Page 43 of Crimson Devotion
“Valerio and Aurelia are more than capable of ensuring no one enters the castle for a week or two. If we do go, we’ll tell no one, just to make sure no one tries anything while I’m away.’’
She pauses for a moment, and I take the opportunity to pluck a daffodil from the bush next to us, then gently put it behind her ear. Her eyes light up, the golden irises making my heart skip a beat. A wide smile from her follows, and she pecks my lips briefly.
“We should go then,’’ she mumbles against my lips before pulling back. “I’ve never been to Australia before.’’
“Are there any places you want to visit?”
She ponders that for a while. “A few. Dare I ask just how you came to be this…rich?”
A snort slips me. “If I were alive for over five hundred years and still broke, then I’d simply step into the sun myself.’’
A deep, rich laughter reverberates from us, her eyes crinkling at the corners. My upper lip twitches, and I can’t stop the smile that breaks out on my face at the sound of her laughter.
“What? It’s true.’’
“It is.’’ She laughs again, softer this time. “But wow… You’ve been alive for so long.’’
“Thanks to Yvonne,’’ I mutter.
“To be fair, in a way, she did save you all.’’
My brow creases. “Excuse me?”
“You were born in the 1500s. You wouldn’t have lived to see past thirty, and that’s me being generous. You would’ve either died from the plague or in childbirth.’’
My eyes roll, and her grin widens.
“Fine, fine, maybe that’s true. But it wasn’t all that bad back then.’’
Curiosity is written all over her face as she switches her position. She lays her head on my lap, looking up at me. Immediately, my hands thread through her hair, softly stroking the locks.
“Can you tell me more about that time? I’ve read books and seen movies, but I know it’s probably not as accurate as the real thing.’’
“What do you want to know about?”
“Everything.’’ Her response is immediate. “Your upbringing, the life back then, all of it.’’
So, for the next few hours, I tell her all the stories of the times that I thought I’d completely forgotten. Time passes slowly, the bright sun replaced by dark clouds, the sound of birds replaced by crickets, yet the warmth is there.
And that’s when I realize just how much Faith has saved me. Her presence makes me feel alive, something I haven’t felt since I turned into a vampire. The only person I’d die for, the only one who has captured my heart and what’s left of my soul.
My perfect fated mate.
TWENTY
Faith
EPILOGUE II
“Are you done?”
I turn, spotting Ophelia at the door of our bedroom. She’s wearing a suit, and this time, it’s not one that belongs in a museum. I had Valerio buy her some modern suits, and they look absolutely perfect on her. The deep blue color makes her red eyes pop even more, the fitted blouse and blazer hugging her body in all the right places.
“Almost.’’ I sigh, trying to shut the suitcase. “I think I might need another one.’’
“We’ll be gone for a week, sweetheart. Do you really need that many clothes?”
I give her a half-hearted glare. “It’s my first trip to Australia! I want to have a lot of clothes, just in case.’’
