by Keary Taylor
“You used me,” I say, shaking my head. “You pretended to be my friend. Do you feel nothing anymore? Are you that cold? What about Elle? You never even came for your daughter.”
“I tried,” she suddenly snaps. “But she never left your house, and my Bitten failed in retrieving her.”
I remember now. When Elle called me after the break in and she was bitten. They were supposed to take her back to her mother.
“Fourteen years,” Ian seethes. “You’ve been gone for fourteen years. You left us. Did you just expect us to be a happy little family again?”
“I expected you to help me change the world!” Cora bellows. “You were born with so much potential! I gave you what I could. I made sacrifices for us all!”
“So you turned your back on your children?” Ian asks. The look of betrayal on his face, it’s enough to break my heart. “I was ten.” And there, I crack. Tears pool in my eyes. My bottom lip trembles. “Elle wasn’t even quite two. And you left us.”
Cora takes a moment to respond. And I can’t even imagine the twisted thoughts going through her head. “Eventually, we all have to realize that this world is bigger than us. We do what we have to.”
A shot rings out through the silent crowd. We all jump, turning to see the tiny figure walking through the crowd.
Elle, her eyes bloodshot, tears streaming down her face, but looking completely empty and calm, walks across the field of bodies, carrying a rifle.
My eyes widen, and I look back.
Cora hangs limp between Ian and Smith. Blood seeps down the front of her shirt. Her hair hangs around her face, absolutely still.
“You don’t abandon the people you love.” Elle’s voice comes out very small and quiet in such a vast space. But her words pierce into the hearts of everyone around her.
Slowly, Ian lowers Cora to the ground, his eyes cold and distant as he takes in her lifeless face.
I blink once, the world moving very slow. Very quiet.
It’s over.
This war that has been raging for nearly eleven months. The one that caused so much pain. That ended so many innocent lives. The one I went to prison for.
It’s done.
“I thought this was going to be more of a fight, the way you talked.”
I turn to see Noriko walking up behind me. She has one small spray of blood across her cheek, stretching to her nose, but other than that, she looks perfectly put together and clean.
I don’t have any words for a long moment. Too high of a high, and then too low.
“Thank you,” I finally manage. My tongue feels too thick, my throat too dry to speak. “We would have died had you not shown up at just the right moment.”
She shrugs. “We would have been here sooner, but this tiny town isn’t the easiest to find on a map.”
I feel like I should smile. But not here. Not amongst so much blood and so many bodies.
“You were right, though,” she continues. “This would have spread. It would have gotten worse. Already, there is talk from the other Houses. The Bitten are realizing things are never going to change for them. This would have been the spark that started the wildfire.”
“Thank you for your help,” I say quietly.
She nods her head, and I look away to see her warriors already stacking up the bodies, creating a pile in the middle of the field. Obasi carries a container of gas from the barn, and a minute later, they set flame to the bodies.
“Sam!” Christian yells. The look on his face is stricken. Terrified. He walks among the bodies, searching. “Samuel!”
I hear a groan not ten feet away from me. A body rolls to the side, and someone very weakly raises themselves up on their forearms. Noriko pulls her sword out, but the mop of messy hair makes me still.
“Wait!” I yell, holding up a hand and rushing to their side. I squat beside him, brushing away the mud and blood that coats his face. “Cameron!” I pull him into my arms.
“Ah!” he hisses in pain. “Watch the chopper marks.”
He does indeed have a nice trail of them stretching from his arm, down his side.
“Sam?”
I hear Christian whisper across the field. And the tone of his voice.
Everything in me falls.
Christian sinks to his knees, gathering up a body into his chest. Sobs rip out of his chest, violent and unbridled. “Sam!”
Tears once more spring into my eyes, my lower lip trembling.
Samuel. My friend. The frat boy who was so loyal and devoted. Christian’s brother. Gone.
And I look to the side to see Nial, kneeling among the bodies a way off. A fragile, chocolate-colored hand rests in his lap, covered in blood.
“Lillian,” I whisper as a fissure opens up in my heart.
My first ally. Mother to this House. My friend.
Chills run through my body, so cold. Too violent.
“Hold on to the ones you love tonight,” Noriko says, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, her expression sorrowful. “Take them home. My people will take care of this mess. We will leave when it is done.”
I nod, numbness taking me over. My feet feeling like lead, I head back toward Ian. He stands ten feet away from his mother’s body, holding his sister in his arms, who sobs. Great big desperate cries. His eyes are unfocused, staring off into the distance. The rifle lies at their feet.
“Let’s go home,” I say through my constricted throat as Henry comes to my side, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s take our own home.”
Nobody moves at first. It’s as if we’re frozen, glued to the ground with the blood of the fallen.
But the last rays of twilight sink behind the trees, casting us in darkness. With another sob, Christian lifts his brother’s body up into his arms. Nial picks up Lillian. And I see May scoop down to pick Rowan up from across the field.
Three. We lost three of our family members today.
“Let’s go home,” Ian whispers to Elle. And slowly, in stiff movements, they walk to my side. Leaving Cora Daphne Ward where she lies, alone, on the front steps.
