He noticed with increasing alarm since they had left New York that Sage seemed troubled, even though she tried to hide it from him. In the three weeks since they and the coven had arrived in Prague, she seemed to be preoccupied. “Sage!” he called out, getting out the bed. He walked down the spiral staircase into the dining room. Focusing his eyes in the darkness, he found her standing with a bottle of animal blood in her hands. She was staring at the bottle, deep in thought. “Sage, what’s wrong?” he asked, startling her. “I was contemplating,” she said with a solemn voice. “Contemplating what?” he asked, approaching her. “I can tell when something’s troubling you,” he whispered. “What is it?” “There’s something you need to know,” she said with hesitation. “It’s about Pedro.” “Pedro can’t harm us anymore,” he said. “He’s gone.” “Actually, he isn’t gone,” she said. “What do you mean?” he asked. “When you told me that Pedro disintegrated after he was staked in the heart, I knew.”
“Knew what!” he exclaimed, wanting her to stop speaking in riddles. “That Pedro wasn’t truly gone,” she said haughtily. “But I thought that when a vampire was staked in the heart, they were destroyed,” he said. “That’s partially true,” Sage replied. “But to truly kill a vampire, they not only have to be staked in the heart, but in addition, they have to be decapitated or burned, and their ashes scattered.”
Cristian dropped his jaw, astonished. “If that doesn’t happen and the vampire doesn’t lose any body parts, they can regenerate, but it’s a painful process,” she continued. Cristian remembered when Sage spoke cryptically about Rafael getting more than he asked for the night they left New York. “That’s why you said that Rafael may get more than he anticipated when he wanted you to come to Lake Cemetery.” “I felt it in my gut that Pedro would begin to regenerate,” she said. “I’ve never seen it happen before in all my years of being a vampire.
But I know that it can happen. How do you think I was able to revive after I drank your blood?” she said. He remembered overhearing part of the hushed conversation that Sage and Anna were having when he awakened after being turned. “Does Anna know?” he asked. Sage nodded her head. “The rest of the coven?” She nodded her head again. “Anna told them shortly after our arrival here,” she said. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” he asked, agitated. “I don’t know why, Cristian,” she said. “I didn’t want to think of what could happen once Pedro is back in his physical form. Right now, he’s literally a shadow of his former self, and who knows how long it will take for him to completely regenerate. It all depends on how much blood he consumes. He’ll want revenge for us abandoning him,” she said, feeling guilty. “And I’ll be ready for him,” Cristian said firmly. He grabbed her hand. “Come join me for a bath?”
Rafael began to awaken. Opening his eyes, he found himself blinded by a bright light. “Where am I?” he asked, his eyes squinted. “You’re in the hospital,” the woman said in a soothing voice. “I’m glad to see you’re awake.” “How did I get here?” he asked. He remembered leaving Lake Cemetery and going to the vampires’ lair and walking through the mazes of hallways. The last thing he saw was something or someone in the darkness of the room. “You were found in an alley, unconscious,” the woman said.
Instinctively, he reached for his neck for signs of bite marks. “What are you doing?” she asked, closing the blinders. “Nothing,” he said sheepishly. He looked at the woman. She was dressed in hospital scrubs with long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail with big expressive eyes and minimum makeup. “Are you a doctor?” he asked. “I’m a nurse,” she said. “What’s your name?” he asked. “My name is Randi.” “Randi,” he said smiling. “Yes, Randi,” she repeated. “I’m Rafael,” he said. “Nice to meet you Rafael,” she said. “Likewise,” he replied. “So is John your brother?” she asked. He stared at her, puzzled. “You kept talking about someone named John while you were unconscious,” she said. He remembered how he kept calling for John at the lair, realizing that his assistant had betrayed him. “No, he’s not my brother,” he said, curling his lip. “He’s an idiot that was hoodwinked by vampires,” he thought angrily. “I didn’t mean to pry,” she said. “The doctor will be speaking with you shortly,” she said. “Will you be coming back?” he asked anxiously. “Of course,” she said.
After dressing, Cristian tried to call his manager using Sage’s cell phone. The voicemail was full. “That’s unlike Robert,” he thought troubled. “Something happened to him.” He thought back to the droplets of blood he saw on the floor in his office at the gallery. “Maybe that blood didn’t come from me after all. It could’ve come from Robert.” Sage came up behind him tapping him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about, Pedro,” she said. “I’m not angry with you, Sage,” he said tenderly. “Just don’t shut me out. You and I are together now, and I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. Okay?” “Okay,” she said.
They walked arm in arm into the dining room greeted by the coven, and John. The room became silent with heaviness in air. “What’s going on?” Sage asked, noticing their anxious expressions. “Sage, remember when we talked about what our lives were like before we became vampires?” Anna said. Sage nodded her head slowly. “I realized I hadn’t seen my home for many years.” And so I decided to return to my hometown to reminiscence.” “I decided to go visit my ancestral home as well,” Samuel said. “I’m going with you,” Billy said. Daniel stood next to Anna. “I told Anna I would accompany her,” he said. “I don’t mind you coming along,” she said. “I want to go to Indiana to see what happened to my brother and father,” John said shyly. “I told John that I would go with him, since I’m from the same state,” Lisa said as though she was seeking approval. “I’m tagging along with y’all because I’m curious to see what became of my father’s farm,” Cody said. “Then we’ll meet up in Kansas afterwards,” Lisa offered.
Sage forced a smile on her face to cover her sadness. “Just as I needed to revisit my past,” she said, staring at Cristian, “I understand your need to revisit your own.” “I have always said that you have free will,” she said. “That means that you have the freedom to leave anytime you want. I’ve never wanted any of you to think that you’re forced to stay with me.” “And I haven’t,” Anna said. “I’ve stayed with you because you said I had the choice, and I appreciate that.” “I can’t speak for the rest,” Samuel said softly, “but I intend on returning.” He and Sage held each other’s gaze. “And so am I,” Cody said. “Me too,” Lisa said. “Me as well,” Daniel said. “You know I’ll be back, Queen V,” Billy said. Cristian snorted. Anna gave Sage a reassuring hug. “This is the first time we’ve parted company since we met,” she said telepathically.
“I’m not going anywhere, I will be returning as well.” “Thank you,” Sage said, her eyes brimming slightly.
Cristian picked up the newspaper that was on the table, noticing the words “Beauty Mysterium” in the article. “Sage, are you familiar with the Czech language?” he asked, showing her the article. “It says that the portrait is missing and that your manager hasn’t been seen since the night of the painting’s disappearance,” she said. “I have to go back to New York to take care of this,” Cristian said. “The painting isn’t missing. It’s with me, and something has obviously happened to Robert.” “I’m going with you,” Sage said. “What about Rafael?” Cristian said. “What about Pedro?” “Pearson will be a threat no matter where I go,” Sage said. “I will face whatever comes.” “I can postpone my trip,” Anna offered. “No,” Sage replied. “I want you to go ahead with the trips that you’ve planned. Everything will work out,” she said. What she didn’t want to say openly was that she sensed that more troubles, like a looming shadow, were on the way.