We had spent so many years fighting and surviving. We had survived until now the bloodfeast roaming outside, so why condemn ourselves to starvation? No. The answer was obvious: Rodel was punishing us. We had shed so much blood that it was only justifiable for it to soak and drown every inch of our land. Blood had, in the beginning, given life to the sons of our God, Od and El. It had been a blessing, but we had insulted it. We had spilled it without remorse. This was a punishment.

We were going to die because of the massacres. If I could offer a chance to the younger generations, I would. Even if I found the decision of the Asmerion hasty and reckless, he was right about one thing: this was our last chance. We were going to die in every possible future, so I preferred to sacrifice myself in order to attempt something that might save some of our people. Finding food among the enemy was a chance—an uncertain one—but one we had to take.

I understood the decision of the Asmerion, however rushed and reckless it might be. Still, I didn’t want to keep the truth from the purebloods, whether fighters or not. I was convinced that unity was where strength was born, and we, purebloods, had proven to be good at that. Keeping secrets meant losing trust and breaking unity, but revealing the truth brought out the best in everyone. We had to trust; we had to believe as we did in Rodel.

So yes, I dedicated my life to my God, Rodel.

The door opened behind me and I jumped, turning around.

"Forgive me. Am I interrupting? The Dukes are here."

"It’s nothing, Duke Selene. I had finished my prayer," I reassured him. "I’ll join you shortly."

He nodded, yet remained in my room. Duke Selene and I had taken a room at the inn where we were to meet the others. We had rested a bit after a long discussion. Duke Selene was a pleasant pureblood. His gaze seemed a little insistent, but I’d gotten used to it. I had expected someone less massive, though. He was still called a shadow when fighting bloodfeast, after all!

And yet, all I saw was a towering mountain. He was far more enormous than any pureblood I had seen, and so broad that Fratera and I could have disappeared in his arms. I might have shivered with fear if his eyes didn’t seem to reflect a genuine softness. His hair and eyes didn’t surprise me. We purebloods shared similar genes: dark eyes and hair—though I was an exception.

And maybe Selene was too, in the end. His eyes were especially dark, even more than the other purebloods. They looked like crude oil just before combustion. Duke Selene was in good physical shape, but I was... somewhat doubtful that he could truly fight "like a shadow." He was more... imposing than I’d imagined. Still, I felt a little guilty for thinking that way. I was being insulting to him!

"Have you met them before?" I asked. "The Dukes of Whiteblood and Darkblood?"

I dusted off my knees and joined Duke Selene.

"Never. I hadn’t met any of you. Not properly. And you?"

"I only know Fratera and somewhat Sol, the Duke of Dearblood."

He nodded, and together we went down the stairs. Below, a multitude of purebloods were drinking more than they were eating, unaware that they would all have to make sacrifices. Then, Duke Selene placed his hand on my back, and once again, I was struck by how large he was. His hand was as wide as my torso! At his silent invitation, I followed him, wondering once more what on earth he had eaten to become like that.

We made our way to a small, secluded table where Fratera and the two other Dukes were waiting for us. I sat beside the first, and Duke Selene took his seat next to me.

"Oh! So you're Anela! To think that such a pretty face is the most renowned among us! Delighted to meet you. I'm Beret, Duke of Darkblood."

I didn’t know if I’d managed to hide my surprise, but it certainly wasn’t politeness that smothered him. I hadn’t given him permission to forgo my title. It wasn’t something that particularly bothered me—and after all, we were going to be working together for a while—but still! His blunt behavior was disconcerting!

"And I’m Vyl, Duke of Whiteblood. How about we drop the titles? We’ll be collaborating for a good while, so why not get familiar right away?"

That was better.

"Fine by me. I’m Selene," he said before I could respond.

"I was telling Vyl and Beret how complicated it would be to venture beyond what we’re used to," Fratera added.

"I can take care of that," Selene said smoothly. "My Triad and I are used to going farther than you. We have to, for the bestiary. I can lead us deeper in, but we’ll have to be cautious with all the bloodfeast. Some of them, you’ve never encountered, so..."

He let a thick book drop heavily onto the table. The impact made it tremble, and I glanced at him with curiosity.

"I don’t train new recruits, so read up with this."

"Why read when we can learn on the field?!" Beret burst out laughing.

"Because the field can take your life," I replied gravely. "You’re barely used to facing bloodfeast. I respect Asmerion’s decision, but I find it terribly reckless because of you two. Inhabitants of Vileblood would’ve been far more experienced than you. You should listen to what Selene says," I added, irritated.

