Chapter Fifty-Three
What to Expect When You're Expecting Magic
Though Mika had been irritated at Juliet's lack of disclosure, he decided not to pester her further about her encounter with Mr. Tall. Time went by in relative silence as the Cirque moved to its next destination. On the road as they were, Juliet and Mika were forced to spend an inordinately long amount of time together. Sometimes the caravan or trailers did not stop for days before reaching the next site for their performances, and there was a rather steady rotation of drivers for each section of the Cirque. Mika and Juliet were in the rather small 'performers' section with Cormac Limbs, Gertha Teeth, Truska (the beautiful bearded woman) and the other acts that drew crowds to the secretive Cirque du Freak.
Being in the performers' caravan meant interaction with the other performers, and Mr. Tall, something Mika had grown accustomed to. The lanky cirque leader had approached the second night of his act and congratulated him.
"We will make toys of you." He said simply. "As we do all of our popular performers."
Mika's toys were actually tiny gummy candies. A little Mika doll with tiny fangs would bite into the red, heart-shaped candy and 'blood' would spurt from it. When Mika handed Juliet the first prototype she had looked distraught.
"This is for kids?" she said, impaling a small heart on the little Mika's fangs. "That's creepy." She tossed the blood-oozing candy into her mouth. "But delicious."
Mr. Tall had also not spoken to the Vampire Prince about his conversation with Juliet. Mika dared not broach the subject- it was none of his business after all- but he couldn't help his curiosity.
Juliet had done her best to make the trailer even more home-y. She had scavenged some articles and furntiture from the other performers, Truska had helped her find a lovely blood-red rose shaped rug that now sat beneath Juliet's daybed. With the blackened windows, the Vampire trailer had been dark and disappointing at first sight. Now it had been splashed with color. Juliet's daybed now had a multi-colored throw blanket over its stark white sheets, and pillowcases embroidered with flowers and stars and moons in an array of colors. Yellow throw pillows on a solid black couch in the center, a bright green coffee table Juliet had proudly presented saying 'I made this myself. Scrap wood and spray paint hallelujah!' There was even a white lace table-cover on the sad metal table. Though these touches did help to make the trailer more bearable and comfortable, it did not lessen their boredom during travel. Mika would sleep as long as he could during the day, but with no strenuous activity to await him at night he did not need much rest. When he awoke well before sunset each day he could do nothing but try and make small talk with Juliet- something she was not fond of. Their relationship was just as awkward as ever, though she did not curse him nearly as much anymore, he could tell she still felt hesitant around him. Juliet had kept busy by calling and managing her affairs in the 'human world' as they'd begun calling it, keeping track of her estate and her investments. She'd also taken the time to procure and create all of their homey-accoutrements. Mika… well all he could do was wait for a night where they were camped and he could practice his routine or spend time with some of the other performers. He felt languid and useless within the first weeks, and they had five years to wait.
After another long day of confinement to their trailer, Mika and Juliet were both heading towards the door.
"What are your plans for the night?" he questioned sincerely.
Juliet shrugged. "I'm going to ask Mr. Tall for some advice."
"Can I accompany you?"
Juliet mulled over the question, her hand on the handle of the door. "I don't see why not." She said finally. "Just… uh… don't ask any questions, okay? I doubt I can answer them."
Mika didn't fully understand what she meant, so he remained silent as he followed her out the door of their 'home', the metal clanging together as they walked down the steps. The other Cirque performers had also exited their trailers and were stretching in front of their homes, each of them looking just as travel-weary as Mika felt.
It seemed Juliet knew where to find Mr. Tall's trailer, as she maneuvered through the unpacking-vehicles with ease. Mika followed closely, watching as Juliet smiled and waved to most everyone they passed. During the performances Juliet had been present in the crowd, not a stage performer, though Mika wasn't sure what she was helping with at the moment. In the beginning of their time with the Cirque she had helped with set up and construction- two things he did not know she was familiar with. It seemed along with keeping track of her affairs and turning their bleak trailer into a warm and inviting home, Juliet had made time to meet the members of the Cirque as well.
Mika felt all the more useless at the realization. He observed Juliet's easy countenance, her relaxed posture. She was treating this place as 'home', something he wished he could do as easily.
Mr. Tall was waiting at the entrance to his trailer, holding the door open for them as they walked up the makeshift steps.
