Some things seem to come easily enough, others I can stare at the books until the words grow blurry in my mind and still not get them. Adam doesn’t seem concerned. He reminds me there are no tests or exams to worry about. Magical aptitude is apparently as unique as one’s fingerprints. No two Mages focus on the same spells or abilities. He wants me to focus on what I’m able to learn. It’s not like I have to squeeze everything into a semester, we’re not on a strict schedule. I can learn at my own pace. The more complicated invocations will come with time.

Time. Yes, I have plenty of that now, don’t I? I have to remind myself that I’m near immortal now with the powers that I’ve gained through the ring. Like Melody, I don’t have to worry about aging… Yes, time is the least of my concerns in honing my abilities and learning my craft.

To get outside before winter sets in and give us both a break, Melody joins me and Jerry for his morning run. Mr. Duncan seems more than pleased to be relieved of the task, giving him time to do other household chores. I’ve always wondered why they don’t have a maid or butler. I’m sure that we could afford one. I guess it’s hard to find people to trust with our family secret.

The morning is cool and cloudy, a great day to not build up too much of a sweat trying to keep up with an energetic large dog. Times like this, I am glad for our home gym. Before our wedding I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with Jerry’s pace.

We’re running at a good clip when suddenly Jerry stops dead in the path in front of me. It takes everything I have to not trip over him or crash into Melody to avoid the sudden obstacle.

“What’s up, boy?” I wheeze, trying to catch my breath. “Please tell me you’re not after squirrels again!” I groan as he releases a low growl.

Jerry is standing stock straight, staring into the tree line, growling. The hairs on the back of his neck are raised. Okay, not a squirrel, he’d be more vocal. He’s about to bolt to the treeline when Melody approaches him, patting his head.

“Heel,” she commands while scanning the trees to see what he’s growling at.

Jerry ignores her command, shifting his position protectively so that he’s between me and what he sees in the trees. He’s her dog, but he’s clearly protecting me right now.

Melody frowns, “You may come out now, there is no point in hiding.”

A woman casually saunters out of the tree line. “I was hiding well enough until your mutt saw me,” she hisses. The woman is dressed in black leathers, what I can see of her skin is an ash grey, her hair jet black, as are the orbs of her eyes. She has no white, no iris, just black orbs for eyes. She does nothing to hide her vampiric nature as she approaches us. “Kindly muzzle your hound before I do, Countess,” she growls.

“Rasmussen,” Melody’s tone is ice cold. The anger I feel through our connection is on a level I’ve never felt before. “What are you doing here?”

“My, my,” the woman chimes as she stops about five meters away from us. “Such hostility. You would think I am not welcome here.” Her sudden fake politeness is even getting on my nerves.

“You are not welcome here, and you know it!” Melody seethes. “You are forbidden from entering my neighbourhood. Is your hair tied back so tight as to affect your memory? You, of all creatures, should remember my edict. So I will ask you again: what are you doing here?”

The woman in black feigns disappointment. “Fine, no pleasantries then, straight to business as always. You are sadly so predictable.” Melody shifts defensively, I can feel the power growing in her left hand. “The Council has sent me here merely as an observer for now. Your recent collaboration with Mages has them… concerned.”

“What my family does should be of no concern to the Elder Dark Council. I have made that clear enough in the past, yet they continually test my patience on this matter.” Melody’s anger has not abated.

“Yes, well, your growing power creates doubts whether you will continue to keep your distance,” she presses.

“Which is why they sent you? Do they think you are a threat to me?” Melody scoffs.

The woman in black chuckles. “Well, my abilities frighten most of them, so I believe some would think that it would have the same effect on you, my dear.” She looks at me. “Or at least your family.”

“Tell the Council that their Black Widow does not frighten me. You will have to get through me before you reach my family, or have you forgotten our pact?” Melody narrows her eyes.

She looks back at Melody. “I have not forgotten our pact, I am merely a messenger.”

“Good. Then I will tell you what I told the Council of Sages. I have no desire to disrupt the current balance of power. If you will all just leave my family well enough alone, we will kindly return the gesture.” Melody pauses for a moment. “However, continue to threaten my family, and I will show you all just how much power my family has built. Be mindful or you shall regret your interference. Do I make myself clear?”

The woman takes a step back, raising her hands defensively. “Very well, I will relay your message, Luv.” She flashes me a threatening glare, “I have my eye on you.” She returns her gaze to Melody. “I do not take threats lightly, or have you forgotten what I can do?”

The ball of purple energy is now visible in Melody’s hand. “I’ve not forgotten your powers. I have bested you once before, and will do so again. Keep away from my family, this is my last warning.”

The woman takes another step back and returns a wicked grin, bearing her fangs. “I always enjoy a good challenge. When we meet again, I will not be so civil.”

The woman in black takes another step back, transforming into a large bat. She emits a final screech at us before taking off in the opposite direction. Jerry motions to go after her, but Melody grabs his collar.

“Heel boy! No, don’t chase her.” She closes her fist, letting the purple energy dissipate into her hand and up her arm, before relaxing. “Well, I suppose that could have gone worse,” she grumbles.

I finally break my silence. “What was that all about? Who was that woman!?”

Melody is petting Jerry, making cooing sounds to calm him down.

“That was Alhanna Rasmussen, better known to the Elder Dark Council as the Black Widow.” She looks up at me with a touch of concern in her voice. “She is the Council’s top assassin and problem solver. They could have sent anyone as an observer to see what we are up to. They sent her to deal with the problem if it proved to be a threat.” She looks up to the sky where the bat flew off. “This won’t be the last we shall see of her. We need to warn the others.”

Melody turns around and starts jogging back to the house, making a clicking sound. Jerry automatically obeys the vocal command and runs beside her. I dash to catch up.

Melody still has a frown on her face. “We must reinforce the wards around the house, just to be safe.” She glances at me. “Summon Adam, Darling? The Sages need to know that there is likely a threat looming their way. They should be prepared.”

“Prepared for what?” I blink as we jog at a light pace back to the house.

“If the Vampire Council is this concerned to send an assassin, that means they are preparing for war. We need to as well.”

I almost trip as the word catches me by surprise. “War!?”

“Yes. The last one nearly shattered the Sanctum, you’ve seen what’s left. If the Elder Dark Council means to fight the Sages again, we must bring the battle to them. The realm will not survive another war in its current state.”

I’m silent as we reach the house, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to tell Adam. Melody’s concern has me worried. Am I ready for war?

“Honey?” I whisper softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She sniffles, lays her hand on mine, but remains silent. It feels like time is standing still. Finally, she looks up, wiping her cheek. “No, I reacted too harshly. It was not your fault that you suddenly triggered a painful memory.”

She releases a shaky breath. I move my hand, holding it out palm upward. She flashes me a weak smile, and takes my offer as I help her to her feet.

“It sometimes feels like yesterday, yet it was more akin to a lifetime ago. Back when I was young and foolish, believing I could change the world, my fiancé and I were taking the irrevocable step to combine our powers into the ritual of bonding. The song is long and complex. It leaves one vulnerable until its completion. We were interrupted halfway through the ritual. The disruption of the incantation struck him first,” she shudders. “I still remember his screams as he died violently.” She looks at us. “I never truly saw our attackers, only that I was too weak to put up a defence. As it was, the feedback from the incantation’s sundering threw me back several meters, leaving me scarred. I remember crawling away to save my life. Had I stayed to confront them, I would most likely not be here today.”

She leans against the round study table in the room.

“I was still weak, and was not recovering. Healing magic was not sufficient. In my desperation to regain some of what I lost, I agreed to a dark pact, and was turned. I sought a means to save my soul, to give me strength. If possible, allow me time to find another true love, to complete the ritual and finally realize the dream I once had — one of bringing balance to the Sanctum. I really did not know if I could, but, after all of my sacrifices, I had to try.”

Melody waits for that to sink in.

“It was then that I learned my first mistake. The solitaire will not work properly for one who’s spirit has been tainted. It requires a pure soul. I gave up everything I had, and lost the one thing that gave me my strongest advantage, all in my bargain to gain time. It left me searching for centuries to regain what they took from me.”

Melody turns, and raises her hands towards the ceiling, ”turasjir confn ekess ve“, she intones. Then, as she brings her arms down, the big tome from her study appears on the table in front of her. Adam walks up beside her, he looks like he’s trying to figure out how she summoned the book.

She places her hand on the cover, whispers something, and the clasp opens. “You seem to have done some research on the rings yourself.” she glances at him. “I have spent over three centuries researching the powers of the rings, looking for the lost mate, looking for someone I can connect with to take my ring, and refine my own abilities.” She opens the book. “Between my past arcane abilities, and my vampiric talents, am more powerful than most creatures of the night. The Elder Council learned the hard way that Mr. Duncan and I are more of a match for any of them. They no longer interfere with our family. They leave us alone out of respect… and fear.”

I join them and glance down at the book. I know her penmanship well. I now realize that Melody has written most of this herself. She takes my hand in hers and offers me a fond smile.

“I had almost given up on ever realizing my vision. No matter how much I searched, I could not find a love that matched the one I had lost so, so long ago. Then , by chance, I met Penny in the least likely of places. Her aura was strong, and I had to see if she may have something I could learn from.”

She takes my other hand. “Then our eyes met, I knew I needed to search no longer. In an instant, our souls reached out for one another, and our connection was instantly magical. At first I resisted the urge. I needed to know if my feelings were true, or if I was just being desperate again. The more I tried to avoid you, the more I needed to see you again. Then, as if fate gave me the answer, I received word that we finally found the Dark Band, and my contact was attempting to secure it.”

She reaches up and strokes my cheek. “All those long years of waiting were found in those soft brown eyes. It was then that I knew I could no longer live without you.”

She reaches forward and kisses me softly, I feel the flood of emotion down to my toes. She breaks the kiss and turns to Adam, keeping hold of one hand. Her flood of emotions fade a bit as she grows more serious. Even when we don’t touch, I can always feel her love. It’s always there, as an underlying sensation that is always present. I felt it when we first met, it flooded my heart when she first put the ring on my finger, and it has only grown stronger since our wedding day. It comforts me that she’s always there in some way. Even when not in the same room, I can still feel her presence. I will never feel alone ever again.

“Penny’s potential is great. Without refinement, however, her talents would have been wasted. That is when I reached out to the Sages, to see if there was someone I could trust that could teach Penny magic. I never told them about the rings. I was concerned that they would react… poorly. Over the years, few have known that I have held one of the rings. My suspicions were confirmed last night.” She’s quiet for a moment as she studies him. “So, I am curious. Why did they send you?… Of your friends, we spoke the least last we met.”

Adam smiles. “Penny and I follow similar career paths in social media. I’ve been quietly following her sudden rise to fame and had suspicions it was linked to something more. First there were pictures of you. You were hard to place at first with the change in your Veil.” He then points to my ring. “When I saw the solitaire in pictures, I had a hunch, and started researching the books and tomes at the academy. When I first reached out to Penny, it was of my own accord, I did not know you had reached out to the Sages.”

He looks down at Melody’s tome; he makes motions with his hands, and the pages are flipping without him even touching them.

“But none of the tomes I’ve found are anywhere as complete as your research here. This is all so fascinating!” He frowns for a moment and looks at my wife. “I can’t seem to read everything you’ve written, in what language did you transcribe it?”

Melody smiles, puts her hand on Adam’s shoulder. ”Kampiun shio xanalrei” she chimes, and he blinks. Looks at her, then back at the book.

“Can I ask that you teach me that spell? There are some tomes back home that I could not decipher.”

Melody continues to smile. “Comprehend Languages is a universal spell, and should be easy enough for you both to learn. If I can remember enough Sylvan, I’ll prepare a scroll for you in a language you can use.”

She looks over to the bookcase, reaching out with one hand, she closes her eyes to focus for a moment. One book removes itself from the shelf and floats towards her. She takes it in her hand, then lays it down on the table.

“My old spellbook has been mostly useless to me since my powers turned dark. The two of you could probably find an old spell or two that may be of use.”

With a flourish, he uses a similar spell to hers to have the book float in front of him, using that invisible hand to flip pages.

“Interesting, there are a few spells in here that I’ve not seen before. Looks like you specialized in force magic, illusions, and manipulation.”

Melody nods. “There are a few in there that the Sage of Manipulation should never learn, and you’ll see why when you read what they can do.”

His eyes narrow for a moment, wondering what she’s talking about. He flips a few pages and his eyes widen in amazement.

“Yes, I understand now.” He flips the book almost back to the first page and sets it down in front of me. “Penny, your first lesson today is to learn the language comprehension spell that Melody uses. It will be most useful in your other studies.”

I nod, looking at the page. The details of her description, its uses, abilities, and the spell itself, are extremely thorough. All written in my wife’s elegant script. Her handwriting is amazingly beautiful. “Hmm.. I don’t know where my spellbook went after last night.” I frown. As if wanting to see it, the book appears on the table beside Melody’s. I take a half step back in surprise.

My wife giggles. “They bound the book to you, Darling. It will come to you when you call it.”

I look down at the book, then at her. “Well, I guess that beats having to carry it in a satchel all the time.”

She nods and glances over at Adam, who’s still deeply reading Melody’s Tome of the Rings. “After she is done learning a spell or two, I think we should focus then on potions. Something in your aura tells me you have discovered something she will soon need.”

Adam looks up, returning a blank stare. His eyes scan the room again, finding a small cauldron in the corner.

“You have everything down here for an aspiring Mage…” He notes. It’s more of a statement than a question.

“This was my personal study,” Melody nods. She looks over to me, still trying to transcribe the spell from her book to mine. “Now it shall belong to Penny.”

She turns around, leaning on the table. “There are a few tomes in the bookcase that may be of interest to you, Archmage. You may read them, even transcribe them, but the originals are never to leave this house. Do I make myself clear?”

Adam nods. “They are your books, I shall honour your request.”

“Good,” she smiles and relaxes. “There are also some spells, like those of your family’s lineage, that should never reach the hands of the current Sages. You are all too young for that level of power. You know why.”

Adam blinks thoughtfully. “Yes, I have kept a few of my family’s more powerful elemental incantations from the Sages. How did you know?”

“Let us just say that I know your family well enough,” she winks. “I believe the three of us could develop a wonderful friendship. You will find, Archmage Arcwave, that I know many things. In time, like my dear Penny, you may discover them.” she finishes with a secretive smile. At that point, there is a knock on the door. Melody looks over. “Yes, Mr. Duncan, you may enter.”

How did she know it was him? Then I realize. Who else would know how to find this study? It also occurs to me she always addresses him formally when there are strangers involved. Then again, I’ve rarely heard her call him Brandon even when we’re alone. I wonder why?

“Breakfast for the family, as requested, Milady.” he announces as he enters. He takes a moment to look around the room, likely impressed to see it all clean and shiny again.

There are two bowls of that purple fruit salad they love, a tray of cut fruit, two bowls of yogourt, some spiced bread, jam, butter, and pitchers containing juice and water.

“As I wasn’t sure what the gentleman would like, I made a variety of foods to eat.”

He sets the tray down on a small metal table with four chairs by the fireplace.

“Thank you so much, Darling,” Melody smiles. “Let us take a break and eat, shall we?”

I hadn’t realized I was so hungry. I was focused on everything else. I dig into the food with gusto. Adam is munching on some pineapple, watching Melody eat her bowl of ‘fruit salad’.

“Interesting,” he remarks after a moment. Melody glances up at him, waiting for him to elaborate. “The Plasma Fruit is a rare plant that grows in very few places. Is this how you keep your thirst satiated? I remember reading something a few years back.”

Melody nods. “It is why we settled our house here, this gloomy neighbourhood provides the proper environment for the tree to flourish, we have created a small grove in the back of the house. With the fruit, one does not have to resort to their primal instincts to feed. It allows my family and I to be more civilized than others. The fruit nourishes and has some interesting side effects.”

“Oh?” Adam raises an eyebrow.

“The fruit rejuvenates the body slowly. Taken regularly, the aroma and the pheromones the body produces under its effects form a mild aphrodisiac.”

“Is that why you always smell so good? How you and your family are all extremely attractive?” I flash her a knowing smile, finally dawning on why everyone is drawn to those of the Rivers bloodline.

“Yes. It sheds the pallor of death that Warlocks and Vampires exude that makes them unappealing. The Plasma Fruit replaces it with alluring youthful beauty — if consumed regularly.”

Adam looks at the bowl in front of her with interest. “Amazing, and the fruit is…”

“Toxic and poisonous to mortals,” she finishes, catching on where he may go with this train of thought.

“I see,” Adam frowns, a touch disappointed. “But it explains why the fruit is considered a dangerous alternative ingredient in the Rejuvenation Potion.” He takes a sip of his glass of water. “With caution to the side effects if not handled properly.”

“The fruit needs to be metabolized by the body for the effects to work,” she continues. “Left out for too long, it will smell like rotten meat.”

“Rejuvenation Potion?” I perk up. “How do you make one of those?”

“It’s complicated,” Adam notes in a cautionary tone. “I’ll teach you some simpler alchemical items first. Then we’ll work up to the more complex potions.”

We finish up breakfast talking about alchemy and spell components. Mr. Duncan has been quiet this whole time, taking in the conversation, but adding little to it. In the time I’ve known him, he prefers martial combat. This magic stuff is obviously not something he’s interested in.

After breakfast, Mr. Duncan and Melody leave Adam and I alone, so that I can put more focus on my studies. Feels odd being a student again. My first potion lesson is something that Adam calls a Potion of Fulfilling Needs.

“When brewed properly, the potion fills all of a person’s basic needs: their thirst, hunger, need for sleep, bathroom, even bathing.”

I blink thoughtfully. “That sounds pretty powerful, and you call this a simple potion?” I object.

“Well, I suppose there are simpler tonics, ones that individually fulfill our separate needs. They actually go into the final product, so this one is more fun,” he grins. “It is a complex process, but the final product is actually quite simple to make.”

“Go for broke or go home, eh?” I chuckle.

He merely returns a disarming smile. “Now a potion is as much a spell as it is a magical mixture. The potion contains the spells for later consumption, triggering when it hits the tongue. All we need to bind them together for this potion is one of these.”

He waves one hand above another, and an apple pops in his open palm.

“An apple?” I look at him almost in disbelief. “We’re going to make magical apple cider to fill all of our basic needs?”

He nods. “Well, a few other spices and incantations, but effectively… yes.”

“How is it that other people don’t make these then?” I argue.

“For starters, not everyone has an enchanted cauldron,” he smirks, walking over to the ornate iron cauldron in the room’s corner. “Nor do they know how to use it, let alone have the ability to cast spells. Those with magical aptitude are not common, and those who can use those abilities even more rare. You are a very special person Penny, which is why I needed to meet you.”

He takes out his wand, focuses on the moonstone. When the moonstone glows red hot, he points the wand under the cauldron. Blue flame lights up the crystal nest underneath.

“Arcane Crystals, the ultimate in economical and environmentally safe heating,” he grins, leaving me to giggle.

I watch him for a moment. He takes some water from the pitcher that Mr. Duncan left behind for us, and tosses the liquid into the cauldron. With a few words, the water expands, filling the cauldron. Adam begins pouring in vials, naming them as he does. Soon the different coloured tonics blend into a greyish liquid. He holds the apple above the cauldron, lets go, and it just floats there in mid-air for a moment. He points at it with his wand, and the apple disintegrates into a powder, dropping into the cauldron. He motions and a large spoon appears in the vat. As he waves his hand, the spoon stirs the mixture. From some inside pocket, Adam produces a small pouch. The powder smells like a combination of cinnamon, cumin, cloves and something else. He sprinkles a few tablespoons of the powder into the cauldron. He motions with his hand again as the spoon stirs the rest of the contents. He motions for the spoon to rise out of the cauldron, and — with a flick of the wrist — makes the spoon disappear.

“There, all we need now is to let it finish brewing. It takes some time, so try to be patient. Once the liquid turns blue, it’ll be done,” Adam states.

“What if the mixture doesn’t turn blue?” I glance up from the cauldron.

“Then you probably shouldn’t drink it. Failed potions can have serious side effects,” he cautions.

“Oh.” I stand there and stare at the cauldron, a touch apprehensive.

“Once complete, we’ll have you write the ingredients and the incantations I spoke into your book, so that you can reproduce this on your own in the future,” he notes.

“You really think I’m ready to make this on my own?” I swallow, doubt seeping into my mind.

“Penny, alchemy is as much art as it is science… like cooking. One can have all the ingredients, and the best recipe, but it takes practice to turn that dish into a masterpiece. Just like a master chef, mastering alchemy takes time and experimentation. Trial and error will lead you to wonderful new discoveries,” he flashes me a disarming smile.

I glance at the cauldron as the solution is turning a dark blue. “It’s the error that I’m worried about.”

Adam chuckles. “I’m fairly confident that you won’t blow up the study today Penny. Don’t worry so much, it may negatively impact the spells and ruin the potion.”

I suddenly flash him with a fearful look. “You mean I could blow up the study?!”

“I was only joking, I’ve only ever witnessed one person blowing up a cauldron. It’s very rare.” He’s scooping the liquid into small bottles. “Here, these are for you.” He hands me the first bottle and starts filling the next.

Over the next hour, he has me write the potion into my book. It’s a four step process, and he wants me to prepare everything from scratch. He then has me repeat the spells used in the brewing several times before we actually start the mixture again. He produces another apple. “You’ll get this when we reach the last stage. Ready?”

“I hope so…” I focus on my ring and cast the flame spell he taught me to start up the cauldron. “Telemnar!” I look at the silver-blue flame, dancing just above my finger tips. To harness fire without getting burnt… amazing. I point the flame under the cauldron, and the crystal nest lights up. It still marvels me how these crystals burn like wood, but never smoke or break down like a log would. I then take some water from the table and splash it in. With the expansion incantation, I fill up the cauldron with liquid… Okay, that wasn’t so hard.

He has me work on each aspect of the potion. First the Clean cantrip that I know so well, then “Loitanyë” to refresh, “Mastanyë” to fill one’s hunger… I’d ask why it sounds like I’m casting these spells on myself, but I can’t break the incantation. Finally, “Merya” for merriment.

He hands me the apple and I place it above the cauldron, whispering for it to levitate before letting go. I wonder how many other things I could make do that… Then cast the powdering spell,making the apple suddenly crumble into dust into the vat. “Nihtana Malo.” Instant dehydration is so cool! I look at the powder floating in the liquid.

“Hmm… how do I stir it now?”

“It’s like your book with the quill. Think of the spoon, and it will appear,” Adam motions.

I concentrate on wanting a spoon, and this large wooden spoon appears in my hands.

“Now, until you master the spoon, you must stir it yourself, it takes time to learn how to control it like I did…”

I knew it wouldn’t be so easy… I stir… Oof! This is harder than I thought it would be!

“Okay, now that the apple is fully blended into the water, it’s time to add the other spices,” Adam instructs.

I release the spoon, and it disappears. Neat! I take the ingredient bag and sprinkle the amount that he indicates.

“Okay, stir again,” he notes calmly.

I make the spoon reappear and start stirring. He suddenly places his hand on my shoulder, and I look at him. “What?”

“Back up, back up now!” He’s almost shouting, jumping back.

I jump back, following him as this black cloud forms over the vat. There’s a flash, almost like a firecracker going off. I cover my nose from the stench as the liquid in the cauldron blackens, looking like toxic mud.

“Hwal ilyë,” he intones, and the cauldron empties itself out. “Were you distracted during the process?” He looks me over, making sure I’m alright. I blush and nod. “Alright. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and let’s try again.”

Third time’s a charm, they say. After another failed attempt, where the liquid turned into a viscous green solution that was likely poisonous, I finally produced a batch of clear blue liquid.

Adam takes a small sip and smiles. “Not the best, but you’re getting there.”

I relax. Wow… potion making is a lot harder than I thought! Compared to this, casting the spells that go into it is relatively easy.

Adam looks pensive. “You know, I’ve never tried this potion on a creature of Mr. Duncan’s lineage. I know what it does to Mages and mundane Humans. I wonder if this would have the same effects on your family?”

“Only one way to find out?” I offer, and he nods.

I Teleport us up to the kitchen, and Mr. Duncan takes a step back. “Milady, you’re gonna need some sorta warning signal if ye wanna keep poppin’ around all over the place!”

“Sorry Mr. Duncan, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I flash him an apologetic look.

“Ah, Mr. Duncan,” Adam smiles. “Just the person we wanted to see. We need you to test something for us.” He hands Duncan one of the potion bottles.

“What sorta trickery is in that bottle now, Lad?” Mr. Duncan leans back.

“A potion of needs,” I state. “We’ve both had some, it’s perfectly safe.”

He looks at the bottle, then at us. “Well, as you’re not turnin’ all green or growin’ warts…”

I can’t help but giggle as his comment. He takes a drink of the liquid, and his eyes glow purple for a moment. The glow flows down his body as he swallows the potion, when it hits his stomach there’s a dim glow throughout his torso, and he suddenly gasps.