I stood, ready to leave the table. Beret’s ignorance and carefreeness annoyed me, made me grumpy and uneasy. He didn’t understand what he was getting into! But before I could take a single step, a hand slipped into mine. Selene had stopped me.

I hadn’t expected that from him. I’d imagined him colder, but perhaps that was unfair of me. I’d painted a picture of him that was a bit harsh, maybe even icy—the same one others unfairly gave me. Instead, Selene was very gentle and smiling.

I had spoken with him enough for the image he gave off to be that of a cheerful, sunlit, and light-hearted man. I wasn’t disappointed—just surprised. I looked at his hand and gently pulled mine away so as not to be rude. You don’t reject a hand that means well. His gesture touched me, but still, I stepped away from the table. I struggled with such behavior.

What had Asmerion been thinking, bringing Beret and Vyl into this? They were almost never out in the field.

My purebloods from Vileblood would’ve done the job a thousand times better. I already didn’t like the way things were going, and when I caught Fratera’s gaze as I walked away, I knew he felt the same. Asmerion had given the order. Out of respect for who he was and what he represented, we would obey and show our goodwill and devotion to Blood, the land that belonged to us all.

And yet, a small voice whispered for me to turn around.

"Turn around!"—as if danger might spring forth at any moment.

I returned to my room, leaving the other Dukes downstairs. When I closed the door behind me, a wave of guilt washed over me for how I’d behaved. I rarely—if ever—acted rudely. I had been clumsy. Still, I hoped that my lack of courtesy would make them understand the gravity of the situation. At the very least, they needed to. Otherwise, I feared the Dukes wouldn’t last very long.

I let myself fall into the chair by the window and massaged my temples. The more I thought about it, the more Asmerion’s decision felt absurd. He was a man with his head on straight. That was why he was who he was—because he knew what was necessary and what wasn’t, where the right sacrifices lay, and what counted as foolishness.

This was the first time I couldn’t understand or agree with him. With all the respect I owed him, this felt senseless.

I barely had time to breathe before knocks sounded at the door. I rolled my eyes. The mere thought that it might be Beret or even Vyl exasperated me. But when the door opened, it was Selene.

I relaxed a little and motioned for him to come in. I noticed the thick book in his hands as he sat on the windowsill. His gaze wandered outside. The soft lighting allowed us to glimpse the people of Fairblood, far more peaceful than those of Vileblood.

"Where I’m from, peaceful moments like this are rare. In Vileblood, we’re constantly on guard. The land is nothing but mud, guts, and blood. I didn’t mean to be unpleasant to the Dukes of Darkblood and Whiteblood, but… I acted that way because I know what the outside world looks like."

"To know what the lands of Blood look like beyond our cities, I understand you, Anela. Give them time. They’ll understand once they come face to face with those monsters we’ve dealt with," Selene reassured me.

"And what if they understand it too late?"

Selene turned to me, and the worry on my face must have been particularly easy to read. He opened the book he held in his hands and placed it on my lap.

"Read this. At the bottom, the Dukes apologized for their behavior. They’re already educating themselves about the dangers outside our homes."

Oh. That was actually good to know. I smiled at Selene, silently thanking him for his words. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to soothe the fear in me a little. I was grateful for that, but still, I had no choice but to close the book he had given me. His deeply black eyes shimmered with surprise at my action, and I apologized before quickly explaining.

"My father fought against the bloodfeast when I was little—too little to fight myself. During his absences, I read the bestiaries written by the purebloods from your home, from Harshblood. I guess it became a habit, since I read every single one that came out afterward."

Selene chuckled, and I followed him in laughter.

"Well, I can't say that surprises me. I, too, took great pleasure in reading them."

"As a child, I had Nightmares because of them!" I said with amusement. "And now here I am, fighting and defeating my Nightmares. I'd much rather read about fauna and flora. That’s actually how I learned that saunas draw their red sap from the blood soaked into their roots."

"That’s not very cheerful, is it? Thinking that the spilled blood—ours or theirs—serves as water, as life for all forms of life."

I nodded. He wasn’t wrong. Rodel had every reason to curse us, and his son El every reason to turn in his grave. We were born through blood, and we would die for it.

Soon, the other Dukes and I would be in the lands of Blood, at the mercy of all the bloodfeast. I had lost so much because of them. I dared to believe that the presence of the other Dukes would be enough to break the vicious and evidently cursed cycle surrounding me, but I feared it was only an illusion. Those who had made the journey with me had never returned. I remained, but the world was perishing.

If this wasn’t a curse, then what could it be?

Me, vicar of our God Rodel? I was barely a chaplain.

I knew it. The Dukes were going to die, and like every other time, I would survive.