Part 6 (1/2)

Mierna barely heard the last few words; they were as faint as Deborah's silhouette in front of her. But before she disappeared completely, she gave Mierna one last smile-and Mierna knew, once again, without knowing where the knowledge came from, why Deborah had taken the lead and talked to herwhile the others remained in the background.

She blinked. When her eyes opened again, she was back in Elden's bed; in Elden's arms.

He must have left the bed while she slept, because a bright fire now warmed and lit the room. She s.h.i.+fted a little, pulling away from his chest just enough to see his face. His eyes were open, and softened a little when they met hers.

”Warm enough?” he murmured.

”Yes. Thank you.”

How strange to be talking to him, now, when moments ago she had been talking to someone who had been dead for two centuries-or had she? She needed to know if what she had experienced had been real, or a trick her mind had played on her. She needed to be sure that all these things she had come to know had been real.

”Deborah...” She said the name hesitantly, and flinched when Elden's expression hardened. Still, she couldn't stop now. ”She was your first Childe, wasn't she? And your favorite until the day she died.”

The shock clearly spelled out on Elden's face answered her before he did so in words. She could feel his body tense against hers.

”How did you know?”

Would he think she was insane, if she told him? Or would he believe her, and finally accept to sire her, as Deborah had all but promised he would? She had to take the chance.

”She ... she talked to me.”

The shock disappeared, leaving in its wake a blank expression. Elden freed his arm from beneath Mierna's neck and rolled onto his back.

”She's dead, Mierna. It was a dream.”

Sitting up so she could see his face as she spoke, Mierna tried to find the words to explain. She could barely believe herself what had happened, but she could believe even less that she had guessed who Deborah had been exactly without outside help.

”It was a dream, yes, but at the same time it wasn't. She said because of Souls Night ... well, she didn't explain, really. But she said things, things I couldn't know otherwise.”

Elden sighed, and when he asked ”Things like what?” he was clearly humoring her.

”Like ... she said they miss you too.”

He closed his eyes at that, and she took the small gesture as meaning he wasn't convinced. She hurried to relay something else Deborah had told her.

”She said ... the Great Death won't happen again. And I won't die if you sire me.” In a flash, his eyes opened again, pain burning in them. The next second, he was out of the bed and pacing in front of the fireplace.

”You think that by using her name you'll make me change my mind?” he asked, his voice as cold and lifeless as winter. ”You should have more respect for the dead, Mierna, especially those who fought so that your ancestors could live.”

”I do respect her,” she protested. Her hands clenched on the blanket she was holding up to cover herself. ”I respect all of them. That's why I won't stop fighting demons. Even if I didn't love you, I still wouldn't have accepted to marry Gorden. Don't you see this is all I ever wanted?”

”You don't know what you're saying. You don't know the consequences-”

”I know I could die every time I fight!” she interrupted, getting annoyed now that he couldn't see she was telling the truth. ”I'm ready for it.”

His demeanor changed instantly. He stopped pacing and turned to her. With his back to the flames, she couldn't distinguish his face. His voice, though, let her now how upset he was at the idea of her death.

”Don't say that,” he pleaded.

”Why not? It's true. I am a Fighter and I will die a Fighter. I've known it since as long as I can remember.”

”Don't say that,” he repeated, and took a tentative step toward the bed.

”It's a matter of time,” she insisted. ”Nothing you can say will save me. But you can give me a longer time fighting if you make me a vampire.”

A bit of strength returned to his voice. ”No. I won't take the risk-”

It was the same argument again, but this time Mierna remembered something else Deborah had told her.

”Deborah said you had been about to take a new Childe when they all died. Haven't you waited long enough?”