SO MUCH LOVE AND SO much care is given in preparing the ones we love to be put to rest.
As usual, Rath takes care of things. He has some people come out the very next morning and build five new tombs. All lined up with my mother and Elijah. And Henry’s empty one.
But through the night, we take care of our fallen.
Cleaning their bodies. Dressing them with care. Running through so many memories. Thinking of lost futures.
Tears stream down my face without ceasing.
No one says a word.
Some of us watch from the ballroom windows as the crew builds the tombs. With every brick they lay, the ache in my chest grows more profound.
Just after dusk, when the workers have left, a procession carries five bodies from the house.
Holland. Francesca. Rowan. Samuel. Lillian.
One by one, we slide them into their final resting place. One by one, they are sealed away for forever.
Obasi left last night after he helped the House of Himura clean up the bodies, having completed his mission. Now, only fifteen people stand before five new tombs, each of us at a loss for words. Each of us sharing so much pain.
Someday, I will offer every one of my House members the opportunity to take the cure for vampirism. But for now, we have to keep its existence a secret. We have to let it fly under the radar, until that day comes to end our King.
I can only pray that until that day, we do not lose any more family members because of the danger that comes with being our species.
“I haven’t known all of you for long,” Leigh says, tucking a lock of her black hair behind her ear. “But even though it hasn’t been long, the love here is real. This shouldn’t have happened. I will miss them. All of them.”
“You know, even though Francesca betrayed us,” Lexington speaks up, his throat tight, “she was still a good person. Being what we are…” he trails off, his throat thickenin
g. “It means we’re always going to be a part of some kind of twisted games and politics. We fall. Things happen that we don’t always get over. But this…” he shakes his head. “This didn’t need to be this way. You will be missed. All of you.”
Tears roll down my face. Elle comes up to my side, clinging hard to me. Ian comes up to my side, wrapping his arms around the both of us.
“The Kask family was never perfect.” It shocks me when it is Henry who speaks up. “But their father was a good man. A good leader. While I never knew his sons well, I can only thank the both of you for how you have helped my daughter. I thank all of you. From the bottom of my heart.” He addresses those who rest before us.
I look to Christian. He stands with his hands folded in front of him, his face pale and sickly. Anna stands beside him, her arm looped through one of his, her head resting on his shoulder in support.
And Nial. His eyes are distant, his expression hollow.
Things were developing between him and Lillian. They found something in each other that had been missing for a long time. And now, it has been ripped away. Cut too short.
“I’ve hated you all forever.” It’s Trinity who speaks up. “I can’t say I completely blame Cora Ward for what she did.” This earns her more than a few red-eyed stares, but she rushes forward. “Because it doesn’t all seem fair, you know? That things aren’t even. That there are all these divisions: Bitten, Born, Royal. I hate the idea of someone being elevated over another.”
Her eyes rise up to meet mine, and I think I finally understand, at least a little bit, why she has seemed to hate me all this time.
“But I knew I couldn’t survive on my own,” Trinity continues. Emotion makes her throat thick, her words constrained. “So, I attached because I didn’t feel like I had a choice. But this…” She shakes her head, emotion choking her off temporarily. “This is the real deal. When Lillian walked away from what we were, and even worse, when Samuel left, too, I could see it as nothing but a betrayal. But they saw it first. What good really looks like. Thank you for showing me.”
The tears roll faster and harder down my face with her words. Because they’re real and genuine. And so hard won.
Everyone is quiet for a long time. I sense that they are waiting for words from me. But I feel as if I’m drowning, so mournful for my friends. My family.
Francesca—who did betray us. But only because she too had been hurt. She who was given away. Were things different, she had so much potential.
Holland—who I never even got the chance to get to know, but reminded me so much of the girl I hug to my side.
Rowan—forced to Resurrect as just a boy by a deranged member of the King’s court. He was never given a chance to have a real life.
Samuel—who was always my friend. Who I trusted with my life. Who can never be replaced in my heart.
And Lillian—my first ally. My friend. My helping hand. A mother to those who needed her. A tender gem in such a hard world.
None of them can ever be replaced. Not in a thousand immortal lifetimes.
“I love you all,” I finally croak out around the tears that slide down my face. “You were my family in my darkest hours. You gave me the confidence I needed to do what had to be done. You supported me. You will be missed by each of us, throughout our immortal lives. Rest in peace.”
I STAND OUTSIDE, IN THE full light of day, unaffected by the bright afternoon sun. I watch the construction crew, not really taking in the details, not really feeling much of anything.
The workers are adding onto the House. They’re filling in the gap between the ballroom and the garage with more bedrooms. It’s weeks later, but I still can’t overcome the feelings of unease and paranoia. We were separated. So much could have happened. Bad things could have become so much worse because we weren’t together.
Maybe I’m going overboard. Maybe they will begin to feel smothered. But I’m keeping my House all under one roof.
All fifteen of us.
Two Royals.
Eleven Born.
One human.
And one hybrid.
