by Marie Medina
Lane looked close to tears, and Edmund got up and extended his hand. “Come on. You’re not eating anyway.”
Lane took his hand and stood, but he kept his head down. They left the room and roamed the halls without a real destination, and then Edmund stopped at a window overlooking the vegetable garden.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
Lane didn’t answer.
“Must I bite you and make you obey?”
Lane stiffened. “You wouldn’t do that,” he said, though he did eye Edmund briefly.
“I will if I must. You’re too upset about this. There’s more to it.”
Lane moved away and ended up at a balcony door. He exited and went to the railing, crossing his arms and still saying nothing. Edmund came and stood beside him. Nothing but trees surrounded them on this side, and this late at night there wasn’t much to look at in the distance.
“I’m nervous,” Lane said.
“Nervous?”
“Yeah.” Lane looked up at him. “Everyone’s nice, but it’s never mattered before because I was never trying. If I reach out and find I can’t make friends, what’ll I do?”
Edmund blinked, surprised by what Lane had said. “Owen is your friend. Why are you nervous? You’ve known these people for years.”
“But I’m not their friend. Not a part of the community. Not really.”
“You’re lonely. You need someone other than me. Even if Owen came running back to my arms and lived here, you’d still feel the void you do now.”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“It is. You need friends. A lover. Multiple lovers. Life is far too short, Lane.”
Lane uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the railing. “When did we switch roles?”
“When you started moping. I wish you wouldn’t take it so personally.”
“Huh?”
“You think saying you’re lonely or unhappy is an insult to me, but it isn’t. I’m the one making you attend the festival after all.”
“I don’t wish to leave you.”
“Who says you must? I think if you met the right person, you’d begin to think of all the things you’re missing. No one says you have to forget me to have a normal life. The lodge will always be your home.”
Lane ran one hand over the patterns in the stone of the railing. “Perhaps, if Owen did come back, you could do without me.”
“But that is not why you’re going to the village. Are we clear on that? I wanted this for you ages ago. It was selfish of me not to push you more.”
Lane looked startled. “Don’t say that. I’m glad you didn’t try to get rid of me.”
“You know wanting you to be happy isn’t about getting rid of you.”
Lane almost smiled as he shrugged, his passive way of agreeing with Edmund even when he didn’t want to say the words or was embarrassed.
“And you didn’t answer me. You’re going for yourself, not to persuade Owen to return to me. Understand?”
Lane hesitated a bit too long before nodding, but Edmund let it pass. He put his arm around Lane and said, “We’ll both have to be patient and wait when it comes to Owen. If I can do it, so can you.”
“You’re stronger than I am,” Lane said, a smile curving his lips.
“You’re stronger than you think,” Edmund said as he pulled Lane to his side, not feeling very strong at all as he thought about going to bed without Owen that night.
Chapter Five
Owen jumped back onto his horse and made his way to his aunt’s farm as fast as he dared. He’d stopped in at the tavern to ask for directions, only to find out that his aunt was very sick and had been for over a week. He felt guilt seize his heart. If only he’d come right away once he’d healed, he could’ve been there to help her. Perhaps she wouldn’t be sick at all. The tavern owner had said it was a fever, but other patrons had said it was other things. One man said she’d had a fall, while another had said it was something to do with her lungs that afflicted her about once a year or so.
When Owen found the farm, he slid off the horse and quickly tied it up. A young man carrying a bucket came out of the house looking startled as Owen ran up the dirt path from the barn. “I’m Owen, Anita’s nephew. Is this her farm?”
The man nodded, his eyes going wide a moment. He looked to be about fifteen or so, and Owen vaguely remembered mention of someone helping Anita. “Are you Ryan?” Owen asked before the other man could answer.
“Yeah, I am. She mentioned you might be coming but hadn’t said when.” He looked Owen over. “Guess they told you she’s ill?”
Owen nodded. “May I go in? What’s wrong?”
