Brightening White Flowers

20. Completing the Rite

I am young again and in my mother's lap. The hands I see in front of me are tiny, they are incapable of holding a sword to take a life. I am preoccupied trying to put a wooden puzzle together as my mother runs an ivory comb through my long brown hair. "Karri darling, what did Akye teach you today?"

I look up from my puzzle into her warm swirling blue-green eyes. Her kind smile has me giggling before I go back to my puzzle, "Grandfather Akye taught us that vampire blood is very, very special and has incredible healing powers."

Momma laughs lightly, it's like the tinkling bells at festival time. I feel good knowing I made Momma laugh. Father says Momma's laughter is like the blessings from a priestess and earning one is a gift greater than any riches. I think Father is right.

"That is a good lesson for other vampires," she resumes brushing my hair.

"Other vampires?" At this age my voice rises noticeably in my confusion.

"Yes, Karri you must never give your blood to anybody but a vampire."

"But-"

"You can heal in other ways, my daughter. Harisa will teach you." I sigh glumly but nod. "If you do -"

"Mommy, I already said I would not," my voice is overly petulant for my age.

Momma laughs lightly again, "I know darling, but let me finish. This is important." I sigh exaggeratedly. "If you do, remember these words: You who have drank of my blood and tasted a glimpse of immortality, will you accept the monster in all of us and join the covenant?"

"But Mommy you aren't a monster." Momma just smiles and kisses the top of my head humming her comforting melody as she ignores my contraction.

I am disappointed when my eyes open. In reality my mother has been long dead and the innocent little girl in her lap back then died the day she did. But at least I remembered now... "I remembered Momma." I whisper out loud unable to help but reach up above me as if I could touch the heavens and thus, my mother's giving spirit if I just reached high enough. I know what reaching for the heavens gets you though, agony. My hand drops.

The day starts not long after that and we all get up and get moving in silence. Not long after we start Davian and Hana start up their whispering again behind us. This sets the pace for the next two days. The whispering is only broken by tense breaks to rest and eat. After those first two days the next day is even more whispering but less fervent and angry. At first, Roze and I look at each other but I end up shrugging. I figure it is better that they are no longer arguing; maybe they are even getting to know each other better. On this third day I push us long past when my inner monster is telling me day has risen. I do not let us stop until the ground is starting to slope upwards.

I know I have no reason for it but I feel physically exhausted. All I want to do is lay down and sleep for a few years. With a barely audible sigh I come to a stop, "We should stop here. The entrance will be coming up soon."

Hana stops, surprise evident in her voice, "How do you know?"

I point down towards the ground, "It has been gradually sloping upwards the last five feet."

Roze does not make a sound as she settles against the wall right next to me. She does not even make a move towards the bedroll after I had gotten it rolled out. She does not even look in my direction until Davian and Hana have fallen asleep next to each other with their hands holding and positioned a little closer to us. Only once she is sure that they are sleeping does she look at me.