Page 84 of Eternal Surrender

Waiting for a few seconds, I felt my empathy soar and what had seemed like a simple enough endeavor now took on a different meaning. With mindful ease, I headed after him.

Back up at ground level, outside the door to the dungeons, I waited, having swiftly slid passed Sebastian unnoticed.

I leaned against the wall with my arms folded, Sebastian’s footfalls signaling his imminent appearance at the top of the stairwell. He shot through the doorway, skidding to a halt when he saw me.

“When was the last time you ran like that?” I asked, impressed.

Sebastian turned awkwardly and sprinted down the corridor toward the foyer, almost tripping over himself when he nearly bumped into me.

I bowed slightly. “We could do this all night, but it’s bound to get tedious.”

Fright was etched on his face. “Are you going to kill me?”

I stepped toward him and knelt at his feet, reaching for his right trouser leg, easing up the material to reveal his calf.

“Looks healed to me.” I rose and stepped back, giving him the room he needed.

Sebastian was shaking. “That’s. . . impossible.”

Alex was sitting halfway up the central staircase, watching us.

Sebastian’s hand shot to his mouth, suppressing a scream, seemingly not really taking anything in and struggling to grasp what was happening.

“Sebastian, this means you can dance again,” Alex called from the stairs.

“I don’t want to.” Sebastian shook his head, disallowing any chance of accepting the idea.

Then he lifted his toe, delicately, and placed it down with the grace of a ballet dancer. He pivoted, a pirouette of tentative wonder, testing the strength of his leg. His face was a canvas of disbelief and awe, his eyes wide, glimmering with denial, wonder, and relief. Tears welled and his hand clutched to his chest, scrunching the fabric of his shirt, as if to hold himself to the truth, that this, this miracle, was indeed possible.

“Consider it a going away gift,” I said softly.

He grimaced. “Am I a. . . vampire?”

“No,” I said flatly.

Alex stood up. “Just gave you enough to cure you.”

“He gets it, Alex.” I shot up my hand to silence him, wanting to give Sebastian the quiet he needed to process.

I could hear his heart thundering away and his breathing was way too fast.

“You’re leaving now,” I said. “No one will stop you.”

Alex removed a pair of sunglasses from his trouser pocket. “You’ll need these tomorrow.” He threw them into the air.

Sebastian reached up and caught them, examining the lenses suspiciously.

“Come on.” I headed toward the front door.

Keeping some distance from me, Sebastian followed me out into the night. “Are you really a. . .” He panted behind me. “How long have you been one?”

“We’re not having this conversation.”

“But you’re letting me go, right?”

Chapter Eighteen

“Yes, of course I’m letting you go.” I made my way along the pathway and over the ridge of the hill.