“Yeah, she’s going to be fine.”Octavia smiles.“Glad to have you back, Dahlia.If you’ll excuse me, I need to ready our carriage, we’re all a little hungry to say the least.I’m sorry to pull you away so quickly, but I’m not sure how much longer I can last without feeding.I’m assuming now you’re awake, your body is back to vampire speed and healing and thus well enough to travel?”
Dahlia stretches, cracking her neck this way and that.Her fingers paw at her chest, uncovering a silvery scar in the middle of her sternum.But she nods.“I’m good.”
“Excellent, you have about ten minutes.”With that, Octavia sweeps out of the room, and Dahlia’s face falls as she locks eyes with me.
My stomach sinks hearing that they’re going to leave so soon after she’s woken.I thought maybe we’d get a day or two more while she recovered.But I forgot that vampires heal fast.Besides, we knew once the wedding was over there would be no need for them to stay.
Dahlia pushes herself upright.
Xavier ruffles her hair.She swats him and he beams at her.“Glad you’re okay.”
Xavier and Gabriel follow Octavia out, leaving Dahlia and me on our own.
“Hey,” I say.My ears grow hot; my stomach is dancing in strange, agitated kicks.
“Hey yourself,” she says.
But I don’t know where we go from here.I don’t know how to talk to her anymore.Everything is jagged and broken.
“Pen?”she says.
I can’t bring myself to look at her, so I fiddle with the bed sheets.What if she regrets saving me?What if she doesn’t want anything to do with me because it was my fault she was injured?I mean, she is leaving today, so what’s the point in dragging any of this out?She probably just wants to be rid of me so that she can go back to her vampire city and find some vampire princess to be with instead.
“Penelope…” she says, more insistent.
“Hmm?”I focus on pulling a thread from the sheet.She tuts and sweeps me onto her lap and into her arms.
“Penelope Lee,” she says, pulling my chin to face her.
“Yes,” I breathe.Our lips are close.Where her fingers brush my jaw, my cheek, my throat, electricity brims under my skin.Like it calls to her.An insistent need that will go forever unanswered.
I want to close my eyes and fall into her.
“I…” Dahlia starts and then her words falter, falling away into the space between us.“I’ve had an amazing time,” she says.But it doesn’t feel real.It feels like a plaster used to cover up the truth of where we are.That we both knew this was fleeting.That once the wedding was over, it—we, us, whatever we were for those few hours—would be over too.
And that’s where we are.
My insides harden.I cannot and will not cry in front of her.
“I’m glad you’re okay.I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if something happened to you because of me,” I say.
“How long was I out?”
“Three days.”
Her fingers twine through the strap of my now filthy bridesmaid’s dress.I really need a shower and change of clothes.
“You stayed the whole time,” she whispers.
“Yeah…” And I don’t know why she’s asking these questions.Why she’s dragging this out.So what, I stayed.It doesn’t change anything.She’s still a vampire.I’m still a magician.We’re still from different cities, and it still won’t work.
I shuffle off her lap as she gets out of bed.
Octavia reappears at the window and waves for Dahlia to join them before vanishing again.
“I have to go,” she says.
I nod.“Well… thank you, for… you know.Everything.Guarding me.Taking a knife for me… For… everything else.”