Ryan put down the bucket in his hands. “Of course.” He opened the door and ushered Owen in. “It’s a tumor, actually. She didn’t want the other villagers to know. She’s been put under and cut into before, for the same thing, and she said the recovery was too much. The doctor knows, but he can’t make her submit to surgery.”
Owen had heard enough stories about infections to understand her fear of surgery. “Is the doctor making her comfortable? My mother’s best friend had a tumor on her lungs, and she was in lots of pain at the end.”
“He’s given her tonics with laudanum in them. She takes them sparingly. Afraid of taking too much.” He pointed to the stairs. “I’ll tell her you’re here. She’s usually awake right now.”
Owen nodded. “Thank you.”
Ryan moved upstairs, and Owen could hear them talking quietly. So, he couldn’t have done anything to prevent this, but he still could’ve been here to help her. He looked around and noted that everything was clean and orderly in the house. Ryan came back down soon.
“You can go up and see her. It’s the only door that’s open. I’ll go out and see to your horse. Have you come far?”
“I was staying at Erimoor Lodge. I hurt my ankle over a week ago, and Lane and Edmund helped me.”
“Really? Wow, you’ll have to tell me about that. I see Lane every now and then, but I’ve never met Lord Edmund. Your aunt says he’s very nice.”
“Yes, he’s a very kind man,” Owen said, watching carefully for Ryan’s reaction.
The younger man simply nodded. “I’ll see to the horse. Go on.”
Owen mounted the stairs, glad to see Edmund was right about people not being wary of him. He did see how others might pity the cursed vampire, but perhaps Owen could help them see Edmund differently in time. He knocked gently on the door before entering the room and seeing a woman who looked exactly like his mother but with blonde hair. He couldn’t help his gasp of shock.
His aunt sat up a little straighter in bed and smiled. “You see the resemblance, of course.”
“Yes,” Owen said. He wondered if she’d see his resemblance to his father, but he didn’t dare bring it up. He gestured to a chair. “May I sit?”
“Of course, Owen. You’re welcome to do anything you’d like,” Anita said. She folded her hands in her lap. “You look so much like your father. It’s a little strange.”
“I’m sorry,” Owen said.
She squared her shoulders and sighed, knitting her hands together a bit tighter. “Nothing in the world to be sorry about. I’m just glad you got here when you did.”
Owen looked at the bottles and other things on the table. “Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m feeling decent right now.”
“How bad is it really?” he asked.
“The doctor says I need to have it cut out, but I did that before. Getting better hurt worse. I just can’t imagine going through that again.” She touched her side. “It’s here. I still have quite a scar on my side.” She moved her hand over a little. “I don’t see the point.”
“But you’re still so young.” He knew she was only a bit older than his mother, so she wasn’t quite fifty yet. “Life’s too short as it is.”
“I feel I’ve had a full one, if not an incredibly long one.” She squared her shoulders again. “I
don’t mean to sound gloomy, but your father wasn’t the only man to disappoint me. I’ve always been happiest on my own, just working my farm and enjoying a bit of time with my friends.” She pointed to the door. “Ryan’s the son of a very good friend of mine. They live on the next farm over and help me out.”
“I’m here now, and I can stay as long as you need me. I can help Ryan here.”
“But you have your own life, Owen. I never imagined you staying even when I was healthy.”
He chewed his lower lip. “I know we just met, but you’re family. I never knew my grandparents, and I was lucky to find you. My parents … well, they fought. It was hard at times. But we only had each other, so family’s important. I always knew I was loved, that someone was there for me.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Did you want siblings? We had two older brothers, but they died in military service. It was just me once your mother was gone.”
“I guess I was lonely sometimes. But I liked to read, which led me to storytelling.” He considered whether to tell the next part a moment before going on. “And my birth was, uh, hard. The doctors said more children wouldn’t be possible.”
