“Did he–” I paused, trying to catch my breath. “Did he know about you this whole time?”
Tony laughed painfully. “No. William, not to mention the entire shift community, would have killed me if I started blabbing about our existence to a human. I knew the only way you’d keep the cat was if Josh were the one that gave him to you. When I heard he was coming to see you, I left him a message that I’d found a cat but couldn’t keep it. I told him that you’d probably take it and that he should give it to you as a gift. It worked, didn’t it?”
I went silent, taking a deep breath. My hands trembled at my sides. It seemed like so long ago, right after William took me out of isolation. It was the first time I’d seen Josh in over a year. The first time I’d smiled since Alec had left – since I’d lost everything. I didn’t think Tony realized how much his furry presence meant to me those five long years. Many times, that cat was the only thing that kept me going.
“She’s awake!” Jade shouted, opening the wooden door further.
“Oh, thank God,” Alec said, releasing a weighted breath. He rushed to my side, sitting next to me on the bed and running his hands over my forehead and cheeks to make sure there was no fever.
“I washed your clothes for you,” Jade said, smirking. “After all, I know how much you love this outfit. Wouldn’t want you to lose it.”
I glowered at her, clutching the clothes to my chest. “Thanks,” I sneered.
“The color’s finally coming back,” Annie pointed. She smiled at me, patting the back of my hand. Her eyes found mine. I’m sorry, Zoë. I’m so sorry for you.
Alec peeled back the sheets and his hands brushed the remaining stitches off of my skin. “Almost completely healed. Finally,” he sighed, “I was so worried about you. What happened to you out there, Zoë? Why didn’t you heal? You could have died! What were you thinking?”
“Leave her be,” William said, saving me from having to answer. “She still needs her rest. She has lost a lot of blood and our bodies are not accustomed to such things. It will take some time to replenish itself.”
I clenched my jaw, locking eyes with him as he stood in the large doorway. He alone knew the truth. He would always know what really happened that day, just as it happened with Adele so many years ago
William would always know that I gave up.
–
Tony was up and moving before I was, but he never strayed too far from the medical chamber. From time to time, he’d come into the room and tell me to get out of bed and stretch my legs. I didn’t see the point. The woman, Joy – who I’d learned was actually a shift – came in to change Tony’s bandages for him from time to time. She giggled girlishly as he flirted with her, a permanent blush on her pale cheeks.
I lay on my side on the uncomfortable bed, staring out the closed window, waiting for the sun to come back out. It never did. I sat up as a hard knock came to the outside of the door. Someone walked into the room. Alec. He was at my bedside in an instant.
Alec pulled something from his pocket and placed it in the palm of my hand. There was nothing there. He cupped his large hand over mine and, when he pulled away, an orchid remained.
I gasped, overwhelmed with emotion. The intoxicating scent traveled to my nose and I forgot to breathe. “How did you – how could you possibly have found…”
Alec smiled. He straightened out my hair and tucked the beautiful white flower behind my ear. “You are beautiful,” he purred. He picked up my hand and placed a gentle kiss in the center of my palm. His breath was hot. It sent shivers down my spine.
“You’re not so bad yourself, dude,” Tony snickered.
Alec shot him a warning look and Tony held his hands up defensively.
“Don’t worry. I’m leaving, I’m leaving,” he said, exiting the room. His laughter echoed throughout the narrow corridor as he disappeared from sight.
“Zoë,” Alec started.
“I’ll marry you,” I said, interrupting him. My eyes stayed glued to my hands as I fidgeted with the crisp white sheet that pooled around my waist.
Alec stared at me for a moment, lifting my chin with strong fingers so he could see my eyes. “You’re sure?”
“Yes,” I said, without skipping a beat.
Alec was a good man. I could settle for second best. He was nowhere near as warm as Josh, and his hands not nearly as soft. His lips didn’t taste as sweet and his body didn’t bring mine to life in the same ways. But, Alec loved me and I was almost sure that I loved him. We were of the same kind, created for one another. I felt bad, though. My heart would never belong to him. It didn’t belong to anyone, not any more. That is, if I ever had a heart at all.
He didn’t hesitate for a second. Alec wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his hard chest, his lips meeting mine. They moved with such love, such passion. “I love you,” he murmured into the corner of my mouth. “From here until forever.”
“From here until forever,” I echoed.