“Mr. Duncan! Are you all right? How do you feel?” I frown with concern. I don’t remember Adam glowing like that…

“I feel like a new day has dawned, and full of spit an’ vinegar!” he exclaims. “What was in that blue gunk ye just fed me?”

“We call it a Potion of Fulfilling Needs.” Adam notes calmly, but his smile shows he’s pleased with the results.

“Oh! It sure fills plenty o’ needs, Lad! I’ve never felt better in days!” Mr. Duncan beams.

I glance at the bottle then look at Duncan, waiting to see if there are any side effects. He drank most of it… He goes about what he was doing in the kitchen, getting lunch ready, and whistles.

“Could we have just found an alternative to the purple fruit?” I ponder aloud. “Is that possible?” I glance at Adam.

Adam looks pensive. “To be honest, I wasn’t fully expecting it to work on his physiology. It could have something to do with the fact that they consume the Plasma Fruit. It may do actual damage to your average Vampire. Warlocks are still living creatures. I hoped that the residual effects of the fruit would lead them to being able to consume life potions.”

Mr. Duncan performs a little skip as he goes to the fridge. “Well I’ve not seen Mr. Duncan this lively. This is amazing!”

“Aye, Lass,” he beams. “I’m not even hungry now, but I’ll make lunch for the rest of you.”

“Sounds like a wonderful idea,” Adam smiles. “It’s been a rather long morning. We’ve only had a sip of that potion, so we’re still a little drained. Come Penny, let’s sit down so that we’re out of Mr. Duncan’s way.”

As Melody comes down from her study for lunch. Adam and I are excitedly discussing the possibilities of this new potion, what this could mean for my family. She stands at the bottom of the stairs, watching us, and smiles at our exuberance.

“I am glad to see that this arrangement works out well with you two,” she chimes sweetly.

I hop out of my chair, pulling Melody into a big hug. I hold her hands, excitedly trying to recount our morning’s activities in one breath. She motions for me to calm down.

“Now, now, Darling, one thought at a time, please. There is no rush. Sit and explain it slowly,” she notes softly.

I take a deep breath and do my best to calm down as Mr. Duncan brings food to the table.

I spend the meal explaining our recent discovery. The prospect has Melody excited.

“First, we discover a tonic to allow us time out in the daylight, and now you say that, with this potion, we are no longer chained to our thirst? Just drink one of these when the hunger or any other need feel strongest?”

“Possibly even less frequently than you would consume Plasma Fruit!” I grin. “If Mr. Duncan’s reaction is telling, it could be more fulfilling!”

Adam nods. “But don’t stop consuming the Plasma Fruit. I have a feeling that it’s side effects are working with your body to allow your biology to better metabolize the potion. It may be actually toxic to true Vampires. I’d have to do more research to be sure.”

She looks at the potion bottle I gave her to take later. “Interesting. Very interesting indeed.” She glances at Adam. “My family owes you a lot for this discovery, Archmage. This means a lot to us.”

“Please, just call me Adam. We all benefit from discoveries like these. I am more than pleased to what this means towards a very long and mutually beneficial friendship.”

Mr. Duncan catches on to a nuance in that comment and narrows his eyes, looking Adam up and down. “Are ye implyin’, Lad, that you’ll live longer than most mortals?”

“I do, and I will. Next week will be my 51st birthday,” he states casually.

I look at Adam in surprise. He’s twice my age, yet doesn’t look a day over 20! How does he manage that as a Mage?

Mr. Duncan is asking for me before I can voice it. “And how is it ye look younger than our dear Penny here, then?” he pokes his fork at Adam. He’s been mostly playing with this food during lunch, seeing as the potion removed his hunger.

Melody suddenly looks up from her plate, as something dawns on her. “You are either half-Elven or have rediscovered the Potion of Immortality that your family developed in the last age. I thought I saw something in your aura, but I could not be sure.”

Adam nods. “I have. When Penny’s abilities in alchemy are extensive enough, I will teach her how to brew one for herself — just in case those rings don’t quite make you immortal. For it to work successfully, a Mage has to make this potion for themselves. It requires a portion of one’s own essence during the incantation process.”

“Has this process ever failed?” Duncan narrows his eyes, protective as ever.

“There are always risks in Alchemy, my friend,” Adam states. “It’s as much art as it is science. I will do my best to make sure that she is ready for the task when it is needed.”

“What happens if she isn’t, Lad? What would happen to her?” Mr. Duncan presses.

“Well, the potion would kill her instead,” Adam states flatly, without emotion.

“And ye call this an acceptable risk, Lad?!” Mr. Duncan is growing visibly upset again.

Adam raises his hands. “While I would likely have lived two or three Human generations, I took that risk myself when I brewed my Immortality Potion. The Council I’ve formed needs me. I know firsthand the perils that the potion presents. As I am standing here today, I will do everything in my power to make sure she succeeds. As a Knight, do you accept my vow to protect Penny from harm, as you do?”

“Yer no Knight, Lad, but I know yer family, and their code of honour. Ye hold to your vow and I will accept your promise,” Mr. Duncan places his fist to his heart.

“Thank you, Mr. Duncan. Your trust means a lot to me. I know I will have to work to earn it.”

“Aye, you will. You’ve started out on the right foot so far, Lad,” he smirks.

The rest of lunch we discuss what other potions I could learn that would be useful for all of us.

“Melody! Are you alright?”

She glances up at me with a weak smile. “Yes, Dearest. Sorry, that last spell just took a lot out of me.” She shifts to straighten up more. I sense the feeling of exhaustion emanating from her. She likely senses my concern. “Teleporting oneself that far takes enough effort. Casting the spell twice in one day, carrying two in my emotional state… Well, it took all the focus I had to land us home safely,” she explains her condition.

I shift her weight to hold on to her better. I look around the main floor… empty. I listen for any noises in the house… nothing. Mr. Duncan and Jerry are nowhere to be seen or heard. They must be out for a run. Great, now I need to get her upstairs on my own. I look around for options. I don’t want to just lay her down on the couch.

“Let’s get you upstairs, Honey,” I suggest.

She whispers something in my ear. I blink. “Think of our bedroom, Darling. Repeat after me…”

I follow her guidance, thinking of our bedroom, I repeat it out loud. ”Amlelyana.” My vision shifts, and I have to close my eyes. When I open them again, we are upstairs in our bedroom.

She offers me a warm smile. “Congratulations, Love. You just learned your first Teleport spell.”

With strength I didn’t know I really had, I carry her in bridal fashion over to the bed. The joys of adrenaline. With my foot, I push the blankets open, balancing our weight so as not to fall over. I lay her down, undress her, then get undressed myself to join her. I cuddle her against me, her breathing is regular. Somehow I know she’s physically fine, just drained.

She lets out a deep sigh as she relaxes into me. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Honey. Now you need to rest,” I note in a soothing tone.

I don’t know how long we slept, but I am awoken by Jerry barking downstairs. I blink as the morning light streams through the windows. How long did we sleep?

Mr. Duncan is calling up the stairs. “Penny, Luv, are ye home? Someone’s at the door for you!”

I look down at my wife, Melody is still fast asleep. She barely stirs as I slip out of bed. For a vampiric creature that barely sleeps, yesterday must have really drained her. I pull on a green nightgown before slipping on my house robe, thinking of the words that she taught me earlier. I test the words a few times in my mind. The English Lit major in me makes me analyze the trigger word before speaking it. What if the prefix is a destination? Adam said that most spells use Elvish as the spell trigger, so what is the Elven prefix for down? Damn! I don’t have time for this! What if I focus on the destination and just cast the root word?

“Let’s hope this works…” I mutter. “Lyanna?” Nothing happens. “No, that’s not it… Think Penny, think. You majored in Language Arts…” A smile crosses my face, and I reach up and intone “Lelyanna!”

My vision shifts, and suddenly I’m down in the kitchen. I spread my hands out to regain my balance from the change in scenery. This will take a bit getting used to. When I look up, Mr. Duncan is standing there, stunned. Jerry is still barking at the door.

“Hi…” I offer him a timid wave.

“Well, that’s somethin’ new for ye, Luv,” he chuckles.

I flash him a hesitant smile. “Thanks, still learning how this whole magic thing works.”

“Yer a Mage now, are ye?” he raises an eyebrow.

“That’s what they told me yesterday,” I return hesitantly. “That and something about nature magic…” Mr. Duncan nods toward the door. “Right, visitor,” I swallow and clear my throat.

He turns to hush Jerry as I walk around the stairs and reach for the door. I open it to find… Adam! He’s casually standing there, waiting patiently, with a hint of a smile on his face. I’m sure the surprise is evident on mine.

“A… Adam? How did you find me here?” I stutter.

“It wasn’t easy,” he admits. “This house was hard to find,” he remarks, looking around.

Mr. Duncan narrows his eyes as he pets Jerry. “We dunna like people nosin’ around in our business, Lad. We ward the house against scryin’.”

Apparently Mr. Duncan’s figured out a bit about Adam’s nature.

“Well, that would explain why it was so hard to pinpoint Penny’s location. The closest I could get was your neighbourhood. This… hamlet… it’s almost as if it’s shrouded from the rest of the world. I had to focus my will to cross some sort of barrier, then walk the rest of the way. To be honest, the house I found by chance. This one felt the most inviting in the neighbourhood.”

Mr. Duncan continues to pet Jerry to keep him calm and from running over to the door.

“And ye can just as easily lose its location if ye don’t mind. We dunna take kindly to strangers snoopin’ in our business. Do I make myself clear, Lad?” There’s an underlying threat to his tone.

Adam raises his hands. “I am here on my own accord, I assure you. I only have Penny’s best interests in mind. Honest.”

I study Adam for a moment. His disarming tone and smile makes him easy to trust.

“Well, you might as well come in and say your peace then.” I concede. “Are you thirsty?”

“Water is fine,” he nods politely.

Mr. Duncan releases Jerry, and the dog rushes to our new guest, following Adam, sniffing at him as he enters the kitchen. I pour him a glass from the fridge cooler, and hand it to him. Well Jerry’s tail is wagging, that must be a good sign. I then move over to the coffeemaker, I need something stronger than water. As I wait for the coffeemaker, I motion for Adam to sit down at the table, observing him.

“So, Adam, you went to all this trouble to find me. What do you want?”

“You still require training,” he states getting straight to the point.

I frown at his statement. “Melody didn’t seem very impressed…”

“I apologize for Morgyn’s push. He felt he needed to test Melody’s resolve, to see if she would betray her conveyances. The rings you possess are powerful artifacts. In the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous.”

I look down at my wedding ring. “Could these rings be used in the wrong hands? My wife insists that anything to upset the balance of Light and Dark wouldn’t be possible,” I mutter. The beep from the coffee maker breaks my thoughts. I grab a mug from the cabinet and pour myself a cup.

I turn to Adam. “I honestly don’t know the capacity that either I or this ring may have, but I don’t think that I could use it to do any harm. By my research this is the Solitaire of Light, meant to heal and protect.”

“Some Sages are still worried what the Warlock Ring that Melody wears could do. It’s also known as the Dark Band for a reason. To be honest, we thought she was joking when she said she had the solitaire. The rings were thought to have been lost ages ago. We certainly didn’t think they survived the fall of Sanctum. You caught them off-guard, they reacted… defensively.” He lowers his head in shame.

I take a sip and make a sour face. I turn and get some creamer out of the fridge. “Is that what the mage’s circle, or whatever they are, calls rudeness?”

“They were a little gruff…” he admits.

“It was uncalled for!” I retort.

“You’re right,” he sighs. “We conferred after you left, and agreed that our approach was indeed improper.”

I sit down with my coffee and take a sip. “That’s the understatement of the decade. I’ve never seen my wife so angry!”

“Morgyn and Melody have clashed in the past. Despite the aura of darkness that surrounds her, she seems to have a gentle heart. She finds Morgyn reckless and uncouth,” Adam returns.

“From what I’ve seen, I’d say she’s right,” I huff.

He’s quiet. I expected him to defend one of his ‘Sages’. I take a deeper sip, studying him for a long moment, trying to find a reason for his presence. I set my cup down. “What are you really here for then, Adam? You went through all this effort to find me… to what? Apologize?”

“I’d like you to give me one more chance to teach you,” he implores.

Mr. Duncan is standing beside Jerry by the stairs. He’s calmly scratching the dog between his ears, but I can feel his discomfort. He’s waiting to see where this exchange will lead. In the corner of my eye, he looks ready to kick Adam out of the house, but is waiting for my permission.

“Fine, I’ll give you one more chance.” I concede. “I trust you so far. But, after last night, I can’t say my opinion of the other Sages is very positive.”

Adam returns a welcome smile and opens his hands in thanks. “Fair enough. It’s a start. I can work with that.”

Something dawns on me. “I think there might be a place for us to practice and study that’s nearby and safe. Let me get dressed first.” I rise, “Stay here,” I note sternly and Adam nods. I move back to the kitchen to give myself more room. Focusing on the words again, thinking of the bedroom. “Amlelyana!”

I take a deep breath and smile when I see that I’m back in the bedroom. I could swear I saw golden sparkles drift down from my outstretched hand, disappearing before they touch the floor — or it could be the vertigo. Whatever it is, I’m getting to like this.

My sudden appearance wakes Melody, who looks up at me with a smile that just melts my heart.

“My, my, Darling. Seems my wife is quite the fast learner,” she coos.

I smile at the compliment. “It still leaves me feeling dizzy when I ‘land’ though.” Can’t think of a better word for when I arrive. I move towards the closet. “I need to get dressed, Adam’s here and…”

Melody cuts me off. “Adam? The Archmage? He’s here?”

I simply nod as I’m gathering some clothes from the closet.

Her voice turns cold. A shiver runs down my spine with its iciness. “What does he want?”

“He wants me to continue training,” I return.

Melody looks unmoved by my comment. “Really? Why?”

I turn to her, exasperated. “Melody, Honey, if we want this to work, we’re going to have to trust someone. I trust Adam. His motives seem genuine.”

Melody sits up, looking thoughtful for a moment, then her expression softens.

“Very well, Darling. But I refuse that you return to the school in the Sanctum. The basement study should suffice for what we need.”

I had a feeling that the dusty room was a study, she just confirmed my suspicions.

Melody slides out of bed, still naked. I admire her body and stop dressing for a moment. She performs a pirouette, and in a blur of dark mist, she’s suddenly dressed, wearing the black and purple brocade dress.

I stand there, mouth agape. “Melody, Honey? You must teach me how you just did that!”

Melody smirks and winks. “My way will not work for you, Darling. We will have to find a spell that you can cast that will.”

I blink, confused, tossing her a questioning glance as I finish getting dressed. Her way? Just how many forms of magic are there? I really need to do some more research.

Once I’m dressed, Melody approaches me and takes my hands in hers. “Ready?” she raises an eyebrow. When I nod, there’s a shift in vision, dark mist surrounds us, and we sort of float down to the kitchen before we solidify. Her method of moving around is so different from the spell she taught me to use.

Melody releases my hands, and walks over to Mr. Duncan, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. “Morning, Luv. Bring us down some breakfast in a bit?”

Mr. Duncan smiles and nods. She steps back to me and takes one of my hands. “Adam, come with us,” she commands, holding her other hand out for him.

Adam calmly stands, walks over and takes her hand without hesitation. We turn into mist once again and drift down into the basement room.

The room is dark, our appearance has kicked up some dust, and I hold back a sneeze.

Melody whispers, ”arcanik mitne,” and the candles in the room light up with a blue flame. She looks around and shakes her head. “My, my, I have left this room untouched for far too long…” She turns to me. “Penny, my Love, did they teach you the Clean cantrip yet?”

I nod, and she smiles.

“Good, very good. We will need to tweak the spell a little though, or it will take far too long to clean this room.”

I return a puzzled look. You can tweak spells? She simply states. “Now repeat after me. Natorki nomeno cuaili.”

I repeat the words, getting the feel for the enunciation she uses. Whatever that sentence is, it’s not as elegant as Elvish. “Good,” she states as she takes my hand. “Now close your eyes and focus on our connection. Then focus on the room, and repeat it with me.”

I close my eyes, focusing on our connection through the rings. I can sense a ‘now’ from her, and we intone the sentence in tandem.

When I open my eyes, there is a swirling band of white, blue, black and purple mist. Like a mini spiral galaxy, it’s spreading out from us, slowly growing larger, taking up more space. Everywhere the mist touches, items are being cleaned, dusted, rearranged… in a matter of moments it’s spun through the entire room, leaving everything sparkling clean — including us.

Adam has been quiet this whole time. He looks over the room, then looks over at Melody. “I may be the wrong teacher for you, Penny.”

I blink at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

Adam gestures wide to encompass the room. “Your wife took a simple Clean cantrip and turned it into a ritual to clean an entire room… in a single incantation. I think her abilities far surpass even mine, and I am the strongest of the Realm that we know of.”

Melody is shaking her head. “No Luv, my abilities are only compatible with Penny’s through the ring. I cannot teach her spells that she can use on her own.”

Adam looks puzzled. “I’m not sure I get what you are implying.”

“Warlock magic is only available for those who have taken a pact. We make a deal with unworldly creatures, leaving us with powers and abilities above mortals, but it also leaves us… changed. The aura that Penny possesses is too pure for my abilities. To use my powers could seriously hurt her. I will not allow that to happen.”

“But the spell you just cast…” he’s trying to sort it out. “Outside of you using Draconic instead of Elvish…”

“Was only possible through the joining of the rings. She needs me as an anchor to shield her from the darkness, as I use her as an anchor to shield me from the light. This is the true power, and limits of the rings. Together we can accomplish incredible feats of magic, but only in our joining. If something were to separate us during a ritual incantation, horrible things could happen.”

Realization dawns on Adam’s face. “The Warlock, your past fiancé… you were in the middle of an incantation when something shattered your connection and he…”

Adam stops talking and swallows. I don’t think he wants to finish that sentence. There’s a tear rolling down Melody’s cheek. The striking feeling of sorrow through the ring makes my heart ache. I’ve never felt so much pain.

Then it dawns on me… He didn’t stop talking willingly.

“Melody, Melody… Let him go.” I now see Adam’s struggling to breathe. His face is turning blue as he emits a choking sound.

“Melody, Honey, let him go!” I release her hand in panic, breaking her focus, and she blinks.

Adam suddenly gasps for breath, slumping to his knees. Melody slinks down, kneeling on the ground, a tear dropping to the floor. The sadness I feel from her is almost overwhelming.

Once he’s recovered, he looks at Melody. At first I thought he might be angry. Instead, Adam clears his throat. “I’m Sorry, I spoke out of turn. I did not mean to upset you.”

I now realize that Melody is nothing like Caleb. She’s so much more! Whatever creature she is, I’ve seen how other Vampires fear her. I saw that in Lilith that night when her brother tried to attack me. After what I just saw her do to Adam, I can see why…

When angered, could she kill someone with a thought? Or was it our joining through the rings that amplified her powers? Melody has had centuries to refine her abilities, it’s hard to tell what she can or can’t do. I wonder if she’s unique, or are there others out there just as powerful?

Adam guides me to a depression in the main floor. It’s large and set a half-story lower. Steps in all four corners lead down to it. He motions me to stand in the middle of another stone circle, similar to the one the archway sits on outside. I examine the circle as he prepares… something. I was half expecting some sort of pentagram, but this isn’t. A large, blue, glowing triangle dominates the centre. The circle I’m standing in extends beyond it. Those same three glyphs in circles highlight the corners of the triangle where the two forms meet. Larger glyphs follow another circle at their midpoint. As I study the design, other runes drift in and out of focus. Adam allows me a moment to marvel at the pattern. I blink and look up, the constant shifting pattern of runes is making me dizzy. From where I’m standing, doorways line the walls leading to study halls, possibly a kitchen behind me from the smell, and burbling sounds off to the left looks to be coming from a chemist hall with a huge cauldron. In a world of magic and mysticism, should a cauldron surprise me?

“Now it’s time to discover what potential has been hiding under the surface,” Adam announces.

I flash him a puzzled look. “How do you intend on doing that?”

Adam doesn’t answer me, he seems to be in deep concentration as he mumbles something in a strange language. The runes below my feet begin to rotate, they glow brighter as he continues chanting in melodic, strange words. I look up to see a ball of energy building up at the end of his wand. His eyes are glowing golden white as he opens them. As he completes his chant, he motions the wand, and the ball of energy streams right at me!

It’s too fast, I can’t dodge it, I feel my body being enveloped by the blast. The ring does nothing to deflect or disrupt it. Does that mean it’s not an evil spell? At least, I’m assuming what he just did was cast a spell at me. I feel a warmth start in my chest that spreads throughout my body. My hair stands on end as the energy courses through me. I can feel myself being lifted off the ground.

As if triggering a memory, I hear myself chant a verse I remember reading in Melody’s tome. Why am I saying these words? The room glows brighter with the energy flowing around my body. There’s a final bright flash as it reaches its apex.

I blink, looking down as I float gently to the ground. Like on our wedding day, I feel something coursing through my veins, energy flowing through my being. For a moment, I see and feel everything! Could this be what Melody meant by together we will be unstoppable? Have I reached some sort of new level of consciousness? As my feet touch the ground, I feel the remaining energy dissipate into the stone. The magic circle glows for a moment longer as it absorbs it all before dimming to a dull silver. I look around with a sudden sense of calm, a sense of belonging, as if I was born to be here. I now find myself eager as to what may happen next.

Adam offers me a satisfactory smile. “The Ascension ritual worked better than I expected. It’s the first time I’ve used it on a live target.” His eyes flicker gold for a moment. “Yes, your aura has definitely awoken. Now that we’ve unlocked your potential, lets teach you how to harness it. That much raw power without focus can be dangerous,” he cautions as I walk up the steps. “While I could probably teach you much myself, I believe you should learn the basics from one of our Sages first.”

He gestures off to the right from the main entrance. Somehow there’s something about his mannerisms that makes him easy to trust. His smile is genuine, his voice is soft… there’s no malice in his eyes. Whatever he did has heightened my Empathy. Somehow I feel I could tell if he were to lie to me. I follow his gesture deeper into the building. We walk into what I would guess would be the East wing, if using the front door as a south coordinate. With the sky in this place, it’s really hard to tell what direction is what. I need to use something as a reference point.

He introduces me to a tall man with shaggy brown hair. He looks a little rough around the edges and well past his 30s. Like some overaged hippie, his clothing is worn, baggy, and he sports a bit of a bulge around his belly. He seems friendly enough, though.

“This is Simeon, Sage in Practical Magic. He’s the first teacher that most people meet to learn simple and useful spells.”

Simeon greets me with a warm handshake. “Seeking new recruits again, Adam? First the schools, now a new pupil a month. My, aren’t you ever so ambitious?” His grip is soft yet firm. “She’s pretty strong too! You have an excellent candidate here.”

I release his hand. I didn’t squeeze it too hard, so I’m assuming he’s talking about the aura that Adam mentioned in his message.

“Am I an open book to everyone?” I frown, trying to piece it all together.

Simeon emits a soft chuckle. “Only to those who have Arcane Sight. You have a fair amount of raw power emanating around you.” He studies me for a moment. “Most of it seems tied to Nature Magic, I’ll have to get Susan to look at you. You do have enough Arcane potential though, so let’s see if we can teach you how to tone that down and focus it better — before you hurt someone accidentally.”

He turns towards the bookcase beside him and pulls out a book, handing it to me. “So, for starters, you’ll need one of these. Unlike a Sorcerer, Druids and Mages require a tome as a magic focus.”

The book tingles for a moment as I open it. It’s blank. “An empty book will help me learn how to focus magic?”

Simeon chuckles again. “It won’t stay empty for long. Once you learn new spells, powers, and potions, you’ll record them in your tome… sometimes they’ll even record themselves — if you’re lucky.”

“It’ll record itself? In this book?” I glance at him with mild disbelief.

“Oh, ye who have little faith,” he chuckles again. “Trust this,” he pokes his index finger at my forehead. “It will surprise you what the mind can do when trained properly.”

With a flick of his wrist, a scroll appears in his right hand. “Your first spell, Milady.” He hands me the rolled document.

I unfurl the scroll and look at the title. “Polca? This some sort of dance?” I smirk. Wait, I’ve heard that word before…

He chuckles. He seems to be a jovial person and easy to like. “Yes, I know, it sounds childish at first, but the Clean cantrip is very handy when one doesn’t want to get down on their hands and knees to scrub a floor.”

“Or the entire house,” Adam smirks. “Maid services are so last century.”

Simeon smirks. “Considering how old this spell is, you may have it the other way around, my friend.” He shifts his focus back to me. “Now, Elvish is an old tongue, older than most known languages. It may take you awhile to get used to how to pronounce the words properly. The phonetics are not the same as English.” He glances nervously over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you with Adam to learn the finer points of enunciation while I attend to another student. Last we need is another cauldron exploding this week! If you will excuse me…” He dashes past me to the middle of the room.

I lose count of how many times I have to repeat that silly sentence before the puddle Adam created as a test for me would go away. He then creates a few more messes for me to clean up, just to make sure that I have the spell down pat.

“Simple cantrips like this will eventually become second nature, where you’ll cast them with little more thought than you do breathing,” Adam assures me.