“Oh. That’s too bad.” She frowned. “Your mother loved children. Couldn’t wait to have them.” Her gaze focused on the blanket over her legs. “Honestly, I don’t know how to talk about your mother. I feel as if she’s a stranger. Sounds so silly to say too bad. It’s tragic. Very sad.”
“Well, I can tell you about her. Or we can talk of other things. I’m not here for the past. I’m here for right now.”
She smiled, eventually, though she definitely looked unwell now. “I’ll think about it. I would like to hear more about your life.” She looked back up. “Did I hear you mention Erimoor? Sound carries a bit. Did you stop there? It’s not visible from the road.”
“Yes, I ended up as a guest by accident. I twisted my ankle, and Lane helped me.”
“Ah. Sweet boy. Bit awkward at times but very sweet. Devoted to Lord Edmund.”
“He doesn’t like his title.”
“Oh, we know. But it’s a hard habit to break. Some vampires are such assholes you have to watch it.” She rubbed her hands together and nodded to the table. “See if the teapot is still warm. I could use some.”
Owen checked and nodded before pouring her a cup and handing it to her. She directed him to the shelf for another clean cup, and then they both sat there cradling their cups in their hands. Anita broke the silence by asking, “Did you have a good time? The lodge is quite impressive, I’m told.”
“Yes, I enjoyed my stay very much. Lane’s great, and I spent a lot of time with Edmund. Getting to know him.” He figured he might as well get it out of the way, even though it would probably make everyone very curious at first. “And I like him. A lot.”
“Yes, he’s very generous.”
Owen saw his meaning hadn’t been understood. “And we’re, uh, sort of an item.”
His aunt’s mouth fell open. After a couple of breaths, she said, “Oh.”
“Just saw no reason to hide it.”
“And you know he’s stuck as he is, right? No changing back.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Good. We get a lot of travelers coming through and asking. The stories they come in with are ridiculous!”
Owen sighed in relief. “I thought for a minute you were going to say I was crazy. Or be disgusted.”
“No, never.” She paused and sipped her tea. “I mean, if it were me, I’d be terrified. Just don’t think I could get used to it, honestly. But he is beautiful, in his way.”
“I think he’s breathtaking,” Owen said softly.
“It’s that far gone, is it?”
Owen shrugged. “Maybe. I was there perhaps a week. We hit it off right away.” He paused. “Well, I was nervous that first night. Felt like an intruder. But he was so gracious. Generous and kind. I couldn’t help liking him. And I do think he’s just … magnificent. I was nervous, but we worked things out.” His face flamed as he realized what he was saying.
His aunt laughed, though she coughed a little afterwards. “Count your blessings. You’ve fallen for someone who would never mistreat you or take you for granted.”
“Why does he not come here more often? Why does he hide?”
“It’s easier. When your parents left, everyone pitied me. I threw myself into chores around the family home to keep away from people. It lessened, in time, but I grew to hate people for a while.”
“I’m sorry. I often wished my parents would contact you. I always knew about you. But I was never brave enough to tell them how I felt.”
“You believe in trying to work things out? I got that sense in your letter.”
“Yes. I do. They felt, I don’t know, trapped by their mistakes. I often felt it was my fault.”
She chuckled, though there was little humor in the sound. “Not like you asked to be conceived.”
“No, but they had to marry because of me.”
“They were told they had to. They could’ve said no.”
No one had ever pointed that out before, and Owen gazed at his aunt a moment. “You’re right, I guess.” He hesitated. “Would your parents have sent her away or something, do you think?”
Anita shrugged. “Maybe. Our mother would’ve been thinking of the baby. They’d likely have let her stay in the end. It was their choice to leave. Our parents didn’t make them. They wanted the marriage to lessen the scandal.” She twisted her cup in her hand. “Didn’t work.”
“In your letters, you hinted at regretting that you never reached out. When Mother died, she said something similar. I didn’t know how to put that in a letter.”
