“It doesn’t bother you?”
He sighed. “Valentine, what do you know about vampires?”
“Enough. I know you guys like killing. That you hate anyone not kin—in your clan. And that you don’t feel fear.”
“All true. Mostly. But stereotypes are just that. We’re all different, each tribe leaning toward certain characteristics.” Seeing how she hung on his words, he warmed to the topic. “Reapers, for example, are more solitary than other tribes. Though vampires as a whole don’t fear death, they aren’t as comfortable with it as I am. I understand it in a way they can’t, because they don’t appreciate the balance that must be maintained.”
She nodded. “Exactly. It’s not about an end, but a balance that keeps the gaps even. Life for death. Death for life. What happens after the end is a new beginning that keeps the cycle going.”
“Yes. Controlling the dead makes others uncomfortable.” He gave a satisfied smile. “I appreciate that.”
“I do too, kind of. For a long time, I’ve been running. Humans aren’t like vampires. We fear what we can’t control. And humans especially fear death. Everyone has wanted to kill me from the time I understood what death was.” She frowned. “My parents did their best to protect me, but we were running not just from MEC and other magir, but from Vladimir too. He has a thing about stealing necromancer power.”
“And he sought your parents.”
“They were really powerful necromancers. Well, in addition to him.”
“And you. You’re powerful.”
“Mostly because there aren’t many of us left. It makes me mad and sad at the same time.” She stared into his eyes, hers so sincere. “Why should I have to die because other magir are afraid of me? I haven’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. I never start fights. But I’m tired of running just because I have a power that makes other people uncomfortable. It’s not fair.”
“It’s notright.Fairness is a subjective concept.” He studied her. “Why haven’t you gotten revenge on everyone who’s ever hurt you?”
“Who says I haven’t?”
“Have you?”
She shrugged and toyed with her cheesecake. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not a monster.”
“You say ‘monster’ like it’s a bad thing.”
Her sweet smile startled him, and his heart raced. “You wouldn’t think it was, would you?”
“No. I don’t care what anyone thinks about me. I accept myself for my strengths.”
“And weaknesses?”
He scoffed. “Vampires don’t have weaknesses. Well, reapers don’t.”Pride is your weakness,Nergal had said. But perhaps he should have said that Valentine was his weakness.
While Khent acted like he didn’t care what anyone thought of him, he cared what she thought. How strange.
“I’m weak,” she admitted.
“It’s not your fault you’re human.” He thought that sounded nice.
She chuckled. “That’s not why I’m weak.”
He held his tongue on that one.
“I’m weak because I want revenge on Vladimir. I want to take from him until he’s not just dying but hopeless. I want him to lose everything that ever mattered to him.”
He approved. “And that makes you weak?”
“It makes me vulnerable. I might hesitate to hurt him or take out a target if it might kill me before I’ve achieved my goals. And I worry about Talon, about the shifters.”
