Bonded Souls

by Agnes H Hagadus

  Running. Elissa ran for two miles. The snow barely even moved with each of her strides. It was like she was gliding over it. It was as if she could walk on water.

  Elissa made certain she knew where she was. She was now nearly ten miles from the cabin. There were actual signs of woods here instead of open prairie.

  The vampire collapsed to the ground. An image of Andrea entered her mind. Even with her nearly photographic memory, she sometimes forgot her image until it forced itself into her mind.

  “Andrea. I wish you were here to tell me what to do.” Elissa could imagine her first lover sitting in the snow with her. Andrea had loved playing in the snow the rare occasions they received any.

  “I don’t know if it’s because she’s so young or if it’s because I’ve existed over a thousand years. Cassandra has only been on the earth nearly a decade and a half.” Elissa didn’t want to think of all the things she had witnessed over the years.

  “Maybe it’s a little of both.” Elissa could see the amused look in Andrea’s eyes. “I know. I can fool myself, but I could never fool you. Just like Cassandra.”

  Elissa heard the voice of her dead lover. She wondered if she was hallucinating. “There’s a reason Cassandra reminds you so much of me. She is me. I’ve tried to reach you so many times since I died.”

  Azures blinked several times. Had she actually just heard Andrea’s voice? “What do you mean you’ve tried to reach me?”

  “Haven’t you felt the pull to mortals over the years.” Andrea waited to see if Elissa realized what she was referring to. When the vampire reluctantly nodded, Andrea smiled. “I’ve never been successful. Until now.”

  “If you are Cassandra, how can you be speaking to me?” Elissa was as logical as ever. This felt like she was sick and hallucinating or had been given some drugs.

  “There’s a very sad reason I can speak to you right now.” Andrea reached out and tucked a dark strand behind an ear. “You’ve blocked off all emotions from Cassandra.”

  It took Elissa a moment to realize what Andrea was saying. “Cassandra’s in trouble, isn’t she?” Andrea nodded sadly. “I have to go. Just one thing. Is it true? That you are Cassandra reborn?”

  Andrea’s smile was bright. She leaned in and kissed the vampire soundly for several heartbeats. “You tell me.” With that, Andrea disappeared.

  Elissa was in shock. The sensations, tastes and emotions were all the same. Cassandra was Andrea reborn a thousand plus years after she had died.

  It meant Elissa had a second chance at making things right. It meant she would make it right. The vampire allowed herself to fully open to Cassandra.

  The pain was unreal. It knocked Elissa to her knees. “My God!” The vampire didn’t hesitate. She closed her eyes only for a moment so she could attempt to locate Cassandra.

  The ten miles were eaten up in eight minutes. Elissa only hoped she wasn’t too late. When she made it to the cabin, there was no sign of her partner.

  A low growl escaped Elissa as the scent of blood tickled her nostrils. She’d tasted it once. She knew exactly who belonged to that scent.

  Elissa followed the scent until she found Winnie. Slumped in the snow was her partner. The vampire didn’t hesitate in scooping Cassandra into her arms.

  There was the inner animal that wanted nothing more than to taste the sweetness again. Elissa shoved the animal so deep, she wasn’t certain she could find it when she needed to feed. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  “Hold on, Cassandra.” Elissa used her speed. She nearly stumbled when she made it to the cabin door. Raven was at the door. She was whimpering. “I know. Your master is hurt. I’ll make her better. One way or another.”

  It didn’t take long to strip Cassandra of her wet and bloodstained clothes. Elissa growled when she saw why her partner was unconscious. “When I find out who did this, I’ll break their neck.”

  There would be time for that later. Right now, Cassandra needed her. Elissa called upon her skills she had once had to use while on her father’s farm in Greece.

  Once the bullet had been removed and Cassandra sewn up, Elissa knew it was only a matter of time. If her partner was strong enough, she would live. If she didn’t, would she meet her in another time, another place?

  Chapter 29

  Another month had flown by. It had been torturous for Elissa. There had been several times when she had thought she had lost her partner. The fever had terrified the vampire.