Alec picked me up out of the bed and set me on my feet. “Come on,” he said, holding his hand out to me. “William said he needed to speak with you about something. He said it was urgent.”
“Is there anything that isn’t urgent with William?” I asked, placing my hand in his.
Alec lifted the sword high above his head, panting heavily. Something moved through the trees in front of him. His hands tightened around the sword’s hilt and he growled.
“You can’t have her,” he screamed. “She doesn’t belong to you. You will not control her anymore!”
Alec charged into the darkness, his blade coming down hard and fast.
Stumbling back onto the bed, I tore my hand from Alec’s.
“Zoë, what is it?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, trying to catch my breath. I looked down at my hand. It still tingled. “I-I’m not sure,” I breathed.
“I know that face.” Alec wrapped his large hands around my neck, his fingers threading into my tangled hair. “A vision. What did you see? Is it the General? Is he coming back?”
I shook my head slowly.
“Then what?”
“I don’t think it was of something to come,” I said, staring onto his rich golden eyes. “I think it was something that already happened.”
He paused. “What did you see?”
“You were attacking something,” I started. “You were telling it that it couldn’t have me.” Just when I was getting the hang of the visions, there was a curveball. It was different from the usual visions. I wasn’t actually a part of what was happening. It was as if I was a fly on the wall, like I was looking into someone’s personal memories. I was seeing into the past.
“The Sythen,” Alec said with a nod. “The one whose blood poisoned your body. Has this happened to you before?” Alec asked.
“No,” I whispered, crawling into his arms. I was grateful that that was all I saw. I didn’t want to see Josh die. I’d already seen it enough times in my head. It’d stay with me forever, haunting my dreams.
“Maybe it is the medication they gave you, or the blood loss. You’re weak and your gift is probably not at its strongest.” Alec patted my cheek, kissing me quickly. He flashed me a smile and I tried to reciprocate. I failed, of course.
“Let me know if it happens again,” he told me, kissing me once more, twice more. It was like his lips were magnetized to mine. “But,” he continued, “I’m sure it was nothing.”
“You’re probably right,” I said. Was he? I nodded anyway.
Alec took a step back, extending his hand to me a second time. I hesitated before taking it. He pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm, his lips lingering on my skin. “I will love you forever, Zoë. This I promise you.”
–
Alec led me through the castle and out the gates. Tony wasn’t kidding when he said that we’d lost a lot of people. I scanned the small crowd as they worked to put the pieces of their broken lives back together again. From the looks of
it, we went from nearly five hundred down to fifteen vampires, seven shifters and ten humans, five of which were children. The six Chosen made it thirty-eight. A small part of me was surprised that even that many had survived.
A burly man stormed back and forth, barking orders at what was left of our people. In many ways, he reminded me of Markus. I thought I’d seen them together a few times, but I couldn’t be sure. There were so many people at one time. It used to be hard to keep them all straight. That wasn’t a problem anymore.
There were a few of familiar faces in the group. Joy was still tagging around any man without a shirt on. She reminded me of Cindy, but no one could ever fill those five hundred dollar shoes. Scott, against all odds, had somehow managed to survive his injuries. He hovered around Jade like a lost puppy, helping move the last of the bodies. She kept shooing him away, telling him to go rest somewhere, but he was a persistent one. Geoffrey was also still alive, always William’s loyal assistant. He was a wise man, far too wise to succumb to death.
I was doing everything in my power not to breathe. The air smelt like death and tasted like despair, neither of which were something I found pleasing. “Have they buried Josh?” I asked absently, my eyes lingering on the massive cemetery on the far side of the kingdom.
“Zoë,” Alec said cautiously, running his hands over my shoulders. “There was nothing left to bury. I’m sorry,” he continued, a sadness in his voice. “I know how much he meant to you.”
I wondered how hard Alec had tried to save Josh – if he’d even tried at all. It was no secret that jealousy consumed him. I shook the thought from my mind. No, he knew how much Josh meant to me. He would have done everything in his power to save him. Alec was a good man. He loved me.
“Zoë,” William called out to me, shooing Alec away as he approached. “I am glad to see you finally on your feet. I have something to give to you. Please, follow me.”
He didn’t give me a chance to speak. William turned gracefully and headed for the stables. I trailed closely after him, curious as to what he might have found. He started rummaging through one of the boxes leaning against the stable doors until he gripped the sword and yanked it free. Torchlight reflected in its polished blade.
