the end, knowing she had made the right choice, she had died peacefully in Gabriel's arms. His face, unchanged in the fifty-four years they had spent together, had been the last thing she had seen on this earth.
And now she was with him again, and if they couldn't find a way to restore him to mortality, she would have to decide whether she wanted to die a second time, or become what he was.
She was reaching for the bowl when she sensed him standing behind her. Forcing a smile, she turned around to face him.
"You don't have to decide tonight, Sarah," he said quietly. "Not tonight, or this year, or the next."
"I know, but... I don't know what to do."
"Come and watch your movie."
She followed him into the living room, settled herself on his lap, and tried to concentrate on Meg Ryan's efforts to meet Tom Hanks, but the words made no sense, the humor seemed flat. The popcorn tasted like ashes. She didn't want to spend the next year trying to decide what to do. She didn't want to worry about it and fret over it, didn't want it hanging over her head. She wanted the decision made now.
Putting the bowl aside, she turned off the TV and faced Gabriel. "I think, if we can't find a cure, that you should make me what you are."
"Is that what you really want?"
"I don't know. And I don't want to have to decide. I just want you to do it."
"And what if you hate me for it?"
"I don't think I could ever hate you."
"Maybe not, but what if you're wrong, Sarah? I couldn't endure your hatred for the rest of my existence, however long that might be." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "I'll see if I can get in touch with Quillan. After we hear from him, we can decide about the future."
Sarah nodded. She would put it out of her mind until they heard from the vampire in France. Until then... She smiled at Gabriel as she took him by the hand and led him upstairs to bed. Until then, she intended to spend every minute getting reacquainted with the incredible man who had been her husband.
PART Two Chapter Seven
Because she didn't like spending her days with nothing to do, Sarah decided to try to find a job. She broached the subject on a Friday night while they sat in the kitchen playing rummy.
She hadn't expected Gabriel to object, but he did. Strenuously.
"I know women in your time didn't work, but I need something to do," Sarah argued. She shook her head, needing to make him understand how she felt. "I can't just vegetate on the sofa watching soap operas all day."
"Forgive me." Gabriel tossed his cards onto the table and stood up. "I didn't realize you were unhappy here."
"I'm not unhappy," Sarah said quickly. "Just bored." She looked up at him, suddenly curious. "You've lived hundreds of years. What did you do to pass the time?"
"A variety of things, some you wouldn't believe."
"Like what?"
"For a few years, I was a spy for one of the French kings. I can't remember now which one it was. Skulking around in the shadows was the perfect occupation for a man who must live always in darkness. For a time, I was a knight, and after that, a minstrel - "
"A minstrel!"
"I've been told my voice is passable."
"Would you sing for me?" Sarah asked, intrigued.
His gaze moved over her face, his expression softening. "I sang for you once before."
"Sing for me now. Please."
Gabriel thought for a moment, and then he began to sing an old Italian ballad of unrequited love.
His voice was deep, melodic, haunting. He sang in Italian, but he sang with such emotion Sarah had no trouble understanding the message. His voice wrapped around her, soft as candlelight, as poignant as a lover's last caress.
And memories flooded her mind. Memories of Gabriel coming to her in the dark of night, singing to her as he held her in his arms and danced her around her room in the orphanage, making her feel loved. Cherished. Beautiful. Gabriel. How could she ever have forgotten the magic of his touch, the power and beauty of his voice?
He held out his hand, and she took it, letting him draw her to her feet. For a long moment, he gazed into her eyes, the richness of his voice enveloping her as he drew her into his arms and waltzed her around