April 19
Elina,
This week, being around you while you work has been both a nightmare, and a dream. I want nothing more than to take you in my arms and hold you against me. I want to smell your hair. You smell the way I imagine strawberries taste. Sweet and sticky. Is it your shampoo or something…you? I appreciate that you aren’t asking me to leave your life completely and are letting me exist in your universe for a little longer. It means more to me than you know.
You asked in one of your letters this week about Talia so I will share the story.
Talia is almost as old as I am. She grew up in what is now London. Her mother was a brothel worker, her father a dockhand. She was attacked in the street and turned into a vampire about 350 years ago, give or take a few years. I met her in Egypt about 100 years ago and she joined our court, earning herself a spot among the Casa del Corvo di Sangue, after proving herself to Marcus during a fight against another clan. We were friends for a long time—I helped her understand the court dynamics since she had been mostly alone her entire life as a vampire. When Marcus made his intention to try and capture Ville de Sang from L’Empire desOmbres Nocturnes about 10 years before we actually made a move, Talia was standing by his side as a trusted member of his court. He deferred to her for advice as she had proved her prowess in battle. When the Guerre de Sang was concluded and we were the new rulers of the city, Marcus convened the family and the court, announcing his intention to name me his heir. His brothers, the other males in his line, could be his heir, but he had always favored my mother and therefore favored me. Only males can inherit, unfortunately, due to the progeny situation, but I am the eldest of my cousins anyway, so that helps.
After Marcus named me his heir, the way she looked at me changed. She started spending more time with me and we grew closer. We began getting more serious and as that happened, it became obvious that the only reason behind her sudden interest was that I was now principe. She could never be principessa on her own and she knew Marcus would approve of the match. She planned to take the Legame di Sangue with me and stake her claim. I realized this and broke things off with her. She has been pretty angry about it for 20 years. So her anger isn’t toward you, it’s toward me. Yours is too. Tell me how to fix this. Tell me how to keep you from slipping away.
Good night, Elina.
-Bash