I retreated a step. “Josh’s sword?” I breathed.
William nodded. “The sword of King Arthur. It falls to you now, Zoë.”
He placed it in my outstretched hand, my fingers shaking as I clutched it to my chest. “Thank you,” I whispered, bowing my head to him.
The blade weighed heavy on my heart. It was the only physical memory I had left of Josh. There was nothing else, not even a photograph to bring back his face. I feared that, as the years passed, time would erase him from my mind. I vowed then and there that I’d never allow that to happen. Never.
I grabbed one of the horses from the stable and mounted her bare back. Her mane was like silk between my fingers. I dug my heels into her and she headed for the trees. A few of the human survivors were camped out in front of the forest. They were discussing everything they’d miss from the old world. Lattes and French fries, tropical vacations and holidays. Those things were just that – things. They seemed so insignificant now.
I’d miss far more important things, like people. The familiar faces of my old life. I’d miss the annoying ramblings of Cindy as she ogled a man in a department store. The way drool would collect at the corner of her mouth when she spotted the perfect pair of heels. I’d even miss her unending obsession with Josh and Tony.
But, above all else, I’d miss Josh. I’d miss him until the day I died. Which, no thanks to William, wasn’t coming any time soon. I’d miss Josh for everything he was and everything he could have been. As the man who awakened every sensation in my body with a single kiss. The way his lips danced with mine, moving together in perfect harmony. It would stay with me forever, and forever was a long time.
A twinge shot through my chest and I wondered if the pain would ever fade. I knew it wouldn’t.
The horse trotted across open fields and toward the large stone formation. Snow blanketed the entire land, soft flakes collecting on the tops of each stone. They floated down to the Earth, dancing in the wind. I thought I saw Josh standing in the center of the formation. I didn’t, of course.
I slid off of the horse, as we drew closer, patting her strong chest. I strolled past the stones, heading for the center without hesitation. A wave of energy washed over me and dissipated.
I kneeled in front of the middle stone, running my fingertips over its rough surface, dusting away a thin blanket of snow. I rested my forehead against it. Josh’s scent still lingered in the air. I knew that was impossible but, God, I missed him.
“I loved you, very much.”
I unsheathed Josh’s sword and held it high above my head. The blade moved swiftly, plunging deep into the large center stone. My trembling hands clung to the sword’s hilt as I rested my forehead on top of it. An icy breeze blew about me, sending chills down my spine.
William was right. Life would have been easier if I wasn’t so attached.
A day wouldn’t go by that I didn’t think about Josh. I’d carry the memories of him with me for all of eternity, carving his name into my heart. The “what ifs” consumed me; thoughts of what could have and should have been. I’d never know now.
Leather boots treaded through the thick snow behind me. I knew those footsteps. William stopped five feet away from me. He didn’t speak.
“How does it feel?” I asked him.
“How does what feel, Zoë?”
“How does it feel to be wrong?”
“I am sure I do not know what you are talking about.” William finally said, taking another step forward. The snow crunched under his boots.
“The visions,” I started, rising to my feet and turning to face him, “you said that they always came true – no matter what.”
William stared at me for a while, his eyes more distant that usual. “Yes.”
“Well then, I guess the Great William was finally wrong,” I continued. I turned my back to him, staring at the blanket of snow that was forming around the sword’s blade. “Josh is dead and now this vision will never come to pass.”
“Are you certain of that?”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I give thanks to God for blessing me with a dream and giving me the strength to push through the many sleepless nights it took to achieve it. I'd also like to thank my friends and family for putting up with my writing mood swings and for never giving up on me. Words cannot express how much I love you.
A special thanks to Levi Montgomery and my beta readers for their endless advice and guidance, without which, Until Dawn: Last Light would still be just words on a piece of paper. And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank my readers and all those who have fallen in love with Zoë and her story. Your unending support means the world to me. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Nicole Simas is the author of the acclaimed series, Until Dawn. Her love and passion for writing began when she was just old enough to hold a pen. With a number of poetry publications under her belt, she decided it was time to dive into the world of fiction. Until Dawn: Last Light is Jennifer's first full-length novel.
Look for more from Jennifer Nicole Simas in 2012, including the second book of the Until Dawn series, Into the Dark. "It is what you do when you get there that matters most..."
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