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A predatory smile stretches across his face. “Of course. Such an… open-minded House. Tell me, has your master let you feed a Vrakken before? We do so love exotic flavors.”

My chest burns with anger. I push forward. But the crowd is dense; a pair of courtiers blocks my path. By the time I sidestep them, the male has gripped Valeria’s wrist, leaning in. She stiffens, eyes darting in my direction for help.

He laughs under his breath. “Don’t be shy, dear. Just a taste…”

I shout, “Stop!” My voice crashes through the chatter, turning heads. But he moves faster—Vrakken reflexes kicking in. He bares his fangs and plunges them toward her neck.

Valeria twists, raising an arm defensively. The next instant feels surreal: he makes contact, but instead of biting, he recoils with a snarl of pain. A hiss escapes him, as though he’s been burned. He staggers back, eyes wide, clutching his mouth.

A hush falls. Attendees stare in confusion. I shove aside the last bystander, reaching Valeria’s side. She’s trembling, a faint sheen of sweat on her brow. The male stands a step away, lips peeled back to reveal a trickle of blackish blood from one fang.

“What have you done?” he spits, voice trembling with shock. “Her blood is?—”

He doesn’t finish. He can’t. Because the truth is too staggering for most Vrakken to comprehend. I realize my heart is hammering. She has half-Vrakken blood, enough to injure a full-blood if they try to feed. I suspected something like this, but I hadn’t anticipated it would manifest so vividly.

My mother’s voice slices through the stillness. “What is this commotion?” She stands behind the crowd, her face carved in disapproval. More onlookers edge closer, whispering.

The male from House Sharath snarls, still shaken. “That… creature tried to poison me. Her blood is foul—like something inhuman. ”

I step between him and Valeria. “Watch your tongue. She belongs to House Draeven.”

He glares, wiping black spittle from his lip. “Then House Draeven harbors… an abomination.” His gaze flicks around, seeking support. “This is no normal human. She nearly singed my mouth. I felt a pulse of magic, Vrakken magic.”

A wave of whispers ripples through the assembly.

My mother’s eyes narrow on Valeria, as if reappraising her in new light.

Damn. The tension is suffocating. I sense Valeria’s fear thrumming in the air.

For a moment, I weigh whether to quell the rumors or let them swirl.

If I speak rashly, I risk everything. If I remain silent, this male might press for her punishment.

Brinda lifts a hand, demanding silence. “Sareth,” she addresses the male. “If you were foolish enough to feed without permission, do not blame House Draeven for your poor manners.”

He sputters. “But?—”

She gives him a frosty stare. “We’ll discuss compensation for your… discomfort. Now, everyone, continue. The night is young. This matter is closed.”

Her authority can quell most outbursts, but I see the glint of suspicion in many eyes. People linger a moment, then slowly resume their conversations, though the air is thick with speculation. Sareth eyes me with venom, then storms off.

I grab Valeria’s arm gently. “Come. Now.”

She nods, face pale. I lead her out of the chamber, ignoring the curious stares. Helrath edges near, concern etched on his features, but I wave him back. We need privacy, away from prying eyes. And I need to explain everything, or face the storm I knew was coming.

I guide Valeria through a side corridor into a small antechamber used for storing extra chairs and drapes. The moment the door closes behind us, she exhales shakily, pressing a hand to her throat.

“Gods,” she breathes. “What just happened? He tried to feed… then recoiled in pain.”

My pulse is still racing. For a second, I just stare at her, struck by how fragile she appears, yet aware of the secret power in her blood. “That’s your Vrakken side,” I say at last, voice tight. “I suspected, but never had proof.”

Her eyes widen in shock. “Vrakken side? I’m… part Vrakken?”

I drag a hand through my strands. “I’ve been piecing it together. Your heightened senses, your rapid reflexes, the way illusions barely phase you. But I needed confirmation.”

Her jaw drops. “You knew ? Or at least guessed. This entire time?”

I bite back a surge of guilt. “I suspected. I wasn’t entirely sure. There have been half-bloods in ancient legends, but they’re supposed to be… extinct.”

She staggers, bracing a palm against a stack of folded draperies.

I move closer, uncertain if she’ll let me help.

“You used me, then,” she whispers, voice quivering.

“All those missions, the infiltration, even letting me roam among the dark elves… was I just an experiment to see if I’d reveal this half-Vrakken heritage? ”

I swallow hard. “Not wholly. You had skills we needed. But yes, I watched for signs. I needed to know if my theory was correct.”

