Page 73 of You’re So Vein

“One night of happiness isn’t enough to make up for what she’s missing.” Komal’s topaz eyes flash. “Augustin, this is cruel. That girl is never going to have a real life. She should be able to own a shop one day if she wants to, go to college, vote in your vampire… elections? If that’s a thing that happens.”

“The courts have constitutional monarchies.”

“Augustin. I don’t care.” The copper in her eyes flashes bright, and I know that look well. It’s Komal thinking, scheming, trying to find a way to fix what is broken. That’s her. She listens to everyone, and she wants to make all their problems go away, even if it destroys her.

But there’s no fixing Hannah because she’s not broken. The vampire world is broken, and Komal can’t fix that, no matter how much she wants to.

“I know.” I hang my head. “I know Hannah doesn’t deserve this life. That’s why I’m trying to get the laws changed.”

That gets her attention. “You’re what?”

“When I heard Gideon and Alaric had made some headway with the Conclave about the laws governing vampire–human relationships, I felt this might be my chance to give Hannah a different life. Gideon came to me to discuss his plans for Sanctus and seek my support with the council, and I took the greatest risk and revealed the truth about Hannah. When he’d picked his handsome jaw off the floor, he declared her a miracle and that he would throw his support behind me. He thought Hannah might even help Alaric’s case, because if we can prove that Dhampir aren’t dangerous, that provides an even stronger reason for changing the laws. But then he said he had a condition.”

Komal dares a smile at that. “Of course Gideon has conditions. He and Arabella are perfect for each other. Do you know she still makes Maisie call her ‘O Magnificent One’?”

“I believe it.” I’m well acquainted with Gideon’s wobbly moral compass. “Gideon promised me that if I pushed through the approvals for Sanctus, he would give us a place to live there, and he would make sure that Hannah was safe. With the husker operating in the village and now going after vampires, I wanted us to move in immediately, but when I went to Gideon, he said it would be too dangerous to move in a Dhampir while under Conclave scrutiny. He wanted me to wait, but…” I shake my head. “The night Alyra was killed, I went to Sanctus to confront Gideon, but he wouldn’t come out.”

“To be fair, he was preoccupied with Arabella.”

“I understand that now. In my desperation, I made a spectacle of myself. Hannah is getting older. Every day, she misses more of life. I can’t give her what she needs. I’ll never be enough.”

I think of how I acted that day, how I lost myself in front of the Sanctus gates, with all the fancy vampires watching in disdain as I hurled insults at yet another set of walls that kept Hannah out of the life she deserved.

“Hey.” Komal shifts closer, sticking her foot out of the bottom of the blanket to nudge mine. Her touch is fire and comfort. “It’s not about you not being enough. I saw Hannah giggling when you played shop with her. You were having fun. Look at this beautiful cottage. I can’t believe you made it yourself, for her. You may not be her biological father, but you’ve given Hannah more than any other vampire could. That doesn’t mean it isn’t cruel for the Conclave to keep her here.”

“If they can allow humans and vampires to marry, that is the first step,” I say. “It’s imperative we succeed at each challenge and convince at least two of them to vote with us.”

“And that’s why you were so afraid of me being involved?” Her eyebrow arches.

“Kael will never accept Dhampir, but Irene might if we can present an academic argument. Dante should agree, although he and I have a history that complicates things.” My voice cracks on the word history, but I don’t elaborate. I can’t open another wound tonight. “This is our chance to change vampire society for the better, and I can’t risk a human ruining it… not even one as brilliant as you.”

She grins her wide, cheeky grin. “You think I’m brilliant?”

Oops. “You have proven a worthy adversary.”

“Have I indeed?” Komal leans back against the sofa cushions and sips her chai.

“You can’t tell anyone about Hannah.” I frown. “If the Conclave find out about her, they’ll have her killed.”

“I would never. But in the challenge last night, Dante used a Midnight Murmur spell, which is creepy as hell, by the way. He told me that Kael has an ulterior motive for being here. He has an interest in finding out why you want the laws changed.”

Of course Kael has an ulterior motive. He used to visit Dusk Court all the time to meet with our conservative faction. Kael wants to go back to a world where humans are a food source and nothing more. He must mean to spy on Sanctus to see if its failings could be used to his benefit. But why does Dante think he needs to warn me? Why is he using Komal to give me messages? What he did to me wasn’t enough, he has to torture me anew?

Komal continues. “Dante thinks you should be careful.”

“I’m always careful.” I’ve been looking over my shoulder for Hannah’s whole life.

“And I’m always sexy with incredible intuition. That must be why I was chosen as the champion. But you should be extra careful. Dante went to a lot of effort to warn me. He said you wouldn’t listen.” Komal waves her cup, which she has somehow emptied in two long gulps. “Do you have any more tea? Vampire blood aside, chai with honey is my favourite.”

“I know.”

I go to the kitchen. Hannah’s hiding under the table, clutching the chair legs like they’re the bars to a cage. I hate the image that conjures up. “Is she going to tell on me?”

“In Komal’s words, she would never.” I smooth my hand over her hair, the warmth in my chest expanding. “We can trust her. But you can’t bite her again.”

“I know. I didn’t mean to. Once I started, I couldn’t stop…”

Hannah ladles the warm chai into three mugs, adds a generous amount of blood to hers and mine, then helps me fix a tray of her favourite treats. She drapes a tea towel over her arm like a waiter.