One would have thought that, considering they were family, he would go easy on her—but he didn't.
It always looked like he had a vendetta against her, even as he sucked her blood like it was the sweetest nectar he had ever tasted. His grip on her was merciless, fingers digging into her shoulders as though he feared she might escape him even now. The sound of swallowing echoed far too loudly in the dungeon's hollow silence, each gulp deliberate and unhurried.
Even as it happened, every single person in the dungeon—especially the mercenaries—went ahead and put as much space between themselves and Vander as possible. Chains rattled softly as some stepped back too quickly. The last thing they wanted to be was collateral damage.
