Struck (A Vampire Novel) ✔

Forty

I hesitated. “Everybody seems to want to ‘play’ with me.”

“Oh, but not in that way,” Darsana erupted in laughter, “They’re far too young to think like that just yet. Can you guess how old they are, Elysia?” Darsana turned her emerald eyes on me with great intrigued. I felt like she knew something she didn’t want to directly tell me, but if I played her games I could possibly begin to understand things I hadn’t been allowed to understand before.

“Maybe low teens… thirteen?” I guessed uncertainly.

“They were born five years ago,” Darsana told me simply, causing me to widen my eyes in surprise. “In the literal sense, they’re five years old. Physically, they’d be more your age. Mentally, they’re torn between the two.” She peered at me then determinedly, looking my body over carefully.

“You’re about sixteen, aren’t you?”

“Nineteen,” I responded quickly.

“Hmm, strange,” She raised her brows in surprise, “I’ve never guessed an age wrong before. But then again you’re different, aren’t you, Elysia?” I thought about my abnormal speed and strength, the way my instinct took over in times of protection and my odd dreams.

“I guess in some ways, but probably no different from other hunters,” I said carefully. “Do all Royals age that quickly?”

“The average Royal child will age physically three years every year. So while the Diederich twins are five, they’re physically fifteen. In about two years or just a little over, they’ll reach their max physical age.” I did the math in my head. In two years, they’d look about 21 years old and they’d stay this way for eternity.

“What about mentally? Would they still only be seven years old?”

“Royals age mentally at a slightly slower pace than physically, but still faster than normal. Right now, they’re probably around the mentality of ten. In a year, they’ll be mentally pre-teen. In two years, when they’re fully aged physically, they’ll still be mentally teenagers. After a year of being full-grown, their mentality will have matched their physical age. Then it’s just a matter of experience and knowledge and such,” Darsana explained loftily, as if the aging process of Royals only vaguely fascinated her.

“How old are Royals when they’re able to have children?” I asked curiously, imagining how strange it would be for a five year old to already start popping out their offspring.

“Technically, they’re able to reproduce right now. But they usually don’t start showing interest in sex until they’re six years or more,” Darsana stated, watching the children with a frown, “In some countries, where they fear the Royal lines depleting completely, they force their young to breed the moment their bodies are formed enough to do so. Audrina Roslind is trying to pass a law that requires that very thing, due to the extinction we’re facing. Imagine that…”

I felt disgusted by the idea of forcing children to breed children.

“Who would they force them to breed with? Just regular humans or… can Royals breed with other Royals? I know both are fertile and I know turned vampires are sterile, so a Royal can’t reproduce with a turned vampire, but with another Royal… wouldn’t that be possible?”

Darsana giggled knowingly. “I’m living proof that that’s true,” She answered happily. She stood then, twirling around in her light dress. “Eve Raene was my grandmother. Her son was my father and my mother was a Thron.” She sat back down, watching me expectantly.

“Wait… why do you claim the bloodline Thron, then?” I was utterly confused. Wouldn’t it be more beneficiary to claim the more powerful bloodline as her name, so that she could be considered a part of the leading Royal family? And one would think, her father being the Raene, that she would have gained his name.