Her eyes blaze with hurt. “So every time I nearly lost control of my senses, you were analyzing me like a test subject? That’s why you never seemed surprised or alarmed. Because you were waiting for me to slip.”

The accusation slams into me. I want to deny it, to say I had her best interests in mind, but the truth is more complicated. “I had to be sure,” I manage. “If you truly are half Vrakken, it changes everything—your potential, your vulnerabilities. It means?—”

She cuts me off, voice cracking. “It means I’ve been living a lie. You let me walk around House Draeven, believing I was just a skilled human. Meanwhile, you suspected I was part vampire all along.”

The swirl of emotion in her eyes, anger, betrayal, confusion—tears at me.

I did this. “Valeria,” I say softly, “we needed you to act naturally. If I told you my suspicions too soon, your fear or shock might have destroyed your focus. You might have drawn unwanted attention. And for what it’s worth…

I didn’t want to burden you with that knowledge until I was certain. ”

She laughs, a brittle sound. “Burden me? As if discovering I’m half Vrakken isn’t the biggest bomb you could drop on me?”

I open my mouth, but words fail. She crosses her arms, tears threatening to form, though she blinks them away. “Did Brinda know?” she asks. “Did Helrath know? Did everyone but me know?”

I shake my head. “No. Just me. I suspect my mother had some vague intuition, but I never confirmed it.”

She exhales, pressing her fingertips to her temple. “This is too much. Too fast. I—” Her voice breaks. “Is that why you taught me illusions so easily? Why I can sense blood? Why that Vrakken jerk got burned?”

I move closer, compelled to comfort her, though I’m not sure she wants me near.

“Our blood is potent, especially for those born pure. But half-bloods, theoretically, carry some form of protective magic. For a full-blood to feed on you is akin to biting into raw arcana. You’re not exactly safe to consume. ”

She rubs her arms. “So I’m… dangerous, even to Vrakken. Great.” Her sarcasm masks the trembling in her voice. “Everything I endured among the dark elves, all the times I thought I was just… quick or lucky… it was my Vrakken side all along?”

I brush a hand over my face, hating how this conversation unravels all the carefully built trust. “I didn’t mean to make you a pawn.

But yes, I used your infiltration tasks partly to observe how your abilities would manifest. I had no proof you were half-blood—merely rumors about your origins, your father, the anomalies in your reflexes. ”

Her gaze snaps to mine. “My father?” she says. “You found rumors about him?”

I nod slowly. “A handful of old records, vague references. I wasn’t certain.

They implied a Vrakken might have… mingled with a human in your region decades ago.

The timeline fit.” I hesitate, guilt gnawing at me.

“I’m sorry, Valeria. This was bigger than you or me.

If you are half-blood, that means the line didn’t die out centuries ago.

It means we have an asset the dark elves never anticipated. ”

She stares at me, anger warring with heartbreak. “An asset. Right. Because that’s all I am to you.” She glances away, tears brimming again. “I thought… after everything, after that night?—”

My chest aches. “It’s not just that.” My voice comes out hoarse. “I couldn’t let my personal feelings overshadow House Draeven’s needs. And yes, I needed your ignorance so the truth wouldn’t hamper your performance.”

She flings out a hand, frustration crackling. “Gods, you’re so obsessed with ‘House Draeven.’ Did you ever consider I might want to know who I really am? Instead of being used as your secret experiment?”

I flinch. “Valeria, I had no easy answers. Telling you sooner might have panicked you, put you at risk. The dark elves hunt half-bloods—once they discover your nature, they’ll do worse than feed off you. They’d lock you in a lab to tear you apart. I was… trying to protect you.”

She stares, tears tracking down her cheeks. “Well, you failed. Because I’m blindsided now, in front of a room full of Vrakken who suspect something’s off. That idiot from House Sharath almost outed me to everyone. And I had no idea what was happening or why.”

I rub a hand on my face, wing membranes tensing. “I messed up. I see that. But we can salvage this. My mother shut down the incident. Most of them will dismiss Sareth’s claims as him tasting something unusual. If we act quickly, we can quell rumors.”

She laughs bitterly. “So that’s your solution: bury the truth again? Keep me in the dark while you decide how to use me?”

Her accusation stings. “No. I—” I struggle for words. “I never wanted to hurt you. I truly believe we can navigate this together. You’re not alone, no matter how it seems.”