"Good evening Juliet." He said warmly. To the Prince he commented, "Mika, I was not expecting you."
"Yeah, sorry. I dragged him along." Juliet replied before the Prince could. Mika looked at her with a hint of gratefulness and she gave a light shrug.
Juliet knew Mr. Tall was wary of Mika's relationship with her, but she couldn't tell Mika that. Because then she'd have to explain that it was because she was Mr. Tall's long-lost granddaughter.
'Okay, wait that sounds like an easy explanation…' Juliet thought with an internal sigh. 'Let's remember that it's not.'
Mr. Tall motioned for the two to sit, and Juliet threw herself on the couch in the center of the trailer with ease and familiarity, she noted the two small votive candles on Mr. Talls coffee table and wondered if he'd wanted to eat dinner while they talked . Mika sat stiffly in the chair next to Mr. Tall.
"What brings you here tonight?" asked the tall man.
Juliet cleared her throat. "I've had an… incident and I need you to explain it to me."
Mika looked over at her. 'Incident?' he wondered. Mr. Tall nodded for Juliet to continue.
"The other day I was helping someone move something to a different trailer. Some kid, I didn't even learn his name he just caught me as I was heading to Truska's to borrow a hotplate… It was this big dresser and I have no idea where it came from but there were two other guys helping him move it so we started lifting the thing, two people on each side." Juliet frowned and took a deep breath. "I touched the kid's hand, right? And at first nothing happened and then suddenly it was all black and I could hear screaming and I looked around me and I was in like an old apartment building and it was raining- I could hear the rain- but the windows were all boarded up. This woman just keeps screaming and screaming and I'm running to find her and I turn a corner and she's stopped screaming and well…" Juliet ground her teeth like she always did when she had a hard time getting words out. "I found the woman who was screaming and she was dead. Like super dead, stabbed and bloody and eyes glazed…"
Mika looked at Juliet with concern. He glanced at Mr. Tall and saw him nodding solemnly. 'What the hell is going on?' he screamed internally.
"The next thing I know these three guys are pulling me up off the ground and asking if I'm alright or if I'm dehydrated." She was blinking quickly, as if reliving the scene. "So yeah, WHAT THE FUCK?" Juliet snapped suddenly.
Mr. Tall sighed deeply, shaking his head apologetically. "I should have guessed this might happen." He glanced at Mika now. The Vampire Prince's dark eyes were narrowed in frustration, his hands fisting the fabric of his black pants. "You may have seen that boy's past… or future."
"That's my power?" Juliet asked breathily, sitting up in haste. "I can see like you?"
Mika wanted to stand and scream at the two 'What power? How do you know that? What the hell are you talking about?' but he remained quiet, understanding Juliet's words earlier now that he was witness to their conversation. 'She must have learned something about herself,' he thought solemnly. 'If only she would tell me so that I could understand.'
"It would explain your 'incident'." Mr. Tall stated. "However there is only one way to be sure. Have you touched anyone since?"
Juliet shook her head. "You know, I'm just a bit traumatized." She replied dryly.
"Mika, would you please remove your gloves?"
Mika looked up from his thoughts and blinked. "Of course." He said, removing the black leather that covered his hands. "What for?"
Mr. Tall nodded to Juliet. "Tell us if you see anything."
Juliet groaned and hefted herself up from the couch. She approached Mika warily. "Sorry," she said. "Can you give me your hand?" Mika complied, inching to the edge of his chair and offering her his hand. Juliet grasped it in both of hers and looked down at it. 'His hands are huge,' she thought idly. "Nothing." She sighed to Mr. Tall. "Maybe I'm crazy."
"A moment more." He instructed.
Juliet sighed and rolled her eyes, Mika smirked when he saw and she gave him a small smile back. She was grateful that he hadn't asked any questions about the conversation between her and Mr. Tall. He had looked desperate for something to do when they left their trailer, and Juliet didn't want to tell him no, grateful to him for getting her to the Cirque in the first place.
Moving out of her thoughts, Juliet moved to let go of Mika's hand, but as she looked up she noticed her surroundings had changed. Instead of the glaring florescent light of Mr. Tall's trailer, she saw an stark and familiar sight.
Her old home. Highland's manor. She was looking at it thoughtfully, unsure of whether or not to approach the front door or-
Her body made the decision for her, and she ran to a nearby tree that branched closely to an open second floor window. She scaled the tree with ease, and then leapt to the windowsill, looking around the interior of the room warily.
