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My stomach muscles clenched, straining the stitches along my abdomen. Yes, definitely mortal, though I’d noticed the angry red line had already faded greatly beneath the stitches.
“Though not immortal,” she continued with my rapt attention, “you will not age beyond your current years, and you will not die of natural causes. At least, that’s what we’ve noticed of the Vessels we’ve been able to keep track of.”
A choking laugh escaped my throat. “Are you telling me I could live to be a hundred? And still look like this?”
“One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, who knows? Just as a Dominus Daemonum.”
I flinched. “You’re immortal? Jude is immortal!” My voice escalated into a fever pitch.
“Not immortal. Our physical form can die as surely as a regular human. Our souls are a different story, of course.”
She said the last with a sad sigh. I couldn’t get past the idea that Jude was much older than I’d originally thought.
Holy crap! How old was he? This explained so much about his demeanor and strange vocabulary sometimes. Ageless. You’d think I’d be past shocking revelations, having encountered shape-shifting demons and sifting hunters, but still, my mind reeled from the idea.
“How old are you? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”
She smiled. “I was born in 1803 in Manchester, England.”
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“I realize that may be difficult to accept, but it is true.”
“Difficult? You have no idea. So, how old is Jude?”
She glanced back up at the empty balcony. “Older than me.”
“When was he born? Where was he born?”
“I don’t know exactly. You should ask him, though I doubt he’ll tell you. He’s a bit secretive.”
“That’s an understatement.”
I bit down on my bottom lip. What the hell? What else didn’t I know?
This was a huge piece of information that he failed to pass along. I was grateful for the forthcoming, albeit ridiculously beautiful, demon hunter sitting before me. The idea that I could outlive my father was not too distressing as that was always going to happen, but the idea that Mindy and my friends would continue to grow old while I remained the same gave me a sinking sensation.
How could I keep friends for any extended period of time without them knowing? How could I ever possibly have a husband and children and watch them grow old and die, while I remained? The answer was clear—I couldn’t.
My stomach clenched into a knot with all the tragic realizations passing through my mind.
I thought of Jude. Now, that forlorn, almost lonely expression he wore sometimes made total sense. How long had it been since his family and friends had died? I wondered if he’d ever been married. A stinging pang pierced my heart.
“Any more questions before we try our first lesson?”
I shook off this new revelation and thought for a minute. There was something I’d been wondering but was too afraid to ask Jude, mostly because I was afraid of the answer.
“Will I ever be able to protect myself from demons, specifically a high demon?”
Her dark eyes swirled with more green than black. So strange. From afar, the eyes of a demon hunter appeared normal, just dark. Up close, one could see the pools swimming with something not of this world.
“Yes. I think you will. I won’t lie. Most Vessels are unable to continue the battle against the dark forces seeking you for their own, but I believe you will. Even now, I can feel your essence beating brightly within your chest. It’s almost blinding to my hunter senses. I’m surprised you aren’t being attacked all the time.”
“Actually, I am. Or at least, it feels like it.”
My fingers went to the bite on my neck. She fell silent, then finally spoke softly. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes held so much compassion. I knew the vicious mark was hidden, but she seemed to know it was there all the same. I felt the sharp prick of tears behind my eyes.
