Page 96 of The Vampire's Bride

She continues. “That’s when I first heard rumors of Lord Greyvale. About how he was turned… who he was before. I wasn’t sure if they were real or simply stories, but we sought him out anyway.”

She brushes away her tears. “When we finally found him, he took us both in without hesitation and made me the caretaker of Mysthaven Manor. He taught Lysander to hunt, to fly, and to fight.” A faint smile crests her lips. “He is like an older brother to my son, and I cannot thank him enough for taking him under his wing.”

She points to the sigil embroidered near the neckline of her clothing, another tear slipping down her cheek. “He gave us his protection as well and he never asked for anything in return.”

My heart warms as I think of my husband. He truly is a good person.

She looks to the window with a faraway gaze. “Lord Damar was upset. He wanted to turn us away because of me. He doesn’t trust humans and didn’t want one in his employ who was not a bloodsworn to their Great House.”

“What happened?”

“They argued until Lord Damar finally relented.”

My heart aches for her. She’s been through so much. “I’m so sorry you went through all of that, Reyla,” I whisper.

“Thank you,” she replies softly in return. “Thankfully, it all worked out in the end. Despite all I went through, I would change nothing. Lysander is the greatest blessing I could ever have been given. My son is my heart and my joy.”

I’m so glad she and Lysander found Valaric when they did, and that they now have the protection of his Great House.

It’s troubling, however, that Damar has such a dislike of humans. For surely our paths will cross at some point. He is the High Lord of our Great House. It’s not as if we can avoid him forever. “Does Lord Damar come here often?”

Worry trickles in the back of my mind. What if Damar disapproves of our marriage? What if he decides to strip Valaric of his title and protection because of me?

I know my husband had other wives before I came along, but they were in name only. And from what I’ve gathered, it is not normal for Vampires to take a human as their true wife.

“House Greyvale has over a dozen estates scattered throughout the kingdoms,” she replies. “This was their permanent residence for a while, but Lord Damar rarely visits now since he and Lord Valaric had their falling out.”

I’ve seen Lords disinherit their heirs over lesser disputes, and yet Damar never disowned Valaric or tried to expel him from House Greyvale. I’m worried that Valaric’s marriage to me may change that. And if it does, it could affect Reyla and Lysander as well. “I have yet to meet Damar,” I tell her. “But what I’ve heard of him is not exactly encouraging.”

“I do not mean to paint him as a villain, my Lady,” Reyla adds. “Lord Damar is a born Vampire, but he is different from the others. He may not be overly kind, but he is not a cruel Lord either. And I would know,” she adds pointedly.

She sighs. “In truth, I feared him at first. Especially with all his carrying on about not wanting a human in his household unless they were bloodsworn. But once I learned of his past, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.”

“What happened to him?”

“His entire Clan was killed over a hundred years ago.”

I inhale sharply. “How did they die?”

“That, I don’t know.” Her eyes shine with pity. “I only know that he was entirely alone before he took Lord Valaric in, and now they are estranged. They’ve not spoken for over five years.”

Reyla is a wealth of information, and I wonder if she can tell me anything else about Valaric’s past. “Did you ever meet any of the others before me? Lord Valaric’s previous wives?”

She shakes her head. “He never brought them to Mysthaven, but he did come here after the last one passed about three years ago. He was in a rather deep state of melancholy and it took him a while to return to himself again.”

He said he was not close to his previous wives, but it seems he was not unaffected when the last one died.

“Do you know what happened to her?” I ask. “How she died?”

She turns her gaze to the window. “I… didn’t ask for any details, my Lady,” she says a bit hesitantly. Something about theway she says this, however, makes me think there is something she isn’t sharing.

Before I can probe any further, she starts speaking again. “I apologize if I have spoken out of turn, my Lady. But you are new to this world—this life. Lord Valaric is a good person. One of the few among his kind who respects humans.”

“Thank you for sharing your story with me, Reyla, and for telling me more about Valaric.”

“Of course.” She gives me a faint smile. “Lord Valaric is a good person, my Lady. Speak to him. Tell him how you feel, and I believe he will listen.”

I turn my gaze back to the ocean as I mull over all she has told me. Perhaps I’m wrong about Valaric. Maybe what I thought was a dismissive attitude was simply one of frustration.

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