Page 16 of When Bones Whisper
“What do you know of my suffering?” he asked, the flare of his nostrils betraying the otherwise eerie stillness of the rest of his face and body.
“Nothing, but I know what I would choose given the choice.”
It wasn’t a lie. The first time she’d read about the curse of vampirism in a grimoire, she’d thought to herself that it did not seem to be much of a curse at all. Yes, living forever was not ideal, and the thought of drinking blood turned her stomach, but she would embrace it all if it meant living without constant pain. Most people only dreamed of holding that kind of power, the type where they could be strong enough, so they never had to fear another man again.
Her eyes drifted upward when Nathaniel ran his fingers over his neatly trimmed facial hair and stepped closer, a glint flashing in his pupils. “You wish to be like me?”
“Not like you, but a vampire, yes,” she stated, clarifying the distinction. Because if she was cursed, she wouldn’t kill an entire bloodline for her own gain.
“Why?”
She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, and for the briefest moment, his eyes dropped to her mouth. “It would not be so awful to be invincible.”
“You crave power.”
“I want to be free of pain,” she corrected, rolling her ankles against the bed, hearing the clicking of her bones as she did.
“What kind of pain?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he took another step forward. “Tell me, what is so terrible about being mortal?”
Her chest heaved. The better question was what she would miss about being mortal, other than the promise of an ending. After clearing her throat, she looked into his cold, unblinkingeyes. “It depends. What is it you can’t do that mortals can, other than eating regular food and dying?”
“Everything, Miss Lovett.” Longing threaded his stare, making her stomach flip. “You get to experience everything with fresh eyes. Do you know what I would give to taste that novelty again? You get to watch the sunrise every day, unburdened by the shadows I am forced to hide myself in.”
“You cannot go out in the sun?” she asked, surprised that part of the lore was true. “I thought nothing could kill a vampire?”
“It won’t, but the sun weakens us, and I cannot afford to make myself vulnerable to my enemies. While I cannot die, as long as the Avery witches are in the world, they’ll always find imaginative ways to make me suffer. Trust my word, Miss Lovett. You do not want this curse.”
“No,” she said, twisting her mouth. “I get to instead live a life that is pointless and die before it really begins. I would rather be a vampire than have the life I do.”
His fingers flexed at his sides. “I’ve never met someone so eager to be cursed. Do you wish to watch all your loved one's die?”
She hated the judgmental tone in his voice and how quickly his emotions shifted.
“I already have. There is little left for me to lose,” she said.
“Forgive me.” He paused, his expression softening for a flicker of a moment. “I heard about the massacre, how you almost died at your father’s hand.”
Her stomach lurched at the shift in his tone.
“You read the papers,” she said, her mouth twisting. Of course he knew what happened. Everyone did.
“I heard you attended your father’s funeral.”
Her heartbeat stuttered and she quickly averted her gaze. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“I…don’t know.”
Because she was gullible and a fool? He likely thought so. No one understood why she did. How could she possibly explain that her father was not himself? They called her delusional, but she knew how far he was willing to go. At least, she thought she did. Coming to terms with that hurt.
“How did you find out about my existence?” she asked when he didn’t say anything else.
“A witch inadvertently told me that your line had not died out.”
“Inadvertently?” she repeated. “You mean you tortured them?”
“No,” he replied but did not seem offended by the accusation. “I can taste memories, emotions too. I experience them through drinking blood. That’s how I found out about you, the great-great-granddaughter of the secret child born to a Lysanmore noblewoman.” He gestured to her. “The Avery family must have discovered the truth not long before me. It is why they were coming for you, although I cannot understand why they want you dead other than to punish me.”
