CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE -FIFTY-THREE

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Whoever said that a vampire could withstand pain and feel no emotions was totally off the rails. As my Count went into the room to nurse his brother to health, the screams that followed were vociferous and violent. My heart ached and I so wished that I could have done better for Count Thaneus. The vehemence of the antidote left Count Thaneus bleeding no blood, but he bled of pure unadulterated pain. I wanted to be a coward and run out of the cabin but as a show of solidarity I remained behind. My tummy was growling, and my back was aching from fatigue, it was only now the repercussions of my journey into time travel was wreaking havoc with my hormones. I wondered if this was the same scenario as my last life, but I brushed it aside. There was no sense in dwelling in a past that was already gone. Eventually the screaming started to pail until there was no longer a sound to be heard except the footsteps of Samsidion. I was in the kitchen trying to bake a tiny loaf of bread and brew up a cup of herbal tea. Samsidion was looking drained out by the attack of pain that he had just witnessed. I held onto my dear breath waiting rather eagerly for the report that he would give me. There was an aura of peace in the air that could go two ways. Either Count Thaneus will live, or he has expired. I dare not linger on any of those scenes, so I emptied my head making sure that I was void of all thoughts. I poured out my tea from the pot and blew on it.

"The worst is over." I could not help myself. I exhaled heavily as a sigh of relief let out.

"The wounds?" I needed to find how the salve had worked.

"His skin is as good as new." I felt a wash of relief bathe me. It was worth all the effort. I just hoped that the juice of the Sanjeevani tree would act as a buffer that kills the infection.

He knew my mind by now. "We will know in twenty-four hours. I nodded and then I slumped into a handy nearby chair.

"I am bushed and famished." I declared and my husband smiled. He was learning to cope with my modern way of talk. He then walked to the coal fired stove, opened it, using a cloth he pulled out my bread.

"Oh, my," I was enthusing as the bread smells like heaven. Too that he grinned because heaven was a taboo subject. I was surprised when my Count cut off a thick slice and handed it to me. If only we had thought of packing extra butter from the castle.

"Soon my love." His promise was solid, and I believed in him. This was one particular vampire that had value to his word. I then remembered a vital point.

"You too must be starving." I reminded him that he had not had his dose of blood in a long time.

He gave it a thought. "My cravings are being curved. He felt at ease. "I need to substitute because even though we have arrangements to people for monetary gain, eventually a problem shall escalate." These were my very thoughts, but I did not want to dampen his spirit and tell him so.

"What do you have in mind?"

"A mountain lion is sustainable for at least a month." That was good news to my hearing, and I silently applauded my Count on reaching out into new avenues.

"I do not wish to hurt anything living especially the human species." He took a pregnant pause. "The lion is harmful to man as well as to the deer."

"Yes," I interjected. "Herbivores are peaceful, and lions tear them apart." It was just an observation, but I needed to get it of my chest. Even I was thinking about migrating to veganism.

Gosh I was tired and drained. "Will you stay with me while I rest?" I had to ask him because the last few days that we had left together, I wanted to spend maximum time with him. He nodded immediately. We went into the parlor because the cabin was sparsely furnished, and I lay on the long sofa. My Count was right beside me as I fell into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, with me my sleep would always be burdened by dreams that had a bad habit of taunting me. This time it was Grams that would put the spanner in the works. She always came to me garbed in white and smiling but this time her lips wore notes of fatigue and somber. While I was always happy to see her, I knew that her apparition arrived bearing bad news.

"What is it now Grams?" Best to pull out the band aid and just go straight to the crux.

She studied me momentarily, sizing me up and down before speaking. "You have to go back Athena." She was scolding me. "Your work is almost complete. You must not build a tie that makes it hard to sever." Her warning was adequate, and I knew that.

"I will not fight my journey back home Grams." I was irritated and it shone in my voice. I swallowed my spit. My anger allowed me to salivate so I can spit out vehemence, but I could never charge at my grams. "I have spoken to the Count already." She heard the quiver of hurt filter through my words. She heard the emotion catch at the base of my throat as the tears wanted to flow but she was kind enough not to allow it to go further.

