After looking into glacial eyes, the rider paled. In an uncoordinated effort, he managed to mount the stallion once again. He had to place the reins in his left hand as his wrist hurt too badly attempting to grasp them. “You aren’t worth it.” He kneed the stallion. It immediately moved, but it looked back at Elissa.
The door behind them opened. Elissa glanced over her shoulder. When she was certain the young man wouldn’t return, she turned to face their lawyer.
Mr. Spinster shook his head. “There aren’t many that can speak with one of the Jones brothers in that manner and get away with it. I’m, the entire town, is impressed.”
Elissa merely shrugged. She was accustomed to handling horseflesh. She was still becoming accustomed to handling mortal flesh.
“Why don’t we go inside where it’s warmer.” Mr. Spinster glanced up and down the street. “And people can get on with their day and not stare at you in wonder.”
Elissa shook her head as she entered the office, Cassandra before her. They were immediately shown into Mr. Spinster’s office. They settled beside one another.
“I was paid a visit rather late last night by a Julius Montgomery.” Elissa stiffened. Cassandra slumped in her chair. “By your expressions, you’ve already had the displeasure.”
“He came sniffing around the inn last night.” Elissa hoped Cassandra didn’t mind her speaking for her. She sensed her partner was a little in shock. She wasn’t certain if it was because of the display on the street a moment ago or the fact Julius had sought an audience with their lawyer.
“I figured that. He described the encounter as less than savory. And after watching you handle that clumsy fool, I can see why a man like him would feel…emasculated.” Mr. Spinster had to contain his laughter.
“Some men can be so…” Elissa wasn’t certain how to finish the statement. The man sitting across from her was nothing like Yohan or his cronies. Or the rider who couldn’t even control a horse.
“I understand.” Mr. Spinster cleared his throat to clear the mirth he was feeling. “Time to get serious. I received word from your father’s lawyer. Everything will proceed just as I said it would. I just need a couple signatures from both of you. Since Cassandra remains a minor, an adult signature is required.”
Elissa stiffened. She had used a last name…She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d used one. Peters was out of the question. She couldn’t be related through Cassandra’s father. It would have to be her mother.
The vampire scanned her brain. Nearly everything Elissa had ever read, saw or heard was stored there. It was one of the reasons her guilt ate at her so readily. One letter did reveal her mother’s maiden name and grandparents who had passed before she was married.
“That won’t be a problem.” Elissa could feel emerald eyes upon her. She turned so she could wink at Cassandra. The gesture caused the mortal to visibly relax.
“I didn’t think it would be. It should be another two months after I send the paperwork and everything is filed. At that time, you’ll have to choose which bank will handle the money transfers.” Mr. Spinster was poised to write.
“We aren’t exactly certain. We might be moving from Iowa further west.” Cassandra finally spoke. “I assume we can change where the money is transferred to at a later date.”
“It can be changed at any time.” Mr. Spinster wrote a few notes on his legal paper. “I’ll have my secretary come in here so that she can witness the signing of the papers. All that will be added just before everything is final will be the bank account. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
Elissa nodded. She turned toward her charge. “Looks like we’ll be on our way soon. Do you want to eat before we leave or use the provisions in the wagon?”
Cassandra was brimming with energy once again. “I can’t wait to be on the open range with you. I say we load up as soon as we’re done signing papers.”
It didn’t take the lawyer long to return with his secretary. Everything was signed, all t’s were crossed and i’s were dotted. The secretary signed as a witness. “That will do it ladies. If I need anything more, I’ll send a wire to Keosauqua.”
They shook hands and thanked the lawyer. Raven was at Cassandra’s heels the moment they stepped out of the office. The temperature had dropped several degrees while they had been inside. There were grey clouds on the horizon Elissa didn’t like the looks of.
“I think this trip was definitely worth it.” Elissa waited to see if Cassandra would fully understand her meaning. When her partner blushed, the vampire knew she had understood.
“Most definitely worth it.” Cassandra wanted to wrap her arm around Elissa’s waist. For now, she would settle for their fingers grazing as she purposefully swung her arm.
It didn’t take long to gather their few belongings from the inn and make their way to the stables. The wind had picked up as they made their way toward the stables.
With ease, Elissa hitched the team to the wagon. She wanted Cassandra to change into the traveling outfit, but knew her partner would not want to be seen in the trousers and shirt while in town. So the vampire made certain Cassandra was wrapped in several layers. She had a blanket around herself in show until they were past the milling of the townspeople.
The further southeast they traveled, a thought occurred to Elissa. It was time for her to feed. As the sun set further into the west, the more the urges for her to replenish her lifeforce became.
Elissa was becoming uncomfortable sitting next to her partner. A hand was placed gently on her thigh. Their eyes met. Cassandra knew. There was a profound look of love and understanding in emerald eyes.
Once the sun had set, the pair made camp. Instead of romping in the wild grass, Raven remained inside the wagon with Cassandra. It was as if the wolf knew what was to happen and she wanted to make certain her master was safe.
“I’ll be back in an hour. Two tops.” Elissa was about to leave when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Already she could feel her fangs attempting to descend. She turned toward Cassandra. Her eyes glowed red.
