Loren’s heart thumped against his chest. She had been thinking in terms of them.
Olivia cleared her throat. “You don’t seem to like vampires.”
“No, but the feeling is mutual. Vampires do not like elves, either. We view them as tainted and evil, and they harbour deep resentment towards us because they don’t have the powers of their ancestors. Us.”
“Understandable.” She fiddled with the bandage around his broken fingers and then glanced up into his eyes again, and quietly said, “Could there have been hope for Daniel?”
Loren didn’t want to pain her by answering that question truthfully but he couldn’t lie to her either. He captured her hand, holding it gently in his, forging a connection between them that ran deeper than ever so she would know he was there for her and she didn’t have to face her pain alone.
“Your brother was a rare case. I have no love for the vampires but they have integrated into mortal society and do not normally turn humans against their will. It was likely that a rogue vampire, one who flouts their society’s rules, turned your brother. They are the worst kind of vampire, despised by their own species. Most vampires live in a civilised society, divided into classes—” he started but she interrupted again.
“I know that,” she whispered and frowned down at their joined hands. “I’ve studied the data Archangel has collected and I know the vampire who turned my brother was considered rogue by vampire society… and that made Archangel and the vampires consider him as rogue too. It wasn’t fair. If they had only given him a chance, he could have… I know I could have… if Archangel hadn’t…”
He couldn’t bear her pain. It burned like acid in his blood, destroying him. He clutched her hand, trying to give her the comfort she needed.
“You were not able to save your brother, but there are others you can save—”
“Have saved,” she corrected and toyed with his fingers again. “It’s the only reason I joined Archangel. I saw that female vampire and I wanted to help her. I wanted to find a way to… I don’t know what.”
“You didn’t want others who could live in harmony with humans to suffer the same fate as your brother. It is a noble cause you have taken up. It speaks of your compassion. You could have turned against all fae and demon species, desiring to eradicate the vampires as an act of vengeance, embracing all that Archangel stood for… but you did not. You chose the better path… desiring to enlighten the hunters and change how Archangel operated so the many fae and demons sharing your world who mean it no harm could continue their lives in peace.”
She nodded but looked uncomfortable with his praise and fell silent for long minutes before finally speaking again.
“Loren… have you met many vampires?” She sounded more uncomfortable now, more nervous about her question and how he might respond.
“I have.” He stroked her palm, his focus on it so he could control the dark feelings in his heart, not wanting her to sense them.
“But you’ve been in your realm for thousands of years… are there vampires there too?”
“There are.” And he hated that fact. “The vampires who consider themselves purebloods, those who have only born vampires in their families and no turned members, have a small army in the lands around my realm. I have had many encounters with this army known as the Preux Chevaliers as they often involve themselves in the demonomachies… the demon wars.”
She looked fascinated again and he could almost see her filing away the information. “I would love to see all these realms you speak of.”
Loren shook his head.
“You, dear Olivia, will not be visiting any demon realms. They are too dangerous and I do not want my—” Loren cut himself off, cursing himself for still thinking of her as his to have and hold forever, when she was never likely to become his mate.
His precious and beloved ki’ara.
Thinking of her that way only brought him pain and made him suffer, and if he felt it keenly now, it would kill him when he finally broke the bond and she left him.
He averted his gaze, trying to escape the way hers bore into him, intent and focused, as if she sought to discover the words he refused to voice and knew the way to divine his thoughts.
“Rest now, Olivia. I will make sure nothing happens to you.”
He went to stand, but she caught his arm.
“Loren?”
“I will not tell anyone what you told me, if you swear not to tell anyone the information I have given you about my species.” He turned back to her, sure that was what she had meant to ask him, and she shook her head.