Authors: Renee Travis
"Julian did such a good job of hiding Athol's body they think he's still at large and is responsible for stealing your corpse." Loretta beamed at her "son."
"That's ingenious," I nodded my head in approval.
"Antoinette thought of it," I glanced at Nana as if she'd grown another head then swiveled to look at the French vampiress. "Thank you."
"No thanks needed. We also managed, if you hadn't noticed, to get your things here without a problem, under the guise of packing it up for your parents." Antoinette said, she looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"I did notice and you're all so great...." I bit my lip, "how are mom and dad? Have you seen Mel?"
They all looked around, like they didn't want to have to tell me something. Eventually all their gazes settled on Julian who reached over and took my hand. He wasn't cold to me anymore. It was a nice feeling.
"They took it pretty bad; no one would even consider a funeral until your body showed up. Finally they were convinced it would be best for everyone if they laid you to rest so to speak." I began to cry at the thought of them having to bury an empty casket.
Loretta handed me a tissue, I dabbed at my eyes, the handkerchief came back a watered down red.
"It's today, love and we all have to go. They are doing a graveside service with a coffin that only has a picture of you in it." He finished talking and left a deep void of silence. I knew this was going to be hard; anguish was filling me up as if I'd been an empty well. I accepted it, I needed to grieve but that didn't mean I cared any less that I had to leave behind a huge chunk of my life.
Nana scooted over and held me just as she had when I was a little girl and skinned my knee. I wept into her shoulder for a few minutes before anyone said anything else.
"Honey you still have me and your new family, everything will be fine," she whispered into my hair. My stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly, it broke the tension and everyone laughed. I felt Julian get off the couch and leave the room. Lifting my head I slid off Grandma's lap and just nestled in next to her.
"We should have expected you to be hungry, sorry Rho," Avalon apologized.
"We had things that needed to be talked about first." Antoinette argued.
Julian came back with a large black mug, steam rising from it. Handing it to me he smiled, "drink up baby."
Sniffing, my fangs were suddenly very prominent; almost cutting into my lower lip, blood, the rich thick copper scent of it filled my nostrils. I raised the cup to my lips and drank deeply. It was wonderful, better than chocolate; it took me seconds to down the whole lot of it.
Julian took the mug away and pressed his mouth to mine, his tongue swept in licking the remnants of the blood away from the inside of my mouth. I heard him groan against my lips as tingles of excitement and pleasure coursed through me.
"Now, now children there will be time enough for that later," Loretta scolded us.
I didn't want to stop, Julian smelled like heaven, blood and roses. This brought another question to my mind though. We pulled apart and I asked, "What does my breath smell like?"
Everyone answered together, "roses."
"Because Julian made you," Avalon laughed. "Your breath always takes on the scent of the vampire who made you."
"Is there anything else I should know?" I hated being left out and not having important information.
"You'll learn as you age, however you do need to understand that we have to move now." Loretta gave me a very maternal smile.
Julian sat next to me, his hand stroking my thigh through my skirt. "Oh no, now I feel bad!" I exclaimed
"Don't, it's fine, we've already planned everything. We're going to England. We have another home there and we have vampire friends that have already gotten us jobs there too." Antoinette looked happy about going back to Europe.
"And guess what? Your Nana is coming with us!" Avalon practically exploded with the news.
"What? Really?" I turned to Grandma Lacey excited.
"Yes. I'm telling your parents I've gotten a job opportunity and then in a few years I will fake my death overseas." I could tell she'd given it a lot of thought. But it made me feel better to know she'd be with me in a foreign country.
"Anyway we have to go, the funeral starts in about thirty minutes and we are all required to be there. Now you just relax, play with Nora, read or do whatever. I wish I didn't have to go," Avalon pouted.
They all left and I just sat there in the empty house with nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company. It didn't take me long to become restless and fidgety. I got up and searched until I found a long black coat, and a black hat with the veil. I wanted to see my family and Mel one last time. No one would notice if I watched from afar.
The cold winter air didn't affect me once I was outside. It was a relief not to feel my heart, the cold or anything uncomfortable for once.
I took off at a brisk pace and within minutes I was at a full on run. I ran so fast trees just blinked past me. I pushed myself faster until I knew I must look like a faint blur to mortal eyes. I wondered how fast I was running and if maybe there was away to test it. I hoped we didn't have to run to England however, not that I thought we could cross the water on foot.
It was awesome! I hadn't run since I was a little girl and the freedom from my heart condition was almost better than anything ever had been.
The gate of the cemetery stood before me within seconds, I slid to a stop and almost collided with it. "Need to work on stopping." I muttered to myself. Going into the graveyard was weird; it had almost been my future to be six feet under.
I walked up a hill so I could see over the main part of the burial ground. There was a large oak tree at the top and standing almost behind it I had a perfect view of my own funeral. They were about 200 yards away from me but with my new vision I could see them all perfectly clear. Blood stained my cheeks as I watched schoolmates and teachers all huddled together crying. My new family stood with my grandmother looking the part of the grief stricken, Julian was crying. I could hear my dad talking about me and the events that had taken me from them too early. He seemed tired with his words and his appearance.
Killian was holding a pale and wan Mel; I glared at her, wanting to yell at her, she was wearing her Christmas present, the yellow cashmere I'd bought her, the sneak. Christmas was still DAYS away. Mom was standing looking like she was freezing in a white suit, her hair pulled back, she seemed almost ten years older.
Several emotions filled me up; pride that I'd had an effect on so many, happiness that I was going to go on and have a long life, grief that others had to suffer so that I could and grateful that I had been so beloved.
"How did you know I was here?" I asked Julian as I sensed him standing behind me, I needed to work on my reflexes and new sensory abilities, I hadn't known he was gone from the crowd till he was behind me.
"I could feel you a mile from here; does this make you feel better?" He asked, referring to the site below us. I nodded and he pulled me away, back down the hill in the opposite direction so that I could no longer see my own burial. I understood why; on the day of my funeral it would have looked bad should someone see him with a mystery woman.
"You have hundreds of years before you now my Rose blossom; you have immortality, unfailing health and the gift of being forever 18. What do you want to do?" He dropped my hand and walked a little ways ahead of me. I cocked my head at him wondering what he was doing.
"Finish high school for one and go to college, I'm totally stoked we're moving to England," I answered him. My education was important to me; especially now that I could do so much that I hadn't had the option of before.
"Yes, the change of scenery will be nice; we have so much life to live now." He turned right in front of me and I had to jerk to a stop so that I didn't trip over him.
"What the..." My protest died as Julian dropped to one knee and presented me with his gloved hand holding a ring.
"Marry me Rhodanthe so that my nights will never be without your light. I will love you forever." The shock wore off in less than a second.
"You better!" The words came out of my mouth without thinking. I grabbed the ring from him, it was rose gold with a pink fresh water pearl in it surrounded by small diamonds. I slipped it on my finger and leaned down to show him how much I loved him. Kissing him in the graveyard felt oddly right and so I said yes with my lips. He stood up without breaking our kiss, his hands settled on my hips and against my mouth he said, "was that a yes?"
I gave him a rather saucy look, "Yes, now take me home and show me how REALLY great it is to be a vampire." And he did.