“Will I need a wand like you use?” I query.

“A wand is little more than a tool,” Adam notes. “Mine is used as a focus for complex spells that require a bit more mana manipulation. Simple cantrips like this shouldn’t require a wand. Now to seal the spell in your mind, you’ll need to transcribe the scroll with its description into your spellbook.”

“We’re calling this a spellbook now?” I smirk as I sit down at a nearby desk.

Adam shrugs. “Spellbook, tome, grimoire, parmaluithul… it has had many names over the years, but the premise is the same. The spells you will learn will be transcribed into your book.”

“So, what do I write with?” I query. As if answering my question, a quill just appears out of thin air, just within reach. I blink at the floating feather. “An actual traditional quill?” I look around, “Where’s the inkwell?”

“Magical writing doesn’t require actual ink for your spellbook, though you can use enchanting pigments to enhance the power of a spell or in writing a scroll,” Adam smiles.

“When will this start feeling normal?” I swallow, reaching for the quill.

“How long did the abilities of the ring you wear begin to feel normal?” he raises an eyebrow.

“It still doesn’t,” I mutter as I focus on transcribing the scroll into the book. “It’s been so long since I’ve done more than write autographs.”

“Yes, penmanship is important, don’t rush what you’re writing. Take time to feel the words and imbue them into the page.”

“Right,” I swallow. When I am done writing and set the quill down, it disappears — almost as if it melds into the book. “Neat! I could learn to appreciate an always-ready pen!” I grin. “How do I make it come back?”

“Just focus on you wanting to write something,” Adam encourages.

I want to write something, I say to myself, focusing on the page. I smile as the quill fades back into existence. I add an extra dot to the page, then release the quill, and it disappears again. “Okay, that is just way too amazing!” I beam.

Adam chuckles. “I love to see the eagerness of new students.”

I close the book and sit there, looking up at him. “Okay, so what’s next?”

“What is next is finding out why you are here without me, Darling,” someone chimes by the doorway.

I would recognize that sing-song voice anywhere. I don’t need the ring to tell me who it belongs to. “Melody, my Love!” I jump up and run into my wife’s arms, offering her a tender kiss.

She gladly returns the sentiment. Once we break for air, she continues holding me protectively. “Darling, you should have warned me you planned to awaken your powers. I would have been here the whole time.”

“It wasn’t exactly planned, Love. They offered to awaken the ring… I wasn’t thinking…” I swallow, now worried.

“Darling, I am not upset. Do not fret so much,” she notes in a soothing tone. Melody sizes Adam up and down in the corner of my eye. I release her enough to turn to see him, one arm around her shoulder. She keeps one arm wrapped around my waist. “As you are here standing by her side, is it you that I have to thank for unlocking my wife’s abilities? Or is there someone else I should search for?”

“It took you longer to get here than I expected.” Adam returns with a disarming smile.

Melody shrugs. “I have not visited in a very long time. As I felt she was in no danger, I decided to look around. The Realm has changed little since I was last here. Were you not planning to rebuild the Sanctum, Archmage?”

“There have been delays,” he frowns. “Do I know you? I have a feeling that you look familiar.”

Simeon returns to see how we’re doing, his usual jovial attitude drops when he sees Melody by my side. He frowns. “What is she doing here?”

“Ah, my dear Simeon, you are looking well,” she offers him a disarming smile.

Adam blinks. “We know her?”

“Do you not recognize Melodia de Riviera? Seriously the names aren’t that far off,” Simeon grumbles.

“You?…” Adam blinks. Melody releases me, and a shimmer covers her body briefly. I keep forgetting that I can see past whatever illusion or veil she uses to hide her purple-everything from the public. “Oh!”

“You have barely aged a day, Archmage,” she flashes him a polite smile. “And you, Dearest Simeon, it has been so long since we have seen one another,” she walks toward him with open arms. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and shoots her a stern look. “What? No hug? Come here, Darling.”

He backs away from her, “Don’t you dare touch me!”

“Now, now, is that a way to treat a dear old friend?” Melody returns with a playful pout. “You have grown so much since I last saw you, Dearest.” She teasingly pokes him in the stomach, “I see you have been eating well enough.”

Simeon’s face goes beet red. Though it’s hard to tell if he’s angry or flustered, his emotions broadcast both. “I seem to recall telling you not to get involved in my diet, woman!” he growls.

Melody gasps and continues her teasing pout. “Now, now, Darling. That is not how one addresses a Lady, now, is it? I thought I taught you better manners.”

I raise an eyebrow at this point. Just how many of her past relationships will I keep encountering?

Simeon’s tone carries a world of hurt. “I seem to recall you were the one who ended things, who cut things off.”

Melody doesn’t back down. “Awe, do we still harbour regrets, Dear? I do recall clearly stating why I left.”

At this point, I think it’s best to intervene. If she keeps this up, he could totally blow his top and have this turn into an outright argument. I clear my throat. Melody turns around, I simply flash her a look. She offers Simeon one last glance before sauntering over to me.

“Oh my, yes, where are my manners? Darling, have you been properly introduced to these fine gentlemen?”

She can be so dramatic, I wonder if she was an actress at some point in her life. “Well, I know the names they gave me…” I offer, wondering if there’s something I am missing.

“Come, gentlemen, since when do you not include your titles in your introductions,” Melody scolds them. “You want to promote a school, you should do so formally.”

“You know them?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Why of course I know these fine Mages, Darling,” she flashes me a disarming smile. “The gentleman who is much older than he appears to be is the Archmage Adam Arcwave,” she points to Adam. “His best friend, and Master of the Practical Magical Arts, is Sage Simeon Silverglade.” she leans into me. “I, um, dated Simeon several years back, Darling. He was much more handsome back then, I assure you I’ve not lost my taste in fine young men.”

Simeon huffs in annoyance, and I have to stifle a giggle at her antics.

“Countess de La Rivière,” Adam smiles. “Milady, how did I not noticed it was you sooner?” he bows slightly.

“I try to change my name every few decades, it confuses the Mundanes from hounding my past, wondering why I look no older than I did back then. The Disguise Self spell only changes superficial aspects, it does not hide that I do not appear to age.” She nudges me, “Careful of Adam, Darling. He can be quite charming, yet never commits to anyone. I must say, Love, you do find the best Mages.”

“Well he sort of found me,” I mumble bashfully.

Simeon interjects. “Yes, it’s all nice and well, wonderful to meet you too, but… why are you here?” he demands, his tone bordering on hostility.

“Now, now, fret not Love. I am not here for you,” she huffs dismissively. Melody flashes me a fond smile. “I felt a shift in the connection between mine and my wife’s rings. Quite a lot of power was being fed through it. I needed to know why.”

Simeon looks her over, slightly confused. “Your ring? Wait.. your wife?” He looks between the two of us.

“We were married this spring, my dear Simeon. Did you not receive the invitation? I do believe that I had put you on the list…” Melody ponders aloud.

Simeon looks pensive for a moment. His eyes lower to our hands, looking for a moment at our wedding bands. “You… you found the lost Warlock’s ring?” he gasps. “She’s wearing your solitaire.”

“I did,” she grins, laying her left hand on my chest to show off her wedding band. “With my lovely betrothed of strong earthly magic… after all these years, I finally found a means to seal the bond.”

Simeon paces as he continues, trying to wrap his head around this recent information.

“The scriptures state the bond can only be made through a vow of Eternal Love.”

Melody offers me another fond smile. “Yes, it does. She is everything I had ever hoped to find in a life mate, and more.” She turns to him. “There is nothing in the scriptures that denotes the bond had to be formed between a man and a woman. I merely needed to find my soulmate.”

I turn her head to face me again. I can’t help but look into those lovely amethyst eyes and offer her a soft, tender kiss. Something about her right now makes her beauty intoxicating. It could be the strange lighting of this surreal place. It could be her emotions, her professing that I’m her soulmate… I feel so drawn to her right now.

Simeon is growing angry, he seems to have trouble trying to believe what’s going on. “This isn’t some trick, is it? You haven’t put some spell on her, have you? She really loves you?”

I break the kiss and return his annoyed glare. “Of course I love her!” I look back at my wife, who plants a playful kiss on my nose. “She’s all I’ve ever wanted in someone and more. The joys she’s brought to my life…” I sigh dreamily.

Simeon looks like he’s about to form another objection when Adam places a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Penny’s power isn’t refined. She’s not yet learned how to control her abilities. With the both of them touching… If you anger them, I will not be responsible for the power that they’ll unleash,” Adam cautions.

I blink for a moment, trying to calm myself. Why are my emotions so turbulent right now? I flash Melody a bewildered look.

“Everything is alright, Darling. It will take time to learn these new abilities. The Sanctum is rich with essence. This school was designed to amplify that power.” She glances at Adam. It was more a statement than a question, and he nods.

Adam expands on her statement. “While we stated earlier to trust your mind, that it can be a powerful tool, magic can also come from emotions. While Mages depend more on tools and tomes, powerful emotions can seriously affect an incantation. It can turn a simple spell into a powerful weapon.”

“Or a horrible curse,” Simeon grumbles. “Without discipline, magic can go horribly wrong. We need to teach you how to calmly and confidently use your abilities, or it could have negative — possibly even disastrous — results.” He flashes Melody another annoyed glare. “We were not expecting someone to come here and stir your emotions so strongly.”

I take a deep breath, looking down at the ground. I focus on Adam, then Simeon, then Melody. “Is this what you wanted from me?”

Melody shakes her head. “This is what I wanted for you, Darling. Most of all, I wanted it for us. When I first saw you that night at the Spice Festival, you were this wayward power that would never see its true potential. Worse, you could have found the wrong influence.” She caresses my cheek. “While I could have just left a lead for a Mage like Adam here,” she pauses and looks over to the men, “or Simeon, to find you. I felt there may be something that we could achieve together.” She continues to stroke my cheek with her cool, soft hand, her eyes filled with so much love and affection. “When I looked into those soft brown eyes of yours and saw mine reflected? I just knew there was so much more in store for us.”

She breaks away from me, holding my hands gently. “The day we wed, Darling, I told you I have searched the world over, for a very, very long time for someone who would truly fill my heart. I spent several lonely centuries seeking the other half of my soul to finally make me whole.”

Simeon clears his throat.

“Okay, maybe not completely alone,” she blushes, lowering her head. She takes a deep breath, then looks up at me again. “My Darling, I will admit that I have had numerous suitors over the years trying to find that connection.” She pauses, “Some were mere dalliances, some more serious, some I have even kept as family… yet no matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, what I wished, what I wanted, not a single past relationship has ever approached anything close to that of a True Love.” She brings her hand up to my chin, and her look softens. “In that one glance, when our eyes met, everything changed!” She holds my left hand with hers, I can feel the ring pulsing, I can feel her emotions, there is only truth now in her statement. She can’t lie through our bond, I’ll always tell how she really feels. “Simeon is right, the bond requires an eternal love to function. Amor Aiternus, the love must be true,” she shoots Simeon a sideways glare, “It cannot be faked or spellbound. The ring cannot work on empty promises.” She continues to look into my eyes. “After we met, I needed to test the bond of our relationship. When I finally felt that what we had was indeed true, I knew I had to chance the next step, and pray that I was not misguided by desperation.” She flashes me an apologetic smile. I can feel her sorrow, her guilt through the ring. “Dearest, Darling Penelope, I know I should have been more forthcoming, more honest in our courtship, I ask you to forgive my charade… but I was scared.”

At this point, I blink at her, confused. The confident, suave, outgoing, bubbly woman with whom I fell in love…“Scared?”

“Scared that, after all these years, after all this searching, I would lose my one chance at happiness everlasting with someone. I felt I did not deserve you,” she returns, eyes wet with building tears.

Did not deserve me? “But I love you! I always have!” I blurt, tears of my own welling up.

At those words, she smiles. Her face lights up like a thousand suns and draws me in for a powerful hug. I return her embrace. I feel a teardrop land on my shoulder. Is she crying?

“And I always will…” I coo softly, then sniffle as the emotions well up in me as well.

Her response is to hug me tighter. I can feel the intensity of her love. It fills me to overflowing. Through our bond, it’s almost overwhelming in its intensity as I return her affections. For what feels like an eternity, we just hold each other, as one heart, one soul, one being… I feel as if we are floating.

When we finally break from our embrace and look down, we’re about two meters off the floor, almost touching the vaulted ceiling. A glow surrounds us, shifting and swirling with gold, green, purple, and black. People are looking up at us. We’ve apparently drawn quite a crowd.

She finally opens her eyes, and I calmly chime. “Your eyes are glowing purple, Love.”

She smiles. “Your eyes are glowing gold, Darling.” She shares a tender kiss before looking down. “Concentrate, Love. We can float down gently…” she coos.

The crowd spreads out, giving room for us to land. Adam is smiling. Standing beside him is a thin man, with tousled blond hair. He’s wearing a dark red trench coat and dressed much like Adam.

“Amazing,” beams the newcomer “That was truly Amazing!”

Melody moves beside me, still holding my left hand. She reaches out and places her hand gently on the newcomer’s shoulder. “Morgyn?” She tilts her head sideways. “Yes, that is you,” she smiles. “Sage Morgyn Ember, I would like to introduce to you my wife, Penny.”

Morgyn half-bows. “Milady Rivers, a pleasure to make your acquaintance in person. I apologize for not approaching you the day of your wedding.” Oh, so this one knows about our family’s noble title. He glances back at Melody. “I rarely manage to leave the Realm these days, but I had to see your big event with my own eyes.” He looks at each of us. “With that lovely display of power and energy, I would safely assume that you managed to finally unlocked those mysterious rings of yours?”

Melody flashes him a coy smile. “Was it that obvious?”

He chuckles. “Very much so.”

Melody looks around. “Oh dear. Were we quite the spectacle?” she fusses, and he nods. “Well, I guess those who doubted the scriptures will have to review their beliefs,” she smirks.

“Yes,” he draws the word out, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “So, now that you have achieved what you desired, what are your plans from here?”

Melody looks at me. “Now that Penny’s abilities have been successfully unlocked, she requires training. She still has so much to learn.”

“What do you plan on doing with the rings?” Morgyn sounds more serious.

Melody flashes him a puzzled look. “I have already achieved my purpose with the rings.”

“Which was?” He seems to be trying to get something out of her.

“To find my true love, with my soulmate I could finally complete the ritual of binding.”

“That’s all?” he seems unimpressed.

“Morgyn, with the state of the Realm now? No, I have no other motives for what Penny and I can achieve with the rings. The rings were designed to offer balance between the Light and the Dark.”

He merely nods.

“To use them for any other purpose would be disastrous. We both know that,” she frowns.

Morgyn still looks unconvinced, and I’m getting confused. “Melody? Honey, what is he getting at?” I swallow as I feel the tension building.

Melody looks at me, then at him. “Morgyn is rightfully concerned that, with our combined powers, I may have ulterior plans to take control of the Realm. In its current state, we could easily dominate Sanctum, undo all the work they have done to restore what little order there is now.” She narrows her eyes at him. “I have no plans for your Realm, I have said so before.”

I blink, startled. “We could do that?”

Melody offers a solemn nod. “We could, but we will not! Penny does not know of the trouble that the Realm befell in the last age. It is partially because of the loss of the rings that the Realm fell to chaos to begin with! These rings were designed for one purpose, to make us whole. To find and establish peace. I could never use the rings for nefarious reasons.”

He looks at her with mild disbelief. “Have you found peace?”

“Yes, I have found peace! I have found my true love, I have finally found balance in my life. My Darling Penny is to learn Light and Arcane magic without the chaos.”

“Magic is chaos.” Morgyn retorts, unmoved.

“As the Elemental Sage, I would expect you to answer that. The answer is No.”

“No? Perhaps we should ask Penny what she thinks is best. Does she not have a say how she’ll learn magic?”

I’m beyond confused. Melody, of course, can feel my frustrations through the ring. She lowers her head, and takes a deep breath to compose her thoughts. When she looks at me, her face is calm, but I can still feel the turmoil underneath.

“Penny dearest, magic is a complex weave. Those who can manipulate essence are rare. There are few who can control the mysteries of the universe. These fine gentlemen have decided to simplify things for novices. They teach three primary principal concepts of magic within this Realm. You have seen the sigils: Practical, Manipulation, and Elemental. Each principal combines over one of the old schools of magic to simplify study. Their names are almost self-explanatory.”

She marks them off with her fingers.

“Practical Magic deals with spells of convenience: It covers cantrips, minor telekinetic abilities, healing, conjuration, and even teleportation. Most Practical spells are utilitarian, designed to aid in everyday tasks.”

She goes on to the next finger.

“Manipulation Magic deals with spells and abilities that control or change the environment, for good or bad. It involves illusions, the ability to modify or morph an object. This includes feelings, thoughts, and even actions. Bards are the most common students.”

“The last one,” she glares at Morgyn. “Elemental Magic deals primarily with offensive spells. Spells that can do undo harm. It follows the four basic elements of Earth, Wind, Water… and Fire.” She narrows her eyes at him. “It is the most unstable form of magic and not recommended for beginners!”

Morgyn flashes us a disarming smile, he’s about to speak, but Melody cuts him off again.

“No, you will not sweet talk your way into this one, Luv. You were not witness when wild magic killed my first fiancé. While the rings should protect us, I will not take chances losing another true love again!”

She’s clearly angry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so upset. I’m trying my best to calm her emotions through the ring. Morgyn returns a defeated look. Adam appears disappointed, though he’s not looking at us.

“Come Penny, we are done here! I believe we have overstayed our welcome and it is time we go back home,” my wife states before anyone else can add something. Melody wraps her right arm around my waist, then raises her left hand in the air. “Nif fesi ekess skatuch!”

The world… tilts slightly. A dark purple mist surrounds us as my stomach drops suddenly. I swallow the bile and close my eyes against the vertigo. When I open my eyes again, we’re in the living room of our house.

Melody is working on a project, so there are no immediate dinners or social events planned. If she wants to unwind, we drive into Hillcrest. While the town has barely over fifty thousand people, there are a few fun hotspots to enjoy. I’ve also discovered Melody can fly, or float would be a better analogy. Whatever she does, she has me close my eyes, and there is this floating sensation before we’re in the courtyard of Elm Hill Estate. Melody says her master owns the property. One more mystery that is my wife’s life revealed. From there we will walk down to the park or pick up a cab at the bottom of the hill. As I need to keep up with my Penny Postings, we still dine out at least once a week.

I’m catching up on messages over breakfast on my laptop this morning. I really love the portability of this thing, makes me wish I had one during my college years. I’m caught up with my daily messages when I see a new one come in. I can only classify this one as an invitation. I’ve had fan mail in the past asking to meet up. Usually, it was for a personal selfie or autograph, without having to deal with crowds. Some have been downright creepy where I’ve reported the sender, but this one is… different — if not a little cryptic.

There’s something about your aura that suggests that you are more than meets the eye.

If you want to find out more, meet me in Marino Meadows at noon.

A.

I blink and read it again. The message is time-stamped this morning. The sender’s address is encrypted, and sending them a reply fails as I don’t have a digital key. I only hope that they mean noon today. Otherwise, they may be very disappointed at my lack of response. I frown as I read the message again.

There’s something about your aura… Wait, Melody said there was something about my aura the day we met. Did this ‘A’ see the same thing? If so, how long have they been watching me? Should I be worried about what they want with me? I look down at my ring. It will protect me from any harm. Jordan mentioned last fall about the discovery of a portal to some sort of magical realm… I have living proof on my hand that magic exists. This house, this life...

I close the lid of the laptop and sigh. Life with Melody certainly is not dull. Soon as I think I have everything figured out, something like this comes along. I sometimes have trouble distinguishing what is real anymore. Who am I kidding? Magic is real! Even now that we’re married, knowing that the rings will protect us, there are still days where I’m not sure if I’m actually ready for what life with Melody might throw at me next. There is still so much about her life that I don’t know. I look at the time. If I’m lucky, I can get to the train in time. I’m still uncomfortable calling the car service on my own.

“Hmm… Nothing in the message says I need to go there alone…” I ponder aloud. “Only one way to find out what this is about. After all, inquiring minds need to know.” I smirk. “I wonder what this ‘A’ knows?” I sigh. “Great, now I’m talking to myself.” There is a ‘wuff’ behind me. “Or I could be talking to you,” I turn and smile down at Jerry. “Yes, my curiosity is piqued. I need to find out where this leads.” I nod to myself as I ruffle his ears.

I follow Jerry upstairs and poke my head into her office. Melody is deep into her project already. When she has that look on her face, I know there’s no getting her away from her drawing tablet this morning. I’ll be lucky if I can finally tear her away from her artwork for supper. She barely acknowledges the dog when he rubs up against her for attention.

I don’t want to bother Mr. Duncan either, he’s writing something important. I remind myself that I’m a grown woman. I used to feel perfectly safe doing things like this on my own before we were married. I wander downstairs, looking at my phone as I arrange for a ride, “Time is tight. Might as well get a drive directly there instead of trying to arrange three different modes of transportation,” I muse. There’s another ‘wuff’ beside me. “Sorry, big fella, I’m not taking you along with me on this trip, it’s too far.” He whines. “Keep Momma company, alright? I won’t be gone long.” I press my head to his, and Jerry concedes that he’s not going anywhere fun. We really need to take the dog to the beach again, he enjoyed that last time.

It’s a bright and sunny day as the car drops me off at the park entrance. The driver was happy for the tip I gave for such a long trip. The park is full of people enjoying the beautiful weather today. This early in summer, everything is in bloom from the spring rain. Marino Meadows is the largest public green space in the city. The happiness I feel in this place is refreshing. I was never an Empath before this year. I now understand how Angel can find a crowd overwhelming. Yes, the ring has some wonderful benefits…

I hold back the urge of posting that I’m out and about. I’m not sure if my mystery sender would appreciate the sudden attention of a large crowd. I honestly don’t know who I’m looking for, so I’m leaning on the gamble that they will find me.

I’m just passing the fountain when I hear something strange followed by an odd sensation behind me. A presence I hadn’t felt a moment before. I turn around and see a man standing there. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t there a moment ago, not in the direction he’s facing. He’s dressed in a brown knee-length felt trench coat and dress pants. The coat is open, showing a dark grey turtleneck sweater. An impressive flat, golden, diamond-shaped necklace with crescent moon accents lends colour to his drab outfit. He has black-framed glasses, giving him a nerd-ish look. His style is certainly outdated. His short blond hair waves a bit in the breeze, and he’s looking at me with a smile on his face. He’s certainly overdressed for this warm weather… wait! I’ve seen his face before. I take a moment to place it as he steps forward to greet me with a handshake.

“Adamarcus, the up and coming a-list social media ‘magical wiz’. Biggest fantasy gaming authority this side of the continent,” I state as I reach my hand out in greeting. There is no resistance from the ring, meaning there’s no malice in his actions. His grip is firm and warm as we shake hands. “I hear you’re supposed to be some sort of expert on ‘magic’ stuff. You’ve earned the reputation of debunking some of the biggest trolls on the net. I don’t know how you put up with all their negativity and still happily show them there’s no trick behind what you do.” All the while not really explaining how you do it.

He returns a warm smile, not releasing my hand. His grip is firm, but friendly. He chuckles. “Those are merely simple little cantrips. You have no idea how magical things can get.”

“What do you mean by that?” I swallow. I feel like I’m meeting a male version of my wife: a compelling, mysterious person who you just can’t immediately say no to.

“It’s probably better that I show you,” he continues still smiling. He glances around, pulling out some sort of rod from his coat. Is that a wand? He raises it above his head, “Lelyanna yána!”

A stream of golden sparkles spirals around us as he waves the wand. The air shimmers, becoming blurry. I blink my eyes to focus, and the next thing I know, we’re some place else.

I release his hand and look around. Gone is the blue sky and puffy white clouds. The inky blackness surrounding us is alight with ribbons of blue and purple haze. It was mid-day where we left the park; it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the change in ambient light. Our surroundings aren’t barren, the cobblestone path is lined with blue-green grass, flowers I’ve never seen, and two large trees that remind me of weeping willows with phosphorescent purple leaves. We’re standing beside some sort of strange archway, three differently coloured glowing runes are set in the top crescent of the arch: Green, red, and purple. The opening of the archway is alive with some sort of luminescent mist, making it look like a semi-solid doorway. We are standing on a stone platform that has glowing lines forming intricate patterns. Matching runes are set in the stonework.

I look back at him. “What… What did you just do?” I squeak, trying to keep panic out of my voice.

Adamarcus merely half-bows and, with a flourishing hand gesture, states. “Welcome, milady, to the Sanctum, our realm of magic.”

“Your realm of what?” I swallow. Okay, so much for rumours. I look around again. We’re definitely not in the city, there’s no skyline anywhere in sight… “And just how did we get here?” I quell my panic, trying to rationalize how I would get back if needed. Did I just get kidnapped? Should I be worried? I glance at him, then glance at the glowing portal. Is this place dangerous? No, the ring would protect me if I was in trouble.

