“They too wish to stay here. That’s why I selected them. Like me, they no longer feel at home with our own kind. That includes my brother, who is now with Corrine,” Ibrahim said calmly.
More silence.
Then the Ageless said, “Very well. I’ll return alone and wipe out the gates behind me.” She placed a hand on Ibrahim’s shoulder. “I just hope, cousin, that you won’t live to regret this decision.”
“I won’t,” Ibrahim said, not flinching for a second. The Ageless was about to turn away when Ibrahim continued, “Before you leave, you need to restore Corrine’s powers—powers that you unjustly took from her.”
Before the Ageless could respond, Ibrahim began muttering under his breath and two figures appeared in the room next to him: a tall dark-haired man who strikingly resembled Ibrahim, and Corrine, carrying in her arms a small bundle.
The Ageless nodded. Ibrahim took Rose from Corrine and held the baby while she went and stood directly in front of the Ageless.
The Ageless raised both of her hands in the air and turned her palms toward Corrine. Rays of light shot out of them and hit Corrine, whose whole body jolted back as if hit by electricity. Then the Ageless lowered her hands and said, “Now, I really must leave.”
She looked around the room, her eyes lingering on Ibrahim and finally on me. She lingered long enough for me to detect a hint of regret in her cold irises, similar to that which I had noticed back at the beach hut.
And then, without another word, she vanished.
I ran over to Ibrahim as soon as she’d gone and scooped up my beautiful baby daughter.
“Aiden!” I said, excitement rising in my chest. He was still resting on the ground, holding Ben. The look of sheer ecstasy in his eyes when I handed Rose to him so that he was now holding not one, but two, grandchildren in his arms made my heart sing.
“You’ve just made an old man very, very happy, Derek,” he choked.
I realized that this was the first time Rose and Ben had met outside of Sofia’s womb. Aiden held them close so that they could face each other. Rose reached out a small hand and touched Ben’s nose, her face filled with wide-eyed wonder. A small smile spread from the corners of Ben’s lips across his face as he too extended a hand which brushed against Rose’s chin.
“I can only hope they grow up to be as close as you are to Vivienne, Derek,” Sofia said with tears once again welling in her eyes. She put her hands on my shoulders and drew me in for a passionate kiss.
Vivienne.
Despite the joy I was experiencing, I tensed against Sofia’s touch. A surge of guilt hit me, guilt that I should be experiencing such happiness when I knew how intensely Vivienne was suffering.
“So… now what, Derek?” Sofia looked up at me. She seemed to have noticed that she’d touched a raw spot.
“I say it’s time we all go home.”
Chapter 39: Sofia
If ever The Shade had felt like home, it was now. As we walked away from where Ibrahim and Corrine had made us appear near the temple, Aiden still held Rose and Derek cradled Ben. I looked around at my family, finally all in one place.
We went on a short tour of the island, passing by the remains of the Vale, and then moving toward the Residences. My heart broke when I saw all the beautiful tree houses had now been destroyed—Derek’s included—their remains scattered on the forest floor.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, Ibrahim,” Corrine said, looking around the place.
“It’s nothing we can’t handle. I’m sure we can restore this island to its original state within a few days. Remember, we have a team of witches here to help us.” Ibrahim smiled at her, his arm around her waist as we walked.
“But this time,” I said, “we must build proper homes for the humans on the ground. No more stuffing them all into those tiny holes you call rooms in the Catacombs.”
“Agreed,” Derek said.
“I still think it’s a good idea to keep the vampires and humans separated,” Kyle said. “Humans on the ground, vampires up in the trees.”
“Especially because the time has come for us to finally enforce a ban on human blood,” I said. “From now on, all vampires must follow my and Vivienne’s example of drinking animal blood.”
“Hear, hear!” Ian clapped his hands.
“Well, they’re not going to like that,” Derek said. “But I agree that we’ve come too far to go back to our old ways here. It’s a very different kingdom we now have the opportunity to build.”
