Page 108 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
Bella comes to a stop in front of the largest of the stones, and even through her veil, I can see the tear tracks on her face. No one is going to make a mistake about her being the grieving widow. I just hope people don't think it's an act when there's no doubt in my mind that it's all real.
The rest of the guests make their appearance. I recognise most of the servants from House Rothorne, as well as a few people I've seen around court, but can’t name. I should make sure to change that later.
Bella scowls as Bastian comes into the clearing along with his wife, though in fairness to Lady Ermentrude, I don't think she's the one who Bella has a problem with. They don't get on, especially as Lady Ermentrude made some rude remarks about Thomas when I first met her, but she's not the one who killed Thomas.
Lord Fallmartin stands to the side, and it takes me a moment to realise that he's not the one who is running the funeral, that's on Bella.
She lifts her veil, revealing that the tears are still falling. She lifts her wrist to her mouth and bites down, but doesn't drink. Which makes sense. Though I've never even considered that could be possible.
Blood runs down her hand, and she holds it out, letting several drops fall onto the stone in front of her. It lands on the white snow, a stark contrast that only adds more to the moment. "What the moon made, the moon has undone," she says, her voice raspy and full of the pain she's holding in and not letting anyone see.
I reach out for Linc's hand, trying not to think about how much it would hurt to lose him. We've not even been together for very long, and I feel like I'd expect the entire world to burn if he was dead.
I'd probably be willing to make it happen too.
Lord Fallmartin steps up to Bella with a flaming torch. She takes it from him and slowly walks towards the pyre built behind the stones. I can't see Thomas' body upon it, but I have to assume that it's there. Everyone starts to follow, and I do the same, though I'm a little terrified of what I'm going to see. I've been to burials before, but all of them were in the village where I grew up. They were simple ceremonies, and mostly involved burying people in the ground while someone said a prayer or sang a song.
"Flame turns the blood to ash," Bella says, lowering her torch until it touches the edge of the pyre. There's a crackle and a change in the light as it catches. She steps back and extinguishes the torch in the snow beside her.
"Vampires burn their dead?" I whisper to Linc.
"Yes."
"Even though we burn in the sun?"
He shrugs. "I think it's considered to be poetic. One way or another, we turn to ash."
I lean into him as the fire continues to spread. It doesn't seem to be put off by the snow, or anything else, until it's a blazing fire in the middle of the forest. There's a part of me that worries about what might happen if the forest itself goes up in flames, but no one else seems to be, so I have to assume that it won't be a problem.
Bella is unmoving as she stares at the fire, and I don't need to ask her to know that she's going to be here until the fire burns out, or dawn is about to arrive.
One of the other vampires approaches the fire and throws something onto it.
"What are they doing?" I ask.
"Throwing in a memento. It started as a tradition where people would throw in something that means something to them and the deceased, but it's changed over time so it's now more of a straw doll."
"Oh?"
He pulls one out of his pocket and holds it out to me. I take it from him, but don't move towards the fire.
"What are they for?"
"They're just a way of saying that you're sorry the person is gone," he says.
"Vampires are sentimental," I murmur.
He gives me a wry smile. "They can have a touch of sentimentality, yes."
Several more people approach the pyre and throw one on, including Eliza and Lord Fallmartin, the latter of whom pats Bella on the shoulder affectionately before turning to leave the clearing.
Bastian steps forward, getting a scowl from Bella for his trouble. He pauses for a moment, looking down at the straw doll in his hand, but thinking better of actually tossing it on. Instead, he turns and leaves, with his wife on his heels. She has a rather horrified expression on her face, which makes sense. I don't have to have been a vampire long in order to know that what he just did is a big slight and will be considered rude by anyone who is watching.
Luckily, it seems that we're the only ones left.
"Do you mind if I do this alone?" I ask Linc.
"Will you be all right?" Linc asks softly.
