The instant the ropes loosened from her wrists, Tata's first reaction was to curl up, as if this wasn't freedom, but the prelude to some kind of punishment.
She warily stared at the grilled meat patty He Xi held out to her, a low, threatening growl rumbling in her throat like a feral cat cornered against a wall.
Food?
A trap!
Either it was poisoned, or he wanted to buy her over with food, then do something excessive to her once she let down her guard.
Before her clanspeople had been taken away, those slavers had used similar methods.
"Eat. You're hungry." His voice sounded calm.
Tata instinctively wanted to retort, to call him a hypocrite.
But for some reason, the words caught in her throat.
What he said... seemed to be right.
The thought surfaced without warning, startling even her.
She really was starving.
"If I wanted to do anything to you, there'd be no need to waste a meat patty Zoya made herself." He Xi continued in a gentle tone. "Poison is too much trouble, and a dead person can't answer my questions."
His words reached her ears clearly, every single one seeming... perfectly reasonable.
Tata found herself unable to refute him.
Yeah, the patty smelled so good. What a waste it would be.
Besides, if he wanted to kill her, it would take only an instant. There was no need for such complicated methods.
She raised her head and looked at He Xi again.
The dim fireplace flames danced across his profile. Those black eyes were calm and deep, without the slightest trace of malice.
Strange. He was obviously a hateful, perverted human, so why did he look... so convincing to a kitty?
She sneakily glanced at him again...
Among humans, he should count as fairly good-looking,