The Thing POVSoren moved his hand away from my face but held my hand, and I turned to look at Ishtar."Give me your hands." She asked.Soren raised the hand that was holding mine and Ishtar then ran a golden thread around our wrists. I started to feel a different pressure on my skin and I didn't like it. I swallowed to stop myself from taking my hand away and this made Soren look at me, raising her eyebrows, then the woman began to recite words that I couldn't understand, but the surrounding air began to change, and a slight grayish glow began to appear.Soren's hand starts to tremble and so does mine, and I start to see this glow coming towards us, enveloping our bodies. I've never felt such strong magic, but my contacts have been few, apart from the healing potion I've taken, but when the glow gets close to my chest I feel as if I've been shocked and then the glow disappears completely and Ishtar pulls her hand away from us, while the thread breaks into several pieces. I can see bl

Soren POVIt was a few hours before Ayla finished taking the tests, at first she was learning how the app worked, and she also didn't read things so quickly often. She would just stare at the question for several minutes before answering, and they weren't math questions, but basic logic or text interpretation questions.When she finally finished and handed the tablet to Victor, he opened the statistics and Ayla has the same education as a child, she can read and write, she understands some things and can even do some basic math, but that's about it... She even did a little better when it came to simple text interpretation.This means she has a lot to learn and not only that, I'm going to have to hire special tutors for her. I'm pretty good at governing, but having to explain things like this isn't my strong suit."Great!" Victor said excitedly, much more excitedly than I'd expected. "With this here, I'll be able to help you better and get the right people to teach you."Ayla didn't sh

Soren POVAyla hadn't progressed at all, even though Victor and I had told her several times that she could do things without our permission, she still only did what we told her to.The only evolution was in her reading, she is much better now and reading slightly more complex books, but I think she's making an effort, not because she wants to, but because it's expected of her and that perhaps she'll be punished if she doesn't. Her feelings are distant, and it's hard to understand why she doesn't want to.Her feelings are distant, and it's very difficult for me to connect, it seems that with Strïth asleep it's even worse. Now we're in the living room, Ayla is on her tablet, reading one of the books Victor has chosen, while he and I are playing chess.I feel the air change and become a little heavier and Ishtar appears, with a tired expression but a smile on her face and a little wooden box in her hands. I know all this is going to cost a lot, but it'll be worth it, it has to."That's

Soren POV "Tell me honestly, did you want this?" I asked the girlShe swallowed dryly, and I held her chin, forcing our eyes to meet, and then I invaded her mind, she didn't show any resistance and just let me in and what I saw didn't please me, at first she liked Bryan because he was elegant and always attentive to her, but then he started to distance her from other men, fighting when she interacted with other people, he didn't use physical force, but the words of abuse were enough to make my anger almost get out of control. The fear she felt thinking that if she told the truth, no one would believe her and how he only did it in private places, with no one to see...Of course, humans don't know the extent of our powers, even living in the castle, and not all vampires can do what I did, but if she spoke to any of the officers, someone would surely have read her mind.I already had little patience when something like this happened, now that I have Ayla and I know that she was a slave,

The Thing POVI'm back in Victor's room, sitting at the table with the tablet in front of me. This Percy Jackson book is really interesting. I know it's fantasy. After all, although the Gods exist, they're not as described in the book. Humans are very creative, besides, focusing on the story helps me forget where I am and now it's my favorite place, inside a book.Instinctively I feel Soren approaching, by his smell and he sits down next to me, I know he's watching me read, it seems to be his favorite thing. His expression of adoration seems sincere."Ayla." He calls me by the name he gave me, but it makes no sense to me.After all, a slave doesn't need a name, but I think it makes it easier for others to identify me. I lift my gaze to look at him."You're going to start your lessons soon, I know Victor has already informed you about the teachers, but there are some things that only Victor or I can ask of you." Soren is more serious. "No one can touch you, not sexually or inappropriat