A Shade of Vampire 81 A Bringer of Night - Bella Forrest Page 0,13
political turmoil of an otherwise beautiful planet. The empire was not as powerful as we’d thought. There was rot somewhere in the middle, hidden from the eyes of the commoners. It had even taken us a couple of weeks to get the full picture.
The Aeternae’s hold on the Rimians and the Naloreans relied solely on their strength. The Darklings’ existence and organized attacks threatened the very stability of the empire. It proved that the Aeternae could still be blindsided—how else could anyone explain the fact that the Darklings had managed most of their work from the basement of the friggin’ imperial residence?
“Acheron and Danika are expecting us for lunch later,” Derek said.
The ruffled skirt of my floor-length dress danced across the polished marble flooring. The bodice was tightly wound around my waist, but I liked the overall feel of it. Danika had sent this outfit over last night, urging me to wear it at our next engagement. I was doing my best to please her and Acheron, but to be honest, I wasn’t all that fond of the Lady Supreme. She was a creature of comforts and habit, in no way fit to rule over this empire. I worried she might not have the healthiest reactions in a crisis. She and Acheron had not seen a single skirmish during their reign.
“We’ll go, of course,” I replied, taking my husband’s hand. “I look forward to seeing Thayen again.”
“You really like the kid.” He chuckled.
“I do. He’s more of an adult than both his parents put together. Then again, it’s my understanding that the Aeternae’s minds mature faster than their bodies. Maybe Acheron and Danika are slower than their own son to reach emotional and intellectual adulthood.”
I was being a little abrasive towards the Lord and Lady Supreme. From all our conversations with Danika and Acheron, it had become clear who the adult was. While Danika was driven by her whims, her regal upbringing, and her emotions, Acheron was a tad more composed. He too gave in to his own feelings—such as fear and rage—where Zoltan was concerned, but he ultimately had the best interests of the people and the empire at heart. He didn’t fear the nobles or the commoners. He didn’t shy away from taking risks, including that five-hundred-thousand-coin bounty he’d put on Zoltan’s head.
Acheron was ready to piss off a lot of people in order to deliver justice. Danika was not. As imposing and intimidating as she could be, she had her limitations. I couldn’t judge her for any of it, but I could at least allow myself to be a little bit more reserved in anything that concerned her—for my sake, and for the safety of our people and our operations.
That being said, her willingness to socialize with Derek and me did help. The last thing we needed right now was tension between us, especially since they were allowing us to mine for our day-walking molecule, and we were trying to help them cure the Black Fever.
Derek smiled. “I definitely think he’ll make one hell of a leader someday.”
“Oh, absolutely.”
The study room waited at the end of the long hallway, and I could feel my blood rushing upward. My stomach clenched with anticipation. Apparently, Derek was just as excited. “Do you think it’s about the molecule?” he asked, a concerned look on his handsome face.
“Either that or the Black Fever cure,” I said. “Maybe both. Who knows? Perhaps today is the day we all get lucky.”
“Am I wrong to feel so anxious?”
We stopped walking for a moment while I turned and cupped his face in my hands, his skin silky soft to my touch. I loved the clean-shaven feel of him in the morning. “You have every right to be anxious, Derek. It’s why we came here in the first place. I mean, sure, everything else has gone ass-up since we landed on Visio, but it’s why we’ve stuck around. So yeah… it’s okay to be anxious.”
“Maybe we’ll leave this world having done something good for them in the end.”
“It’s still a fair price for the molecule,” I replied.
“I want them to survive, Sofia. They may not be perfect. We may not agree with their forms of governance. But I want them to have a better shot at life. If we manage to eradicate this Black Fever, I’ll be a happy man.”
I smiled. “Even in dire moments, you still think more about others than about yourself. Derek, you’re simply too good for this life, this universe.”