“Do you think this isn’t affecting your brothers?” I asked touching his arm. “Have you looked at Damien


    lately? He isn’t sleeping. They can’t bear the thought of losing you.”


    He turned to walk away from me and escape what I was saying. I followed him and just continued


    talking.


    “I’m a ve just Like you and I’ll tell you the truth. If it wasn’t for the support of those around me, I’d feel


    horrible. Everyone I get my support from knows where they stand here and we just depend on each


    other. I’m sure your brothers will be upset at first. You can help them get through that part. In the end,


    they would rather have you.”


    The argument continued through lunch. I forgot to eat I was so busy talking. I got back to the


    compound and kind of wished I’d had something.


    The girls knew what I had been doing during lunch and didn’t bother me when I got back. When the


    Keepers released us at the beach I swam straight out my Little hole. Being in the ocean calmed me


    some, but I was still so frustrated. It didn’t feel like I was making any headway at all.


    I was distracted and cranky when the Warriors came and picked me up at the end of the day.


    Headaches always gripped me when I was hungry and I was starving. My stomach rumbled noisily all


    the way back to the Warrior’spound. I tried tapping on it and sucking in my breath to make the


    noise stop. It was a little embarrassing.


    When we got home Master Damien turned to me and asked, “What did you eat for your mid day meal?”


    “I can’t remember,” I answered honestly. I had not even looked in the bowl Christof brought with him.


    “Have you forgotten how to address me, Ciara?” he asked in a low voice.


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    “I’m sorry, Master Damien. No, I haven’t forgotten how to address you.


    It was a mistake, Master Damien,” I said startled.


    “What did Christof feed you today?” he repeated looking at me with that scorching gaze. I hated that


    look.


    I squirmed and desperately tried to remember what had been in the bowl.


    I got the feeling Master Damien really wanted to ask Christof. I was just a more eptable target for


    his irritation. Christof answered him finally. “I fed it nothing. We talked the entire time,” he said.


    Master Damien looked between the two of us before turning and pulling me to a kneeling ce by the


    table. He took out a bowl of worms and started to feed me.


    “You will eat now and you will eat Later,” was all he said.


    Master Damien sounded angry and frustrated. I ate what he gave me gratefully and didn’tin it


    was too much, which it was.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I gagged on the slime like always and Master Damien mmed the bowl on the table. He red at me


    and I wanted to sink into the floor. I tried to remember him telling me he wouldn’t hurt me. The look on


    his face currently said differently.


    “It is not Ciara’s fault, Damien. Your anger is misced,” Christof said taking his seat across from


    Master Damien.


    “Christof,” he said calmly, “it is important it is fed regrly. It will be ill if it is not. What was so


    important you neglected to feed Ciara?”


    The request was met with silence. I’m sure it was the same silence that had been going on for a long


    time. I could not lose them. This had to stop.


    I looked at the floor and studied my hands in myp.


    Against my better judgement I whispered, “You should tell them, Christof.”