As Shadows Fade (The Gardella Vampire Hunters 5)
Damn and blast.
Damn and blast.
Trust Sebastian to write an adieu that would bring both pain and hope.
She folded the paper once, twice, thrice.
The new Gardella.
Did he know for certain, or was he merely guessing? Or was that simply Sebastian, being wry and amusing?
She’d only recently suspected it herself.
Sebastian, you fool. I need you, too.
Was she going to lose them both now?
She looked back at the mountain, nearly two days’ ride behind her, purple-black in the distance, with a swatch of sunlight beaming onto it from between a break in the trees.
Godspeed, Sebastian. Bring both of you back safely.
Nineteen
Of Dreams and Sacrifice, and the Incurrence of a Debt
Sebastian woke just before dawn to find Wayren standing before him.
Or, at least, he thought it was Wayren… but perhaps it was a hallucination. She seemed insubstantial, and she glowed. Perhaps he was dreaming… but at least it wasn’t a nightmare of Giulia begging and pleading with him. Although if it weren’t to be a nightmare, he’d prefer that he went back to the old dreams, where his lover wrapped him in her long, dark hair, and they rolled in a nocturnal bed together… rather than dreaming about an angel.
&n
bsp; It just didn’t seem right.
The obnoxious snore next to him told him that the other traveler who bunked in his room was still sleeping soundly. The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, and he’d be back to the mountain in a few hours.
“Sebastian,” said a voice, and he looked over.
She was still there.
“Am I dreaming? Wayren?”
“I’m here. I’ve come to wish you luck and bring blessings. ”
He nodded. Whether it was a dream or not, he felt contentment.
Wayren’s presence in the past had been a source of discomfort for him when he knew he wasn’t being true to his calling or following through on his duty. Now her presence-whether it be real or in a dream-felt like a commendation of sorts, an acknowledgment and a blessing.
“And I came to bring you this. Wear this and don’t remove it, and… it will help. ”
Something silver glinted in the dusky light, then plopped onto the bed next to him. A ring, heavy and silver, set with a garnet the size of his thumbnail.
“What is it?”
“It will help you follow through on your intent and keep you strong in the face of weakness. I can do nothing else. The rest is up to you. ”
He picked up the ring and slid it onto the middle finger of his left hand. “Thank you. ” He then he looked at her. “And thank you for Rosamunde’s papers. They led me here. ”
“I knew that they would. ” She nodded, her blond hair shifting with the movement. She paused; then he felt the wisp of a touch on his hand, and still wasn’t certain if it was real or imagined. “You’ll do well, Sebastian Vioget. ”