They were definitely hiding something. But they understood GASP’s weakness at this point. They knew how to play their cards right, without starting an unnecessary conflict. I knew Derek had no intention of policing these people in any way, though I doubted he’d be able to stop himself if he did come across any violations. It was in his nature, in GASP’s code, for that matter, to help the oppressed.
However, for now, they had to play nice. Petra had a point. The Aeternae had the upper hand here, and Derek had to follow their lead if he was to get any closer to a day-walking cure for all the vampires.
“If it’s the blood they want, we should just give them as much as they need and send them on their way,” Kalon suggested. “We might as well give them one or two of our criminals, like the lord and lady did with Marlowe. That way, they won’t be coming back for more. They’ll stay away.”
Petra’s eyes became two icy slits as she looked at him. “Explain something to me, darling. Why are you so keen to see them leave? I thought, out of all people, you’d be the most excited to have foreigners around.”
“The Black Fever is making a comeback, Mother,” Kalon warned her. “And you know how dangerous that can be. If the vampires are vulnerable to it, even in the slightest, they might end up bringing it back to their home. Or worse, their non-vampire friends might become carriers without even realizing it, much like the Naloreans and the Rimians before them.”
Petra smiled. “It’s not going to happen,” she said. “That’s not how the Black Fever works. It only targets us, the Aeternae. It’s our punishment.”
“Our punishment for what?”
“None of your business,” she shot back. “You may be my son, Kalon, but I do not trust you enough to give you the truth. You might not be able to cope with it. Leave it, please. And do not worry. I will keep you and your brothers safe when the Black Fever returns. I’ve kept you all safe before, long before you were even born, and I will do it again.”
Kalon shook his head, visibly angered. “Your lack of confidence in me is insulting.”
“Chalk it up to your rebellious nature. You’ve foiled my plans before. You won’t do it again,” Petra replied dryly. There was history between this mother and her son, and it wasn’t the good kind. There was distrust. Suspicion. One lied to the other. This was something I could work to my advantage if I wanted solid intel. I would only have to figure out a way to get inside Kalon’s mind, to uncover the secrets he was keeping. Petra, on the other hand, worried me. She seemed determined to push everyone out, including her own son, in order to protect a higher interest.
Moving away from the table, she pointed a finger at her son. “You keep doing what you’re doing. Talk to them. Get close to them. Make sure they’re busy and constantly entertained. Dazzle them with one of your tournaments in the Blood Arena. I don’t care.”
“There are already Aeternae falling ill from the Black Fever,” Kalon snapped. “Soon enough, we’ll have an outbreak on our hands. Do we really need to concern ourselves with the foreigners, as well?”
“Forget about the Black Fever!” Petra shouted, having lost her patience. She could be downright scary, making Kalon quiver, ever so slightly. “We survived the last outbreak, five thousand years ago, and we’ll survive the next one, too. In fact, I’m going to make sure we don’t lose as many as we did before. I may have figured out a cure.”
Kalon’s eyes grew wide with shock. “A cure?”
“Go, Kalon. Keep our guests busy. Let me handle the Black Fever and stop making me repeat myself! It’s annoying. Go!”
He exhaled sharply, dying to say something in return. But he gave up and walked out of the library, while Petra turned around, gazing at the far end, where a small wooden door awaited, a padlock firmly in place to keep everyone out.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and I knew she was weaving plans with every breath she took. Machinations and schemes that might get innocent people hurt. That might bend the limits of ethics and morality. I finally understood what made Petra tick. It was laughing in the face of death, and with my mistress currently out of commission, it wasn’t hard to think that the odds might be in Petra’s favor, this time around, without her even knowing it.
I’d have to keep an eye on them all, but my omniscience was already starting to take its toll on me. My vision became foggy, and I was forced to go back to the gazebo, where my other half awaited. I’d go back to Petra soon.
Tristan
We were left with Valaine in the gazebo, as Kalon, then Danika and Acheron, excused themselves. Not that I minded their departure. It made asking Valaine the right questions much easier. The gold guards were gone, too, and only a handful of servants lingered around, ready to assist us if we needed anything.
I took it as a sign of trust from our fascinating hosts. Then again, Valaine was with us. They probably relied on her to keep us in check, if needed.
“You have all been so kind and welcoming,” Sofia said, smiling. “It’s truly a lot more than we expected.”
Valaine mirrored her expression. “The Aeternae are good people, Sofia. Our methods and the foundation upon which we’ve built this empire might not be what you’re used to, but we make it work.”
