“A week or two.”
Marc nodded and looked at his brother. “Has he been good to you?”
Ephraim looked at Tom. The man looked frightened as he should, but Ephraim knew he wasn’t afraid for himself. The man had a newborn son to raise on his own. That was the only reason he took the job. He told Ephraim that when he snuck him water to rinse his mouth late at night.
“He’s been good to me. Let him be,” Ephraim said dismissively. He didn’t want anyone to know how much Tom’s kindness meant to him in case this was a new game. He didn’t want Tom dragged into it.
Marc nodded. “You have a choice, work for me or share their fate. Which will it be?”
Tom bowed. “You, Your Grace.”
“Good. Give this man a weapon. Mind you if you go against me you will share their fate.” Marc gestured to the other footmen.
“I swear my loyalty to you, Your Grace.”
Marc nodded and gestured to the rest of the men. “Has any of them been kind to you, Ephraim?”
He didn’t hesitate. “No.”
The men cursed under their breath. “Good,” Marc said. He gestured to the two men attending to Ephraim to move away. “Let’s start, shall we?” he said cheerfully.
Nichols’ eyes narrowed. “Start what exactly?”
Marc shrugged one shoulder and began to pace again. “The feeding, retaliation, revenge, whatever you want to call it.”
He gestured with the knife to two of his men. The rest took positions and aimed their weapons at the footmen. “If anyone moves kill him.”
Ephraim watched curiously as two of Marc’s men grabbed a footman who’d enjoyed pissing on him, and dragged him towards Ephraim. “Please, feed yourself,” Marc gestured towards the men, “These men, I believe owe you.”
His stomach growled viciously at the thought. He didn’t question it. He didn’t care. After what these men did to him he had no qualms about killing them, but he had to make sure. For some reason he couldn’t do it without hearing it from Marc. “Marc?” He put everything into that one word.
“Eat up, little man,” Marc said in the same endearment he used all those years ago.
“No!” the footman screamed as he was dragged towards Ephraim. “No!”
Marc's men held him down in front of Ephraim. Ephraim’s eyes narrowed on the pulse he could see clearly on the man’s dirty neck. He licked his lips. His fangs dropped and instinct took over. He latched onto the man’s neck, sucking the sweet hot liquid that poured out, greedily. The man screamed as he struggled. Ephraim’s own shaky hands came up to hold the man.
Once the body was drained Marc offered him another and then another. Ephraim watched in awe as his skin filled in and tanned. Muscles appeared beneath the skin. By the sixth body Ephraim looked like the same man he woke up to be twenty years ago, Marc thought. With a gratified smile he looked at Nichols, who’d paled considerably. Two footmen tried to escape during the feeding. They preferred a quick death over being fed to the devil. Their lifeless bodies were hauled over to Ephraim who made use of the blood.
Four footmen remained shaking against the wall. Fresh urine soaked the front of their trousers. They were sobbing loudly. “Please, Your Grace! We’re sorry! We’ll do what you want!”
Marc ignored them and focused on Nichols, but spoke to Ephraim. “Are you still hungry?”
“No, thank you.” He burped, earning a chuckle from Marc. Had Marc gone insane in the last twenty years? It was a possibility.
“I want my brother unchained and given clothes,” he said to his men.
Ephraim was shocked. The chains, the same ones he woke up wearing twenty years ago were about to be removed. He was afraid of what he was going to see there. He watched nervously as the chains were removed. Then he sighed with relief. His wrists were perfect. He felt strong and healthy. He didn’t hesitate in dressing as he watched Marc. He was curious about him.
“Ten years ago, Nichols, my father asked you to take care of a young lady named Elizabeth Perkins. Do you remember? I must tell you that you should not lie, because I know you remember. You brag about it in fact.”
Nichols snickered. “A whore your father claimed caught your eye and played you. I did you a favor.”
Marc’s fist shot out, striking him. Nichols stumbled backwards before he was able to regain his composure. His hand shot to his lip. Ephraim knew before Nichols pulled the hand away that he was bleeding. He could smell it.
“Were any of these men involved?” He gestured to the four men.
Nichols nodded. “Yes, all four of them took part.”
“Shoot them,” Marc said evenly.
“No!” the men screamed, but it was too late. His men aimed their weapons and fired. The sound was deafening. Every man except for Ephraim and Marc jumped.
Nichols looked frightened. Ephraim finished buttoning his shirt and stepped forward and halted. One of Marc’s men held out a mirror. Ephraim stared at the reflection. Twenty years ago he was told he changed. Today for the first time he saw the changes. He ran his fingers over his face. The dry thin skin was gone. His face was filled in. His skin was healthy and smooth. He looked like a stranger. He was now a man, but he didn’t look like the thirty-six year old man he was. He looked like a man in his early twenties. His eyes were hardened, but still had that brilliant blue he liked so many years ago. He looked so different from his brother.
“You look good, little man,” Marc said before turning his attention back to Nichols.
“That woman you raped and murdered was carrying my child!”
“Lies, Your Grace. Surely you know that.”
Marc’s hand shot out and he slashed Nichols across the chest. The older man stumbled backwards. “My father may have asked you to help him for fear that I was dirtying our blood lines, but you should know that whore as you call her was my WIFE!” he roared.
Nichols stumbled backwards. His hands were pressed against his wound. “I..I..”
“You didn’t know. No one did. We married in secret so I could protect her from him. I took her virginity in our marital bed. She was not my live in mistress. Do you understand that, Nichols?” Marc said in a cold deadly voice as he followed Nichols to the wall where he was backing up. “We were married for six months. Six months! She was three months along with our child!”
“I was told…your father demanded that I take care of her.”
“Like you took care of my brother?” he mocked.
Nichols froze. He didn’t say anything. “You killed my wife and unborn child and you made sure she suffered. You didn’t feel one ounce of guilt or shame. You bragged about it. All these years I had to sit back while you bragged about your evil deeds. You like to call my brother the devil, but we both know that it’s you.”
He pointed at Ephraim who was still staring in the mirror. “You starved him for twenty years. He gets a chance at three men to fill his stomach and he gave his word like a man and kept it! He is a man and you are at your end, sir!”
Ephraim tore his gaze from the mirror and walked over to his brother. He felt uncomfortable wearing clothes, but he pushed those feelings aside and focused on his brother. “Marc?”
“Ephraim, would you like to finish this? I’m sure you have more reason than I to do it.” He could see what that offer cost Marc. His jaw was clenched and looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown.