Lady Vivian didn't hold back in the slightest from the way Xeera's face snapped violently to the side, like someone had jerked her head with full force. The sound of the slap cracked through the room, sharp and brutal. A deep red bloomed across Xeera's cheek, and her bottom lip split open, blood trickling down like a tap that hadn't been properly shut off.
Xeera looked stunned, her body trembling slightly as she staggered from the impact. Harriet stared, her gaze locked on Lady Vivian with wary caution. The fury radiating off the vampire woman was enough to thicken the air in the room. If Lady Vivian had been angry enough to hit Xeera—her own chosen maid—then whatever she was angry about definitely involved Harriet too.
Still, Harriet didn't move. She stood near the bed, rooted in place, not daring to approach or help. She had only just met Xeera, and there was no way she was going to put herself in the path of a vampire's rage for the sake of showing kindness.
