Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea Read Online Free Page A

mostly making conversation to take her mind off what had happened but he was happy to give her a little respite by telling her about himself.
    “A thousand years,” he said.
    She didn’t appear at all stunned like he’d expected.
    “I’ve met a few as old as you. Mathias is over a thousand and the previous leader of my bloodline, Iona was. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live as long as you have. Valentine has told me wonderful things about the world and the changes that have taken place, but he’s … well … I don’t know how old he is really. I’m sure he must have mentioned it.” She smiled to herself and he wanted to know what thought had evoked such a real look of happiness. “Three hundred. I remember hearing Mathias say it.”
    “He’s a youngling.” He regretted his words when she scowled at him.
    “You don’t know him. He’s smarter than you. He’s a hunter and he got me this far. Without him, I would be dead.”
    Venturi swallowed and bit back the words he wanted to say. He wanted to defend himself, but knew that it would only make her angrier because he’d end up saying something offensive about the man she was protecting.
    “A hunter? We are all hunters.” Leaning into the back of the couch, he held her gaze, not letting her look away. He could see that she wouldn’t anyway. She was determined not to let him win.
    “Not like this. He’s unique. He hunts the vampire hunters. I’ve seen him fight them. I’ve seen him fight werewolves that are older than you and stronger than you’ll ever be.”
    Her jaw tensed. His stomach twisted, tightening up with anger over her words. She didn’t know how strong he was, or how skilled. She had accused him of saying things about her precious Valentine when he knew nothing about him, yet here she was making offensive remarks about himself. He wanted to turn her words against her and make her see what she was doing, but found that he couldn’t. As much as he wanted to set her straight, he didn’t want to upset her further.
    “Let us agree to disagree. I am not here to fight you, Prophecy. The last thing you need right now is another enemy. In time, you will change your opinion of me.”
    “I didn’t mean—” She cut herself off and looked ashamed.
    He leaned forwards and reached out to her but she ignored the hand he offered.
    “You take everything to heart,” he said with a slight smile, hoping she would see it and come out of her shell again. “I have spent seven centuries as high guard to my lord, or should I say the man who was my lord.”
    “I am sorry about what happened,” she whispered it with a weight of emotion that went straight to his heart.
    “You believed you were doing the right thing. Many people have made such mistakes. It is in the past now and cannot be undone.”
    “But you were his guard, surely you were close to him? How can you be so calm about it?” She sat a little straighter and fixed her dark eyes on him. There was such intent in them and he knew what she was thinking. He wasn’t unfeeling though. He did care about what happened, more than she could understand.
    “He was more than my master,” he said and looked out of the window, watching the blurred scenery rushing by. They would have to change train soon. Dawn was approaching and they were due to arrive in Milan before it.
    “More than your … oh!”
    He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was biting her lip, her eyes wide with realisation.
    “I … were…”
    He smiled at how awkward she suddenly looked, as though this made what she had done even worse and her knowing that the man she had killed was his sire would automatically make him hate her. He couldn’t hate her. He’d sworn to protect her with his life. He couldn’t hate the one person who was destined to save them all from the jaws of Hell.
    “I was his only child and the Chosen Son of my bloodline. When you murdered him, you passed the title of lord of Tenebrae on to