"You can call him your husband child." She went to gentle because the one thing I recalled about my Grams; she never wanted me to be in pain. "You also need to tell him the two truths that you keep buried in the chambers of your heart. He needs to know." She planted her opinion firmly and I respected her, but I loved Samsidion too much never to hurt him.

"I cannot hurt him in that way, Grams."

"He is not a boy child." She snapped at him. "He is a man, and he does suspect an ounce of foul play. You need to set his mind at ease so he can carry on without you."

This was the time that I wished to unburden my soul. "I fear that he will die from the guilt only."

"That is why you have saved his brother child." She turned kind again. "He will help him face the next two centuries." This was the time I decided that I should ask her opinion.

"I wish for him to change me."

I expected her to go full-fledged madness on me; instead, she remained calm. "That is inevitable, and it will happen in time."

I just had to ask her something else. "Do you approve of me transitioning Grams?" She did not have to think of a reply and her lips smiled with a sardonic imbalance. It was not necessarily bad, but it was not approval either.

"In our lives, nothing is promised girl." Whenever she called me girl, it meant that we were levelling honestly as adults. I sucked in my breath quickly, expecting the worse. "But we can never hold onto anyone for selfish reasons. I am still here my dear but if your fate is to sit upon a cloud with a man of Samsidion`s stature then who am I to pose in the wake of your happiness."

Her reply took me beyond any measures of surprise. Somehow, she was supporting whatever decision that I would make but I felt that hint of something else. She wanted me to choose the right way of life but she also accepted the fact that my mind was made up.

"I cannot live without him." Emphatic words I had chosen to prove to her that I was not made like her. "I will await him in every life that I take."

She was glum. "That I already know, and no one blockade a path that you deem fit for yourself."

I still wanted to explain further. "He too will not let me go. He has haunted my dreams to a point that I could not embrace my new life." My explanation was feeble but how could I explain to my Grams that Count Samsidion was in my vein, and I could die for him. She knew my feelings better than I did so all I could see her matted with sadness. Not because I took refuge in the arms of a vampire but because I had already decided to change for him. I bit my lower lip hard, and I suspected that I winced out aloud. There were some questions that truly needed to be asked and I was unaware of my time frame that would enable me to talk to my old girl again.

"Why did you help me?"

She smiled because this was easy for her to answer. "Simply, it is not for me to decide because the Count will play an integral part in society in the future but as a grandmother, I would not want my child to become part of the undead." I heard her loud and clear. I even understood what her meaning was, and it was obvious that she was not quite finished. "It also pains me that you won't have children of your own and then our family line will seize to exist."

I found that amusing because it showed just how little she knew. The only way that I could pacify her was by saying. "I am still here grams and so are you." My words were fodder for her thoughts and without even saying goodbye, she diminished into the fog of my dreams. All I had left was the forage of our conversation. For one thing that I knew equivocally was that I would convince Samsidion to change me so that I could exist in his world. Forever was a long time but for us we could be separated just by a hair strand of a solitary breath. I did sleep of course until I felt my eyes open to a not so dark room. The lamp had been snuffed out and this told me that it was already morning. Of course, the cabin was covered entirely in heavy material so that not even a droplet of sunlight could seep through but that was all good. Samsidion had left me to sleep, and I suppose he knew that I was in conference with Grams. It was not the most comfortable sleep that I had but it was better than nothing. I sat up straight, wondering if I could grab a tea before I went out into the lake to shake off some of the dust from my many travels and as I rose, I was greeted with the most beautiful sight ever to grace my presence.

"Lady Gabrelle?" Count Thaneus was rocking in a blue garment of their time in contraption. He was surprised which told me that my Count did not divulge my presence. Even on the night that we had arrive, the Count was too delirious to realize that it was me. He broke out into a grin; all of his pearly white teeth perfectly aligned. His hand was still confined to heavy gloves, but he was in the peak of health.

He surprised me by coming closer and with his free hand he took mine and kissed it with respect. "You are a sight for this tired Count." My smile was back and even the back lashes of all my concerns I was so happy to see Count Thaneus.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Count Thaneus`s jaw hung for a few minutes.

