and
had never been, up to him to object to whom Vivien chose to love.
“I understand what you’re saying,”
she said calmly. “But you need to understand it’s not your role to allow me to
do anything. Besides, Brad would never hurt me.”
Aedan’s face was already twisting
into disapproval. Having no interest in being lectured, Vivien turned her
attention to Brad, who’d been both silent and still until now. She couldn’t
help but smile as their eyes met.
“Tell him,” she said. “Tell him
you won’t hurt me.”
After a quick glance at his
brother, Brad looked at Vivien again.
“I wish I could,” he said softly.
“I don’t want to hurt you. But it’s not even been a full day yet, and
I’m starting to understand that hunger. We have to trust that Aedan knows best
for this.” After a brief pause, he added, quieter still, “And while he can’t
make you do anything, the same is not true where I am concerned.”
Aedan flinched at those last
words, compounding Vivien’s confusion. Aedan was all but unflappable. Why would
he react in such a manner at Brad’s words?
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“It means,” Aedan said after
clearing his throat, “that vampires are inclined to obey their Maker, the same
way we’re inclined to seek human blood. We can resist that urge, but like
resisting the hunger, it is very hard to do for newly-turned vampires.”
Vivien found herself with a dozen
more questions, but before she could voice any of them, Brad sat in the chair
across her, leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs so that he
bridged a little the distance between them.
“Listen,” he said intently. “I’m
sure you have tons of questions, but can they wait? We only have days to get
you ready for the duel, and understanding vampires isn’t going to do you much
good when you face Rhuinn. There’ll be time for that later, all right?”
She knew he was right, but it was
still a challenge to nod. It wasn’t vampires she wanted to understand; it was
him, and how much becoming one had changed him. One thing, at least, was still
the same: the same love as ever was shining in his eyes, whether they were blue
or silver.
“All right,” she said, pushing the
words past her tight throat and holding her hand out to him. “Teach me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Moving Forward
Before Bradan allowed himself to
reach for Vivien’s proffered hand, he looked at Aedan, seeking his approval. It
felt odd; earlier, he’d been upset with his brother, jealous in a way he’d
never experienced before, and now he needed his approval about something that
concerned Vivien, which was also a first.
After a pause just long enough for
Bradan to notice it, Aedan offered him the barest of nods.
As Bradan took Vivien’s hand, he
could tell that she, too, had noticed the byplay, but whatever she thought of
it, she didn’t say. He tried to put the matter out of his mind and not let
himself dwell on how warm her hand felt inside his, how fast her heartbeat
seemed, echoing in his ears as well as pulsing against his fingertips on her
wrist. He had to focus on the matter at hand, which was to keep her safe.
The first duel would not threaten
her well-being, but losing it would mean risking her life in the long run.
They’d never talked about her challenging Rhuinn to a duel, and if they had,
Bradan would have argued against the idea, but now that she’d made that choice,
all he could do was help her make it a good one.
“Do you have any questions about
the duel?” he asked first. “Or do you understand how it’s all going to work?”
Her fingers tightened briefly over
his hand.
“I understand how it’s supposed to
work,” she said, “but what I don’t quite get is how the winner is chosen if we
can’t hurt each other.”
Through the bond, a grim sense of
foreboding drifted toward Bradan. He glanced at Aedan, who stood to the side,
his arms crossed and his eyes
had never been, up to him to object to whom Vivien chose to love.
“I understand what you’re saying,”
she said calmly. “But you need to understand it’s not your role to allow me to
do anything. Besides, Brad would never hurt me.”
Aedan’s face was already twisting
into disapproval. Having no interest in being lectured, Vivien turned her
attention to Brad, who’d been both silent and still until now. She couldn’t
help but smile as their eyes met.
“Tell him,” she said. “Tell him
you won’t hurt me.”
After a quick glance at his
brother, Brad looked at Vivien again.
“I wish I could,” he said softly.
“I don’t want to hurt you. But it’s not even been a full day yet, and
I’m starting to understand that hunger. We have to trust that Aedan knows best
for this.” After a brief pause, he added, quieter still, “And while he can’t
make you do anything, the same is not true where I am concerned.”
Aedan flinched at those last
words, compounding Vivien’s confusion. Aedan was all but unflappable. Why would
he react in such a manner at Brad’s words?
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“It means,” Aedan said after
clearing his throat, “that vampires are inclined to obey their Maker, the same
way we’re inclined to seek human blood. We can resist that urge, but like
resisting the hunger, it is very hard to do for newly-turned vampires.”
Vivien found herself with a dozen
more questions, but before she could voice any of them, Brad sat in the chair
across her, leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs so that he
bridged a little the distance between them.
“Listen,” he said intently. “I’m
sure you have tons of questions, but can they wait? We only have days to get
you ready for the duel, and understanding vampires isn’t going to do you much
good when you face Rhuinn. There’ll be time for that later, all right?”
She knew he was right, but it was
still a challenge to nod. It wasn’t vampires she wanted to understand; it was
him, and how much becoming one had changed him. One thing, at least, was still
the same: the same love as ever was shining in his eyes, whether they were blue
or silver.
“All right,” she said, pushing the
words past her tight throat and holding her hand out to him. “Teach me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Moving Forward
Before Bradan allowed himself to
reach for Vivien’s proffered hand, he looked at Aedan, seeking his approval. It
felt odd; earlier, he’d been upset with his brother, jealous in a way he’d
never experienced before, and now he needed his approval about something that
concerned Vivien, which was also a first.
After a pause just long enough for
Bradan to notice it, Aedan offered him the barest of nods.
As Bradan took Vivien’s hand, he
could tell that she, too, had noticed the byplay, but whatever she thought of
it, she didn’t say. He tried to put the matter out of his mind and not let
himself dwell on how warm her hand felt inside his, how fast her heartbeat
seemed, echoing in his ears as well as pulsing against his fingertips on her
wrist. He had to focus on the matter at hand, which was to keep her safe.
The first duel would not threaten
her well-being, but losing it would mean risking her life in the long run.
They’d never talked about her challenging Rhuinn to a duel, and if they had,
Bradan would have argued against the idea, but now that she’d made that choice,
all he could do was help her make it a good one.
“Do you have any questions about
the duel?” he asked first. “Or do you understand how it’s all going to work?”
Her fingers tightened briefly over
his hand.
“I understand how it’s supposed to
work,” she said, “but what I don’t quite get is how the winner is chosen if we
can’t hurt each other.”
Through the bond, a grim sense of
foreboding drifted toward Bradan. He glanced at Aedan, who stood to the side,
his arms crossed and his eyes
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