stood still, panting, anger oozing from her pores.
After a brief hesitation, Roman slowly nodded.
“Let me reason with you, Roman. Let me tell you why this had to happen.”
He nodded again, crossing his arms over his chest and turning to face her squarely. A soft breeze blew past them, picking her hair up and toying with it.
She walked away from him, closer to the edge of the cliff, and let the wind cool her flushed face.
“I have always been with you, Roman,” she started, her voice just above a whisper. “The day you lost your parents, I watched you mourn, and I mourned your grief. I felt the pain in your heart!”
Her voice grew louder as she recalled the memories. She turned to face him. “You cared so much for them. You wanted to bring them back, but you believed it impossible,” she stopped and took in a deep, refreshing breath, trying to collect her thoughts.
“I followed you that night to your aunt’s house in Bleu, crouching behind buildings and crates. You never noticed me. I followed you closely and tried to listen to your soul through your mind. I received nothing, Roman.”
He looked at her puzzled. “But I thought you were a great witch/vampire—one of the infamous Combined, the strongest race of them all,” he said, drawing the word “strongest” out sarcastically.
Ignoring his rude intrusion, she continued her story. “You had successfully cloaked your mind from intruders. I was actually challenged by your ability. No mortal has ever left me with no sense of feeling other than their mourning. But you did.”
“That was years ago,” he mumbled.
“Yes, it was, but I have been with you since then, and I will remain close to you until it is time for me to leave.”
She moved up to him, taking hold of his arms, looking up into his face.
“Roman, I want to help you reunite with your lost love. The power you possess now will make that possible. I was your steed for years and you never knew it. I will remain by your side now, for however long it takes, to assist you in fulfilling your destiny and at that time, she, too, will be given the blood-kiss. And Roman, she will accept. Believe me, she will.”
“But how could you possibly say that?” He wiggled from her grasp. “How could you know she will live again, and if she does, how will she come to know me again? Who is to say that—”
“Hush, now, darling. You must trust me. With the powers of Lillith rendered in my soul, I have faith in the reunion and the outcome. It is our Goddess who has chosen you for reasons I cannot explain now. I was merely her apostle. Please, just let me guide you, let me love you, and when it is time for my absence, so mote it be.”
“Lillith chose me?”
Devendra didn’t answer, she just put her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. He accepted, enveloping her in his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said to her softly.
“I know you are.”
“But I don’t understand why—”
“We must go now and rest. I am so tired,” she interjected, avoiding his remark. “There is a cave back in the trees that goes down into the ground. Go there and find shelter; you will be safe and I will follow in a few minutes.”
Letting it go, Roman rubbed her back before releasing his hold on her. He turned to leave, without looking back into her sorrowful face. He disappeared into the density of trees, found the cave, and disappeared.
Devendra turned back to the cliff and closed her eyes, letting the first rays of sunlight caress her face, warming it with kisses.
Please, beloved Lillith, bring Alexandria back into this realm. Prove to Roman the powers of the Vrykolakas, the powers beyond any mortal understanding. He is ready to fulfill his destiny; the Combined must survive!
“Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings
of devotion and longing.”
–Xun Zi
Nineteen
Roman lay on the Earth of the cave thinking of Alexandria. So many images raced through his mind.
After a brief hesitation, Roman slowly nodded.
“Let me reason with you, Roman. Let me tell you why this had to happen.”
He nodded again, crossing his arms over his chest and turning to face her squarely. A soft breeze blew past them, picking her hair up and toying with it.
She walked away from him, closer to the edge of the cliff, and let the wind cool her flushed face.
“I have always been with you, Roman,” she started, her voice just above a whisper. “The day you lost your parents, I watched you mourn, and I mourned your grief. I felt the pain in your heart!”
Her voice grew louder as she recalled the memories. She turned to face him. “You cared so much for them. You wanted to bring them back, but you believed it impossible,” she stopped and took in a deep, refreshing breath, trying to collect her thoughts.
“I followed you that night to your aunt’s house in Bleu, crouching behind buildings and crates. You never noticed me. I followed you closely and tried to listen to your soul through your mind. I received nothing, Roman.”
He looked at her puzzled. “But I thought you were a great witch/vampire—one of the infamous Combined, the strongest race of them all,” he said, drawing the word “strongest” out sarcastically.
Ignoring his rude intrusion, she continued her story. “You had successfully cloaked your mind from intruders. I was actually challenged by your ability. No mortal has ever left me with no sense of feeling other than their mourning. But you did.”
“That was years ago,” he mumbled.
“Yes, it was, but I have been with you since then, and I will remain close to you until it is time for me to leave.”
She moved up to him, taking hold of his arms, looking up into his face.
“Roman, I want to help you reunite with your lost love. The power you possess now will make that possible. I was your steed for years and you never knew it. I will remain by your side now, for however long it takes, to assist you in fulfilling your destiny and at that time, she, too, will be given the blood-kiss. And Roman, she will accept. Believe me, she will.”
“But how could you possibly say that?” He wiggled from her grasp. “How could you know she will live again, and if she does, how will she come to know me again? Who is to say that—”
“Hush, now, darling. You must trust me. With the powers of Lillith rendered in my soul, I have faith in the reunion and the outcome. It is our Goddess who has chosen you for reasons I cannot explain now. I was merely her apostle. Please, just let me guide you, let me love you, and when it is time for my absence, so mote it be.”
“Lillith chose me?”
Devendra didn’t answer, she just put her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. He accepted, enveloping her in his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said to her softly.
“I know you are.”
“But I don’t understand why—”
“We must go now and rest. I am so tired,” she interjected, avoiding his remark. “There is a cave back in the trees that goes down into the ground. Go there and find shelter; you will be safe and I will follow in a few minutes.”
Letting it go, Roman rubbed her back before releasing his hold on her. He turned to leave, without looking back into her sorrowful face. He disappeared into the density of trees, found the cave, and disappeared.
Devendra turned back to the cliff and closed her eyes, letting the first rays of sunlight caress her face, warming it with kisses.
Please, beloved Lillith, bring Alexandria back into this realm. Prove to Roman the powers of the Vrykolakas, the powers beyond any mortal understanding. He is ready to fulfill his destiny; the Combined must survive!
“Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings
of devotion and longing.”
–Xun Zi
Nineteen
Roman lay on the Earth of the cave thinking of Alexandria. So many images raced through his mind.
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