I swallowed when Iban took my rising fear of being unable to avoid Gray as discomfort with the feeding itself. He placed his hand on my knee, squeezing it reassuringly. “It isn’t that bad,” he whispered, giving me no choice but to smile at him. I ignored Gray’s glare when it settled on my face, pretending he didn’t exist.
That seemed to be my pattern now.
“You mean they feed on students? I assumed they fed on people in town,” one of the other witches said. I recognized her as one of the remaining eleven other new students, someone who had been pointed out to me after the burial of the witch who’d died.
“The Vessels you see at Hollow’s Grove are assigned to the school. They remain here, and as such, they feed off who they please while they’re within these walls. Only the underaged are off limits, according to the bargain,” Susannah explained.
“If a Vessel has been assigned to you for this Reaping, you will find a red mark on your bedroom door when you return from your classes tomorrow evening. If not, you will be required to remain in your quarters regardless starting at eight. If you’ve never participated in a Reaping, someone will assist you with making preparations if you’re chosen,” George continued, his voice far more sympathetic as the new students exchanged worried glances. “There’s nothing to fear. Should you wish it, the feeding can be quite quick and painless.”
I swallowed as I glanced at Iban. “When will they share the pairs with us?” I asked, watching as his lips pursed.
“What do you mean?” he asked, tipping his head to the side.
“The Vessel who has chosen us to be his feeder for the year. When do we find out who it will be?”
The shock on Iban’s face did nothing to abate my rising panic. “There hasn’t been a pair bond in decades, Willow. They stopped doing them after the massacre fifty years ago,” he whispered, leaning into my side as he spoke.
I felt Gray’s stare on my back, as if the bastard wasn’t satisfied with the knowledge that I would never be able to enjoy being with Iban. Distance would be the only way to placate him, but I’d be damned if I gave him the satisfaction.
“What are you talking about?” My mother had attended the University after the massacre. She’d never hinted that it wasn’t the way any longer, that they’d strayed from the original way to handle the Reaping. “Once a week, the Vessel who chose us comes to feed.”
“Once a week, the Vessel who is assigned to us feeds, but it’s a different one of them every time. They did it to avoid witches and Vessels forming unnatural relationships with each other,” he explained, shrugging his shoulders.
“A different one every week?” I asked, feeling like the breath had been stolen from my lungs. It shouldn’t have mattered. If one Vessel fed from me, that was surely enough. They were all the same, all monsters hidden in human skin crafted from the earth.
Except it would make it that much more difficult for me to use Gray’s possessiveness to my advantage. It would be less time I could spend getting him addicted to me, my blood, my body. Not to mention, it meant Gray would be feeding from another witch. I growled beneath my breath, shaking my head and smiling when Iban looked at me in shock.
Fuck.
The red mark on my door stole the breath from my lungs. I should have known that I would have the misfortune of being chosen in the first week, but I’d hoped…
I didn’t know what I’d hoped.
“It’s not so bad,” Della said, letting herself into my room. She went to the bed, picking up the light gray, floor-length slip that had been left on top of the bedspread. “And it can be pleasant if you want.”
She moved the thin silk one to the side, revealing a short slip of lace. “Why are there two?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“You wear this one,” she said, picking up the lacey one and holding it to her body as she spun. “If you’re open to feeding more carnal desires.”
“If I’m open to letting the Vessel fuck me?” I asked, huffing out a breath. I didn’t even know who it would be.
Della shrugged her shoulders, picking up the silk nightgown and handing it to me at whatever she saw on my face. “You don’t have to love someone to fuck him. You don’t even have to like him.”
“How am I supposed to make the decision of whether or not I want him? I don’t even know who will walk through that door,” I said, sighing as I stood and shoved my blazer off my shoulders. I folded it and placed it on top of my dresser, letting my fingers drop to the bow at my throat as I unknotted it.