  Flashbacks of their time in New York had caused for worry. What was even more worrisome had been how Andrea had visited her on a few more occasions. That meant she had been close to losing Cassandra.

  Laying on the bed next to Cassandra, Elissa thought about what Andrea had informed her of. While the two women were so much alike, there were subtle differences. How was it they could be the same woman?

  Easy. Their souls may be the same, but the lives they had lived were so different. Deep down, they were the same person but with slightly different nuances.

  “NO!” It wasn’t the first time Cassandra had screamed out while delirious. Each time, Elissa wrapped her arms around her partner. She kissed her on the forehead.

  Elissa listened intently. Not just to Cassandra’s breathing. She was hoping her partner would reveal more about who had shot her.

  There were a couple possibilities. Most likely, it could be traced back to Yohan, if not the man shooting her himself. Elissa would wait. There was no place on earth he could hide if he was involved in any way.

  The knocking on the outer door caused Elissa to growl. There were very few who knew she and Cassandra lived here. She slowly untangled herself from her charge. She shut the bedroom door behind her.

  Raven and her four pups were staring at the door. The pups were already showing their own personalities. Each one had the trait Elissa looked for and that was being protective of Cassandra. “Be ready.” Each of the wolves growled in understanding.

  Elissa opened the door. She was shocked to see Mr. Spinster standing before her. “Is everything all right?” She stood to the side so he could enter. The temperatures were fighting to let go of winter and begin welcoming spring. Today they were a little closer to winter once again.

  “Right to the point, as usual.” Mr. Spinster wiped the bottom of his boots. The snow had melted some before the temperatures had dropped leaving some frozen mud puddles behind. “I’m here because none of my messages were returned.”

  Mr. Spinster stood in the middle of the room holding his briefcase. Elissa pointed to the table. “We can use this. Cassandra isn’t well at the moment.”

  The lawyer made his way to the table. Mr. Spinster placed his briefcase upon the table. He unlatched it and handed Elissa some papers. “A search party was sent after Yohan Peters. There were several witnesses who are willing to testify against him. He’s the one who shot Cassandra.”

  Elissa had to restrain her growl. The five wolves made up for her lack of growling. She focused on Cassandra as she read the paperwork. “There’s a ranch in Oregon that Yohan owned and it’s now Cassandra’s?”

  “The law states that if there is no will, the oldest living relative is the heir. That means Cassandra as Yohan had no children and he only had one sibling.” Mr. Spinster watched Elissa for any kind of reaction.

  “This states the ranch was in debt. That the bank is going to foreclose on it if they don’t receive payment.” Elissa glanced up from the paperwork.

  “You are a speed reader like me.” Mr. Spinster’s smile was not contagious. He cleared his throat. “I’ve already made arrangements to make payments with Cassandra’s inheritance from her father. Once again, all I need is the signatures. If she’s still ill, I can right up a document saying you are acting on her behalf until she is well enough to do so on her own.”

  “I hate to speak for her.” Elissa read through the paperwork once again. It’s what they wanted. It’s like the fates were smiling down on them or whatever god existed. “But if it has
to be done in the next day or two, I will.”

  “I figured as much.” Mr. Spinster held out another paper. “I came prepared. If she isn’t well by morning, I’ll have you sign this. I’m staying in a room above the general store. Only thing I could find.”

  “I’m surprised you found that.” Elissa read the paperwork. She would have rather it be Cassandra signing everything. “I’ll get the paperwork back to you by noon tomorrow. And I appreciate you coming all this way.”

  “You’re more than welcome.” Mr. Spinster rose after returning some of the paperwork to his briefcase. “I have quite a few clients. But none that have been as interesting as you and Cassandra. Your last day in Bloomfield proved that.”

  Elissa remembered the day well. It was interesting all right. She was surprised she hadn’t heard from these Jones brothers. Perhaps they couldn’t find out who she was. “I’ve had more interesting days, but it was up there. I’ll see you tomorrow. One way or another.”

  “Thank you.” Mr. Spinster tipped his hat before making his way out into the frigid cold. Elissa watched the lawyer mount the horse. She cursed not having heard him ride up.

