Page 12 of Elegy of Twilight
The candlelight wasn’t bright enough to reveal who spoke in the shadows, but I made out the familiar shape of a knight and one of the priestesses, although I didn’t think it was the High Priestess. Shewould never stand so near a man with her face tilted up as if inviting him to kiss her. I stepped back, mind racing. Was it possible that one of my sisters was breaking her vows and indulging in the affections of a man?
Surely no. We were dedicated to our vows? Weren’t we?
But I wasn’t so sure as I slipped out the gate and walked down the hill toward the forest, aware that what I was doing went against everything I believed in. I was conflicted because my actions saved lives, yet I had damned myself. Dare I look forward to what he’d do to me next? The way he made my body hum with life and ache for pleasure. I’d almost told Edith the truth, but how stupid would that have been? She wouldn’t understand that I’d chosen to put myself in grave danger.
I wondered about the other vampires as I walked under the trees. The leaves rustled in the breeze, and the hoot of an owl came along with a squeal of terror, likely from a mouse being eaten. The knife I’d tucked into the sleeve of my dress only gave me momentary security. If the vampires wanted me, they would have me. Titus had shown me just how quick and fast he could be when he wanted something.
At last, the trees opened up to the glade, andhues of blue lit up the waterfall. The sky was quilted with stars, and the full moon perched in the middle like a queen in her court. Forcing one foot in front of the other, I continued my trajectory toward the pool, where Titus stood with his back to me, staring up at the waterfall, his lute on his back.
“Lucia.” He ran his fingers through his hair and then faced me.
Oh, but in the light he was handsome, with disheveled hair, those deep-set eyes, and the way he stood, tall and powerful, his shirt open, displaying an expanse of chest. His sleeves were rolled up, and a scroll extended from one of his pockets.
I held out the basket. “You kept your word, and so I brought you a gift.”
His blue eyes flashed in surprise, and he took the basket with both hands. “Is it a beast that is going to leap out and devour me?”
I bit my tongue, but the words tumbled out anyway. “The cats in the cellar are impossible to catch, so no, no beasts in the basket.”
A laugh burst from his lips. “Did you just make a joke?”
Had I? Was I bold enough to tease the vampire king?
He opened up the basket, and when he spokenext, his voice was softer, as if he’d read my thoughts and knew I was conflicted. “I did not expect this from you. Thank you. What changed your mind?”
“You kept your word.”
“Then you trust me?”
“Not trust, but it’s a start.”
Titus pressed a hand to his heart. “Ah, my lady of the moon, you don’t know how that makes me feel. A start is all I ask for. Tonight, I want to take you somewhere.”
“Back to your cave?” I asked, a slight worry twisting within.
“No, to a mountain where we will be close to the lights of night. Where we can feast on this banquet you’ve brought for us.”
Shifting the basket, he held out his hand to me. I took it without hesitation, enjoying the feel of him. He was warm, alive, and he had a pulse. It was wishful thinking, but I desperately did not want him to be a vampire.
As he led me away from the pool, I let my thoughts run wild. What if he wasn’t a vampire and I wasn’t a priestess, and we were two souls who happened to meet each other, brought together by fate? What then?
Titus led me into a cavern, then down dark passageways until, eventually, he led me out and onto a path that sloped upward to a flat dome. My eyes went wide as we came to a stop, and he let go of my hand to slide an arm around my waist. I felt his eyes on me as I stared out at the lights of the abbey and the garrison in the distance and the cluster of the village from afar.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed.
“I agree,” he whispered, his mouth so close to my ear that I almost felt the kiss of his lips. “Have you always had these silver runes?”
I stilled, not trusting myself to look at him. Keeping my gaze focused on the starry night, I replied, “Always.”
He traced a finger along my throat to my shoulder. “You shine, just like the moon and the stars. You’re a goddess of the night, aren’t you? Meant to bring your light to those in darkness.”
His words had a romantic tilt, but I was no goddess. “I’m just a priestess, as I’ve told you. Yet you’ve asked me many questions about myself and shared none about you.”
“Because my past is not worth sharing.”
“What is it you want to do then, each night I come out to meet you? If not to share, to tell mesomething true.”
“Is that what you want?”
