by Nadia Heaton
Fleur’s words echoed in his head. This was a mistake.
It had meant everything to him, but to her, it was just a lapse in judgement. An error. Savion sank to the ground as he felt his heart breaking. He wouldn’t go after Fleur. She’d made her choice when she ran from him, and going after her would only show her that he didn’t respect her right to make her own choices.
He cared about her too much to try to force her to be with him. If letting her go was the only thing he could do for her, then that’s what he would do, even if it broke him.
Maybe if he gave her space, she would come around. She was overwhelmed at the moment, and rightfully so. He was a vampire; she was a witch. A relationship between them was near impossible. That was his only hope: that if he respected her need to be alone and think, she would decide that he was worth risking everything for.
Savion already knew that she was worth it to him; he would risk everything for Fleur without a second thought.
Bits of broken stone crunched as Savion sank to his knees in the ruined cathedral. Right now, just getting up and going on seemed too exhausting to contemplate. Had he just lost the love of his life? Some people said that each person had only one true love. Savion had always scoffed at the idea, but since he met Fleur…
He wanted his brother. Jermaine would understand. Perhaps that was why Savion had asked about him when he really should have been asking Fleur to stay. Jermaine would help him survive this rejection, but first, Savion needed to find him.
With that in mind, he dragged himself to his feet. He started shuffling along at a pace that any mortal could have easily kept up with. As a vampire, Savion could run faster than any living creature, but right now he couldn’t summon more than a dejected walk.
The sky slowly lightened, and he was forced to pick up his pace. If he was being smart, he’d take a taxi to Rashid’s chateau, but Savion was beyond such logical thought right now. His mind was full of Fleur, and he simply let his feet carry him while his head was in the clouds. They weren’t pleasant clouds, either – they were storm clouds, and he couldn’t seem to escape them.
He lost track of time, taking note only of the threat of the coming dawn. When Savion arrived back at Rashid’s chateau, his skin started sending him annoyed signals. He wasn’t in direct sunlight, but the sky was light enough that it was uncomfortable to be out without his thick robes for protection.
In his jeans and shirt, Savion knew he needed to get inside quickly if he didn’t want to become ill from light exposure. He summoned his energy and flashed through the gardens and into the welcome darkness of Rashid’s home. All of the thick drapes were drawn, allowing none of the light from outside to make its way in.
Vince and Zan met him at the door. Both of them took one look at his face and paled. Zan took his arm and started leading Savion to the bedroom he’d claimed as his during his stay here. Vince hurried off and came back with a bag of blood, which Savion drank gratefully.
They waited for him to finish before starting with the questions.
“What happened?” Vince tugged him to the bed, which Savion gratefully lay down on.
“Nothing.”
“Rubbish.” Zan sat down on one edge of the bed, while Vince took the other. “You look like your heart has been ripped out through your throat. What happened to you?”
Savion stared at his friends, wondering how much he could tell them. They knew of his interest in Fleur, but how would they react to hearing how close he’d gotten to a witch?
“Jermaine,” he mumbled. “I want Jermaine.”
Zan squeezed his shoulder. “We all do, Sav. We’ll find him, don’t worry.”
“I’ll need a phone. Bethany is going to be calling about him. He’s safe, and it doesn’t sound like he’s being confined against his will. Once he hears we’re looking for him, I’m sure he’ll come to us.”
“I’ll sort out the phone.” Zan stood up and gave Savion a sympathetic look. “Give me an hour, and I’ll have it to you.”
He left without another word. Savion closed his eyes, but he could feel Vince’s stare boring into him. “Talk to me, Sav. I’ve never seen you like this. What happened?”
“Jermaine. I need to talk to Jermaine.”
“I know you do, and we’re doing everything we can to get him back as soon as possible, but you can trust me. You look like something has broken you apart. Talk to me. Let me help.”
