Epilogue
Much to Corvus' consternation, I insisted on getting my car which was parked further away than all the others. Cyd seemed unwilling to let Corvus out of her sight, despite his protests that he was quite healed, so she came along with us and I was surprised, but pleased, that Amelia wanted to come too. I couldn’t believe the change in her, or perhaps Rodney had been right and she had been this way all along. The bitch persona was just that … a façade that you needed to get past in order to find the real person.
We eventually found the car and clambered wearily in. Corvus deigned to drive the old heap after a bit of muttering and I sat beside him in front with Cyd and Amelia in the back. For once all three vampires did not look too much at odds with the battered interior of my car. Astro curled up on Amelia’s lap, grumbling slightly every time the car lurched over a pothole.
I felt strangely calm after the fight. Tacitus was gone, and all the ones I loved and cared about were still alive. Not that my problems were over by any means. I still had Hekatê to deal with for starters. I had a really bad feeling about what was going to be said when she discovered I'd used the key. Maybe she already knew. The idea sent a shiver down my spine and I pushed it away. I’d had enough of death and pain and fear. For the moment all I was looking forward to was a hot shower to wash off the stench of dead vampire.
I wondered if Corvus was anxious about me being hurt or something as he kept glancing at me with an expression of concern, so I smiled to reassure him and leaned forwards to turn the radio on.
I recognised the song immediately. It was the Dead Beat, playing, “Beyond the Grave,” one of their biggest hits. Johnny Blonde’s deep, husky voice filled the car with its haunting melody. I absent mindedly tapped my fingers to the drumbeat until the song finished and the voice of the radio presenter took over.
I was just watching the countryside pass by when the meaning of his words filtered through. I stared at the radio, wondering if I’d heard correctly and turned the volume up.
“And so the decision of the courts is final, Johnny Blonde will have his life support disconnected later tonight. Friends and fans alike have gathered outside the hospital to stage a candlelight vigil in his honour.”
“Amelia!” I shrieked, pointing at the radio and bouncing in my seat.
“I know,” she sobbed, “it’s so sad.”
I was so excited I could hardly get the words out.
“No, no… Amelia!” I turned around in my seat to look at her. “Rodney!” I yelled, as she stared at me in astonishment “I mean, there’s a body … free, available … for Rodney!”
“Oh?” she said, and then I watched her eyes widen as the penny dropped. “Oh!” she shrieked. “Corvus! Rodney … we have to … quickly!” she garbled incomprehensibly. In her excitement, Amelia also seemed to have lost the ability to speak. She had grabbed Corvus by the shoulders and was shaking him in agitation.
“All right, all right … I’m sorting it!” he said frantically. A few anxiety filled moments later and Corvus had arranged for a helicopter to be waiting at the Château to fly Amelia to London.
Corvus put his foot down, all the while muttering darkly and making rude remarks about my car as we roared into the Château car park with gravel flying in all directions. In the field below a sleek black helicopter was waiting for Amelia. She jumped out of the car before we had come to a halt and ran into the house to get Rodney.
I grabbed hold of Corvus' hand. “Will she be there in time?” I asked, praying this was going to work.
Corvus nodded, smiling at me. “Yes she’ll get there,” he said. “The rest is up to Amelia.”
Regarding the determined look on Amelia’s face as she exited the Château carrying Rodney’s cage, I didn’t think that would be an issue. I smiled at her, while scratching absently at my wrists. They’d been bothering me ever since we left the caves. I bent down and gave my ankles a rake over with my nails too. I wondered if maybe Rodney or Astro had fleas and pulled up my shirt sleeves to look for bite marks.
What I saw was unbelievable.
Amelia ran up to us to say goodbye and saw what was holding my attention. “Oh Jéhenne!” she shrieked, looking at me in wonder. “Oh my goodness! I had no idea, oh how wonderful. Corvus, congra….” Amelia’s words died in her throat as she noticed his stony face.
“What?” I asked, pulling up my trouser legs and finding them in the same condition. “What’s going on? What does it mean?”
Amelia looked from Corvus to me and back again, swallowing nervously. “Umm, I’ve really got to go now. Let’s chat when I get home, OK?” she said with an over bright smile and pulled me into a hug.
“Good luck, Amelia.” I hugged her back glaring at Corvus over her shoulder. He looked shifty. “Bring Rodney back safe.”
She grinned, “Don’t you worry about a thing, he’ll be home before you know it.”
We waved until the helicopter was out of sight and I looked again at my wrists. They were tattooed with delicate black feathers that moved gently, as if they were blowing in a breeze. My ankles had a matching set.