A large bed sat directly to the left of the window, unmade. Humming could be heard from the doorway to the front of her. She knew it lead to the bathroom. Hopping from the sill gracefully, she straightened, adjusting her clothing and running her gloved hands through her thick hair. She took step after step to the bathroom, closer to the humming.
Juliet was standing in front of the large engraved mirror, idly twirling her hair in her fingers, humming a familiar melody with her eyes closed. She didn't hear the approaching visitor and so when large, gloved hands set on her shoulder she jumped, looking into the mirror with frightened eyes. They locked eyes, night-black with ice-blue, and she smiled.
Her words were like velvet to her ears, as sigh on the wind that urged her to embrace the small frame before her. 'Mika'
Juliet gasped on the floor, Mika was looming over her with concern on his face, stroking her cheek and muttering words she couldn't understand.
"Juliet?" he asked when her eyes opened. "Are you alright? What happened? I have asked Mr. Tall to assist but he told me to wait-"
"It's the past." She gasped, cutting Mika off and pushing her way away from him. His eyes turned dark with rejection. "I see the past."
"Are you sure?" Mr. Tall inquired. "What did you see?"
Juliet ground her teeth, standing and straightening. "Trust me. I see the past."
"Juliet-" he began in warning.
"I saw… I was… Mika." She sighed. Mika stood now, returning to his seat. He turned to her but she didn't meet his gaze. "I climbed the old tree outside the manor and jumped to my old window then I walked into the bathroom and saw myself humming and doing my hair in front of the mirror. I saw me in the mirror but I was Mika and I was looking at me-me… ah does this make any sense?" she shook her head, hair tousling around her shoulders.
"You were me?" Mika clarified. "Seeing through my eyes?"
"That is how I would put it." Mr. Tall agreed.
"I remember that night as me. And… now I know it as Mika." Juliet sounded all at once confused and excited.
Mika remembered that night, too. But he had no idea how Juliet had managed to pull that specific memory from him.
"It is unfortunate that your ability is on-contact." Mr. Tall commented.
"Do you mean this will happen every time I touch someone?" Juliet gasped. "That's not right-"
"There is a chance you can learn to control it," He said, calming her. "We will have you practice."
"Do you think I can also see the future?" she asked. "Like you?"
Mr. Tall considered, he looked down at his coffee table where two candles sat lit, flames shooting high and dancing though there was no wind to be felt inside the trailer. "I believe your talents lie elsewhere, Juliet. Let us focus on this one before considering another."
Mika had remained with Juliet and Mr. Tall during the entirety of their conversation, keeping his mouth shut even as his thoughts ran amok. Mr. Tall had offered them some food halfway through the night and even as they ate the two continued to talk over Juliet's newfound ability. Mr. Tall determined the best way for Juliet to learn control was to practice over and over.
"It feels like I'm invading your privacy." She sighed, taking Mika's hand once more.
"If I can help it does not bother me." He replied. "I only hope you won't collapse this time…"
"I'll try not to." She smirked.
Juliet concentrated while she held Mika's hand, willing herself to see something. She wasn't sure if that would work, but she knew she had to try. Instead of letting the vision overtake her she should try and grab it.
"What should I do?" she asked nobody in particular.
Mr. Tall piqued in. "Focus on an object or a thought- that may give you a way into a specific memory."
'Object or thought.' Juliet reiterated in her mind, eyes closed to help her focus. 'What kind of thought? Like 'where were you when I needed you?'' she mentally shook herself. 'That's not very nice… didn't you promise to be a little nicer to Mika? He's really trying, right?'
She opened her eyes, ready to re-close them with a different thought in mind, but it was too late.
Juliet stood, or rather she was on her knees, staring at rubble. A piece of paper was clutched in her hands, and a myriad of thoughts passed through her mind, one sticking out-
'Why wasn't I here?'
She looked at the remains of her lover's home and broke down, choking and coughing with the power of her tears. Her body shook with tremors she never believed it could make, wracking her with a pain and a guilt that shocked her to her core. She clawed at the remains, lifting stone and tossing it aside with ease, digging for something, anything that could possibly mean her love had survived the fire that had torn her home apart. Her hands became bloody and full of splinters, bruised and throbbing, but she didn't stop digging or howling with frustration until the sunrise edged its way over the treetops in the distance, and even the she did nothing but allow the rays to burn and blister her flesh, tears dried and crusted on her pink and swelling cheeks before burying herself into the rubble and the darkness and blackness overtaking her body as she whispered the words of her letter- lost and fluttering in the wind somewhere.