"I can hardly believe it," he enthused. "When? How?" This got a reaction of laughter out of me. He was genuinely excited to see me. "Lady Gabrelle?"

I tapped his gently on his hand. "First and foremost, how do you feel, and I go by the name Athena now?"

He shook his head at incredulity of the situation. "It is like a miracle. The pain is less, and my body is regrooming. I feel so alive." He was twirling around in excitement. He came and grabbed me on my arm. "It is all because of you Lady Gab. I mean Lady?" He had forgotten and that surprised me because vampires have stellar memories. Given the circumstances of his heightened jubilation I smiled and spoke.

"Athena." His hype got me all excited and even I could not help but smile broadly. I turned my attention to Samsidion who was eyeing me with deep intent. My smile walked away from Count Thaneus party. I knew what he was thinking. I had fulfilled my purpose and soon I will have to go back. I wish it was simple, I was silently speaking to him as our eyes connected in the space of words.

He nodded, "I know," he replied. "The sequence of life determines the order of stability." I had to think about that and eventually the power of his words made much sense. While caught up in my garb of pity I had forgotten the most important part of Count Thaneus`s healing. As he was walking towards the door and he was about to open it, I yelled.

"WAIT!"

He immediately halted and turned to look at me. Count Samsidion was next to me almost immediately.

I looked at my Count, with over pouring of concern. Then I turned at focused my attention on my Count`s brother. "You cannot go out into the sunlight without an amulet." It seemed that we had all temporarily forgotten about that one minor but most important fact. "The potion that you drank was to stop the infection from spreading further and the salve was for healing. You still need the amulet."

This definitely was a buzz kill that put the spanner in the works. It was my Count that thought that he was coming to the rescue.

"I can give him mine just to go outside." Samsidion understood all too well that his brother felt cooped up inside. I shook my head decisively.

"That will not do at all." Two pairs of eyes locked on me awaiting an amiable explanation to which I was ready to give.

"You see the amulets that I created in potency of magic is destined to be of service only to the wearer. After a time, it will seize to exist only for the one that keeps it with him only." They did not know this fact and even I was not aware of its functionality until right now. It was amazing that my power was increasing in bounds of wisdom every day. I was becoming powerful in my own right, and it did not even frighten me.

"What about the one that had stolen mine?" Thaneus was eager to know, and the answer was already available at the tip of my tongue.

"She will be dealt with in a pain that is so excruciating that she would wish the day that she was born." Even as I spoke the words, I could feel a sword piercing my heart. I did not relish the fact that she would suffer but no crime could go unpunished.

Count Thaneus was hurt by my words. "Is that necessary?" He power punched me with a magnificence in words that was cloned with sympathy. "She was just a petty thief."

While I was born with sympathy and kindness, the witch inside of me had no mercy and patience. If the thief shall find out about the power of the amulet, then it would be disastrous for every practicing witch. I knew that my Count had read my mind, but I did not want his brother to know too much. He needed to heal and find his way. I put my hands in the pockets of the pants that I had bought in the mountains. The purchase that was tucked away felt wonderful as it twirled around my fingers. I took them out and opened my hands so that the brothers could see. Count Thaneus had joined us and his eyes rounded in amazement.

"You have the stones." He did not know that I had transported in time and now was not the time to unfold my tale.

It was amazing as though my thoughts were in sync with Count Thaneus.

"Lady Athena, I have yet to learn about how you got back here." He cleared his throat, and I knew he wanted to add that I had been burnt to my death, but protocol and good manners prevented him from asking. Between my Count and I, we relayed the story together. I was mildly aware that Count Thaneus did not react the way Samsidion did. Instead, he was open eyed and eared as he took in my story with a grain of salt. I wanted to ask him if he did not find all off this incredulous, but I held back. Samsidion had listened to me as though I was a mad woman ready to attack on him and Count Thaneus was baring in silence as he was quite taken by the tale.

"Lady Athena you are the most wonderful." He was oozing with sweetness. "You actually came back to save me. For this I will be eternally grateful." Theatrically, he clutches the left side of his chest as though he was squeezing his heart. I did not have the heart to tell him that it is my connection with Count Samsidion that made all of this possible.

