Crimson's parents were killed by vampires when she was 6 years old. Because of that she's sworn vengeance on all vampires and spends every night tirelessly hunting for vampires to kill. Lamech is the leader of the biggest vampire clan in the world...
When morning came, we both knew that we had to leave the bubble of just us, though neither of us actually wanted it. Personally, if it hadn't been because of Saida, I would have refused. But I needed to check on her. I had after all basically left her alone in an unknown place and with unknown people.
"You go and talk to her. I'll have some breakfast ready for you here for when you're done," Lamech told me as we got out of bed to get dressed.
"I'm not hungry though. I haven't felt hungry in ages," I told him with a shrug.
"But likely you need food in a way that normal vampires don't," he continued. "So let me fix you something."
"Alright. Not like I'm going to turn down tasty food anyway. Could you ask Stuart what room he put Saida in?"
He gave me a big smile. "Why don't you try asking him yourself?"
"Through the mind-link?" I frowned.
"Yes. If you concentrate on one specific person, you should be able to talk directly to that one. So just concentrate on what you want to ask him and on that it's him you want to ask and no one else."
I closed my eyes and concentrated, feeling slightly ridiculous.
"Ehm, Stuart?" I asked inside my head.
"Yes, Crimson," came his answer in an instant.
"Oh, it worked!" I exclaimed in delight. "What room is Saida in?"
"Why would I know?" he answered and his tone was short and brisk. It made me remember the suspicion I had gotten yesterday and felt even more sure that I was right.
"Didn't you show her to a bedroom?" I probed.
"Oh, yeah. Third to the left at the stairs," he said and I could feel how he withdrew from the mind-link as soon as he had answered.
I opened my eyes and beamed at Lamech. He smiled back and kissed my forehead lightly.
"Go talk to her and I'll have breakfast ready here when you're done," he told me.
We left the room together and walked to the stairs together. As he went up, I went to Saida's room and knocked. She opened almost instantly.
"So you finally have time for me," she asked and gave me a teasing smile.
I rolled my eyes but laughed lightly before stepping into the room. It was smaller than mine and Lamech's, but it was the same type of decoration. We sat down together on the couch.
"How are you? Are you alright with everything?" I asked straight away, drawing my eyebrows together. She had lost her home and her coven in one go, all because of me. I hadn't given her a single chance to decide for herself, but just pulled her into my problems, my mess.
"I'm fine," she laughed. "Stop worrying so much, okay? All I want is for us to swing by back home quick to grab our stuff. Then I'm all good with living here."
"Are you really sure? You don't have to because of me. If you rather want to stay..."
"Goddess, Crimson. Please trust that I would tell you if anything is wrong. And you should know the truth yourself. Just like you've never liked the coven, I haven't either. And besides..." She looked away and took a deep breath. "Even if you would try to make me leave this place, I wouldn't."
I stayed quiet and waited for the continuation. She looked back at me, then away again, while clearing out dirt from under her nails. Then she switched her sitting position from having leaned against the arm rest with her legs in a tailor's position, to having one foot on the floor, before finally meeting my eyes again.
"Stuart is my mate," she said with determination and confirmed what I had already guessed, but hadn't wanted to believe. It wasn't because I had anything against it per se. No, it was much more selfish than that. As much as she had become more of a sister, I had still been the one raising her, been her pillar of support. But now that she had found her mate, Stuart would become the one she depended on the most. I selfishly didn't want that, but also knew I had to accept it.
"Does he know that yet?" I asked and watched her bit her lip.
"No, I... I'm not sure how to tell him."
"Well, I think you have fairly little to worry about," I said and shrugged. "Not going to claim I know him well, but I was already assuming that this was the case based on his actions more than yours."
"Really?" Saida's eyes lit up and her posture went from somewhat hunched to straight.
"Yes, really," I laughed. "So just tell him."
"But..." She hunched back down again a bit. "What if he rejects me? What should I do then?"
"If he does, I'll beat his ass. And he doesn't have any reason to reject you straight away. Can't imagine any at least. So even if he's hesitant, he won't do that and you are mates for a reason so time together should solve any hesitation."
Hearing myself talk, it felt strange. I sounded so optimistic and full of belief and faith, quite the opposite compared to when I had first met Lamech. But I guessed it was easier to be wise after having been through it yourself.
I stayed a bit longer. She had already been informed by Stuart of the party that they were throwing and he would apparently come and get her when it was time for it. We also decided that we would already the very next day go back to our apartment and pack up all things we wanted to bring with us.
She also asked about how it was possible for me to be both a vampire and a witch, and I gave her the short version. That however, reminded me of an important question.
"Will you be fine with becoming a vampire? You won't be a witch anymore then," I asked her and studied her carefully to see the truth. But she just waved the question away as if it was irrelevant.
"Will it really make much of a difference?" she replied. "I mean, I'm not much of a witch as it is, expect for potion-making and that I'll be able to do as a vampire also. So I don't feel like I would lose anything anyway."
I smiled at her and felt happy for her. It was nice and good for her that it wasn't a difficult decision. And her reasoning really made sense, it made sense to the point that it almost felt obvious that she had always been destined to not stay a witch but become something else.
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