need for you to come alone,” Jillian said, still standing at the door. “No,” Anna said sternly, “she’s not going anywhere alone with you.” “I don’t want your guard dog coming to make things worse than they have to be,” Jillian retorted. Anna started toward her, but Sage held her back. “She’s not a guard dog,” she said angrily, “and she will be coming with me.” “Very well,” Jillian said with a heavy sigh. “I just need to grab my cloak,” she said, shutting the door leaving Jillian standing on the pavement. “She should be very glad that I didn’t kill her right then and there,” Anna spat. They walked into the grand living room where Pedro had rejoined the others. Lisa and Cody were helping John clean up the mess on
Daniel. “Anna and I have something we need to attend to,” Sage said. “We won’t be gone long.”“Maybe we should come with you,” Daniel said. “Just so nothing else happens.” “No, we’ll be fine,” Anna said. “This is a personal matter,” she said to him telepathically. “Okay, I’ll wait for you,” he said. Samuel looked at Sage, noticing the sorrow in her eyes, perceiving that her sudden errand had to do with Cristian, and it was something she had to do without his aid. Sage put on her cloak, and with a quick wave of good-bye, she and Anna went out the door as the others watched.
“You know you don’t have to be so rude,” Jillian huffed as they walked toward her car. “I could’ve stood in the hallway.” Anna muttered under her breath a few curse words. “Good thing she doesn’t have the sensitive hearing of a vampire,” Sage thought. “She’d be red just about now.” Sage sat on the passenger side while Anna sat in the backseat of the cherry red SUV with rosary beads hanging from the rearview mirror. Jillian turned on the radio programmed to a Christian station and turned up the volume. Sage was sure that Anna was covering her ears to block the music. She didn’t find the music to be very dreadful with its message of joy and love. She noticed Jillian occasionally glancing at her from the corner of her eye to see a reaction she suspected. The gesture reminded her of her first date with Cristian. He was so excited and nervous that his energy was contagious.
She chuckled softly remembering how the two mean-spirited girls got their comeuppance at the movie theater, while an unsuspecting Cristian was enjoying the movie previews. She recalled their tour of Times Square and the Manhattan skyline and the fun they had on the tour bus. “We had good times together,” she thought her eyes brimming. Sage looked out the window to pass the time, noticing a sign welcoming them to New Jersey as Jillian turned down a narrow street. “A part of me felt like he may be here,” Anna said to Sage telepathically. “This was all part of the plan, obviously, to trap Cristian,” she thought, “And it worked.”
After about a thirty- minute drive, Jillian pulled up to a warehouse and shut off the engine. Sage could hear Anna heave a big sigh of relief at not having to listen to that nail-scratching-on-a-chalkboard music. “Before we go in, I just want to make one thing clear,” Jillian said, “This is for Cristian. Not for you or anyone else.”
“You should also realize that if the day comes that he finds out what you’ve done, he will never forgive you for meddling in his life,” Sage replied calmly. “A mind may forget, but the heart always remembers.” “I’d rather that my son hates me for meddling than him being a vampire damned for eternity,” Jillian snapped. She turned and opened the door as Sage and Anna exited the car. “I’m this close,” Anna said glaring at her. “I hate when people disrespect you.” “I understand your rage,” Sage said, “I’m having trouble holding my tongue too.”
Jillian opened the door, and Sage halted upon seeing the two burly men who had held her down in the stairwell. “I knew it,” she said, incredulous. “Those two men were in the stairwell,” she whispered to Anna. The men started toward them, but Jillian told them that their assistance wouldn’t be needed. The men smirked at Sage and Anna as they walked past them. “Let’s leave them a parting gift,” Anna said to Sage. “Something they’ll never forget.” Sage smiled at Anna’s devious mind as Jillian led them into a small room. A man with dark hair, glasses, and a lab coat got up, staring at them with intrigue. “Oh my, God it’s you!” he said, staring with his mouth gaping. “Everyone acts like that when they see her,” Jillian retorted with disgust.
“The vampire queen,” the doctor said. “That painting doesn’t do you justice at all,” he said. Anna grinned. “That’s enough,” Jillian yelled. “Leave us.” He got up from the chair and walked out the room nearly walking into the door as he twisted his neck to stare at the women.