“Fear not fair maiden. I used a teleportation spell to bring you to this place of wonder, so that you may finally realize your destiny,” Adamarcus remarks in a calm voice.

“My destiny?” I glance at him quizzically… “And what destiny would that be?”

“Why, the one that’s tied to that lovely wedding ring you wear.” He taps my ring with the tip of that wand-thing still in his hand.

I look down at the golden rod he’s holding. It’s tipped with a star-shape holding a moonstone gem. My ring is glowing blue… What? Wait, why is my ring glowing blue? Is it because of the lighting of this place? No, nothing would account for the glow that’s coming from my ring. I have even more questions than answers.

Either it’s the calm tone of his voice, or something about the alluring nature of this place… I’m more curious than afraid of what will happen next. It’s like something is calling to me.

Adamarcus frowns slightly at my lack of an answer. “It can’t be worn by any mundane Human. Did you not research the ring that’s on your finger?”

I look at him, then back down at my ring. “I could find limited information myself, then there’s the tome of Melody’s research at the house…” I stop, recalling my promise to my wife to not disclose the information from her book. I blink. Like the spark of a lightbulb, once again, all the puzzle pieces finally fall into place from my readings. I recall one passage and say it out loud without realizing it. “Two powerful beings shall combine their potential: Earthly energies from the Light shall meld with Unworldly energies of the Dark to become one. Their joining shall grant them immeasurable abilities… Or at least that’s what it translated to.” I keep staring at the ring. My mouth spills the beans, like I can’t stop telling this stranger things that I probably shouldn’t. But I can’t help it, now that the pieces are coming together in my mind, it’s all pouring out. “Melody’s meditation trance to keep herself youthful is from some sort of Dark Pact. She once said Darkness ties the simple band.” I frown. I know she’s said it before, but it never fully dawned on me. “So my abilities, whatever they may be, through the solitaire they are tied to…”

“The Light,” he finishes my sentence.

Which is why she won’t turn me, wait… I flash him a slightly disbelieving look. “You’re serious?”

“Absolutely,” he grins. He holds out a hand, offering me to join him. “Come, we need to learn how to unlock the full power of the solitaire. If I’m reading your aura right, your body leans strongly on nature magic. There is so much wonder here for you to discover if we can.”

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I take his hand again. I want to see just where all this will lead. I feel worry and concern emanating through my ring. Right, Melody would have felt my initial panic a moment ago. I calm my emotions, hoping to calm hers, so that she doesn’t feel like she needs to come to my rescue. I don’t even know if she would have the means of reaching this place.

Adamarcus glances back as my pace changes. “Don’t fret, your wife could reach you if she needed to. But neither of you have to worry, there is nothing to fear here.”

Great, just what I needed, another mind reader in my life. Why are the mind-readers I meet all so attractive? Or maybe my reactions are just that easy to read? So much for a good poker face…

“Good morning, Darling,” she chimes with a warm smile. “Did ma demoiselle de La Rivière sleep well?” I love it when she uses another language to address me affectionately. It sounds so romantic. I translate her words in my mind. Mrs. Rivers. It doesn’t sound nearly as romantic as the way she says it, but I like the sound of it all the same.

I smile and look down at my love, my bride, my wife. A small voice in the back of my head reminds me I will never have to leave her side ever again. The thought is so warming and comforting. I take a deep breath. She always smells so good.

“With you in my arms, Darling, I will always sleep well,” I smile, finally finding my voice.

She slides on top of me, placing her knees and elbows on each side of my body, our breasts touch for a moment.

“Good,” she purrs with a seductive smile on her face. “May I ask my charming wife for a morning kiss?”

“Yes, you may,” I giggle slightly at her playful banter.

She kisses me on the forehead, on the nose, then lingers on my lips, kissing several times before moving down to my chin, my neck… I moan, bringing my hands up, caressing her hair as she continues exploring… Oh what a good morning kiss this is!

It’s nearly noon when we finally make our way downstairs for some food. To say my mind is blown from this morning’s passions is an understatement of the decade. Just when I think she can’t surprise me anymore, she shows me there is still more to learn about lovemaking. We are greeted by a very anxious and eager Jerry at the bottom of the stairs. Mr. Duncan must have kept him down here all this time. Poor dog… I offer him a good rubdown greeting and he’s all happy now.

Mr. Duncan has some fruit and yogourt laid out on the table. He’s clearly done eating, washing something in the sink.

“It’s about time you two got out of bed,” he grumbles in mock annoyance.

Melody stretches, dressed only in a lace nightgown that barely hides her charms. “Hmm… I could have spent all day in the bed, but we got hungry.” She flashes me a mischievous grin, playing footsies with me under the table, making us both giggle. I’m wearing nothing but the green robe she gave me after our engagement night, I make an easy target.

Mr. Duncan chuckles. “With what you two have been up to upstairs, that doesn’t surprise me.”

Melody returns a look of mock shock. “Why, I do not recall having been overly loud, what do you think, Darling?”

I giggle again. “You are such a naughty girl.”

“I was not the one who started it in the shower,” she notes defensively.

“This time,” I finish for her. “You sure finished it,” I tease, leaning back and touching that one ticklish spot I found.

She lets out a surprised ‘eep!’ and squirms under my assault.

Mr. Duncan shakes his head as he sits down beside me with the bowl of plasma fruit salad he had been making. Oh, he hadn’t eaten yet. Or is this lunch for him?

“Living with you two will be quite a challenge now, I see,” he digs playfully.

Melody slows down her giggling, sighs, and smiles. “Oh my dear Mr. Duncan, let us have our honeymoon fun. We shall soon behave.” She grazes her toe along the ticklish underside of my foot. Now it’s my turn to squirm and giggle. “Mostly,” she laughs teasingly.

Mr. Duncan sits there, between bites, glancing between the two of us, and chuckles. Our joy is contagious at this point. “What am I to do with you two now, hmm?”

“Why love us as you always have, Darling.” Melody chimes with a grin.

“Aye, that I will. That I will,” he smiles and tries to return to eating his fruit salad. We don’t make it easy on him as we continue distracting each other playfully.

A few days later, I’m at my apartment, giving notice to my landlord while packing my things.

“I’ll miss you terribly,” Mr. Stanfield notes sadly. “Having you girls living here felt like having family.”

I blink for a moment as that sinks in. “Did Angel and Eva give in their notice as well?”

He nods. “Soon as they graduate, they’ll be moving someplace else.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I place a hand on his arm. “There are bound to be other young students like us. I’ll leave most of the furniture behind for the next tenant. A furnished unit should encourage a young girl or boy to move in. I won’t need any of this where I’m moving to.”

“Are you staying here in town?” he probes.

“No, Melody lives outside of Hillcrest,” I return with a smile.

“Moving up into the mountains? Are you ready to experience an actual winter?” he teases.

“Might get into skiing too!” I grin, leaving us both to chuckle.

After he leaves, Margarette pokes her head in. “All of my little girls are leaving me,” she notes sadly after we hug.

“We’re all taller than you,” I tease, causing her to chuckle.

“I feel like I’m losing three more children,” she continues.

“From what I understand, Angel just wants a bigger apartment, she’ll still be in the city,” I offer her some small comfort. “What about you?”

“Oh, this place is home, you won’t see me moving out, ever,” she sighs. “Besides, the Valdez children still need their Nono Ma.”

“At least they’re both in school now and don’t require constant babysitting?” I offer with a smile.

“Yes, though Luis is even more of a handful than you were when it comes to homework,” she smirks.

“They still make kids do homework these days?” I ponder aloud.

“Builds character,” she grins, leaving me to giggle. “Kids these days with their electronics. If it wasn’t for old farts like me, they would never learn to read or write properly.”

“Some of us will miss ‘old farts’ like you,” I return fondly. “I’ll miss you, Mom.”

“I’ll miss you too, Dear. Take care of yourself.”

“I will,” I return hugging her close. It really does feel like I’m losing a Mom with moving out. Margarette has treated me like a daughter since I moved here at the start of high school.

I almost feel like I’m a young teen starting out all over again. All I’ve packed is my clothing, gaming box, computer, books, and personal items. I say goodbye to all of my old, well-used furniture, and hand over the keys to Mr. Stanfield on the way out. I promise him to post a positive review on the apartment building, hoping to boost good tenant applications.

Mr. Duncan is following me with the last of the boxes down to the van we rented. We probably could have stuffed everything into a car, but he wanted to make sure we had room for one trip.

After the wedding, my subscriber list hit well over 5 million. The photos and video of the event were broadcast live on TV, as the media saw this as a celebrity wedding. I guess it’s only fitting that we’re treated like the royalty we are now. Countess de La Rivière is what our marriage certificate states, I have willingly taken my wife’s last name — though none of the media know of Melody’s noble birthright. The marriage licence lists her modern last name of Rivers. Celebrity status is almost as good, broadcasting her true last name would lead to a lot of questions we’re not ready for. It does make me wonder why she’s using it at all. She shoots that playful look in her eyes that makes me wonder what other surprises my wife has in store for me.

We sit together in the living room, watching the entertainment recap broadcast on the new TV I encouraged Melody to acquire. After all, I need something to play my gaming console on. Of course, the new TV is easily twice the size of the one I left back at the apartment. Yep, my wife loves pampering me. We cuddle together on the couch watching it, pointing out which are shots and which shots failed to catch the moment as well as our photographer did. I lean into her and take a deep breath. She settles more against me in response. She always smells so good…

Life sort of returns to normal once I move into the house. The family settles into a routine as spring moves into summer. Every morning Jerry and I go for a jog so I can keep in shape. One thing I’ve learned about big dogs is that it takes a lot of energy to take care of them. While still creepy, this hidden hamlet is private. No paparazzi or media to hound me here as they did in the city. I now live in a Vampire Enclave! As Melody’s spouse, who apparently has a lot of pull in their society, I’ll never have to worry about being attacked. I should never have to worry about another encounter like the one I had that night with Caleb. The ring will protect me even if someone tries something foolish.

I’ve set up a small office in the sitting room on the top floor. I’m not ready to move down to the basement study. It’s too creepy getting past the crypt to venture down daily. With my computer and workspace beside the bedroom, I can roll out of bed and start my day catching up with events before getting on with the day. I often read up on posts and respond before even eating breakfast. Melody has a habit of bringing me food if I take too long. She could just scold me and make me come down to eat, but she can equally lose herself for hours once she’s working. To even the score, I’ll often bring her lunch. We do make quite a pair.

Photo by Saiph Muhammad on Unsplash

With warm weather comes our official honeymoon. Do most couples wait for over a month, or do they dash off right after the wedding? Melody surprises me with a trip to the South Pacific as our honeymoon destination. With her new Sunlight Resistance cocktail, she can finally enjoy time out in the sun and take part in all that the tropical islands offer.

To say that we are well received is an understatement. We’re greeted by friends and treated like family. The atmosphere is warm, friendly, and we have the most fun of our lives. We’re not treated as visitors or tourists, we’re treated as good friends. You would not believe the things you learn about a culture and people when they no longer treat you as outsiders. The people, the parties, the kava… The island celebrates life as much as it works hard. The locals remember my blog from last summer. How it gave a boost to tourism and environmental awareness in and around the islands. I will not boast I helped put their little atoll on the map, but my articles really boosted the reputation of the islands.

If I thought El Salvador was an amazingly romantic adventure, the honeymoon is topping that tenfold. We stay away from the resort, visiting few tourist attractions. The waterfront cabin we’ve rented is cozy and comfortable. As we’re staying in the village, away from the main tourist traffic, we are swept into the islands’ daily living almost immediately. We’ll often fish with them in the morning, or help with small repairs to the village. Remembering some of the hidden gems from last summer, I introduce Melody to special places only the locals know when we have free time in the afternoons. One does not work in the afternoon during the summer, it’s way too hot! Unlike a pre-planned vacation, it gives us a lot of time to be alone and just enjoy each other’s company. From simple things such as holding hands at sunset to our time in bed, the rings connect us on a level that is beyond description. Pleasing her is like pleasing myself. It’s a surreal experience where I lose track of where my body ends and hers starts. It lends a whole new meaning to intimacy as your lover shares their feelings as you share yours. Melody was right, we share an intimacy on a level that no other being will ever experience. As I feel what she feels, I know how to please her better than I have anyone else. The heights she has taken me… there is no description of the Earth shattering pleasure she offers. Some mornings I swear I can’t walk! My mundane relationships of the past were nowhere near what I experience when I am with Melody.

Vacations never seem to last long enough, sadly. While we’ve been here for a good month now, Melody announces one morning she has another contract to work on. As much as we would like, we can’t spend the entire summer here. It would be too distracting working remotely with everything else we get into. I have no idea what she’s going on about… giggle.

As we board the plane to leave, I tease her that we’ve had too much sun this summer. She’s now too pink to be called my porcelain princess, I’ll have to find a new pet name for her. She almost looks offended at that comment, and we start to laugh. It’s rare that I can catch her off-guard in my teasing.

My family, of course, are all ecstatic about this day. We seldom have a wedding in our family. If only they knew just how big this event is for me. What this really means. This will be my one and only wedding day I will ever have. Melody is my eternal mate, there’s no going back now, no separation, no breakup. Not that I would ever want to break up with the love of my life, but divorce is impossible with the bond we’ve formed. I smile to myself. My eternal mate… Sort of has a romantic flair to it. Everything has to be perfect and special today. There’s no doing it over after this.

I look at myself in the mirror as the seamstress finishes the bottom trim so that I don’t trip on my dress. I wonder if I’ll forever be this young and beautiful, or will I just age slowly? I watch my mother as she makes last-minute adjustments to the bouquets that my bridesmaids will be carrying. Will I ever look her age? I wish I could tell her everything I knew. How she may never have grandchildren, but her child will likely never grow old and die — as she will one day. No, get that out of your mind, Penny. Happy thoughts, you can debate mortality later, focus on this wonderful day!

Melody has sent two white stretch limousines to pick up the wedding party. When she goes fancy, she goes all out!

My father watches as the cars pull up. “How?” He’s about to say more, and I merely shrug.

“My darling bride loves to pamper me, who am I to argue?” I smirk.

Mom shoots him a stern look. “George, quit trying to calculate how much all this costs, and get in the car. We don’t want to be late.”

Dad snaps out of it. “Yes, Dear, right away.”

We enter the back car, while the bride’s maids hop in the first. The drive to the park is both short and tediously long. I feel like that night at the movie premiere, all a bundle of nerves. Am I ready for this?

We exit the car and proceed in marching order, just as we’ve been practising for the past week. My father takes my arm and walks me to the outdoor chapel and the wedding arch. My mother and family are following behind us, two by two. There are a lot of people here, a lot more than the 200 people on the invite list. Is this what one is to expect from a celebrity wedding? As expected, there are media of all forms here. Some are bloggers, some are reporters. I recognize a few familiar faces in the media group. I smile and wave with my free hand as we approach.

Melody and her wedding party, like the ‘groom’ in a ceremony, are already lined up and waiting for us at the altar. She’s wearing this absolutely gorgeous Gothic lilac wedding gown. Her hair is all done up, with pearls accentuating the braid on the right. She looks absolutely radiant! I stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Dad looks over at me. “Penny?”

“I’m okay Papa, it’s just… she is so beautiful!” I gasp.

He looks over to my waiting Melody and smiles. “And she’s yours. Now, come, let us meet your bride.”

He seems to have taken the fact that I’m marrying another woman in stride. I had been so worried he’d be disappointed, but this gives me the last bit of courage I needed.

We walk down the aisle, everyone is smiling, people are taking pictures. I’m so nervous! My feelings matched only by the bundle of nerves I feel from Melody. At least we’re on even footing with this event. My centuries-old betrothed has courted, dated, and had intimate partners, but this is her first and only wedding as well. Now that we’re closer, I see her shuffle, but her eyes are locked on mine as we approach.

I finally reach her side, and we look at each other, holding hands. In tandem, we say the same line. “Wow, you look amazing!” and we blush. We are on the same wavelength, and I can almost read what she’ll say next. The connection we have through the rings is outstanding when we touch.

A woman in white priestly robes that I’ve seen at the house before steps up beside us and clears her throat.

“Now that the bridal party has assembled, we shall begin with the exchanging of your vows.”

I am so nervous; I hope I don’t mess up what I had rehearsed in front of the mirror. Melody is to go first, I swallow as she starts. Those beautiful amethyst eyes look deep into mine.

“My dearest Penelope Pearl Pembroke.
I have visited many places over the years.
I have travelled the world near and far.
But there was always something missing.
Something that could not be found in places.
Something that could not be fulfilled with trinkets.
I found I wasn’t missing something.
I found that I was missing someone.
Someone to fill my heart.
Someone to make me whole.
Then, as the Fates would have it, I found you.
The closer we became, the more certain I was.
In you lay the other half of me, the better half of me.
With you by my side, we shall finally be whole.
With you in my life, we shall finally be one.
With this vow, I ask you to be my bride, forever and ever.
As Thy will be done.”

If only more of the crowd assembled today truly understood the depth of Melody’s ode to eternal love meant for me. If all goes as promised, if all goes as foreseen… ‘forever and ever’ will be a very, very long time.

I swallow hard. Do I really have it in me to say these lines? Will my voice crack? Will I falter? I feel a sense of calm and confidence through the ring. My porcelain mind reader is letting me know she has faith in me, letting me know that it will be alright. I look into those purple eyes, the colour few have seen. Yes, I can do this. I take a deep breath.

“Melody Rivers, your name is like music to my ears.
The day we met, you took my breath away.
Your beauty far outshone anyone, anything.
I was enthralled by your smile.
I was enraptured by your voice.
I had never felt so strongly attracted
I had never felt so compelled, so drawn…
I never thought that with a single glance,
I could see the rest of my life by someone’s side.
But I did.
That first night you took a part of me.
I couldn’t let it go. I couldn’t let you go.
So I sought you out. Driven, compelled…
And here you are now, standing in front of me.
The half of me that is confident and sure.
The half of me that is bold and beautiful.
The half of me that makes us whole.
With this vow, I ask you to be my bride, forever and ever.
As Thy will be done.”

The priestess nods to us. “If anyone opposes this union, speak now or forever hold your peace.” She’s quiet for a moment, all I hear are sniffles from happy tears and cameras clicking. “With the power invested in me by the city and state, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now turn the rings to seal your bond.”

I look down at our hands, mine are slightly shaking. It’s the first time that I’ve noticed the knotwork pattern in Melody’s ring forms a continual pattern of hearts. By removing her ring, turning it around. The hearts are now pointing towards her. Melody wears the amethyst solitaire on her right hand now. So that only the wedding band shows.

She does the same for my solitaire, turning the point of the heart towards me. In that moment, I suddenly feel so vulnerable. I can’t feel her, I feel almost empty. We push the rings back onto our fingers together. I feel a surge run up my hand and into my body as if recharged, renewed… almost as if energy is coursing between the two of us. I swear our eyes are glowing with the intensity of the power we just unleashed.

As if rehearsed, we invoke the last line together. This will permanently seal our renewed bond. “Amor aiternus.”

The priestess looks satisfied as she lays her hand on ours to offer her blessing. “May the Goddess bless you both. You may now kiss the bride.”

When we kiss, the power that flows through us is like nothing I have ever felt before. I swear we’re not touching the ground in that moment. The feeling is so intense we must be floating! In that moment, I could feel everything. Her thoughts, her feelings, her relief, her joy… as if we were one soul sharing the same love. There was also something else I’ve never felt before. I could sense everything around me, it was exhilarating. Is this an aspect of the ring? I was never an Empath before this.

The crowd is still cheering and clapping as we finally break our embrace. It could be the glow in her eyes, or the sun shining on the wedding arch, or the flashes from cameras... In that moment, she’s radiant and absolutely magical.

“Now we are one,” we chime in unison.

We look to the crowd and wave as camera flashes light us up even more.

Melody smiles at me. “We did it.”

“Yes we did, and I will gladly do it again, and again.” I answer, almost breathless.

“I might take you up on that” she flashes me a seductive smile, then hugs me tight. This has the crowd cheering again.

We leave the wedding arch, hand in hand, and start heading towards the gardens. We hug my parents as we go. They stand and follow behind the wedding party. Time for the official wedding photos.

We take pictures of the full wedding party, with just my parents and Mr. Duncan, just the two of us… We wander through the park, taking pictures by the fountain, by the flower arrangements. I’m fortunate that this spring day is still cool, it’s a lot of work taking all these photos. There are likely to be hundreds of shots that we’ll need to go through and sort out which ones to keep in our wedding album.

It’s finally time for the reception. So we head into the main hall. Our families have been busy setting up decorations. There are flowers, balloons, and streamers all over the place. It’s breathtaking!

The caterer has been busy. Rather than a sit-down meal, there’s a buffet table full of food. Neither of us wanted to have a formal dinner. While we will sit down to eat, there will be a bridal toast, and most likely a roast, we wanted people to enjoy this time together. We also didn’t want to impose on our guests who they would share a table with. I wonder how many of the guests will figure out that there’s absolutely no meat in any of the dishes. Some dishes are so expertly prepared, you can’t tell the difference, I know I can’t! It certainly doesn’t taste any different.

Houda steps up beside us and looks over the table. “My sister has outdone herself this time, this is amazing!”

Landyn is already helping himself to a plate of food. Between bites, he boasts. “Wait until you see the cake my cousin made for you. Guaranteed to knock your socks off!”

With how much I see him eat, I often wonder how he stays so thin. His metabolism is outstanding.

Houda and Landyn are recent ‘offspring’ from this generation — or at least this century. Age-wise, I understand they’re at least a decade older than I am. Melody is not one to kiss and tell, it’s hard to get out of her who she’s dated in the past. Unlike Reagan, they still keep in touch with living family members. Relatives who have helped us plan and caterer the wedding. Though Houda’s little sister appears to be easily twice our age. I wonder how they explained to their loved ones why they never seem to age? How do you broach the subject that you’ll forever look young? How will I explain it to mine? Passing it off as ‘magic’ seems like a weak excuse. Would they believe me? As I look at my extended ‘family’ members, each is an example of beauty and grace. Do all near-immortals develop this eternal glow? Or is it just Melody’s bloodline? I don’t recall Lilith or Caleb being so compellingly attractive. I recall something my new wife told me. They are not truly immortal. No, they are something more. Not to mention a lot more dangerous when they give in to their thirst…

My thoughts are derailed as Miko and Yuki come to congratulate us. I marvel how these girls were once strangers, yet have become close friends because of my new life. So close I invited them to be bridesmaids. Angel was still my maid of honour. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It doesn’t take long after that to talk excitedly about the latest game expansion coming out next month. Melody has awakened in me an inner-geek I never knew I really had. I better understand Angel and Eva now, as we plan on when we’ll be available to join them online. Melody quickly remarks that we could form an all-girls party and level together. We forget the wedding for the moment, as we discuss game details, and what character classes we’ll be playing. We dive into detail on gear upgrades that have been circulating the forums, changes to powers and abilities, and how that will affect our mains. Yuki notes she has alts to balance us out if we need to.

As I watch Melody going on about the game, she shows a different side of herself. She almost has a distinct personality when she discusses computers and technology. Gone is that old-world medieval flair, and out comes this little geek girl, who’s absolutely adorably bubbly and excited about anything new and shiny.

Make no mistake, she knows her stuff. She has repeatedly lost me in technical jargon as she rattles on about computer parts, performance ratios, benchmark scores, and fps rates… It never ceases to amaze me how someone born before the age of electricity can be current with the latest bleeding edge technologies. I just trust that she will not leave me with a clunker that can’t keep up with the rest of them. We eventually part ways to see other guests.

As we catch up with two more of our bridal party, we discover they already know each other. Rose Montgomery and her wife Cassandra go to university with Angel. And where Angel goes, Eva is not far behind. I swear the two of them are connected at the hip. I glance at my new wife, raising an eyebrow. Rose was among Melody’s grooms. The tall, muscular woman looks uncomfortable in a tuxedo, despite the feminine cut. Apparently, the beautiful redhead would have preferred to wear a dress. As compensation, I agreed to have her wife stand with my bridesmaids. Like Angel and Eva, Rose and Cassandra have this latent connection. The way they talk together or finish each other’s sentences is adorable. The romantic in me sees them as soulmates. Melody explains how she found Angel and Rose at a pub a few months before we met. I smile as Rose explains how she convinced Angel to pursue a performing career. I knew my neighbour was talented. This will be good for Angel. I remark how she’s not such a shy girl since she started University. We all laugh when Rose goes on about how Angel nearly fainted on their first show, but she no longer experiences stage fright. They sing once or more a week at pubs. Melody wants to publish an album for them, hence some of the time we were apart. Rose then introduces me to the rest of her… relationship. Apparently, Rose is polyamorous, so Travis, Leilani, and Tina can be considered her other spouses. The other three quickly join us, as if mentioning them was a form of summons. Cassandra notes they are missing two, Dee and Nora aren’t as social. The five of them was already pushing the RSVP list, so the other women stayed behind to watch the children. They already have children? So many adults and children in one household makes our family look tame in comparison.

