“I have been a Vampire for over five hundred years,” Devon says woefully. “What am I supposed to do now?”
I turn to CK and he adjusts his features from the one of terror to his neutral expression. “You shall turn me again,” I say to him and his face lights up, only to be crushed again as Remiel says, “No, that cannot happen. Once you have been reversed that’s it. If you try again you will die.”
“Die?” I ask. “I cannot die. And if these two could die, they would be dead by now as well.”
“Well, let me put it this way then,” he says, unhappy to have been refuted. “You will lie comatose for eternity, alive, but never waking up from your transition. It would fail.”
I gulp, as do the other three in the room. “How do you know that?” I ask.
“I just do. I know what was done to you, Aefre,” he says softly.
“What?” I ask. “What was that spell?”
He shakes his head and clamps his mouth shut.
Great.
“Aefre, I will leave you to deal with this, but I will be back for you soon,” he says instead of answering my question.
Coward.
I nod anyway, thinking how accommodating he is being. Maybe I am not “all that” now that I am not a Vampire anymore.
He nods back and Astrals off, leaving me alone with my ex-sire and my ex-charges.
“So that’s that,” Devon states flatly.
Silence.
CK sidles over and takes my hand again. I look up at him, trying to reassure him, but he still looks scared that I am going to leave him.
I turn to Cole and hold out my other hand for him.
He doesn’t take it. He just stares at it until I drop it heavily to my side.
“Cole?” I ask him. I can hear the terror in my voice now, as can everyone else.
He shakes his head at me. “I…I,” he falters and closes his eyes.
“Please leave us,” I choke out.
Neither Devon nor CK leave and quite frankly, I am not going to push them out. So, we will have to do this in front of them.
I take a step closer to Cole and take his hand. He lets me, so I ask, “Do you still love me?”
His eyes fly open and his face softens. “Of course I do,” he says. “It’s just different.”
I slide my eyes to Devon, who is watching us closely, and then back to Cole. “Different how?” I ask. “Do you still want me?”
Since when do I beg? Now, apparently. If he doesn’t tell me what I want to hear, I am going to be devastated.
“Yes,” he says quietly. “I still want you. I just don’t need you anymore.”
I gasp as he pulls his hand out of mine and fists it at his side.
“What are you saying?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” he says and slumps down the wall.