Amaranthine

14: Hamon

For a moment, Jonathan struggled to find the words. Finally, he began to tell me. "I do not wish to lie to you, but I don't expect you to believe what I say. The truth is stranger than any lie," he said. "Dio died, but he is still alive. He is a vampire. I know it sounds strange, but that stone mask did something to him. He killed all the police officers and I had to fight him before he killed me too. The mansion burned down in the process. Police couldn't find his body."

I was glad to hear that Dio might be alive, but at the same time, I felt so guilty. I had chased my heart and allowed the lives of others to crumble and burn behind me. I wanted to let the apologies stream from my lips, but the words caught in my throat. Even if I was sorry, what could I say? How could you apologize to someone for this?

In my struggle to find something to say, Jonathan continued easily. "I am glad you were able to leave the mansion before Dio awoke as a vampire," he said. "You might have been injured."

I didn't know what to say. If the course of my life hinged on my selfish decision to stay with Dio, I didn't mind. But I'd hurt my best friend in the process. Even being with Dio couldn't heal that wound. ". . . I'm sorry," I said, but those words didn't seem like enough.

"It is not your fault," Jonathan said. "I know you had nothing to do with Dio's actions."

But I did. I didn't know what would happen, but I could have stopped all those things if I'd just warned Jonathan to be wary of Dio's plans. When Dio and I were standing in the rain, he told me that there were still things he needed to do. I would have to wait for him. But that was all I remembered. I'd walked home in a daze and found myself wondering what Dio was going to do. By the time I'd begun to question Dio's actions, it was too late.

I wanted to explain myself. "Jonathan," I began, but another voice called out from a distance and made me pause. I turned to face the speaker; a woman in a blue dress. Her blonde hair fell in long, gentle waves down her back. Her eyes were a bright blue, gentle and calming. When our eyes met, it felt like I was looking into a clear sky on a spring day. And suddenly I recognized her. "Erina!" I gasped.

"Freya!" She exclaimed, her smile brightening her face. We embraced each other. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"This is a surprise," I smiled. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

Erina laughed. "Well, I worked up the courage to return and speak with Jonathan. I'm glad that I came back." She frowned suddenly. "That night I returned, Jonathan was injured and the mansion was burning. I was glad that I could be there for JoJo, but the situation was . . ." She trailed off; there was no need to continue.

"We should talk about happier things now that we are all reunited," Jonathan interjected.

"Yes, you're right," Erina sighed. "Freya, would you join us for a walk? Jonathan has been bedridden for a while, but he wanted to visit his house as soon as he was able. I think some fresh air would do us all some good."

We all walked together down the path, enjoying the soft breeze in silence. Jonathan's steps suddenly slowed as he cast a look over his shoulder. Erina frowned at him. "JoJo, is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing," he said. But suddenly his gaze was captured by something ahead of us. He gasped.

I followed his eyes, resting my gaze upon a man perched on the short stone wall lining the side of the road. Although he seemed to be calmly enjoying a sandwich under the clear skies, I swore he was not sitting there seconds before. The man's appearance was quite distinctive. His eyebrows arched high over half-lidded green eyes. His broad shoulders and muscled form were covered by a fashionable white suit-jacket accented with midnight blue lapels. The suit was unbuttoned, revealing a red vest and green bow tie underneath. He wore a top hat that covered his dark hair. The crown of his hat was checkered with a black and white diamonds, the colors clashing only slightly with the blue accents of his suit.