Page 54 of The Pureblood Daughter
Lord Rosetti sighs, and he holds Nadia’s gaze. “You need only look in the mirror, Miss Magdalena. If he was not involved, how did you come to be in his care? How do you explain the tonic, the scented necklace?” Reaching for Nadia’s hand, he takes it and squeezes it between both of his. “I understand you still see him as your father; he raised you, after all. But it’s imperative you come to see the truth of the matter. If not for Lord Gray, Vera and Kirill may very well be with us still, and you would’ve grown up the eldest of your family, likely with many siblings to dote upon. That man stole your life from you, Miss Magdalena, just as he stole the lives of your parents.”
The sincerity in his green eyes is at once discomfiting and compassionate. His words stir a storm of emotions in her heart, and she tries desperately to keep the wave from crashing over her, drowning her where she sits.
Nadia nods mournfully, and the earl gives her hand another gentle squeeze before releasing it.
“You’ve mentioned the guild,” Nadia says, keeping her eyes down lest they fill with tears, “but I know not of what you speak.”
Lord Rosetti clears his throat, his demeanor shifting at once. “The hunters’ guild, yes. They’re an underground society of humans who know of our existence and have committed their lives to eradicating us. They’ve gone quiet since the treaty, but they’ve not entirely ceased their activities.”
“Can’t anyone stop them?” Nadia’s voice is sharp, and she sits up straight and meet the earl’s gaze.
“Not without disobeying the brotherhood—our governing council; they’re intent upon upholding the treaty, even if the hunters are not.” Lord Rosetti clenches his jaw in much the same way Theodore does. “We went to them when your parents were murdered, but without proof, they refused to initiate an investigation.” The earl’s eyes fill with something that looks like hope. “Perhapsyouwill change their minds.”
“Me?” Nadia holds a hand to her chest and finds her heart fluttering beneath her fingertips. “But... I don’t remember anything from the accident. What help would I be?”
“Your existence is enough; it proves the hunters were involved. Once those in the brotherhood meet you and hear your story, they’ll have no choice but to look into the guild’s nefarious behavior. Perhaps we’ll see justice for your parents yet.”
Nadia finds herself speechless. It’s an overwhelming amount of information to take in at once, let alone process.
Lord Rosetti offers her an understanding smile. “That’s enough for now. But if you’ve any questions at all, do seek me out. I can only imagine the tempest you must be enduring.”
“I shall,” Nadia says, grateful for his keen perception. “Your teachings have been much appreciated. I’m sure to have many inquiries in the future.” Standing from the armchair, she holds the tome out to him, but he waves it off.
“The book is for you, Miss Magdalena. I’d hoped one day to give it to you, and that day has finally come.” He stands from his perch on the edge of the desk and gestures to the book. “I do hope you find it enlightening.”
Clutching the book to her chest, Nadia curtsies low. “You have my deepest gratitude, Lord Rosetti.”
“The pleasure is mine, my dear. Oh, and if you see my son before I do, please let him know I’d like a word. Theodore has become increasingly difficult to steal away these days.” The earl smiles playfully as he ushers Nadia from the room.
Once she’s in the hall, he bids her goodbye and returns to the study, and she’s left standing in the hall with the tome of Magdalena lineage held tightly to her breast.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nadia returns to her room, and Amélie brings her a small afternoon meal consisting of cold tea sandwiches, fresh fruit, and tiny cakes. She sips a glass of blood alongside the food, still unused to its texture and taste, though somehow delighted by it.
Sitting at Contessa’s old desk, Nadia has the heavy book opened before her, and she pores over each page slowly and scrupulously. Lord Rosetti’s comprehensive research on Clan Magdalena leaves little to be desired, and Nadia loses herself in her family lineage.
She reads about each of her ancestors with more curiosity than the last, finding herself captivated by the detailed particulars—marriages, dates of birth and death, tidbits of intriguing information—written in Lord Rosetti’s impressively tidy hand.
It’s when she reaches her mother’s side that things become... wanting. She traces the information on Clan Athanasia, her mother’s clan, back to her great-grandparents, but like Lord Rosetti said, the pages stop there. Given the importance of lineage in the vampire culture, it strikes her as odd that there would be no further information on her mother’s side. A perplexing mystery indeed.
She sits back from the desk and finishes her cakes and glass of blood, then uses a linen napkin to dab her lips.
It’s been much too long since she last saw Theodore, and a longing for him rises up inside her, stirring warmth in the place she so wants to feel him. After breaking her fast with the countess, she asked after the viscount, and Amélie told her he had work to do for the day. Now it’s a whole day later, and she’s still not seen him, nor even heard his voice in her mind. Somehow, she’s become so preoccupied with him that even a day spent away invokes aching in her bones.
Theodore?she calls out in her mind, still getting used to the odd sensation of speaking into the void and expecting him to speak back. He doesn’t answer right away, and she takes a moment to close the book and slide it onto a bookshelf near the desk.
Amélie has just removed her dishes when Theodore’s presence drifts into her consciousness.
I’ve missed you,iubit. Come to me.
His words make her lips curl into a smile, and she moves across the room to look upon herself in the mirror.
Where shall I meet you?she asks, then narrows her blue eyes at her reflection. She assumed Miss Kazamir had made a mess of her hair, but it’s more dreadful than she expected.
In the time it takes for Theodore to respond, she unsnarls the messy three-strand braid Amélie did for her that morning and allows her long dark hair to fall freely about her shoulders and down her back.
In the gardens.
