Page 62 of Love Lives
I didn't have a premonition that night. It was one of those odd dreams again, where I was in someone else's body. Atlus's body. This time, I tried not to overanalyze it, going with the flow instead. After all, what point was there in freaking out over this?
Atlus felt frustrated over something. He was sitting at his desk, staring at his notes, which had been scribbled across the pages of several journals. "For the life of me, I can't figure out when this prophecy will be made."
"Does it matter?" That was Cyril's voice. He stood in the door, watching Atlus quietly. "The children are asleep. You should use this time to relax."
"How can I sleep when I don't know what their fate will be?"
"Not their fate," Cyril reminded him.
Atlus blew out a breath. He was so annoyed with this topic, I could feel his exasperation burning through my own veins. It was an odd feeling, if I thought about it for too long. He loved Cyril, truly, he did, but sometimes... "Maybe it isn't Keenan and Cara's fate," Atlus said, "but maybe their children's children. Their descendants.Ourdescendants. At some point in the future."
"Far off in the future, you said so yourself. Why do you insist on worrying about itnow?"
"That's it's so far off is exactly the problem. I'll be dead by then. The only time I have to act is now." Atlus turned to his notes again, even though the answers he was looking for weren't there.
"I'll still be alive," Cyril said with a hint of sadness in his voice that gave Atlus pause. It was true that Cyril could live that long if nobody managed to kill him, but...
"I can't ask that of you."
"Aren't they my descendants too?"
"That doesn't mean you have to watch over them for centuries after I'm gone." The idea of Cyril acting like a silent guardian all by himself... Atlus hated it.
"I won't be alone," Cyril said, so in tune with Atlus's thoughts he could read them on his face. "You said we would have a lot of descendants."
I sensed Atlus's hesitance as he responded. "I don't see you in their future."
"You said you couldn't see that far ahead."
"I said I couldn't see clearly," Atlus corrected. That was exactly what was bothering him. All he got from that crucial point in time were hazy impressions. Almost as if it was in a constant state of flux.
Cyril approached the desk and took Atlus's hand in his own, the touch both firm and reassuring. "I promise you. I won't die until I know their future is safe."
Atlus wanted to argue, but the words wouldn't quite pass his lips. He felt horrible for asking a favor as big as this from his vampire, but what else could he do, really? His research was getting him nowhere, and he couldn't prolong his own life, as much as he wished he could. That was beyond even his abilities.
Or was it?
I woke with a feeling of unease settling deep inside my chest. Atlus's train of thought had excited him, but it had made him apprehensive too. Sad, for some reason. I sat up and rested my head in my hands, trying to find the way back to myself and shake the sensation of inhabiting another person's mind. I couldn't tell what Atlus had planned. The dream had ended too quickly. But he'd been aware of the prophecy, long before it had been made. He hadn't known its contents, only that it would be important. That he needed to do something.
What, though?
I dropped my hands to my sides, wondering if maybe these dreams had been part of my ancestors’ plans somehow. Maybe he was trying to tell me something.
Problem was, I had no idea what that might be.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When we arrivedat the old safe house, Vlad was already there. He wasn't by himself either. Standing in front of the ruins were he, a vampire lady I had only seen in my dreams before, and Caspar, who was being held by her. I grimaced at the sight of him. He was awake, but barely so. If the vampiress hadn't been holding on to him, I doubted he could have kept himself upright. His face was drawn into a deep snarl, though, his spirit unbroken.
"I appreciate that you show up on time," Vlad said by way of greeting, as if this were a casual meeting.
I swallowed hard before I could make myself respond. "Give Caspar back to us. You don't need him."
"You're not wrong, but I'm still trying to understand why I shouldn't just kill you and the rest of your family on the spot. It's very convenient that you all showed up as a group." He glanced at Caspar. "Looks like I wasted my time trying to get your location out of him."
"You fucking asshole," Elle hissed. We'd agreed that I would do the talking, but I couldn't blame her for speaking up. I doubted I could have kept calm if Vlad had been torturing my boyfriend.
He's not someone who enjoys torturing people.
