Another long pause. “Not right this minute, but I see you in the future through that same…fuzziness. You cross again, somehow. Hold on.” I hear the muffled sound of her speaking to someone, assumedly Garrett, then she’s back. “I’m going to put you on with Garrett. We’ll fly over to join you.”
Relief so powerful it’s nearly painful sweeps through me. “Thank you. I am in your debt.Again.” I don’t say that lightly. “I can send a private jet for you.”
“Nah, we got it. Should take us a day to get there.”
I speak with Garrett again. They’ll keep in touch with me and let me know when they arrive on UK soil, and he agrees it’s better not to tell Lucius anything about what’s going on right now.
Ten minutes later, we’ve ended the call and I’m staring at my phone.
At a picture I took of Eilidh before we left Alaska. Of her natural hair—honey gold with reddish lowlights.
I love her.
I love her so painfully, I’d rather embrace the dawn than lose her again.
Except…
I will lose her, won’t I? Humans have ridiculously short lives compared to vampires. In fifty or sixty years, I will likely be alone again. Even the extra decades we might gain with blood exchanges are still not enough.
Because turning her isn’t an option for me right now. Because I don’t wish to lose her like that—it would destroy me, I’m sure of it. I lost Robert, but he was already sick and dying. She is young and healthy, and we should have plenty of time.
If I can just keep my feckin’ hands on the lass.
Dragging myself to my feet, I take a shower, change clothes, down three of the bags of blood I’d brought with me, and talk to John, my office, and deal with some business issues.
Because I still have a business to run if I wish to support my runaway girl’s lifestyle, don’t I?
Once it’s dark enough, with Eilidh’s ring on my left ring finger, I head downstairs to retrieve the rental. I need to find a way back through the stones.
I need to find a way back toher.
36
Eilidh
When Dexter disappears,I’m relieved to realize I’m still there, with Zuzu. Dexter has been sent back through to what I hope is safety.
Except Zuzu lets out a horrified cry, startling me.
I wheel around. “What?”
“You…sent him back!” I don’t understand why he sounds so…distraught.
“I had to! He’s a vampire. He’llexplodein sunlight. Heneedsto get back to our hotel.”
“But you sent your ringwithhim!”
“Well, yeah. But he can come back tonight. You have one.”
Wide-eyed, he walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “Mazbushka,” he whispers, “he’s ofthatworld. He cannot cross alone, and I don’t know if we can make the damaged ring work to allow you to cross to him.”
My heart pounds. “What?”
“I am sorry. If I knew you were going to do that, I would have warned you to take him and cross back yourselfwiththe ring. Perhaps if you had mated with him and claimed him. But your mother could never cross alone with the ring, not without you or your father wearing it, because she was human.”
“You mean…I just sent the guy I love back…and mightneversee him again?”
His agonized expression mirrors the way my soul feels. “I do not know.” He pulls me in for a long hug. “If we can make the damaged ring work properly during full moon, there might be hope. But we have not been able to manage a crossing in so long. Because of the damage to the ring, it has to be on a perfect full moon when the chance is best. Your father almost didn’t make it back the last time.”