"You are not threatened by a fact that I could be conjuring a story and pulling you into a web of lies." I gave my Count a side ward glance and his expression doused too demure. His body language spoke in volumes, and I could feel the oppression he felt.

Count Thaneus on the other hand had no bones in his body that captured to negativity. He was forever grateful. "Not at all, Lady Gabrelle." It was a force of habit to call me by the first name that he knew me by and under the circumstances it was okay by me. His eyes were loaded with concern. "My brother and I defied the law of death, and we stand here today experiencing the world because of a phenomenon." He gave himself some composure so he could fight with well-chosen words so that his interpretation may become a speed point of understanding. "Time travel is a marvelous miracle." If he was human, I would probably seem him salivating and drooling. He then had a light bulb moment. "Perhaps I can return with you Lady Gabrelle."

His request left me obsolete of words. If ever it was possible, I would gladly take back both the brothers. My wandering ricocheted to sadness and my throat became sandpaper grit. There were no words to speak because I was clogged and void of consoling.

It was Samsidion that broke the ice and chimed in. "It is the forces of nature that determines the world and if my Lady has to change the order of all our lives there will be an imbalance."

I chimed in my bit. "The ripple will change many things that could cause a much big disaster."

He nodded in understanding and then brightened up, reminding himself about the current dilemma. "What about my amulet?" He pointed at the stones in my hand.

I shook my head. "I can recreate it, but I cannot do many." I was doubtful but the storm of information in me was raging. "If the piece gets into the wrong hands, there is no telling what can go wrong." My Count`s eyes were alight with wonderment. He knew exactly where I was coming from.

Count Thaneus was eager to get back to living his life the way he was accustomed to it. "So," he took a valuable pause. "When will you be able to do my talisman?"

This was the difficult part because the inner witch in me had a plan already. It did not mold in the formation of our plans, but it had to be done in a certain way. "We will have to leave for the castle immediately." My declaration got two sets of cries from the brothers. They could not approve of my decision, but they also knew that it would be the final one.

"Can you not prepare for it in the neck of the woods." My Count was trying to hurry the process. I sadly shook my head.

"We need the dirt of the castle." He did not understand my meaning because some of my thoughts were gladly guarded.

Samsidion decided to forgo seeking for an explanation. "How will my brother take the journey."

This was easy for me explain because my Count had once travelled in incognito with me while he had no talisman as a protection. This time he did read my mind and he acknowledged me knowingly.

"We will leave at the first crack of dawn." He submerged into our traveling plans and he gratefully added that we will choose a different village to seek providence for rest. That was good with me. Even though Count Thaneus was blooming in recovery, we could not take any chances of the sunlight grabbing him again. He just would not come back from that.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

As my Count had promised we left in the early hours of dawn. I had feelings that had me withdrawn and anxious to get to our destination. Something told me that my time here was almost up. We had to make many stops accrued to the bumps, nausea had it me very sickeningly. Each time I got off the carriage we had to ensure that Count Thaneus was covered from the sunlight. We stopped at a smaller village and found accommodation at a quaint inn. This time we secured two rooms because I told Samsidion that we should not draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. Count Thaneus rushed off into the wild and while I was afraid that he was too weak my Count subtly reassured me by pointing out that they both needed to eat. After a good dinner, I settled down on the bed and went uneasily to sleep. I tossed and turned and did a lot of worrying. Grams wanted me to tell Samsidion the truth about my death. I kept asking myself what good shall come out of the truth. There will only be hurt toward the man that I love. Then I questioned her motive and wondered if there was a method to her madness. She would not encourage something so distasteful just for ego. When it came to Grams everything had a purpose. I could not sleep and soon enough I heard my Count come in through the window. He had left in that manner, so it was only accountable for him to arrive like that too.

"You do not sleep, my love." His extremely mass sank the feather soft bed, allowing for an indentation.

My confession was simple and honest. "I worry too much." It made no sense in denying this battle that was axing my brain. I needed liberty to give me the strength.