I raised my eyebrows at the furtive looking vampire in front of me. He was avoiding my eyes. “Well?” I held my wrists out to him.
He cleared his throat. “Perhaps we could go inside first?”
“Here’s fine,” I said as my heart began to thud with anxiety. I folded my arms. “I’m waiting.”
He sighed and shook his head. “You have to understand, Jéhenne, I didn’t have any choice. Tacitus wanted you dead.”
My eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God!” I wailed. “I’m a vampire!”
“No!” he exclaimed, holding onto my arms and giving me a shake. “No, I didn’t, you’re not … I promise.”
I blinked at him, too shocked to believe it. “B--but they move, like yours do.”
“That’s because we’re connected now.” Corvus moved closer and put his hands on my shoulders, looking down at me.
“Connected how?” I asked, remembering the silver threads I’d seen tying us together when I’d been in spirit form.
He took a breath. “Well, I guess the closest thing you would understand is that we are,” he hesitated and I was sure my heart stopped beating. “Jéhenne, we're married.”
“Married?” My voice sounded kind of funny and I felt like I might pass out. I swallowed and waited for my heart to start beating again. I wasn't sure if it had or not. “No”, I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “No,” I repeated helplessly. “That’s not possible. I mean I’d know if I’d got married, right?” I demanded. “There’d have been a dress, a party … I’d have been asked!” I was beginning to sound slightly hysterical, but I didn’t think there was much I could do about it. I felt hysterical.
Corvus raked his hand through his hair, he actually looked nervous. “Like I said, Jéhenne, it was all I could do. I couldn’t let you die … but I had to stop your heart. You had to be dead, at least temporarily … so …. now we are joined together.”
I took a breath and tried to think about it rationally. OK, so I was married. Was that so bad? I looked at the gorgeous man in front of me and knew that I loved him. I didn't want to be married at nineteen but was it the end of the world? Probably not but ... stupidly I wanted to be married because he'd asked me, not because it was the only way he could keep me alive.
“Corvus, you know I love you and I want to be with you, but I’m only nineteen. We’re just getting to know each other. Could you just ...” I waved my hand not knowing how to say it without hurting him. I frowned. “Look let's just give it a year or two at least and then ... we can do it properly,” I said, feeling that was only fair. I didn't want our wedding anniversary to be a constant reminder of this particular day after all.
I looked at him and his face kind of shuttered up, I knew I was hurting him, but really I didn't think it was that big a deal to wait a bit and do it properly.
“Corvus?”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, r
efusing to look at me.
“I can’t,” he said, his voice cool.
“Can’t?”
He shook his head, his arms crossed and I felt my heart sink at the stubborn look on his face. “We are joined now, you are a part of me, of my blood. There is no going back.”
I took a breath not liking the underlying meaning behind his words. “Joined? How ... until when? What does it mean?” I asked and my heart was thumping as I had a feeling I knew the answer already.
He shrugged, not looking at me. “Until one of dies.”
“Umm, Corvus, you’re immortal,” I pointed out as my heart made a bid to escape my ribcage.
He nodded.
Crap.
“I think ... I need a moment,” I murmured.
Rather unsteadily, I walked away from him and headed into the Château, running up to the apartment and slamming the door behind me. Cyd was already there, pouring a drink. She took one look at my face and picked up another glass. Pouring out a generous measure she handed it to me and I took it with a trembling hand.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, honey,” she said. “Or maybe several thousand,” she quipped, smirking.
“It’s not that.” I sat down heavily on the sofa.
She frowned at me, clearly anxious as to what knew drama was about to explode around me. “What now?” she demanded with a resigned tone.
I rolled up my sleeves to show her.
“Holy shit!” She grabbed hold of my arms and examined them. “I’ve heard about this, but I’ve never seen it before … I wasn’t even sure it could really happen. I can’t believe he did that.” She looked at me in astonishment, blinking. I could see tears in her eyes.
“What do you know about it, Cyd?” I asked.
She sat down beside me with a thud, looking at the tattoos in awe.
“Well,” she said, her voice soft. “It was said that if the blood was freely given and certain rituals observed.” She looked up and I nodded. “Well, that you could be joined as life mates, but wait …” She pulled my shirt collar open. “There’s not one around your neck,” she said, frowning. “Oh!” She chuckled and leant back against the sofa.
“What? What now?” I had learnt before that Cyd’s sense of humour was somewhat different from mine.
“Well, the ritual isn’t actually completed,” she said, waggling her eyebrows expressively. “You are not actually joined until the final ... act.” She smirked.
I frowned at her. I knew exactly what she was saying but I wanted to hear her say it to be sure. “Tell me,” I demanded.
