Fire Born by Warner K. H

Author:Warner, K. H.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vibrant Circle Books LLC
Published: 2023-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

I gasped. Maya was half-vampire? I was certain she had no idea. “Why does this mean she has to die?”

“Our people are forbidden from fathering children on humans,” the bald one said. “Such couplings produce only monsters, beings with insatiable blood lust, incapable of self-control.”

I laughed. It was completely inappropriate, but I couldn’t help it. The notion was so completely absurd. “Maya behaves like a normal young woman, human in every way. She’s never fed the way your people do. There must be some mistake.”

“The change can occur anytime between the onset of puberty and full adulthood,” the white-haired one said, “which does not occur until a human’s mid-twenties. How old is the girl?”

“Eighteen,” I muttered.

“She will transform,” the woman said. “It’s only a matter of time. There is no way to prevent or reverse it. She must be put to death before that happens.”

“This is impossible,” I said. “Maya’s parents were human.”

“We have it on good authority that her father was not,” the white-haired one said. “Did you ever meet him?”

“No,” I admitted with a sigh. I’d met Maya’s mother a couple of times, but not her father.

“Are we to understand, Mistress Valentina,” said the bald one, “that you were unaware of this rogue vampire living in your territory? And that he fathered a child on a human mother without your knowledge? And that she lived for eighteen years right under your nose?”

All eyes turned to Valentina, but she said nothing, staring at the bald one with hatred in her eyes.

“Maya’s parents came to our territory from India,” I said. I thought about keeping my mouth shut. The way things were unfolding seemed to pit Valentina against the Diaboli in this conflict—the ones who wanted Maya dead. Perhaps the enemy of my enemy would be my friend? On the other hand, coming to Valentina’s aid now might ensure she did the same for us. I didn’t think the vampires shared the fae’s notions of indebtedness, but it was worth a shot. “Her mother was already pregnant with her when they arrived. So if her father was one of your people, he committed his transgression months before entering our territory.”

“It matters not,” said the woman. “The mistress still allowed the abomination to live for eighteen years within her borders.”

“Yet something strange is afoot,” the white-haired one said. “The one who brought this matter to our attention led us to believe they did so with Mistress Valentina’s knowledge.”

“Perhaps we should take a brief recess,” the bald one suggested, “and give ourselves some time to get to the bottom of this.”

“Yes,” the woman agreed. “We will send for you when we are ready to reconvene.”

And with that, the Diaboli were gone. This time, I was pretty sure they hadn’t slipped into the shadows, either. All three of them could teleport.

Valentina turned and strode out of the chamber without a word. I could tell she was livid. Omar hurried along in her wake, head bowed like a faithful lapdog. Gunnar caught my gaze, both eyebrows raised.

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