Page 71 of When Night Falls

"Can you tell me more about the treaty?" I decide to change the topic, feeling too much of the hope that he's giving me and I don't want to be so willing to accept it just yet.

He turns us around to start our walk back toward the castle as he approaches his explanation of just one of the things I allow myself to bring up.

"About five years after I was born, my father met hisanima vinculum. They married immediately and she ended up pregnant with twins."

"Troian and Travois," I note.

"Correct. But she didn't end up blood-tying with my father. After she gave birth to the twins, she ran off in an attempt to escape, leaving her kids behind. It took my father eleven years to find her and bring her back to finish what they started. But she ran away again a few years later.”

“She must have really not wanted this life,” I conclude.

"I'm unsure of the factual details, but I do know that my father caused a war trying to locate her. He'd been without a wife for a while and even though they did perform the blood bind the second time around, he was still weak from all the years he was forced to go without it." Rivan stares at the ground as we continue forward.

“I take it he didn’t find her?” I ask.

"He tried. Royal blood is the only blood that can be traced. But her trace ran cold, indicating that she was likely dead. He initiated two years of devastation to the Valor Cove society, convinced that that’s where she was. Once the treaty was in play and her death was more believable, he gave up."

Something eerie creeps around in my head. I can't imagine what that poor woman must have gone through. She was obviously struggling with the idea that her life was changed forever. Who knows what all that must have done to her.

Rivian continues to explain to me how his father nearly killed an entire Society and his bloodlust raged in his wake. He explains that one of the laws put into place is that murder by vampire would be punishable by decision of Faction vote unless one of two factors were present.

“They either pose a considerable threat to the society or to humanity, or they have victims of their own.” I think over what he’d just, something going off in my head like a lightbulb.

"So, when you killed my dad…"

Rivian nods his head at me indicating that he was allowed the kill per treaty due to the simple fact that holds my truth.

"He had a victim."

Me.

I know I lived through that moment over and over again, but when it’s put into terms like that, it makes me seem weaker because of it. But really, it made me stronger.

"Right now, there are claims that unlawful murder is being committed on Valor Cove's Outsiders and Nocturnes. They claim a rogue from within this kingdom is responsible."

"Well, how do you stop it?" I ask, noticing the rain getting heavier as we approach the castle grounds.

In a half-second of time, I'm whisked away like that of the wind and my back is pushed up against a brick wall. Rivianmanifestedus to cover, an awning covers the top of us to prevent the rain from shattering against our heads.

He's close. His hands grip my upper arms and his head is bent down to mine. His voice takes a more serious tone.

"We can’t. We have to let things play out. But our blood strength is weak right now, so we’re the easier target." His words leave on breathy notes as he leans in close to protect me from the cold rain relenting behind him.

A revelation hits me.

"Because you are unmarried and haven't tied this . . . tether." I close my eyes to allow myself to breathe in Rivian; his amber smoke and sweet metallic scent covers me in pin pricks even as his warmth circles around me.

"Correct, little one." He slides his hands gently down the length of my arms. I don't think I'll have it in me to stand on my own if he keeps touching me like this.

All of the information he provided me with seems to make things a little clearer while also charging new questions. The complexity of this world isn’t one easily understood, but I do my best to make sure I hold on to everything he gave me privilege to. I appreciate his trust in me and his self-allowance to be open. But I still have one more question specifically, remembering mine and Troian’s conversation from the other day.

"Rivian, what happened to your mom?"

He lets go of me entirely, breathing out a tortured sigh as he turns his head to the side and looks out into the distance.

"Before my father met Ameliana-"

"Wait.” I stop him, recognizing the sound of that name. “Ameliana. Why does that name sound so familiar?" I mumble to myself more than anything, trying to remember where I might have heard it from but as I search my brain, I come up empty.