Page 17 of Blood Lord

Selene

Istare blankly at the man before me, his words echoing in my head.I am a vrakken. Vrakken. Vrakken.

No matter how many times I turn it over in my head, I can't make sense of the word. I've never heard of them, so I don't understand what that is supposed to mean.

He's staring at me with this expectant grin, and to my surprise, there's no disappointment in them. It's almost like he knew that I wouldn't understand.

"A vrakken?"

He chuckles. "I suspected that you wouldn't know. If you did, you would've recognized me when we first met."

I shake my head. "I don't understand. You haven't really answered any of my questions. I don't even know your name, and you're trying to tell me that you are part of some species that I've never heard of when I've spent my entire life on Protheka."

His smile is honestly more breathtaking than I thought it would be, especially when the corners pull down as he tries to hide how amused he is. "My name is Raziel," he finally says.

"Raziel." I like the way it feels as I say it, and he grins even wider. "And you are a vrakken."

"Yes." He seems to make sense of the question without me asking it. "Vrakken are an old race that only few know now. We live below Protheka's surface."

My head is spinning. "Below the surface?"

"Yes, in cavernous tunnels. You see, we are beings of intense magic, even more powerful than the dark elves. We are the chosen people of Akeldama, led to this planet by the First, and given a truly magical place to live by our god."

This guy sounds like he is speaking utter nonsense, but I home in on one thing he said. It's the only thing that makes sense really. "Led to this planet? So, you are from another planet? Are you an alien?"

Raziel reclines back, propping a hand on his bent knee as he regards me, a soft chuckle spilling out of his lips. Every noise he makes sounds musical to my ears. "No more than you."

That catches me by surprise, and my mind spins. I'm growing more and more confused; none of his answers really provide any clarity. I just blink, trying to process what he's staying, but none of it makes any sense.

"I'm not an alien," I finally say, deciding that he has confused me with some other creature that does live underground. "I am from Protheka. I was born in Liiandor. I have lived there all my life."

Again, Raziel chuckles, and my skin warms, both because it is irritating and attractive. "But where is your race from?" he asks with a suggestive arch of his thick eyebrows.

I open my mouth to answer, but then stop, my jaw hanging open. I guess I always assumed we were from Protheka. I know I am. I thought my parents were. But the cocky way he waits for my answer tells me he knows the truth.

"I-I don't know," I answer defeatedly.

"Most don't, though I'm sure some stories have been passed down." I lift my eyes to see his gaze is tilted up, and he has a faraway look to his expression. It's almost like he's reminiscing. "Vrakken are from a planet called Earth. It's much like this with, but without magic and only humans."

I start at that, but he continues, his gaze drifting down to take in my astounding surprise as he continues to tell me his history—which I'm not even sure I believe. "When we were brought to Protheka, we brought a great number of humans with us. Unfortunately, the Great War broke out between us vrakken and those intolerable dark elves, and we were led underground."

Raziel shifts forward, and my skin tingles as he stares at me. His hand twitches like he's going to touch me, and I want him to. But he clasps his fingers instead as he whispers, "I didn't know at the time we had left humans behind on the surface. I was surprised to find you up here."

"There's a lot of us, but I didn't know we used to have different masters. I thought we had always been enslaved by the dark elves."

"Oh, no." Raziel's face shifts into a mask of rage that inexplicably turns me on. Why do I love how expressive he is? "The dark elves don't deserve you. The humans are fated to the vrakken, and it is an abomination that they took you as they did."

"So, there are more humans, then? Underground?"

He withdraws, and I can see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "We took them with us there, yes." He draws a breath, and before I ask a follow up question, he adds, "I'm surprised your parents didn't tell you about Earth. Isn't tradition an important thing to humans?"

Though it may upset some people, it doesn't bother me as I shrug, answering, "I don't have parents."

Raziel seems taken back by this, though, as he cocks his head, his voice softening. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."

I wave him off. "There is nothing to be sorry for. I'm sure if I knew what it was like to have a family, I'd miss it, but I grew up without one. I can't miss something or be sad that I missed out when I don't know what it's like."

He purses his lips, nodding, and I take this as an opportunity to ask another question. He's being much more forthcoming with his explanation, and although I'm not convinced he isn't just a human with a broken mind, I'm curious to learn more about him.

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