The morning light filtered weakly through the small, barred window of my cell, casting thin stripes of gold across the stone floor. I picked at the tasteless breakfast left on the tray—stale bread and lukewarm broth—when Kenneth's voice suddenly cut through the quiet.
"Margie," he began, his tone far too cheerful for our circumstances, "I have some unfortunate news for you—your brother is in love with you!"
The bread slipped from my fingers. I turned toward the wall separating our cells, my pulse quickening. "Stop talking nonsense!" My voice came out sharper than I intended. "He's always cared for me since childhood! You don't understand how hard our lives were. After my human mother, uncle, and aunt passed away, we only had each other to rely on…" My throat tightened. "Vampires wouldn't understand 'relying on each other'—all they know is blood!"
