by Maria Lima
I liked it when all my plans fell into place. We’d fought and won, with minimal losses… though my heart broke every time a new memory of Gigi’s flashed into my conscious. She’d been nearly two thousand years old. I couldn’t mourn her short life, nor could I mourn the loss of knowledge that hadn’t actually been lost. Instead, I toasted the memory of one of the most enigmatic and infuriating women I’d ever known.
I drove right up to the cemetery gate and the four of us entered. Enough water still flowed along the ground to allow Adam and Niko to come inside. The place looked as if nothing had ever happened.
“Who?” I whispered aloud as I looked in all directions.
Every tombstone was once again in its place. Every statue whole and standing tall. No sign of bodies, blood, nor debris. Not a whisper of Darkness disturbed the peace, only fresh flowers on each and every single grave indicated that anyone had been there at all. A sprig of rosemary—for remembrance, a voice whispered in my head—and a single white flower, six-petaled with a pointy tip on each petal and a dark center.
“Star-of-Bethlehem,” Niko said. “For hope.”
I nodded. “Nice. But who did this?”
“Some brownies.” Daffyd walked toward us, having exited the cave mouth. “They wanted to help. To make amends for their kin.”
“They had nothing to do with the destruction,” I said. “They had no need.”
“No, but they did have a right,” Daffyd answered as he stepped through the stillness.
“They did have a right,” I agreed. “And you? What brings you back here? The door is still closed.”
“It is,” he confirmed. “Once again, though, I put a warding on it. This time, to tell me if you were near.”
I laughed. “Well, here we are, dear Cousin.”
“Yes. And with two vampires during the day. Did things change that much? I admit, I know little of your kind, but it was my understanding that the day was anathema. They are on sacred ground, as well.”
“Only the sun,” Adam said. “There is little sunlight today.” He held out a hand. The soft moisture collected in his palm. “The earth is happy and the running water allows us to be here for a time.”
Daffyd smiled. “I am glad you all came,” he said. “I wanted to let you know that we took the liberty of removing the body of Antonio, the man of his god.”
“You did? Why? We came here to collect him, so he could be buried properly.”
“He has been taken to a proper resting place,” Daffyd assured me. “We wish to keep him with us, lying in state, as a remembrance.”
I was taken aback by his statement. “Remembrance of what?”
“What true selflessness is. He sacrificed himself so that you did not have to make that choice. That is true trust and faith.”
I took Daffyd’s hand. “He was not the only one. Thank you, Cousin.”
“Daffyd, might I ask… what happened to Aoife?” I looked at Adam in surprise. I’d totally forgotten about Angharad’s daughter.
“She elected to retire to another part of Faery with her attendants. You do realize she was never with child.”
“Yes. Her mother told us so,” I said.
“Then you also know that your mother, Branwen, left with Aoife, as well.”
“She did? Then who rules?” And here I’d thought everything was sussed out in the Seelie Court. They’d had plenty of heirs. Aoife, followed by Branwen, followed by… oh, holy hells bells. I opened my mouth but no words came out.
“Yes, cousin,” Daffyd said. “You are next in line for the throne.” He kneeled, his robes spreading onto the muddy ground. “Welcome, Cousin. Welcome, my queen.”
Adam shook his head. “To think I thought this was all over.”
“Bloody unlikely,” I snapped. Why hadn’t I realized that? True, I’d not known that Aoife would keep to her intent and exempt herself from ruling, especially now that Gideon and her mother were both dead, but Branwen? I guess she really didn’t want to play politics. I sighed. “What does this mean for me now, Daffyd?”
“For now, nothing,” he said. “If you’ll give me leave to handle things for a short time, you can continue with your plans up here. Once you get settled in your new home, then come Below. We can plan then.”
“Very well,” Adam said. “Thank you. We’ll be in England by morning and will settle at my estate in Wiltshire.”
“Most excellent!” Daffyd’s face lit up. “There is a door very close to you then.”
“Yes, I know.” Adam smiled. “At Stonehenge.”
Stonehenge? Oh, that’s just bloody wonderful.
“Then perhaps we shall see each other shortly after all,” Daffyd said.
“Perhaps so.” Adam nodded.
“May I then wish you a blessed and fruitful marriage,” he said. “I was not able to attend your Reception and your joining.”
“My thanks,” I said after I’d wrapped my head around the fact that we were going to live near Stonehenge. Yeah, like that wasn’t a hotbed of supernatural power or anything. Adam hadn’t told me, but to be fair, if I’d stopped to think for more than two minutes, I would have put two and two together and come up with ancient stone monument. I mean, where else would a vampire build an estate?
“May your union be also blessed with many children,” Daffyd continued.
“That’s not exactly possible,” I laughed. “Vampires can’t make babies.” My aunt Jane had used that line on me once, begging me to come home and make wee babies for the good of the Clan lines. I’d balked. Thank goodness.
Daffyd’s eyes narrowed. “Surely that is a fallacy,” he said. “The reason Gideon took up with Aoife in the first place was that he was deathly afraid that you and Adam would procreate, and result in Minerva and Drystan giving the rule to you both.”
“It is magick that powers me, Daffyd,” Adam explained. “I have no viable seed. I have a heart which does not beat unless I will it to.”
“No,” Daffyd insisted. “You’ve returned to yourself. You are whole again. I can feel it.”
Was he right? I’d not noticed but then again, I’d noticed little but sleep, eat, sleep these last couple of days. We’d talked in bed this morning, but had done little else. Sure, he had Sidhe magick, but… we’d even shared blood, and he’d fed as per usual. He’d needed to feed, had felt hollow, he’d said.
“Adam, if I may.” He nodded and I placed my palm against his chest. He wore cotton today, in deference to the wet weather. The soft material slid against my skin. I focused deeper. First, only the familiar flavor, the taste/scent/feel of the same man I’d shared a bed and so much else with over the past nine months. Then there it was, a flutter, vague as a butterfly’s wings or the breath of a flower petal as it touched your skin. Deep within, his energy had changed. No longer just the deep musky spice and vanilla scent of the vampire part of him, I also sensed the green, the living energy of the Sidhe. As I discovered it, so did he. Nowhere near as strong as my own heartbeat, but there nonetheless.
“What happened?” His voice was barely audible as he placed his palm over mine and followed my awareness inside.
“A resurrection of sorts,” Daffyd said. “The living part of you is now blended with the other.”
“What does that mean?” Adam sounded bewildered. “I can feel it. Something different, but I’m still not truly alive.”
“I do not know,” Daffyd admitted. “You are the first vampire I know that began life as Sidhe. You are no doubt the first vampire that has merged his two natures.”
Adam blinked against tears that threatened to fall. I pulled him close and whispered, “It’s always something, isn’t it? At least life won’t get boring.”
He grinned and kissed me. “No, I don’t suppose it will.”
The End
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes calamity of s
o long life.
—William Shakespeare
Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