She sighed and then rolled her eyes at me. “Well, honey, what usually happens on your wedding night?”
I felt the tattoos burn against my skin. “So you mean to say if we ever … if we ever sleep together, we’re bound for all eternity,” I said, looking at the tattoos with an unfavourable expression.
“Not only that,” she said enthusiastically. “But if one of you is ever unfaithful … Let’s say for example that you did the dirty on Corvus. He’d get tattoos on his wrists as too, he’d know right away what you’d done and it would hurt like hell.”
I felt the weight of this information as it pressed down on me, like it was crushing the air from my lungs.
“So you mean that would be it … it would be me and him until the end of time, unless one of us dies?” The knowledge seemed to great to take in. The weight of responsibility that I would be enough for him. That he would always love me and me alone. It seemed too unlikely to be true.
Cyd looked at me. “Jéhenne you know you’re in love with him, would an eternity together really be so awful?”
I laughed bitterly. “I do love him and I do want to be with him more than anything but this ...” I felt my voice stutter with fear at the enormity of what I would be committing to. “I would have liked a choice, Cyd, a chance to decide. I want to be with him because it’s what I want, not because I have to”, I said helplessly, willing her to understand. “I would have liked to get to know him, to have lived with possibilities, whether I took them or not.”
Cyd got up and walked over to the window, she seemed to be thinking. “I did hear something once,” she said and then hesitated. “I don’t know if it’s true, Jéhenne, but I did hear a story about someone who broke the connection before the ceremony had been completed, but I’ve no idea how.”
I leapt at the possibility. “But you heard it, right? I mean, there’s a chance?”
“I guess so.” She shrugged and downed the rest of her drink. Her gaze was on me, her expression one of concern. “Be careful what you wish for Jéhenne, he loves you.”
Her words rang in my head and then Cyd went out and left me alone with my thoughts. I wished I could go and leave them behind too, they whirled in my head like demented wasps. Just when I thought my life might be getting simpler the rules changed again. Right on cue, Corvus came in.
He paused for a moment in the doorway before walking over and taking my hands, pulling me to my feet. “You’re angry?”
I sighed and rested my head on his chest. “Not angry,” I said, feeling lost once again in a world I was only just beginning to understand.
“But not happy either.”
I shrugged. There was little point in lying to a vampire. “No.”
“I had no choice,” he repeated, his voice full of hurt male pride. “We are bound, you must accept it.”
I felt a rush of annoyance at his tone. “It’s not just that though it it, Corvus? I took your blood! You could control me now … couldn’t you?” I demanded, terrified by the very idea of it.
He looked back at me, his blue eyes watchful. “You know I would never do that.”
“Wouldn’t you?” I asked him, holding his gaze. “Can you promise me? If you thought I was in danger, if I was doing something dangerous or foolish that you didn't agree with, you wouldn’t be tempted to stop me?”
I could almost feel the argument going on in his head. He wanted to promise me, but he knew he couldn’t.
“That’s what I thought.” I said bitterly.
He tilted my head up to look at him. “I’m not sorry,” he said, his voice fierce, those blue eyes blazing with defiance.
“And when were you going to tell me the next bit … that the ritual isn’t finished yet?” I looked up at him, the accusation clear in my eyes. I couldn’t help but wonder if he would have told me at all.
He shrugged as though it was of little importance. “What does it matter now? We can finally be together. There’s no more Tacitus, you know now that you were Jéhnina and that I have always loved you … that we were going to be married.” He said it all so coolly, as though it was a done deal. As though I shouldn't worry my little head about it.
“What does it matter?” I repeated as my temper ramped up a notch. “Corvus if you’d have asked me to get engaged I’d have said not yet, that it was too soon. How do you think I feel about knowing my future is tied up until the end of time?” I pulled away from him. I could never think clearly when he was too close. He could persuade me that black was white if I gave him the chance.
“So you’re still running from me,” he snarled in fury. I watched as he turned away from me and felt my heart twist as I saw the unhappiness in his face. The anger was just a front. He was hurt.
“Oh, Corvus I don't want to!” I exclaimed in frustration. “Earlier I was thinking exactly what you just said, that Tacitus was gone, that finally we could be together without our past lives getting in the way.” I threw up my hands. “Oh no, that would be too bloody simple! Now it’s the future screwing me over!”
We stared at each other and it seemed we'd run out of things to say. I was utterly exhausted, but simply too wired to sleep.
“I’m going for a shower,” I said. Corvus just nodded silently and watched me go.
