by Lund, S. E.
That’s too painful and so they go back farther, to the hour before she died, and how she was sitting in her room, admiring the shells that Dylan had collected for her, the spiral of the conch, the tiny cockle shells, the oysters, the clams. How she loves the ocean, the smell of the salt air, its taste on her lips, the feel of the moist air on her skin. She looks forward to Dylan returning home so he can take her down to the beach, leaving her wheelchair at the end of the path that’s been worn down in the sand, picking her up gingerly and removing the portable ventilator so he can carry her to the water’s edge and dip her toes in the surf.
Such a loving brother, and a warm wave of emotion floods through us all at her memory and emotions…
I feel a sob building in my chest, the emotions are so intense and magnified by each of us joined by sharing of our blood. Julien takes my hand and squeezes and his empathy for me makes me even more emotional. Our minds touch and I feel his love for me. It’s real. Procel said it was, and now I know for sure.
The Thirteen decide to stop there so that when she wakes up, she will feel that peace, that contentment. She won’t have any memories of her death or the panic that ensued in the brief time before the last conscious moments, when she thought to herself this is how I die…
But they do more than resurrect her as she was…
They reach into her body, and search out the damage done to her genetic code that led to the damaged part of her brain, and they heal her, removing the lesions that led to her progressive deterioration. Her eyes finally blink open and she sits up on her own, panicked at having her mouth full of tank gel, but they hold onto her mind while she struggles to breathe and calm her while she clears her lungs, coughing and gagging, wiping off her face, spitting the tank gel out over and over. Finally, she takes in a long ragged breath and looks up. They take her back to that moment of peace and she blinks. Her expression moves from panic to calm and she sees Dylan and smiles.
“Dylan,” she manages, then clears her throat once more. “I was just thinking of you…”
“Sister,” Dylan says with a gasp. He reaches out and takes her hand and she grips his, staring at her hand like it’s foreign. She smiles, but makes a face of confusion, her brows knit together, her green eyes quizzical.
“Where am I?”
Dylan takes her hand in both of his and squeezes, bending down to kiss her wet knuckles. “You’ve been healed.”
She glances down and sees her nakedness, but the thirteen minds swoop in to calm her and she shrugs it off as part of the procedure. A servant comes over with a white terrycloth bathrobe and holds it up and before our eyes, Dylan lifts her up and out of the tank, onto a step that’s been placed at the side. She slips on the robe and ties it and then holds up her arms and the expression on her face is one of rapture.
“I’m cured,” she whispers, moving her arms around in amazement. Then, she falters, her knees buckling. Dylan puts his arm around her and helps her stand. Together, they take a step and then two, Sarah wavers a bit because it’s been so long since she walked on her own – a decade since she stopped walking and had to use the wheelchair.
“You’re cured,” Soren says and there’s an expression on his face that shocks me for he is emotional as well, his own face flushed. The Twelve are similarly affected, and I feel their satisfaction that they’ve done this, and returned a sister lost of a brother who grieved.
Dylan embraces Sarah and they stand together for a while, hugging each other. Dylan is overcome and I see his face scrunched up with emotion, like he’s fighting so hard to maintain his composure, but finally, he gives in and weeps, great sobs coming from him as he rocks Sarah in his arms.
Sarah is surprised, but seems delighted by her newfound abilities and she rocks him and speaks softly to him, rubbing his back.
“It’s okay, I’m okay, Dylan…” she says, resting her cheek on his shoulder, her eyes closed.
The Twelve all look like they’re eating this up, like it’s food for them, this scene taking place before them. They love that they’ve done this, and restored Sarah’s ability. I can feel their emotions, and I know that this is what they look forward to – when they’re all joined like this, sharing their minds and emotions, and when they’ve done something good like this.
They’re proud.
Soren’s proud.
Finally, they return to the table and leave Dylan and Sarah to themselves. I stand with Dylan and lay my hand on his shoulder, wanting to connect with him and feel his joy. He lets me in and the three of us stand with our arms around each other’s shoulders, our heads together.
“I’m better,” Sarah whispers, smiling widely. “I feel like I need to cough again, but I’m better.”
“You are,” Dylan says and wipes his eyes. “You can cough if you need. You can have a bath, and get any remaining gel off.”
He releases our shoulders and motions to one of the servants. “Can you please go to my rooms and prepare a warm bath for my sister?”
The servant leaves the room. The three of us go to a set of couches over in the corner and sit down, waiting for the servant to return and let us know that the bath is ready.
“Tell me what happened,” Sarah says. “Where’s mom and dad?”
“You’ll see them soon,” Dylan says. “A lot has happened since you went into the tank to be healed. We’ll see mom and dad in a few days.”
“Where are they?”
“They’re safe,” he says and I wonder how he’s going to handle telling Sarah about the plague, and about everything that’s happened.
It’s bound to be shocking.
“Where are we?” she asks and glances around. “Is this a hospital?”
