Page 23 of The Nephilim's Finesse

I remained silent, contemplating Nate's and Puriel's words. Change was inevitable, yet still worrisome. Our kind had lived in secret for centuries, bound by ancient rules to ensure our survival. But the modern world made it difficult to contain the young.

My fingers laced together as I leaned forward. “Like what?”

Nate sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "Like they don’t want to wait until they are twenty-one to get the full membership. They want the initiation ritual at eighteen."

“Some want to go to public schools, mingle more with the humans,” Puriel added.

“The witches do this, too. They would take the normal subjects in school and the magical courses with us,” Nate added.

Puriel’s fists landed on a desk. “I say that we should end this nonsense. We had done this for a reason. Every teenager rebels eventually, and it’s our responsibility to give them direction.”

"No," I said at last, my voice low and gravelly. "We must adapt. The old ways served us well for a time, but that time has passed. We must forge a new path."

Puriel's eyes gleamed with interest. "A path to what end?"

"A path to a new order. One that balances our history with the present. If we don't evolve, we will fade into obscurity, mere relics of the past, like Asasel." I gazed at each of them in turn, conviction burning in my chest. "It is time for change."

Nate's lips twitched into a smile. "Well said, my friend. I had asked Kalaziel for her opinion on the matter.”

I tilted my head. Kalaziel was the Nephilim responsible for the kids' education and well-being. Once the school in Scotland, which Nate, Puriel, and the Nephilim aged thirty and above had visited, started to experience a decrease in its student population and closed, Kalaziel took over education.

“She states that teaching so many different ages together is difficult. She would prefer the change. It would benefit the children if they mingle more with their peers.”

Puriel pursed her lips. “Maybe. Since the Nephilim now take the kids home anyway, and they don’t stay here anymore, perhaps it would fit if they go to a public school.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “I think this is a good solution.” Nate and Puriel agreed.

“And what about moving the initiation ritual forward?” Nate asked.

Puriel shook her head. “No way, they are way too young to be soldiers at that age! Believe me, I know we are few and need any capable warrior we can get, but I won’t send them to their doom.”

I bobbed my head in agreement. “I think we should ask Azariel, too. But I guess she’ll take your side here, Puriel.”

“Yes, I’d sleep better, too, if we didn’t reduce their age at entry,” Nate said while scratching his beard.

Puriel turned to face us, a crease forming between her brows. "The vampires grow bolder. I've had reports that a few of the older ones are amassing weaponry and followers." Her melodious voice was grim. "I think they mean to free Victorija or start a war."

I leant forward, steepling my fingers. The familiar weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders, as tangible as the wood beneath my hands.

"Then it seems we have our work cut out for us," I said.

"How's the interrogation going? We need answers. The sooner, the better," Puriel insisted.

As if I didn’t know. "Victorija is very close to talking," I said with conviction. "I'm almost there."

Puriel's golden eyes narrowed, her curiosity palpable. "You've been at it for weeks now. What makes you so sure she's about to crack?"

I smiled, remembering the proposal I offered. Flashes of Victorija writhing on the bed, vibrator between her thighs, sprang unbidden to mind. Her pale skin flushed, and green eyes clouded with desire as she guided the vibrator around her entrance. The memory sent a rush of heat through my veins. I shook my head slightly, forcing the image away. Now wasn't the time for distractions. "She's stubborn, but I have ways of making her talk."

Nate's eyes glinted with amusement, though his voice remained neutral. "I see. And you're certain your methods will yield results?"

My face heated at the implication in his tone. Trust Nate to see right through me. "Yes," I said, sharper than intended. "I'll get what we need from her."

Victorija's moans echoed in my memory, and I grimaced. Her pleasure had been a means to an end, a necessity. But still, the sounds haunted me and did things to me that I couldn't quite explain.

Nate studied me, his piercing gaze seeing too much as always. "You enjoy this far too much, my friend. Be careful you do not lose yourself to the thrill of the hunt."

Heat rose in my cheeks at the images drifting through my mind of pale skin and red hair spread across dark sheets. I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "One must find pleasure in their work or else go mad from the tedium of it."

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