9
“It’s a rather unfortunate situation, for sure, but our safety demands it,” says an older-looking Elder. He appears to be in his mid-fifties, but his bushy salt-and-pepper beard might be adding a few years.
“Gustav is ever diplomatic, whilst I am not,” says a woman with a face whiter than the marble of her statue. She’s stunning, despite being at least ten years older than me in biological years. Just like with all of them, her eyes betray a much longer lifespan. “We know what you are.”
My heart sinks. I can guess what she’s talking about, but I still ask, “What do you mean, what I am?”
“Victoria, dear, please refrain from any xenophobic remarks,” Gustav says. “What he is has nothing to do with our precautions.”
“If I may,” says Louis, Frederick’s identical twin. “Victoria is not en
