The Noctalis Chronicles Complete Set

  “Mmm, okay, message received,” I say, breaking the kiss in case Dad is watching us out the window. Yes, I’ve just told him that I’m immortal but I’m worried about him catching me making out with my boyfriend.

  It’s a strange, mad world.

  Peter

  We wait until Ava thinks she is completely under control before she pokes her head back into the house.

  “Tolerable,” she says, taking my hand and leading me back in. “Dad?”

  He comes out of his bedroom and he looks less scared now, and more upset.

  “Are you going to explain to me what that was? I don’t appreciate you talking to me like that.”

  Ava looks at me and I see that my assistance is no longer needed. It’s time for Ava and her father to have their time. I go out the front door and then climb up to the roof. I know she still wants me nearby just in case.

  “Maybe we should sit down again,” Ava says, walking toward the living room again.

  “No, I’m fine. I just want you to explain if this is one big joke, or if this is real, because I can’t believe that it’s real,” Sam says, and I hear him wiping his face with his hands.

  “I’m sorry about that. It’s just that I’m still getting used to being around blood. Smelling it is still kind of hard for me. It’s like being in a room with a million cheesecakes that I can’t have and I’m absolutely starving. That’s the best way I can describe it,” she says.

  “You want to drink my blood. Like a vampire.” He says it as if he doesn’t believe it, even though Ava has explained this part before. It all goes back to what I told her when we first met. People reject that which they don’t understand.

  “Sort of. But I won’t, I promise. That’s why I had to leave. So I wouldn’t.” She is starting to panic, so I send her some “calming vibes” as she calls them, hoping that will help. I am so proud of her for doing this and being ready to do this.

  “Ava, this is all . . .” He lets out a breath of air and she laughs a little.

  “I know. I thought so too. So did Mom.”

  “How did she take it?”

  “Better than I thought she would, actually, but that was before all this. Before I . . . changed.”

  There is a silence that stretches out as Sam tries to decide what to say next.

  “Why did you do this, Ava? It’s hard enough to believe in the first place, but that you would choose it is even harder to believe.” Ava sighs in her mind.

  “It’s a long story, and I’m not sure if I can really explain all my reasons, but I can tell you that I know I made the right choice.” She hasn’t gone into the story of Di and how I had to Claim her. That was just too much information to give him all at once.

  “You say that now, but what about a few years from now? You can’t go back. I mean, if you’d gone of to Vegas and gotten married, at least you could get a divorce. Why would you do something that can’t be undone?”

  “Why do people get tattoos?” She smiles a little when she says it.

  “That is not the same thing and you know it. This is exactly what I’m talking about. You’re not mature enough to understand what this choice means.” She’s getting frustrated.

  “I don’t think you have the right to judge what I’m mature enough for. I wasn’t mature enough to lose my mother to cancer, but I seem to be doing fine with that.” The moment the words are out of her mouth, she wants to take them back.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just tired of everyone questioning my decision.” Her father walks into the living room and sits back down on his chair.

  “What do you mean, ‘everyone’?” Ava has not told him about Texas or Jamie, or any of that either. There is just so much to tell.

  “Can we not get into that today? Just take what I’ve said and think about it and know that I still love you, more than anything, and that I’m fine and I’m happy. No regrets.” She stands up and holds her arms out for a hug. I am not sure this is a good idea, but she will do what she wants and she knows her father better than I do.

  “I really, really, don’t think I can deal with this, Ava,” he says, getting up and walking past her to go get his car keys.

  “I think I need to go for a drive and be alone for a little while.” I don’t think this is a good idea, but I don’t have anything to say to stop him.

  “Okay, Dad. I love you.” Her voice is hopeful and desperate at the same time. She’s afraid of losing him now.

  “I love you, Ava-Claire Bear. Always.” He gives her a brief smile and then leaves. As fast as I can, I get down the stairs and gather her into my arms.

  “I’m crying on the inside,” she says as I carry her to the couch.

  “I know,” I say, and that’s all there is to say. We just have to wait and see.

  Thirty-Five

  Tex

  I know that Ava needs a night off, but I end up calling her the second we get back to the house.

  She was definitely right in the middle of having sex with Peter. She might be immortal, but I know a sex voice when I hear one.

  “Sorry! I didn’t mean to call this late, but I had some kind of earth shattering news.”

  “Ugh. I can’t deal with more earth shattering. They killed a bunch of people, didn’t they? Oh, God, what are we going to do?”

  “Dude, calm down. Or at least wait until I tell you before you freak out.”

  “Okay.” I hear Peter’s voice, but not what he says. “I’m ready. Lay it on me.”

  “Helena and Di met up with Viktor when they went out and they want to come and help babysit. Or something. I didn’t really get all the details.” Viktor motions for me to hand him the phone, but I move away from him.

  “You’re shitting me.” My reaction exactly.

  “That’s just . . . fantastic. One more thing on top of everything else. Of course this would happen the night that I finally tell my Dad and now Di and Helena are here and I think my head is going to fucking explode.”

  She says it in a rush because, duh, she doesn’t breathe.

