Page 106 of Shadows of Eternity

Leia was in her bedroom when her phone rang. She felt a surge of hope followed by a sudden sense of uncertainty as she answered. “Janae! How are you? Where are you?”

“I’m fine and I’m at home. How areyou? Trent told me what happened … ” Janae’s voice trailed off. “Maybe you don’t want to talk about it.”

“No, it’s fine. I hope we can still be friends.”

“Well, to be honest, I wasn’t sure, at first. But, well, like I told Trent, I’ll just have to learn to accept it.”

“I hope so. I’ve missed you.”

“I miss you, too. I guess we can always go to the mall after dark,” Janae said with forced cheerfulness. “And go out for dinner instead of lunch, and see midnight movies.”

“Yes.”

There was a long silence.

“I’m so glad you called,” Leia said. “Rohan and I are getting married soon and I was hoping you’d be my matron of honor.”

“You know I will. How soon is the wedding?”

“I’m not sure yet. We still have to find a church.”

“A church!” Janae exclaimed. “Won’t you go up in flames?”

“Not to worry,” Leia assured her, with a laugh. “That only happens in horror movies.”

“Good to know. Are you home?”

“No, I’ve been staying with my parents,” Leia said, and then frowned. Why was she still here when the danger was past? “I should be going home soon, though. I’ll let you know.”

“Okay. I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“Me, too. Bye for now.”

Home, Leia thought. It was time to go home. Why had she been putting it off? Leaving her room, she went in search of Rohan.

“Hey, I’m ready to go whenever you are,” he said when Leia mentioned going back to her apartment.

“I don’t know why I’ve stayed here so long.”

“This is home,” he said quietly. “Your memories are here. You feel safe with your parents. Not many places make you feel that way.”

How many places had he lived? she wondered. Did he have a place where he felt warm and safe? Welcome?

Her parents were disappointed when she said she was going home that night, yet she couldn’t help feeling they were also a little relieved, mainly because Rohan would be going with her. Her parents made every effort to make him feel welcome, but she sensed their discomfort at his presence. She might be a vampire, too, but she was their daughter. Rohan was a stranger and they couldn’t help being a little afraid of him. She could understand that. Even when he wasn’t trying, there was no ignoring the power that clung to him like a second skin, the sense of being other.

By nine o’clock, they were ready to go. Her mother and father hugged her longer than they usually did.

“Remember,” her father said, “we’re here for you, no matter what.”

“I know.” Going up on her tiptoes, Leia kissed his cheek. “I love you, too.”

Cynthia gave Rohan a brief hug. Brian shook his hand.

Rohan breathed a sigh of relief when they left the house. It had been an effort being with her parents, constantly reining in his power so as not to frighten them, although he wasn’t sure he’d succeeded.

Leia sensed the change in him immediately. His preternatural power filled the air around them. “Is it hard, not letting people see you for what you really are?”

He shrugged. “A little. Most people don’t feel it, but your father picked up on it right away.”

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