fter hours of nothingness and darkness, Cristian began to awaken, hearing sounds of whispers around him. “He was only staked in the heart,” Anna whispered. “He wasn’t beheaded or burned.” “This could mean.” “I know,” Sage replied. “Do you think it’s possible?” Anna asked. “Have you known of it happening before?” Sage asked. “How long do you suppose it would take?” “It depends on how much blood is consumed,” Anna said.
Cristian slowly opened his eyes. He felt strange. Like a fire was in his blood accompanied with a gnawing hunger that he’d never felt before. “He’s waking up,” Anna said. Cristian sat up, realizing that he was lying in Sage’s bed. “Cristian,” Sage said, clasping his hand. He turned his head and stared into her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said to him telepathically. “But I didn’t have a choice. You would’ve died if I hadn’t turned you.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t apologize, Sage,” he said to her. “This was what I wanted.”
He could hear the sounds of feet shuffling stridently like hoofs in the hallway as the others excitedly came into the bedroom. “The coven has a new member!” Anna exclaimed. “You’re one of us!” Billy squealed. “Welcome to the family,” Daniel said. “He’s not just one of us,” Samuel said. “He’s now our king.”
Cristian looked at Sage, bewildered, holding her hand. “It’s true,” Anna said. “Sage performed the vampire wedding sacrament on you.” “You are now a vampire king.” “Meaning that you have the same powers as Queen V,” Cody said. “Of course, you have to be coroneted,” Samuel said. ‘There’s a coronation?” Cristian asked, stunned. Sage nodded her head. “So does this mean I’ll be nicknamed ‘King V’?” he asked to laughs around the room. “I’m glad that Queen V saved you,” Lisa said coming into the room. “We lost a member and gained a member,” Daniel said.
“Where’s John?” Anna asked. “Right here,” he said, standing at the doorway, glancing at Sage as if he wanted to say something to her. “Well, let’s leave them alone,” Billy said, clearing his throat. The others got up, chuckling at his not so subtle hint, and left the lovers alone, shutting the door behind them.
Cristian stared at Sage in admiration, knowing that this was a hard decision for her to make. As he tried to find the words to express to her what he was feeling, he could hear the vampires reveling in celebration of the union of the queen and king. Looking down at his wrist, he removed the bandage and the cut was healed. “Thank you, Sage,” he said softly as their eyes lingered on each other. “I nearly lost you and you nearly lost me.” “We saved each other’s life.” “I lost you once before—I couldn’t lose you again,” she said, blinking back the tears. Cristian stared at the tears forming in her eyes, unsure if they were of joy or sorrow. He cupped her face with his hands, pulling her into a passionate kiss until they couldn’t breathe. Reluctantly breaking away from the embrace to catch their breath, he stared at her face as his newfound vampire bloodlust became aroused, his eyes a glowing yellow. He could see her eyes staring back at him mirroring his own desire. They kissed again with renewed passion as he felt the claws in his fingers growing. He looked at her panting heavily, her eyes drunk with love.
With one flick of his hand, her gown fell to the floor as she climbed onto the bed and helped him out of his clothes. They leaned back on the bed, discovering anew, with their vampire senses, the erogenous zones of their bodies with each touch sending pleasurable shockwaves from their head to their feet. On instinct, innate desire, and desperation, they joined, moving together tremulously not knowing where each body began or ended. For Cristian, the experience was even better than earlier in the evening when they had made love at his loft. He gazed upon her as she grabbed hold of his back with her claws digging them into his skin.
The sensation caused him to nearly catapult out the bed as the passion consumed them in a blinding fury. Unable to control his bloodlust, he bit down into her neck as she let out a sharp cry that was a combination of pain and pleasure. His hunger now abated, his lips found her mouth again, tracing it with his tongue. She nuzzled against his neck giving him love bites. Their passion reaching a fever pitch, they clung to each other until they had a mutual earthshaking climax. Snuggling together, their breathing returning to normal, Cristian noticed that Sage had a stillness in her eyes as the soft rays of the sunrise flickered into the room, giving them a glow. He sensed unspoken regret reflected in them. “It seems fate wasn’t going to let us be parted from each other again,” he said reassuringly. “You and I were meant to be. We will be together forever and for always,” he said. “Our blood is mingled,” Sage said. “We are a part of each other.”
