Page 98 of No One’s Daughter

​“Anything.”

​“Why are you going against your own people?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. “I know you’ve said you don't agree with them or whatever, but it seems like this is a huge risk to yourself.”

​He stilled for a moment. Actually stilled, and I thought he might not answer, falling straight back into old habits. “They’re not my people,” he said eventually. Something in his tone made my stomach drop. “I’m a spy.”

​My mouth fell agape as my eyes widened. “Sorry—you’re a what?”

​“I’ve been undercover for over a century,” he continued, like he was talking about the weather, not casually dismantling my entire understanding of him. “I work under my maker’s instruction. He is influential in our home land, but not enough to bring about change from the top. So we’ve been working in secret, in underground networks. Quietly dismantling it all from within.”

​I blinked at him.

​Once.

​Twice.

​“And Marlette?” I asked slowly. Does she know?”

​“No. Not everything.” That answer came far too easily.

​“Wait—” I shook my head. “How do I fit into this?” I think I knew what he was going to say. I must have been important for him to risk everything for me. But I wasn’t quite ready to believe it. I was no one.

​“You’re the key. The one we’ve been waiting for. The prophesied one.”

​I shook my head. No I wasn’t. I couldn’t be.

​“The prophesied one?” I scoffed. “That’s what you’re going with?”

​“Yes.”

​“What if you’re wrong?”

​“I’m not.”

​The certainty in his voice made something twist uncomfortably in my chest.

​“And what exactly is the prophecy?”

​“Long ago, a seer prophesied that one day, someone with power greater than anyone had ever seen would arrive and take us back to how things are supposed to be. Someone that will have the power to dismantle vampire society as we know it. At least, that’s how we’ve interpreted it. Valerius believes himself to be the prophesied one, and he’s been searching for some power source to allow him to take on his father.”

​I shook my head. It was too much. Too much that I didn’t understand and I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t. Not with Claire out there.

​I’d have to ignore all of that for now, save it for another day because I couldn’t split my mind right now. I hated these damn vampires so fucking much.

​I had to focus on Claire, my mind wouldn’t allow anything else.

​“So,” I said after a moment, exhaling slowly. “This blood pact, how does it work?”

​“We mix our blood,” he explained, already reaching for the blade at his side. “And swear under it. Binding. In our case, I will swear my allegiance to you. You… to keep what I’ve told you to yourself unless it aids you.”

​“That’s it?”

​“That’s it,” he repeated,

​“And what if you break your word?”

​He met my gaze, unflinching. “Then I suffer from the curse of breaking it, in other words insufferable pain,” he said, slicing his palm with the blade. His blood welled immediately and before I could back out, I took the knife from him and did the same to my palm. Our hands came together, our blood mixing.

​Warm and wet.