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"Would others accept the to be very difficult for awhile Aria It’s going to be a long time before our society operates the ant it to"

"Probably not in h," she muttered "The life they will face" Her voice trailed off as she turned toward the fountain "We fought to make a better world, but our children will still know hardship and hostility…"

"No" He grasped her chin easily as he turned her head toward hi" But even as he said the words he knew that he was trying to force things again, trying to s bend to his will "Ok, yes, they s will be different for the time to come, but one day all of this will be just a memory and the hatred will fade"

"Just as the memories of the world that used to exist have faded, I don’t have that h Braith"

"I know" This was it; the time had finally come to tell her He was fairly certain of the choice she would make, he just wasn’t sure he was ready for it "Aria, there is so you must know"

She frowned at hi on "Xavier knows ure out, or understand over hundreds of years"

"I know, he’s fascinating"

"That’s one way to describe hi works" The furrow in her brow deepened as she stared at him "He also sees deeper into people than anyone I’ve ever known, and he understands s in this world that no one else would, or even could Before you were captured I noticed that he had taken a particular interest in you"

"What kind of an interest?"

"That’s what I was curious to know, and I confronted him on it"

"What did he say?" she prompted when he didn’t speak for an extended moment

He didn’t want to say the words, as badly as he wanted to blurt thee"

She became as still as stone, even her heart seeainst the inside of her ribs "That’s not possible"

"I think it is"

"No" She shook her head so vehemently that her hair flittered around her face "No, Braith I’m human"

"Yes, you most certainly are human However I believe that somewhere, over the years, one of your ancestors was the child of a vampire Listen to me Aria, it makes sense," he said when she continued to shake her head "You’re so fast, faster than most humans, and only Daniel and Williarace that you do" He didn’t add her father in; this was difficult enough without that reminder

"Max is quick and capable in the woods, but nowhere near as quick or as silent as the three of you You’re strong; you yourself were amazed when you destroyed that vampire in The Barrens The first tiht the speed and grace hich youlike it If I’d been thinking clearly at the time, maybe I would have picked up on it, but I don’t think I’ve thought clearly since Iher head and frowned at the fountain

"There’s also the bloodlink"

"It’s never been with a human before, Ashby and Melinda were so baffled by us"

"As was Xavier and Gideon No vampire has found their bloodlink in a huht explain why I unreasonably felt like I could trust you froely unafraid of you when I first met you I was always so reckless and driven to find a piece of , until you kissed me and I found it Maybe there is a little bit of va in you"

He quirked an eyebrow as she frowned at hi"

"Nowhere near as afraid of you as I was of that other vamp that tried to clai at hily "But what does thatthe way there was a vampire in my family?"

"It didn’t have to be a vampire; it could have been a human-vampire child banished from the palace, one that fled in order to avoid the abuse they received"

Dawning realization settled over her features "My great grandfather left the palace when he was a child He later started the rebellion"

"I know, you toldof it at the time When I spoke to your father…"

"My father knew of this? What did he say?" The yearning in her voice tore at his heart

"He told us what you just did His grandfather left the palace at thirteen; he struggled to survive on the streets of the town before retreating into the woods Once in the woods, he gathered a loyal following that over time became the rebellion Your father didn’t know randfather had left after his mother died, and that he had a deep hatred of vampires David assumed it was because of the abuse he’d sustained while in the palace He admitted it could have been possible that it was e rumors about the man when David was a child, but they faded after his death, and were chalked up to having been created to add an aura of mystery and power to the rebel leader"

"What kind of rumors?" Aria inquired

"That he was faster than a huer, could see better and hear better than a hawk Your father never really thought anything of it, and your great grandfather was killed when your father was only ten He’d never spoken about it with his father as there had been no reason to question any of it, until Xavier"

"And did randfather could have been the child of a human and a vampire?"