Shadows of Eternity

Chapter Forty

L eia woke abruptly. Momentarily confused, she stared at the ceiling. Funny, she had never noticed that hairline crack in the corner before. Odd that she could see it now, when the room was dark.

And then she remembered. She was a vampire. She had no memory of falling asleep. One minute she’d been talking to Rohan and the next, nothingness. Apparently vampires didn’t dream.

Sitting up, she glanced around the room, looking for Rohan, but he wasn’t there. Of course he wasn’t. Her father would have a fit if she dared share her bed with a man while under his roof.

As soon as she thought about Rohan, she knew he was downstairs with Trent, just as she knew her parents had eaten an early dinner and taken refuge in their room. With a sigh, she wondered if things would ever be remotely normal between herself and her parents again. Would they always look at her with pity and a little fear?

Slipping out of bed, she changed out of her nightgown into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, pulled on her boots, washed her face, combed her hair. She frowned when she brushed her teeth. Where were her fangs? Did they only come out when she was feeding? She certainly hoped so!

Squaring her shoulders, she opened the bedroom door and marched resolutely down the stairs.

Rohan and Trent both looked up when she entered the kitchen—Trent with an odd mix of sadness and curiosity. Rohan smiled at her. “Hungry, love?”

She wanted to deny it, but what was the point. She nodded curtly.

Rohan unfolded from his chair in a fluid movement. “Keep an eye on things, hunter,” he said, before wrapping his arm around Leia’s waist and transporting the two of them out of the house.

In the blink of an eye, Leia found herself at the beach. The water beyond the waves reflected a full, yellow moon. Small fires made little splashes of light along the shore. She wrinkled her nose against the suddenly odious smell of roasting hot dogs and mustard. “What are we doing here?” she asked.

“Getting you something to satisfy your hunger,” he said, taking hold of her hand. “And then I thought we’d make out on the sand like a couple of randy teenagers.”

She laughed in spite of herself. They strolled along the shore for a while. Everything looked different somehow. The moon seemed brighter. The sand seemed to sparkle even in the darkness. Even the air felt different.

Rohan came to a halt as they passed a young couple. Tugging on Leia’s hand, he turned around and followed them. She watched, fascinated, as he called the people to him, then led them into the shadows. “You want him or her?”

“We’re going to … to feed here?”

“No one’s watching and they wouldn’t see anything if they were.”

“Him, of course.” Drinking from the girl just didn’t seem right. Leia let out a startled gasp when she felt an ache in her gums as her fangs lengthened. So, she mused, they only come out when needed.

Expecting to feel repulsed, she bit the man’s neck. She took only a small sip. The blood was warm as it slid over her tongue. Suddenly famished, she took a little more, and then a little more. Never had anything tasted so good! It troubled her that she wasn’t disgusted by what she was doing.

Laying a hand on her shoulder, Rohan said, “Enough.”

Leia licked her lips as Rohan released the couple from his spell.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded, wondering how soon she could feed again.

Rohan caught her hand in his and gave it a squeeze as they continued along the shore. Leia let out a little gasp of pleasure when he drew her into his arms and kissed her.

She leaned into him, frantic for his touch, his kisses. She pulled him down on the sand, her hands all over him in her haste. She stopped abruptly when she reached for his belt. What was she doing? They were on a public beach, for goodness sakes.

“All your senses are heightened now,” Rohan said quietly. “Taste, touch, smell. It’s like living in a new world where everything is enhanced. The air smells different, the world looks different. You feel different inside. Your sense of touch is sharper, as is your vision. It takes a little while to get used to it all. In the meantime,” he said, hoping to lighten the mood, “feel free to touch and taste to your heart’s content.”

She stared at him, too embarrassed by her wanton behavior to speak.

Siting up, he took her in his arms again, one hand stroking softly up and down her back. “You’ll learn to control it,” he said. “Like everything else. I … shit !”

Before she could ask what was wrong, Josiah materialized in front of them.

Rohan swore as he stood. Pulling Leia up with him, he thrust her behind him.

“What do you want?” he asked brusquely.

“That’s a stupid question, even for you,” Josiah retorted. “Now hand her over.”

“Go to hell.”

“After you,” Josiah hissed. Darting forward, he reached around Rohan and grabbed Leia’s arm, let out a harsh cry when she buried her fangs in his shoulder.

