Page 51 of The Nephilim's Finesse

Nate rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his brown eyes fixed on me.

"Absolutely not," Puriel declared, her voice like ice. "Victorija is far too dangerous to be released. We've got enough problems with the demon sightings—we can't risk her using the situation to go against us."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Nate cut me off. "I’m with Puriel here. Are you sure you’ve got all the information we need? What if she uses the situation and cooperates with the demons or the one who is summoning them? Do you trust her that much? Are you really sure that she'll sit by and solve this peacefully?"

I pressed my lips together. “No.” I believed she wanted more rights for the vampires, but I was absolutely convinced she would do anything to reach that goal. Puriel and Nate nodded in agreement.

"Raph, we understand your intentions and share your desire for peace," Puriel said, her voice softening. "However, releasing Victorija isn’t a decision we can make lightly. I hate to admit this, but I think we should talk to Seraphina and Queen Tourmaline and decide together."

I sighed, feeling the weight of their scepticism pressing down on me. But I couldn't let go of the hope that change was possible—for Victorija, the vampires, and all of us.

"Please," I urged, my voice barely above a whisper. "Consider it. If there's even a chance that this could work, isn't it worth exploring?"

"All right," Nate relented, his dark eyes filled with uncertainty. "We'll discuss it. But we have to be cautious, Raph. We can't afford to jeopardise everything we've worked so hard to protect."

"Let us not forget the recent demon sightings," Puriel reminded us, her voice firm and resolute. "We need to focus on getting that situation under control first."

I looked from Puriel to Nate, my heart racing as I struggled to find the right words. "Perhaps Victorija could help us with that," I suggested cautiously. "She may have valuable knowledge or connections that could aid us."

Puriel's eyes narrowed, her mouth set in a thin line. "And you think she won't use this chaos to her advantage? That she won't seize the opportunity to attack us once more?"

"Given the chance, maybe she will choose a different path," I replied, though doubt gnawed at the edges of my conviction.

"I know you're trying to do what's right, but we can't risk our people's safety on a gamble like this," Nate said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You know I'm all for cooperation and working with the other magical species, but I find it hard to trust Victorija."

I sighed, feeling the weight of their concern pressing down on me. My fingers clenched into fists, the tension coiling within me like a serpent ready to strike. But I couldn't shake the feeling that Victorija's cooperation was vital to achieving peace between our kind and the vampires.

Puriel flipped her long braid behind her shoulder. "For now, we keep her locked up. We'll talk to her and decide when we've dealt with the demons."

"All right," I murmured, unable to hide the disappointment lacing my words. It was a step forward, but not enough.

As the meeting continued, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was somehow betraying Victorija by not pushing harder for her release. But how could I explain the strange connection that had formed between us, one that went beyond mere empathy for her cause? What would Nate and Puriel think if they knew about the feelings I'd developed for her?

After the meeting adjourned and Puriel left for work, Nate turned to me, his eyes searching my face. "Mate, tell me honestly—what's really going on between you and Victorija?"

My chest tightened, the truth clawing at my throat, aching to be set free. But how could I admit to my friend, my brother-in-arms, that I had developed feelings for a vampire? For our enemy? Maybe Nate would be the one to understand, being in love with a witch. He and Alissia were able to silence the hate between us and the witches, forming new alliances. However, Victorija was responsible for kidnapping teenagers, for the death of our fellow Nephilim, of our friends. This was much more severe and harder to overcome than a truce where both parties stayed out of each other's way.

"Nothing," I managed to choke out, my voice barely audible. "There's nothing going on."

Nate stared at me for a moment longer before nodding slowly, his expression unreadable. He didn't push further, but I knew he wasn't entirely convinced. And as I stood there, the weight of my secret bearing down upon me like an anchor, I wondered if I was making a terrible mistake—not just for myself, but for us all.

“All right, if you say so,” Nate said finally, his gaze unwavering. "I trust you, Raph. Just...be careful, all right?"

"Of course," I replied, trying my best to sound confident and resolute. The truth was, I felt anything but.

We left the office together, our footsteps echoing through the hallway as we made our way to the training area where we'd meet up with Azariel. I was looking forward to getting my head clear for a while. My mind raced with thoughts of Victorija, her captivating eyes haunting me. How had I allowed myself to develop feelings for her? She was a vampire, after all—our sworn enemy.

"Hey," Nate said suddenly, placing a hand on my shoulder and forcing me back to the present. "You're lost in thought. Everything all right?"

"Yeah," I stammered, attempting a wan smile. "I'm musing to myself."

"About Victorija?" Nate asked gently, his dark brown eyes searching mine for any hint of the truth.

"Maybe," I admitted softly, my heart pounding in my chest. "But it's more than that, Nate. I can't help but think that we might be missing out on a chance to make a difference here—to change how things are between our kind and the vampires. If we don't at least try, what does that say about us?"

Nate sighed, running a hand through his dark, ruffled hair. "I understand where you're coming from, Raph," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "But after all the horrible things she did?"

"Of course, I remember," I murmured. "But how can we move forward if we're constantly looking back?"

---