Eternal Symphony

30. Finale

Alice welcomed the world with a heightened state of awareness, enjoying the new yet familiar senses that beguiled her. She could hear the pitter-patter of scuffling feet miles away, from the crawling ant to Luna's soft footsteps as she clambered onto her bed. The white light was blinding; as soon as Sophie-Anne turned off the switch, Alice's eyesight was already adapted to the darkness, her tetrachromatic vision making her surroundings sharp and defined: she could see the full spectrum of the rainbow and colors beyond, making it easy for her to distinguish friend from foe.

Her moonlit skin was fresh from scars and deformities like a newborn babe's, save for her puncture marks—smooth and beautiful like mother-of-pearl. Cascading radiant hair of golden sunshine magnified her full lips that shamed the red rose. Her voice made the stars weep when she spoke; the sweetest songbirds were her troubadour. Even when she was still human, Elijah always believed her beauty to be unrivaled, and to consider any imperfection was blasphemy. Yet she was a goddess perfectly carved from ivory meant for his eyes only—the more Elijah looked, the more he thought he was going blind.

The quivering Elijah quickly unfastened her restraints and lunged for her with open arms, and she let him in; she inhaled in shock, surprised and unnerved by how her lungs no longer grasped for air. It had been so long since she last turned that Alice had nearly forgotten. Yet, her predatorial instincts shot through her veins from that single breath, and her eyes narrowed, following the sounds echoing throughout the hospital. The overwhelming scent was desirable, the monster in the shadows tugging away at her mind, pulling her away from what humanity remained. Her throat grew suddenly parched as she trod the fine line separating her from human and vampire, and she dug her nails into Elijah's back.

In one swift movement, Emil passed her the flask. Alice drank from it greedily down to the last succulent drop, the once metallic-tasting liquid now sweet, delectable nectar soothing her ashen throat like heaven against her rose-tinted lips. There wasn't much left, only enough to distract her from the lingering hunger.

"Ma amour," Elijah whispered, stricken with relief to see her well after hours of agony, "You're all right. Everything is all right."

She trembled in his arms, her still burning eyes darting between the worried and reassured twins; the mouth-watering smells wafting from patients and medical staff within the hospital threatened to drag her under, fanning the flames of which she was slowly losing restraint.

Her voice was hoarse against her cracking and drying throat, and Alice hissed through clenched teeth, her pearly-white fangs digging into her flawless lips. "I-I need to leave. Now."

While the twins rushed out of the room to find the doctor, Elijah remained behind and held her tightly, afraid to lose control. He couldn't bear to watch her fall apart, not after what they had endured; Elijah slightly relaxed when she clung to him, burying her face into his chest. He laid his head against hers, feeling a sick sense of satisfaction that this perfect creature was his. "I'm here. I will never leave you again."

Once Elijah spoke with the doctor, Alice was discharged within minutes and transported to his manse at Sea Cliff; she was grateful to be away from the temptation, for the salty sea air and the wind blowing in her face seemed to relax her poor nerves. Since her husband had bitten her, she anticipated and prepared herself for this moment: the dawn of her awakening. Greatly contrasting her initial experience, the thirst wasn't nearly as overpowering; she expected to lose all human thought and emotion—albeit temporarily until her thirst was more in control—but Alice remained of sound mind.

Despite Alice's reassurance that she could walk alone upon arriving, Elijah wouldn't let her down, insisting on carrying her throughout the villa until tucking her away in his suite so she could rest peacefully. After receiving Elijah's phone call, the maids had already prepared the room with two chilled wine bottles filled with fresh pig blood on the table. Alice was ashamed of herself for snatching one, but Elijah insisted, disregarding his weakened state. "You're famished. Drink your fill, ma amour."