Josiah released her immediately, muttered an oath as Rohan sank his fangs into his back. And then he was gone.

Leia stared at Rohan. His eyes were red and angry, his lips stained with Josiah’s blood.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Are you?”

He regarded her through narrowed eyes. And then he grinned. “We make a hell of a team, you and I.”

“We do, don’t we?” she said, linking her arm with his.

“He’s not going to give up. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, But I’m not afraid anymore. Tomorrow’s supposed to be our wedding day,” Leia remarked. “I think we should run away and get married. Oh!” she exclaimed. “I have to call Rosemary and Bonnie and Helen and tell them tomorrow isn’t happening. How could I have forgotten? I hope Rosemary didn’t spend a lot of money on a new dress.”

“Too late to worry about that now. What about your folks?”

“We won’t tell them, or anyone else. It’ll be our secret.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “Maybe I’ll ask Trent to be my best man.”

“I don’t guess it would be a good idea to invite Janae as long as there’s a chance Josiah might show up.”

“Probably not.”

“What if he does show up?”

“We beat him once. We’ll beat him again,” Rohan said with a careless shrug. And then he laughed. “It’ll be the most unusual wedding of the century. A hunter being a vampire’s best man.”

They were walking back the way they’d come when Rohan caught the scent of fresh blood. They found the young couple they had fed on earlier under a pile of seaweed.

“He loved her very much,” Leia murmured. “He proposed to her earlier tonight and she said yes. She was pregnant.”

“How do you know all that?” Rohan asked. He knew it, too, having read the girl’s mind.

“I don’t know. I just do.”

“You’re pretty powerful for a fledgling,” he remarked. “You read his mind while you were feeding without even realizing what you were doing. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because I carry Josiah’s blood and you carry his through mine. I think that’s why you didn’t crave blood the moment you woke up. Why you’ve accepted all of this so well.”

“Why did he kill them?” she asked, her voice tinged with sorrow. Three lives lost for no good reason. Tears stung her eyes as she thought about the baby that would never be born. “Why?” she asked again.

“It’s what he does.”

“You won’t ever let me do that, will you?” she asked, her eyes haunted.

“No, love,” he said, drawing her into the comfort of his arms. “But I doubt you’ll ever want to.”

“It’s so sad,” she murmured. “Shouldn’t we notify the police or something?”

“No. Someone else can do it.”

“I’d hate for a child to find them like that.”

Rohan grunted softly. “You’re right. I’ll give the cops a call when we get back to the house.”

After an anonymous phone call to the police, Rohan joined Trent in the Winchesters’ kitchen. Taking a seat across the table from the hunter, he said, “How would you like to be the best man at my wedding?”

“Are you serious?”

Rohan shrugged. “I don’t see it as a problem unless there’s some kind of hunter code that forbids it.”

Trent snorted. “I’m pretty sure there isn’t. No one would have ever considered the possibility. But what the hell? Count me in. When is it?”

“It was supposed to be tomorrow, but, all things considered, we’ve decided to elope.”

“Janae’s going to be almighty upset when she finds out Leia got married without her.”

“It’s too dangerous for her to be here now.”

“I know.”

Rohan slapped Trent on the shoulder. “We’ll probably get married again when this is all over so Leia’s parents and her brother and Janae can be there.”

Trent blew out a sigh as Rohan left the kitchen. His life hadn’t been this complicated until he met Rohan Stillwater. Before then, he’d been sure all vampires were monsters, merciless killers with no moral values, no thought other than death and destruction. He had to admit Rohan seemed like a decent guy. If things had been different they might have been friends. And then he laughed. Hell, he thought with a wry grin, they were friends.

Leia called the church to cancel the date, took a deep breath, and called Rosemary and the others to let them know the wedding was off. She apologized profusely for the short notice. When that was done, she went upstairs and knocked on her parents’ bedroom door. Her father called for her to come in.

Leia took a deep breath before stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.

Her father was sitting in the big old easy chair in the corner. Her mother was sitting up in bed, pillows at her back, a paperback book in her lap. Fear flickered in her eyes when she saw Leia.

“Is something wrong?” her father asked.

“Everything is wrong,” Leia said. “Why are you two staying in your room? Are you so afraid of me that you can’t face me?”

Her parents shared a glance, then her father said, “Your mother isn’t comfortable having Rohan and that hunter in the house.”

“He hasn’t changed, Mom,” Leia said. “He’s the same man you thought was so wonderful just a few days ago. The same man I intend to marry.”

