to the kitchen will not be as bad as it was then.”
My eyes widened. “Oh.” I had no clue they had left the palace. I had assumed. Turning embarrassed eyes away from him, I peered up into the silver glow of Malik’s gaze. “Let’s feed me.”
The kitchen was normal, except for the severed arm in the sink. There were no tattooed marks on the wrist, so it had to be a Mian limb. Though, that recognition gave me no sense of relief. I held both of my hands over my mouth, and tried not to gag. “Please tell me that is not what Mian eat.” I had not read anywhere that they were cannibals, but I was learning that our books on them were missing lots of information. Like, you know, pertinent details about being bound to them. “And please tell me that you have something other than that to fill my belly.”
Malik snorted and strolled to the colossal sized, steel refrigerator unit. “That is for one of our pets.” He opened the fridge and gestured for me to peruse the contents. “Unless of course, you’d like to share with Blaze instead of having what we eat.”