  The vampire placed the paperwork in her desk to keep it safe from the pups before returning to the bedroom. Cassandra appeared to be sleeping once again.

  Elissa didn’t hesitate in joining her partner in bed once again. “So it was your bastard of an uncle who shot you.” The vampire felt the body stiffen.

  “You rest now. I’ll take care of him if the search party hasn’t found him first.” Elissa kissed her partner’s head. “There’s a lot to tell you. As soon as you’re up for it, we’ll talk. But you have to get better. You have to come back to me and not just every so often. I love you.”

  “I love you.” Emerald eyes blinked several times. When she attempted to move, she felt a twinge of pain. It wasn’t incapacitating, but it was enough to halt her movements. “I only somewhat remember what happened.”

  “I don’t know everything. I just know you needed me. But because of the divide we’d been suffering through, I didn’t receive the message until after you were hurt.” Elissa felt guilty. At the same time, she knew it was both their faults for the divide.

  Cassandra blinked a few times attempting to decipher what Elissa had just said. The disagreement. Her anger. Distancing herself from Elissa. If it was anyone’s fault, it was the mortal’s. But she knew her vampire would take her fair share as well.

  “I remember riding into town. I was restless.” Cassandra cleared her throat. Before she could continue, a glass of water was handed to her. “I left you a note. I went to the general store and sold your wares again. Then I looked around. I hope I didn’t lose the surprise I got for you.”

  “You mean the boots?” Cassandra smiled shyly. “I found them after I returned to the spot where I found you. Winnie was with you and watching out for you when I found you. You were in bad shape. I made certain you were holding your own before I left. Thank you. They fit wonderfully.”

  “I’m glad they weren’t lost. I did some thinking while I was riding. I still am upset, but I know I overacted.” Cassandra reached out for a strong hand. “I can’t promise I won’t get upset again.”

  As much as Elissa wanted to assure Cassandra there would be no more reason to be upset, she needed to find out what happened. “I know your uncle shot you. I just don’t know what happened.”

  “You know?” Cassandra looked deep into azure eyes. “How did you find out?”

  “Mr. Spinster of all people.” Emerald eyes widened. “He was the last person I thought would knock at our door. You missed him by a few minutes. He said a search party is after Yohan. Just hope they find him before I do.”

  There was a part of Cassandra that wanted to ask Elissa not to seek revenge on her behalf. But there was a bigger part that wanted to see Yohan stop torturing her. “What all did Mr. Spinster say, other than Yohan shot me as I was attempting to ride away after he attempted to kidnap me.”

  The growl was expected. Cassandra didn’t even flinch. Elissa composed herself. “There’s actually some paperwork for you to sign. Since Yohan is a dead man on the run, he’s forfeited his estate. And guess who’s entitled to it?”

  “You’re kidding me.” Cassandra shook her head. She was still weak, but feeling much better. Hopefully this would be the last they had to deal with Yohan. “What exactly is his estate comprised of?”

  “A ranch in Oregon that is in foreclosure.” Emerald eyes rolled. Elissa chuckled at the reaction. “I felt the same way. Mr. Spinster has taken it upon himself to set up payments so that we don’t lose the ranch.”

  “We’re gonna have to pay Mr. Spinster a very nice bonus.” Cassandra leaned back. All this talking had worn her out. And she found her stomach was empty. “I could use something to eat.”

  Elissa felt warm all over just from that statement. “I was hoping you’d say that. I have some chicken soup on the stove. Be right back.”

  It wasn’t long before Cassandra had consumed two bowls of soup and some bread. She had also drank her fair share of water. It did Elissa good to see her partner beginning to heal.

  “Do you think you’re up to signing some paperwork? I can literally run it to town in the morning and be back in about an hour.” Elissa was helping lean Cassandra forward. She wanted to see how the wound was healing.

  “I’m nearly about to fall asleep. Eating actually caused me to be exhausted.” As Elissa probed her wound, Cassandra felt her breathing picking up. Her vampire’s touch was extremely stimulating. “That feels wonderful.”

