With her dark hair blowing in the wind, enfolding her body like a living cape of silk, he thought she looked like a mysterious, ethereal witch worshiping nature. She turned her head to look at him, and at once he was drowning in her blue-green eyes.
“I worship you,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t and I don’t want you to let it go to your head, but for this one moment in time, I do.”
A slow smile curved his sculpted lips. “I do not think there is much of a chance of anything going to my head.” Nicolae held out his hand to her.
Destiny shook her head. “I was so absolutely certain the culprit had to be a vampire. For so long I had it in my head that what I had become was a monster and humans were good unless something evil such as drugs took hold.”
His hand curled around the nape of her neck, his fingers beginning a slow massage. “Monsters come in all shapes and sizes and species. Not all Carpathians turn into vampires. They are just people attempting to survive. As all humans are simply people struggling to live the best life they can. You were robbed of your childhood, Destiny, but you are a survivor, and you managed to carve out a life for yourself.”
She leaned into him. “You were always there for me, Nicolae. I always had you.” She turned up her face, blatantly inviting his kiss.
He bent his dark head to hers and took possession of her mouth. The earth beneath their feet shifted. His arms wrapped her up, strong and tight, and drew her against the hard length of him.
“I’m afraid you can’t do that sort of thing here,” Father Mulligan pointed out as he came out of the church and regarded them with a twinkling eye.
“Don’t you ever go to bed?” Destiny asked him as Nicolae reluctantly broke their kiss. “Isn’t there a priest curfew or something?”
Father Mulligan’s eyebrow nearly shot up into his scalp. “My dear child. A priest is like an angel without wings, one who may be called upon at any time of the day or night.”
Destiny burst out laughing. Nicolae felt his heart turn over. There was no sound as beautiful as her laughter. “You are terrible, Father. Would you like to come to Velda’s house with us? We’d like to make certain she’s all right.”
“Of course I’ll come. I’ve been visiting daily. Velda took to her bed, and no one seems to know how to help her.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to help,” Destiny said.
They followed him in silence down the block to turn onto Velda’s street. “You look much happier, my dear,” Father Mulligan said. “It’s good to see.”
Destiny slipped her hand into Nicolae’s. It wasn’t all that long ago she had come to the church, ashamed of what she was, thinking herself a monster, and the priest had left the doors unlocked for her. “It’s good to feel happy.” And at peace. She would never be rid of the trauma she had suffered, but she could accept those memories as a small price to pay. She had a life. She had a home and friends. And she had Nicolae.
Inez opened the door to them with a small, falsely cheery smile. “Velda is still not receiving visitors,” she greeted. “Come into the kitchen and sit down. I’ll see if I can get her to come out of her room.”
“Let me go in,” Destiny said. “I think I can help her.”
Inez hesitated, then nodded, leading the way through the small but neat house. Velda was sitting in an armchair, staring out the window with blank, empty eyes. She didn’t look up when Destiny entered and closed the door behind her.
“Velda. Please look at me.” Destiny knelt in front of the chair, took the weathered hand in hers. “You are not alone. You will never be alone. You have Inez and Nicolae. And you have me. I can barely remember my mother. My childhood was hell. Most of it was violent and frightening. I have no social skills. No trust. I don’t know how to express my feelings to anybody. You accepted me and gave me hope when I couldn’t accept myself. Don’t go away from me so soon. I need you here with me.” She stated the facts sincerely. “I do, Velda. I need you.”