frustrated—terrified words she wanted to
spill.
“ Yes, Jes; these factions of the
Crow People have been hunting for my parents—and for us. Only by
our Alliance with the leaders—and those leaders agreeing to do all
in their power to protect you—were you kept out of it. My sisters
and I had to disappear.”
Jes was horrified at the
implications of this. “Why didn’t you say so!”
His eyes darkened. He leaned
forward in the overstuffed chair. “You were too happy calling me a
murderer.”
“ You murdered humans !”
He sat back in the chair,
mute.
She didn’t like the implications
of that either. But she could find no way around that. He had
killed humans. They were humans! Her mind scrambled with the
possibilities. But he was reading her mind. So she worked to turn
off the faucet of police-trained questions that were wracking her
brain.
“ Okay, have it your way, Jes.” He
sat there quietly. After a moment—he went on.
“ Our people have had an uneasy
Alliance with the elite Crows for centuries. We are here to protect the humans ….” He
bit this part out, his eyes narrowing on her, defying her to start
her litany of judgments.
She kept still, though—it was not
an easy task.
“ But here was a race with several
rogue factions who had great difficulty controlling the
even-further-rogue members of its cast—and those members
sometimes feed on
humans .” His face twisted at the
thought.
She didn’t know what to make of his
obvious disgust. How could a…? She put a lid on that thought. She
looked up to find him watching her intently, and swallowed under
his gaze. She rested her face against her arms, still wrapped
around her knees, and gazed back at him. Waiting.
“ These factions of vamps are
powerful,” he finally went on. “One you don’t want to trifle with.
And they are not ones you would want for your enemy. But
they are … nevertheless … rogue .”
He was quiet for a long moment, and
she was afraid he would stop there, but she remained silent and was
rewarded after a moment when he did continue.
“ There is a prophecy amongst both
of our races—of an elite member of the Jaguar People—one who
resembles our ancestors’ prince beings, one who has violet-white,
almost-translucent skin, one who has violet eyes, one like the
member of the army—Lucius. And for awhile the people thought that
Lucius was him—although he clearly told them he was not. This one
was to bring balance to both races. And the people have looked for
him for a long, long time.”
She sat up straight now, excited,
and nodded. She had heard the story. Did he know who this one
was?
He nodded. “I do know who he is.
And I have been trained since birth for the moment he would step
forward and make himself known. At least—I was being trained—as were my
sisters—up until the moment everything began falling apart for my
family.” His lips curled around these last words, his gaze taking
on a faraway look. “Our parents disappeared—long before they
disappeared. And I’ve had hell trying to figure out
why.”
He looked at her now. “There were
some amongst our people—who did not agree that this one should ever
step forward or that these two races should never find any peace.
Several amongst these groups have lost loved ones to the rogue
clans of the Crow People. They see the entire race as their mortal
enemies. They don’t want peace. They want
only war !”
She was startled by the vehemence
of his words. Was he one who wanted war with them?
“ No,” his tone gentled now. “But
I do understand
them. However, these ones are shortsighted. First, you cannot go to
war with an entire race for the actions of a few who lie outside
the body of these people. The majority are not just our allies—but
our friends. Many are like brothers to us.”
He took a deep breath. “The second
reason is that a war like that would nearly annihilate both of our
tribes. It would be foolish beyond measure. To even
spill.
“ Yes, Jes; these factions of the
Crow People have been hunting for my parents—and for us. Only by
our Alliance with the leaders—and those leaders agreeing to do all
in their power to protect you—were you kept out of it. My sisters
and I had to disappear.”
Jes was horrified at the
implications of this. “Why didn’t you say so!”
His eyes darkened. He leaned
forward in the overstuffed chair. “You were too happy calling me a
murderer.”
“ You murdered humans !”
He sat back in the chair,
mute.
She didn’t like the implications
of that either. But she could find no way around that. He had
killed humans. They were humans! Her mind scrambled with the
possibilities. But he was reading her mind. So she worked to turn
off the faucet of police-trained questions that were wracking her
brain.
“ Okay, have it your way, Jes.” He
sat there quietly. After a moment—he went on.
“ Our people have had an uneasy
Alliance with the elite Crows for centuries. We are here to protect the humans ….” He
bit this part out, his eyes narrowing on her, defying her to start
her litany of judgments.
She kept still, though—it was not
an easy task.
“ But here was a race with several
rogue factions who had great difficulty controlling the
even-further-rogue members of its cast—and those members
sometimes feed on
humans .” His face twisted at the
thought.
She didn’t know what to make of his
obvious disgust. How could a…? She put a lid on that thought. She
looked up to find him watching her intently, and swallowed under
his gaze. She rested her face against her arms, still wrapped
around her knees, and gazed back at him. Waiting.
“ These factions of vamps are
powerful,” he finally went on. “One you don’t want to trifle with.
And they are not ones you would want for your enemy. But
they are … nevertheless … rogue .”
He was quiet for a long moment, and
she was afraid he would stop there, but she remained silent and was
rewarded after a moment when he did continue.
“ There is a prophecy amongst both
of our races—of an elite member of the Jaguar People—one who
resembles our ancestors’ prince beings, one who has violet-white,
almost-translucent skin, one who has violet eyes, one like the
member of the army—Lucius. And for awhile the people thought that
Lucius was him—although he clearly told them he was not. This one
was to bring balance to both races. And the people have looked for
him for a long, long time.”
She sat up straight now, excited,
and nodded. She had heard the story. Did he know who this one
was?
He nodded. “I do know who he is.
And I have been trained since birth for the moment he would step
forward and make himself known. At least—I was being trained—as were my
sisters—up until the moment everything began falling apart for my
family.” His lips curled around these last words, his gaze taking
on a faraway look. “Our parents disappeared—long before they
disappeared. And I’ve had hell trying to figure out
why.”
He looked at her now. “There were
some amongst our people—who did not agree that this one should ever
step forward or that these two races should never find any peace.
Several amongst these groups have lost loved ones to the rogue
clans of the Crow People. They see the entire race as their mortal
enemies. They don’t want peace. They want
only war !”
She was startled by the vehemence
of his words. Was he one who wanted war with them?
“ No,” his tone gentled now. “But
I do understand
them. However, these ones are shortsighted. First, you cannot go to
war with an entire race for the actions of a few who lie outside
the body of these people. The majority are not just our allies—but
our friends. Many are like brothers to us.”
He took a deep breath. “The second
reason is that a war like that would nearly annihilate both of our
tribes. It would be foolish beyond measure. To even
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