That was a relief. A small one.
“Is it possible your sire hasn’t devolved?”
Connor had been right last night. If we were dealing with someone in the midst of devolution, they would have tried to feed off us. The fact this stalker hadn’t, meant he either wasn’t as far gone as people thought or we were totally off base.
“No one has seen him in centuries,” Liam admitted. “He disappeared without a word. Though his mental state in the decades beforehand was concerning. He’d grown paranoid and short tempered. There were several incidents that made the council wary.”
From the careful way Liam said that, I assumed people had gotten hurt and/or died.
“I take it from the way you speak there’s no hard evidence to point to devolution,” I said.
Liam ducked his chin. “Just rumor and innuendo.”
“Then it’s possible he’s not devolved. Connor suggested an extended sleep could explain the appearance of my stalker.”
Liam nodded, running a hand down my back. “He’s right, but the council will be difficult to convince. Given his behavior prior to his disappearance and the fact he was their ruler, there are some who think they would benefit from new leadership.”
I put my chin on his chest. “What do you think?”
Liam’s face was contemplative. “I’m not convinced Ahrun has fully devolved, but I don’t wish to take chances with your life. If you see him—run.”
It was funny that he thought I could escape an ancient vampire on my own. Even one who wasn’t devolved. When we both knew I’d be better off holding my breath and hoping he didn’t see me.
“Interesting name. Ahrun.”
“I asked him about that once. When I knew him, he was going by the name Aaron to fit in with the humans around him. He told me he’d had so many names throughout the ages that he no longer remembered his first.”
“Did you believe him?”
Liam’s eyebrow quirked. “It’s hard to believe anyone could forget something like that. Then again, Ahrun is older than civilization itself. From the way he spoke, it sounded like his name didn’t exist anymore.”
I couldn’t imagine what that was like. To be so old that your name had passed into the sands of time. No wonder their sire had kind of lost it. To live in a world where your name was no longer spoken or even remembered.
“Why do Dominick and his master hate your line, anyway?” I asked.
Liam adjusted me against his chest. “Vitus and Ahrun’s history is long and complicated, spanning almost two thousand years. From what Ahrun told me, Vitus was raised by him in much the same way Thomas was. Only, unlike Thomas, Ahrun saw something in the boy that made him wary. He refused to change him into a vampire.”
I could see how that might have angered the boy. To know your father figure had no intention of offering what must have seemed like the greatest gift possible.
“The two went their own ways and Vitus found someone to do what Thomas wouldn’t. From what I heard, it took a lot of effort on Vitus’s part since no vampire wanted to upset an ancient of Ahrun’s standing.”
“Let me guess. The person he found wasn’t sunshine and rainbows.”
“Very cruel in fact,” Liam said. “The vampire was known for his depravity. I’m sure Vitus suffered in his care.”
It was hard to be sympathetic for a vampire who was actively plotting our deaths.
“How angry was he when he learned about Thomas?”
I was guessing the news had left him enraged. There he was, suffering, while his father handed over eternal life to another. He’d probably felt betrayed.
Liam nodded. “I think he was more upset about me than Thomas. Our first century was filled with assassination attempts. We learned quickly to master our new abilities.”
Rather than anger, there was a hint of nostalgia in Liam’s expression. As if he remembered those times with fondness.
Of course, I would choose a lover who thought attempted murder was a form of entertainment.
“Dominick was Vitus’s answer to the insult. He found him on the streets and raised him to adulthood before offering him the change.”