Cassandra didn’t hesitate. She laid her hand on Elissa’s cheek. She leaned closer for a soft kiss upon her vampire’s lips. “Be safe. Return to me.”
Red eyes blinked several times. For a moment, her fangs retracted. Her eyes didn’t glow quite so red. As soon as there was loss of contact, her fangs began to emerge once again. “I love you.”
“I love you.” Cassandra swallowed hard. She attempted to watch the blur that was her vampire. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to move with such speed. To have to feed on others to sustain one’s own life.
While there were negatives to being a vampire, if Cassandra could live an eternity with Elissa, it would be what she wished. It would be what she wished for with each breath she took.
Chapter 26
Winter had nearly buried the pair in the cabin once they had returned. It meant fewer days Cassandra was able to venture into town for school. At least they had already heard from their lawyer. Everything was as they had planned.
Cassandra spent a great deal of her time writing when she wasn’t studying or doing her normal chores around the cabin.
Elissa insisted on doing all the work outside. Cassandra knew it was because her vampire had a vivid memory of a very bad winter in Seneca, New York where she had nearly lost her partner.
It wasn’t something either liked to dwell on and rarely spoke of. Cassandra had merely gone along with it. Besides, it meant she could stay in the cabin where it was nice and toasty.
And she could write. Cassandra was enjoying placing the images that ran through her mind onto paper. She had yet to share any of her short stories with anyone. Not even her vampire had read or had them read to her.
Cassandra wasn’t ready to share yet. One day soon she would be. She dipped her pen into the inkwell. For several moments, the only sound in the cabin was the crackling of the fire and the scratching of fountain pen on paper.
Rav
en was at her usual post under the table with her head upon her feet. The wolf had been a bit moody the past month. She had seemed to gain a little weight as well.
The promising young writer didn’t even hear when the cabin door opened and closed. The frigid air didn’t register when it hit Cassandra’s neck.
What did register were the frigid lips upon the back of Cassandra’s neck. The writer nearly jumped off the chair at the sensation of cold and warmth that flowed through her simultaneously.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” Elissa made her way to the stove. She didn’t require the heat as much as she wanted to heat her chilled body so touching Cassandra would be much more pleasant.
“Yet you planned on kissing me with those frigid lips.” Emerald eyes twinkled. “I know you.” She stared at the shaking form of her vampire.
Cassandra knew Elissa wasn’t shaking because of the cold. She was shaking in an attempt not to laugh. “Just go ahead and let it out. You might strain something if you don’t laugh soon.”
Elissa allowed her laughter to escape. She still wondered at how lucky she was to have Cassandra in her life. “So, are you ever going to share one of your stories with me?”
The vampire heated some apple cider Joseph had given Cassandra the last time she had been able to make it to town. She placed the heated liquid in front of her partner.
“Thank you.” Cassandra cautiously wrapped her hands around the tin cup. The heat felt wonderful on her skin. “I’m not quite ready yet. There’s one story I’m nearly finished with. I’m thinking tomorrow or the next day I should have a rough draft finished. You’d be the first I’d share it with no matter what.”
“I was just teasing.” Elissa leaned back in her chair. She could feel her body begin to thaw. Even vampires could freeze. They wouldn’t die, but they wouldn’t be able to move until they were thawed. Preferably slowly.
“I figured there was partly teasing and partly wanting to know about my story.” Cassandra inhaled the scent of the apple cider before taking a sip. There was a spice to it she wasn’t accustomed to. She couldn’t even put her finger on what it was.
“I never used to tease.” Elissa felt her joints moving a little easier. Soon, she would be back to her normal self. She wondered if Cassandra could tell what the cold did to her.
“What happened with Sarah?” The question was out of the blue. Cassandra wasn’t even certain why she had asked, except what happened to her vampire’s lover probably was part of the reason she had not teased. Why she had distanced herself from mortals.
Elissa stiffened. This time it wasn’t from the cold. It was because she realized she hadn’t kept her promise. At the picnic, she had promised Cassandra she would share more details of her past in Greece and in The United States.
“Sarah was a pet of Devlyn’s.” Elissa hated to think of her sire and how she had treated Sarah. “I think she turned her just to toy with me.”
Cassandra waited patiently while she sipped her apple cider. While there was a part of her that was itching to finish her story so she could share it with Elissa, there was a bigger part that wanted to know of Sarah. It was a long winter. They had plenty of time.
“In some ways, it wasn’t unlike what happened with you and me.” Cassandra’s eyebrow rose. “Except she was twenty-one. There was something about her that drew me to her. And Devlyn saw that.”
“Didn’t you say mortals killed Sarah?” Cassandra placed the empty cup on the table. She hadn’t even realized she’d drained the entire thing until she had attempted to take another drink.
Without a word, Elissa retrieved the tin and filled it from the pan on the stove. She placed it back on the table. “It was mortals that drove a wooden stake through her heart. But I don’t think it would have happened had Devlyn not sent Sarah into the village.”
“She sent Sarah to the village? But she never allowed a vampire to go. Unless…” Cassandra shivered at the reason why Devlyn and some of the other clan members would visit one of the villages.