'I miss you Juliet. I miss you the way that the flowers miss sunshine and rainwater, the way a man misses the one woman he was ever destined to love.'
The tears began anew and she began fighting against the rubble that fell atop her haphazardly, threatening to entomb her.
'Juliet, I still love you.'
She crawled her way out of the pile and ran to the tree line, allowing the sun's rays to soak her body and give her pain that was physical instead of internal. Breathing in the morning air with a hatred she'd never before known. In the shadows of the forest she sank against a tree, determined not to clutch herself and weep for the entire day. She was accepting the loss as something she could have prevented. If only she had stayed. If only she had fought against her urge to return to her people. She'd thought her love would be safer without her. She'd been wrong. So wrong. Self-hate roiled within her like coiling snakes in her stomach, she retched, weeping and hollow and disgusted by her choices.
'And I always will.'
Juliet hadn't fallen over this time. She had stood and stared into Mika's face, unblinking. Her hand had begun squeezing his own moments after she'd touched it, and now tears were streaming down her face. Mika's eyes were wide with fear. What memory of his past could she be seeing?
When she gasped and took a step backward, dropping his hand and blinking erratically, Mika relaxed. She looked at her surroundings, wiping at the wetness upon her face with confusion, then her eyes set on Mika's and he shivered at what he saw within them.
Loss. Unforgettable loss.
"Juliet-" he began, moving to stand.
She shook her head furiously, righting herself. "No-no. I'm okay. Sorry. I need to be careful what I think." Her voice was throaty with emotion and Mika once again moved to stand. "Stop. I'm fine." She snapped.
Mika dropped back into the chair with effort.
"Perhaps we should stop for the night." Mr. Tall supplied. "You seem exhausted."
Juliet nodded. "I could… use a drink." She said, clearing her throat.
"Were you able to grasp the memory yourself?" Mr. Tall asked, reading Juliet's face for any lies.
"I think so. I thought something and suddenly I was seeing something."
"That sounds right." He nodded.
Juliet looked toward Mika and then to the door. Mika caught her gaze and tried to understand what he was witnessing. "Juliet what did you see?" he asked.
"I don't just see." She muttered. "I feel. I live through."
Mika's face set in his customary frown, his eyes narrowed. "What did you experience?"
Juliet ground her teeth for what felt like the hundredth time. "Something unpleasant."
Juliet tried on multiple occasions to detour away from Mika on the walk back to their trailer. She veered left through a group of Cirque members gathered around a campfire, weaving her way between their ranks to end up on the other side of a trailer, only to find him waiting for her. Juliet walked through an set up of tents and cut out half way only to see Mika walking atop the trailers to keep track of her.
He wanted to talk.
She didn't.
If only they didn't live together.
Back at their trailer Juliet wasted no time in undressing, hoping to catch the Vampire Prince off-guard by the sight of her barely clothed body. He was not deterred, and sat on the couch, averting his gaze even as he crossed his arms in impatience for her to finish changing clothes. She sighed and sat on her bed, an oversized 'Follow me to get FREAKED' t-shirt from the Cirque gift shop covering her curves.
"Mika-" she began.
"I will talk Juliet, you will listen." He stated, interrupting her with his stern voice. Juliet stiffened and watched him wide-eyed as he stood and moved to stand before her.
"You have been hiding much from me." He stated. Juliet averted her gaze. "And I do not blame you. You still have very little reason to trust me."
'If only,' Juliet thought, frown forming. 'I've seen your memories. I know you blamed yourself for everything long before I came along and made you remember to blame yourself… I've felt your pain… I've felt your love…'
"But I need to know one thing- and only one thing."
Juliet looked up and caught Mika waiting for her eyes. They locked onto his, onyx and silvery blue meeting again, but to Juliet it felt like the first time in a long time. She finally understood that look Mika always gave her was mixed emotions. Concern, pain, hope and distrust all wrapped into one big, black clad Vampire package.
"Tell me you are not in danger." He stated, knocking Juliet from her thoughts.
"What? Of course not!" she snapped.
