“These are the letters Penelope wrote and hid in the desk in Viktor’s library. How…How did Harrison get them?”
“Because Harrison wrote them,” I answer.
“Why would he do that?”
“He was obsessed with Penelope and under thedelusion that Celeste was his daughter. What he couldn’t have in life, he would take in death. He somehow got those letters inside of Viktor’s house and knew you’d find them.”
Amelia moves toward the window. “I don’t understand.”
I pause not sure I want to share the next bit of information. “Amelia, he’s planned this since you were a child.”
“I want to believe you, but how would he know I would grow up to look like Penelope? That doesn’t make sense.”
I move to her side. “They grew up together. He’d known her his entire life. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was fate. We’ll never know.”
“I believed him,” she says with tears filling her eyes.
“Yeah, me, too.”
“Thomas?” she asks.
“He’s good. He’s having a hard time with the truth.”
She scoffs. “Understandable.”
We stand in awkward silence, neither knowing what else to say. “I need to go.” I pull her in for one last hug. “Keep in touch. I’m here if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Violet. For everything.”
……
St. Augustine
Six Months Later
I follow the tour guide, listening to her description of the home that once belonged to Cyrus Knight, the conquistador vampire. “This home is one of the oldest in town. The architecture is Spanish in nature, with a large garden and open-framed structure. Over the years, it has been owned by several different families, ending with the Ward family, who purchased the property in the 1920s and are still the rightful owners.”
The small group of tourists look at the house, admiring the small details she points out before they continue their walk. I wait for them to turn the corner before entering the garden gate. My heart drops seeing the bench where Cyrus and I once sat.
I wipe a silent tear as I sit, being careful not to break the rickety iron. “I think you missed the tour,” a man says, coming out of the house.
The moment he exits, his energy hits me. He’s lycan. He feels the same, stopping in his tracks. His eyes turn red as he tries to make sense of a vampire being in his garden. “What do you want, vampire?”
“My name is Violet Du Four. I was friends with Simon Ward. He used to live here.” I have no idea if he’ll know who Simon was, but my words feel right.
“Violet?” the man asks, wrinkling his forehead. “I’ve heard of you.”
I can’t hide the smile that covers my face as he moves closer. He holds his hand toward me. “Sebastian Ward.”
I laugh aloud at his name. “Your family still sticks with the letter S.”
He laughs with me. “Yeah, it’s annoying. I’ll admit.” He leans against the familiar live oak tree. “Simon talked about you and Cyrus all the time. I’ve heard stories from my father that were passed down through the generations.”
“You did?” I don’t know why that surprises me. “Is he…Is he still alive?” The minutes the words leave my lips, I realize how dumb my question is. Lycan have the same lifespan as humans. There’s no way he’s still alive.
Sebastian shakes his head. “No. He passed away in 1994. He lived to be an old man.” He scoffs. “An old, cranky man.”
“I should’ve visited him.” My voice sounds sad.
