Page 25 of Inevitably Yves

“How did your maker find you?” Eros asks.

Yves leans back in his seat, his shoulder pressing slightly into mine as our bodies overlap. “He hunted me. He was passing through town, looking for someone to defile, and he decided it would be me.”

“How did it happen?” Midnight asks. “You’ve never told us.”

Yves chuckles darkly. “Hadrian Vitellius Germanicus.” Yves says his name slowly.

The name moves through me uneasily.

“Gods, I haven’t uttered that name in centuries.” Yves glances at me. “Hadrian was the first man ever afflicted with vampirism.”

“The first vampire ever?” Viper asks.

“It all started with him. To our knowledge, we are the only two survivors from our original coven. Until earlier today, I thought I was alone.”

I brush my hand against his. “Can you tell it?”

Yves nods. “I think so.” He offers a subtle smile, shifting his gaze to his family. “As Hadrian told it, he played a very dangerous game and lost. Hadrian’s taste for power started at a young age. He toyed with the darkness, seeking a way to elevate his lot in life. One fateful evening, he found it.”

Yves takes a moment to compose his thoughts. The disruption he feels rolls through me.

“Hadrian says he summoned a demon, some ancient entity rumored to give out anything your heart desired, but you had to win a game of skill against it. Hadrian’s memory of the actual details of the game was erased, but he won. Now, we all know playing with demons is tricky, and Hadrian’s demon was no exception. He gave him all the status and power and wealth Hadrian craved, but cursed him with a craving for blood.”

“Damn,” Vivienne whispers. “I always wondered where vampires came from. Not Romania? Not bats then?”

“Certain species did originate from a bat’s bite, yes,” I answer. “There are many iterations of us now due to trade, mixing, and magic.”

“Right,” Yves agrees. “And while on some level, every vampire originates from Hadrian, we were made directly by the original vampire, and with that comes strength and ability unmatched by any other.” His eyes roam across his family. “You all have some of him through me, but all of me is because of him.”

“That’s why you heal quickly when you’re hurt?” Tru asks.

“That’s a trait all vampires share,” Yves explains, “But our abilities are even stronger than most. You can stake us and we’ll survive.”

“It will hurt though,” I whisper, catching a concerned look from Yves.

“Yes, it should be avoided. We can survive almost anything, and apparently, since Hadrian is alive, two things that can kill us don’t kill him. Dead blood and fire.”

“That means only decapitation will kill Hadrian.”

“Fuck,” Syn says.

“Which brings us to today.” Yves’s voice hardens. “We don’t know why exactly, but we do know that Hadrian went to great lengths to keep me and Damiano apart. We know that he has somehow managed to block our awareness of his existence and each other’s. From what Damiano has learned, we know that Hadrian knows I’m alive, and he’s coming to New Onyx. What we don’t know is where he’s been all this time, who he has working with him, or how strong he is.”

I nod, adding, “And if what he told us is true, he gets stronger with each new vampire made.”

“So, like, when you made all of us, he got stronger?” Thorn asks.

“Yes. Who knows how many vampires he’s made in the centuries since we parted.”

“Why do you think he wanted you two apart?” Viper asks.

Yves turns to me, searching my eyes. “Because the moment I saw this man, I could no longer devote all my attention to Hadrian. Passion simmered inside me, but not for my maker.”

“He was jealous?” Vivienne asks.

“He’s jealous still, I imagine,” I answer. “I’m sure he knows we’ve found each other again, and it must be killing him inside.”

“I hope our names taste like poison on his tongue.”

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