Epilogue
When I opened my eyes, the early morning light was still thin, as though the sun had just risen. It appeared we had only been gone a short time rather than days.
I turned my head to look at Finn, who was still asleep. Concerned, I reached out and touched his chest, but relaxed when I realized he was fine. Sleeping, but unharmed.
He sucked in a deep breath and his eyes opened. His head twisted toward me and I found myself gazing into the same eyes that I’d seen staring out of Aveta’s face. I wondered if Finn had inherited his beautiful purple eyes from Aveta. His dark brown hair held hints of red as the morning sun pierced the windows and fell on us both.
“You have her eyes,” I murmured, trailing my index finger over his eyebrow. “And his hair.”
“Do you think that they’re my ancestors?” he asked, immediately understanding my question.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure, but it seems possible. You look too much like them both for it to be a coincidence.” As part of my training, my mother taught me that coincidence was rare in magic. I would not be surprised to discover that the man I loved was a direct descendent of Alaunus and Aveta. “But I think that Alaunus is your ancestor regardless.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think we just witnessed the creation of the first vampire,” I replied.
Finn’s brows lifted. “You think that vampires were created by witches?” He sounded shocked.
“Yes. Rhiannon spoke of creating more beings such as Alaunus and he had all the physical characteristics of modern day vampires. His eyes and fangs. And the connection he and Aveta shared…” I trailed off. “I believe it’s the same connection you and I share, the same bond that all vampires share with their mates.”
“But they were not of this earth,” Finn responded. “The land where all this happened, it no longer exists. How would they find their way here?”
“I can’t be certain, but I believe that Rhiannon thought she was imprisoning them when she cast her final spells. Only the place where they were imprisoned was actually another plane of existence. Our plane of existence.”
“Dear Goddess,” Finn whispered. “It explains so much about vampire history.”
I sat up slowly and reached for the book, hoping to find some sort of explanation within its pages.
As I smoothed my hand over the thick vellum, my mother’s handwriting appeared once again, an elegant scrawl moving across the page as if her ghostly hand held the pen at this moment.
My dearest Kerry, I am sorry to leave you with yet another enemy to face. Unfortunately, we cannot choose when the past will come back to haunt us.
I’m sure you’re wondering, just as I did the first time I cast this spell, what happened to Aveta and Alaunus. While most of their history after this is lost, it is known that Aveta and her child survived. Many, including me, believe that Alaunus is still alive as well.
But these two are not the reason this book called to you, no matter how much you might wish to help them.
Rhiannon, the dark witch who coveted their power and sought to destroy them all, is the true peril here. She worked to heal the damage that Alaunus wrought on her form. And once she was able to return to her full abilities, she strove tirelessly to gain power and leverage as discreetly as possible.
I don’t know when Rhiannon crossed the veil, but she is here now and has been for centuries. What she did not count on was the animavore. Cornelius was quite taken with her when their paths crossed. I believe he intended to make her his consort. She denied him and disappeared.
When Cornelius has been defeated, Rhiannon will emerge from hiding. When she does, this book will reach out to you. I cannot be sure of her motives or desires, but, after thousands of years of building her strength, I have no doubt she will be a formidable opponent should you find yourself faced with her.
If you discover that Rhiannon intends to wreak havoc in this world, I want you to find Aveta, and Alaunus if possible. They have faced the dark witch before and may be able to help you.
I know you are strong, my darling daughter, and I have every confidence you will prevail if you are challenged. But you will need help.
I love you always.
I understood why my mother left me such a message. Magic had a long tradition. First, knowledge had been passed down orally. Later, rituals, spells, and information were shared through the written word.
In our time together, my mother taught me everything she could, but even a century wouldn’t have been enough to show me all that I needed to know now. Her words also confirmed my suspicions. Aveta, Alaunus, and Rhiannon were not of our world, but from a land that created mythology, gods, and goddesses.
Finn read the words over my shoulder, his hand coming up to rest on the side of my neck, squeezing gently. The simple, supportive gesture brought the tears I’d been holding back to my eyes.
“It doesn’t say whether or not you’re a blood descendent of Alaunus and Aveta,” I muttered, “But I imagine it would be easy to discover if we have a chance to speak to them.”
Finn kneaded my neck again. “That’s not important right now.”
I sniffed, wiping away the few tears that threatened to fall. “It might be. If you’re a descendent, I can use your blood to track them down.”
He turned me towards him, wrapping his arms around me. I pressed my forehead into his throat and hugged him back. “You don’t need to worry about that right now,” he insisted. “I know it hurts you when you find letters from her.”
I sniffled again. “A little, but mostly it makes me miss her. When I see her handwriting and read her words, I can almost hear her voice speaking to me. Even after all these years, I miss that. I miss talking to her, even when she was giving me shit for not behaving appropriately as the future High Priestess of the coven.”
Finn ran his hand over my spine, up and down. The soothing motion actually calmed me. He definitely had the magic touch because I would have pushed any other man away in the past. “Okay.”
I pulled myself together. “I need to get started,” I stated. “I’m going into all of this blind. Hell, I’ve never even heard of this Rhiannon witch. Have you?”
He shook his head. “You need to rest. Right now, you’re riding on adrenaline from the spell and the vision, but you’re going to crash soon. This will all be waiting for you after you take a nap.”
“I can’t nap now!” I cried. “This could be a matter of life or death!”
Finn cupped my face in his large hands. “Focus, Kerry. Use your abilities. Do you feel any danger?”
I wanted to argue with him, but he had a valid point. Damn the man and his ability to be logical.
Finn grinned at me as though he could read my thoughts and I realized I’d likely broadcasted them quite loudly all on my own. Another indication I was as tired and stretched thin as he thought.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and did as he suggested. I sensed no peril or threat in my city. When I lifted my eyelids, Finn was smiling down at me.
“Feel better?” he asked.
I frowned at him. “Yes,” I mumbled. “But there’s no way I can sleep yet.”
“Then we’ll talk for a bit until you get sleepy.”
I sighed, but gave in. Finn was right. I wouldn’t be effective if I was working from a state of exhaustion.
“Come on. We’ll lie in bed and you can tell me all about your plan,” he invited.
I stared at him in bemusement. “I just found out about all of this. I don’t have a plan.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Of course you do. I know how your mind works, Kerry. You’ve already begun thinking about what your first five steps should be.”
He swept me up in his arms and headed toward the door. Over his shoulder, I flicked my hand and the book floated back to the shelf, sliding into its spot without hesitation.
Finn knew me too well. I had already begun formulating how to learn more about Rhiannon. My mother’s letter had mentioned Cornelius and how Rhiannon had hidden from him. Cornelius had a twin–Rhys. Though I didn’t know him well, I believed he might be able to supply me with vital information.
When Cornelius had begun his campaign to gain control, my friends and I had been taken by surprise. I was determined to learn everything I could about Rhiannon, Aveta, and Alaunus because I couldn’t allow that to happen again.
Rhiannon had already torn apart the lives of two people who loved each other. I had no intention of allowing her to do the same to me.
And, maybe, I would be able to bring Aveta and Alaunus together again. After witnessing their past, I believed they deserved a chance at happiness. Together.