I greeted him, attempting to sound indifferent as I returned to my book. But my mind refused to focus, drifting back to last night—the feelings I had confessed to him, the truth that I still loved him. My request for him to turn me into a Blood Hunter.
All night, I had been plagued by thoughts of foolishness and weakness. But I had made up my mind. I wanted tobecome a Blood Hunter. It felt like the only way to live alongside Draven without feeling like prey. I couldn’t live in fear anymore—not even the fear of death.
I understood that I would never again see or feel the sun, and that thought weighed heavily on my heart. Yet, I found some solace in the idea of tending to my garden at night, asking Imalda to cut the blooms so I could savour their beauty indoors.
I shifted slightly as Draven sat down beside me. I longed to move closer, to feel his touch, but hesitation held me back. I was not sure where our relationship stood anymore. Sensing my uncertainty, he gently lifted my curled legs and rested them on his lap, starting to massage my calves with a soothing touch.
“Is this all right?” he asked, his hands easing the tension from my sore muscles. I nodded, my eyes fixed on his face, and his pale eyes met mine.
“Your eyes are very pale,” I said, admiring them.
“Yes, they are,” he replied.
“Have they always been that pale? Or did they get lighter …after?”
“Mine were quite bright and pale when I was … human. My mother had the same eye colour. However, over the years, they became lighter.”
“I see,” I said, closing my book and placing it on my lap. I looked down at my hands, unsure of how to continue our conversation. Countless questions swirled in my mind. I looked at my left hand, the ring finger devoid of my wedding ring, which I had flung away in a fit of rage. The cut from the dagger on my palm was tender, and I ran my fingers down the newly formed scabs.
“You do not resemble the other Blood Hunters I have seen,” I said.
A slow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You have likely encountered the wilder sort. Feral things, drunk on blood and madness, who skulk through alleys and prey upon the weak. I assure you, not all of us are beasts.”
He straightened, a trace of pride lifting his voice. “Immortality need not come at the cost of dignity. And besides, you have likely crossed paths with more of us than you ever knew.”
“How old are you?” I asked, feeling a sudden nervousness wash over me.
“Over one hundred and fifty years old,” he admitted, his words hanging heavily in the air. I felt as though none of my problems mattered anymore. He had been living in the shadows in this mansion, mostly alone, for over a century. He must have been so lonely.
“Am I your first wife?” I asked, tentatively staring into the fire. I could not bear to meet his gaze as I held my breath waiting for his response.
“No,” he confessed.
“Was the nursery for your child? Were you a father?”
“Yes and no,” Draven answered cryptically. “I should also add, in case you are wondering, that I did not willingly choose to become a Blood Hunter.”
“Please share everything with me. I want to know.”
He drew me closer, and I nestled my head against his shoulder, listening intently as he spoke.
“Long ago, I was married to a woman named Emily.” Her name stirred a pang of jealousy within me, despite the passage of time and my own lovers before Draven. I pushed those feelings away as I continued to listen.
“We shared only a year of marriage, anticipating the arrival of our child. However, as the pregnancy progressed, Emily fell gravely ill. Though unspoken, we both understoodthat she would not survive,” Draven said, looking into the fire.
“I was determined to find a cure for her ailment. I scoured the lands in search of healers, physicians, and even witches. On occasion, I would leave Emily for days or weeks to search for a cure. Nevertheless, despite my efforts, I could not find one. One night, consumed by despair, I found myself drowning in hopelessness in a tavern. Emily’s illness haunted my thoughts, her weakened state a constant reminder of my failure. And even though fear gripped me, I could not bear the thought of her passing without having sought out every possible solution.
“A mysterious woman approached me at the tavern that night; her beauty masked the true darkness that lay beneath. I poured out my worries to her in a desperate and drunken state, and, to my surprise, she offered to help. She said she had a way for Emily and me to be together forever. Drunk and vulnerable, I followed her into the night. She led me down a tunnel, and eventually we entered a room. I found myself surrounded by other beautiful women. They held me down and drank from me. When I was on the brink of death, the woman from the tavern offered me her blood to drink.
“I awoke, naked and freezing in a forest, stripped of not only my clothes but my humanity. Before I realized what had happened, I felt an insatiable hunger. I was gone for weeks before I regained awareness of who I was.
“When I returned to Emily, she was repulsed by my transformation, telling me that I was the devil and a monster. She would not let me into the house. When she went into labour, the scent of blood hung heavy in the air, drawing me to the home. Yet as I approached, an invisible barrier held me back. I was unable to enter without Emily inviting me in. I stood helplessly on the outside, my heart breaking with each agonized cry echoing from within. I longed to rush to her aid,to offer her comfort, but I was condemned to listen from afar as she and our child slipped away. I knew she was gone the moment the barrier lifted and the Manor finally allowed me inside. Yet, I was still trapped in the darkness of my own making.”
My heart ached for him, tears slipping down my cheeks as he recounted the painful tale. His gentle touch brushed them away, a silent reassurance.
“I am sorry. That must have been horrible,” I offered softly, my voice trembling. “Everything you have gone through. It must have been quite lonely. Do you still miss her?”
“Yes, I still miss her,” he replied. “Though it was quite a long time ago, and my memories have softened with the years. I loved her deeply, and she will forever remain a part of me. In many ways, you remind me of her.”
