by Ash Krafton
Behind me, Toby shifted uncomfortably. My new heightened senses still excluded Were emotions but the way he cleared his throat tipped me off. "We're leaving, Soph. Glad to hear Shiloh is all right. Maybe we'll visit soon."
"Toby." Rodrian halted Toby when he tried to leave and I pulled away. Rodrian's arm held me close and he didn't release me, so I just turned my face toward the Were and waited. "I know I didn't make things easy on you."
Toby's smiled faded. "You don't have to explain."
"I do. I should have trusted Sophie's judgment. She always manages to do the right thing. And now I realize, so do you. I didn't give you enough credit. I was foolish."
"You were watching out for your own. You got a family to take care of. That's not foolish. That's being a father." Toby's voice was even but I knew the investment he'd placed in the last word.
Rodrian nodded. "I can only repay you in kind. You protected my family. I'll consider you family and protect you in turn."
Toby ducked his head and breathed deep. "I'll have a den soon. Dally's helping me look for one."
I reached out and touched his arm. "We found you first."
"Family." Toby rolled the word in his mouth, savoring it. "Really?"
Rodrian nodded. "If you'll have us."
Toby smiled, the defensive hunch melting from his shoulders. He looked taller, stronger, somehow. "Family sounds pretty good."
Rodrian extended his hand and Toby grasped it.
"See you around, little brother," I said.
"Yeah." He grinned, rakish rogue-like and took Dahlia's hand. "See you."
They called out last goodbyes from the foyer, pulling the front door shut with a quiet clap.
Rodrian slipped his free arm around me once more, sliding his hand up my back, under my hair, along the back of my neck.
I relaxed in his embrace. "That was nice of you, Rode."
"I can't think about what would have happened if he wasn't here. I'd never be able to repay that boy."
"You don't have to. People don't do nice things because they want to be repaid. We do the right thing because it needs to be done."
"Even the hard things?"
"Especially the hard things." I pulled back and looked up at him. "Can we go see her?"
Nodding, he smoothed my hair where it had been tousled by his sweater. "She's different, though. Are you ready for this?"
Wordlessly, I lifted my chin. Everything she'd gone through had been for the purpose of changing her. I had to be ready, whether I wanted to be or not. Rodrian released me and led me downstairs to the clinic that had once been my garage.
Strangers in scrubs milled around the room, packing up equipment and boxing supplies in an efficient, impersonal manner. Rodrian had located a specialist in Colorado who dealt with hypolution and spared no expense bringing him in to sub for Pontian. He'd left late last night after completing Shiloh's treatment, leaving his crew behind to pack up. The corner of the room had a sliding curtain suspended from a track in the ceiling, shielding it from view.
I could feel each of the DV—their personalities, their intentions. A half-minute in the same room with them gave me more information than they'd share with their closest friends in a year. None of them could ever be strangers to me now. They were mine.
Each tried so hard to keep their power to themselves, knowing it would be inappropriate to approach me at the moment. Their hearts shone all the brighter for daring to hope my name.
I glanced warily around, feeling the strain of so many people, so much power. I concentrated on adding another layer of security to my barriers and slipped my hand into the bend of Rodrian's arm. Pressing against him, I tried to melt into his power, hoping his signal would distract me and block the others out.
He looked at me a moment before clearing his throat. "Thank you, everyone. We'd like a moment alone."
I nodded in relief. He thought I was nervous about Shiloh. Truth was, I was too crowded by all the DV. He didn't realize what had happened to me after Dorcas touched me. I wasn't going to tell him, either. It would only frighten him, and right now that was the last thing either of us needed.
One by one they left, and I felt the soul count decrease as they did. Eventually, it was me, Rodrian, and one other. The staff had all left the room, so I knew the final power was coming from Shiloh.
I was a stranger to the feel of her power. Would I know her anymore?
Rodrian reached to pull back the curtain.
"Wait," I said. "Give me a second."
I closed my eyes, knowing it would appear that I simply braced myself. I rolled Shiloh's essence through my mind, trying to prepare myself for seeing the results of her cusp.