Perhaps it was a terrible idea, but Savion was at the end of his resistance. “It’s Fleur.” A human wouldn’t have picked up his quiet words, but Vince had no problem hearing him.
“What happened with Fleur?”
“I… I’ve never felt like this about anyone, Vince. Why does it hurt like this?”
“It hurts because you’re not with her. Don’t worry, as soon as you see her again, the hurt will fade.”
“No, it won’t. She won’t want to see me again. She thinks it was a mistake…”
“What was a mistake?”
Savion shook his head, unwilling to reveal everything. He knew that Vince would find the idea of him being with a witch repulsive, no matter how supportive he tried to be. Vince and Zan knew about his interest in Fleur, but he suspected they’d never thought he would take it as far as he had.
“What am I going to do?” He was only half talking to Vince. Mostly, Savion was talking to himself, but Vince answered anyway.
“For now, lay low. We’ve briefed Rashid on the situation, and he’s not happy. He’ll be coming to give you an earful when he realizes you’re back, but I can keep him away long enough to let you sleep, if you want.”
“No, let him come. Might as well get it over and done with.”
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. Savion was infinitely grateful Vince didn’t prod him for more information. His friend’s quiet support soothed him somewhat, though it did nothing to mend the hole in his heart Fleur had left behind when she walked away.
It didn’t take Rashid long to realize Savion was back. Their host stormed into the room with a flurry of robes. “Savion. Glad to see you’ve decided to grace my household with your presence again. I wondered if you’d have the nerve, after the trouble you’ve brought.”
Savion was in no mood to be chastised. “That is as much on you as it is on me, Rashid. I wasn’t the one who decided a show of strength in front of a coven of witches would be a good idea.”
“I never should have gotten involved in this! I don’t want trouble.”
“You don’t want trouble that you didn’t cause, you mean,” Savion scoffed. He had Rashid’s number now. He was a trickster who liked to create trouble behind the scenes in secret, not become embroiled in it directly. It served him right to be given a taste of his own medicine.
Savion couldn’t resist a jab. “Perhaps if you’d warned me from the start that Bethany LeBlanc’s sisters are witches, this could all have been avoided.”
“Careful, Solomon, you’re still a guest, and I can still kick you out.”
No one called Savion by his surname unless they were pissed at him, but he found he didn’t care much. His heart was too sore to be affected by Rashid’s disapproval. “If I left, Eliane and Bekka would come with me.”
Rashid made a face, but didn’t protest. He knew it was true. He’d been enjoying Eliane’s and Bekka’s company – and by the sounds of it, they’d been enjoying his – but they were loyal to their coven and would go where Savion went.
“Just don’t go picking any more fights with witches,” Rashid warned.
“I don’t intend to,” Savion replied mildly. It was the truth. The last thing he wanted was to fight with Fleur or her coven. He just hoped she felt the same way.
Vince waited until Rashid had walked far enough that he was out of earshot before speaking again. “How long do you think we’ll need to be on lockdown?”
“That depends on what I hear from Jermaine. If he needs me, I’m not staying here no matter how much it riles up the witches.
Hopefully he’ll be able to come to us, and we can leave without any more fuss.”
Savion almost flinched at his own words. Leave? That was the last thing he wanted to do. It was perhaps the smartest, but it wasn’t what his heart demanded.
Who did he think he was kidding, letting Fleur go like that? He wasn’t going to give up on her. Give her space to sort out her thoughts, yes, but after being with her, having a taste of her, Savion would never be able to go back. He’d fight for her, even if she didn’t want to fight for him in return.
He knew she felt something for him, even if she was scared about what it meant considering their opposing species. That was enough for him.
“I don’t like that look, Sav. What are you thinking? We don’t need any more trouble.”
“Some trouble is worth it. I’m not giving up on Fleur, Vince. I can’t do it.”
“You and your brother are both insane, you know that?”
“Love makes fools of us all, I guess.”
“Love?”