"Mr. Tall seems set on making you do uncomfortable things like live through others memories. That isn't right." Mika said sternly, arms crossed over his broad chest.
"He's trying to help me learn."
"You're certain?" Mika asked, his voice full of distrust.
Juliet sighed, realizing she needed to give Mika some sort of information. "Mika… he's my family." She said simply, hoping to reassure him.
Mika fell to his knees before her at her bed. "Truly?" he asked, eyes alive with questions. Juliet was taken back by his excitement. "Why did you not tell me this before?"
"Ah- well. It's kind of-"
"It's not important. You've found family." He said with finality. His relief was like a stab to Juliet's heart. He was elated for her. His hands were on her knees, squeezing with emphasis. "I'm sorry I pressed you."
"No it's alright…" she sighed, leaning back and allowing his touch even as she wanted to push him away for a multitude of reasons. "I've got a… complicated family history." She said quietly.
"I will not ask."
Juliet frowned. "What if I want you to ask?" she said, looking at him. He had given up much to come with her on an unknown journey. They were five years back in time and stuck together.
She wanted to trust him as much as he trusted her.
"Ask me." She said.
Mika looked hesitant. "I would like to know about your family, Juliet." He was still rubbing her knees idly, their position awkward but not uncomfortable for either. Her t-shirt had ridden up when she leaned back and Mika could see the tanned flesh of her thighs. How far they'd come in such little time that she would allow him such a sight, such a closeness to her self.
"Tell me that Vampire legend again." She replied.
Mika looked uncertain. "Which one?"
Juliet's eyes were sparkling. "The one about the children born to Mr. Tiny and a pregnant she-wolf."
Mika's visage darkened at the mention of Mr. Tiny, but then his eyes lit up with disbelief. "What are you saying?" he asked, unwilling to believe the correlation she was trying to make.
"You know." She tossed her head back languidly allowing her hair to fall in waves down her back and shoulders.
Mika stood abruptly, turning away and bringing his hand to his mouth in concern. "You are… descended from those children." He said, uncertain.
"Yep."
"How far down?" he turned back to her, eyes serious.
Juliet clenched her jaw. "I can't tell you that…" she sighed.
"Your parents?" he questioned.
"My father was descended from the wolf… my mother…" she looked at him, fighting the urge to decline the information. 'Give him your trust!' she shouted at herself. "Was a Vampire."
Mika's eyes were wide and dark. His expression was unreadable. "Who?" he stated.
"My father posed as a Vampire, his name was Seter Jaques." Juliet said, noting the flash upon Mika's face. "My mother was named Lucina."
Mika's hand was at his mouth again, his brow pinched in thought. Juliet became concerned, perhaps she shouldn't have given so much information. Mr. Tall may have been right. Her eyes fell downward at the thought.
"I knew your parents." He said suddenly. Juliet's eyes snapped up to Mika's face, his smile was spread wide. "Both of them. They were at the Mountain during my early years…"
"Really?" Juliet gasped.
"Your mother packed quite the punch." He said flatly. "In my youth I was… mouthy. She put me in my place rightly quite a few times."
Juliet smiled at his words, watching his face light up as he spoke. "And…" she was hesitant to ask. "My father?"
"A smooth talker." He said with a chuckle. "And an ass. But a brilliant one at that. He was a prominent General, always easing tensions between others."
Juliet's heart warmed to hear of her parents from someone other than Mr. Tall whose greif sometimes overshadowed his stories. "They've both passed away." She stated. "Mr. Tall is all I have left."
"He is… descended from the wolf?" Mika asked cautiously.
"Yes. And don't ask how far." She said. "He didn't want me to tell any Vampires of my lineage…"
"Why such caution?" Mika asked. "We would embrace your lineage. You are half Vampire! You would have much greater rights at Vampire Mountain-"
"I believe if you had known I was half Vampire you would have killed me. Isn't that the rule? I attacked a Prince." Juliet's words were dry. "And I don't need any more rights at Vampire Mountain, I'm just fine."
Mika considered her for a moment, eyes locked on her face as she shook her head. "Juliet you could bear Vampire children." He said.
Her heart raced and Juliet froze. "That's what I've been told."
"You would be coveted throughout the Mountain." He explained. "Vampire men would do anything you asked, or at least those who want children would. Your every wish would be theirs to fulfill." When he said 'theirs' he included himself in the list.
