land. The city has been theirs ever since. They control everything—banking, real estate, tourism, trade … everything.”
I listened, sipping on hot tea from a to-go cup as Sebastianspoke. After the rain had turned heavy, we’d raced to the sidewalk and found a small bookstore and café.
Sebastian’s voice was quiet and his face pale, the gray eyes a stark and silvery contrast against his wet black hair and dark red lips. I could look at him forever. But that was something he’d never,
ever
know.
“There are other things living in this city and the outskirts,” he continued. “The Novem offers refuge to anyone or anything so long as they stick to their laws and don’t draw attention to themselves. Not everyone who lives here is different. Regular people live here too.”
My fingers cradled the hot cup, and my stomach clenched. “So your mom was …”
“A vampire?” he answered with a laugh that sounded like he didn’t believe it himself. “Yeah. And Josephine’s only daughter.”
“I always thought vampires were made, not born. That they couldn’t have kids.”
“That’s what most people think.” He smiled and gave a small shrug. “We don’t exactly see the need to enlighten the outside world. It’s pretty basic. We’re not an entirely separate species or anything; we just branched off the human evolutionary tree a long time ago and evolved differently. You’d be surprised how many branches there are. But yeah, vampires can be made or born. The made ones are called Turned—basically humans turned into vampires.”
“And the kids?”
“Kids are pretty rare. It’s not easy for vamps to have children, but it happens sometimes. The kids grow up normally, but when they reach adulthood, their bodies stop aging. That’s why most Born vamps look to be in their early twenties.” He went to say more, but then hesitated and shook his head. “You sure you want to know all this?”
“Yeah. It’s interesting.” I gave a small laugh. “In a mind-blowing sort of way.”
“Just be glad you didn’t have to take Mr. Fry’s molecular biology class, wherein all things human and
doué
are explained, all the way down to the genome level.”
“Total snooze-fest, huh?”
“Yeah.” He grew quiet.
I bit my lip, thinking over Sebastian’s words for a moment. “But you’re only half vampire?”
He propped his elbows on the table and leaned in. “I’ll give you the short version. You’ve got full-blooded children, who are called Bloodborn. They’re seen as nobility; they’re the most powerful and the most annoying. I’m talking egos the size of Mount Everest. The children of a human and a vampire are called Dayborn. There are different traits among them, different strengths and weaknesses. Dayborns don’t need blood to survive like Bloodborns do. Though there is a moment as they hitadulthood where the urge is there. If they take blood,” he added, shrugging, “they’ll need it from then on just like a Bloodborn would.”
“Do they usually? Take it, I mean?”
Sebastian nodded, his expression going dim and the volume of his words lowering. “Blood is hard to resist for any vampire, no matter their birth.”
The weight of his admission sat between us for a long moment. I cleared my throat. “And that’s what you are, Day-born?”
He glanced away. His Adam’s apple moved with a tight swallow. “No. My other half is Lamarliere. So not quite human, either. A witch’s DNA is slightly different, just like vamps and shifters, but they only tend to pass their power down maternally, through the female line.”
“So … that would make you what, then?”
“I’ve always been partial to freak of nature.”
“Ha,” I shot back, smiling. “That one’s mine.”
He dipped his head, as though giving up his claim on the title. “Seriously, though, when I was little, my dad snuck me to a hidden library in the Presbytère, one that the students never see. One that houses
I listened, sipping on hot tea from a to-go cup as Sebastianspoke. After the rain had turned heavy, we’d raced to the sidewalk and found a small bookstore and café.
Sebastian’s voice was quiet and his face pale, the gray eyes a stark and silvery contrast against his wet black hair and dark red lips. I could look at him forever. But that was something he’d never,
ever
know.
“There are other things living in this city and the outskirts,” he continued. “The Novem offers refuge to anyone or anything so long as they stick to their laws and don’t draw attention to themselves. Not everyone who lives here is different. Regular people live here too.”
My fingers cradled the hot cup, and my stomach clenched. “So your mom was …”
“A vampire?” he answered with a laugh that sounded like he didn’t believe it himself. “Yeah. And Josephine’s only daughter.”
“I always thought vampires were made, not born. That they couldn’t have kids.”
“That’s what most people think.” He smiled and gave a small shrug. “We don’t exactly see the need to enlighten the outside world. It’s pretty basic. We’re not an entirely separate species or anything; we just branched off the human evolutionary tree a long time ago and evolved differently. You’d be surprised how many branches there are. But yeah, vampires can be made or born. The made ones are called Turned—basically humans turned into vampires.”
“And the kids?”
“Kids are pretty rare. It’s not easy for vamps to have children, but it happens sometimes. The kids grow up normally, but when they reach adulthood, their bodies stop aging. That’s why most Born vamps look to be in their early twenties.” He went to say more, but then hesitated and shook his head. “You sure you want to know all this?”
“Yeah. It’s interesting.” I gave a small laugh. “In a mind-blowing sort of way.”
“Just be glad you didn’t have to take Mr. Fry’s molecular biology class, wherein all things human and
doué
are explained, all the way down to the genome level.”
“Total snooze-fest, huh?”
“Yeah.” He grew quiet.
I bit my lip, thinking over Sebastian’s words for a moment. “But you’re only half vampire?”
He propped his elbows on the table and leaned in. “I’ll give you the short version. You’ve got full-blooded children, who are called Bloodborn. They’re seen as nobility; they’re the most powerful and the most annoying. I’m talking egos the size of Mount Everest. The children of a human and a vampire are called Dayborn. There are different traits among them, different strengths and weaknesses. Dayborns don’t need blood to survive like Bloodborns do. Though there is a moment as they hitadulthood where the urge is there. If they take blood,” he added, shrugging, “they’ll need it from then on just like a Bloodborn would.”
“Do they usually? Take it, I mean?”
Sebastian nodded, his expression going dim and the volume of his words lowering. “Blood is hard to resist for any vampire, no matter their birth.”
The weight of his admission sat between us for a long moment. I cleared my throat. “And that’s what you are, Day-born?”
He glanced away. His Adam’s apple moved with a tight swallow. “No. My other half is Lamarliere. So not quite human, either. A witch’s DNA is slightly different, just like vamps and shifters, but they only tend to pass their power down maternally, through the female line.”
“So … that would make you what, then?”
“I’ve always been partial to freak of nature.”
“Ha,” I shot back, smiling. “That one’s mine.”
He dipped his head, as though giving up his claim on the title. “Seriously, though, when I was little, my dad snuck me to a hidden library in the Presbytère, one that the students never see. One that houses
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