“You look like you’ve been starved,” she said sitting beside me as the Keeper fed me.


    I just shrugged. With this man sitting here I couldn’t reasonably remind her the women had wanted me


    to look half dead. Apparently they had done quite a good job. Everyone that saw me said I looked


    awful.


    That evening I waited patiently for my family. There was a gnawing sense that something was going to


    happen. Part of me hoped Bane had forgotten our midday banter; I was never that lucky, though.


    My men came, took me home, and then we went down to the bathhouse. Damien and his Brothers


    were keeping a secret, I could see it. They smiled and looked at each other like they were bursting, but


    they didn’t say anything. It woulde out whenever it came out, I decided. No use worrying what it


    would be.


    I was resting on a chaise in the sitting room in the early evening. When I heard a knock indicating our


    food was here, I slipped down to rest on my kneeling ce. My family liked me to use the furniture, the


    rest of the world would not understand.


    The man delivering the tray set it on the table. He removed the lid and I heard his breath catch.


    “I can’t believe you brought this to the kitchen for us to cook for you!” he said incredulously.


    “It’s perfect,” Damien said with a smile and I heard the tray recovered,


    My family waited till the man left and then pulled a sixth chair up to the table. I was escorted to it and


    they sat me down with a flourish. I watched Bane’s happy smile with a reserved expression; he was up


    to something.


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    Kein took the lid off the tter and I screamed as I fell out of my chair. It was one of those nasty,


    gigantic spider creatures that Nu-reeh had showed me. I squealed like a typical girl and I scrambled


    into the sitting area and got on top of a chair.


    I failed to see why they had it in the apartment. I cursed them in every Language I knew. My men were


    roaring with Laughter. My reaction had apparently been priceless.


    From my new vantage point I noted the thing wasn’t moving. It also appeared charred. The creature


    had been cooked, I realized.


    “There are worms, Ciara,” Bane offered once he had regained some measure of control.


    “We understood you did not enjoy them. Like worms, these creatures are quite high in nutritional


    content.”


    “Particrly the eyes,“ Evan said still grinning broadly.


    “It is typical to stab out the eyes, but we felt sure you would enjoy them. We killed it by stabbing the


    back. It was harder that way, but we did it for you.”


    Evan’s grin was absolutely mischievous. This extra effort was certainly not for my benefit.


    “Come,” Keinmanded, “try them. They are wonderful.”


    To prove the point he used a small spoon on the tter to remove an eye from the creature’s head. It


    came loose with a soft sucking sound. He popped it in his mouth, bit down, and swallowed.


    “Come and sit are…unable.”


    Bane offered.


    “We will help you eat if you find you