Her power felt nothing like her. It was careworn, and exhausted, and mature. No confetti. No Justin Bieber. Nothing like I'd expected.
Nothing like I'd hoped.
She couldn't have emerged from any of this the same, free-spirited Shiloh I'd always known.
After a moment, I nodded. "Okay."
He pulled back the curtain to reveal Shiloh, sleeping on an elevated hospital bed. Her skin was pale, freckles standing out like flecks of paint. Deep bruises under her eyes made her appear older than her almost eighteen years. Rodrian leaned and kissed her gently upon her temple, and she roused. When she saw me, her power surged, although, physically, all she did was blink.
It was like an up-close sunrise on a roller coaster. Her power nearly crushed me. My mouth opened but no sound came out. I grabbed Rodrian's hand. A moment passed before he realized I'd taken a direct hit and he hurried to quiet her. "Shh, sweetie. Remember how I showed you how to pull back? Easy..."
Her surge lessened, wavering down to a more-controlled level. She struggled to exercise parts of her brain which until this point had remained humanly inactive. As she gained control over her fledgling strength, she closed her eyes, the exertion taking a rapid toll. "I'm sorry, Sophie. I...couldn't help it. Did you always feel so...wonderful?"
Rodrian's eyes flicked from Shiloh to me and back. "Your barriers are thin, honey. You'll learn how to protect yourself quickly, I promise. But for a while, it's going to be strange for you, getting used to sensing others. Eventually, it's something that you'll ignore without thinking twice."
"I'll never ignore Sophie," she said. Her eyes remained closed, and her voice grew softer, as if she were falling asleep. "She feels like...heaven..."
Shiloh's head wobbled against the pillow. I realized she'd lost consciousness when her power dimmed once more. I watched her in disbelief, unable to comprehend her strength. When she'd hit me with her full uncontrolled essence, it reminded me of the night Marek had overthrown the Master. She wasn't even trying, yet it had been all I could do to remain upright. If Rodrian hadn't distracted her, I might have collapsed.
Rodrian reached down, smoothing her blanket and taking up her limp hand. He raised it to his mouth.
"I know, baby." He murmured against her skin, eyes aglow. "I know."
Meeting my eyes briefly, Rodrian leaked a heartful of longing and guilt before releasing her hand and striding out. I watched the door close behind him and trailed his power back to the den, feeling his tumultuous brooding over-shadow his every step.
I pulled a chair closer to her bed and took up Shiloh's hand, whispering a prayer of thanks she had survived. I prayed and I thanked God and every power we'd all survived, somehow. I fell short of wondering what the future held for each of us.
Right now, the present was all I could handle.
I sat a while with Shiloh, watching her sleep and gently smoothing away some of the strain and the weariness from her brush-burned soul. By the time I left, the bruises had diminished and she rested more comfortably. The Sophia would be very busy in the next few days, as would be my unrefined parenting skills. Shiloh needed me to be a lot of things this week. I had to be ready to be them.
Rodrian needed me to be a lot of things, too. His only brother had been transformed into the Horus Bird right before me. We'd
both lost him in that instant, when Marek changed form and escaped. We had both held onto hope against hope that we could bring him back from the edge of Brinking, that the Sophia could save him—
No. It wasn't the time for me to pity myself and my loss. Rodrian needed me, although I wasn't sure I had what he needed. Part of me really wanted to try.
With a deep determined breath, I released Shiloh's hand and pushed to my feet. It was time to start.
Closing the curtain once more, I lifted fingers of Sophia awareness and reached to touch the DV staff, letting them know it was okay to return. They appeared at once and I slipped out before their power crowded me.
The door to the guest suite stood open and I glanced in, thinking how quiet it would be without Toby living here anymore. I wondered how quiet it wouldn't be now that Brianda and her girlfriend would soon be moving in.
I liked this whole thing of not being alone anymore. It was easier to deal with the gaps other people made when they left. The more DV, the merrier, I thought.
At least that was my thought until I approached the foyer and detected a strange DV signature. Rodrian was at the front door, talking to a stranger. Not one of the staff. Not one of the medical team. Curious, I went to see who it was.
Whoever it was, they didn't feel friendly. Business? Here?
