He refused to look at me. “I will not burden her with my problems.”
Dorian chuckled and the sound was like cackling crows.
“I hardly call killing her a problem.” He said.
“We’re bonded. You’re right. I can feel it.” Bash punched his chest with his fist and I felt it too, the connection between us was stronger and growing.
“Because you love her? Oh please.”
Dorian dismissed the claim but I listened for it. I listened for the slightest hesitation, for the lie that would tell me otherwise but it never came. Bash was telling the truth as he spoke.
“I do lover her.” He turned to look at me. “I love her with every fiber of my being.” He grabbed me and kissed me soundly as Dorian rushed us simultaneously, the blade raised in his hand.
Bash put his hand out and Dorian frozen blade in the air struggling. Our lips parted and I raised my hand with Bash and concentrated on the fact that Dorian would have killed us. I twisted my mind around the blade and pushed back with all the mental energy I possessed.
Dorian yelled, “You know the strongest foundations are not built with love.”
“With what then?” Bash asked his only surviving blood until me.
“Merciful lies.” Dorian hissed and I cranked up my thoughts and forced him to drive the blade home, right into his own chest.
16
All’s well that ends well.
BASH
The psychic energy in the room caused a seismic implosion pulling wallpaper and curtains clean off the wall. Luckily, Jane fell back on the bed, but she seized immediately going through the damn change at the worst time possible. Dorian was possibly dying by his own hand, with a little push from the two of us, and I didn’t have time to mourn him.
“Jane!” I scooped her up in my arms and hurried downstairs to my study, to the blue sofa she first laid on in my house.
“Bash.” He weak moan gutted me. I loved this woman with all I had. I would have taken Dorian’s blade if it would have taken the pain from her in this moment.
“This isn’t how this is supposed to be.” I pushed back her sweaty hair and kissed her lips that were slowly cooling.
“Tell me how you envisioned my last days.”
I snorted. “Oh my lamb. You’re not dying. This is transition.”
“Transition?”
“Yes, you’re becoming a vampire.”
“I’m not dying?”
I kissed her lips, her cheeks, her nose. “Of course not. I claimed you so Dorian couldn’t hurt you. You’re mine forever.”
“Are you sure Dorian is gone?”
“Colder than stone, at least for now, I promise.” I’d check on him later, once I knew for certain Jane would be okay.
“I thought this would be different when I said yes to you. I think I expected a ring and flowers.” Jane had no idea I’d give her the world. I’d take to Italy to see the art masters, I’d take her to my home in Greece and while babies weren’t in the cards for us, I had a whole village that needed tending. I had good people managing my olive and lemon groves. Perhaps it was finally time to come home.
“Consider this a marriage proposal for eternity.” I half laughed and half cried unsure what emotion I should have been tapping into. My ennui was definitely gone, but I was out of practice.
“Will I get to wear a dress?” I watched her body heal itself from within. Her gorgeous hair grew in thicker, shiny, and longer. Her skin grew porcelain and the tiny scar under her hairline vanished. It was as if she was being reborn into steel covered with silk.
“You can have a dress with a mile-long train if you choose.” Loving Jane was easy. Mastering her materialistic requests even easier with my resources at hand.
“Promise me one thing, Bash.” She asked clutching onto me.
“Anything.”
“Put Dorian to rest. Let him go.”
We both looked up and then at each other hearing the faint, but undeniable inhale and exhale. I shook my head not wanting to know what he’d hatched or who he’d bribed to help him.
“Let him go.”
“As you wish, my little lamb with the heart of gold.”
Epilogue
This ain’t no olive branch.
DORIAN
I woke with the pain of a thousand suns lancing my body. Each pebble beneath my flesh cut me into ribbons. But…this was the way of jealous brothers. Remove the threat. Kill the competition. I didn’t blame Bash in whole as this was a game we played with each other for centuries. I’d merely forgotten that he bored of it when I convinced his wife to turn me and then cast her out into the sun when I found her unfaithful. He’d forgiven me in time, but not after I stole his Scottish beauty Aileen. I supposed third times a charm for my death sentence when I tried to take Jane out of the equation. Lovely Jane, who was anything but plain or ordinary.
He’d learned to jump start his heart again and in doing so firmly forged the wedge between us leaving me alone.
He’d never know that the blade I planned to use wasn’t actually poisoned, just a long acting mystical paralytic, or perhaps he did know and this was punishment. The shit should have worn off by now, but it hadn’t in the least and that began to concern me. Perhaps, Sebastián, finally tired of me. I merely wanted her to slumber for fifty years or so until I was sure she was worthy of him. Damn witch I used had the antidote, and I sadly did not.
“Bash!” I bellowed choking on my dry throat barely able to life my head above my chest laying there. He’s chosen my cell wisely dumping my near corpse in the ray of light hoping I’d burn up and
