'Uh… I knew this would happen.'
The Heart family's pursuit of the Veys had nothing to do with glory or history. They wanted the same artifact Julien was after, and that one desire had fueled countless strategies over the past century.
All of that, a century of careful strategy, had been stripped down to something blunt and ugly. Kill as many Veys as possible. Threaten Purple into compliance.
When Purple gained the alliance of Theo, Ally of Mankind, the Heart family had no choice but to go quiet. For weeks, not a single Vey had lost their life.
But the Heart family's alliance with the Voss family, who rivaled the Veys, though more competitively than violently, made one thing clear. It was only a matter of time before they moved again.
Julien was well informed. And he knew that Lovis, smart as he was, wouldn't move without precaution. With the ability to converse with the souls of his deceased family members, he would have left at least a soul or two behind to shadow him.