“We’ll gather the witches and get to work tidying this place up,” Ibrahim said. “By now they should have finished healing the sick.”
We continued walking to the clearing outside the Black Heights where we had left all the wounded humans and vampires. Sure enough, there was barely anyone lying on the ground. Most had dispersed to whatever remained of their respective homes, I assumed.
Ibrahim and Corrine joined the crowd of witches and they all huddled together and began talking.
“Sofia!” two familiar voices called out to me.
I whirled around to see Ashley and Abby running toward me. My heart melted to see that—thanks to the witches—the spark had returned in Abby’s blue eyes, although she was still very much a vampire, as I was.
Abby jumped into my arms and wrapped her legs around me, nuzzling her face against my neck.
“Thank God you’re all right,” Ashley said. “None of us had any idea where you had gone. Vivienne’s been worrying herself senseless.”
“Vivienne? Where is she?” Derek asked.
“I’m not sure. I last saw her about four hours ago. She must be around the island somewhere,” Ashley replied.
“Sofia,” Derek said, “take Ben. I’m going to look for my sister.”
“Where’s Ben?” Abby said suddenly, as Derek handed the baby to me and walked back toward the woods.
I knelt down to Abby’s level and showed her Ben.
“Here, Abby, this is my son. We named him after your brother,” I said, stroking her hair with one hand.
“Ohhh… so you and Mr. Derek made a baby?” Abby looked up at me in wonderment.
“Yes, darling.” I smiled, kissing her head. “We made two babies actually.” I stood up and caught her hand, walking her over to Aiden. “See? This is my other baby, Rose. She’s a girl, and this one’s a boy.”
“Oh my…” Abby’s mouth hung open as she stared at the two identical babies as though they were aliens from another planet. Then, after a few moments’ thought, she seemed to reconsider.
“That’s gross, Sofia. Because this means that you and Mr. Derek…”
Her voice trailed off and I was thankfully spared whatever embarrassment she was about to subject me to in front of my father. She had taken a look at Aiden. She let out a high-pitched scream.
“Oh! What happened to your dad, Sofia?”
Aiden chuckled as he met Abby’s eyes. “I could ask the same of you, little vampire.”
“You look like a bird!”
Aiden nodded and stretched out his wings for her.
“Whoa.” Abby took a few steps back. “That’s so cool. How come you got to be a bird and I didn’t?”
“I think being a vampire is better,” Aiden said. “You don’t get stuck with an ugly beak face.”
Abby giggled at that and nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be a Beak Face.”
I took her hand before she could ask more questions and walked her back toward Ashley. Ashley was smiling, but I knew that seeing me with children was a bittersweet experience. She must have been thinking of the family she could have one day had with Sam.
“Hey!” Zinnia’s voice sounded out from across the open space. She jogged toward us, Gavin by her side.
“Sweet Jesus, what happened?” Gavin said on seeing the two babies and Aiden as a Hawk.
I recounted the details of our adventure to them as they listened in awe. After I’d finished, Zinnia went up to Aiden and gave him a hug.
??
?I’m glad you’re back, sir.” She grinned. “I missed you.”
“I guess I missed you too, kiddo.” He smiled.
“Um… Sofia?” Gavin’s voice now took on a serious tone. “I hope you don’t mind, but we held a funeral ceremony while you were gone. All the bereaved families, we needed to do something for them to help soothe their pain. And we didn’t want to wait around, what with all the bodies…”
It cut me to the core that I hadn’t been there for it. I thought of all the innocent lives lost at the hands of the Elders, people Derek and I were duty-bound to give protection to. I thought of the immunes those evil spirits had managed to sneak through to Cruor already, lives we could never reclaim.
I thought of Sam.
And I thought of Xavier.
I knelt down on the ground and said a prayer, holding a small ceremony of my own for them.
Chapter 40: Vivienne
A gust of sea wind blew against my face, drying the tears and making my eyes sting.