Rodrian spoke with a tall, blond woman. The first thing I noticed were her legs, a mile long and stretching between a tight tailored skirt and next year's Pradas. Her power felt inquisitive, edgy, possessive. She didn't bother to hide her impression or the appraising glance she used to take me in. Rodrian's power felt tense and unsure, even behind his thickest shields.
Lots of ice here. Time to break it before my blood froze.
"Hi," I said and smiled, Sophie-sincere.
The blonde smiled back, teeth gleaming, and slid a hand up to her hip, rocking on one foot and angling the line of her body toward Rodrian.
Rodrian's mouth was tight, almost as tight as the coil of his power.
"Darling, this is Sophie. Sophie, let me introduce Aurelia." His voice almost disappeared behind the sudden booming pulse in my ears but his facial expression relayed the vocal cues I could no longer hear. "Shiloh's mother."
He pressed his lips together, once, before donning a pleasant mask. "My mate."
Dear Lonely yet Hopeful,
Your letter strikes a harmonious chord within me. I can advise you with perfect clarity and absolute certainty.
You encounter the man whom you've loved so dearly, whom you always will. Love is not an illusion. When we love despite pain, despite anger, despite separation, we love justly and truly. You ask if you have nothing to lose.
If you don't strike down your hesitation and seize your opportunity, you will lose everything. Time runs away from us while we gaze longingly after hope. Time flees and urges us only toward our endings. Time works against us and cares only to steal away our chances of redemption.
Face him. Risk pain and persist past it. Don't spend any more time wondering if it would be right; you already know how right that love can be.
Don't wait. One day, time will sweep us up with mighty wings and hope will fly away. Don't allow yourself to be left behind, wishing you'd done something.
Be true to that love, which should never be denied.
Sincerely, Sophie
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction author from the Pennsylvania coal region. If she's not writing, it's probably because she's distracted by all the cool junk on her desk or by the stacks of books that have grown up around it.
She writes novels, short fiction, and poetry for mostly adult audiences. (She's mostly an adult.). Some of those novel titles include:
The Books of the Demimonde: urban fantasy trilogy
Enter the world of the Demimonde.
Look outside your window. Same old town, same streets, same people, same stories you've lived all your life. Or... are they?
Sophie Galen is an advice columnist from the suburbs of Philly. Like many sensitive women, she's done her best to create a shelter for herself in order to live in a safe, predictable world, protecting her vulnerable self: her mind, her heart, her soul.
Then he came into her life and blew the walls in.
When Marek Thurzo arrived, he brought with him all the secrets she never wanted to know: the world outside was not what she thought. There were people and creatures and powers she'd never dared to believe exist and at the very center of this humongous supernatural web was one single person.
Her. The Sophia. The one hope for redemption for the Demivampire race.
Some days, she still can't wrap her head around the whole thing. Other days...
...she's ready to do whatever it takes to protect her Demivamps, no matter the obstacle, no matter the enemy, no matter the personal cost.
While meeting her deadlines, of course. Who says a girl can't multitask while saving the world?
Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1)
Blood Rush (Demimonde #2)
Wolf's Bane (Demimonde #3)
WORDS THAT BIND: paranormal romance
Social worker Tam Kerish can’t keep her cool professionalism when steamy client Mr. Burns kindles a desire for more than a client-therapist relationship—so she drops him. However, they discover she’s the talisman to which Burns, an immortal djinn, has been bound since the days of King Solomon…and that makes it difficult to stay away from him.
Ethical guidelines are unequivocal when it comes to personal relationships with clients. However, the djinn has a thawing effect on the usually non-emotive Tam, who begins to feel true emotion whenever he is near. Tam has to make a difficult choice: to stay on the outside, forever looking in…or to turn her back on her entire world, just for the chance to finally experience what it means to fall in love.
Words That Bind
She also writes New Adult spec fic as AJ Krafton. THE HEARTBEAT THIEF (Victorian fantasy) is a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allan Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever... How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?
"There was something smart, ominous, and romantic about this strange story..."
The Heartbeat Thief by AJ Krafton rated 4.5 stars on Amazon
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