I glance at Travis. “Oh, most of the babies are Rose’s,” Tina blurts. I blink, then look them over.

“One way to announce that I’ve not always been a girl,” Rose grumbles.

“Sorry, Honey,” Tina blushes. She looks more comfortable in a suit than Rose does.

I glance at Angel. “Yes, they know. Our trans support group is how I met Rose,” Angel answers me before I can ask.

I smile. So much has changed. She’s not hiding it like she usually does. “So, do you two plan to repeat what Rose has done?” I tease Angel and Eva.

“That’s the plan, yes,” Eva returns without a pause.

“After we graduate from university, though,” Angel notes. “Rose and her loves make this work because Leilani doesn’t attend class. She’s a full-time Mom.”

“I’m not as smart as them, but I love bein’ a mama,” Leilani boasts in a strong southern accent. In fact, most of them have a southern drawl to their speech.

Similar to our last discussion, Rose and her entourage also play Refuge Online. Conversation quickly turns from concerts and performances to gaming once we’re past introductions. Rose suggests that we join her guild. Her friends have been playing the game since high school. They’ve already recruited my neighbours into their group, not to mention Yuki. It just means adding us and Miko once we settle down after the wedding. As Tina goes on about some of their antics, they are quite a riot when playing together. Rose is clearly a leader. She’s bold, charismatic, if not a little loud. She’s easily likeable though, it’s no wonder she dates so many. There’s just something about them that reminds me of Melody. My ring grows warm when Rose, Cassi (as she’d like to be called), and Tina reach over for hugs. Is that a sign of magic? I feel like I could talk to this group all night if I let myself. Melody is more graceful than I am. My bride finds a chance to break away to speak with others.

Catching up with my parents, they are so happy. Mom notes she’s sorry that Melody’s parents cannot be here to celebrate her special day. Melody sadly returns that her parents passed away a long time ago. She’s lived most of her life without them. My mother hugs Melody, apologizing for being so improper. Melody returns a weak smile and assures her that it is all right. She wants to focus on the family she has, rather than the family she hasn’t. Now that they are family, she intends to see that my parents are treated well. I chuckle. My wife loves to spoil those who mean something to her. We part ways with hugs and smiles before attending to other guests.

As we sit down for our meal, my father offers a toast to us. I’m glad I’m wearing waterproof mascara, I’m shedding happy tears with his heartfelt remarks. The wedding party is served plates chosen by my wife. Once we’ve been served and toasts have been shared, then the guests can help themselves to the dinner portion of the buffet. The line goes along the bridal table, so I get to speak briefly to everyone as they line up to get a plate. This feels as casual as it is formal. I’m glad they decided on the buffet. I got to see everyone this way.

After our meal, we’re offered a grand reveal. The layered wedding cake is rolled out on its own table. Cameras come out again, and the photographer makes sure to catch every angle of it. It resembles a realistic Mayan temple, with vines, green overgrowth, rubble, and crumbling stone in detail. The baker holds up a cloth resembling a waterfall scene for the official picture. The top of the temple features miniature versions of Melody and me dressed in jungle explorer garb. The two figures are leaning into one another and about to kiss. As we make our way around the table, we’re handed a knife resembling a small jungle cleaver. It’s almost too beautiful to cut! As we both hold the knife, the cameras click away. This isn’t the first time we’ve shared food, but feeding my new wife our wedding cake draws up happy tears. After the first bite, she playfully dabs the tip of my nose with icing, giggles, then kisses it off. I can’t help but giggle too. She’s such a playful tease! I hope to frame that shot once it gets developed.

The baker takes over, and everyone steps into line for a slice of cake. As I’m standing this time, I get to hug and shake hands as people walk by. Who would have thought two years ago that I’d have two hundred close friends and family for this special event?

Angel insisted on performing our first song for us. As we watch Angel, Rose, Cassi, Tina, and Travis set up on stage, the buffet is cleared of all but the finger foods, and the bar is opened.

Our first song together is another magical experience. It took me weeks to learn the traditional waltz, but with Melody leading, I’d have to say I did very well. I then have a dance with my father, and with my mother before the floor opens up to others. After the first set of slow songs, the music picks up, the ceiling lights dim, and some more colourful stage lighting turns on. Laser lights cross the floor as we’re entertained by some of our guests performing a dance routine. I feel Melody wants to join in, but isn’t wearing the right clothing for the moves. She leans into me, and we clap along to the performance. It’s clear they’ve rehearsed this quite a lot.

Halfway through the night, Melody joins Rose and Angel’s band on the stage. I’ve heard the song Angel composed back in high school. A love song about longing and need. She had written it as a hint of how she felt for Eva, but it seems to connect with me and Melody on the same level. My lovely wife looks at me as they sing. I’ve never been so enthralled by it before! The three of them form an angelic choir, each having a complementary tonal shift. The song resonates so deeply, deeper than it ever had. Rose’s vocal range is amazing, the only girl who can sing a higher octave is Angel.

“They are such amazing singers!” Cassi chimes happily beside me. “My Rose is a Bard by the way, hence that heart melting feelin’ y’all are havin’. I felt it as well,” she fawns, blowing the band a kiss.

Bard? That means more now than it did before. “I thought Angel was an exception for tall women, but Rose is even taller! I’ve met Mr. Goodson, are Rose’s parents tall?” I probe.

“All the Montgomery men are tall and muscular,” Cassi smiles. “Rose had an advantage.”

“And how does that apply to Rose?” I ask innocently.

“As Tina said, Leilani, Nora, and me have three children together, Penny. Who do y’all think ‘fathered’ them?” Cassi smirks.

“Oh…” I blink as that sinks in. “Like Angel, she is so naturally feminine I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Glad y’all caught the hint, Sugar,” she grins. “I look forward to gettin’ to know y’all better.” She offers me a quick hug before heading to kiss her wife. Then she kisses Tina and I chuckle. No one would believe me if I ever told them that Rose and Angel were once boys. Interesting people indeed.

Before the night is over, we perform the traditional tossing of the bridal bouquet. Melody and I each have one. We gather all the single girls for mine, and all the single men for hers. The victors have a dance together. Wonder if tradition will follow and this new couple will be the next to wed?

Outside of the myriad of people to talk to, there is an enormous pile of gifts growing in one corner of the room. That will be a lot of work to go through — not to mention a lot of thank-you letters to write in response. I swear, there are more gifts than guests! Did some of my fans drop some off? The night is full of excellent food, wonderful drink, and dancing. I can’t remember what time it all ended, or when we broke away from the party, but we did eventually find our way back home before dawn rose.

As expected, Mr. Duncan had put up some resistance when I came home with Melody last night, but after El Salvador, I think he had given up on trying to enforce the old family customs that Melody has chosen to no longer follow. I wondered if she had that rule so she wouldn’t end up with children? Would they be like their mother, or would they be mortal? Melody hinted that one needed to be turned into a Vampire, she would have outlived her offspring. The Fates finally offered her an eternal mate without such complications.

Jerry greeted me on the second floor. He couldn’t wait for me to get downstairs. As I pet him, I noticed a light to my right. I glanced over, Melody was in her study, working on her computer. Jerry was not a quietest dog when greeting you. Melody looked up, offering me a smile.

“Good morning, Darling. There is breakfast for you downstairs. Grab some and come back up, we have plans to work on.”

I jogged down the stairs, Jerry racing me to the bottom, shooting me a triumphant grin that he got down first. Silly dog. I patted him on the head, then gathered some jam out of the fridge. I spread the jam on the waffles left on the counter for me, grabbed some fruit from the tray, and headed back up, munching on the waffles like a jam sandwich.

With only a few months left, we needed to plan the wedding details in earnest. Setting up for a spring wedding takes time. There were caterers and services to hire. Interestingly enough, it was easier to book the gardens than I thought it would be. I guess being San Marino’s Rising Star had some perks. The woman on the phone was more than happy to book the entire day and even block the reception hall for the week so we could decorate it for the wedding. We made a point to have the wedding during the May long weekend.

With Melody’s credentials and my fame, I could get nearly any dress I wanted for the wedding. It was almost too tempting to go for something totally extravagant. When my parents offered to help pay for the event, Melody insisted she would cover the costs. She wanted this day to be perfect. She was not about to cut any corners. Dad objected slightly, as it was usually the parents of the bride who payed for the wedding. Melody merely chuckled at the comment, reminding them that we were both brides. That put us on even footing. Mom seemed relieved on Melody stance, particularly when we started dress shopping together. We went through a good dozen dresses until I fell in love with this lacy Victorian full-length gown. It had a small train, so it wouldn’t need to be held up. I had a hunch it would match what Melody had chosen for herself. I, of course, haven’t seen her dress, she was sticking to the old rule of it being bad luck to see the bride in her wedding gown before the ceremony. This was a rare moment she was not insisting on matching outfits. She wanted us each to show ourselves to the world in our special way. I looked at myself in the mirror as the seamstress took my measurements for the fitting. The cream of the dress made my skin look even darker, and all the more alluring. Yes, this would do very well indeed.

I spent more time at Melody’s place than at my apartment these days. With needing to arrange for wedding cakes, flower arrangements, food choices, suggestions for guest gifts, and setting up wedding registry orders, it was so much work! Melody’s offspring stepped forward to make things easier: Houda offered her sisters catering expertise for the food. Landyn’s cousin was a baker, so they would set up whatever cake we chose. Melody spent a good hour or more at the bakery setting up the cake order. She wanted the cake to be a surprise, so I was annoyingly not included in the plans for it.

We kept the list to 200 people, mostly for the sake of the reception hall. We didn’t want it so crowded you couldn’t move. The open outdoor chapel meant that more people could attend to the ceremony itself, where I expected the media to show up, but the reception would be RSVP only.

While we made plans, Mr. Duncan had turned the bar into some sort of makeshift alchemy lab as he sorted through the formulae we found. He finally approached us with a batch that he called a success. I was expecting some sort of lotion, but it was a drink. The swirling golden liquid in the martini glass seemed to glow.

I took one look at it. “Is it safe? It almost looks radioactive.”

He chuckled. “Nothing of the sort in this tonic, Lass. It’ll be safe to drink.”

They decided to try it out. It was an unseasonably warm and sunny day for this gloomy hamlet. The snow had nearly melted, the spring flowers were pushing out of the hard ground, it promised to be a beautiful day to spend outside.

The joy on my fiancée’s face when she walked out into the sun, looking up at the bright orb and letting the rays caress that porcelain face… I didn’t need the ring to tell me how much she relished the experience. How many decades had she avoided direct sunlight for the damage it would cause? The feelings I received through the ring made me giddy with joy along with her.

Mr. Duncan reminded her that, while the tonic would save her from the destructive powers of the sun. Her pale skin would still burn over time. She made a point of wearing long sleeves and a large brimmed hat.

We walked all around the park, went for a jog with Jerry, it was an amazing time to see her finally able to enjoy some time outside. She was still a faster runner than me. Keeping up with Jerry was enough of a workout.

It was approaching supper time, and the potion was still going strong. I was pushing Melody on the swings in the lower courtyard. I wondered if we would ever see these used by children, when she suddenly stopped. As I was in mid-thought, it caught me off guard. I quietly held on to the chains, confused, while she leaned back to look up to me.

“Darling, I should probably show you the rest of the house.” she smiled.

“The rest of the house?” I looked around. “There’s more?”

Her smile grew larger. She slipped off the swing, gesturing for me to take hold of her hand. “Come.”

I followed her around the house. Under the living room balcony, there was a door set in the foundation pillar that I hadn’t noticed before. The foundation pillar held the house above the courtyard. It was made of fairly thick stone, not concrete. I thought it was solid rock as I had never seen basement stairs in the house. The balcony was held up by thick, long beams that offered a shaded area around the base of the pillar. As she opened the door, the room inside was fairly small. Where I was expecting to see yard maintenance tools, there were a few candle holders that lit up as we entered. The room was fairly sparse. The only features were a staircase leading further down, and… a coffin.

I just stared at the coffin. It was ornate with metal trim and dark wood. Something fit for a noble. It looked quite old and heavy. “Is that?”

“Mine?” Melody noted, and I nodded my head. “Yes, Love. There was a time in my life where I had to feign death — else I would have lost my head. You’ve felt it yourself. I am very much still warm and alive.”

I recalled the history books, the mention of peasant revolutions and revolts. Nobles beheaded to free those enslaved by steep taxes and debt. Oh, yes, she was from that era, wasn’t she? It would take some time getting used to the fact that, while Melody looked younger than me, she was old enough to be a great-great grandmother… possibly more. Over 200 years, that was what? Five generations, maybe six? I chuckled, reminding myself once again that I was marrying an older woman.

She placed a hand gently on the coffin. “The epitaph engraved on the lid is actually quite lovingly written, I can translate it for you if you like.”

“I think I’ll pass on that for now.” The coffin was giving me the creeps. “What’s down the stairs?”

“I am so glad you asked.” She took my hand again. “Come, let me show you.”

The stairs led down to a narrow hall that seemed to be about the length of the house above us. It still felt creepy, like a crypt. Again, where I expected concrete, the walls and floor were made of stone. Urns, statues, old portraits, wall tapestries, lined the walls with an imposing fireplace at the far end. With a wave of her hand, everything lit up. How did Melody do that? What sort of enchantments did this place possess that it obeyed her commands? A worn Victorian styled carpet covered the middle of the hall. Melody revealed three cleverly hidden doors behind the tapestries on the walls.

The first door opened to a music room. A polished antique grand piano, and a pipe organ dominated each end of the room. String instruments lay against one wall, with chairs and places to sit. So this is where she practiced… The room was wallpapered in purple like her study, with an elaborately designed wood floor and carpeting. The lack of windows was the only sign that the room is not somewhere above ground.

The second door on the left opened to some sort of dark, dusty, unused study. It didn’t look like they had used it for some time. I noticed the candles didn’t automatically light up in this room. “If things work out well, Darling, you may find use for this room later.” I blinked, dumbfounded. She winked playfully, but didn’t elaborate before closing the door. Why would I want to use an antique study like that? Outside of the music room, it was pretty creepy down here.

The door on the right, behind the stairs, was the biggest surprise yet. This room was clearly larger than the house upstairs, it easily took up most of the length of the front yard above. The biggest feature in this room, and I kid you not, was a bowling lane. It was perhaps a few decades old, but it was definitely a relatively state-of-the-art bowling lane.

The rest of the large room comprised of gym equipment for two, with treadmills, universal gyms, dumbbells, some sort of sparring machine… so this is how she kept in shape without going anywhere! How did she get all this down here?

Melody walked over to a set of cubbies and pulled out two pairs of shoes. “These should fit you, put them on, and let us bowl a few rounds.”

I stood there stunned for a moment, holding the shoes she handed me, taking in the room. She already had hers on and pressed a button to start the mechanism.

“Do you want to start the first set, Darling?” she chimed, holding a purple bowling ball in her hands.

I finally chuckled, shaking myself out of my dazed state. “You never cease to amaze me, Honey.”

I hadn’t realized how much anxiety had built up with the wedding plans. Between the afternoon fun in the sun and the bowling… I really needed winding down, even though I wasn’t really that good at bowling. My throwing arm was a little sore come suppertime, but I was feeling so much more relaxed.

“How about I cook tonight?” I volunteered.

“Are you ready to satisfy my picky tastes in cuisine?” she chimed playfully, wrapping her arms around me.

“I think I’ve learned a thing or two…” I teased back.

She leaned forward , offering me a tender kiss. “Hmm.. I’m sure you have…” she purred, then broke away. “I look forward to being spoiled by your home cooking then, Darling.”

I looked around uncomfortably as I removed the bowling shoes to put mine back on.

“Um… do we have to go through that crypt-like passage and coffin again?” I chewed on my lip worriedly.

She looked over to me as she finished putting on her outdoor shoes. “That bothers you?” I merely nodded. “There are other ways of getting around,” she flashed me a coy smile. “Come here and give me a hug.”

I’m sure she could sense my curiosity. I approached her, relishing being in her arms again.

“Now, close your eyes.” she chimed.

When I did, I felt this rush of air for a moment. I could no longer feel the ground, almost like I was free falling. When I felt solid ground again, I opened my eyes and we were in the kitchen.

“Wow!” releasing my hug and looking around.

“One does not always need feet to move around, Darling.” she noted in a mater-of-fact tone.

“Can you teach me how to do that?” I asked in wonderment. I’m not even sure if I could, but it would be amazing.

“When you are ready for it, yes.” she tapped my nose. She slipped past me slapping my butt. “Now get cooking! You have hungry mouths to feed tonight!”

I laughed at her playfulness. “We’re not expecting company tonight, are we?”

“No, just a meal for the three of us will do, Dear,” she smiled.

It wasn’t the first time that I’ve cooked a family meal, but her kitchen was absolutely amazing! The choices of spices and herbs. I didn’t even know what half of them were used for! I found myself wishing Angel or Marge where here to help. Still, I did my best with what was available. While I’m no master chef, I think I made something pretty tasty.

Between mouthfuls, Melody complimented me. “My dearest darling Penny, we certainly need you to cook for us more often. This is absolutely delicious!”

Mr. Duncan merely offered me a thumbs up as he was too busy shovelling the next mouthful in.

I felt so relieved. Anything to please the love of my life and my new family.

I have to admit, I really surprised Melody this year. Near the end of our trip in, Mr. Duncan and I conspired to buy her something special. With the help of Morrison, we secured an amethyst solitaire ring to match the pendant that Melody wore. It was waiting for me when I arrived at my apartment, so I made a point of telling Melody that I needed a day or two at my place before we met my parents. It gave me time to wrap the presents I had bought for everyone.

So that we could enjoy more time with my parents, Melody picked me up with the car early in the morning. I’m sure if Mom could have found a way to feed us breakfast, she would have wanted us there before dawn. As it was, we arrived at their place just as the sun was rising. We were dressed to match again. Melody really loved doing that. Our matching dresses resembled the one she wore when we first met, only mine was green. My mother noted that I smelled amazing. The jungle food we ate during our stay had left me smelling of strange spices and tropical fruit. I smelled deliciously natural.

I loved the look on Melody’s face when she opened my gift to her. She was so surprised; she did not know it was on the way. While not a diamond, I finally had an engagement ring to give her. Cameras clicked as I placed the ring on her left hand, replacing the woven wedding band.

My fiancée gifted me with a beautiful new winter coat, and a new pair of boots. It never got cold enough here for my new winter wear. It left me wondering if the gift was a hint of where we may go for our honeymoon. Maybe it was a hint that where she lived up in the mountains was colder than the coast? It will take some getting used to being spoiled like this. She was so amazingly good to me. I’ve never felt pampered, so loved by anyone in my life.

My parents took our time away to order this beautiful festive dinner set. Decorated with traditional coastal designs, set in porcelain, I wondered how long they’ve been saving up for such an extravagant gift. Melody was simply astonished at the craftsmanship and promised we’d use the set for a New Year’s dinner. The delicate china would look beautiful in the house.

As a thank you for their hospitality, Melody kept two of the Mayan relics we found during our trip. The golden ceremonial plate and knife were some of our treasured finds. She advised them that these were rare historical items. She had turned down three museums to provide them these gifts. They should keep the items some place safe, they were priceless. To say that my parents were speechless was an understatement. Ever the romantic, she passed off the gift as a worthy trade. They were the least she could provide to them, for raising the most wonderful woman she’s ever met. I blushed as I realized she was offering my parents a dowry, a wedding token for taking their daughter away and stripping them of a possible heir.

The day seemed to pass too quickly. With my voice practice, Melody and I were a hit as we sang festive songs. We ate, drank, and enjoyed the company of one another. Mom had set up a buffet as friends and family bounced in and out during the day. Setting up a meal was almost pointless as few stayed for long. Melody was introduced to a myriad of people, I was surprised how quickly she picked up on names and remembered who she spoke to. Each time a new family member dropped in, we basically started the celebration all over again. I made a point at pacing myself on the wine, so as not to get too tipsy before supper time.

My aunt Margaret was one of the first of my extended family to remark that I looked amazing and smelled of fruit and wine. She remarked my figure was more defined than last we saw each other two years ago. While it was partially due to my form-fitting dress, I told her that Melody’s influence on my diet and regular exercise had me in better shape than I’d felt in years.

My aunt then drifted to Melody for tips on losing weight. I saw Uncle Dave roll his eyes as my fiancée went on about a good vegetarian regime. I giggled. Someone else was about to be converted to a vegetarian lifestyle. My uncle wouldn’t appreciate losing pork in his diet, but by my personal experience, it would be good for him.

We received several remarks of how amazing we looked together. I was so happy no one made a fuss that I was marrying a woman. I lost track of how many pictures people wanted of us together. Everyone seemed to love Melody. She was warm, charming, and always seemed to know what to say to make people smile. Watching her interact with people and purposely holding back on her normal flirting was almost entertaining. A lot of family were excited for the wedding — more so now that they’ve met my bride-to-be. My cousin Mark remarked he originally thought I’d sent him a prank letter until Mom set him straight.

My uncle Wayne leaned over during lunch and whispered to me he was a little jealous that I had caught such a beautiful woman. I chuckled and told him Melody caught my heart, not the other way around. I thanked him for the compliment.

I glanced at my betrothed fondly for a moment, yes she was quite the catch. Our eyes met, she turned, flashed me a sultry smile and blew me a kiss. That small reminder that I was not forgotten made my heart skip a beat, leaving me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, Melody was an amazing woman!

The event felt like that day at Sketchers all over again. By the time we said goodnight to my parents, I was so stuffed! We didn’t leave without my mother insisting we take most of the leftovers. Mom said she didn’t want to be stuck with all the food. Aunt Clarice was to host a Boxing Day dinner. Dad had eaten enough leading up to the holiday, he didn’t need more food! We laughed. I never turned down left-over home-cooking. Some dishes tasted better the next day in a sandwich or mixed together as a stir fry. I just hoped we’d be able to finish it all, there was so much! Maybe we should have a get together and have a Boxing Day buffet of our own… We had also been invited by Aunt Clarice. When she told us of her intended menu, Melody politely declined such a meat-heavy meal. My family didn’t seem bothered that I wouldn’t attend a family dinner without my fiancée. When Melody noted we had other events to attend to, that removed any further objections.

I was almost expecting to part ways with Melody that night and head back to my apartment alone. I was working up a request to be dropped off on the way out of town, when Melody announced we’d be heading back to her place together.

I was a little tipsy with the wine and replied saucily. “I thought Mr. Duncan frowned upon premarital cohabitation.”

Melody took my hand. “My darling, we shared the same bed all during our stay in El Salvador. I doubt he would have any grounds to argue at least one more night together.”

I was not about to object with her argument, the past weeks have been more than enjoyable. Two nights apart were bad enough, I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in a bed alone again so soon. Though she didn’t sleep much, Melody always made sure that we had time for intimacy. Waking in a bed still warm from our lovemaking made mornings alone tolerable. She was never far, always ready with breakfast. It became something that I learned to crave.

When we slipped into the limo, Melody quickly poured herself one of those murky Ridgeports, nearly downing the whole glass in one go. She sighed with relief, closing her eyes, as if relishing the flavour.

“What does that fruit really do for you, Honey?” I’m sure she could sense my need to know through the ring.

“Darling, the dark ritual I undertook that delays my aging leaves one with a particular thirst that normal food cannot always satisfy.”

She looked down at her glass, swished the liquid a bit, then took another small sip. This time, with her eyes open. I noticed her pupils glow slightly.

She continued to explain as I sat there quietly staring at her. Calm yourself, magic is real… “The purple fruit has interesting properties. It satisfies one’s thirst, so that one does not become a monster dependent on flesh, like Caleb. Though we’ve tried a few times to convert him, he still goes back to his old ways of feeding.”

It took a moment for her candid comment to sink in. And suddenly all the pieces came together. That last line was the missing piece to my puzzle. Her nocturnal habits, rarely sleeping, avoiding the sun… I held my breath as I glancing at our reflection in the window from the dim car lighting. Melody’s reflection was… different. Her skin pinker, her eyes were not the purple I saw. I never realized how she rarely posed in ways for me to see her reflection. Did she somehow know?

“You’re… You’re…” I stopped, unable to voice it, but she knew what I was about to say.

“Yes, Love.” She looked down at her drink, then back at me. “I felt it when we first met. Somehow you see through my Veil. You have always seen the real me.” Her what? “Darling, not all creatures of the night are evil. Though I partook in a dark pact to become what I am, I have devoted my life to prove that not all vampiric creatures are monsters. I have raised a family of sorts as proof that we can be kind, wise, gentle, and loving creatures.”

I lean away from her a bit. “A family?”

“Yes, we call those that we turn our offspring. Though they are not my biological children by any means, they are technically of my bloodline now. My blood gave them a new life as my brood, each has sampled and consumed my essence to become a part of me. You have met my inner circle more than once.”

I shot her a questioning glance, not sure what to ask, so she elaborated.

“Mr. Duncan was the first thrall of my lineage. I needed him to have the unworldly strength and speed of our kind to help defend the family. Then Reagan, Houda, and Landyn came after him. Each one shares a special relationship with me. We teach each new offspring the benefits of being vegetarians. Living off of the Plasma Fruit, like what is in my drink. To never succumb feeding on flesh, it is best to avoid all meat, to not develop a hunger for blood. It is what keeps my family more civilized than others.”

