"I did not hurt you!" snaps Rashad, distantly noting that there must still be energy from Rush bleeding through into his behavior. That's unusual; if he's calm enough to talk the emotions should be leaving him altogether. Perhaps it was a mistake to feed from the same person so frequently.

He still does not look at either of them. Could he escape? He may very well be able to escape. But would there be repercussions for simply leaving at this juncture, worse than the repercussions of staying? "Every living thing must eat," he says, finally uncovering enough of his face to peer up at Asadi, and then at Rush.