When I came back Corvus had cleaned himself up too and put the TV on. We didn't talk about it anymore thought the tension seemed to vibrate between us. We b
oth did our best to ignore it and vegged out watching rubbish, or at least the bits I could catch as he channel hopped. I was just about to doze off when he landed on Sky news, where one of their reporters was getting very excited. I grabbed Corvus by the arm and he laughed out loud.
“She did it!” I yelled.
Suddenly our problems didn’t seem quite so terrible and I wiped away the tears of happiness that were streaking down my face as I listened to the shocked reporter.
“Incredible scenes here tonight .... The doctors are at a complete loss to explain it. Apparently there was absolutely no brain function ...”
The glamorous anchor-woman also seemed to be struggling with the story. “…and he simply checked himself out?”
“That seems to be the case yes. Quite extraordinary. Some bizarre occurrences also, apparently when he woke up he had a strong south London accent whereas he was born and raised in Scotland! Doctors think it may be a side effect of the coma. There are also rumours of an investigation into the cleanliness of the hospital after a dead squirrel was found underneath his hospital bed!”
“Good heavens! And did Mr. Blonde have anything to say when he discharged himself?” Asked the bemused anchor-woman.
“Well, yes Kay, and that is somewhat strange as well. He said, and I quote, ‘I told her I was tough as old boots!’”
Corvus and I were killing ourselves laughing as he turned the TV of.
“Oh, I’m so glad he’s all right,” I said, wiping my eyes on my sleeve.
“Yes, thanks to you, Jéhenne,” Corvus said, his voice full of warmth. I shook my head to protest but he stopped me, “Because of you,” he repeated. “And Jéhenne, we will be all right too, I promise.”
I smiled and kissed him, and then caught a whiff of my hair.
“Yuck,” I said with a grimace of disgust. “I still smell of dead vampire.”
“Well, I didn’t like to say.” He wrinkled his nose.
I huffed and pretended to go off in a strop but I couldn’t deny that I felt much happier than I had earlier. After all, what was one more impossible problem to deal with?
Once I’d showered again, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked into my bedroom to get dressed. As I did I noticed Astro sitting on my bed. When he saw me, he discretely turned his back and looked away. I frowned. There was just something … something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. There had been a moment earlier on when I was sure … but no that was barmy. On the other hand, my life was completely nuts on a day to day basis, so deciding I had nothing to lose I threw the transformation spell that Inés had told me earlier towards the startled looking cat.
To my horror, the air around him seemed to blur and suddenly where there had once been a cat, there was now a naked man.
I’m not sure which one of us screamed the loudest, but he grabbed hold of one of the big fluffy cushions on the bed to cover his modesty. In all honesty he had a lot to be modest about. He was very well built, although his body was covered with scars and strange looking tattoos. Not vampire tats that moved, but more like ancient symbols, some of which I recognised as being runes, whilst others I thought were spells. He would have been extremely handsome once but a ragged scar crossed his eye, pulling the skin down and making him look like someone you did not want to meet in a dark alley. His red-gold hair glinted in the lamp light as he backed up against the wall. I blinked in alarm as I made the connection. Astro was the mad wizard.
“Er, Jéhenne - I can explain!” he said, holding out a hand to placate me before I threw another spell at him.
“Well, I'd get on with it if I were you,” I advised. “Because there is going to be one seriously pissed off vampire in here any second now.”
He glared at the door and threw a spell to bar the way.
I shrugged. “Impressive. But the only reason I don’t fry you myself is because you fought so amazingly tonight.”
He shrugged, looking awkward. “I was glad to help.”
“Why?” I demanded.
“That’s why I’m here, Jéhenne,” he said, green eyes flashing. “To help you.”
“To help me?” I echoed in surprise. Before I had time to question him anymore, there was an almighty crash and glass flew in all directions as Corvus hurled himself through the window and grabbed the man by the throat.
“Jéhenne, would you like to explain to me why there is a naked man in your room and the door is barred with a spell?” he growled, his tone one of pure fury. “I advise you to make it quick if you want your friend here to live!”
“He’s not my friend!” I retorted, feeling aggrieved. “And I didn’t put the spell up, it was him, it’s Astro ... he’s a shape-shifter.”
All of a sudden there was a blinding flash and Corvus dropped the man with a roar of pain.
“I’m not a shape-shifter!” the equally furious man yelled in utter disgust. “I’m Jéhenne’s brother!”
I laughed in astonishment. “That’s a pretty poor explanation as I don’t actually have a brother.” I looked to Corvus to see how this sorry excuse had gone down but he was looking intently at the stranger.
“Not in this lifetime perhaps, Jéhenne,” Corvus said, his voice cool.
The stranger smiled, though it was a rather terrifying expression. “Hello, Corvus, it’s been a long time.”