I sat on a high mountain plateau overlooking the most magnificent view of the island. The waves crashing against the shore and the gentle swaying of the redwoods seemed to dance to some kind of untold rhythm.
Peace.
That was what this was. A peace was settling over the ravaged island, slowly drawing its inhabitants back to comfort. Inviting them back to the routine of daily life.
I had a choice whether to let it draw me in too, or whether to continue stirring up the storm within me and cling on to dreams of an impossible future.
I shifted on the ground, moving closer to where I remembered last sitting with Xavier the night he was possessed. I touched the grass next to me, hoping to feel the shape of Xavier’s body molded there.
Then I stood up and walked over to the edge of the cliff. And I wondered if, had I not been such a fool and instead given myself to Xavier years before, he would have been stronger in resisting the Elders. I wondered whether my constant resistance had weakened his spirit and resolve to live.
There are some cliffs that are just too late to jump from, Vivienne.
I sat down and dangled my legs off of the edge of the mountain. Then I lay back and gazed up at the stars.
I replayed in my head those last few words we’d exchanged that fateful night, as I’d already done a hundred times since.
“You said you’d wait until I’m ready.”
“And I’d do that, Vivienne. You know I would, but…”
But…
“What were you going to say, Xavier?” I whispered out loud, looking up at the stars, hoping his spirit was somehow watching over me. “But… you just wanted to hear it from me? You just wanted to hear me say those three simple words?”
Tears began to stream more heavily down my face.
“Well, I’ll say them now to you, Xavier… my love. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” I felt like a crazy person repeating the words over and over again. I’d started in a whisper but soon worked myself up into a frenzy, bellowing against the harsh wind.
“I LOVE YOU, XAVIER!” I screamed until my voice cracked. I broke down, my body utterly exhausted and racked with sobs.
“I love you too.”
The smooth baritone voice I ached to hear.
I smiled, my eyes still closed. Is this what happens when you cherish a memory of someone so much—you start to hear their voice in your head? Then I will cherish you forever, my love, to continue hearing that sweet voice of yours…
“I love you, Vivienne.”
There it was again.
I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes, expecting to take in the beauty of the stars. And while I beheld their beauty, my eyes were met with so much more.
The face of my beloved, staring down at me, a smile etched on his lips. The unshaven face of that beautiful dark-haired man I craved with every fiber of my being.
I reached up, expecting my hand to pass right through the apparition.
“Ouch, Vivienne. That was my eye.”
Now you’ve done it, Vivienne. You’ve gone mad. You’ve truly gone mad.
I sat up and looked at the ghost of Xavier. I extended my hand once again, this time aiming for his cheek. It was rough with stubble. I brushed my fingers over his lips. They were soft and moist. I wondered what would happen if I kissed them. Whether I would be able to feel his lips against mine, or whether he might vanish before I could experience such a pleasure.
I didn’t need to wait long to find out. Strong arms enveloped my waist and pulled me against him. And then came his kiss. Gentle at first, his lips brushing against the corners of mine, tracing the outline of my mouth, and then increasing in intensity until I was absorbed in his taste.
As I breathed in his scent, tears fell afresh from my eyes. Delirious tears of ecstasy.
“I love you, Xavier… I-I wanted to t-tell you…”
“I know. I know,” he whispered into my ear, cupping my face with his large hands. “And, um, I’d be surprised if there’s a single person on this island who doesn’t know after that…”
“Just kiss me.”
Chapter 41: Derek
My search for my sister had led me to the side of the island where the submarines were moored. I suspected that perhaps she had retreated into one of them for some peace and quiet. So when I uncovered Xavier’s unconscious form lying beneath a bench in one of the old, dilapidated vessels, I almost jumped out of my skin.
At first I believed him to be dead. His body was more wrecked than Sofia’s had been when we rescued her, his skin covered with yellow patches, so dry that pieces of it had already flaked off onto the floor.