Rafael dialed a number on his cell phone. “Robert, I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the funds for my new arsenal,” he said, looking at his new crossbow, arrows, stakes, and holy water. Where are you anyway—you’re supposed to come with me tonight to the cemetery when I vanquish the vampire for good. Don’t worry about Pedro. I’m going back to the lair to kill the rest of the vampires after I finish off the queen. If the artist gets in my way again, I’m not responsible for what happens to him. Give me a call when you get this message, alright?” He hung up the phone. “Tonight this long, drawn-out story comes to an end,” he said, smiling.
Cristian awakened to find the bed empty. “Sage!” he called out. Next to the bed on a tray, he noticed a bottle. Staring closer, he noticed it was a bottle of animal blood. He remembered that Anna brought a bottle to his loft for Sage the night before. There was also a note attached. “I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful,” Sage wrote. He studied the bottle, then opened it and poured the contents into a waiting wine glass. Surprisingly, the animal blood didn’t have a bitter taste to it as he had imagined. It had a bit of a savor like cranberry juice. However, he preferred the taste of Sage’s blood: that was so sweet to his taste buds.
Getting out of bed, he noticed a black dress shirt and dress pants laid out for him. He walked out into the hallway trying to remember how to get to the main room. After descending the stairs, he turned to go down another long hallway, passing by the door to Pedro’s bedroom and noticing the black shroud covering it. His mind flashed again to the struggle between them and the broken piece of wood impaling him. “I hope you’re at peace wherever you are,” he said somberly as he continued down the hallway.
“You can get lost in those mazes of hallways,” he said walking into the grand living room and finding Sage talking with John in hushed tones. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Rafael wants me to meet him tonight at the Lake Cemetery.” “I know where it is,” Cristian said. “It’s in Staten Island. It’s an abandoned cemetery.” “Which is why he chose it,” Sage said, “so that there won’t be witnesses.” “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said. “Rafael’s downfall will be his arrogance,” Sage replied. “This is what he wants. He wants me to come alone because he thinks I’m naive.” “Sage is right,” Anna said coming into the living room. “He thinks that because he nearly killed Sage that he knows her weakness.” “And this time it won’t work,” Sage said staring at John. “John told me this was Rafael’s plan.” Cristian looked hesitantly at John who quickly looked away. He took Sage aside. “Are you sure about this?” he asked. “You know this is a trap.” “Rafael will learn a lesson to be careful of what he wishes for because he may get more than he anticipated,” she said. “Perhaps sooner rather than later if my suspicions are correct,” she thought. Cristian stared at her, puzzled by her cryptic statement.
It was after sunset when Rafael arrived at the cemetery. He noticed that overgrown grass covered some of the headstones, while other headstones either were toppled or were desecrated with graffiti. “This is a great place to wait for the vampire to show up,” he thought, taking out his crossbow and stakes and sitting down on the parched grass to wait. “It’s time,” Sage said, putting on her black hooded cloak. She, Anna, and Cristian discussed the plan, telling the others to be prepared. She looked at John. “Is there anything else I need to know?” she said. “Speak now.” He looked at her, then at Lisa, and at Cristian. “No,” he swallowed. “I told you everything,” he said. “Okay,” Sage said.
Rafael sat in the darkness waiting for the arrival of Robert or Sage. He felt a chill as the temperature began to drop suddenly. Taking out the water gun filled with holy water, he placed it at his side. A mist began to fill the cemetery as he looked on with growing unease. Darting his eyes back and forth, he stirred at the sound of twigs breaking as if someone was approaching.
“Robert?” he said. The sound stopped. His body began to tremble as he tried to reassure himself that it was just the chill in the air making him shiver. In the mist, he saw a tall figure draped in a black shrouded cape appear. It was floating in the air with no hands or feet visible. “Vampire!” Rafael called out. The draped figure stopped abruptly and turned its head toward him. Standing up, Rafael was unable to make out a face as he felt a chill go down his spine. The shrouded figure started to move toward him slowly. “Vampire!” Rafael called out as the figure continued advancing toward him. Frightened, Rafael began to run, tripping over the headstones and looking back while the dark figure quickened its pace behind him. He jumped up running and fell into a giant hole in the ground. He realized he fell into an open grave and landed on a coffin.
