“What happened that day?” he asked, searching her eyes. “How did you become a vampire?”
While staring into her eyes, he felt weightless as if he was moving in the air feeling a gust of wind waft through his clothes. As he turned his head to look around, he found that they were inside his loft. “How did you…,” he was astounded at how they seemed to just appear in his loft out of thin air. Being in her presence, he always felt as if he was in an alternate universe. He realized that he was, because he was in the presence of a vampire that defied logic or gravity.
“Talking on the bridge wasn’t the ideal spot for this kind of conversation,” she said, taking a seat on the couch as he came and joined her. “The day I became a vampire was the day I lost everything,” she said staring afar. “My parents, the man I loved,” she looked at him plaintively, “and my life as I knew it,” she said. “Tell me,” Cristian pleaded.
“I want to help if I can,” he said with tenderness.
“Why?” She asked.
“Do I have to state the obvious?” he said. He gently clasped her hands in his. “Sage, I love you.” She stared at him wide-eyed. “I’ve known it since I painted your portrait before I even knew you existed.”
“Cristian,” she said fighting the tears forming in her eyes. “I’ll only destroy your life.”
“But it’s my decision to make,” he said. “It’s my choice. I know you love me,” he said, caressing her face. “You remind me of the love I lost,” she said gruffly. He sighed in frustration that was building inside of him. “You keep saying that,” he retorted. “Because it’s true,” she said. She looked at him, knowing that he was confused, because she felt the same confusion. “How can I tell you something I don’t understand myself?” she thought. He stared at her. “Yes, how can you?” he said staring at her inquisitively.
She looked at him stunned. “You can read my thoughts?” she asked. He nodded his head.
She suddenly got up from the couch, unnerved. “Now that Pearson knows I’m in New York, I’ll need to leave right away,” she said, abruptly changing the subject. “You and your coven?” he asked. “They’re my family,” she said. “Pedro?” he asked, feeling a tinge of jealousy.
“Pedro is very protective of me,” she said. “He doesn’t like me,” Cristian said. “He doesn’t like the fact that your portrait of me alerted Pearson of my whereabouts,” she said. “I didn’t know you were real when I painted it,” he said, raising his voice slightly.
“I know, I’m not accusing you,” she said. She began to walk toward the elevator feeling frustrated that the communication was going nowhere. “Sage, wait,” he said with desperation ringing in his voice.
He took her in his arms, kissing her ardently, feeling the
unquenchable fire growing stronger inside of him. They stumbled back, falling on the couch as the kisses became more passionate, and her vampire bloodlust aroused as she could feel the fangs in her mouth growing.
“No!” she yelled breaking the kiss. “I can’t do this.” “Why not!” he yelled aroused, panting heavily. “Because I’m only intimate with vampires, if you must know,” she said, exasperated.
Her admission stunned Cristian who winced at her words. “With a vampire, I don’t have to fight my urges,” she said, taking deep breaths.
Cristian felt a combination of confusion and hurt emotions stabbing through his body like knives. “Vampires are very sensual creatures, Cristian,” she said. “Once we’re aroused, the urges are strong and hard to resist.” “We have a need to bite, a need to scratch.” “I could kill you, Cristian,” she said, feeling the hurt and anger emoting from his body.
She stood up quaking from her own desire for him and the difficult decision she knew she had to make. “I’m sorry, Cristian,” she said. He threw his head back, sighing heavily, and closing his eyes.
“Sage, I just want to …,” he turned around to find that she had vanished. “Sage,” he said, looking around, his eyes smarting. The intercom buzzed.
“Son, are you home?” his father asked. He solemnly walked over to the intercom. “I’m home, Dad,” he said softly.
Sage walked into the grand living room of the loft with her hand clutching her chest, feeling the burden that weighed her down of her decision. She didn’t notice the coven’s presence in the room or the intense way they watched her.
“What happened with Cristian?” Anna asked, sensing Sage’s pain. “What are we going to do? Lisa asked. Sage composed herself, facing them. “I’ve decided that we are going to leave New York. The sooner, the better,” she said with sorrow, knowing that she would have to leave Cristian behind, because it was the best choice for both of them.
Pedro, silently listening from the door, smiled wryly.