"Because, as you know, supernatural creatures can only be killed by another creature or a human with the gene. I do not fancy going out looking for some vampire hunter. The witches won't help, and the demons will take my soul."
"I will happily kill you, don't get me wrong," Elowen said with a sadistic smile. "But why won't the witches help? They love killing vampires."
"I killed thousands of them over the years, all to steal their power. They won't kill me because they want my father to torture me for eternity." Harlan looked at her necklace. It was a talisman, then.. a place where she stored all the magic of those she had killed. "It seems like a fitting end."
He couldn't say he wasn't impressed by her. She was clearly very strong and intelligent. She could be an amazing asset against the rebels. And with her, Maya wouldn't have to access her traumatic memories.
Harlan knew Maya was strong, and that is why he realized she could make her own choices. It still worried him. The mere thought of seeing her suffer made his heart feel weird.. like he couldn't breathe if she wasn't happy.
"Would your father do that? He is your father, after all.." Selene, as usual, even though she had experienced horrible things from her own family, still believed in familial bonds.
"My mother had eleven children. There are only four left alive, counting me," she snorted. "Vampires are selfish. We live forever, so we fight forever. We betray each other because we're bored." She fixed her hair, clearly uncomfortable. "So the answer is yes."
"How do we know you won't betray us?" Harlan asked.
"She wouldn't. She isn't like that," Callum said.
"I am like that.. I was, at least," she looked at Damien. "I have lived a long time, a thousand different lives. I have killed, I have loved, and I have lost. I want to do the right thing before I leave this world." The ice in her beautiful eyes melted, revealing a glimmer of emotion. Sincerity.
"If this is because of Magnolia or Arthur.." Callum was clearly against her dying. Harlan couldn't bring himself to care. As long as she did her part in everything, he would kill her himself if he had to.
"Arthur is the reason I decided I hated him. Magnolia is the first person I want to hug when I'm in heaven," she gave a sad smile. "I have to save my mother. That is what my sister would have wanted."
"Why don't you just kill your father?" Arden asked.
"It's almost impossible," Elowen explained. "Besides, something tells me that even if she did, she'd want to die anyway. She has nothing to live for."
Harlan could understand the sentiment of being drowned by your sins, being stalked by your fears. And to have to do that for eternity.. he would want to die as well.
But then he looked at Maya. Maybe he wouldn't mind living forever if she was around.
"Elowen!" Selene said, but Violette only smiled sadly.
"We'll do it," Damien said. "We'll help you if you help us."
Violette talked for what seemed like hours, detailing every single thing she knew about the rebels' plan. Blaze's eyes were shooting daggers at her, and that only made her smirk, which in turn made him angrier. I wondered what that was about.
"That is all I know," she said after a while.
"Well, it certainly is a lot," Harlan pointed out. "And if everything you said is true, we will be able to save a lot of lives."
"We thank you for that," Selene added as she placed a hand on her still-flat stomach. "All of us."
Damien hugged his mate to her. I assumed there was no point in hiding it, she could probably tell by her scent. I could barely discern a difference, but it was there.
"I'm still not convinced we shouldn't lace her tea with pasture rose," Blaze said.
I gave Harlan a look and he whispered, "Pasture rose or wild rose is like aconite for vampires."
"What is the matter with you?" she asked, raising a perfectly groomed eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Blaze stepped closer.
"You absolutely despise me. I find it interesting. I often have the opposite effect," she explained with a smirk.
"You're a vampire. You attacked my friends."