It was my decision to go home. I’d had enough. We could have stayed longer, but it seemed better to me that we leave.Prolonging a battle is never necessary.Another of my father’s lessons. As far as I could see, we achieved almost everything we wanted.
Vindhof repledged to us, after the ball. And, following Stefan’s actions, his father also vowed Ravenko’s support, kissing my ring again. He also surprised me as we were leaving, bowing deeply before grabbing my shoulders and kissing me on both cheeks, in front of the hastily assembled crowd of nobles. ‘Ravenko honour Raven, as it has always been,’ he’d said, his voice loud enough to carry.
Joaquin also kissed me in front of everyone. On the hand, thank darkness. ‘Until we meet again,’ he said, all dark promise. ‘Which will be soon.’ I invited him, and his entourage, to the Gathering. Yes, as a power move, but also because I want to see him again. It doesn’t feel like love; we barely know each other, after all. But it feels like … something.
I also spoke privately with both Deryck and Joaquin before we left, thanking them for their support. Joaquin and I may have done more than just talk, if I’m honest. Heat curls in the base of my stomach at the memory of his mouth, his hands on me. I might be choosing with my head, but it seems my body has something to say about it as well.
‘She hasn’t said much,’ I reply. ‘And I don’t want to push her. I’m just glad Joaquin was there.’
‘Yes.’ My father looks thoughtful. ‘The Jaguar prince seems taken with you. A good thing, I think, though we know so little about them. Him being here, and so obviously allied with you, has strengthened your position immensely.’
‘I like him,’ I say. ‘I hope he comes to the Gathering.’ I curl up on the sofa, yawning.
‘Go and rest. You can use our bed.’ My mother leans in, kissing my brow.
Rest sounds good, actually. I get up, heading into the other ground floor room. My parents’ bedroom is draped in red velvet, the bed piled high with soft pillows, the huge ebony headboard inlaid with gleaming mother of pearl feathers. It smells of violets, but also of them: comforting. I flop down on the bed, pulling the blanket around me. Despite the success of our visit, I’m still shaken by what happened to Sophie. If Joaquin and I hadn’t been in the room, she most likely would have been killed.
There’s a knock at the door. ‘Emelia?’ My mother comes in and perches on the bed, her skirts settling around her.
‘What is it? I thought you wanted me to rest.’ I sit up against the pillows.
‘I do.’ She looks down, sighing. ‘But … I need to talk to you about Joaquin, and Jaguar.’ She seems serious.
‘What about him?’ I hug my knees, frowning.
‘I think it important you know our history.Allof it.’
‘All of it?’ I’d learned plenty during my lessons, or so I thought.
‘You know Raven took North America from Jaguar.’
I nod, wondering where she’s going with this.
‘It wasn’t that long ago, in the aftermath of the Red Rising. We were all grappling to secure our territories, and Jaguar … well, let’s just say that Joaquin’s father was trying to reinstate the old ways.’
‘The old ways?’
‘His blood temples. Bastardisation of human religion, and utterly, utterly cruel. Children, the elderly. No one was safe.’
‘I thought the Red Rising was a bloodbath everywhere.’ I feel a bit sick.
‘Only because people fought back.’
‘What the hell did you expect them to do? Lie down and take it?’
My mother’s brow creases. ‘I know that Varin spoke to you of the reasons for the Rising. We wanted balance, for the night to belong to us once more. But it became … more complicated, and so the current system was instated. Things settled down. Humans began breeding once more, their numbers rising. And it felt as though balance was returning.’
The Famine and the Blood Agreement. I knew about those. Humans refused to cede control to vampires and were therefore hunted almost to extinction, until vampires realised that they needed to protect their food. The Blood Agreement was brought into place, Safe Zones set up and, at least as I’ve been taught, human numbers began to rebound once they were able to live safe, settled lives. Of course, the reality of that idyllic vision became abundantly clear when I visited an actual Safe Zone and saw the harvesting plant, the hopelessness of human lives.
‘Really?’ I don’t bother to hide my scorn. There was nothing balanced about it.
‘I know it wasn’t perfect. But it was peaceful, at least. Then humans began disappearing. Entire Safe Zones cleared out in a single night.’
‘Entire Safe Zones?’ I never learned about this in my lessons.
My mother nods. ‘It became clear quite quickly who was responsible. The one person who refused to set up proper Safe Zones. Whose human population continued to decline.’
‘Jaguar.’