Juliet groaned. "I don't want that." She snapped. Mika frowned. "I mean… I never even considered having kids after the fire, it's just not on my mind. I live a strange life…" she trailed off.
Mika sensed something was amiss. "Juliet?" he inquired.
She shook her head and lay on the bed, arms stretched over her head. "Just… don't think like a Prince right now, okay Mika?" she said. "Think like… my friend." Mika's heart skipped at her words. "Do you think I want to be coddled and courted by hordes of Vampire men? By any men?"
Mika frowned, sinking to his knees in front of her bed once more, she looked at him intently. "No. You want to be free to make your own decisions." He said finally. A thought struck him, but he dared not speak it, their conversation fragile as it was.
"You're wondering if I've ever been pregnant, aren't you?" Juliet asked, seeing the lightbulb go off in his head.
Mika looked guilty as he nodded. "We did a fair bit of copulating…" he said awkwardly. Juliet groaned. "And you have… mentioned that you took other lovers."
"With everyone else I used protection." She said, avoiding his eyes. "With you-"
"I didn't know." He said quickly.
"I know, I know. I get that." She sighed. "I… had a miscarriage right after the fire. Stress or something. I don't know…"
Silence hung heavy in the air. Mika mind reeled at the revelation. He had conceived a child with Juliet… something he'd never thought possible, never even dared hope, and she had lost it. Mika didn't know how to react. How had Juliet coped with the loss? He had told her that Vampires were barren, only for her to end up pregnant, and then lose the child. "Juliet I-"
"Don't, please." She said. "I didn't even believe them when they told me, barren Vampires, right? I just brushed it off. Now I know they were right, but it doesn't really matter. There is no feeling of loss for me. It just wasn't meant to be."
They sat in silence, each collecting their thoughts. Juliet whispered. "I'm kinda tired…" Mika stood, ready to move away. "You're not going to tell the other Princes, are you?" she asked.
Mika shook his head. "It is your secret, not mine."
"Thank you." She said earnestly. "It… wasn't easy to tell you this."
Mika sighed. "I understand your hesitation. I do not deserve your trust-"
"But I'm choosing to give it to you." She said. "Because… you've given me yours. I wouldn't be here if not for you…"
Their eyes met again, and Mika felt his heart swell at the sincerity in Juliet's gaze. "Will you…" he cleared his throat of emotion. "Continue to practice your skill with Mr. Tall?" he asked.
"Yeah, I think so." She replied.
"It is probably best if you do not use me for practice." He stated. "I don't want to make our situation…"
"More awkward? Thanks." Juliet laughed, light and appreciative. "I wasn't going to. I'd like you to keep your secrets as well. Thank you for helping tonight, though."
Mika nodded. "It was nothing."
"It was everything." Juliet said sternly. "And I won't forget it."
Mika didn't know what Juliet had seen, how she'd come to appreciate him in the past few hours. Not only had she learned of his extreme reaction to the thought of her death, she'd also felt his adoration for her the moment their eyes had locked in the mirror, and that had given her the push she needed to tell him the truth about her heritage.
Knowing that Mika ver Leth still loved and adored her the same way he had over five decades ago, even with her drastic personality change and attempt on his life, made Juliet feel giddy. She'd spent her time in Vampire Mountain avoiding him or making him feel worthless for not being able to help her the way she wanted him to. Now here they were, at the Cirque du Freak, answers in hand and she realized that she never would have made it there without him. Juliet wanted to apologize to Mika for everything, for the blame she shouldn't have forced him to bear, for the continuous aggression. When he'd returned from his five years away, Juliet had realized just how much she'd missed his familiar face, how she'd wanted to make sure that he was safe. Now she understood that she'd missed his companionship, and when he'd left her that was why it truly hurt.
She'd lost her best friend.
Knowing that Mika had felt the same way when he found her home destroyed caused an understanding to flood Juliet. They were friends before they had become lovers. They had become lovers because they made each other happy. Mika still wanted to see her safe and happy, and Juliet wanted to let him- as long as it was on her terms.
As these thoughts accosted Juliet, Mika waved and left their trailer to find some blood. Juliet watched him go, his eyes locked on hers as he shut off the lights to let her sleep.
She had five years with a Vampire that was desperate to make her happy.
And she was beginning to want to do the same for him.
