Victoria’s reaction to his age was humorous to Vail. He supposed that, to a human, living over two centuries would have been quite a feat. It was hard for him not to take his immortality for granted though. After a while, life grew mundane; repetitive, even. Every day was the same with just enough variation here and there to keep things from becoming too unbearably dull. Though it was true that he had seen humanity advance in leaps and bounds as their technology grew more complex, he had always watched from a [i]distance[/i], never participating in the accomplishments or becoming invested enough to care. It was the way he had to live. After all, what she said about his appearance was true. While humanity aged and died, his youth was everlasting. He couldn’t integrate in society without eventually standing out or becoming ostracized or—since the inception of the Order—being killed for what he was. It was the curse attached to the gift that was eternal life.

That was why he had to hide. Isolation was the only safe place for a vampire in London. As long as he didn’t show his face in public often enough to be remembered, he wouldn’t be hunted by the Saints, nor would he be attacked by the Wynters. His eyes flickered involuntarily to another shadow-filled alley at the thought of the rival clan. Though he was confident that the other family was working on a different plan at the moment, they were the only members of his kind who would have been willing to ambush him that night. The Wynters didn’t respect or fear the Hygraces like the other vampire clans. If they saw an opportunity to murder the next heir of the ruling dynasty, he didn’t doubt that they would take it.

They were the reason why he had learned how to handle a pistol.

When Victoria answered his question about Lord Spencer, Vail wasn’t at all surprised by her response. Everything she said lined up with what he knew to be true about the Wynters. The rival vampires looked down on humans as merely a food source, believing they were inferior because of their design. It was an opinion the Hygraces didn’t share. While it was accurate that humans were the natural prey of their kind, it didn’t mean they had to trod on them or “put them in their place,” as he had heard some Wynters hatefully spit. To him, there was plenty to be impressed by when it came to human beings, particularly in the way of their creativity.

Vampires were physically superior, undoubtedly, but they were hindered by their bloodlust. In fact, in Vail’s experience, hunting seemed to be their only purpose. There was no time to be innovative when one had to focus on constantly staving off withdrawals. The strength and speed their bodies could handle were just designed to help them become more efficient killers too. No matter what anyone thought, his kind were predators through and through, and there were downsides to that fact.

At Victoria’s final comment, Vail averted his gaze. He was certain now that the Lady had no idea Spencer was a Wynter. She would have said so if she did. However, this left him with the dilemma of whether he should tell her or not. As much as he wanted to stay out of the couple’s business, it felt unfair of him to knowingly keep her in the dark. From what he could gather from the encounters they’d had so far, she wasn’t a bad person—perhaps a little rough around the edges, but who would expect more from a girl who had just lost her father?  She deserved to be made aware of what she was getting into.

“Yes, well, that’s usually what happens when I cross paths with people like him,” he sighed. “The Wynters have despised my family for over a century, and they won’t soon let us forget it.” Turning back to her, he frowned. “Though I must admit, I was surprised to find out he was chosen to be your husband. Did your father not know which clan he was a part of?”