As Lavinia lay with the sheet over her head, the whispers around her got louder, until she could no longer tune them out. She could hear the snide comments from Annette worming their way into the other girls. What started as a light suggestion bloomed into an assumption, one that not even Helen seemed to argue against. Only Rosie stayed out of it. She climbed into the bunk above Lavinia's and hung her feet over the edge.Lavinia lay in bed the rest of the day, keeping out of sight of the other girls. She did not want to engage with their accusations, nor did she want to give them any more fuel. The sheet hid the marks on her neck and chest, marks that under closer inspection, did not all contain punctures. Some were merely bruised and broken blood vessels like Lavinia had seen on factory girls who had a husband at home or a bit on the side. Lovers marks.She had not realized how long she had been in bed when the door was opened once more. The girls swirled into an uproar.
"So you're trying to bargain now." Isaac gestured to the table. The room was set up almost exactly as it had been last time. The fire, the table, the bed. The only major difference was Isaac himself. He was dressed as he had been at the factory, but his features seemed warmer. His eyes looked awake, alert. She would not have been able to pick it out before, but Lavinia became suddenly aware that Isaac's icy eyes had faint dark lines in the iris. Had they been hazy before or had she just not looked hard enough?"So," said Isaac, folding his hands on the table between them. "What did you want to start with?""What are you playing at?""Excuse me?""I wouldn't say I felt anything for you so you start throwing girls away? I knew you were sadistic, but this is just depraved." Lavinia crossed her arms.Isaac sighed. "I didn't kill them for you.""Then what are you doing?""How much do you know about my kind?""Enough to make assumptions.""So, very little. When we feed we get st
Isaac's touch was at once softer and rougher than Lavinia could have imagined. For such a doted-on heir his hands were surprisingly calloused. He was not shy about his grip of the authoritative way he moved Lavinia. He easily shifted her, arranging her limbs to suit his fancy. Yet, he was also remarkably careful. Lavinia knew that with Isaac's demeanor and strength he could easily hurt her, shatter her. And she almost wished he would. Her loathing had not instantly let up when Isaac spoke about his own begrudging feelings. She still thought him to be a monster. But that cruel nature served only to enhance the experience. Lavinia had known many girls that worked outside of the factories for the satisfaction of others. The needed to mind their men, making personal concessions to satiate that evening's employer. Here, Lavinia had no limitations. She was able to explore and experience at her discretion. Isaac regarded her in much the same way. While their pleasure was mutual
Isaac showed Lavinia to his bathroom, outfitted with a full-length mirror and an enormous clawed tub with a handheld brass spigot. He handed her a thick towel. "I know the amenities downstairs are not the most luxurious," he paused, almost uncomfortable. "Take your time." He closed the door behind himself as he left. Lavinia turned to the mirror. Her body was skinner than she remembered. Thinned from the last few weeks of living on whatever the guards brought. Her hair had gotten longer, falling low enough now to cover her chest. Between her wavy locks of hair, she could see the purple marks that covered her body. Up by her throat, they surrounded deep puncture marks that still trickled blood. At her thighs, the marks were almost black. The bites were incredibly tender to the tough, sunk into as thick of skin as they were. When she pressed on them, she gasped. Remnants of the static twirled through her legs, making her tremble. Turning to
Waking up next to Isaac felt much more natural than it should have. It felt somehow incredibly normal to wake up and shift slightly, moving closer to him under the covers. Looking at him in the early morning light, Lavinia could tell that he truly was asleep. She smiled slightly. So, there were some human needs left after all. Eating, sleeping, what else would he need?Unbidden, the thought arose to Lavinia of herself as one of those needs. Of her being as necessary to Isaac as his instinct to feed. She quickly pushed the thought away, reminding herself that while Isaac seemed earnest, this could just be a whim. Her trust was not yet guaranteed. Though, the previous night had certainly garnered more of a bond.It was hard to take his actions and care as a ploy, but Lavinia could not help but remain cautious. Surely, had Isaac only been playing with her he would have served only his own pleasure. He would not have given so much attention to Lavinia, waiting for her to respo
Isaac moved to the door."Oh, and Izzy? Tell mother I'll be over budget. With three dresses to commission my previous limit will be too stifling.""Why don't you tell her?" asked Isaac indignantly. "It's your problem, you're the one who wants to use someone else to play dress-up with.""No thank you. I'd rather you do it." Arabella put her hands on Isaac's shoulders and started pushing him towards the door. "Just make her look presentable.""Yes, fine. Bye now, I'll give her back later, don't wait up." She slammed the door behind him and slumped her back against it. "God he's exhausting."Lavinia stood still for a second, taken aback. Arabella, despite her looks, was nothing like her brother. This short girl exuded warmth. While her hair had the same cool sheen, her skin was slightly tanned and seemed to burst with life. Arabella pushed herself off the door and went back to snatching items off the floor and stuffing them haphazardly away. "He lets you call him Izzy
Arabella and Lavinia spent the morning sitting and talking. Lavinia found Arabella to be surprisingly enjoyable company. While she was certainly a departure from Isaac's serious tone, her levity was infectious. Lavinia felt herself smiling easily and giggling at Arabella's jokes.It was fascinating to her to hear about Isaac from a different perspective, through closer eyes. Arabella tended to close off a bit the more Lavinia tried to broach the topic of Mrs. Astor, but she readily spoke about Isaac's nature in private and what he was like before he was turned. It confirmed many of Lavinia's suspicions. Isaac from Arabella's eyes was much softer. He seemed to dote on his sister, serving as her protector and her playmate. He had used to be quite popular, frequently having friends over from the private school he attended. That all ended when Mrs. Astor turned him and started bringing him along to meetings for the business. He had become much more vicious and distant, a shel
After speaking briefly with the carriage driver, Arabella jumped down onto the sidewalk. She froze for a second and then turned back to Lavinia."Look who's here," she smirked, pointing to the corner. Lavinia followed her indication and spotted a young man sauntering slowly towards them. His gleaming hair was smoothed back into place but he kept his eyes downcast, flicking them up only to see the other pedestrians. "Is that-""Funny running into you, Izzy," Arabella said.Isaac jumped, looking up at the pair of them. "Arabella. Lavinia. Uh, yes. I was not expecting to see you two here.""We're right outside the shop that you knew we were visiting.""Yes, well, I also have to get fitted.""We still have three weeks and you certainly know you don't need that much lead time on a suit."I thought you two would have left by now. It's midafternoon.""I think," said Lavinia, stepping down from the carriage. "That he was rather hoping to see us.""I think you're right, Vini.""Tha