I focus on him then. “What were you?”
“Eighteen,” he says proudly. “I think I started the rule.”
“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?” CK says rudely.
“We are getting off topic. I say we split the difference and call it a year. Then we will all have to move on to the next life,” I say decisively.
“Agreed,” Devon, CK, and Sebastian say. Lincoln and Cole remain silent and it makes no difference to Scott just yet.
“Well?” I prompt them.
“A year? And then what?” Lincoln asks. “I just got my life back and now I have to be someone different?”
“Just a name, sweetie, and perhaps an extended trip to a desert island. We are currently all too recognized to be able to carry on together in the civilized world.”
“I’m in,” Cole says, resigned. “I’m not leaving you,” he adds pointedly. “So, I will do whatever you decide.”
I smile gratefully at him.
“In that case, me too. As I am not leaving you either,” Lincoln says.
“So, we are agreed that we will move on in a year. Now we just need to decide how, where, and when. Go off and think about it and we will meet again about it in three months. In the meantime, we go about the plans we just made and will deal with those changes when the time comes.”
I dismiss everyone and the tension dissipates. Cade sidles over to me and says, “What about me? Will I need to change my name, become someone else?”
“No, you are human. You will get older and die. This change for us is one of hundreds. We expect it and deal with it. It isn’t for you to have to worry about it.”
“I expect I will find it difficult. Watching you stay the same as I get older,” he muses quietly, and I am surprised by his melancholy.
“Speak to Nico about it. He has worked for CK for nearly twenty years now. If anyone knows how to deal with it, he does,” I say and he starts at my sincerity but then I ruin it by adding, “And if push comes to shove you could always join us.” I flash my fangs at him. He glowers at me and stalks off in a huff while I chuckle to myself.
“So, it’s time,” Devon says as he comes to put his arms around me. “Seems like yesterday we were moving to L.A. with our new names and your new-slash-old look.”
“I know,” I say and we both get lost in the memory of our move across country.
New York, USA, 2004 – Lexie/Liv
“Y ou ready to go, Lex?” Devon asked me, as I stared out of the apartment window over Manhattan.
“Yeah,” I said and turned to him with a smile. “It’s Liv now, remember.”
“Right, had better watch that. Seems you’ve been Lexie Williams for a while now,” he said.
“I know, it’s going to be hard to pick up a new life again.” He gave me a cuddle to cheer me up.
“You’re going to miss New York, aren’t you?”
“Very much so. And I had hoped we could go back to England after this, but maybe next time. Los Angeles, here we come, I guess.”
“Wasn’t practical, babe. We had to stay in the States, at least for this next round. Business here is booming. Everything is set up at Saxon for you to take over. We will have a blast, just the two of us, as it should be.” He slung his arm around my shoulders as he ushered us towards the front door.
“I know. So, Devon Savant, what will we do with this place?” I gestured to the penthouse.
He chuckled. “That sounds strange to me too. I had gotten used to being Devon Schaffer. Liv Nelson has bought the place. It’s yours.”
“Oh, good. I didn’t really want to let it go. So many fond memories. You know, one of these days you are going to have to change your first name,” I said to him with a sidelong glance. “And you should try Shifting again. I can’t be the only Vampire to do it. I must have passed it down to you,” I complained.
“Never!” he exclaimed. “I was Devon when you turned me, and I will always be Devon. I will stick with just the surname change. But I can’t Shift, Lexie, err, Liv. I have tried for years. It is your unique gift and I am fine with that. I like the way I look, I thought you did too?” he asked with a devilish smile, which I returned with a sassy wink. “I know you like to use your gift and have a change of style and a new name to go with it and I also get why you have to change your original name, Aefre is lovely, but no one knows how to pronounce it!”