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Journeyingfromthewarehouseto the mountain feels like forever. Overwhelming silence settles around us. We are victorious, Emerson is defeated and dead, but this isn’t a celebration. Our leader is gone. Our brother, Naritaka, who had embedded himself in Emerson’s coven, is missing, presumed dead. We got our payback, but the mood is somber.
Oz still hasn’t let go of us.
We don’t want him to.
He nuzzles his face in our hair, pressing gentle kisses to our skin at every opportunity. We are precious to him. Hands stroke our back in comfort, hugging us to his firm chest. Present with him, but also far away, we confront one another.
Other Wren is a rugged, wild, and pure vampire. She possesses the strength, the speed, and the willingness to exist in this life that I don’t have.
I am cautious, clinging to the remnants of my human life.
None of it is fair.
Like all the other vampires, we should have merged during the transformation process. Instead, our memory loss caused us to be separate, and fear kept us that way. I want to accept her, join our minds, become one, and finally embrace my path. I just don’t know how…
Inside my head are two separate entities, staring at each other, vying for power.
No.
No?
Not power.
What then?
Peace. Unity. Completion. We are stronger together and weaker apart. You should not fear me…
Peace, unity, and completion? She is untamed, ruthless, and capable of such destruction when not checked.
So keep me in line.
She sounds demanding in my head.
I can’t control myself because I’m missing your essence. I need you to keep me grounded, and you need me to fully live. You keep pushing me away, and it’s killing us.
She’s right. I am pushing her away and don’t want to face the darkest parts of what I've become. I pretend it is all eternal life, sunshine, and love. There is just blood, chaos, and…
There is still love.
Our eyes focus on Oz, clutching us like we would float away without his touch. Our anchor, our lifeline. We both love him deeply. I can feel the truth of it, of her. I feel the longing to become one with me and finally be whole.
Completion.
In my mind’s eye, I see her. It is my face but sharper, etched with a cruelty that had once scared me. That cruelty isn’t for me, my coven, or humans… it fuels the ferocity with which I will protect what is mine. It is white hot and indestructible. It is the absolute confidence of my strength.
And it is beautiful.
Sheis beautiful.
Her face swims closer to me, blurring at the edges as we grow closer. My mind grows fuzzy, and it feels like something is crawling inside me. Slowly the edges of the puzzle fit together and settle into one coherent picture of myself.
Peace.
Unity.
Completion.
Gently swaying in Oz’s arms as he carries me inside, I stir. I didn’t even realize that I had fallen asleep. My head rests against his shoulder as he silently maneuvers us into our room and bathroom. Sitting me down on the tub’s edge, he steadies me, making sure that I won’t keel over the second his arms leave me.