But when I bent down and placed my ear to his chest, and could just about make out a heartbeat, I was lent at least a small scrap of hope.
I heaved him over my shoulder and sprinted back toward the Port with as much speed as my legs could muster.
“Ibrahim! Ibrahim!” I yelled as I ran through the woods.
Eventually I passed the spot where they were working on the renovations and the warlock came hurrying toward me.
I laid Xavier’s body down on the dirt path and Ibrahim bent over him.
“Corrine!” he shouted. “I’m going to need your help with this one.”
“Good grief,” Corrine murmured, taking in Xavier’s appearance.
“Please!” I gasped, falling to my knees. “Just tell me you can save him. Just say the words, I beg of you!”
But neither of them said anything to me. I closed my eyes. It was too painful to watch them struggle to save him. I just wanted to open my eyes again once they’d fixed him.
I heard Corrine calling more witches over to assist them. More than twenty minutes must have passed, with half a dozen witches muttering chants at the same time. The hope I had for his survival was slipping away from me by the second.
But then I reminded myself, I know my friend. And I know that he’s a survivor. So half an hour later, when he came to and sat up, part of me wasn’t surprised.
He looked around with a bewildered expression on his face. I rushed to him and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Thank heavens,” I whispered. “How the hell did you end up in that submarine?”
“I-I…” He rubbed his eyes as if trying to clear his mind. “I crawled. My Elder left me for Sofia… it left me lying inside the temple. Somehow, I managed to crawl there undetected.”
As soon as he had regained enough balance to stand on his own two feet, he asked anxiously, “Where’s Vivienne?”
“She’s alive and on the island. I was just looking for her, in fact.”
And then he sped off into the darkness of the woods without another word. Trusting that Xavier would find Vivienne soon enough, I was eager to return to Sofia, to my new family.
She was where I had left her, in the clearing outside the Cells. She sat in a circle with Aiden, Ashley and Abby. Kyle, Ian and Anna also sat nearby along with two other couples; Cameron and
Liana, and Gavin and Zinnia.
I’d noted Yuri and Claudia’s absence ever since we’d arrived back on the island. Though I didn’t need to put much thought into where they might be. Although our new Residences weren’t ready yet, I knew that any enclosed area would be more than suitable for their needs.
On seeing me approach, Abby shrieked with laughter. “Hello, Mr. Derek! I know what you and Sofia did…”
“Tell me, Miss Abby. What did we do?” Although I spoke to Abby, I looked at Sofia, a suggestive smile forming on my lips.
“You gave each other babies!” She pointed to the twins who were both resting in Aiden’s arms.
Sofia giggled and her face flushed, not quite as bright as it would have if she were still a human, but exceptionally bright for a vampire.
“Huh, really? Is that what happened now?” I sat down next to Sofia and pulled her between my legs, snaking my arms around her waist and holding her tight against my chest. “And is there anything wrong with that, Miss Abby?”
Sofia gripped my knee, begging me to stop encouraging Abby in front of everyone.
“Well, that depends how you did it, Mister. Did you pray to angels or”—Abby winked—“did you kiss her belly button?”
Everyone in the group roared with laughter.
“Oh dear, I kissed her belly button. Am I in trouble with you, Miss Abby?”
“Yes!” she squealed, wagging a finger at me. “Because that’s the gross one!”
“Oh dear, dear, dear,” I muttered, just loud enough for Sofia to hear. “Because I might just want to kiss her belly button again.”
Sofia shushed me, still giggling. I pressed my lips against the back of her cold neck and stood up, lifting her up with me. I held her hand and said to the others, “We’ll see you in a bit.”
Then I walked her over to a quiet spot in the woods, away from the construction sounds of wood clanking and glass chinking. I led her to a tree and pressed her against it. I caught her lips with mine and kissed her, tasting her coldness in my mouth.
“And now?” I looked down into her eyes, a serious expression falling over my face. “How will I ever kiss your lovely belly button again?”