I swallowed, almost afraid to ask the next question, but I needed to know what came next. Could this be why I was in the car tonight? I forced it out, despite my worst fears. “So, am I next then? Will I be your next offspring?”

“No, Darling. To tarnish your soul that way would taint the benefits of the ring. You would lose the powers it contains. I need your spirit to remain a pure source of earthly energy for us to share in the rings’ joining.”

Then it dawned on me. I’m mortal. My fiancée is a centuries old Vampire that will far outlive my short life, she will continue living on, but I… I will… “I will then grow old and you will still forever be the lovely porcelain doll I met all those months ago. How does that help us?” I whimper.

Melody frowned. “No, Darling. The ring will prolong your life, as it is now tied to mine. We will enjoy a very long life together. Worse, this may slowly age us both. With all my research, there are still aspects of the rings that even I do not know. The ancient texts suggest the rings will grant us eternal love. You are my soulmate! Whether that means eternal life, or that our souls are eternally linked even in death is still left to be seen. I have discreetly put out feelers through old contacts, and hope to have more answers soon.”

She slowly reached out to me, I could feel her hope, feel her worry that she had just lost me. After over a year of built up trust, I loved her too much to flinch from her touch now. I knew of her past. Deep down, part of me knew she wasn’t quite Human, yet she was still the woman I fell in love with. I just needed time for my mind to process this recent revelation. I nodded slowly. Taking that as permission, she shifted her position, and I didn’t hesitate, leaning into her as she gathered her arms around me.

“When I placed the ring on your finger, Darling, I professed to you my eternal love. I fully intend to keep that promise… if you will still have me,” she whispered.

I looked up into those sparkling amethyst eyes. She suddenly looked so fragile. I felt her love, felt her hope, felt her fear that I would suddenly run away when the truth finally came to light. She couldn’t hide her emotions with our connection, I could feel her very being. I shifted, snuggling closer to her. For all that she was, she has only ever shown me love and affection. She has showered me with so much devotion, I chastised myself for ever doubting her. Everything she has done for me… My new life, my better health, my fame, my success. I owed it all to her… that one night at the Spice Festival set my life on a course that would forever be entwined with hers. I wouldn’t let anything ruin that, not now, not ever. I looked up again feeling like I was looking into her soul. Part of me wondered if her eyes had always been that crystalline shade of purple. Who was she before she became the woman I fell in love with?

I pushed through the lump in my throat, and returned an affectionate smile. “I would follow you to the ends of the world and beyond if need be, Love. I knew that the day I first saw you. I could never resist you then, nothing could ever take me away from you now.”

She hugged me tight and we just sat there, holding each other, as the car slowed down and pulled up to the house. The drive should have lasted four hours! How are we home already?

“Thank you, Darling. If only I could describe how much that means to me. How long I have felt an emptiness, searching for a soulmate. My offspring are dear to me, I do love them all, but they could never fill the place you now hold in my heart. When we first met, our connection was stronger than anything I had ever felt. Our bonding has only made it more powerful. We will do wonders together,” she purred in that sultry tone that meant trouble.

I couldn’t help but giggle, then kiss her deeply. Yes, we will perform wonders together.

The car drove off as we walked towards the house. I held her hand, leaning on her shoulder as we headed inside…. and nearly got knocked to the ground by a very happy Jerry. I loved that dog, but his timing needed improvement…

The trip there was, fortunately, uneventful. I’ve never been a huge fan of flying. What surprised me more was that Melody had her own plane! I knew my fiancée was rich, but I’ve only heard of company CEOs with their own jet planes. This was travelling in style! No noisy airports, or long customs lines, changing flights, or trying to cram into small airplane seats. The roomy cabin even had access to the cargo compartment. We didn’t have to land to change clothes for the weather. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but this was not it! The plane was small enough to land at the private airstrip nearly eight hours later.

I looked around as we disembarked. There was no terminal, no customs officials, just a few sheds, a few ground crew, a hanger, and a refuelling truck. I was asked not to take pictures here. I had a feeling no one was supposed to know about this landing strip.

I didn’t mind missing a few photos. My phone would be so full of pictures before the end of this trip, I would have to offload some of it to a laptop or cloud storage. I’m sure I would have run out of room on my phone before we went home otherwise. I saw hints of a town before we landed, but we didn’t stay in the village. A short car ride brought us to a remote mountain area. The hike up the cliffs to the small villa where we stayed was breathtaking! I was glad I had been exercising. I don’t think the old me would have made it up to the top without a few stops along the way. I kept up with my family as we climbed the slope. Family… that’s the second time I’ve thought of Melody and Mr. Duncan as family. Well, we were getting married, might as well think of them as family now.

Mr. Duncan said the jungle bungalow we rented had a beautiful view of the valley and the village below. When we finally reached it, I had to agree. The view was spectacular! It was also close to the trailhead, where he’d be doing his fieldwork. With a bit of effort (maybe for him), one could travel down to the water’s edge and take a boat to the village for supplies. It was faster than going by car. Melody said she had a more efficient way down that she would show me later. Part of me wanted and dreaded to find out what she meant. The villa was one of the few places this close to the ruins that still had running electricity and water, so it wouldn’t be too inconvenient. The muggy weather, on the other hand, that might take some getting used to!

The housing here was so different from back home. The houses were made of stone, brick, and some sort of plaster or clay. Colourful tiles were used in kitchen and bathing areas. The common area was completely open to the outside, with only a roof for cover. The windows reminded me of those I saw in the Pacific: Openings with no window panes. Only screens or mesh kept the bugs out.

The cloying heat was ever present, no wonder the clothing Melody encouraged I bring was all light and airy. Though the trail outfit Mr. Duncan suggested I pack made me look like an explorer. It was tight-fitting and rugged, designed to keep insects off my body. I couldn’t believe it got worse than this in the summer! Mr. Duncan noted that I would get relatively used to the heat in a few days. This was the end of the rainy season. We were still north of the equator, the worst of the rain would fall when we went back home for Yule. While it was still very muggy from the wet jungle, the altitude and the remaining cloud cover would allow us some relief from the sun. He joked that, considering my skin colour, my body was better designed for this weather than his. The people here were dark, olive-skinned. Some still had Mayan heritage, though the Spanish influence was strong.

Everything smelled green and fresh. The air was heavy with the scent of tropical flowers. Muggy as it was, it was such a relief after so many years of city living and pollution. The surrounding trees were alive with sounds, louder than any neighbourhood I’ve ever lived in. I hoped I’d be able to sleep at night! Melody provocatively told me she’d find ways to help me sleep. Oh, I’m sure she would — seeing as we would be sharing the same bed the entire trip. There were only two bedrooms in this small house. I wondered if she had planned that on purpose.

We took the day to get settled in our rooms and unload the equipment Mr. Duncan brought before heading back to town for supper. The town was so small; I swore it couldn’t be more than a few streets, and maybe a few small farms along the road. The cantina’s courtyard served as the town centre and market for the village. There were food stalls, market tables, and a fountain. A beautiful statue dominated a semi-circle of stone. It was clearly some sort of religious symbol. I asked a local about the statue, and he went on this fantastical tale. I’ve always considered myself proficient in Spanish, but his accent was so thick, he lost me at some point. Mr. Duncan whispered to me mid-tale that he would tell me the true story later. This was a tall tale they loved to tell tourists. I nodded and reminded myself that I did very much look and sound like a tourist. Like some of the urban legends we’d tell travellers back home, I shouldn’t be surprised by some locals wanting to pull my leg. I just hoped they wouldn’t expect me to tip them.

Before we ate, Mr. Duncan visited pretty much every stall to gather any jungle survival equipment he was short on or missing, making sure everyone had their own supply of bug repellents, and proper medicines. I never attended Girl Scouts growing up. I didn’t know what was in half of the ‘survival kit’ Mr. Duncan handed me. I prayed I didn’t need to use the other half that I did recognize. What I would give right now for one of Angel’s little vials that seemed to heal any ailment imaginable. I could never get her to tell me what was in them, just that her family were chemists and that it was a patented secret. Knowing what I know now, I’m wondering if Alchemist would be a better term for my secretive young bardic friend. I spent years living across the hall from a likely magic user, and the most my deductive journalism skills ever told me about her was that she was a transgender girl.

By the time we’re done sorting ourselves out, my stomach was looking for a meal. Don’t they ever get hungry? I remarked that the dish we were eating tasted familiar to the plates I had that night at the dinner. Melody was glad that I noticed and hoped that I didn’t find the new spices hard to handle. I boasted that, as a city dweller, I thrived on unique and wonderful cultural dishes. I did have to concede some of these Salvadoran spices would take some getting used to, though.

We headed back up to the villa before nightfall made the climb too difficult. Mr. Duncan announced he would head out at first light, hoping the cloud cover would stay with us like it did today. I had to admit that my skin was at least dark enough to blend in with the locals. My beloved and her manservant were so pale, they really stuck out in the crowd here.

“The outer ruins are maintained and perfectly safe, outside of perhaps a few snakes and spiders. This region is volcanic. If you follow the right markers, you’ll find the Royal Baths. The Mayans turned the local hot springs into beautiful and ornate outdoor baths. Rumour say the water of the pools have healing properties and help revive one’s spirit.”

I posted that night from my new laptop. When I tried to argue, Melody said to consider it an early wedding gift. After all these months of dating, I should have figured she would spoil me. We flew down in a private plane, should I be surprised? I was happy to find that the villa had Internet access. It wasn’t fast as it was back home, but I wouldn’t use up all of my roaming data in sharing the pictures I’d taken so far. The increase in my followers had already doubled since my last posting. Travelling gave such a tremendous boost to my ratings. I loved it!

I found some documents online about Salvadoran culture and history. I felt I needed to bring myself up to speed with local customs so that I didn’t act like some clueless tourist later. When I took a break, Mr. Duncan sat down with me at the main dining table, describing what all the items in the kit were for. I hoped I wouldn’t need to use half of it…

Having stayed up way too late doing my research, morning rose all too soon. I’m awoken by a very excited Melody, who was already dressed and ready for the day. As I pulled myself to wakefulness, she was laying out clothes for me. I hadn’t noticed her leave the bed, but gratefully accepted her good morning kiss.

We headed out with Mr. Duncan and met up with two others. He introduced us to Pedro, his local guide, and Richard, a fellow researcher. I was still munching on granola and drinking some juice; I hadn’t had time to fully eat breakfast before we left. Richard reminded me to keep with water later, the juice wouldn’t be good once we headed deeper into the foliage. The drink and my sweet sweat would attract pests.

Once we were past the trailhead and making progress, Mr. Duncan pointed down a well-worn trail. “The pools should be that way if Pedro is correct. Here’s a map, you two have fun!” He winked, causing Melody to giggle.

“Oh, we will have fun,” Melody chimed with a sultry smile, caressing my bottom.

Mr. Duncan merely shook his head as we split ways.

Following the trail was fairly easy. The climb up the slope to the top of the hill had natural steps formed from rocks and roots. We crossed a well-maintained rope bridge, then went through some interesting-looking ruins that may once have been a village. The ruins lay on a cape above the river. Off in the distance, we could see some houses in the village below. Beautiful waterfalls dominated the north cliff beside us, forming the head of the river. They were absolutely gorgeous! Signs and markers indicated that this was a known tourist trail.

Melody suggested we stop here for a snack, so that we could enjoy the waterfall a bit. I didn’t argue; the place felt so romantic with its glorious view. I leaned against Melody and cuddled as we ate. We headed deeper into the jungle, following Pedro’s directions. Passing through a slightly overgrown gateway, we found ourselves at the baths. Crystal green water bubbled from underground, filling a large stone pool. The middle of the pool had a decorative tiled walkway sculpture, when looking at it in the right direction, it formed the head of some tropical bird. The pool didn’t overflow. Following the sound of flowing water, spouts in the south wall poured down to a small lake below. The view from this location was spectacular, so I added more shots to my picture collection.

As I turned to face Melody, she casually announced that she’d forgotten her bathing suit, stripped down and jumped into the water. I rolled my eyes. I should have expected as much.

“Melody, this is a marked tourist trail!” I tried to argue.

“Darling, it is off season. Have we seen a soul at all today?” She chimed, hooking an inviting finger to join her.

She was such a horrible influence. I caved in as she rose enough to show me her inviting chest. Fighting back my fear of public indecency, I found myself stripping down to join her. The time in the pool was a magical experience, and I’m not just talking about the water. We kissed, touched and explored one another. It felt like we’re on a honeymoon before we’re even married. It never ceases to amaze me how much there was to learn when it came to pleasing the Human body. My purple and porcelain goddess introduced me to pleasure beyond anything I had ever imagined. As Melody mentioned, being off-season for tourism, we were fortunate to have the day and the bath to ourselves with no interruptions.

We finally returned to the villa late that afternoon for some food. I felt like a new me again. Melody had introduced me to forms of intimacy beyond what I could only ever dream about. No one has ever brought me to the heights of pleasure that she has. I lost count of how many times she took me over the edge and beyond. We were well satisfied with our bathing experience. I posted the public-worthy pictures to my site. My fans were posting reactions and replies within minutes, eager for the next update.

We spent the rest of the day lounging around, snuggling, and reading. I’ve never felt so relaxed in so long. I could really get used to this lifestyle. It was as if all the worries and troubles of the past months had just drifted away. I no longer had to worry about them. Here, alone in a lovely jungle villa, there was no pressure. Gone was the busy city life and the social expectations that went with it. No fans, no worries about what people thought. Just me, Melody, and the happiness that being held and safe offered.

Mr. Duncan returned as the sun peeked below the cloud cover briefly before setting. He excitedly presented us with the artifacts from his trip.

“Won’t taking these anger the locals?” I fussed as he showed me how to clean the items.

“I left notably large landmarks behind,” he defended himself. “Museums and collectors will pay a pretty penny for these trinkets,” he grinned. “May even help finance an excursion for a new find. The jungle has reclaimed so much over the centuries.” He paused for a moment as he cleaned a particularly encrusted part. “Buried in the jungle as these were, there is always the chance that these are fake. Some mischievous locals enjoy tricking explorers into thinking they’ve found something priceless. It draws them off-course to dig up useless junk instead of finding the true prize.”

“Why?” I frowned.

“Some believe the Mayan culture should remain buried,” he grumbled. “At their height, some of their practices were questionable, bordering on cruel. Uncovering the truth brings answers some rather not reveal.”

The next day, Melody suggested we explore with Mr. Duncan this time. While it may not be as ‘fun’ as yesterday, she was curious what he got himself into during these excursions. It was half the reason she wanted us to come along instead of just sending Mr. Duncan off on his own like last time. I had a feeling she used to go off on these treks with him often. I chuckled as the thought came to mind. My beloved is a tomb raider.

The extent of Mayan architecture was amazing! Over the years, researchers have uncovered vast stone cities and small towns buried in the jungle. The jungle was constantly growing; it took regular work to keep ruins clear of vegetation. An inconspicuous mountain range may hold new wonders never found before.

I asked Duncan what happened to the Mayan people.

He shrugged. “It was no one thing, Lass. It was a long slow decline, not a sudden disappearance. Some regions show signs of drought, lowlands show overpopulation, deforestation… some villages were wiped out from intensified warfare. Long before the Spanish arrived, they nearly killed themselves off. What remains of their culture has intermixed with Spanish colonialism, resulting in the people we see today. It has taken archaeologists decades to piece their history together. We know they worshipped the sun and the stars. Some ruins show clear understanding of the universe long before Europeans even had settlements. Some temples resemble seasonal calendars that helped guide their people through notable events.”

He noted that some tribes honoured their dead. They coated the skeletons of brave and strong warriors in precious metals and gems to watch guard over important places. The more prominent a warrior, the more decorated the body was. Pedro warned that no one touched the skeletons, it was strictly forbidden. Bad omens befell those who failed to respect holy sites. One prayed and honoured the ancestors properly before entering a guarded temple. If you angered the spirits, it is said that the skeletons would come alive to defend it. I hoped his tale was just something to scare away unwary scholars and tomb raiders. What I now knew of magic, if it were actually true… Enchanted animated guardians were not far off fiction anymore.

The day was long, exhausting, hot, and muggy, but uneventful. We spent most of it walking and only stopped occasionally to examine a ruin or two. This area seemed well travelled. We seemed to be following some sort of road. Pedro noted that the Mayans had set up elaborate road and agriculture systems. As night fell, we set up camp at the foot of a large tree that was easily 10 meters wide at the base. I’ve never seen a tree so huge! It must reach the clouds! Mr. Duncan laughed, noting that with this low cloud cover and mist, it likely did.

The next day found us hacking our way through dense jungle. We had left the well-trodden road behind shortly after breakfast. Mr. Duncan was running on a hunch and kept looking at some worn map for directions. I didn’t know how he could tell where we were going in this dense forest. We were far from any cell tower, my phone couldn’t tell me our location. I hoped that someone had thought of bringing a satellite phone in case of an emergency. Pedro was worried that we’d gone too far off the established trails. This close to the Honduran border, it could be dangerous if we got lost. Mr. Duncan ignored his worries and forged on.

We arrived around noon at the base of a half-buried stone building. It was heavily overgrown, and took effort to find a stone door among the vines. Mr. Duncan cleared the foliage away and examined the writings on the wall surrounding the door. He spoke something in a strange language. There was an audible sound, and the door slid down into the ground, creating a plume of dust. Was that a pneumatic, mechanical, or magical door? It surprised Pedro.

“Senior, you have learned the ancient Mayan language? You speak words of power!?”

Mr. Duncan flashed him a knowing smile and pulled a flashlight out of his pack, shining it into the darkened entrance.

“We’ll give the room time to air out,” he noted, scanning the interior but not crossing the threshold.

After a few minutes, he declared it safe enough to enter, and we found ourselves in a large, vaulted room. Duncan was reading something on the left wall, Richard examined some pottery by the door. Pedro pondered aloud that this looked like a sundial room. The trees and foliage had overgrown the roof, but at one time, there was an opening in the ceiling that would track the sun’s motions. He pointed to the marked peg in the far wall.

Duncan looked up from his reading and approached the sundial. “Ingenious” he noted as he stepped forward and twisted the sundial marker counter-clockwise.

There was an audible click, followed by the sound of grinding stone. The middle of the sundial beside the peg opened into a doorway. Dusty, fetid air blew out of the opening, making us all cough for a moment. When the dust finally settled and we could see again, the doorway showed a staircase leading down. Pedro was chanting something, a prayer, I suppose. Part of it was Christian verse, part of it was something else. Mr. Duncan stated that he would look for traps first and fiddled with something by the door.

“If someone thought of hiding the entrance, who knows what else they… Duck!” he shouted as we heard a clicking sound. We all tumbled away from the opening as three spears launched at us, continuing through the outside door. That would have hurt!

“There was a time I wouldn’t have had the reflexes to dodge that!” I squeaked worriedly. I glanced at my betrothed, who had been encouraging my physical training. Did she know this would one day happen? One more wonder to my fiancée that I never considered.

“Careful.” Mr. Duncan continued. “There may be more as we move down, donna touch the walls and follow my footsteps.”

I studied Melody, who seemed completely unbothered. I realized where she found some of her wonderful art ideas, why her work felt so realistic. Who needed to invent fantasy and adventure when you have lived it yourself and are merely recounting the tale?

Pedro refused to follow us down. He stated that the ancestors hid that staircase for a reason; he didn’t want to anger them. He would stay and watch the entrance, then pray for our safety. Richard noted there were still jugs and artifacts in this top room to catalogue. Not to mention, he wanted an engraving of the wall glyphs. He motioned for us to move on without him.

We carefully made our way down the stairs, with Mr. Duncan pointing out loose steps and stones to avoid. Finally, at the bottom, he touched a stone set in the wall. A small crack opened in the ceiling, letting dust and a single beam of sunlight enter the room. The beam touched a gem in the wall, which then reflected the light to three others, lighting up the room. Amazing!

He examined the walls. “Bingo!” he beamed, then started furiously writing the details in front of him.

“Is this what we have been looking for, Luv?” Melody chimed eagerly. Were we here for something specific?

“Some of it, yes, if I can translate this formulae properly, you’ll enjoy more of your wedding day outside,” he flashed her a grin.

I looked between them, puzzled. What could they have been looking for? Noting my facial expression, Melody explained the details without my having to ask.

“What Mr. Duncan and I have done to extend our lives leaves us sensitive to the sun’s light. We have spent centuries searching for some sort of cure.”

“Well, this will be no cure Milady, but… if I read this correctly it will allow you to tolerate the sun’s effects for a few hours or more,” Mr. Duncan mumbled as he continued to write.

Melody frowned. “Something is better than nothing, I suppose. At least we are one step closer to ridding ourselves of this curse. My master can walk in daylight. He said I had to learn this ability on my own.”

So this is why I could never get Melody out of the house on a beautiful day! Why we often stayed indoors until the sunset when we did. Why she would only go out on cloudy days and why we have been staying out of the sun since we got here. Direct sunlight burns that oh-so-soft porcelain skin of hers. A mystery I’ve been pondering over for the better part of the year has finally revealed me some answers. Then it dawned on me…

“Why would the Mayan people need something to protect them from the sunlight? Did they not worship the sun? There was a sundial upstairs. What is this, some sort of super-duper sunblock?”

Mr. Duncan chuckled, answering while still writing. “I came across a tablet last year, where there was mention of a village plagued by albinism. Some sort of iron deficiency left their skin pale like ours. It left those affected photosensitive, fearing the sun they worshipped, as direct sunlight would burn their skin. The sun priests sought a cure, this must be part of their research.” He stopped writing and glanced over at me. “The village then came into conflict between those searching for a cure, and those deciding to worship the moon in its stead, becoming nocturnal.”

“What happened to the village?” I asked hesitantly, not sure I was ready for the answer.

“The surrounding tribes declared the village cursed, wiping them all out, hoping the disease would not spread to others.”

“That’s horrible!” I recoiled from him into Melody’s arms.

“Aye, it is, Lass. But that’s how faith can drive fear of the unknown, turning rational men into savage beasts. This sun temple was set away from the village. There were hints of it in some writings I found yesterday. This seems to be some sort of lab for a curative.”

Melody released me, wandering to another wall and began sketching the pictorials she found. “Mr. Duncan, this looks like it may be a button,” she noted, pointing to an engraved glyph.

“Aye, Milady. We’re likely to find a few of those. The writings on this wall hint there are at least four more chambers leading off this one. They are carefully hidden, so that the unbelieving would not find the refugees so easily.” He looked down at his notes. “Donna push it though, I need to decipher the writings to figure out which ones are the doors, and which ones are the traps.”

Melody nodded carefully, pulling her hand away from the wall.

“Let me confer with Richard before we continue,” Mr. Duncan suggested. “I need a second opinion that I’m not miss-translating this.”

We carefully made our way back up the stairs, avoiding the loose stones and steps. How Mr. Duncan seemed to know which ones were which was still a mystery to me. While we were gone, Pedro and Richard had set up a small archaeological station and were documenting some of their finds.

As it was already late in the day, the two researchers decided to wait until morning before going back downstairs. We set up camp in the sundial room, closing the outside door for protection.

As we were enjoying a campfire dinner, Mr. Duncan requested I not post the rest of our time in this temple. He needed time to publish it himself. This was an amazing new discovery. He didn’t want any information leaked out before he could officiate his findings. Out of respect, I agreed. I only posting this now as his paper has already been approved through official channels.

I spent that night unable to fully fall asleep, worried that something might creep up the open stairway and get us. The places my mind travelled. Before I met Melody, I swear my imagination was never this creative.

Melody did her best to calm my paranoia, but it took most of the night cuddling with her before I could fall asleep.

When I woke, Mr. Duncan and Richard were already gone. Melody was quietly sketching some sights we’d seen. Pedro was busy cataloguing and storing artifacts to carry back safely. I now understood why we carried so much gear with us. Between the food, cookery, the sleeping bags, jungle survival gear, and archaeological tools, the rest of what Pedro carried were collapsible boxes and expandable foam to store what we would bring back with us.

Nearly a week would pass before we made it back to the villa. I wished I could post what we discovered. It was an amazing find! Mr. Duncan stated that this would set his reputation with the archaeological society as a Mayan history specialist. The royalties he would earn from these findings would keep us comfortable for some time.

I finally caught a glimmer of how Melody had accumulated her wealth. How long have they been relic hunting and publishing their findings? Considering their long lives, under how many names have they had them published?

I recalled Lilith calling Melody ‘Countessa.’ Recalled Jordan’s research about La Comtesse de La Rivière… a noble from medieval times before the French Revolution. How much of her previous wealth had she kept from her past life? Her past lives? Did that make me some sort of noble now that I was marrying her? I needed more information. I hoped there were books on this at the manor back home. I had exhausted my resources and worried what would happen digging further into public archives.