  Elissa had retrieved a salve Miss Glory had shown her how to make. It was best used on bruises, but could also be used on cuts. “This salve is supposed to ease pain and itching so I hope it feels wonderful.”

  Cassandra managed to look over her shoulder. “I didn’t mean the salve, though that feels wonderful as well.” Azure eyes darkened slightly.

  Once again, Cassandra was playing with fire. Only it was a fire she was willing to extinguish. In four more months, she would be fifteen. Shortly, they would be moving. Most likely they would move to Oregon.

  The question now was how long Cassandra waited until she asked Elissa to show her how to make love. She wanted to consummate their elevated relationship.

  “There’s something we need to discuss.” Elissa swallowed. “I want what you are hinting at. More than anything I’ve ever wanted anything. I don’t know how this will affect our relationship, but it needs to be said.”

  Cassandra swallowed. Elissa’s tone of voice was as serious as she’d heard it in forever. “Whatever it is, just say it. Don’t prolong it.”

  Elissa took a deep breath. “Are you certain you are up to this? You just said you were exhausted. I’m not stalling, I just want to make certain you are up for this.”

  “There’s a part of me that wants a nap more than I can say.” Cassandra stared into azure eyes once again. “But from the look in your eyes, this is something even more important than Yohan supposedly having a piece of paper taking me away from you.”

  Elissa filed the information away to study. It would have to be another conversation before she left to deliver the paperwork to Mr. Spinster.

  “You weren’t the only one hiding. I ran the day you were shot. Not just a short ways. I ended up ten miles from here.” Elissa was slightly embarrassed. “I was visited by Andrea’s spirit. Or should I say your spirit.”

  Chapter 30

  “My spirit?” Cassandra stared at Elissa as if she had just said she was the Queen of England. “I didn’t die. I might have been out of it for…”

  “It’s been about a month.” Emerald eyes grew so wide Elissa thought Cassandra might hurt herself. “Perhaps if I’d been a better healer it wouldn’t have been so long.”

  “The only one that needs to be sorry is Yohan. And one way or another I know he will be.” Cassandra spoke as if she wanted to kill the man herself.

  “I know. Attempting to tease though I�
�m not exactly the best at it.” Elissa smiled weakly. “Back to what we were discussing. Andrea came to me. Basically she said you were her reincarnated. I’ve never really believed in that kind of thing.”

  “But…” Cassandra knew there was more to it than merely Elissa having a dream or vision. Had she really been visited by her first lover?

  “But the way she spoke. The sensations I’ve been getting from you the older you get.” Elissa couldn’t look into emerald eyes. “It’s not just the physical attraction. It’s more. Some of the things you do and say remind me so much of Andrea. I’ve always sensed something familiar about you. It’s why…”

  “Why you were taking care of me at the orphanage even before I knew it.” Elissa nodded. “I once heard this story. I think it has to do with Greek mythology. Something about everyone having once had two heads, four arms, four legs and one soul. Then one of the gods divided them into two. Since then, everyone is searching for the other half of their souls.”

  Elissa nodded. “I heard that when I was a young girl. It was passed down from generation to generation. It’s why some families didn’t like arranged marriages back in the old country.”

  “Things changed over the centuries.” Elissa nodded. “I’m not sure how I feel about this.” Cassandra yawned. She studied the vampire’s face. She knew in her heart Elissa wasn’t attempting to trick her into anything.

  There was only honesty in Elissa’s eyes. Her vampire truly believed what she had just told Cassandra. “I think I need to rest. What time is it?”

  “It’s time for me to do the evening chores. I’ll keep the chicken soup on so if you should wake up later hungry I’ll have something for you.” Elissa rose from the bed. She tucked her partner in.

  Before leaving the bedroom, Elissa made certain to kiss her partner. This time it wasn’t on the top of head, forehead or cheek. She made certain she kissed Cassandra on the lips.

  “Thank you.” Cassandra drifted off before Elissa could ask what she was being thanked for. Was it saving her life yet again? Was it for not running far from her? Was it for standing by her through everything?