in my homeland, Destiny. In truth, it has been many centuries since I have walked in my mountains. A visit will be enough for me. Perhaps, when you are ready, we can go for a short vacation."
Her face lit up. "Then you would be willing to make this place our main residence?" She had dreaded leaving the people who had become so dear to her.
"I find myself very fond of this neighborhood, and in particular, a certain chamber filled with various pools. We will have to find a suitable house and establish a home so we can blend in."
"That would be perfect, Nicolae. And I will go to the Carpathian Mountains with you. Gregori and Savannah were wonderful and very accepting of me. I can hardly be a coward and refuse to visit the Prince. We owe them both so much."
"No one would ever call you a coward, Destiny," he said decisively.
She stretched, raising her arms toward the moon and sparkling stars. "I think we should visit Velda. And it would be good to know how the doctor's death affected our friends after all the problems he caused them." She liked the term "friends." She had never thought to have any, and she cherished each of them.
With her dark hair blowing in the wind, enfolding her body like a living cape of silk, he thought she looked like a mysterious, ethereal witch worshiping nature. She turned her head to look at him, and at once he was drowning in her blue-green eyes.
"I worship you," she said softly. "I shouldn't and I don't want you to let it go to your head, but for this one moment in time, I do."
A slow smile curved his sculpted lips. "I do not think there is much of a chance of anything going to my head." Nicolae held out his hand to her.
Destiny shook her head. "I was so absolutely certain the culprit had to be a vampire. For so long I had it in my head that what I had become was a monster and humans were good unless something evil such as drugs took hold."
His hand curled around the nape of her neck, his fingers beginning a slow massage. "Monsters come in all shapes and sizes and species. Not all Carpathians turn into vampires. They are just people attempting to survive. As all humans are simply people struggling to live the best life they can. You were robbed of your childhood, Destiny, but you are a survivor, and you managed to carve out a life for yourself."
She leaned into him. "You were always there for me, Nicolae. I always had you." She turned up her face, blatantly inviting his kiss.
He bent his dark head to hers and took possession of her mouth. The earth beneath their feet shifted. His arms wrapped her up, strong and tight, and drew her against the hard length of him.
"I'm afraid you can't do that sort of thing here," Father Mulligan pointed out as he came out of the church and regarded them with a twinkling eye.
"Don't you ever go to bed?" Destiny asked him as Nicolae reluctantly broke their kiss. "Isn't there a priest curfew or something?"
Father Mulligan's eyebrow nearly shot up into his scalp. "My dear child. A priest is like an angel without wings, one who may be called upon at any time of the day or night."
Destiny burst out laughing. Nicolae felt his heart turn over. There was no sound as beautiful as her laughter. "You are terrible, Father. Would you like to come to Velda's house with us? We'd like to make certain she's all right."
"Of course I'll come. I've been visiting daily. Velda took to her bed, and no one seems to know how to help her."
"Maybe I'll be able to help," Destiny said.
They followed him in silence down the block to turn onto Velda's street. "You look much happier, my dear," Father Mulligan said. "It's good to see."
Destiny slipped her hand into Nicolae's. It wasn't all that long ago she had come to the church, ashamed of what she was, thinking herself a monster, and the priest had left the doors unlocked for her. "It's good to feel happy." And at peace. She would never be rid of the trauma she had suffered, but she could accept those memories as a small price to pay. She had a life. She had a home and friends. And she had Nicolae.
Inez opened the door to them with a small, falsely cheery smile.