A faint blush rose in her mother’s cheeks. “It isn’t just him. It’s you. I don’t know you anymore.”

“I haven’t changed, either. Well, a little, but I’m still me. And I still love you.”

Her mother stared at her, then stood and walked toward her. “How can you be the same? You’re a vampire now.”

“But you wouldn’t know that if Rohan hadn’t told you. Do I look different? Sound any different? Act any different?”

“Well … no.”

“Please don’t be afraid of me. I’d never hurt either one of you. But you’re hurting me.” Leia’s heart swelled with emotion when her mother took her in her arms and held her close.

“I’m so sorry,” Cynthia murmured. “Hurting you is the last thing I want to do. I should be helping you adjust in any way I can.”

Her father gained his feet and wrapped his arms around both of them. Voice thick with unshed tears, he said, “We’re still a family, Leia. Welcome home.”

Although reluctant to spoil the mood, there was one thing she needed to know. “Will I still be part of the family when I marry Rohan?”

Her father sucked in a deep breath while Leia held hers, waiting for his answer.

“I’ll accept him,” her father said after a tense moment. “I always said like should marry like and I guess now the two of you are, well, you know.”

“Mom?”

“As long as you’re happy and safe, I’ll do my best to make him feel welcome.”

“I love you guys,” Leia said, relieved that her parents hadn’t put up a fuss. Feeling as if all was right in her world again, she hugged her dad and kissed her mother on the cheek. “I’ve got to go tell Rohan the good news!”

She found him in the living room, staring out the window.

“Did you win the lottery or something?” Rohan asked when he saw her. “You look like you’re about to burst with happiness.”

“I am!” Smiling hugely, she said, “My Mom and Dad still love me.”

“Hell, I could have told you that,” he said dryly.

“And they don’t have a problem with us getting married.”

“So, I guess that means we don’t need to elope.”

“I guess not. You don’t mind waiting a few days, do you? I canceled the church, so we’ll have to find another date.”

“I don’t think we should get married right now.”

“Why not?” she asked. And then frowned. “Josiah.”

“Yeah. Probably not a good idea to make any plans while he’s around,” Rohan remarked, and then he grunted softly. It might not be a good time for a wedding, but it might be the perfect time to set a trap.

He discussed his idea with Leia, who seemed doubtful but was willing to go along with it. After Leia went up to her room, he roused Trent.

“What the hell do you want?” the hunter growled. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“Prime time for vampires,” Rohan said. “Listen, I need your help. I have an idea.”

Leia was by turns nervous and scared the next night as the details of Rohan’s plan were worked out. Her only part was to call the church and find a date. She didn’t tell her parents what was going on.

It took several calls before she found a small, non-denominational church that had several nights available during the week.

The night of the wedding, Leia told her parents that she and Rohan were going out for a while. Knowing that if things went wrong she would never see her parents again, she hugged and kissed them both before she left the house.

Trent waited for them on the sidewalk.

Once outside, Rohan dissolved into mist and went to Leia’s bedroom to retrieve her wedding gown and his suit. They quickly changed clothes in the garage.

The skies were cloudy when Rohan transported the three of them to the church.

Leia took a deep, calming breath when they arrived. Clinging to her future husband’s hand, they walked up the stairs and into the foyer, with Trent trailing behind. Leia took another deep breath when Rohan gave her hand a squeeze and murmured, “Here we go.”

The couple playing her parents sat in the first row. Another eight or nine “guests” were scattered on both sides of the aisle. A spray of bright yellow daisies adorned the center of the altar. White candles flickered on either side.

Whispering, “Good luck,” Trent moved down the aisle to take his place as best man.

Hand-in-hand, Leia and Rohan walked down the white runner to where a tall man clad in a long black cassock waited, Bible in hand. His gaze moved over the congregation and then he opened the book. “Dearly beloved,” he intoned in a deep, deep voice. “We are gathered here … ”

Leia let out a gasp when she heard Josiah’s voice in her mind. You foolish girl. Did you really think I’d let you marry someone else? She cast a frantic look at Rohan. “He’s here!”

Rohan opened his preternatural senses, searching for his sire, but either Josiah wasn’t nearby or he was blocking his presence. Speaking to Leia’s mind, Rohan murmured, Relax, love. We’re ready for him.

Before she could reply, Josiah burst into the chapel.