Dark Gifts

Gossamer Song

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He had read Francesca's letter. He had scanned the photo album, feeling close to swooning with the sharp ache and desperate love welling up inside of him. For a moment, he had been forced to set the album down and dash the tears from his eyes. Truly, his lifemate's mother was a very wise woman, to know the perfect gift for him. A brief look at Skyler's life, something to see... and hadn't he thought just moments before the package had arrived that he wished he could only see her for a moment, hear her voice?

One out of two was not bad.

Then he remembered- the other letter! The small black leather case!

But... who were these things from? Gabriel, that buffoon? Another gift from Francesca? Or perhaps... from Skyler?

Lifting out the folded note with trembling hands, he caught a whiff of Skyler's scent again. Could it truly be...

Unfolding it, he found a letter, written in her elegant, flowing script:

Dimitri,

I am trying to figure out this lifemate stuff. Like I said, it isn't you, it's me. I'm not like other girls. But I am going to try and figure something out that'll work for both of us. We can be friends, right?

Francesca said that something that might help you with this whole lifemate thing is some pictures. She said you'd want to see me, but were respecting my wishes for you to keep your distance for now. Thank you for that. Her gift to you was the photo album. Mine is this mp3 player. It's pretty modern, so if you need help figuring it out, send Francesca a thought. She knows how it works. I even got you a case and ear buds. I think you'll like what I put on it. It's to help you get to sleep during the day. I have my stuffed wolf. I wanted to make sure you had something.

Skyler Rose Daratrazanoff

Puzzled, but touched beyond words that she had thought about him, he lifted out the leather case and opened it. True enough, an mp3 player slid out. He knew what one was- Jade's sister Pearl and Shellton had them- and he knew how it worked. But why would she send him music? He was no great lover of it. What was this about?

Plugging in the head phones, he settled them in his ears and turned the little gadget on, hitting play.

Suddenly, a familiar, sweet and soft, beautiful voice filled his ears, as Skyler sang one of the songs from the Christmas celebration.

"Christmas pipes, Christmas pipes
Calling us home on Christmas night
Call us from far, call us from near
Oh play me your Christmas pipes

Christmas bells, Christmas bells
Over the hills and over the dells
Ringing out bright, ringing out clear
Oh ring me your Christmas bells..."

As her voice washed over him, bringing him peace for the first time since he'd returned to Russia, he felt tears of gratitude and joy brimming in his eyes. He had wished he could see her, and it had been granted him. He had wished he could hear her, and she had given him this gift. Was she a genie, to grant him his wishes?

"Oh, Skyler," he murmured. "You have no idea how much I love you."