Grudges

The older vampire’s unwillingness to believe in Raihn represents a deeper issue with grudges and their inability to move on from the past. Only by letting go of these personal opinions can any of the vampires change the cycle of violence keeping them all trapped.

At first, Raihn blames immortality for the vampires who continue to dwell on the past. His conversation with Lilith is the best example of this belief. When she asks why Raihn does not trust Vale, he says, “You’ll learn eventually that it’s a strange thing to be so long lived… So much can change in a couple of centuries. But you carry all that shit with you, anyway. Centuries worth of it” (256). This is why nobles like Simon or Cairis have no faith in Raihn as a ruler. It is also why Raihn himself struggles to let go...