  “Wait, you told your dad? How did he take it?” I sit up in bed and try to ignore the fact that the newbies are out in the yard and making a ton of noise.

  “That’s not really the point here, Tex.”

  We go on to talk about the situation, and I have to hand the phone to Viktor to get the complete play-by-play.

  “Okay, we’re on our way. I hate to leave Dad, but we’ll come up, deal, and then come home. Ugh, I cannot believe them.”

  I can.

  Ava

  Peter and I have never flown so fast. I feel bad for making him come, but he says this is our problem and we’re all going to deal with it.

  “I can see her again. She means nothing to me now. I am going to be there for you.” He’s the perfect man.

  We approach the house more slowly, but everyone is out in the back, including a yawning Tex and Viktor, and Jamie’s almost asleep on Brooke’s shoulder.

  And there they are, Di and Helena. Again.

  “Hey!” Helena says, waving. “I know we said that you would never see us again, but here we are and here you are, and it seems as if you’re in a little bit of a sitch.”

  She’s wearing a t-shirt with glitter all over it. Di’s got on another long flowy dress and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail. They still look like teenagers, and of course Di still can’t look at me because the bind to stay away from me is still in effect, so she’s still pretty far away.

  “And what are you going to do about it?” I cross my arms, knowing that I sound like a petulant child. Jamie yawns again.

  “Well, it seems like you have your hands full and we know a little bit about living this life on the down-low. Plus, mending fences seems like a good idea, hmm?” Helena is the mouthpiece, but I want to hear what fabulous thing Di is going to say now.

  “Cal is dead. I . . . made him end himself,” Di finally says, looking at Peter.

  Well knock me over with a feather w
hy don’t you?

  “He wanted me to kill Ava before you turned her,” she says. “And I couldn’t let him, after everything. So he’s gone.”

  “Oh, well that erases everything and now we can be one giant family and things will be perfect and we’ll all sit in the living room and swap presents at Christmas,” I snap. Why am I the only one talking? I look over at Peter, but he’s just looking at Di with an inscrutable expression on his face.

  “Tell her I don’t expect that,” Di says to Peter and then looks at Viktor. “You look good. Both of you. And happy. You look happy.”

  That’s none of her damn business. She did everything she could to make sure he wasn’t.

  “So who are they again?” Seth pipes up which earns him a lot of glares. “Sorry, I’m just trying to figure out who everyone is. I’m bad with names.”

  Everyone reintroduces themselves and then we’re back where we started.

  “I just . . . you’re all I have left and I want you to be happy. So I’m here to try to start to undo some of what I’ve done.”

  That’s going to take about a million years.

  ~^*^~

  Tex and Viktor go back up to the room to get frisky and Brooke takes Jamie inside as well to sleep and the rest of us stand around trying to discuss things in a rational manner.

  “We’ll just hang out a suitable distance so we’re not bugging you, but close enough in case.”

  “In case what?”

  “In case you need us.” Helena grins and then gives me a wink. “Come on Diana. Let’s go and leave them alone.” With that she skips off, holding Di’s hand and I’m left looking at Peter as the newbies stare after Helena and look semi-confused. That makes all of us.

  ~^*^~

  Peter and I have to get back to my house so we end up having to leave everyone with strict instructions to call us if anything happens. We’re going to take shifts to watch the newbies, and I’ve got the midmorning one the next day. I’ve decided that I can only deal with one crisis at a time, and Dad comes first.

  I want to see Dad before he goes to work, so I’m down in the kitchen, waiting beside the coffeepot and I’ve got everything laid out to make him breakfast like Mom used to.

  When he finally comes down, he jumps when he sees me.

  “Ava. You scared me.” He holds onto his chest as if to make sure his heart is still in it.

  “Sorry. I just . . . I wanted to see if you were okay. Do you want any breakfast?”

  “No. I’ll just have some coffee.” I hit the button so a pot will start brewing. At least I can do that.

  “I’m sorry about yesterday, but I didn’t want to lie to you anymore. Plus, I know Aj has been using you as a spy.” Maybe a little humor would help?

  He cracks a tiny smile as I hand him a cup of steaming black coffee, just the way he liked it.

  “She has been on my case every single day about you. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t notice the eyes right away. I’ve been thinking about that, actually. About how I never really notice the color of people’s eyes.”

  “Huh.” I always noticed those things. “So did she have any theories?” I’m so relieved that we’re having a somewhat normal conversation because this feels like a step in the right direction.

  “She kept talking about things that sounded like they were from comic books and then she thought it was drugs or some sort of weird cultish club you were into. Her suggestions got increasingly crazy until I hung up on her.” Ha. They have a strange relationship.

  “What did you think it was?” I can still smell the blood, but it doesn’t smell as good as it did yesterday when it was all fresh and lifey. Blood always smells better that way. Unlike wine, blood is best when it’s ripe and fresh, and does not get better with age. Yuck.

  “I wasn’t sure, so I just watched you and tried to put the pieces together. I didn’t get very far. I was missing your mother so much because I knew she would have gone into detective mode and made a list of possibilities.” Yes, she would have. It reminds me of the list I made of questions to ask Peter when he told me what he was.