“Shut up, Vince.” Savion gave his friend a fond shove. “I need to sleep.”
Vince did as he asked and left Savion to rest, but sleep didn’t come easily, despite his exhaustion. Doubt crept back into Savion’s mind. Fleur had rejected him, and there was no evidence that she’d accept him back, no matter how hard he fought for her.
His broken heart gave a painful twinge. Surely, he couldn’t have lost her forever. He’d just found her. It would be too cruel for the universe to give them so little time together.
Eventually, sleep found him, despite his troubled thoughts. Savion drifted off with Fleur on his mind, and she followed into his unconscious, haunting his dreams.
17
Fleur was met with exclamations of alarm and relief when she finally trudged into the house. She’d been gone for hours, and her family was worried. She knew she should reassure them that she was ok, but how could she? She wasn’t ok.
“Sorry I’m late.” Her mumbled excuse didn’t quiet the queries being thrown at her by Lisette, Tristan and Barrett. Fleur avoided Lisette’s eyes like she would the gaze of medusa, sure that Lisette would see right through her.
Ignoring everyone, Fleur dashed upstairs, heading straight for Bethany’s room. She didn’t knock, praying she’d find both Beth and Jermaine with their clothes on.
Instead, she found an empty room. Fleur stared around in dismay. She needed to talk to Bethany, and she needed to do it now, before she had to face the rest of her family. They would demand answers she didn’t have.
Before she could form a plan, the door opened and shut. Fleur squeezed her eyes closed, knowing who it was. “I don’t want to talk, Lisette. Not right now.”
“Too bad,” Lisette said flatly. “I recognize a broken heart when I see one, and there’s no way I’m letting my sister walk around like that without trying to help. Here, drink this.”
Fleur rolled her eyes. “I don’t need one of the cures you give to lovesick teenagers, Lis.”
“Those cures happen to work, so drink up and don’t give me any trouble about it.”
A cup of steaming tea was pushed under her nose, and Fleur found herself accepting it. “It won’t… change my feelings?”
Lisette chuckled. “It won’t make you fall out of love, if that’s what you’re asking. That’s not within my power. It will lessen the heartache, though. It’s temporary, but I can make more when it wears off.”
Fleur knew that getting dependent on such cures was a bad idea, but Lisette leveled a stern gaze at her, and she started drinking the tea without protest.
“So. You’re going to tell me what happened?”
“Like you don’t know. You’ve had a read on me from the moment I walked in.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear it from you.”
“Well you’re going to have to wait. Like possibly forever.”
Lisette made a face. “Don’t be like that. Who can help more than me?”
“Bethany, obviously.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess so, but I can help too! Damn, why did your first love have to be a vampire? Anyone else, and you’d be begging me to let you spill the beans.”
“Keep dreaming, Lis. Where’s Beth?”
“She and Jermaine are at the pool –”
Fleur didn’t wait for Lisette to finish. She knew her sister meant well, but this really wasn’t what she needed right now. Though she couldn’t deny that she was feeling a bit better after the tea. Maybe it was a good thing Lisette had cornered her.
That didn’t mean she was going to wait around for another lecture. Fleur closed her eyes, centered herself, then teleported herself to the pool. It was a blatant waste of magic to move herself such a short distance, one that would have taken her only minutes to walk, but right now she didn’t care about that.
Bethany was lounging in the shallows, while Jermaine swam in the deep end. He was in his manta ray form. It had thrown Fleur the first few times she’d witnessed it, but she was used to it by now. Stalling for a moment, she walked over to Jermaine’s side of the pool. He looked to be doing well – his movements were strong and free of fatigue.
He’d been fully healed for a while, and had been recuperating here, gathering his strength. It seemed that his strength had returned in full. He probably would have left already, if not for Bethany.
“Fleur? What’s wrong?”
She sighed as she went to sit down by Bethany, making sure to keep clear of the water. It was salt rather than chlorine, and witches didn’t mix well with salt water. “I…” She found she didn’t know where to start.
