Chapter 50

ROSE

I woke to the soft voices of Aric and Demetrius in the stables.

I pushed the covers off the bed and dressed in a dark green summer dress, pulling my hair back in a long braid that trailed down my back.

As I drew closer to the stables, I heard Aric and Demetrius trying the whiskey, discussing the different types of barrels. When I pushed the door open, I caught them opening a new bottle.

Demetrius grinned up at me. Aric quickly finished his drink.

“Isn’t it a bit early for whiskey?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Maybe,” Demetrius agreed, lifting his glass. “But we’re doing important work.”

“Drinking whiskey in the barn?” I snickered.

“It’s for Grace and James’ wedding. We’re testing the whiskeys,” Aric explained, grinning.

I rolled my eyes and came to sit next to Demetrius. He kissed the top of my head.

“I’ve heard from the twins,” I told them. “They’ll get here in a couple of weeks, in time before the wedding, to help us set it up. Venus and Henry are coming together.”

“What about Phoenix and Alexander?” Demetrius asked. I pursed my lips and shrugged.

“Phoenix will arrive shortly after Venus. I don’t know if she’s bringing Alexander.”

“Mother, I’m going down to Toulouse and Bordeaux in a couple of days. I wanted to pick up the wine. Will you come with me?” Aric asked.

“Of course.” I smiled, and he grinned at me.

***

Aric and I left early in the evening. The sun had barely touched down, and the sky was still lit with a pastel pink and orange glow. It warmed my skin comfortably, but it wasn’t harmful to us.

Little by little, darkness swooped over the sky. Aric and I took the car on the highway, quickly making our way south. Humans didn’t notice us as they made their way home.

We could hear them outside enjoying the long summer nights, drinking and laughing.

We arrived in Bordeaux around midnight. Aric had a list of castles to visit to fetch the wine casks. The full moon hung heavily in the sky, illuminating the road.

Aric turned toward the first castle. He drove up the dirt road lined with miles of grapevines. The heavy wheels of the car crunched as they came to a stop in front of the dark castle.

A light came on from inside as we slipped out of the car. We listened as a human man, complaining about his joint pains, made his way downstairs to greet us.

“We’re on time,” Aric informed me. “Three boxes from here. Grave.”

The wooden door of the castle creaked open, and a small human shuffled out, his thick glasses pressed against his face. His yellowing eyes widened as he took us in. I heard his heart racing.

“Bonsoir,” he managed, I smiled at him, and his eyes widened, his heart racing. I was concerned he’d have a heart attack before we got our wine.

Aric stepped forward, towering over the old man, placing a hand on his shoulder to stabilize him.

“~Montrez-moi le vin,~” he said, guiding the man inside his cellar.

We were able to make it to two more castles that night, surprising humans in the middle of the night to pick up our boxes of wine. When the sun began to rise, Aric and I parked outside an old church.

We hid the car under a tree and pushed the church doors open. Below the church was an open cavity where bodies had been buried over the centuries.

Aric squatted and lifted one of the heavy church stones. He pulled it aside, and I slipped down. It was dark and smelled like dirt and dust. The bodies had long lost their human scent.

Aric followed me inside and pulled the stone into place above us.

There were a few blankets on the floor from past journeys purebloods had made in the region. Aric and I were immediately asleep.

***

We left Bordeaux two evenings later and drove south toward Toulouse. I was driving while Aric fidgeted nonstop with the music, forcing me to listen to all his new favorites.

“I prefer the classics,” I told him honestly. He snickered.

“What’s classic, Mother?” he asked. “This is indie rock. Tell me what you think of it. After, I have a new jazz song for you.” He grinned, excited like a little boy.

I smiled at him. “Tell me more about your girl,” I said, indicating with the car I was changing lanes. Aric turned down his music a little. “Have you discussed further with her?”

“Hmm, by phone,” he said, staring ahead.

“Has she decided?” I asked.

“Not yet.” He made a small grimace. “It’s not easy for her. It’s a big decision.” He pursed his lips.

As pureblood vampires, we’re probably the most patient creatures on the planet. However, five-hundred-year-old males didn’t enjoy waiting for their love interests to make up their minds.

It was not flattering.

“Tell me about her,” I said softly.

“She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” he said quickly. “A completely different species.”

“What is she?” I asked, frowning. He laughed lightly.

“She’s amazing, Mother. And I cannot stop thinking about her.”

“Why doesn’t she want to be with you?” I asked.

He chuckled darkly. “Probably because she’s afraid I’ll rip her head off one day.”

“Is she human?” I asked, my voice breaking slightly. I turned to face him. He was staring straight at me, his lips pursed.

“For now,” he responded quietly.

I turned back to the road, watching it flash past us. A human. A human and a pureblood would never work. Even a pureblood and a turned vampire was unheard of.

But who was I really to say anything? Had I not also fallen in love with a human? Was adopting a human so different?

The car was quiet for a few miles before Aric spoke up again. “Mother, don’t worry. No one else knows. I’ll see where it goes.

If she wants to be with me, then we’ll have to decide. If not, I can care for her at a distance. It’s her choice. Until then, don’t worry, okay?”

“I’m still confused as to how a human could possibly resist you,” I admitted. He chuckled and gave a wry grin.

“So am I.”

As we careened into Toulouse at two in the morning, Aric guided me through the dark city, turning his music off.

We made it to one castle that night for our wine, then drove a couple of miles down the road to another smaller castle that had been owned by my parents.

It was empty when we stepped into the foyer. Aric carried the boxes of wine down to the cellar while I went hunting.

We sat down as the sun was rising to a couple of glasses of Saint Emilion and an old baker whose blood was faintly floury.

“Tomorrow evening, I’m going into town to see someone,” Aric told me as he stood up and put his glass down. “I think you’ll want to come with me.”

I arched my brows. “I would?”

“Yeah, trust me.” He grinned, then danced off to his room.

***

He woke me up very early. The sun was still up, casting golden glows across the horizon. I dressed quickly and moved to the foyer where he was waiting.

Aric had dressed up comparably to the other night on our trip. He was in dark jeans and a fitted blue button-up shirt the same color as his eyes. He grinned at me.

“Are you going to tell me who we’re meeting?” I asked, secretly hoping we were going to see his girl.

“You’ll see.” He winked at me and pushed the door open. The last rays of sunshine hit us, and we both hissed in pain.

We rushed toward the car and rolled the dark tinted windows up. Aric threw the car in gear, and we drove off. The sun set completely as we drove.

He parked in an underground parking lot, and then we walked out into the city. It was full of humans walking in groups, drinking, shopping, and enjoying the warm weather.

Aric took my hand and led me to a small bar between two restaurants overflowing with drunk humans.

“In here,” Aric murmured, pushing the bar door open and stepping inside, dragging me with him.

The bar was full of humans drinking, playing cards, and eating saucisson and cheese platters.

But there was a scent so familiar. It reached me the second I stepped inside. So sweet. My throat went dry, and my heart beat once while I scanned the room. Then I saw her.

I almost fell down. She was standing at the back of the room, a beer in her hand, raising it to wave at me. She was tall, slender, strong.

Her dark curls were cut short to her shoulders, and her skin was darker than I remembered. Her eyes, the same peculiar color—blue-green, like opals—boring into mine.

She was more beautiful than I even imagined. My daughter. My Eleanor.