“That’s a death sentence!” Megan sounded aghast. “Why would they do that to the Made Nocturnes? That’s not fair!”
“They do it because the repeated bite of a Made Vampire is very contagious—to humans, anyway,” Griffin said. “While it might take months or years to turn someone into a Made Nocturne if a regular Born Nocturne is biting them, it can take only weeks or days when the one doing the biting is a Made Nocturne himself.”
“What? But that means I can’t bite anybody!” Kaitlyn exclaimed. “I shouldn’t have bitten Avery.” She looked at her friend with worry in her eyes. “Oh Avery—I’m so sorry!”
“You don’t need to worry about infecting Avery or any Other for that matter,” Griffin said quickly. “Or I wouldn’t have let you bite him to make your little experiment earlier. Others are immune to a Made Nocturne’s bite, because of their magic.”
“Which makes my offer all the stronger,” I said, jumping into the conversation. “Because I am a Drake, I cannot be turned into a Nocturne by Kaitlyn’s bite.”
“This does kind of make the whole ‘should she bite an Other instead of a human question’ a moot point,” Avery pointed out. “It sounds to me like Kaitlyn has no choice.”
“There is always a choice,” Griffin said, frowning. He turned to me. “Ari Reyes, do you offer your blood for this female’s consumption willingly?”
Recognizing an oath of fealty when I heard one, I clenched my right fist and placed it over my heart.
“I do,” I said formally.
“And you do understand that this is not a duty you can shirk or pass to another?” Griffin asked me. “Kaitlyn’s very life will be in your hands. If you fail to nourish her, she will die and her death will be on your head.”
“I understand.” I nodded firmly. “I will never abandon or forsake her. I will nourish, protect, and shield Kaitlyn with my life if necessary.”
Griffin nodded.
“Then, as the Senior Nocturne in this situation, I release her into your care.”
“Thank you.” I bowed my head. “I will not fail.”
Kaitlyn had been sitting silently on the couch, watching with wide eyes as I took my oath. She seemed to be struggling to find words to express herself but at last she burst out,
“Wait a minute—wait a minute!” She looked at me. “This is crazy. You don’t even know me! Why would you want to promise to give me your blood for who knows how long?”
My Drake roared within me, shaking me to my core. I wanted to tell her I longed to care for her because my Drake had chosen her and my heart had followed his. Because she was dear to me, even though we had barely spoken.
But I sensed that saying any of that would frighten her. In the Sky Lands, the instant attraction and devotion of a male for a female is understood and accepted. Once a male’s Drake fixes on a particular female, it’s rarely possible to break the bond that forms. But here in the human world, where males had no Drakes to guide them, the courting process seemed to be a much longer and more convoluted one.
I tried to think of how to voice my feelings for her without going too far—without scaring her off—but it was hard to know how far was too far to go.
“Is this still about the way Pedro Sanchez hit me with that football during our PE class a few months back?” Kaitlyn demanded, and I realized I had taken too long to answer. “Is this some kind of an honor thing? You feel like you have to help me because your countryman hurt me?”
Of course, that wasn’t it at all. But her words made me realize that this might be the easiest explanation for her to understand. The simplest way to get her to accept my help.
Though I disliked lying, I couldn’t think what else to do—how else to show her my regard for her without frightening her away.
“Yes,” I said, nodding my head. “My countryman brought great shame upon my people and my house that day. I must atone for his error and pay back the evil he did with good or I can never hold my head up in the Sky Lands again.”
Griffin and Avery both looked at me sharply, but the expression on Kaitlyn’s face—the part of it I could see past her ever-present curtain of hair anyway—relaxed somewhat. Here was an explanation she could understand and accept. I was grateful she did, though I longed to tell her what was truly in my heart and the heart of my Drake.
“And you swear you’re not up to anything with Nancy?” she asked me at last.
“Never!” I spat the word harshly, not trying to hide my disgust. “I have named her vrota and I will never have anything to do with her. You are the only one I wish to serve.”