sink staring at her feet. She didn’t look up at him when he stood next to her.
“You’re thinking about what he said, aren’t you?” Dhane prodded.
“Of course. He was right, I failed to see everything happening right beneath my nose. Do you really think he’ll come back and help, even if he can?”
“Yes, I do. Xander is a warrior first and foremost, that much is easy to see. Give him a chance to return to the battlefield, fighting against enemies that would see him dead? He’ll jump at the chance, I believe.”
Cassandra pulled another towel off the rack and started drying her hair. While she hoped Dhane was right, there was also fear of what might happen next, who she might help lead to their death.
Dhane reached out and pulled her arms down to get her attention again. There was a smile on his face and sincerity in his voice as he spoke from the heart, determined that his words would get through to her.
“What happened with Rachel and Elisabeth wasn’t your fault. Nobody saw that coming, and nobody could’ve predicted the future. Just because you were the council head doesn’t mean you had some special powers to see what was in their heads and hearts. The only thing you can do is learn from it. You can’t help anyone while you’re trapped inside your own misery.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment and she knew he was right. One way or another, she had to move on. It would take time, but with his help, and Amber’s, maybe she could. If only Xander would forgive her, maybe then she could forgive herself.
“Thank you Dhane. After all this time, and all the lessons I’ve taught you, now you’re the one with all the answers. How did I get this lucky, to have such a great friend?”
“I think it was more than luck. We were meant to be there for each other in our darkest hours. It was the only way we could survive this long. Now we will do this one more time, fighting side by side, together.”
Suddenly, unexpectedly, he put his hand up around her neck and behind her head. Pulling her towards him, he kissed her deeply, passionately. Surprised, she was frozen, unsure what this was all about. When he let go of her neck, her head stayed there, returning his kiss without thinking.
Their lips slowly parted and both them wondered how that hadn’t happened before. Still, it wasn’t leading to anything. They both knew that for sure.
“Sorry,” Dhane smiled, “I just had to know what that felt like just once.”
Without another word, he left. She stood silently in the bathroom, water beginning to drip on the floor from her still-wet hair, and wondered what exactly just happened. It was a tender and passionate kiss, but also felt like a goodbye kiss. It was like one you would give before going off to war, when you knew you probably weren’t coming back.
A chill went through her and she wondered if it was her thoughts or the fact she was wet and mostly naked causing it. She put the thoughts out of her head. They were not useful to anyone. Besides, nothing was going to happen to Dhane; she would make damn sure of that.
25
Samantha jumped when the telephone rang in her motel room . Was it Dhane checking in after talking with Xander already? That seemed unlikely, for so many reasons. Carefully she picked up the receiver and put the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Samantha, this is Jackson,” the gruff voice spouted loudly. “I think I have a lead on Veronica. I’m keeping my distance, so I can’t be sure, but you should check out the old post office down on 5 th Street. Three stories tall, windows all blacked out, and I’m sure the place is crawling with vampires.”
“Can you sense her inside?”
“I sense… something. It’s been so long, I’m not sure if it’s really her or not. You have some muscle to help you, I’m assuming…”
“Yes,
“You’re thinking about what he said, aren’t you?” Dhane prodded.
“Of course. He was right, I failed to see everything happening right beneath my nose. Do you really think he’ll come back and help, even if he can?”
“Yes, I do. Xander is a warrior first and foremost, that much is easy to see. Give him a chance to return to the battlefield, fighting against enemies that would see him dead? He’ll jump at the chance, I believe.”
Cassandra pulled another towel off the rack and started drying her hair. While she hoped Dhane was right, there was also fear of what might happen next, who she might help lead to their death.
Dhane reached out and pulled her arms down to get her attention again. There was a smile on his face and sincerity in his voice as he spoke from the heart, determined that his words would get through to her.
“What happened with Rachel and Elisabeth wasn’t your fault. Nobody saw that coming, and nobody could’ve predicted the future. Just because you were the council head doesn’t mean you had some special powers to see what was in their heads and hearts. The only thing you can do is learn from it. You can’t help anyone while you’re trapped inside your own misery.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment and she knew he was right. One way or another, she had to move on. It would take time, but with his help, and Amber’s, maybe she could. If only Xander would forgive her, maybe then she could forgive herself.
“Thank you Dhane. After all this time, and all the lessons I’ve taught you, now you’re the one with all the answers. How did I get this lucky, to have such a great friend?”
“I think it was more than luck. We were meant to be there for each other in our darkest hours. It was the only way we could survive this long. Now we will do this one more time, fighting side by side, together.”
Suddenly, unexpectedly, he put his hand up around her neck and behind her head. Pulling her towards him, he kissed her deeply, passionately. Surprised, she was frozen, unsure what this was all about. When he let go of her neck, her head stayed there, returning his kiss without thinking.
Their lips slowly parted and both them wondered how that hadn’t happened before. Still, it wasn’t leading to anything. They both knew that for sure.
“Sorry,” Dhane smiled, “I just had to know what that felt like just once.”
Without another word, he left. She stood silently in the bathroom, water beginning to drip on the floor from her still-wet hair, and wondered what exactly just happened. It was a tender and passionate kiss, but also felt like a goodbye kiss. It was like one you would give before going off to war, when you knew you probably weren’t coming back.
A chill went through her and she wondered if it was her thoughts or the fact she was wet and mostly naked causing it. She put the thoughts out of her head. They were not useful to anyone. Besides, nothing was going to happen to Dhane; she would make damn sure of that.
25
Samantha jumped when the telephone rang in her motel room . Was it Dhane checking in after talking with Xander already? That seemed unlikely, for so many reasons. Carefully she picked up the receiver and put the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Samantha, this is Jackson,” the gruff voice spouted loudly. “I think I have a lead on Veronica. I’m keeping my distance, so I can’t be sure, but you should check out the old post office down on 5 th Street. Three stories tall, windows all blacked out, and I’m sure the place is crawling with vampires.”
“Can you sense her inside?”
“I sense… something. It’s been so long, I’m not sure if it’s really her or not. You have some muscle to help you, I’m assuming…”
“Yes,
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