For some reason, Daisy felt in her gut that Victorija wasn’t coming for her. If she was, then why hadn’t she taken her away in her room the other night? There was something strange going on. Why wouldn’t Victorija come and get her, satisfy her hunger, and end her torment?

There was something more going on here, and she was sure it was connected to Angele.

“Granny, what’s the difference between a born vampire like the Debreks and Victorija, and a normal turned vampire?”

“Well, the story goes that the powerful witch Lucia begged her coven for a chance to have children with her Debrek vampire husband.”

“Normally vamps can’t have children?”

“Exactly. You can’t create life from death, and when you are a vampire, you are essentially dead,” her granny explained. “Lucia’s coven weren’t exactly happy about an alliance with the Debreks, but according to reports I’ve read in the department, they felt since Lucia was the most powerful witch alive, she might have a good influence in the vampire community. So they helped.”

“When they’re born, are the children true vampires?” Daisy asked.

“No, they inherit excellent strength, dexterity, and speed, but they are not immortal. The Grand Duchess Lucia and her coven built consent into the system. The Debreks had to pledge to get consent from those that they fed from or turned to vampirism. That also extended to their children.”

Daisy stopped by a bench in the woods and sat down. Her granny followed, and Owen and Trista both took positions either side of the bench but gave them some space.

“How do they give consent?”

“At eighteen, every vampire child makes a decision whether to follow their parents and become a full born vampire, or stay as an enhanced but still very mortal human.”

“Wow, have any ever chosen not to?”

“I believe some, going by the department’s intelligence reports, but the majority turn.”

“And how does that happen?”

“A ceremony on their birthday. Their parents kill them by breaking their neck. They wake up, feed, and are then born vampires.”

Daisy couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t imagine anyone’s parents wanting to kill them like that. Immortality must really change your outlook on life. The memory she had seen last night must have been before Victorija was turned—that’s why she had bruises. Daisy was desperate to learn more about Victorija and find out who gave her those bruises and who gave her the mental scars that were evident on her face.

“Amelia is pregnant. I don’t know how she’ll deal with that in the future,” Daisy said.

“She probably hasn’t even thought that far ahead. Vampires might have immortality, but that doesn’t mean they are happy for their immortal lives, in fact, mostly the opposite.”

One thing was certain, Victorija hadn’t been happy for her immortal life.