Suddenly, he felt a blast of bone-chilling air, the hairs from his pores standing on end as he realized that the shrouded, faceless figure now hovered over the grave. Quaking with fear, Rafael squeezed his eyes shut and began praying fervently. He continued praying, not opening his eyes, until he heard the figure float away at the sound of shuffling grass and pebbles.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he looked at the coffin he was sitting on. It was an unfinished chestnut coffin with the hinges broken from his fall. As he got up, he heard the sound of a cell phone ringing. Taking his own out of his pocket, he realized the ringing cell phone was coming from inside the coffin.
Curious, he opened it, falling back from shock. The body inside was none other than Robert.
He had been dead for hours, his body completely drained of its blood.
Hours later, after arduously climbing out of the grave using his stake and hunting knife as a prong, Rafael, ignoring the pain of his broken arm, gathered up his supplies and duffle bag and hurried out of the cemetery, afraid that the shrouded figure would reappear. “You will pay for this, vampire,” he fumed while getting into the rented car and driving speedily to catch the ferry headed back to town. Once he got off the ferry in Manhattan, he dropped off the rental car, and hailed a taxi ordering the driver to take him to Tribeca. Enraged, he yelled at the driver to pick up speed through the slow moving traffic. The taxi came to a screeching halt at the curbside of Sage’s loft.
Throwing the money at the driver, Rafael jumped out of the taxi, and ran to the door. “Open the door, vampire!” he yelled, pounding on the door. Turning the knob the door creaked opened. Pulling out his crossbow and stake, he entered the door, gripping the holy water in his hand. He walked down the pitch-black hallway. “Vampire!” he yelled. He reached his hand in front of him to try to feel for a wall or a door. He heard sounds in the air of wailing. Taking a breath, he pressed forward until he felt a doorway. “John!” he yelled. “Where are you?” he asked.
There was no answer as he walked down another hallway. “Is this a maze?” he said, frustrated. He walked further down until he could see what appeared to be an open door. “I wish I had a flashlight,” he said as he inched slowly toward the door. He reached for the door and felt a silky material in his hand. Peering inside, he tried to focus his eyes. He saw what appeared to be someone or something in the darkness. “Who’s there?” Rafael said. “John,” he said, “say something.”
Sage awakened suddenly in bed to find Cristian staring out the window. Billy cranked up the CD player as the music began to boom throughout the cottage. Cristian turned and smiled at Sage as she got out of bed, putting on a sheer eggshell-colored gown. “They love it here,” she said, wrapping her arms around him with a squeeze and suppressing the thoughts that began to plague her mind of enjoying the taste of human blood. “They all love it here,” he mused. “It’s only been a week,” she said. “How long do you think we’ll stay here?” he asked. “I don’t know yet,” she said. “A part of me wants to go back to Egypt. We’ll see. You will have to be crowned.” He sighed contentedly.
“Prague is beautiful,” he said. “Yes. One of the most beautiful cities in the world,” she said, kissing his shoulder and neck. Cristian felt her become tense as she focused on his neck. “So what’s on the agenda today?” he asked stroking her face. She lifted her gaze to his eyes. “Well, I know that Billy, Cody, Samuel, and Daniel are going to see the Astronomical Clock and take a tour of Prague Castle. Anna, Lisa, and John are going to see the catacombs and Charles Bridge.” “John?” Cristian said, incredulous. “I thought for sure he couldn’t be trusted, but he surprised me.” “He surprised me as well,” Sage said. “I think somehow Lisa played a role in that,” she grinned. “Now, as for us…,” she said. “I’d love to visit Prague Castle. I’ve always loved medieval things—especially a castle that is older than all of us,” she grinned. They turned and looked at the portrait of Sage hanging on the wall. “When I painted that portrait, I had no idea how much it would change my life,” Cristian said. “It brought us together again.” “It did,” Sage said as they shared a tender kiss. She stared into his eyes as the sun began to rise on the horizon. “Just one question,” she said. “What are you going to tell your parents?”
He looked at her, furrowing his brow.