A bead of sweat makes its way down my back, reminding me that it is indeed the middle of July here in Mississippi. It’s hot. Those poor workers have sweat running down their faces, drenching their clothes.
My enhanced body doesn’t react the same as theirs, but I remember well my first August in Silent Bend.
“Are you ready?”
I turn to find Ian and Henry watching me from the veranda. They’re both dressed nice, watching me with expectation.
I smile at the sight of them. My father and my future husband. I nod, and the three of us head to the garage.
We take the Jeep, down the drive, and then into town.
The legend of Henry Conrath has been so astounding, so deeply rooted. Associated with so much fear. But we’ve been changing that, along with the reputation of the House and the vampires in general.
We cleaned up town. The feeling of doom is gone. There have been no more attacks. And Silent Bend finally feels safe. With the help of select citizens of our town, it’s being made known that it was our doing that made it so.
With the aid of Henry’s lens implantation in the eyes of everyone who wanted them, we now walk freely through the day. We are contributing members of society. Engrained. Somewhat accepted.
Some of the House members hold jobs. Cameron is ridiculously happy working at the local Mexican fast food restaurant. Leigh, I learned, had just passed the bar when she Resurrected. She’s working with a local attorney. And shockingly, Trinity went back to high school to get her diploma. She only attends two classes a day, the rest is done online, because most parents are terrified to know she walks among their children. But it’s a start.
Henry pulls up to the restaurant, parking in front of the doors. Ian scrambles out from the backseat, opening my door for me, before slipping his hand into mine. Together, the three of us walk into The Catfish, one of only two sit-down restaurants in Silent Bend.
The hostess seats us at a booth near the back of the building, eying Henry with great wariness.
“Thank you for coming out with us,” Ian says, acting nervous and unsure. I set my hand on his knee under the table and he covers it with his own hand. His ring sits upon my finger, a constant reminder of the love that ties us together.
“Why do you seem so nervous, Ian?” Henry says with a hint of a smile on his lips as he takes a drink from the glass the waitress sets in front of him.
“‘Cause, well, last time I asked this question, I was told no,” Ian chuckles.
Henry does actually smile. It’s a small thing. Reserved and subtle. But it’s a smile. “Well, what could you expect? I couldn’t have my daughter going off and marrying someone I didn’t know.”
Ian looks over at me, and a slew of memories pass between us.
In the month and a half since the battle of the Bitten, things have been calm. We’ve taken time to recover, to recharge our batteries. And it’s given us the perfect opportunity to get to know one another. Henry and I. Henry and Ian. Hours spent together, just talking. Learning small details and little secrets.
We’re becoming a family. One simple day at a time.
“I hope you feel that has changed,” Ian says, looking back at Henry.
My father doesn’t respond right away. He studies my fiancé for a long moment, before his eyes flick to mine. “Once I found out about my daughter’s existence, I tried to gain some kind of connection to it. I observed her, learned about her needs and her abilities. Alivia is fire and brilliance.”
His eyes burn into mine, and I find all of my emotions surging. After over twenty years of never knowing who my father was, here he is. We’re together.
“Sometimes when fire and fire meet one another,” Henry looks back at Ian, “it just destroys everything. It burns too hot, causing destruction and pain to everything around it. And eventually, both those flames extinguish one another.”
My hear
t races. Because it’s an accurate description. When Ian and I first met, we were both hot flames, each fighting the other, but so desperately trying to exist together. But in the end, all we caused was pain.
“But sometimes,” Henry says, reaching across the table and taking one of my hands in his. He reaches again, taking Ian’s other hand, as well. “Those flames make each other burn brighter.” He looks from Ian to me. “Giving light to those who stand by them.”
Henry studies me, and I can’t fight the smile that breaks onto my face. The love I’ve come to have for this man in such a short amount of time is astounding. And it’s all there in his eyes. He loves me. Father and daughter.
“Henry,” Ian says, bringing me back into this tender moment. “May I please have your permission to marry your daughter?”
My father’s eyes flick from my face to Ian’s. He takes a moment to respond. But slowly, a small smile pulls his lips. “I wouldn’t wish anyone else to marry her. Ian Ward, you have my permission.”
The smile that breaks onto my face could blind the world. And a triumphant one is on Ian’s own face as he turns to me, pulling me to him to claim a kiss.
“Alright, alright!” Henry says, mock disgust in his tone. “That’s enough of that!”
“Dad!” I laugh, leaning my head on Ian’s shoulder. “I know you’re far more mature than that.”
He chuckles, winking at me.
“So does this mean we have the all clear to go ahead with next week’s plans?” Ian asks, looking between Henry and me.
“What are you waiting for?” he says.
I glance once more at my father, before looking up at the love of my life with a smile. “Let’s get married, Ian Ward.”
A KNOCK SOUNDS ON MY bedroom door and I smile as I stare up at the ceiling. “Come in.”
The door does not squeak, despite its age, as it swings open. Through the last of the dark, just minutes before dawn breaks, bare feet pad over the wooden floor, over to my bed. I look over, even though I don’t need to.
Ian kneels on the edge of the bed, crawling up toward me.