What jungle pictures I published were a colossal hit! I started receiving offers from travel companies and tour guides to provide stock photos for their publications. We hadn’t even left El Salvador yet. The money this would earn would likely pay my portion of this trip. This was incredible! I thought my summer trip was lucrative, this was beyond what I expected. I was fine leaving the archaeology stuff out, just the nature photos and public ruins were paid well enough.

The rest of the trip wasn’t very notable outside of sightseeing. While breathtakingly beautiful, nothing really exciting happened after the temple excursion. As we had a car, we travelled the countryside to round out my collection of photos. It rained the last days of the trip, we barely got out at all. By the time we returned to the States, my subscriber list was in the millions and still climbing. Creating guided tours from the photos we took was the biggest challenge. At this rate, I may hit the five-million mark before the wedding! What Melody has done for my fame and reputation is something I’ll never be able to thank her enough for.

As promised, I’ve not published anything that I’ve read in the tome from Melody’s house. I will not be publishing the information that Jordan gave me either. Like he said, people aren’t ready for some information in that folder. The last thing I needed was to start up a discussion about whether Vampires existed on my main social media site… No, I won’t start that debate here either. There is no debate, I’ve lived it myself. Everything I thought was imaginary in mythology and fairy tales has become all too real! The prospect alone was enough to turn your hair white! As tempting as it was to anonymously post some info from the dossier, the risks, as Jordan pointed out, may make me more of a target.

Melody has spent centuries learning how to deal with this. How was I prepared for all that I might encounter in only the past month? Every time I got overly anxious about what might lie in my future, Melody called to help calm me down or distract me from my fears. The empathic connection through the rings was both a blessing and a curse. I’ll never be able to hide how I feel from my betrothed, she’ll always know my mood.

The Harvest Festival (Thanksgiving to you Christians out there) changed my focus. Melody sent me a message in the morning that she was coming over early. Just after lunch, she buzzed my apartment. Melody walked off the elevator with a long box under her arm. I greeted her as she approached my door. She offered me a quick kiss, then eagerly handed me the box, asking that I open it right away.

I forgot to offer the small tour of my apartment and led her into my bedroom. I set the box down on my bed and opened it. She’d found a black with red brocade version of the low-cut black and purple dress she’s currently wearing. It was the dress she wore when we had our dinner date at the Diving Pelican. With my garnet pendant, we would be a matching pair again. She certainly loved fashion.

She apologized for not having this dress in the clothes she originally gave me; it took longer than she expected for them to tailor this to my size. The dress fit like a glove! I was a little apprehensive that the low-cut dress exposed my entire chest, and just covered my breasts. Was this the impression I wanted to leave on my parents? Posing in front of the mirror, I had to admit that I looked absolutely stunning in this dress. Every time I moved to see us in the mirror together, she shifted away. For someone who loved attention, she wasn’t vain, she rarely posed for pictures. As it was, the bright lights of the movie premiere hadn’t picked up the beautiful woman whose touch I craved. They never picked up the sparkling purple of her eyes. Never caught the soft porcelain of her skin. It’s almost as if I saw a different woman than the camera captured.

I let my hair down, as I had the night of the movie premiere, to complete the look. Once my makeup was done, I looked myself over in the mirror again… okay, so this was likely how Melody gained attention wherever she went. I offered my reflection a seductive smile. Oh yes, this outfit would definitely turn heads. Melody wrapped her arms around me, kissing that tender spot on my neck that sent shivers down my spine and warmed my core. She certainly approved, but what would my parents think of the new me?

The limo picked us up as we were ready to head out. I wondered where the car went when she was not using it? I never saw it parked anywhere, but it always showed up promptly when she called. We pulled up at my parents’ place in time for supper. From the ground floor, I could see that Mom had decorated their condo’s balcony for the season. Melody inquired if I’d always lived in some sort of apartment, and I nodded. San Marino’s population was pretty dense, there was no real room for houses. Only on the expensive fringes of town did one find single-family homes and estates. I had never considered apartment living to be a problem. It was just part of life in the city. Who wanted to live in the boring suburbs when all the excitement was here in town?

To say that my parents were surprised by my attire was an understatement. Rarely did I dress so elegantly to go places. Never have I dolled myself up for a family get-together. Unless it was for a wedding, I rarely went anywhere in formal attire. What I’ve worn from my new wardrobe has been a huge hit with my fans. It has really changed my sense of self-confidence.

Melody presented my parents with two bottles of wine. One to keep for later was a beautiful Chardonnay. The other bottle was for supper, a sparkling rosé that would go with just about any plate. To appease Dad, Mom made a small turkey for dinner, but the rest of the dishes on the table were vegetarian fare. With the season’s harvest, there was a plentiful variety of food at the market to choose from. Mom went all out to make fancy dishes for the event.

As tempting as it was to sneak a bit of meat, I chose to follow Melody’s diet. I have to admit, between working out at the gym and her suggested food regimen, I haven’t felt so fantastic in my life! Apparently, she has indeed succeeded in converting me to a vegetarian lifestyle. Thinking back to her comment during Geek Con, I found it almost comical how I’ve changed with so little argument.

Melody’s attention to other matters has also helped, she was certainly hard to resist. We sat next to each other at dinner. As the meal progressed, Melody touched me, held my hand, and leaned against me from time to time. I, of course, responded in kind. I’ve never been so affectionate with someone at the dinner table before. I couldn’t help it. Part of me wished she would just sit in my lap so we could feed each other, but that would be improper.

I should have seen it coming, Dad had a barrage of questions for Melody. He grilled her more than I’ve seen him question most of my past boyfriends. Well, we were getting married, so this is more serious than dating — okay, make that a lot more serious than dating!

Melody started with broad statements, talking about her graphic artist and digital media work, listing some notable companies she’s worked for. She then went into detail about her involvement in this year’s movie, seeing as she took a major role in the art and visual effects. She spoke of art, entertainment, music, food… her worldly knowledge never ceased to amaze me. It certainly impressed my parents.

Dad, of course, wanted to know where she was from. Rather than offer a straight answer, I smiled as she started on stories of the places she’s visited and travelled. She was being her secretive self again, never truly answering the question. My parents didn’t seem to notice, though. If they had, they said nothing. Her stories of far-off places and interesting cultures had them enthralled.

Melody was an amazing storyteller. Once she got started, you forgot whatever else you were going to say. Supper tonight reminded me of that dinner night at her place. It was friendly, casual, full of wonderful food, excellent drink, and warm conversation. I wondered if she hosted dinners like this often, she certainly seemed to have taken the stage as hostess, even though we were the invited guests. Melody truly was a marvel to behold, my parents seemed to have grown fond of her already.

After supper, which was the longest dinner I ever remembered having with my family, I offered to help clean up, leaving Dad and Melody on their own to talk. She was playing up her usual charm, and I chuckled to myself. Well, Dad was caught hook, line, and sinker.

Mom looked over at them. “So, we weren’t sure what to expect, Dear.” I waited for Mom to elaborate as we sorted out the dishwasher. “What an amazing woman you have found!”

I chuckled. “It’s more that she found me, Mom. But yes, she is amazing,” I smiled fondly.

“Your father and I weren’t sure what to think when you said that, not only were you dating a woman, you were already engaged.” She looked down at my ring. “But I have to admit that I approve of your choice. She certainly is quite a catch. I wouldn’t want to chance letting a woman like that go either.”

It was good that Mom didn’t seem to mind our rush to tying the knot. It made it a lot easier than having to describe everything else that was involved in the situation. I now understood Angel better. With what I now know, her term ‘Bard’ was more relevant than ever. I wondered if Eva knew her fiancée was a magical creature like mine? They were busy with the Goodson family this weekend, I’ll ask her later. Wait… did that mean?

My train of thought was broken by Dad entering the kitchen, looking for another glass of wine. “So, now that we know more of what’s going on with you two, when is the wedding?”

I blinked thoughtfully for a moment as Melody joined us. “We were thinking of a spring wedding, weren’t we, Honey?” I looked to my fiancée for confirmation, remembering an earlier comment she had made.

Melody smiled and nodded. “When everything is in full bloom, and full of life. It will make for splendidly amazing wedding pictures,” she chimed, offering me a fond glance. My heart fluttered. I fell in love with her all over again every time she smiled at me like that.

Dad looked thoughtful. “Well, you two definitely have the flair for a romantic event.”

Mom agreed. “That sounds absolutely wonderful, Dear. Will you be booking Marino Meadows for the event, then? With all the gardens and the outdoor wedding chapel, it would be a great place to take pictures. Everything is there, even a reception hall.”

Melody liked her idea, I don’t think she’d thought of a location yet. She asked my parents to send her a list of people so that we could mail out official invitations.

“We will send out the invitations before we leave for El Salvador. Give time for people to schedule the day.” She winked at my sudden ‘what?’ blank look.

“Oh? You’re going south for the winter?” Mom asked with an envious tone in her voice. I was equally surprised. This was the first time she’d mentioned a trip. I wonder if the ‘we’ included me this time, or would it be just her and Mr. Duncan?

“Yes, there is some research that my good friend Mr. Duncan needs to finish that he could not complete before the summer’s heat. He says that the summers in the jungle are almost unbearable. He wants to go back this winter when the temperatures are more mild. As I am financing his research, I would like to see firsthand some results of his excursion. It offers a wonderful opportunity for Penny and I to break away to enjoy the scenery, maybe explore new locales while he performs his work.”

I wondered if the relief on my face was evident. Oh, good! I am going along. I tried to hide my immediate reaction with a smile. Melody had hinted during dinner that she’s pretty well off financially, her comment now cemented to my parents that she had plenty of wealth to support us.

“When will you be leaving, will it be soon?” Mom probed.

“Yes, at the first sign of snowfall, we will be leaving. We will return home for Yule, though. I would not even fathom denying Penny time with family over the holidays. I know how much you all mean to her.”

Mom was excited for us. “That sounds absolutely wonderful! I hope you’ll take a lot of pictures!”

I had to admit; it did sound absolutely wonderful… for my ratings as I blogged from the jungle! To think, a year ago, I was just your average city blogger, with a few thousand followers, reporting on local events and people. The city was big enough to keep one busy pretty much year-round.

Since I’d met Melody, I’ve topped the A-List and beyond by blogging from all over the place! Every neighbourhood along the Eastern Seaboard has seen Penny Postings. From small towns like Birch Creek, to Hillcrest, to Melody’s favourite locals in and around the capital… I’ve even flown to some locations. It’s really helped me gain popularity. I topped this summer’s Blogger of the Year by posting from the sunny Pacific. Soon, I’ll be posting from El Salvador! I once dreamed of hitting the million-subscriber mark. I’ve realized that number repeatedly now, and my ratings climb every time I post from a new locale. This would indeed be exciting!

Melody made faux-BLT sandwiches. Mr. Duncan stated that the ‘bacon’ was strips of some protein-rich mushroom marinated in liquid smoke then fried to taste like bacon. What an ingenious idea! Protein, without eating tasteless tofu. I looked forward to enjoying Melody’s creative cuisine. She even served fries with my sandwich. Meanwhile, Melody and Mr. Duncan had another bowl of that purple fruit salad. I asked about the dish. Melody noted that the purple fruit was actually poisonous to most people and required a particular ritual before someone could consume it safely. Once the transformation was complete, the fruit was quite filling. It replenished one’s hunger and thirst effectively. Why did I have a feeling she left something out of the story? It was still nice that she was being mostly honest about things after all this time.

As tempted as I was to ask to stay the night, mostly so that I could spend more time in Melody’s arms, I needed time to think over everything I’ve read today. There was just so much to read and learn. My mind was suffering from major information overload. I needed time to process it all. Needed time to absorb the fantastical life she led. Myths, legends, magic was real… my head hurt trying to make sense of it all. I needed time for all of this to sink in. I informed my new family that I might walk all the way to Hillcrest to give me time to think. I’d have to walk to the edge of Blightwood, regardless. With a name like that, I couldn’t complain why no one wanted to drive into Melody’s creepy hamlet to pick me up.

“It is not a pleasant evening, Dearest. Are you sure you do not want us to drive you home?” Melody seemed concerned about something, again, like the night at the karaoke bar.

“I’ll be fine, Honey. I’ll call you when I get there to let you know I made it home safe.” Though the ring would tell her that anyway, wouldn’t it? “Can I come back and read more of the book later?” Melody smiled and nodded. Good, that was all of my immediate concerns taken care of.

As I got ready to leave, I gave her a hug and a kiss. I so love her goodnight kisses, it almost took my breath away! Again, she was making it hard to leave her side. With some effort, I broke away from her passionate embrace.

“Remember, Mom’s planing a big supper for Harvest Fest. She’s been sending me vegetarian dish ideas all week! I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen her so excited!”

Melody smiled. “I look forward to meeting your family, Darling. The night will be so lovely.”

Not a pleasant evening, indeed! A bitter wind whistled through the trees. There was a distinct chill in the evening air, signalling fall was on my heels. Up here in the mountains, I wasn’t dressed for this weather. Maybe I should have taken her up on a nice, cozy, and warm car drive home after all? The neighbourhood was eerily silent tonight. I wondered if Hillcrest had an evening train, or if I’d have to pay the expensive Lyft all the way back home again. Maybe I should stay in town and head out in the morning? As I reached the end of the park, I heard a sound off to my right. I stopped and turned towards the noise, but saw nothing but the swaying of the branches. Relax, Penny. No need to get spooked so easily.

I turned to continue walking, but halted as Caleb was suddenly in front of me. Where did he come from? He said nothing, standing there in front of me, just out of arm’s reach. He was tall, menacing, and… his bloodshot eyes bore into me with unmistakable hunger. I wanted to scream, shout, or something, but my voice caught in my throat.

I slowly took a step back. This was truly freaking me out now. I debated turning to run when he lunged towards me. Something seemed to block him from actually making contact. He appeared to bounce off an invisible shield. I took his moment of confusion to back further away, picking up my pace. I was too scared to yell. If I could just make it back to her house… He lifted his hand, muttering something strange. Dark tendrils swirled around his hand before lancing out at me. I instinctively brought my hand up to defend myself, palm facing forward. Like a flashcube, a burst of white light emitted from my palm, momentarily lighting up the night sky, destroying the tendrils before they reached me. A loud thunderclap followed. I instinctively braced myself as he was tossed back a meter. Did I just do that?

Caleb stepped forward, his eyes literally glowing red with anger now. His facial features turned demonic as he hissed at me. Um, that was new… oh dear. I debated my chances of running away from this unscathed. I dared not turn my back on him.

There was a brush of wind to my right. I chanced a glance that way and Mr. Duncan was suddenly by my side. “Are ye alright, Milady?” he noted with concern. I simply nodded, trying to comprehend what was going on.

Mr. Duncan looked me over to assure I bore no obvious physical injuries and then turned to face Caleb.

“What is she doing with that ring?” Caleb’s voice sounded strange and guttural.

“Isn’t it obvious, lad? It’s to protect her from monsters like you!” Mr. Duncan angrily spat back.

“Does the Council know about this?” Caleb demanded.

“The Council has no business with my family, you know that boy. Keep them out of this!” Mr. Duncan growled back.

“We’ll see if the Council agrees with you, old man!” Caleb snarled.

“Keep out of my family’s business, this is yer last warning lad!” I shrank at the threat in his voice.

Caleb chuckled menacingly. “Who’s going to stop me? You?”

In the blink of an eye, Mr. Duncan’s stance shifted, and suddenly he was on top of Caleb. I stood there, stunned. They were moving so fast! It was like watching a whirlwind of arms and legs. Darkened mist swirled about them, with streaks of purple, red, and green.

I felt a warmth in my ring as she approached me. I didn’t resist Melody’s touch as she wrapped her arms around me protectively, pulling us back several meters out of danger.

“While the ring may protect you, let the boys fight this one out, Darling,” she whispered breathlessly in my ear.

I held onto Melody’s hands as she continued to hug me from behind. It seemed to happen so fast, but it was obvious who was losing. Caleb was repeatedly tossed out of the mist and onto the ground. Each time, he took longer to get up as the battle progressed. Finally, Mr. Duncan seemed to have enough of their sparring. Lunging upward with a clawed hand, he lifted them both up in the air by several meters, holding Caleb by the throat. He held him there as Caleb struggled to get free. What was holding them up?

“Do ye yield?” Mr. Duncan demanded. Caleb struggled, emitting a gurgling sound. “Yield now lad, or I will snap yer scrawny neck here and now!”

An apprehensive look of fear crossed Caleb’s expression. He managed a hoarse gasp, “I yield!”

Mr. Duncan smirked, “Smart lad,” then tossed him down to the ground hard. I swear the ground shook with the impact. Meanwhile, he floated down gently himself, dark tendrils flowing behind him like wings.

I held my breath, my heart beating rapidly, trying to escape my chest. What had just happened?

Mr. Duncan looked down at the defeated young man. “I will say this one last time, lad. Keep yer nose outta my family’s business. Keep pushin’ yer luck, yer sister Lilith will have no cause to defend yer life next time!”

Caleb nodded, utterly bruised and defeated. “Agreed,” he finally croaked.

Ever the gentleman, Duncan helped Caleb to his feet.

Before I could quell my panic, I jumped as a deep female voice spoke out too close beside me. “What has my little brother done now?”

As I flinched, Melody offered me a reassuring squeeze. She seemed to know who was beside us. I took a deep breath and slumped into her.

Mr. Duncan’s face changed from calm to angry. He suddenly grabbed Caleb by his collar and threw him towards the voice. I forced myself to look to my right. A tall, muscular, raven-haired woman caught Caleb as if she was intercepting a soccer ball. The two siblings exchanged glances for a moment before returning their attention to Mr. Duncan.

“Though I think I beat some sense into him. Make it clear to yer nosy brat of a brother that he is to stay outta my family’s business. I wonna spare his life next time!”

The woman seemed oddly calm, considering Mr. Duncan’s anger, not to mention Caleb’s beating. “Eagerness of youth, Sir Duncan. Were you not young and foolish at his age?”

Mr. Duncan was unmoved. “I knew my place. I knew when not to meddle in the affairs of my betters.”

His statement seemed to strike a chord. The woman’s expression shifted, as a reminder of where she stood in some sort of established hierarchy. Old-world customs and status seemed to be strong among these people.

Melody released me from her hug, but kept hold of my hand. She turned to face the woman, keeping me slightly behind her. There was an eerily cool level of forced respect between the two. I could feel the tension in the air. But it was clear where this Lilith-person and her brother stood in whatever societal chain they lived in.

Lilith offered Melody a curtsy, which looked odd on someone wearing pants. “I beg your forgiveness Countessa. My brother has taken your recent hospitality as permission to step beyond his bounds. I assure you, it will not happen again.”

Melody stood there quietly, staring the woman down. Her face was stone-calm, but the emotions I felt through the ring told me a different story.

Lilith continued her plea. “Please gift my brother with one more chance before you commit to your final decision?”

Melody’s voice was cold, sending a shiver down my spine. Among her other emotions, the anger I now felt through the ring was tangible.

“I have offered your family nothing but welcome and hospitality. This is how you repay me? This is what I receive in return for my leniency?”

Lilith knealt. “Milady, I will deal with this personally. I assure you, he will be punished.”

Melody returned a firm and final, “Very well then, one last chance. But If you do not deal with this, then I will.” If looks could kill, she just buried Caleb. “Do not test my patience ever again.”

Lilith looked relieved. She elbowed her brother to kneal with her. He winced in pain, clearly bruised from Mr. Duncan’s beating. “Understood, My Lady. We thank you for your benevolence and wisdom. May we take your leave?”

Melody switched hands as she turned her back to them. She waved dismissively, “You may.”

Lilith stood up and scolded her brother, like a mother berating a child who’s about to be punished. “Caleb, you are not to approach la Comtesse de la Rivière or her fiancée ever again. Pray they’ll one day forgive you! is that clear?”

Caleb looked to say something to us, but she hushed him with a firm smack upside the head. He looked at her pleadingly. “My apologies, achoti. It will not happen again!”

“It better not!” Lilith growled, grabbing him by the ear, dragging him off to their house. They were still within earshot as she continued. “Were you trying to get yourself killed? What were you thinking?!”

“I.. I…I..” he stammered.

“No! You know better than to challenge Sir Duncan like that! Have you learned nothing in the time we’ve known them? I don’t want to hear anymore of your feeble excuses!”

The rest of her verbal talking down drifted out of earshot, but it must have been good. Mr. Duncan was chuckling. How far could he hear things?

Melody turned to face me, holding my hands in hers. “Darling, are you alright?”

Still half-stunned by all that had transpired in a matter of minutes… “What just happened?” I whimpered softly.

“The perfect example of why I needed the ward activated on your ring, Love. Not only are we soul bound, the ring will shield you from harmful creatures and spells. Darling, monsters such as Caleb would simply relish in draining you of what power you have — and go to great lengths to make it as painful as possible.”

I looked down at my hand, the facets of the diamond twinkled in the glow of the streetlamps. I nearly collapsed as the adrenaline finally drained from me. Melody gracefully drew me into her arms and held me until I could stand again.

She was a lot stronger than she looked. The ring will shield you from harmful creatures and spells? Monsters such as Caleb? He seemed relatively Human at Geek Con, but what I saw tonight… What kind of creature was he then, if not Human? Or ‘Sir’ Duncan, for that matter? They both moved inhumanly fast… then they were flying! Mr. Duncan tossed Caleb as if he was nothing more than a rag doll at Lilith, who caught him as one catches a toy ball — not a full-grown man!

Somewhat better composed, I looked between Melody and Mr. Duncan. “I think I might need that drive home after all…” and maybe a few stiff drinks.

I woke up the next morning with the mother of all hangovers…

Ugh! Maybe I had a few too many drinks last night. I dragged myself out of bed, and the shower was a welcome relief to start me off better for the day.

I sat there drinking juice and munching on cereal. On a hunch, I called up my friend Jordan, who worked as an investigative reporter. My encounter with Caleb really piqued his interest. Jordan asked if he could record it, then requested I recount all the details I could remember. He didn’t interrupt, adding pointed questions when I paused, making sure I missed no detail too small. Jordan was as baffled by the experience as I was, asking that I give him time to do some research. He would get back to me once he had more information. I hung up the line, hopeful for some kind of resolution. Anything to keep my sanity in all of this. First the rings, the ritual, the magic… what in the world was Caleb? Moreover, who was the Countess de la Rivière? Who was Sir Brandon Duncan, for that matter? I tried my best to get back to my daily activities, to bring some normalcy back into my life.

Nearly an anxiety-ridden week passed before I heard back from him. A simple text message was all he sent.

[Jordan] Meet me for lunch at the park.

It was relatively warm, so I readily agreed. Though I was curious why he felt we needed to meet outside at a public venue. Here’s hoping it wasn’t too crowded… or maybe that was what he was aiming for?

We settled at a picnic table away from the bustling path. I chose to munch on some noodles from the vegan stall. I surprised him when I passed the hot dog cart. It used to be one of my favourite vices. He shot me a quizzical look when I told him I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately. To be honest, fast food just didn’t taste as appetizing anymore, not after sampling Melody’s cuisine.

“So, all of those food reviews have gotten to your head, eh?” he teased me. “You’ve become such a food snob!”

“Have not!” I objected, and we chuckled.

He pulled a file folder from his briefcase. “You would not believe what I found. Hell, I don’t even believe what I found!” he remarked, handing it to me. Hard copies?

“Care to give me the short of it?” I offered, laying the thick folder in front of me.

“You better not be pulling my leg with this, Pen,” he narrowed his eyes at me.

“What do you mean?” I leaned back at his sudden aggression.

“If I read the descriptions properly of what you told me of this Caleb fellow?” He let the statement hang. I nodded, waiting for more.

“You had an encounter with a Vampire,” he noted in a flat tone.

“A Vampire? You’re kidding, right?” I chuckled.

“Yes, a Vampire,” he stated firmly.

“Those don’t really exist, do they?” I swallowed, trying to bury the images from that night. I’ve had enough nightmares from them already!

“Pen, you sent me on what felt like a wild goose chase! What info I dug up on this Caleb fellow, he should be old enough to be someone’s grandparent. Maybe even someone’s great grandparent, yet you described him as looking younger than we are!” He gave me a moment to let that sink in. “What I found on his sister, Lilith? When I ran both of their descriptions through databases, I hope to God that’s not her real name. She’s, like, the mother of all Vampires! Unless they’re really good at drafting fake connections, there is no official records of either of them. No official birth certificates or ID. Any legal documents look to be fakes or forgeries. I now owe some huge favours digging all this up!” he tapped on the file folder. “Then there’s Countess de la Rivière, and Sir Brandon Duncan…”

“What about them?” I swallowed, worried about what he would say. I pretty much already suspected from the tome Melody let me read.

“The Countess de la Rivière was rumoured to have died during the French revolution, yet she’s nearly identical to the heir La Rivière in immigration papers during colonial times. I only made the connection because of her man-servant Duncan Brandon. Notice how he switched the names around?” Jordan raised an eyebrow. I swallowed and nodded. “She’s lived for centuries! Changed her name every 50 years or so, bouncing in and out of the limelight. She’s been a dancer, a singer, an artist, a musician, a notable teacher of the arts… No sooner does she get popular, she drops out of the public scene. Then, someone with a name so close to hers comes up decades later. The photos I’ve found, they all look too much alike to be just good genetics. All of them! So I’m going to ask you, what do you know?”

