No, I am his wife. The word still sticks strangely in my mind. But I find myself using it more and more to reassure myself.
“I believe her because what she’s saying makes the most sense.” Ruvan’s voice has dropped, becoming dangerously quiet. I see the shadow of the vampir lord that took me and became my bloodsworn. But now that ferocity is turned toward one of his own in my defense. It’s almost unthinkable.
“Could it be another vampir who crossed the Fade and got stuck there? Maybe it’s nothing nefarious and he’s just been surviving?” Lavenzia asks optimistically.
“If that were the case, wouldn’t he treat Ventos as a savior arrived and not torture him?” I volley back.
“Maybe he was worried after working with the humans for so long we’d see him as an enemy?” The question is weak and betrays how unsure Lavenzia herself is about the possibility.
“What about what he said?” Ventos stops his furious pacing, deciding to stay rather than storm from the room.
“What he said?” Callos asks.
“Before he escaped us, he spoke:You will pay in blood, like the rest of your forsaken kind. I will have the throne I earned, and my vengeance for Loretta,” Ventos repeats. I remember the words just as sharply.
“Who’s Loretta?” Lavenzia wonders aloud after the words have sunk into everyone.
“Pretty name, songlike, but I’ve never heard it.” Winny must deem Ventos calm enough, because she returns to the table.
“I’ve never read about any Loretta.” Callos shakes his head.
“Pay in blood, pay like the rest ofyourforsaken kind,” Ruvan repeats softly. Then, louder, “Why forsaken? Why ‘your kind?’ Does he not see himself as one of us?”
“Glad he doesn’t if he’s trying to kill us,” Ventos declares.
“It could be one of those earlier rifts you mentioned,” Callos says with a small nod toward Ruvan. “Perhaps he’s the leader of one of those early factions that fought for power following, or even before King Solos’s death but before order was restored in desperation. It could explain why he sees the throne as his.”
“But what Drew said…he might mean the throne of the Elf King.” Winny scratches her head. “All this guessing is horrible.” I can’t disagree with her.
“Or maybe he was once human.” Drew sees the final piece to this puzzle, what I overlooked. All eyes are on him and my heart sinks. Perhaps things aren’t as simple as I once thought. It’s possible that Ruvan and I were both right, in our ways. “You said that humans can be transformed into vampirandthat a group of early humans escaped Midscape to found Hunter’s Hamlet shortly after the first human was. What if this man was that experimentation?”
“It would explain his appearance being slightly different from the vampir, even one afflicted with the curse.” Ruvan strokes his chin thoughtfully.
“And he would be even more motivated to curse the vampir if he was the man Jontun wrote about when speaking of the experimentation.” Callos stands, beginning to pace on the opposite end of the room where Ventos was previously. “A human turned. Loretta was likely a lost love, equally brutalized by the vampir. He’s one of us, but doesn’t see himself as such because he was forced to take those rites. He wants revenge and our kingdom as recompense. It all makes sense.”
“Great, now is all this talking going to lead to stabbing?” Lavenzia folds her arms. “We know where the bastard is, why not get him?”
“Getting him back is going to be hard enough.” Ventos motions to Drew. “We can’t risk launching any kind of attack until the next full moon.”
“You can’t honestly think that now that we know where he is, we’re going to sit here peacefully,” Winny protests. “A month isforever.”
“You were asleep for three thousand years. What’s a month?” Quinn rolls his eyes.
“I’m also of the opinion that we should go and get the bastard before he can find another form to take and give us the slip,” Lavenzia says.
The five of them argue. Ruvan and Drew are both silent. My brother stares at his palms. Ruvan’s mind is somewhere far away.
“This is what we’re going to do.” I slam my palm on the table. That combined with the volume and tone of my voice stuns them all to silence. “Drew, before you leave, you’re going to tell Callos everything you know about how the Hunter’s Elixir is made as well as anything else you can think of about this man. Callos, you’re going to get some elixir brewing as quickly as possible for Ruvan. Quinn can assist. Winny, Lavenzia, Ventos, you’re going to begin planning our attack in conjunction with Drew—however much time he has left with us at that point. If the elixir does give us enough power to get back, Drew will be our eyes on the Natural World’s side of the Fade. After Drew leaves, we continue to plan and prepare for the attack by searching for any other history we can find on who might be the Raven Man.”
“I won’t be able to go back,” Drew says warily. “Not now that the Raven Man knows I’m free.”
“Not all the way to Hunter’s Hamlet. You can stay hidden in the marshes.” I reach for his hand and squeeze it. “I know what I’m asking is hard, but it’s only a month.” The rest of them have made their sacrifices to help end this curse. It’s time I make mine. For all I want Drew to stay here with me, I know he can’t. And I can’t go back with him. Not yet.
“The Raven Man always seemed wary of the marshes. I should be safe.” I can sense Drew’s bravery is a front. It cracks a bit when he adds, “For a month, at least.”
“And you—” I turn to face Ruvan but am stilled by his expression. There’s a shine to his eyes, a shimmer of amusement and good spirits that I haven’t seen about him in weeks. I believe that look is reserved only for me, as I’ve never seen him give it to anyone else.
“You’re relentless,” he says softly, thoughtfully. The words should be angry or agitated but he almost sounds…happy? My stomach clenches for reasons I can’t quite describe.
