“Yes,” I said calmly, “it’s connected to my vampire heritage. Butnot solely because of that.”
I stepped toward her, just enough that I could feel the shift in the air. Her sweet gaze didn’t waver from mine… like she felt the pull between us just as I did.
“It happens when I lose control.” My fingertips brushed softly against the strands of her hair. “When the hunger stirs too close to the surface.” I paused, letting the words settle. It was obvious what I meant, but I didn’t want to scare her away.
“Hunger… for what?”
“A deep,sexualdesire for you… obviously,” my brother bluntly admitted, his eyes trailing along her body.
I stiffened, turning toward him with my jaw tightening. His vicious siren eyes gleaming with amusement. Typical Sparrow. Always saying the most inappropriate things and never missing a chance to embarrass me.
“And that’s also why Xavier reacted so strongly when Aura insulted you,” Sparrow continued, grinning like a mischievous child. “Vampires don’t respond too well to insults, especially when it’s about someone they…
“Enough,” I snapped.Must he always be so childish and annoying?
I turned back to Gwendolyn, my gaze softening. No force on earth could quiet the storm raging inside my soul quite like those pretty brown eyes.
“I won’t let anyone insult you, Gwendolyn. And you don’t need to be afraid of me… my heritage doesn’t pose any danger to you.”
She stayed quiet, her mind clearly spinning through all the information Sparrow and I had shared with her. Her silence didn’t bother me, it meant she was listening.
“My mother was born in Marabour,” I began, aiming to distract her—and I knew mortals loved fairytales. “Alongside Aetrum and the Seelie Court, they form what one could call the Elven Kingdom.”
“Let me guess, Seelie means good and Unseelie means evil?” I couldn’t help the small smirk tugging at my lips.
“That’s a charming mortal view. But no, not quite. Seelies are structured, diplomatic and ambitious. Unseelies are impulsive, chaotic, and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Good and evil exist in both courts.”
Sparrow suddenly burst into laughter. I raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “What now?”
“Since when are Seelies ambitious? They are the laziest people I know of… Dandelion has ruled the Eternal Throne for decades and has not yet accepted that his powers aren’t ambitiousenough to reign.”
“What is the Eternal Throne?” she asked.
“It’s the most powerful position in our world. Centuries ago, a law was passed saying only the most powerful sorcerer could sit upon it. But Dandelion… well, he’s refused to accept that the power no longer belongs to him. And because elves from Aetrum are soambitious…” My gaze wandered back to Sparrow. “They don’t care about following their own laws. Otherwise, he would have given up his reign and his son would have been ruling now.”
“So, he’s not the rightful ruler?”
“No,” I replied quietly. “His son is. However, Dandelion clings to the throne like it’s an extension of his ego.”
“Was Aura talking about him… when she said…?”
“Aura meant his son. They shared one night, and now she believes she deserves a crown,” I murmured, the annoyance evident in the tone of my voice.
“She’s delusional about their relationship,” Sparrow said. “Besides, he isn’t even the heir anymore… even if heisstill the most powerful.”
There was something painful in his voice, something too personal.
“Nathaniel,” I said softly.
Sparrow’s expression faltered. I knew how much that name meant to him. How much the man meant to him.
Dandelion would never accept a bond between them, longing for purity in his bloodline. He even preferred cousin-to-cousin unions before he’d allow any other heritage not to his liking into the royal family. But Sparrow was more than just an outsider to Dandelion. Siren men, unlike most, were capable of both conceiving and impregnating, regardless of gender. That made him a far greater threat than any noble from Marabour or the Vampire Kingdom. He didn’t just love Nathaniel. Sparrow’s heritage line would have the potential to merge with Dandelion’s bloodline in a way that could change everything for the relationship between elves and sirens.
And Dandelion… Dandelion would burn entire realms before allowing their powers to align. He’d even ignite a war. And that’s why I had to see my brother avoiding the man he loved every single day and drinking himself to sleep every night. Just to forget.
“Who is Nathaniel?” Gwendolyn asked.
I glanced at Sparrow, silently offering him the choice to speak.