“The villagers in the old country knew. That’s part of the reason we had to leave.” Elissa’s eyes glowed red. It took a moment for her to control that animal side. “Devlyn was careless when it came to feeding on mortals. The villagers had had enough. She sent Sarah and…”
“And the angry villagers killed the monster.” Cassandra knew how people thought of those that were different. Worse, she knew how people would defend themselves at all costs. In this case, she couldn’t blame the villagers.
“Interesting choice of words.” Elissa hastily stood. She made her way to the window. Not that long ago she would fear, even when the sun was hidden, being hit by the sun’s rays.
Cassandra took a deep breath. She knew her choice of words might upset Elissa. But it was the first word that had come to mind. She hastily rose and slowly made her way to stand behind her vampire.
The mortal hesitated before she wrapped her arms around Elissa. Cassandra hated how the body in her arms stiffened. “You know I wasn’t speaking of you. Or all vampires.”
“I know.” Elissa attempted to force herself to relax. It wasn’t easy. Even in the arms of the woman who loved her, she found it difficult. “It’s just that stories throughout the years have painted my kind as monsters. And in some cases, that’s very true.”
“And it’s just as true as many mortals.” Cassandra squeezed the body she hugged tightly. “The world, at times, is an ugly place. That’s why we need to hold onto love.”
Elissa turned around in the circle of love she found herself in. “I’ll hold onto you. Don’t you worry about that.” She dipped her head down to place a gentle kiss on her partner’s lips.
Emerald eyes closed. There was something stirring inside. She knew what it was. Her vivid dreams stirred her body. This woman before her was everything she needed, wanted and more.
“I best start supper or you won’t have anything to eat.” Elissa kissed Cassandra one more time. This one was a little less chaste. She knew if she were to deepen it more, she might not be able to control her body.
Cassandra had to lean against the wall. Her legs had grown weak with the last kiss. She knew her body was attempting to tell her she wanted this. Or was it needed this?
It was a natural act between two loving adults. Yet, Cassandra could not initiate anything beyond the loving kisses they shared. She wasn’t certain why.
Needing to distance herself, Cassandra made her way to the table where her story awaited her. She doubted she’d be able to concentrate but needed to do something other than watch the lithe body as it moved gracefully to prepare her supper.
The words on the page Cassandra had written not that long ago blurred. Unshed tears were clouding her vision. She squeezed her eyes together in an attempt to keep them at bay.
Instead, they splashed on the page. The last few words Cassandra had written blurred as much as her vision was. She kept her head bowed hoping Elissa would not notice the tears.
As always, Elissa noticed. Anything to do with her partner, she noticed. It had been too quiet. There was no rustling of paper or scratching of pen to paper.
And there was the sudden sensation that hit Elissa like a ton of bricks. Elissa knelt next to her partner. “Cassandra.” She whispered the name with such reverence it caused the mortal’s tears to become uncontrolled sobs.
Elissa didn’t hesitate in sweeping Cassandra into her arms. She took the young woman into her bedroom and placed her on the bed. She didn’t hesitate in wrapping the petite body in her arms.
The vampire was patient. With most, Elissa would demand to know what was happening. With Cassandra, she would wait for eternity if she had to.
“I-I’m sorry.” Cassandra took a deep breath to steady her breathing and thoughts. “It’s getting harder and harder when we kiss to stop at just kisses. But I’m still not sure if I’m ready. Or exactly what to do when I am.”
It was a two-prong issue. Elissa understood both. The first time she
and Andrea had made love had been nerve-racking and oh so enjoyable. Their bodies had just known what to do.
“I won’t go into details, but there is something I should probably tell you about my first time with Andrea.” Elissa felt the body burrow closer to her.
“It was our first time for both of us. We had been kissing for over two years.” Elissa remembered how breathless they would become and how close they had come, time and time again, to tearing off one another’s clothes.
“I was seventeen, she was sixteen.” Elissa didn’t know why, but she felt their ages might help. Or might harm. “At first, it was a little awkward. Not because we didn’t love one another or know the time was right. It was just that neither of us knew what we were supposed to do.”
Elissa allowed this to sink in for a few moments before she continued. “It didn’t take long for our bodies, love and desire to take over. We just knew what to do. It was the most amazing experience of my life. Each time is different, but you always remember that first time.”
“As I’ve told you, I’ve had dreams of us.” Cassandra swallowed hard. “They aren’t necessarily vivid dreams. I just know that we are making love. And there’s a part of me that wants that so bad. I know you’ll be tender with me. I just…”
“Shh.” Elissa held Cassandra tightly to her chest. “This is perfectly natural. You are only fourteen and a half. You have some growing still to do. I’ll be here as your partner for as long as you’ll have me, remember?”
A heavy breath was expelled once again. Cassandra knew she was one of the luckiest girls in the world. Too many were forced into loveless marriages. Too many were forced at a young age, if only because their parents had so many children it was better to have one less mouth to feed.
But Cassandra had what every little girl dreams of. She had a partner who truly was her partner. In every sense of the word. And she was loved. And would be for eternity.
Chapter 27
Bonded Souls Page 16
