working for them full time. I was trying not to let consumption stop me from living. John and I were good friends by that time, and I felt reasonably secure with them, since I was already dying. It’s not like I had to worry about my life being in danger.”
I bit my lip. He talked about dying as if it was nothing. No big deal. But he had been secretly suffering through a pretty nasty disease. What’s more, he hadn’t went to his friend and asked to be cured. He simply asked for a job, and kept on trying.
“John kept you when you died.” I could see it now. Not some dramatic attack or a love affair with an undead seductress. Just a very good friendship built on a professional relationship. It sounded dull, but I was touched.
“None of us knew at the time, but John was building up the coven, getting us ready to go on without him. Looking back on it now, it was obvious. He brought in certain types of people, not only personality, but those with particular skill sets. I have always managed the finances and legal planning for the coven, among my other talents. Leah can soothe anyone and bend them to her will. We have a handful of varied military experts, government officials, and people with good connections, medical experts, anything we could possibly need. Our coven is small, but we never need to rely on the larger covens for anything.”
There was a deep sadness in his leaf green eyes, and I reached out and hesitantly took his hand, eliciting a brief smile. “What do you mean, getting you ready? What happened to John?”
Peter gazed out at the sunny countryside. “He faded.” He said softly. “Sometimes it happens. We are said to be immortal, but living requires some kind of vital spark. After hundreds- hell maybe even thousands- of years, it fades.”
I squeezed his hand. “What happens then?” I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know.
He gave me a soft smile. “Then, I expect that spark moves on. Our souls were never meant to be tethered here forever. They have other places to go.”
*****
I picked out a new pair of dark jeans and a white bohemian style top, nice, but casual. Mom and Chelsea had taken me shopping last weekend and I actually chose real clothes- something other than sweats or comfort clothes. I even bought a pair of earrings, big dangly things with wooden disks and shiny wire coils. It took me forever to get them in my ears, but when I finally managed to get them in, I shook my head experimentally, liking the weight. I felt feminine, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Peter glanced at me as I emerged from my bedroom, and his eyes lingered. For a moment, his face was blank, but then he blessed me with that glorious smile. “You’re beautiful as always,” he said seriously. I would have wondered how to take that- I mean I was usually pretty frumpy looking- but his eyes had just a hint of silver in them and his voice was just a smidge lower than usual. He liked my new clothes.
I was very nervous about meeting Peter’s friends. He had woven his way into my life with ease. He visited me at work, he stayed at my place on occasion, and he had met my rather unusual friends. He had even managed to survive an evening with my family. But I knew almost nothing about his life. I always had a very real sense of him, but those other details were missing. I had never been to his house and I hadn’t met his friends. In fact, I kind of assumed he didn’t have any friends among his kind since he was apparently breaking some big rule of theirs. Tonight wasn’t just us hanging out with his friends. It was me finally being invited into his life, his world.
I gave Taz a farewell pat, struggling to keep the beast from climbing onto my lap. He wasn’t used to being left alone at night. Peter seemed thoughtful as we made our way out to his car.
“Are we going to your house?” I tried not to sound too hopeful and pathetic. I doubt I was successful. I tried to cut him some slack, since a vampire’s home is his sanctuary and therefore never seen by humans, but it was hard.
Peter just shook his head, distracted by his own thoughts.