Page 18 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

“I’m aggressive because you’re wrong. But I would never make that decision for you.”

“I’m not wrong. We’re different people, Kingsnake—”

“No,” I snapped. “You’re wrong.”

Her eyes used to be fiery and powerful, but now they were skittish.

“I used to be like you—once upon a time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Once my father became an Original, he wanted to sire us. To raise up a new type of vampire, to be the king of all kings. My brothers were excited for the change, but I outright refused.”

She stopped breathing. “Why?”

“Same reasons you’ve already given. It’s not the natural way of things. I was happy with my life and wanted to see it through to the end.”

“Then why did you change your mind?”

“I didn’t.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“I was forced. My father claimed he didn’t want to leave me behind, to watch me perish while the others lived on forevermore. He didn’t want to carry the pain of losing a son for the centuries of his blessed life.”

Now she looked confused, as she should be.

“I suffered in the dark and longed for the sun. Bloodletting was hard, to feed upon the life of another person. My mind processed time differently. While humans measure life in years, a single year is a day to someone like me. It took time for me to acclimate, and I never truly accepted this new way of life. Until the Ethereal.”

She leaned forward slightly and hung on every word.

“Once we compromised their power in this land, they fought to eradicate us. Everything I believed until that point had been shattered. The gods I’d worshipped on my knees weren’t gods at all—but dictators. I discovered they could grant immortality to others, but they chose to let us suffer. That was when everything changed.”

She seemed to be speechless.

“It’s all lies, Larisa. Don’t turn to dust just because some egomaniacs said that’s your destiny. You’re choosing to die, when you can choose to live.”

Silence stretched for a long time, and she seemed too overwhelmed to respond to what I had said. Her eyes moved back to the fire, heavy with fear. “Is that why you aren’t on the best terms? Because he forced you?”

I sank deeper into the chair, my fingers sliding across my temple. “It’s complicated…”

Her eyes begged for more.

“I resented him for a long time. I resent him even more because he was right. And I resent the Ethereal most of all, because their lies divided my family. I’ve said horrible things to my father, shit I can never take back, all because I believed their bullshit. Time is not only different for us, but so are our memories. Maybe I said those things a thousand years ago, but it feels like yesterday. He saved my life—and I told him I wished he were dead.”

“Have you asked him to forgive you?”

“It’s complicated…”

“Apologizing is not that complicated—”

“It’s complicated because I don’t respect his politics.”

She turned quiet again, even fearful.

“The upriser is usually worse than the previous dictator. My father wishes to eradicate the Ethereal, not as punishment for their crimes, not to turn over a new leaf in this world, but to take their place—and become the new gods. He would treat humankind worse than livestock. I’ve seen his cruelty firsthand.”

“If that’s true, why are we going to him for help?”