Ageless

by Cege Smith

“Hi,” Violet said. She was a ball of uncertainty. After the experience at Cove Point, she knew that she had strong feelings for Jeremiah. There could be nothing but friendship with Jonah. She had to make Jeremiah see that.

  “I trust you are feeling better,” Jeremiah said.

  “I am,” she said, stepping into the room. “What about you?”

  “I am well, thank you, a benefit of being a vampire,” he said with a rueful shake of his head.

  “Do you still want to be one?” she asked. The question had been in her mind ever since returning to the mansion. “You heard what Bruckhart said while he possessed my grandmother. You were right. I have the power to cure you. My blood can cure you.”

  Jeremiah moved closer to her. “Violet, I want more than anything to be released from the curse of bloodlust, but as long as you are in danger, I can’t risk not being what I am now. We don’t know if it would mean that I would also lose my strength and speed. I will need every advantage at my disposal if I am to protect you.”

  “That’s what Jonah and Margo both said,” she said. “You find what you’ve been looking for over a thousand years, and then when it’s right in front of you, you have the audacity to turn up your nose at it.” It was her turn to shake her head.

  He was standing right in front of her now and as she looked up into his eyes, he reached up and stroked her cheek. Even without vampire blood, her wound had healed miraculously fast. “I wouldn’t say that,” he said. “How are you, Violet?”

  She shrugged. “I’m terrified out of my mind. My life has been completely turned upside down. I still don’t know what all of this means. I think I’m coping as well as can be expected.”

  “Jonah said that you weren’t sleeping well, and that you were withdrawn,” Jeremiah said quietly.

  “Both Jonah and Margo have been really sweet, but they weren’t the ones that I wanted to be with. They aren’t the ones who make me feel safe.” The words tumbled out of her mouth. To her ears they sounded all wrong, but she wanted him to understand that she only wanted to be with him. There was no one else.

  “I’m a thousand years older than you, Violet,” Jeremiah said. His hand was still stroking her cheek. “No matter what you’ve discovered about yourself, you still have your whole life ahead of you. I wouldn’t want to deny you of that.”

  “Why do you keep insisting that I shouldn’t choose to spend part of it with you?” she asked. He was so close to her that she was sure that he could feel her heartbeat.

  He groaned and then he lowered his head and his lips touched hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in his kiss. It was tender and sweet, but full of longing. She finally completely understood. Jeremiah felt as alone as she did, and was wary about being hurt again.

  Later, as they sat on the sofa and watched the moon rise over the yard, she lay back into his arms and asked, “What happens now, Jeremiah?”

  He pulled her closer and nuzzled her hair. “We will take each new day as it comes. We will find all of those who wish to be saved and save them. Those who do not, we will kill. We will make this world a better place, one where people no longer need to live in fear.”

  Violet shivered. “That seems enormous. What about Bruckhart?”

  “I do not doubt that he will try again to reach you, but every day is another day that you grow stronger and learn more about what you can do. One day soon, he will be no match for you. We will hope that he doesn’t try anything until that day.”

  Violet sighed and decided to focus on something more positive. She laid her head against his chest and peered up at him. “A vampire and a witch. It sounds like a fairytale.”

  Jeremiah laughed and swept his lips down to gather hers. “To me, it more like a dream come true.”

  Note from the Author

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read Ageless! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review and sharing your thoughts. I'd also love to hear what you liked (and what you didn't!) if you'd like to drop me a line at cege@cegesmith.com. As always, thank you for your support.

  About Cege Smith

  Cege Smith is a Minnesota based writer who is addicted to lattes and B-rated horror films. She had been crafting spooky stories since she was twelve years old. She lives with her husband, two adorable stepsons, and mini long-hair dachshund, Juliet in the suburbs of Minneapolis.

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