A Turn of Tides (A Shade of Vampire #13)(15)

“Want my own bed,” she mumbled, her eyelids drooping.

I guessed that all that stew had knocked her out.

“But I could escape during the night.

Master would want you to stay with me.” She rolled her eyes and held up her chain of keys.

“You won’t be going anywhere because I’ll lock you in here.” “Please, Bella,” I said, reaching out and gripping her thick hands.

“I’m so scared to be on my own.

Please stay with me… Don’t you have a son or a daughter?” She paused, hesitating as she bit her lip.

“Well, if you had one, would you want her sleeping all alone in a strange place?” I didn’t know what made me try to use a tactic like this with an ogress.

But I was desperate and it was the first thing that came to my head.

Shockingly, it seemed to work.

She stopped inching toward the door and took a step back.

I could have sworn that I even saw tears in her eyes as she said, “No, I wouldn’t have wanted that for my daughter.” I was so taken aback by her reaction, I wasn’t quite sure how to respond at first.

I recovered quickly.

“So please, will you stay with me?” She nodded and heaved a sigh.

“All right.” I caught her hand and led her to the corner of the room.

I pointed to the thick rug.

It was large enough even for her to lie down comfortably on.

I lifted some of the pillows from my bed and placed them on the floor for her.

Then I pulled off a blanket from my bed and handed it to her.

She arranged them all on the floor and lay down, pulling the blanket over her and looking up at me.

I still felt a little bad.

“Are you comfortable enough?” I asked.

She smiled faintly and nodded.

“This is more comfy than my own bed.” “Oh, okay.” I wondered where she slept normally, or what she called her home.

I climbed into my own bed and tucked the sheets that remained there over me.

A silence fell over the room, broken only by the heavy breathing of the ogress.

I listened with bated breath, waiting to hear her breathing steady and turn into snores.

She had looked so tired, I really hadn’t expected it to take long.

I’d thought she’d nod off almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

But her breathing patterns didn’t change even after what felt like fifteen minutes.

I was about to sit up and check on her when she spoke suddenly.

“I did have a daughter, you know.” Her voice sounded thick—choked, almost.

“Oh.

Is that so?” “Yeah.

She was a very handsome girl.

You’re almost as handsome as she was.” “Thanks.” “She died two years ago.

Her father bashed her up.” Wow.

How am I supposed to respond to that? “I-I’m so sorry.” I sat up, staring at her across the room.

The lanterns fixed to the walls cast shadows over her form.

Her eyes glistened with tears.

“Her father… you mean you have, or had, a husband?” “I have a husband.” “Where is he?” “Dead.” “Oh.

You have a dead husband.” “Yes.” I paused, wondering if my next question might come off as insensitive.

She didn’t seem too affected when speaking of his death though.

“What happened to him?” “Got smashed up in a brawl,” she mumbled.

She paused, wiping her eyes with her hands and blowing her nose on the back of her sleeve.

“Was the best thing that happened to me.

He was mean.” Mean.

Something about that word brought on a wave of déjà vu.

I remembered the time I’d heard it coming from the mouth of another ogre, that time I’d visited Brett in his cave.

He’d referred to female ogres as mean.

That was his excuse for always being a bachelor.

Hm.

Before I could think much more of Brett, Bella broke through my thoughts again.

“My daughter used to get scared sleeping alone, you know.

She always tried to creep into our room.

She was a naughty child.

And she did something very bad one day.

Stole a plate of food from the royal kitchens.

My husband crushed her up for it.

Didn’t want her bringing shame on our family.” “I’m glad he died,” I said.

“He was a monster.” Bella heaved a sigh.

I held my breath, wondering if she was going to continue talking.

As much as I was horrified by what Bella was telling me and my heart went out to her, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Before when I was trying to drain her for information, she couldn’t tell me anything.

Now the woman won’t keep quiet.

But after ten minutes, she began snoring.

I heaved a sigh of relief.

Now the real work begins.

I pushed myself off the bed, making as little noise as possible, and padded across the room toward Bella.

Her snores grew louder by the second, and I hoped that she was a deep sleeper.

I knelt down on the floor next to her and looked over her heaving body.

I scanned her waist, looking for the key.