Bethany pulled herself out of the pool. “Dry me?” She had a towel, but she needed to be completely clear of salt water before touching Fleur. A few drops wouldn’t seriously hurt her, but it would give her a wicked rash, and neither of them wanted that.
Fleur murmured a quick spell, drying them and the area around them. Bethany crossed her legs and looked expectantly at her. “Well? You look like one of Lisette’s clients. What’s up?”
Fleur fixed her gaze on her knees, and told Bethany everything.
Bethany listened to the whole story, and when it was finally done, she pulled Fleur into a tender hug. Jermaine was sitting a few feet away – Fleur hadn’t even noticed him getting out of the pool – but he didn’t comment on the scene, giving them space.
She wouldn’t cry. Fleur squeezed her eyes shut. She had no reason to cry. It wasn’t like Savion had done anything she hadn’t been wholly on board with. She had only her own poor judgement to blame for the situation she found herself in now.
“What am I supposed to do?” She buried her face in Bethany’s neck, leaning completely on her older sister. “It can never work between us – never! Besides, he probably hates me now, after what I said.”
“He doesn’t hate you.” Jermaine sounded so certain, and Fleur ached to believe him.
“How could he not?”
“Savion would never hate someone for needing space to think, nor for having a moment of panic, especially over something as big as this. Having space to think might do him good as well.”
Hope flared up inside her, only to be doused by another wave of cold reality. “Even if he doesn’t, what difference would it make? Neither of our covens would ever condone anything between us.”
Jermaine didn’t have any answer to that. Fleur was right. Bethany squeezed her shoulder. “I know it’s hard, but we can work on the covens. Jermaine will already need to do it for us, and I’ll need to convince the rest of your coven to let us be together as well. I may not be part of the coven, but I’m part of the family, and Mirabelle and the others will oppose our relationship just as strongly as they would if I was a witch.”
“It only strengthens our case, really, if we have two couples instead of one.” Jermaine gave her a kind smile. “We’ve got a lifetime of prejudices to fight our way past, but Beth and I aren’t giving up until we win. You and Savion will benefit whether or not you choose to ge
t involved directly.”
Fleur didn’t know what she wanted. Bethany and Jermaine were talking about it so casually, like they weren’t planning the impossible. Maybe it really wasn’t impossible. Jermaine moved over to Bethany and pulled her in for a kiss. It was sweet and tender, and Fleur almost wanted to look away, but she didn’t.
In that moment, it really hit her. Vampires weren’t any different from witches or humans, really. They could love and hurt, just like anyone else could. Fleur wasn’t ready to change her opinion about all vampires, but at least some of them were decent and could love just as fiercely as anyone else could. The way Jermaine looked at Bethany was proof enough of that.
Her mind went to Savion, wondering exactly what he felt for her, but she pushed the thought away. They were all in danger right now.
“Has Lisette briefed you two yet?”
“Yes.” Bethany’s smile slid off her face. “We knew Jermaine’s family would come for him eventually. I guess we just hoped we’d have more time than this.”
“You don’t have to go. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You can stay, if you want.” Fleur wasn’t sure whether she was talking about Jermaine, or Savion, and she found herself blushing.
“Thanks, Fleur, that means a lot. I can’t stay much longer, though. Savion won’t be put off, and I need to diffuse the situation before something drastic happens.”
Fleur’s gaze went automatically to Bethany, who was clutching Jermaine’s hand, but she didn’t refute his words. “It won’t be forever,” she murmured. “We both knew this was going to be difficult. You can see him, let him know you’re ok, then come straight back.”
Jermaine sighed and put an arm around her. “I’m afraid it may not be that simple. I’ll be expected to make an appearance at the coven. Savion’s word that I’m safe won’t be enough. They’re probably all worried sick about me, and they will need to see for themselves that I’m fine.”