“Seriously, Jordan, you’re scaring me!” I chuckled nervously.

“I’m scaring you?” Jordan griped, then looked around to make sure he wasn’t getting too loud or drawing attention. “These people shouldn’t exist, Pen! I’ve been out of town lately, but there are rumours around the office of some magical portal on the West Coast. No one’s been able to confirm it because ‘Fallcrest’ doesn’t exist on any map, nor can we find what our informant described on any satellite footage. These people are ghosts, living legends, mythological creatures in the flesh! If magic can exist, then you definitely had an encounter with a Vampire. Their speed, their strength… I can’t find another explanation for it.”

I looked down at my ring fondly. Love’s Eternal Bond is what Melody called them. “Yes, magic does exist, I’ve felt that already.”

“What do you mean?” He leaned in, waiting for my next words.

“My engagement ring protected me from his attacks that night.” I raised my left hand, showing him the face of the heart-shaped solitaire.

His eyes widened. “I’d heard that you were engaged, but wow! That’s quite a rock!”

I blushed, “Yes, well, my fiancée is apparently pretty rich.”

“If she’s lived as long as I suspect… How rich are we talking?” he peered at me.

“Well, I get driven around in a private limo?” I peeped bashfully.

He whistled. “Sweet!” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Wait, that woman you kissed the night at the movie premiere? Melody Winters, she’s your fiancée?”

I shot him a look. “Have you been living under a rock lately? I’ve become a minor celebrity from that event!”

He looked a little embarrassed. “Yeah, sorry. Like I said, I’ve been out of town on an international piece. I sort of lost touch with recent local events. I just got back a couple of nights before your call. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He tilted his head a moment as if he’s connecting the dots. Seeing his mind work is one reason I loved to keep him around. “So, the latest hot-talent art & animation artist of the decade is your fiancée? And she’s already loaded?”

“Yep.” I nodded.

“And you’ve not made a connection between the two names?” He smirked.

I gasped. My Melody? She’s the Countess de la Rivière? A real medieval noble… Her ring is over three hundred years old. Which means… “By the goddess! I’m marrying an older woman!” Jordan smacked me playfully. “What? What else did you expect me to say?”

“I suppose your right,” he sighed. “How is this not completely blown your mind?”

“Who says it hasn’t?” I slumped onto the bench. “I’ve never loved anyone more in my life, Jordan. Whoever Melody is, whatever she is… I’m not backing down now.”

“Well, you’ve always been stubborn,” Jordan chided. “What do your folks have to say about all this?”

“Mom and Dad haven’t met her yet, we’re going to their place for supper this weekend.”

Jordan piped up. “Am I invited too? I miss your mom’s cooking.”

I gave a playful slap on his arm. “No, we’re not dating anymore, no more free mom food for you.”

“But I miss free mom food,” he returned with a pout, causing me to chuckle.

“The answer is still no, but you can come to my wedding this spring,” I chimed.

“This spring, eh? Wow! You don’t beat around the bush when you finally commit to a relationship, do you?”

I blushed at his comment. No, I guess I didn’t, did I? Jordan leaned back, holding the bench as a brace.

“Well, Pen, you’ve always said that you were going to make it or break it… I’d say you have it made, and pretty well from here. You’ve always had energy and talent, and now you got money in your pocket to add to all that fame you’ve picked up lately. I’d just sit back and enjoy being celebrity of the year! I’m jealous!”

He was only jealous because he wasn’t in the picture to benefit from it. He has always been more ambitious than I have, that’s what pushed us apart. There was no point in digging up old wounds now. He finally got what he wanted. He was an international investigative reporter for a notable publication. Me? I got the biggest mystery of a lifetime for a fiancée.

I sipped the last of the broth from my noodles, thinking of something else to say. “This wasn’t the way I was planning on becoming celebrity of the year. The fame, I think I can handle though…”

“Oh?” he leaned forward.

“I didn’t post that I would be in the park today, but I can see some of my fans have found me over there by the chess tables.”

“Really?” He looked over at them before I could stop him. The small group of people waved at us in return.

“I was trying not to hint that I knew they were there. Now that they have our attention…” I grumbled, causing him to chuckle. “Look. After that night, I’m not sure if I’m ready for all that this may imply. I thought the most I’d have to worry about is being mobbed by fans.” I looked down at my ring. “Melody assured me that the ring would keep me safe, so that no-one could get between us…”

“But?” he raised an eyebrow.

“I guess I’m just afraid of what that could mean. What could attack me next?”

My fan group had now made it within earshot, so I cut our conversation to greet them. I rose and smiled, signed some autographs, took group selfies, and personal selfies. I had to show off my engagement ring and brag about it. Well, I guess I didn’t have to, but it was fun nonetheless. The girls in the group swooned about how romantic her proposal was. Many asked about the wedding date, and I told them I’d post it when it was decided. We didn’t have a firm date yet, but it would be sometime this spring. It took over half an hour to politely part from them. Jordan and I walked off together, hoping we wouldn’t be so much of a target while moving. Once out of earshot of the others, he continued our conversation where it had left off.

“Do you think there are scarier things out there than Vampires?” he nudged me.

“I don’t want to know if there are scarier things than Vampires! All I wanted was a normal life. What kind of power does Melody have that could put my life in such danger? Does it possibly threaten the rest of my family?” I looked down at the ground. “The ring can protect me, but what about my parents? Could their lives be in danger as well?”

He merely shrugged. “Before you told me, all this sounds like some sort of fantasy drama…”

“Exactly! Only now I’m living in it!” I exclaimed.

Jordan shrugged again. “Good Luck?” I glared at him. He sighed, his expression shifting. “Look Pen, I don’t know what else to say… I didn’t even know half of this stuff even existed before last week. This was a deeper dive than I ever wanted to find myself, but I couldn’t just leave you without an answer. This is material for myths and fairy tales. It’s totally out of my league as an investigative reporter.”

I leaned into him. “I know, sorry for being so hard on you.” I shuffled my feet as we rounded a tree. “I just needed to tell someone I trusted about this that’s outside of the situation. If I went on in my blog about being attacked by a Vampire, what would people think?”

“Hmm… yeah, I wouldn’t want to spread that around online either. One way to kill your credibility is to go on about fantastical beasts that most people don’t believe are real. People could doubt your sanity. Worse, it could make you a bigger target.”

“So, you believe me?” I returned with a hopeful look.

“How can I not? All the evidence is in there.” He tapped the folder under his arm. “It took a lot of very discreet deep digging to find out what I have here. Which is why I have it in hard copy. I’ve deleted all my other research and was careful who I asked what questions. It wasn’t easy. It was your descriptions that helped me link it all together, the data didn’t add up otherwise. Whoever this ‘Elder Council’ is, they are really handy at covering up their tracks. This is, like, Illuminati, secret society stuff. I don’t think the public is ready to know about this.” He handed me the folder again. He’d taken possession of it when I approached my fans. “Which is why I’m giving it to you and not publishing my findings.”

I gave him a sidelong glance and took the folder from him. “Thanks Jordan, you’re a good friend.”

“Invite me on a few more lunch dates, and I might forgive you for having put me through all of that,” he winked.

“Deal, but no Mom food. She might get the wrong idea.” I teased in return.

“But I like Mom food,” he pouted playfully.

We laughed and hugged. Jordan’s sense of humour is what I missed the most about him. After all these years, I’m glad we’re still friends.

We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. While curious about the contents of the folder, I didn’t dare read any of it until I was home and safe.

Lately, I haven’t been getting anywhere. So, on a hunch, I looked up some titles that I remembered reading from the old books in Melody’s study. Only when I looked for the original publication date, did it finally click. This was the break I’ve been looking for. I’ve been mostly looking in the right places, just not far enough into the past. That I found myself going back centuries for the information I needed left me a little apprehensive.

Before I realized it, it was lunchtime, and I needed a break. I leaned back in my chair and stretched. I’ve not been working out as much as I should. Melody has turned me into a fitness nut, I needed to get back to the gym again soon. I have made more progress this morning than I’ve had in days. I’ve found a few answers, but still had many more questions.

If we were about to get married, did it mean I could approach Melody directly for some of these answers? How long would the cat-and-mouse game about her past play out? When was it considered socially polite to demand to know more? Maybe this was a test to see if I had the resourcefulness to figure this out on my own?

I didn’t post any of my morning’s findings on my regular blog. Without proof, I might have started looking like some sort of conspiracy theorist and lost credibility with some of my followers. I’ve kept this journal to a tiny group of trusted individuals so far. I’ve been even more tight-lipped about my findings and theories. Enough with this guesswork, it was time to go directly to the source.

It was hard to tell with the cloud cover, but after the four-hour trip, it should be late afternoon. A shiver ran down my spine as I stood in front of the house. Melody’s neighbourhood still creeped me out. Doubt seeped in, and I found myself losing my resolve. I started second-guessing my purpose, wondering if I should have called or messaged her before dropping by. Would she appreciate me coming by unannounced? Was she even home?

I felt a warmth in my engagement ring as I stepped closer. Did that mean she was nearby? I looked down at my hand, revelling that I now wore some sort of ancient magical artifact — like something out of Arthurian legends. Did this mean that magic actually exists? From what I gleaned in my research so far, the rings are, as Melody pointed out the morning after our engagement, a mated pair. The information was contradictory as to what the rings could actually do, but some information seemed consistent enough to hold some truth. I should always know when Melody was near. The sensations surrounding the ring confirmed such. I could almost use the ring as a guiding tool, it emits slight pulses like a range finder. I felt it the moment I arrived here. As I lifted my hand, the sensation grew stronger when aimed at the second floor. That was her study if I remembered the layout of the house. There was something also in my research that indicated they designed the rings to protect one-another somehow. Though none of the findings told me exactly what they were designed to protect us from. Or even how that protection worked, for that matter.

A familiar, joyful bark from behind me broke my train of thought. A very contented Jerry ran up beside me to give me an affectionate hug in greeting. Attached to his collar was a lead, being held on the other end by Mr. Duncan.

“Milady is playing with her ring, I see,” Mr. Duncan smiled as he greeted me.

I blushed, was I being that obvious? Wait, what did he know about the rings? He was all sweaty from a long run. Jerry was happily panting, tongue out in a huge grin. He certainly was more calm than usual.

“This big lug,” he patted Jerry on the rear flank, “has been sorely missing yu. Moped for two days after ye left. Since then, If I dunna bring him for a daily run, he’s likely to tear up the house! I should’a known that Melody would distract herself with some high energy pup while I was away.”

He no longer hid the brogue in his accent since the dinner night. Why he was masking it during Geek Con was beyond me, I found it absolutely charming.

I leaned down to get some love from Jerry. “Well, he doesn’t seem to be a very good guard dog.” I chuckled as he playfully nipped at my arm.

“Well, he’s still young, wait an’ see it when he doesn’t like someone.” Mr. Duncan’s mannerisms were a lot more down to earth and gruff compared to Melody’s refined flair. They made quite the couple… that is, if they were a couple. I really needed to stop thinking of them this way, it wasn’t healthy for my relationship.

The cloud cover broke, and the sun poked out slightly. Shafts of light danced here and there, not quite reaching us yet. Mr. Duncan frowned. “Come, let’s getcha settled, I need a shower after that jog.” He released Jerry from his lead, headed towards the house, and let the dog in.

It took a moment to realize that he had just invited me in, and I quickly caught up with them. Mr. Duncan was already closing the door to the small main-floor washroom by the time I slipped inside the house. I resisted calling out, a ‘Honey, I’m home’, and looked around the main floor. Jerry was happily drinking some water in the kitchen, his dog tags clanging against the bowl as he did. Outside of the dog and Mr. Duncan in the shower, the rest of this floor was empty. I followed the ring as it guided me upstairs.

As the sensations confirmed, I found Melody in her study. I figured it would be the most likely place she would be in the middle of the day. There she sat in the middle of the room, in some sort of meditative trance… floating about a meter off the floor! I stood there, dumbstruck for a moment, hand still on the doorknob. Whatever I expected, this wasn’t it! I blinked and looked again. Yes, her feet were definitely not touching anything solid, she had them folded underneath her in a lotus position. She wavered ever so slightly as she ‘sat’ there, in mid-air. Her eyes were closed, her palms lying on her knees, upraised. She appeared so calm and serene. I would almost say angelic if it weren’t for the visible streams of dark purple energy swirling about her. She mumbled something in a strange language. I debated turning around and leaving. I knew I wanted to know more, but this is not what I was prepared to find. It took every ounce of courage to stop myself from turning around and bolting out of the room.

This was my Melody, the love of my life. What could hurt me in her presence? I swallowed my fear, buried my need to flee, and gently closed the door behind me. As I turned back to face her, Melody seemed to break from her meditation. Her eyes glowed for a moment as she opened them, the mist about her dissipated, and her feet straightened out as she stood in front of me. She looked calm and oddly composed despite my intrusion. I braced myself for whatever anger she might have, but she simply smiled instead. I relaxed, knowing somehow that she was not upset, and approached her for a hug. As we held each other, I wondered how I knew that. I could just feel it.

“Dearest apologies, Love.” Melody chimed, leaning back from the embrace. “I felt your presence through the ring, but needed to finish the incantation before I could break my trance.”

I was intruding on her, but she’s apologizing? She was so priceless. “So, the rings are linked then?” I smiled.

She nodded. “Vinculum Amoris in Aeternum,” she spoke. Was that Latin? “Love’s Eternal Bond in the modern tongue.” I looked down at my ring, and she continued. “When I felt the matching ring in your purse that night of the movie premiere, I knew I had to chance taking our relationship further. Morrison had not confirmed that he had secured my ring’s lost mate. I couldn’t take the chance at losing it again — or you for that matter.”

“Your ring’s lost mate?” I blinked, confused. Whose ring is whose now?

“Yes, Darling. You see the ring that you now bear on your hand was originally intended to be mine.”

I looked at her, stunned, recalling her words. This ring has been in my family for over three centuries… Wait, did that mean? I had trouble putting my thoughts into words. Sensing my confusion, she continued.

“The ring was a gift, from a powerful warlock, one that I loved dearly. He wanted us to live together forever.” She looked so sad at the memory, I could feel her sorrow, the pain of her loss made my heart ache. She looked at the ring on her hand. “Before we could fully perform the bonding ritual required to protect us, a rival interrupted us. The reasons or what happened next are still unclear even to this day. Only that my soon-to-be-betrothed was lost to me that day. In my haste to escape with my very life, this ring was lost to me as well.” She looked me in the eye. “I had almost given up hope ever finding it again. It has taken me over three centuries to track down his lost ring, then find someone with enough positive energy to empower mine.”

I stood there, speechless. Well, I wanted some answers. I just wasn’t expecting them all at once. The thoughts flooded in, overwhelming me. I plunked myself down on the chaise beside us. “Then that means that you’re…?” I stopped mid-sentence. “Wait, what do you mean by someone with enough positive energy to empower mine?”

Melody smiled, sat beside me, and gently took my hand. “Darling, did I not say once that we share a bond stronger than no other?”

“More than once, but I couldn’t figure out why…” I mumbled in a daze.

“This ring,” she tapped my engagement ring with a manicured finger. “requires a being of strong earthly power. A power which I have found in you, Love. Darling, you have so much potential. Latent magical energy surrounds you. I have seen hints of it during our courting. It confirmed the aura I saw about you the day we first met.”

So, all those months ago, when I felt she had found me, not the other way around… I’ve not been imagining it.

“Latent magic?” I swallowed this new fear down, then looked at her questioningly. She merely nodded her head. “So, what am I then? Some sort of undiscovered sorcerer like some fantasy drama novel?” Part of me hoped she was merely joking at my expense, but her expression was sincere. I had entertained the thought of magical rings, but this… this was a little too real.

“We have been most fortunate that no one has tried to interfere earlier. Untrained, that would have had unfavourable results,” she smiled.

“You are serious, aren’t you?” I gasped.

She continued, not answering my question. “Once I knew the two rings were finally close together, and at least one was being worn, I sang the first ritual of bonding that night at the restaurant. Connected, the rings will never be lost from one another again.”

“So, with this bond…?” I wasn’t sure what to ask next, my head was spinning, it was almost too much to take in.

“With this bond, we now share an empathic connection. Once we wed then our souls will be bound as one — for all eternity.”

“That sounds romantic and all, but..” I chuckled nervously.

“I am serious. Darling, we are soul bound. Our hearts are binding together. We will forever be linked once we marry. In love, in energy, in feeling, in life… our connection will rise to a level that no other couple shall ever experience.”

I had a feeling that she left out ‘in death’ in her statement, but I shrugged the negative thought from my mind. Here I was naively dreaming of some sort of magical wedding, but this took it to a whole new level! I’ve heard of loving one’s soulmate until the end of time. It sounded beautifully poetic… From the research I’ve done, these rings take that poetry and make it a reality!

Then it sank in… Why me?! “Of all the people in the world you could find, I’m the one who you chose in the end?”

The moment the words left my mouth, I realized that I may have made that sound like she made a poor choice, but I really wanted to know what was so much more special about me than anyone else in her life.

Melody blushed at that. “Well, true love is more a matter of discovery than one of choice, Darling. It was not my goal for my soulmate to be another woman. Life holds a certain irony. It can lead us down some of the most unexpected paths. I do not control the flow of the energies bound to these rings. I can merely follow their course. Occasionally, I have managed to steer it a little, but I hold no means to manipulate their power.” Melody softly caressed my cheek. Her touch was almost magical, I felt all worry drain from me. “One does not choose a soulmate, Darling. You discover the connection, then hold on to them with all of your heart.”

I looked into those beautiful amethyst eyes. This was almost too much to take in! Magic rings, soulmates, eternal love… I felt as if I’d fallen into some sort of fantasy love story. This couldn’t be what life intended for me, could it? I leaned into her, and she shifted her position. We just sat there and cuddled as my mind struggled to process all this information. Well, I had wanted more answers, but I wasn’t expecting this… or for it all to flood in at once. We sat there quietly for some time, holding each other. No words needed to be said. I relaxed into her body and enjoyed the feeling of her touch. As conflicted as my thoughts were in that moment, the comfort I felt in her arms, it all just seemed right somehow. One way or another, everything would work out. I could trust her with anything and everything. In her arms, I was safe. I finally calmed my reeling thoughts, releasing a long, drawn-out sigh and relaxed. Yes, everything would be fine.

“So, where do we go from here?” I’ve forgotten all of my other questions at this point.

“This spring, we will marry to seal and officiate our bond. It would be absolutely lovely if everyone else in our lives can share in our happiness.” She paused for a moment. “You are happy with this, are you not my love? Please tell me I have not boldly taken a step too soon, pushing you away in my haste.”

“I’m happy with you.” I whispered as I snuggled deeper into her shoulder, taking a deep breath and drawing in her aroma. “Happier than I have ever been in my life.” She always smells so good!

Taking my affection as a sign of approval, “By the ritual,” Melody continued, “Ideally, I should have waited until the wedding to initiate our bond as they officiated it.”

“But?” I swallowed, a nugget of worry seeping in.

“I made that mistake once before and lost my first love before we could ever be together.” She gently stroked my hair. “My heart could not stand taking the chance of losing another soulmate, not after all this time. I needed to make sure we would be safe.”

“Safe from what?” I asked aloud. Now that we were having an honest conversation, I wasn’t going to hesitate voicing my thoughts.

“Safe from those who would deny us our happiness,” was her simple reply.

I frowned. “Why would someone want to interfere with our relationship? Everyone seems to be happy seeing us together.”

What was it that Melody feared? What was out there that, without the rings, we were vulnerable?

“My Dearest Penny, one does not live as long as I have without having acquired rivals. I am fairly strong on my own. But with you by my side, we will be unstoppable! What we can achieve together, makes those who know of the rings’ powers, very nervous.”

A cold chill ran down my back at that statement. What sort of old-world power play have I landed myself into? Something so strong, yet so discreet, that no mortal has ever witnessed it… wait…

I tore myself from her embrace as it sank in. The question that had been hanging on the tip of my tongue. The realization was almost frightening as it all flooded to the surface. I turned to look at her. “Are you immortal?”

Melody’s eyes widened, I don’t think she expected that question. She glanced down, looking for words, biting her lower lip as she tried to figure out how to answer my question. I sat there, almost vibrating, challenging her to lie to me again.

She finally sighed and returned an earnest expression. “I am no longer entirely mortal, no. But I am not ‘immortal’ as you may think of the term. Nothing like what you see in all those movies and fantasy novels.”

“But you have and will live for a very, very long time?” I noted. She merely nodded her head. My mind was now in overdrive as I tried to figure out the next piece of the puzzle. “So what is Mr. Duncan then?”

“I am her concubine,” his voice startled me as he entered the room, causing me to jump slightly.

How long has he been listening to our conversation? I hadn’t heard him come up the stairs. Jerry happily padded into the room, leaned against our legs, and lay down at our feet.

Melody shot him a stern look. “You are not just some concubine, Darling. Don’t be ridiculous!” She turned back to me. “Sir Brandon Duncan was originally my man-servant. At a time when I was still most vulnerable, I needed someone, and he was there. I needed more than a companion, I needed a protector. With Mr. Duncan as my thrall, he has served his role well, repeatedly for centuries now.” She flashed him a soft, endearing look and continued. “While I am certain he has wanted more throughout our time together, he was not destined to be my soulmate. While we’ve shared a deep friendship that spans Human generations now, he cannot fill the place in my heart that you have now found, Penny.”

The fantasy played out in my mind. She was some old-world noble, and he was her loyal knight… I’ve now found myself in Camelot, as her Lancelot? Yep, my fiancée has really affected my imagination.

I suddenly felt that I needed his approval. I glanced up at Mr. Duncan. “You’re okay with all of this?”

He merely shrugged. “I do as Milady asks of me. I serve as her protector, as her companion, and occasionally as her advisor — when she listens to my council.” He shot her this schooling glance, then looked back at me. “That is my role in this life.”

She had asked Mr. Duncan to hold back the crowd at Lollipops the other night. It’s his role in their relationship? He’s her protector? I have so many questions… too many to voice out loud. Sensing my continued conflict, Melody rose. She crossed the room, reached into one of the glass bookcases, pulling out what appeared to be an ancient tome. It was so large, it likely had a wooden cover. Coated in felt and leather, it was hard to tell. The book was framed with metal trim and hinges and locked with some sort of clasp. Golden runes marked the book’s name. Talk about heavy reading! She carefully placed the book on the reading stand. She spoke soft, strange words, and the clasp popped open. She motioned for me to come over as she opened the book.

I rose and approached without question. The words were foreign to me, elaborately hand-written with images and sketches, definitely from a time before they invented the printing press. This book was obviously one of a kind. She chimed something in that foreign sing-song voice of hers, and the words changed. As I focused on the page in front of me, it all started making sense.

“This book will answer some questions that you could not find online or at the library,” she noted. Has she or Mr. Duncan been following me? Or has my own limited research been that obvious?

“My Love, I will ask you but one favour.” Melody insisted.

I nodded, mesmerized by the details in the book. “Anything you ask, Dear,” I return, eyes not leaving the page.

“As I am sure you will want to share some of your discoveries with your fans and followers, I ask that you do not disclose the contents of this tome. It is precious to me.” She cradled my chin, drawing my attention from the pages. That cool, soft hand gently guided my face towards hers, looking me deep in the eyes. “Will you make this promise to me?”

I glanced down at the book, then back at her, realizing what impact sharing any of the contents could mean. Most of all, how much of a danger this could put us all in if I told the wrong person. The rings are designed to protect us, after all.

“Yes, of course, Honey, I understand now,” I assured her worried face.

She leaned forward, kissed me gently on the lips, before releasing my chin. “Thank you for your understanding, Dearest. Now that you know more, we will enjoy many new discoveries together.”

Her voice held a seductive undertone, hinting at discovering things beyond the book. I think I now understand why Mr. Duncan wanted us separated until the wedding…

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As I slid out of bed, it first occurred to me that I was naked. Right, I should have expected th…

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Two days after Geek Con, Melody called me. I have a special ringtone for her, so I leapt for my phone, like some love-sick teenage girl. I know that sounds somewhat desperate and unbecoming of a lady, but I’ve never loved someo…

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Return to Chapter 4

As Sketchers was not the only restaurant on my new blogging tour. I tried to pace out the visits. I found myself worried that, should I gain too much weight, I would fall out of grace with the love of my life. Yes, I finally had to admit it. She was the love of my life. I couldn’t think of anyone else. Surely she was just teasing me. She never struck me…

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Return to Chapter 3

I used work as a distraction from committing to the next step. I couldn’t get over this adolescent fear I had trying to gather up the courage to give Melody a call. I’ve dated around. I’m certainly no prude, having enjoyed an active sex life since I graduated high school. I even had a stable boyfriend through most of college. Why was I so torn about cal…

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