“That you most certainly do,” I replied. “But tell us, because we have yet to fully wrap our heads around the concept… How are the Rimians and the Naloreans so willing to give you their blood? Even if they do get paid for it. I don’t know, I find it strange. Blood is such an important part of one’s existence. Without it, we are dead. Without enough of it, we are weak. How do they counteract the side effects of giving so much blood to feed four million Aeternae?”
Valaine thought about it for a moment. “I take it that on Earth, in your world, you just make do with animal blood and maybe whatever the humans donate to you?”
We all nodded. It made her laugh lightly.
“I don’t understand what’s funny about this. We’ve learned to control ourselves,” Esme said, drawing invisible circles around the base of her empty glass on the table.
“We’ve learned to take just enough, and to make it worth their while,” Valaine said. “Like I’ve said, we pay handsomely for the blood we’re given. It wasn’t like this before, though, if that’s what you’re wondering. Today, we offer gold and land, titles and favors in return for our sustenance. We leave the animals be, in the wild and in the Rimian and Nalorean homesteads, where they belong.”
“What was it like before?” Derek asked.
Valaine’s gaze darkened. She didn’t like to talk about it, but she didn’t shy away. I appreciated her honesty. “When we first figured out a way to invade Rimia, then Nalore, we took everything. We did not pay for it. Limestone, marble, wood, spices, silks, blood… everything we wanted, it was ours. But it made the people miserable. Less compliant. It drove many Rimians and Naloreans into rebel sects. There was violence. Anger. It just wasn’t an efficient model. So, the Lord and Lady Supreme at the time decided to draw up a trade deal with the Rimians and the Naloreans. We promised not to drink them dry and to reward them for their blood. It worked. Not overnight, of course. It took a few centuries for the new world order to set in. But when it did, we were all at peace.”
What I found most interesting about Valaine was that her words said one thing, while her eyes had ideas of their own, rather different from what she was telling us. She spoke of peace and balance, but there was fear and wariness in that black gaze of hers. Her red lips tightened into a faint smile as she looked at me. Suddenly, I had all her attention, and my heart went on a race against infinity itself.
“There was oppression at first. But after it became convenient, and many Rimians and Naloreans got rich from our trade deal, it was no longer oppression,” Valaine added. “It was a convenient occupation. After a while, the last of the rebel factions broke apart, as some of their leaders found the benefits of establishing blood farms, as opposed to attacking Aeternae magistrates at every corner.”
“Blood farms?” Amal replied. I knew she was memorizing everything, learning, recording with her mind, processing all this information to build a bigger picture, to fully understand this world. Unlike the rest of us, Amal and Amane—along with the Faulties and the Perfects—had a more reduced moral compass. Like she’d said it herself, she lacked a mother’s nurturing. What we saw as terrible or unconscionable, Amal could easily interpret as reasonable or necessary. Sometimes, such a mindset was better.
“Rimians and Naloreans living in special compounds on their planets. They get married and have children there. When they come of age, the children join their parents,” Valaine explained. “Every day, they give small amounts of their blood, so as not to make them too sick or weak. They live up to eighty or even ninety years on these farms. Occasionally, they’re allowed to take breaks, to visit other places. But the contracts they sign are for life. Unless blood-giving threatens their health, they cannot abandon their role in our society.”
“You force them to live on farms so you can take their blood?” Esme gasped.
Valaine scowled at her. “They’re compensated for every drop that they give. They’re given freedoms, but they must respect their contracts, as they’re our main source of blood. Others are paid nicely for the blood they sell at various points across the empire, but the farms are key to our subsistence. They never lack food or water or good conditions. What exactly are you trying to imply, Esme?”
“I don’t think she’s trying to imply anything,” I said. “It’s just… Like I said, it’s hard to grasp.”
“Well, grasp it,” Valaine retorted. “It’s our way of life, and we do not take kindly to strangers imposing their views on us.”
A sense of urgency came over me as she shot up from her chair. “Valaine, I apologize. We don’t want to upset you or the Aeternae in any way. We’re simply not used to any of this.”
She stilled for a moment, the intensity of her black eyes powerful enough to cut off my air supply. “There is no need to apologize, Tristan,” she said. I liked the way my name sounded rolling off her tongue like a midnight whisper. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must attend to something. Please enjoy yourselves here, and we shall see you in the dining hall in an hour.”