  “Do you, um, have any questions for me? I know I had a million for Peter when I first found out. Don’t be afraid of offending me. I want you to know whatever you want to know. I don’t want this to come between us, because you’re all I’ve got now, and we have to stay strong for Mom. She wanted us to take care of each other.”

  He sets his coffee cup down and his eyes are misty. He opens his arms and I put my arms around his waist and give him the first good hug that I’ve given since I turned. I’m not afraid of hurting him anymore. There must be a switch in my brain that I can pull to stop myself from hurting someone I love.

  “I love you, Ava-Claire Bear. More than words could ever say. I’m sorry I missed all those years, but I’m not going to let that happen anymore.” I smile up at him and he smiles back at me and I see so many of my features reflected back at me.

  “Well, I’m going to be like this forever, so you have a lot of time to make up for it.”

  “I’m not sure if I’m going to get used to that.”

  “You’ve got time.” He shakes his head and lets go of me. “You know what? I could really go for some pancakes if you don’t mind making them.”

  “Not at all.” I dash over and start mixing as he sits and watches me.

  “You do look different, now that I know. You move differently. Faster, and more . . . smooth. Not that you were ever clumsy.”

  “I have this perfect center of gravity, so I can do, like, a million turns.” I demonstrate for him while holding the mixing bowl.

  “Impressive,” he says when I stop. Yeah, I probably went overboard, but I’m so happy that we’re talking that I think I got a little carried away.

  “Yeah, sorry. I’ll go back to the pancakes now.”

  “It’s okay, I want to know more about what you can do.” I’d sort of given him just an overview, the Cliff’s Notes version of what I could do. I think the wings are going to have to wait a little while, but I tell him about the speed and the not sleeping and not peeing and all the other cool things that I can and don’t have to do anymore. He listens and his heart races a little, but he doesn’t interrupt, and I think he’s okay. So far.

  I make him a giant plate of pancakes, enough for, like, five people, along with bacon and a side of grapefruit.

  “Are you sure you don’t want any?” he says when I put the plate in front of him and he sees how much food I’ve made.

  “I can’t. I’ve never tried, but Peter said I would get really sick and throw up, and I’d really like to avoid that if I can.” Imagining throwing up blood seems really, really gross. And also a waste of perfectly good blood.

  “That is so strange. But you’re healthy? I mean, aside from the not being alive part?”

  “Yup. Frozen in time. I’ll look exactly like this ten years from now. Perpetual teenager.” It sounds kind of dumb when I say it out loud.

  “Hmm,” he says, taking a bite of pancakes. I think I’ve overloaded him again.

  “So I’m going to go with Peter. Um, we have things that we need to do that I will definitely explain to you at some point, but now doesn’t seem like the right time. I don’t want to overload you, because I know that this is a lot. I got it gradually, and that was bad enough.”

  “And these things aren’t illegal, are they?”

  I give him a look.

  “Do you really want the answer to that question?”

  His face falls and he shakes his head.

  “No, probably not. Just . . . be safe. And watch your back. And your front.”

  “Thanks. You never hear someone telling you to watch their front. They act like it’s implied, but it shouldn’t be. It’s a good reminder.” I give him another hug and kiss the side of his head.

  “I love you.”

  “Love you, too. When are you going to be back?” Now that I didn’t have so much pressure to come back at normal hours, hopefully my
stress levels would be better.

  “Um, I’m not sure. But if you want me home for dinner, I’ll be home for dinner.”

  “I want you home for dinner,” he says immediately.

  “Then I’ll see you at dinner.” I give him one last squeeze and then I’m in the yard and running up the road to meet Peter. No more hiding my car. No more hiding who I am at home. I start laughing and he catches me as I fling myself at him and he spins me around.

  “You are the most amazing creature I have ever encountered, Ava-Claire Sullivan and I am happy that every step I have taken in this life has led me to you and to this moment.”

  He sets me down and then does something that makes me gasp for perhaps only the fourth time since I became a noctalis. He gets down on one knee.

  “Will you marry me?” At some point, he must have stolen the key that never leaves my neck and that goes to his trunk, which is now residing at the new house, and gotten one of his mother’s rings. I’d gone through them before, but I’d never told him this was my favorite one. Gold band with a teardrop-shaped emerald flanked by two diamonds. I should have known that would be the one he picked. It’s the only ring with a green stone.

  “You’re asking me to marry you?” I heard him the first time, but I want him to say it again.

  “Yes. I want you, Ava-Claire Sullivan, to be my wife. For now and forever.”

  I make him wait one more second as I stare down at his face and the brilliant, but almost shy smile on it.

  “Yes, of course I will marry you.” He takes my hand and slides the ring on my left hand and it’s like it’s always been there, and I’d just taken it off for a moment. The ring was at home on my hand and somehow fits me perfectly. I’m not going to ask about that. It would ruin the moment.

  “I love you,” I say, pulling him up by his face so I can kiss the hell out of him.

  “I love you, love you, love you.” We kiss and it’s fireworks and burning passion and I don’t want it to end, but I do end it.

  “Just one thing. In our vows, no ‘til death do us part’ because that’s kind of not relevant.” He rests his forehead against mine.