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“You think?” She grinned and twirled in a circle.
“Oh, yeah,” I said thickly.
The delicate coral silk clung lovingly to her upper body, baring her shoulders and cupping her breasts before widening to a flirty little skirt. A rosebud was tucked in her wavy brown hair, and on her wrist was the ruby bracelet I’d special-ordered for her from Tiffany’s.
I wore a black T-shirt beneath a slim black suit. I smoothed down the coat to hide the fear raking me like giant claws. If Mila didn’t make it, I might as well plunge a stake in my own heart, because I’d be dead inside.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Mom said. She gave me a quick kiss. “We’ll wait on the cliff.”
I nodded without taking my gaze from Mila. When we were alone in the suite, I removed a ring from the inner pocket of my suit.
She tilted her head, curious. “What’s that?”
“Your ring. The one I bought you five years ago.”
“You kept it all this time?” Her eyes widened.
“Yeah.” Taking her right hand, I slid the ring on her finger. It was a small yellow diamond surrounded by five petal-shaped white diamonds.
Her breath sucked in.
“It’s not big,” I said a little apologetically. “I figured you’d hate a big ring.”
“It’s a daisy.” Her lower lip trembled, and then she threw her arms around me. “And it’s just perfect. I love it.”
Her mouth sought mine. I dragged her up against me, and we kissed, long and hard and desperate. I knew she was thinking the same thing as me. That this might be the last time we ever kissed.
At last, I dragged my lips from hers—and caved. I couldn’t stop myself from trying one last time.
“You don’t have to do this. We can still leave for that island. Vampires hate the tropics. It’s the last place they’ll look.”
“Gabriel. Stop trying to change my mind. I’m doing this—and Iwillsurvive.”
“Yes.” My fingers tightened on her shoulders. “You will. You have to.”
As if speaking aloud would somehow make it true.
Her mouth quirked in a brave attempt at a smile. “Besides, I can so see myself as an ass-kicking dhampir.”
I forced myself to smile back. “I’ll teach you all my best moves.”
“Deal.” She stuck out her hand and we shook on it.
Then I enfolded her fingers in mine and together, we walked out of the beach house. That’s when I saw her bare feet. Never once, in the half-dozen transition ceremonies I’d witnessed, had the candidate been barefoot.
This time my smile was genuine. By the dark gods, I loved this woman. I raised her hand to my lips and told her so.
Her eyes were luminous in the dusk. “I love you, too. So much.”
My parents were waiting at the site we’d chosen, both of them all in black. Mom’s hair fell in a dark waterfall down her back, and like Mila, she had a red rosebud tucked into her hair. My father wore a pin-striped suit and a rose boutonniere. The setting sun painted their faces golden.
Nearby, a canopy had been erected over the open grave I’d ordered dug in the sandy soil. I’m not squeamish about death, but I shuddered as my gaze locked on the shadowed rectangular hole.
As we approached, Mom broke into a smile. “You’re beautiful,ma p’tite. Inside and out.”
Mila smiled back a little shyly. “Thank you.”
My father took her hands. “You honor my son with both your beauty and your courage.” For Karoly Kral, that was like welcoming her to the family with open arms.