Dylan takes her hand and squeezes again. “We’re at Soren Lindgren’s compound outside of Boston. He and the other Twelve healed you.”
She looks around in wonder. “The Twelve?” She glances over at the huge table where the Twelve all sit, with Soren at the head of the table. They’re busy drinking wine and speaking in low voices. They’re also connected at another level, and the talking is like a lower order of connection.
“They’re angels, Sarah,” Dylan says.
“Angels?” she says and frowns. She turns back and examines them. “Are you serious? What happened to my scientists believe nothing but evidence brother?”
Dylan shakes his head. “I saw the light, so to speak.” He smiles and continues to hold Sarah’s hand. Then his expression changes and he becomes serious. “I have a lot to tell you,” he says. “While you were in the tank, a lot happened.”
“How did I get into the tank? I don’t recall getting into it or coming here…”
“It’s part of the process. Sarah, you died when the power went out and the battery died.”
“What?”
Dylan recounts what happened, telling Sarah about the plague, and how it spread, destroying all fossil fuels in the process.
Sarah sits silent for a moment while Dylan explains. He tells her about Blackstone and his plans for Dominion.
“I knew you were different,” she says. “I could tell, but mom and dad told me that one day, I’d understand. I thought you were just a genius.”
She smiles and Dylan smiles back. He chokes up again and has to look down, clearing his throat to get control over his emotions.
The servant returns and comes over to us. “The bath is ready, Sir,” he says, his eyes downcast.
“Let’s go get you cleaned up,” Dylan says and stands, keeping Sarah’s hand in his. She stands as well and wavers a bit, still unsteady on her feet. “I’ll help you. I can carry you, if you want.”
“No way,” she says with a laugh. “I spent a decade in that chair. I want to use my feet now that I can.”
They leave me sitting on the couch. I don’t follow, allowing them the privacy of their new relationship, now that Sarah’s healed.
I glance over at the table where Soren and Julien and the Twelve sit talking about next steps in their plan
to stop the plague. I wander over and take my place at the table, not that I want to spend time with them, but I think it’s a good idea to listen to what they’re talking about. I may get some hint of an overall goal for all this. Soren has been very careful not to say too much to me. I have a sense he wants to be worshiped as a god, but not much else.
Whatever the case, I doubt that Michel likes the idea and so I want to know why.
I still want Soren to save the world from the plague and I still want him to eradicate vampirism, so as long as he doesn’t kill millions of humans, I want him to succeed. I’ve given up trying to understand Michel’s game, for I know now that he can’t let me know. If I know, Soren’s knows.
Soren turns to me as if he’s been reading my mind.
“I have been,” he says with half a grin. “I want you to go and find Michel. Of all the bait in the world to capture Michel, you are the most desirable. If anything can capture him, you can.”
“What makes you think he’ll come to me? He takes his vow of celibacy seriously.”
Soren laughs. “You kissed him and he practically fell on top of you. Tell me another one, Eve. He’d make love to you in a moment if you offered yourself.”
I frown and glance at Julien, whose face is passive like he didn’t even hear.
“He’s gone,” I say. “He’s on a mission. I doubt if I can take him away from his mission. It’s everything to him.”
“You’re everything to him,” Soren says. He takes a sip of his wine and eyes me over the rim. “All I want you to do is go and find him. We’re going to be busy here getting the antidote ready to stop the plague. I don’t need you for anything right now but I do want Michel back. Julien’s great, but this is for Michel, not him.”
“What’s for Michel?”
Soren smiles. “Oh, a lot of my plans are meant for Michel.”
“Revenge?” I say, anger filling me at his desire for revenge against Michel for Marguerite’s death. “Shouldn’t someone as powerful as you be unconcerned with petty matters of revenge? It happened eight centuries ago.”
“I feel time differently than you do, Eve. I feel it as if it happened only yesterday. I remember everything. Everything.”
He finishes his glass of wine and pours himself another, one knee bent up on his chair. He looks quite relaxed, as if he’s confident that everything is going his way – except for Michel. It makes me wonder if he truly can see the future. He didn’t see Michel leaving…
“I knew it was a possibility,” Soren says and sits upright. “I didn’t think he’d take this route. I’m surprised.” He glances at the Twelve who are seated all around him at the table. “Well, I didn’t think he would choose this path. I thought he’d try to preserve things as much as possible the way they were. I was wrong.”
I have no idea what he means by this so I say nothing. Finally, Soren stands and stretches, his wings folding out behind him.
“You can leave in the morning,” he says. Then he points to Julien. “You’ll stay. She can go on her own with a guard.”
Julien sits up straighter. “I should go with Eve,” he says. “She needs someone older and stronger to protect her.”
Soren shrugs. “I’ll send her with one of my men. Older than even you, Julien. You’re staying behind.”
Julien shakes his head. “Please,” he says, his voice low. “Let me go with her.”
Soren shakes his head and lays a hand on Julien’s shoulder. “I need you here, to say mass daily until Michel returns.”
“What makes you think he returns?” I ask, standing up from my place.
