by Cas Martin
She turned the envelope over and over in her hands, trying again to gauge the contents by its thickness, still none the wiser than she had been after all the other times she had done it. Eventually, with tears already forming in anticipation, she slid her finger under the fold and pulled the envelope open. She wiped the rogue tear from her cheek and began reading, the words filling her head in her father's voice. She had forgotten how comforting he could sound.
My Dearest Elizabeth,
Sadly, if you are reading this, then I suspect that the worst has happened and I am no longer around. I hope that is not the case, but as that is the purpose of the letter, then I must presume it to be so. Firstly, what I must say is that I love you, that I am proud of you, and you have given me so much joy over the years. It is a pleasure to have had you as my daughter and now, even as I write this, you have changed from a girl into a beautiful young woman.
There were times when I thought I might not live to see that happen, so I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me that I have. I hope by the time you read this we will have spent many more happy years together, and perhaps by now we will have shared some amazing things.
My intention is to entrust this letter with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jack LeTraub. He is a good man, one who has been there for me every step of the way on my journey in recent years. When we first met I had no idea how important he would become to me, and I hope now that he will be of help to you. I know that he would not have given you this letter without you knowing all of the things I have discovered over these years. I hope you have not been alone and struggling in this knowledge.
I also hope, that for your sake, if it was for this reason I am dead, then you do not live the rest of your life in fear. I have watched you so closely growing up, and I have been too afraid to make you a part of this darkness and danger in my life. I know that if you are reading this then it has happened anyway, and all I can do is hope and pray that I have taught you all the things you need to know.
The most important thing I hope to have given you as a father, is trust and belief in yourself. I know that whatever is thrown at you, you are a brilliant and resourceful young woman. I believe in that, but you must believe in it too. Not only for the darker parts of life where my work may lead you, but for every area too.
It is not easy, being an adult, and as I write this you are only just setting out on that road. I hope by the time you read this, you will still not truly have had your heart broken, and I also hope that you have learned to overcome the grief of loss. It will make you stronger, I hope, someday, but for now I just have these words with which to comfort you. I know that this piece of paper, no matter what its intent, can never replace holding your hand or taking you in my arms, but I hope that it still provides you with a measure of peace nonetheless.
So, with that, I will end this letter, and you should know that my heart is heavy from needing to write it at all. But I do not want it to be a regret in my final moments that I left you with nothing, that I abandoned you to a road that you walk only because of me, and did not make some attempt to hold your hand and guide you on your way. No matter what happens, no matter how strange things may seem, you need to believe in the amazing, just as you need to believe in yourself. When things seem as though they couldn't possibly be true, then they often are. You may have a difficult time learning to accept the fantastical. I know that I did, and so did many that have started down this road before you.
There will be time when you find that you are doing things you swore to yourself you would never do. Times when, out of extraordinary circumstances, you will cross the lines that you swore never to cross. Before you do, look deep in your heart and ask yourself if you are doing so for the right reasons. If you are, then you know you will be able to move on from the most extreme events, without guilt or shame.
You are special Elizabeth, not just to me because I am your father. You are special because of what you have brought into this world, and the great things you will achieve in it, regardless of whether or not I am with you. Never forget that.
With Love Always,
Dad
X X X X X X X
Elizabeth put the piece of paper down, tears flowing freely on her cheeks. It was the best of things and it was the worst of things. Her father knew that his work could get him killed one day. It seemed Jack was right. He had always suspected that she would follow this path. She sensed he was here with her now, always, watching over her.
Her life was never going to be the same again, and in that moment she never felt so loved.
Or so alone.
Blood Echo – A Lazarus Hunter Novella
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Ancient relics, forgotten histories and a quest for revenge. Never trust a vampire with nothing left to lose…
Told exclusively from Elizabeth’s point of view, Blood Echo is a standalone Novella in the Lazarus Hunter world.
About the author
Cas Martin loves writing character-driven stories and believes that diverse characters shouldn’t come at the expense of great plots — readers deserve to have both. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book (or pressed against the Kindle screen). Her third biggest passion in life is travel, so although she’s based in England, for much of the year you won’t find her there. Instead she’ll be hanging out with her wife in some amazing city or, more likely, at the beach.
She also writes lesbian fiction as C.K. Martin. You can get in touch with the author by email [email protected], or follow on twitter @CKMauthor. For more frequent updates, visit http://www.ckmartin.com/
Other books available from this author
lazarus hunter series
Blood Inheritance
BLACK MARKET BLOOD
SHADOWS OF BLOOD
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Blood Echo – A Lazarus Hunter Novella
About the author
Other books available from this author
Contents
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