A Violet Fire (Vampires in Avignon #1) - Kelsey Quick Page 0,99

and fallen hair from it.

“You were dreaming,” he says. “What about?”

The closeness of our bodies puts me on edge. We are both on our sides, facing each other, my head at his chest. Overall, however, it gives me a refreshing sense of security.

“That night,” I reply.

“The night I found you?”

“No, the first night at Nightingale.”

“...Ah.”

We sit in silence for a few moments, heat radiates from my cheeks the angrier I get.

He sighs. “We’ve talked about this. I would not have been able to bring you into Cain without filing you as a purpose for nourishment.”

“Why couldn’t you?” I ask. “You’re one of the most powerful vampires in all of Cain. If anyone could, it would be you.”

He laughs and it makes me angrier.

“Tell me, what have your illegal readings taught you about purebloods?” he asks, catching me off guard. I forgot he knew about that.

“That their blood isn’t so much pure, but their genes are from a lineage of power and unique capabilities,” I answer. “Only purebloods can rule in the councils.”

“Yes. And purebloods are set on a gleaming pedestal of perfection by the Elders. As idols of a more perfect order, we must undergo greater scrutiny than others.”

He focuses elsewhere in the room as he continues. “For example, if they discover a low life with an undocumented human, he would be incarcerated for a couple hundred years, maybe less. If he were a pureblood, however, the punishment would be far more severe. A pureblood who breaks the law is dangerous indeed, because he has both power over influence and power over life.”

“What do you mean, power over life?” I ask.

Zein’s unenthused expression deepens.

“Our scarce genes are necessary for future generations, so we will never be sentenced to death. Perhaps sentenced to a life of solitary and constant surveillance, alongside constant reminders of our immortal purpose. But never death.”

“Immortal purpose?”

His eyes shift away as he stands.

“Even I have ugly duties to fulfill,” he says, closing the conversation. “Ones that will outlast yours by hundreds of years.”

A lingering weight remains, stretching my lungs thin. So that’s it, then? He’s going to claim that he couldn’t have spared me those years at Nightingale due to his helplessness in the matter?

My stomach twists into knots as I call him out. “So you mean to tell me that a ruler of Cain can’t do as he pleases in a country where he signs to law anything he pleases? You mean to tell me that you, of all vampires, don’t have that freedom?”

His tone sounds all but rid of patience. “In a world where survival relies on a greater power, all freedom can ever be is an insipid ideology. It is a fruitless word crafted for the weak.”

I clench my jaw in thought as he evaluates. “I’m disappointed. I would think you, especially, would understand that by now.”

I stand and brush off my robes, buying time for my mind to slow down enough to offer a semi-respectful response.

“I’m human. The weakest of the weak,” I say, almost too proudly. “But even I know that if the powerless finds favor with the powerful, he isn’t really all that powerless.”

“...I suppose,” he concedes and turns away. “Your rebellion knows no bounds, not even those of a pureblood.”

I smirk with victory, though something tells me that I’m not actually victorious.

“You should go. I can’t concentrate with the scent of your blood lingering,” he says.

“I understand,” I reply as I move to the edge of the bed. But Zein moves to block my path. He reaches idly into his pocket and pulls out a familiar cord with a scrap metal piece at the end. I gasp.

“I will not ask you why you had that knife the night Seriesa attacked you,” he says. “But this seemed of some importance.” He holds the trinket out to me.

“I... don’t think I need it anymore.” I decide, tears once again brimming.

Geez, what is wrong with me? “But thank you, anyway.”

Zein shrugs before returning it to his pocket. As I try to maneuver around him, he grabs me by the arm and pulls me into him.

“Before you leave…,” he suggests.

chapter 19

Zein kisses me along my lips, jaw, and neck while I wait for the escort back to the supply unit holdings. Over and over again his lips crossover mine, forcing me to sink deeper into feelings I never thought possible. How is it that I’ve ended up here? No closer to answers, and yet only inches away. Even if these delicate times between Zein