“Oh, he returns. I know his game now. He’ll have to come back.”
With that, he turns to go and the Twelve rise and follow him out of the dining room and into the study. Julien turns to me, his face wary.
“I don’t want you to go without me,” he says, his voice low.
“I’m a big girl,” I say, trying to be one. “Soren won’t let you go and there’s no way you’re getting out of here unless he wants you to go. We both learned that lesson the last time we left on our own.”
“Eve,” Julien says. “I don’t like this.”
I squeeze his shoulder. “Neither do I. But I have faith now that I know Michel is invisible to Soren. He has a plan, and I trust him. If it suits him to come back with me, he will.”
I smile at Julien. He stands and takes me into his arms. “Be with me before you go,” he says, his voice husky. I’m surprised. Has Soren now lifted the compulsion preventing him from making love with me?
“Come with me now,” I say and take his hand, leading him toward the door. If Soren wanted to stop me, he would have so I take it that he doesn’t mind that I’m going to spend the night with Julien.
I wish he would stay out of my mind though.
Oh, none of us can or will stay out of your mind. Not after today and all the blood we shared. Get used to it. Being in your mind, Eve, is part of what makes us happy and why you’re so valuable to us.
I sigh. Voyeur.
Julien and I leave the dining room, taking the hallways to our rooms in another wing of the compound.
When we enter the bedroom Julien wastes no time and pulls me into his arms.
“I don’t like this,” he says and runs a hand over my hair, pulling it out of the clip that’s holding it up.
“I have to go,” I say, pulling him down to me. “I’ll be fine,” I say and kiss him. He fights me, wanting to protest against me agreeing to go so easily.
“You’ll be at risk,” he says and his voice is shaky with desire as I run my hands over his chest and start to unbutton his vestments. I feel strange, undressing a priest, but of course he’s not a priest to me. He’s my lover. I can’t think of him as a priest.
I pull him over to the bed and we strip our clothes off, eager to get naked together for one last time before I go away. I’m not worried about myself. I know that right now, I’m too strategic for Soren to allow anything to happen to me. I am curious about whether Michel will fall for the bait. I almost hope he doesn’t.
I don’t want to force Michel’s hand in any way, but I realize that I don’t have a real choice. I’ve seen into the hearts and minds of the Twelve and Soren. I’m starting to believe that he will stop the plague. He will eradicate vampirism.
If so, my wishes will be fulfilled.
Whether I have either one of the twins at the end is a whole other question. It’s of lesser importance so I have to do what’s best for humankind, if not myself. In fact, if I have to die in order to stop the plague or end vampirism, so be it.
Then, I lose myself in Julien, not caring any longer whether Soren and the Twelve can peek in and experience what I do. All that matters is that I create more memories with Julien, in case these are the last ones we make.
Chapter 117
Later, when we’re finished and lying together on the bed, our arms and legs entwined, I feel secure in the fact that everything will work out. Julien, on the other hand, is very anxious. He doesn’t like it and lets me know.
“I wish you could say no,” he says, running his fingers over my cheek and down to my lips. “I hate being here and you being out there, without me to protect you.”
I nod, but don’t share his concern. “Soren’s sending someone older than you with me, so I’ll be fine. We’ll go looking for Michel and hopefully, he won’t find us, but if he does, it will be because he chooses to.”
Julien leans on his elbow and looks in my eyes. “What happened to make you so full of faith all of a sudden?”
I smile. “When I realized that Soren can’t read Michel. That’s why Michel has been so secretive. That’s why my mother left me. They knew that if I was with them, Soren would know what they were doing. When Michel found me, he did so because it was strategic for him to do so. It was the same with Dylan finding me. And my mother showing up. They only did so because it fit their plans. I used to hate not knowing everything. Now, I understand why I can’t.�
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I run my fingers down Julien’s scar to his jaw, which is covered in a light dusting of stubble. An onlooker would never know how tender hearted Julien is by his outward demeanor. He looks like a warrior but he’s soft inside. Able to love completely. Show me his vulnerability.
That’s why I love him. As much as I wish he could come with me on this journey, I know that he has to stay.
I pull him down to me and we kiss once more. Julien lies on top of me and I wrap my legs around his hips.
“I don’t want you to go…” he whispers, kissing my cheek, my forehead, my lips.
“I don’t want to go, but I have to. I love you, Julien.”
“I love you, Eve,” he says, his voice breaking. “I’ll wait for you, even if it’s until the end of time.”
We lie like that, my heart swelling until it almost bursts with love. Time passes, and soon, I feel myself drifting off, but before I do, I watch Julien, hungry to memorize every detail of his face and body, just in case I never see him again. While I don’t think I’ll die on my trip, it is always possible that someone miscalculates and one of us dies.
So until sleep takes me, I watch Julien, who has fallen asleep almost as soon as he finished speaking.
* * *
I wake up much later, when the light from between the heavy curtains is starting to make its trip across the floor and particles of dust hang in the sunbeam.