“Jed?” Corvus queried
“I've not been Jed for a very long time,” he said, something in his tone that I couldn't read. I’m Cain now.”
“You’re Cain?” Corvus said, in disbelief. He looked at the man and shook his head. “How is that possible?” he asked, obviously shocked.
“Would someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?” I shouted. It had been one hell of a night and my patience - not to mention my ability to take on anymore incredible information - was stretched to breaking point.
Cain stared at me and I looked back into green eyes that were so much like my own. “I’m your brother, Jéhenne.”
“You said that already,” I replied, feeling as though my grip on the universe was slipping once again. “It still doesn’t make any sense. Jéhnina may have had a brother but that was nearly two thousand years ago … and he wasn’t a wizard!” I glared him, shaking my head. “It’s just not possible, the power doesn’t follow the male line.”
“Mage, not wizard,” he said a little stiffly as he grabbed a throw from the bed and tied it around his waist. “And no, it doesn’t normally follow the male line, but something happened when you died . I can't explain it anymore than you can but the power came to me.”
I looked to Corvus in amazement, needing him to confirm or deny the fact that this insanity was real. “You really know him?”
Corvus nodded. Though he looked deeply unhappy about it. “Yes, Jéhenne, he is your brother. He’s also a deadly assassin, a wanted man whose name is infamous throughout the supernatural community. Everyone knows his name. He's a death sentence waiting to strike.” He looked at Cain with obvious distrust and if what he'd just said was true I didn't blame him. Though somehow a psychopathic killer in the family wasn't a big surprise to me. He stalked around Cain, never taking his eyes off him. “So tell me, Cain, what is it you want with Jéhenne?” he spoke softly, but the menace was unmistakable.
“I’m here to help her,” he said, his voice just as dangerous as Corvus'. The two men circled each other and I felt my blood pressure rise at the obvious tension in the room.
Corvus snorted. “You’ve never helped anyone but yourself,” he sneered.
But I couldn't now take my eyes off Cain. I could see he was everything that Corvus had said. He was utterly deadly. The kind of man you did not want to be on the wrong side off. Yet Astro had stayed with me, the mad wizard in the caves had been on my side. I felt an ache in my heart as I saw the implacable look in his eyes as he faced Corvus with no fear. “You’re my brother?” I whispered. As the idea began to sink in, I remembered the little boy who I'd played hide and seek with - and who was s
o afraid of the Roman soldier who stole a glance at me. He paused and looked away from Corvus and his eyes met mine. He nodded, and I took in the fiery red hair and the vivid green of his eyes.
“Oh!” I felt a lump in my throat … I had a brother.
He smiled and the glitter in his eyes confirmed that this was emotional for him too. Corvus narrowed his eyes at him. He was clearly having trouble with Cain’s explanation.
“Jéhenne, I don’t want to upset you or spoil the moment, but he is not to be trusted. I don’t believe for a moment that he is here for your good.”
Cain turned on Corvus with a rage that was only too familiar to me “I have done nothing but look out for Jéhenne! In fact I looked after her when you weren’t around, vampire!” he said in fury.
I looked at my new brother critically. Everything about him spoke of a warrior, from the scars he bore to the cold steel in his eyes.
“Well, I’m here now, Cain, so you can be on your way,” Corvus said, his voice like ice.
Cain shook his head, turning to me. “Jéhenne,” he said urgently. “You must listen to me! A few years after you died I saw the Sibyl.”
“Sibyl?” I repeated in confusion.
“The greatest clairvoyant that ever lived,” he said impatiently. “She told me that you would live again, that you would have great power, but that the day would come when you would be alone and need my help … my protection.” I looked at him in alarm as he continued with the prophecy. “There is great danger coming, Jéhenne, coming for you,” he said, his voice fierce. “And you are not ready to face it. You need to learn how to use your powers so you are prepared.” I swallowed hard and remembered the powerful male voice that had taunted me in the Underworld, the scent of spices and decadence - the vast power behind the door in a white palace. I shivered with fear.
Corvus saw my reaction and growled, stepped towards Cain with clear intent. “You may be powerful, mage, but so am I, and I assure you I have no intention of ever leaving her alone ever again.” He grabbed Cain by the throat and slammed him against the wall. “Which begs the question, if Jéhenne is alone and she needs you to protect her in the future… where the hell am I and what did you do to bring it about?”
Cain sneered at him, those cold green eyes flashing with menace. “I don't know, Corvus, but it wasn't by my hand. All I know is the Sibyl said she would be alone and unprotected and I would be the one who prepared her for what she was facing. So, vampire, you tell me ...”
To be continued…in The Heart of Arima. Available now.