“This is why I want Cristian to forget you,” Jillian huffed. She paused at a steel door. “Just make him forget you, then leave and never return,” she said. “Let me make something clear,” Sage said, having had enough of Jillian’s attitude, “I’m not doing this for you either. This is for Cristian, and what I choose to do after I leave here is my concern and mine alone.” “Whatever,” Jillian sneered. “Your attitude certainly isn’t reflective of your faith,” Sage chided. Jillian snorted and opened the door.
Sage gasped at the sight of Cristian. He was pale and sweaty with an IV in his arm and his hands and legs strapped onto the gurney. She walked inside hurriedly as Christopher jumped from his seat and stood next to Jillian who was standing at the door. Anna stood on the outside of the door watching them suspiciously. Sage stood over him grieved at his condition and filled with ire that his parents would do something like this to their own son. She understood her father’s rage when Jonathan Thomas killed his only son.
“You treated him like a guinea pig!” she exclaimed staring at Jillian and Christopher with eyes red as flames. Using her hands, she ripped the straps off his legs and hands. “No,” Jillian said taking out her crucifix. Sage flicked her hand and the crucifix flew out of Jillian’s hand and landed on the bed.
“You used this crucifix not as a symbol of faith but as a symbol of hatred and abuse.” Jillian started to speak. “Be silent,” Sage commanded. Jillian held on to Christopher, trembling. Anna peered into the room smiling with satisfaction at seeing Sage bring Jillian down from her haughty attitude.
Sage leaned over Cristian whose eyes were shut. “This is the third time—” she mused, “the third time I leaned over your body.” She remembered hovering over Cristian as he took his final breath in her home that was the beginning of her nightmarish day, then hovering over his body as he lay bleeding to death. Now once again, she was hovering over his body about to make the most difficult decision of her life. Wipe her memory from his mind as though it never happened and make him forget her. Not being able to shake the guilt she felt for turning him, thus cursing him, Sage felt she now had an opportunity to free him.
“Cristian,” she said softly.
“Sage,” he breathed, a smile forming in the corner of his mouth.
“Cristian, there is something that you must know,” she said. “I love you and that will never change.” “I love you Sage,” he said as she caressed his cheek. “We found each other again so that I can set you free,” she said. “That is why our paths crossed again.”
“No!” he said opening his eyes and gazing into hers. “We found each other again to right the wrong of the past.” “Right,” she said, her voice quivering, “to right the past.” She gripped his face, staring down into his eyes and not seeing any traces of vampirism in them. “You will forget me,” she whispered. “You will go on with your life and have the family you’ve always wanted.” A tear fell slowly down her eyes, “The family I can’t give you.”
“No,” he said, gripping her hands, interlocking their fingers. “Don’t do this.”
“You will go back to your life as though we never met,” she said choking back a sob. “You are my family, Sage,” Cristian said, tears running down his puffy, bloodshot eyes. “You won’t remember this pain anymore,” Sage said. “You will know happiness again and meet someone new.”
“Never,” Cristian vowed. “I love you and only you.” With an intake of breath, Sage pulled him into a passionate embrace as he wrapped his arms around her. Jillian and Christopher stared at them, pained by the poignant display of affection.
After withdrawing from their embrace, Sage released her grip, laying him gently back on his pillow. Cristian had fallen into a trancelike sleep, the brown in his hair fading back to the blonde tresses he had from before the presentation.
Jillian covered her mouth in astonishment. Sage grabbed his hands, kissing them before laying them at his side. She got up, wiping her eyes and turned toward Jillian and Christopher. “I’ve done what you’ve asked,” she said sniffing. “Cristian won’t remember me.”
“Thank you,” Christopher said with sincerity. She looked at Jillian and beheld for a few seconds a silent understanding in her eyes.
Anna, having returned from breaking the lock to the restroom door and leaving the two burly men trapped inside, stood in the doorway watching solemnly.
“Let’s go,” Sage said turning around once more and watching as Jillian and Christopher sat beside Cristian, taking his hand and expressing their love for him. “Good-bye Cristian,” Sage said, blowing him a kiss and closing the door behind her.