Coalesce (Book Six of The Vampire Diaries)

Ch. 18: I Could Never Love Like That

Enzo and I were still in bed after a night like last night.

"Do you smell something?" Enzo asked.

I sniffed. "Hmm. Mom's cooking. Is that bacon?"

"Yeah, or some baby she abducted from a nearby village," Enzo told me.

I chuckled. "If her Ripper reputation precedes her, that might actually be possible." I sat up in boredom, giving Enzo a look. "What aren't you telling me?"

"What do you mean?" Enzo asked.

"The way you looked at her when you saw her yesterday, and the way you're talking about her now," I told him. "You think I'm an idiot? That was a lot more familiar than strangers should be."

Enzo sighed, sitting up to face me, looking at me for a moment, looking as if he was going to tell me, but decided to change his mind. "We should go see what's for breakfast." I gave him a seriously? look. "Have you seen my T-shirt?"

"Okay, for one, you suck at avoiding, and for two..." I trailed off, pulling him closer, inches from his face. "I prefer you without one."

Enzo smirked. "Hmm. Likewise."

Enzo kissed me for a long moment.

******

Enzo and I sat at the kitchen table.

Mom was on the other side of the table, looking at Enzo's awkward expression. "I'm sorry. Have we met before?"

"No, I'm pretty sure we haven't, darling," Enzo told her. "You've been in a prison world for over a century." He looked at the food, changing the subject. "This is really good. You're a wonderful cook."

Mom smiled. "This was always Kaylin's favorite. 'Eggie in baskie'."

I gave her a look. "Mom." Enzo smiled, chuckling. "Not even a day goes by that you're free, and you're already trying to embarrass me?"

Mom smiled. "I guess it's something I just... missed."

I noticed her hesitation and how she had to force herself to say it, ignoring it, taking a bite. "Doesn't taste like I remember."

"Well, you were human the last time you tasted it," Mom told me. "Our tastes change over time. You're both over a century, is that right? But not as old as me."

"Seems about right," Enzo answered as if he knew something we didn't.

"You ever miss it?" Mom asked. "Being human?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I'm better as a vampire. No offense to any of your little-human-Kaylin memories."

Mom smiled. "No, Kaylin, it's okay. I'm glad that you've grown into yourself and that you like who you've become. So, if I understood correctly from your brother Damon, um, in order to free my companions from that place where I was trapped, we'll need the magical device."

"The Ascendant," I told her.

"The Ascendant," Mom repeated. "Has he shared his plan with you to help me get my people back?"

"Your people?" Enzo repeated.

"The others that were over there in the prison world with me," Mom explained. "They helped me understand who I was and get a control over my blood lust. I want to free them like I've been freed. But we'll also need a celestial event to do so."

"We'll have to do some digging," I told her. "Yeah, be patient. They take time. They're very rare."

"There's a full moon coming up," Mom told us. "Will that work? If not, the Lyrids meteor shower is in two weeks."