“That stuff is always hard to put into words. I’ve made my peace with it all, dear. Your mother and your father.” She smiled. “I’m just happy to have met you.”
“I’m glad I came.” An idea occurred to Owen. “Edmund gave me his blood to heal my ankle. Couldn’t vampire blood help you?”
She shook her head. “It can’t heal cancerous things like this. Vampire blood can do lots of things, but it couldn’t stop this. And imagine if we all lived hundreds of years! The world would be overrun. It’s a damn fine thing that vampires can have mates the same sex as they are. Gracious, there’d be so many of them otherwise. Lady Christobel is wonderful, but it’s not always the case.”
“Yes, I’ve heard she’s very good to everyone.”
“Do you know her story? You should let her tell you when you go pay your respects. Maybe Edmund could take you.”
“Yes, I’d like for him to do that. I’d never heard any stories about her.”
“The short version is she was kidnapped as a baby and raised in a poor family until she was about five. The father hoped to sell her, apparently. But when she realized she was a vampire, she ran away. There’s much more to it, but she saw what people’s lives are really like. She’s always been generous and not afraid of getting her hands dirty. You really do need to go and introduce yourself.”
“Yes, I’d planned on offering my services.” He studied his aunt. “I’m wearing you out.”
She rubbed one eye. “I’m always tired, but my pain isn’t so bad. The doctor will come this evening, if you want to talk to him.”
“Yes, I do want to. But what can I do for you now? I’m here to work, too, not just visit for a bit.”
She set her cup down and said, “Well, take the tray and dishes down. And check the room across the hall. You can stay there. Fresh sheets are in a cupboard at the end of the hall. Honestly, Ryan is a treasure, so there might not be much to do at all.”
Owen loaded up the tray and stood with it in his hands. “I’ll check with him then. Just don’t hesitate to ask for anything.”
She managed a smile. “Thank you for coming. I’m glad to know you, even if your mother and I never…” She trailed off and sank down into bed. “Thank you.”
He nodded his understanding and pulled the door closed as best he could
while balancing the tray. As much as he missed Owen already, he couldn’t think of himself now. He had a family again, if only for a little while, and that had to come first.
****
Edmund sat at a table in the kitchen eating dinner alone the night after Lane had left. The stubborn man had delayed until the festival’s second day on purpose in hopes of getting Edmund to come with him. Edmund truly did want Lane to have some time away from him, but he also planned on surprising Owen later in the week. When Lane showed up alone, Owen wouldn’t be expecting Edmund to come to the village at all, most likely.
Imagining the look of surprise on Owen’s face made him happy. As much as he missed Owen, thinking of the other man did make him smile. Reliving their days, and nights, together made him hopeful, not sad. He’d expected to be much more dejected, but that feeling had passed shortly after Owen had left. Edmund felt certain he would come back.
And then they could go from there, wherever it led them.
When he felt a pair of sharp little claws digging into his tail, he whipped it around, bringing a startled kitten with it. As much as the tightening of those claws had hurt, he had to laugh as the dazed kitten blinked up at him after detaching itself from his tail. The castle had been overrun with cats all day, as if they knew he was on his own at the moment. He’d mostly finished his dinner so he pushed away from the table and scooped the kitten up. It squeaked at first, but then it began kneading its claws on his vest when he cuddled it close to his heart. It purred and stared up at him with huge green eyes. Based on its markings, he judged it was from one of the most recent litters. He’d often considered taking some of the kittens into the village to be adopted, but he never could make himself do it. If they were here, at least he knew they were being cared for.
Edmund wandered around in the back courtyard with the kitten still in his arms. He wondered what Owen was doing. He hadn’t ever actually met Owen’s aunt, but he knew which farm was hers. It was small but nice, and there would be plenty for an extra pair of hands to do. When the kitten squirmed a bit, he set it down and watched it scamper off to play with a leaf.