He offered me his arm and while it was icy, I welcomed his hold over me. I felt safe, calm and loved when he encircled me. Out of nowhere my hormones decided it was their time to wreak havoc on me. The tears first came one by one and then they replenished into a mild waterfall that had me sobbing against his chest.

"It will be okay." He was trying to console me, but I knew that inside his body was burning like fire over tar.

I had to compose myself. "This time will be worse." I was showing signs of being helpless. I did not want to fall apart but here I was in shredded strands. "At least as Gabrelle I was dead to feel any heart break." I needed to sob and Samsidion knew me well enough to allow myself to grieve. He too was between a rock and a hard place. I felt his pain too and I knew that the first time had nearly destroyed him. This time devastation will be altogether more prevailing.

"Let`s make the most of this little time that we have together." He gathered me in his arms and began kissing me gently. After just a few caressing moments, my Count had managed to help me stray away from the bitter reality and sent me spiraling up to the heavens. If only…. Was my last thought as he ravished me, and I dropped into an exhausted sleep. The next morning, I awakened to a smidge of darkness that promised in a short few minutes a burning hue will jump into the horizon. There was nothing to pack but the night before Samsidion ensured that we had adequate supplies for the balance of the journey. Count Thaneus was already ensconced into the carriage and tucked away in the darkest spot available. He was huddled inside a dark blanket that kept him away from any prying sunlight. Yet again the journey was something climbing off a horror movie and my stomach was turning and I was retching all the way leaving a trail of vomit. We chose places to stop and take a breather, but my Count advised that we should move as fast as we could so that we make the most out of the light. We made it just in time to reach the Castle before darkness could envelope us. My first order of business was that off a nice hot bath before a good bowl of steaming something. Count Samsidion was amused when I told him that. After I was bathed and fed, wrapped in something that resembled a warm gown I sat on our bed to digest before going to bed. My Count walked in with no hesitation of waiting for an invite and sat down right beside me. I knew that something was weighing very heavily on his mind, and I waited rather impatiently for him to speak his peace.

"When will the amulet be ready"

I laughed, enjoying the mellow lighting that came out of the burning lamp. "Ah, are you waiting to get rid of me." I was joking of course but Samsidion gentle expression transformed into a stony one in just a matter of seconds.

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped; obvious to me that his mood was spoilt. "If anything, it is tearing me up inside that you are leaving and of I do survive, I will have to wait many more centuries for you." He was hurt and I felt like a total tool. "Can you imagine the agony that I would have to undergo." Now I felt extremely bad, and I just muttered my apology steaming with shame.

"Sorry." As a gesture of good faith, I put my hands over his, wincing at the icy exterior. No matter how prepared I was, I will always be taken by surprise that my Count was so chilled.

I woke up and walked to the dresser to receive the purple stones that I had purchased at the mountains. I went to my Samsidion and placed it in his hands. With the glow of the lamp, they sparkled as though they were diamonds. There was just a pair because that was all I could get. Something in my mind reminded me that I will only get enough of something that was truly needed.

"Tell me about the place that you went to for these stones and the plants." He was genuinely interested, and I was happy to oblige. I left no details out no matter how minor they were ad then I gave him a somber gaze of genuine sorrow.

"I am truly sorry that I had to sell off your family broach." I did not care much for jewelry but to my Count it represented his family`s heritage.

He held my hand firmly and gave me a gentle squeeze. "Do not think much about it. It is only a bauble that can be replaced. Besides, you saved my brother by using it." I wanted to ask him if I could go to sleep because I had amassed a ton of fatigue but then I thought of how limited our time was, so I fought myself to stay awake. We laughed, we spoke, we made love until the early parts of the morning. Samsidion tried to break loose out of our embrace, but I squealed that I was so comfortable. In the end he just lay there basking in my love. I so wished that we would never have to separate but it was just hopeful dreaming. I had to question the universe as to why we give us a second chance only to snatch it back. I did not care about anything fancy; all I wished was for happiness but of one thing that I was quite certain of was when I went back home, I was going to take much better care of myself. For now, I had a little bit of time with my Count, and I was going to make the best of it. After I had made such a good decision, sleep bombarded me into an early morning rest.