Chapter 167

• (CARA'S POV)
• I would never admit it to anyone, but it was worse being alone, with Teo gone, I felt more alone than I had ever felt my whole life and I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing, a part of me wanted him to stay away, never go for help just as Vlad wants, that part of me wanted him to forget about mebut the other part of me want to escape this dark empty cell. Vlad had sent his soldiers to give me my dose of wolf's bane; he was no fool, and he didn't underestimate anyone. I hadn't also eaten in days—I couldn't tell how many days, to be exact. I knew he was waiting for me to beg, beg for some food and water, but if I was going to die, then I would die with my head high, and starving to death was not as bad a way of dying, not when Vlad is concerned.
• But of course, starving to death wasn't his intention, because the door to my cell finally opened and he walked in, all by himself. My vision was getting messed up, I needed to eat, and I needed to get out of this place. I didn't want to think about the wolf's bane or about the fact that that had been the reason I was childless and the more I took, the more damaged I became.