A/N- I hope everyone likes the story so far. Well, here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews! Oh, and, sorry for the long wait. I kind of lost my path of this story, as well as a few others, but hopefully, I'm back on the right track.

Chapter 3

It was a quiet ride back to the home of Sage and Adrian. Well, quiet except for the despairing sobs of Iris. At one point, Sage signaled Adrian to stop the carriage, where she then climbed up beside him. They started off again, leaving Iris in the cabin to cry herself into sleeping--which is what Sage figured she had needed to do.

"What did you mean, Adrian, when you said 'among other things'?" Sage asked once she was sure her sister was sleeping.

An owl hooted in the distance, and Sage yawned, as if her body had just been reminded of the time of night.

"It was nothing, Sage. Don't trouble yourself with it, dearest," he said, glancing only briefly at her.

She shrugged. They rode on in silence for a while with nothing but the night birds' hoots keeping them company. In the cabin, Iris made a small moaning noise in her sleep. She hadn't woken, and Sage smiled.

"Please," Sage said, suddenly thinking of her sister, "tell me what he said. Was it of Iris, or maybe of Mother?"

"Neither of them, Sage. Do not worry yourself."

"Adrian, I don't know if I'll be able to trust my own father enough ever again to return Iris to him. Is that okay? That she stays with us, I mean?"

"Of course it's okay. I fully understand."

"Then tell me what he said."

"What does that have to do with us keeping Iris?"

"Well, if it was something about our family in any way, shape, form, or fashion, I think I need to know it. Iris may need to be told of it--"

"It had nothing to do with Iris. It had to do with me," Adrian said suddenly.

Sage arched her eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"He said…well, the gist of it was that I would never make you a dhampire."

There was silence again. This time, they could hear the sound of an owl swooping to catch a mouse.

"Well, would you?" Sage asked.

"Would I what?"

"Turn me into a dhampire…and why would he say something like that?"

"He said it because he thought that my being one would put you in danger, and that I might hurt you, and so on."

"Well, I know you'd never hurt me, and I know how to deal with danger, but…you didn't answer my initial question. Would you do it?"

Adrian stared at her. "Why do you want to know?"

Sage looked off into the distance. They were coming up on their house now. It was just around the next bend.

"Well, what if I wanted to be one…you know, later. What if I wanted to be with you, literally, forever? This, of course, after our children…"

Adrian looked away. He muttered something, but Sage didn't catch it.

"What?"

"I said that I wouldn't do it," Adrian stated firmly.

"What? Why not?"

"Sage, my soul is cursed because of what I am. I didn't have any choice, however. You do. And I will not give my curse to anyone…especially to one that I love."

"What about us, though? I age, Adrian. Are we going to have children?" Sage said, leaning forward as their house came into sight.

"I don't know, dearest..."

Her eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. Instead, she just sat back against the carriage. After a moment, when the house had gotten even closer, Adrian said, "Look! There's someone on our doorstep!"

Sage squinted her eyes to see. Sure enough, a young man with short, dark hair and a whip strapped to his side, stood as the carriage pulled to a stop outside the house.

"A Belmont," Adrian said, hopping down from the carriage. He turned to help Sage down, but she was already off. Iris was also awake and was poking her head out of the carriage door.

The man gave a very formal bow. "Adrian Farenheights Tepes, I entreat you to listen to my plea," he said. "I am Terence Belmont, grandson of Richter Belmont, and I am in great need of your help."

"Then let's go inside. We'll listen to your story there," Sage said, as she showed him the way in, trailed by Iris and Adrian.

End Notes: I've been gone a while from this story and it shows! This was so lame! Please R & R anyway! Thanks so much!