The Last Corvus (completed)

EPILOUGE Isadora

Epilogue

Isadora

As we drive through the city I think about whether or not I should tell Robert I'm leaving. The last time I saw him he was drunk out of his mind; he'd seen my fangs then, and I somehow managed to persuade him it was just a trick of the light. What would happen if he realized it wasn't just a trick of the light, that I really was a vampire? I couldn't bear to see him once he realized what a freak I really am... I just don't think I would be able to... I can't even think.

Before I can gradually work myself into a fit over it we arrive at the airport. He doesn't park, instead he drives around to the back, where we're stopped by two men in security uniforms at a little guard booth. He shows them some card (I can't get a clear look at it) and they nod him through, gesturing to turn left at the turn.

We do and I gasp in a breath. Before us is... a jet! Not just any jet, one that has a garage space in the back. I can only tell that because its hatch is down. Lin pulls into it and parks, grabbing our suitcases and leading me to the cabin. All the while I stare, mouth slightly agape.

My shock heightens when I round the corner into the cabin itself. White walls, large windows, reclining swivel chairs (white leather!) a sixty-inch plasma screen against the wall dividing it from the garage. He sits the luggage in the overhead compartment (he's having everything else shipped to a storage facility where we're going, and we'll get it when we get there) and goes to greet the pilot. I plop down in one of the chairs, luxuriating in its softness, and hear a car horn blare right beside the plane.

Lin comes back in, smiling, and opens the door out. Climbing down the ladder, I barely reach the bottom step before I'm in someone's arms. They twirl me and it's only when they set me down that I realize it was Janet. I'm surprised she was able to pick me up, considering how short she is.

Overcoming my shock, I squeal, "Janet! What are you doing here?!" Lin looks slightly taken aback, as if asking himself how I could possibly know her. Let him wonder.

She squeals back, just-as-not-more-so exuberantly, clasping my hands, "sis! I was so excited when Denny called." Who's Denny? Looking to Lin, he nods. Ah, LinDEN; the curse of the strange nicknames strikes again! She continues unaware or my annoyance, "You're going to have such fun in France! I did... but then again, that was quite a long time ago. Might I just say how fetching your hair looks? I can't tell you how envious I am that it looks adorable even when messy."

My hair's messy? I've been so preoccupied I haven't even though of it. Now Lin looks more shocked than confused, realizing that we really do know each other and that she's the one who cut my hair. I think he just realized where I went when I disappeared.

Exiting out of yay-Janet's-here single-mindedness, I realize that Dimca's here, too. We hug and he shakes Lin's hand, his arm still around my shoulder. "So, how do you know my little speed demon?"

"She was being chased by a vampire and I saved her. How, exactly, do you know my Kitty?"

Dimca looks at me in confusion and answers, "I thought your name was Isadora. Anyway, she ran into my men and I a few days ago." He smiles at the literacy of his words and then continues. "She was going faster than I've ever seen anyone run. So I brought her to the house and she met Janny."

He squeezes her hand and I try not to grin. Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a find...

"I taught her how to fight and she had to be a showoff by decapitating one of my dummies and beating up my best man. You remember Hank, yes?"

Lin gives a small grimace. Oh, yeah, he remembers him. His eyes shine as he holds my hand and asks, "you taught her how to fight?" Dimca nods and next thing I know Lin's hugging him; catching everyone completely off guard. "Thank you. You saved her life. You saved both of our lives."

As he lets go and steps back I try not to roll my eyes at his being so melodramatic. He wouldn't have died, though it does make me feel awesome knowing that if I died he'd feel like he'd also died. Metaphorical Romeo and Juliet.

Janet gets our attention and hands me my jeans, washed, ironed, and folded. Lin looks at me like 'why did you take off your pants?!' and I can't help but laugh. "It's not what you think, Lin. I changed into the dress before fight training and I forgot them. Relax. Sorry, but I don't have the rest of your clothes with me, Janet," I gesture down to the corset over my tee and she just shrugs.

Behind us the engines rev and Lin says goodbye, slowly pulling me towards the plane. Janet steps forward, quickly embracing me one last time before we mount the stairs. Waving furiously, I watch them wave for as long as possible until Lin retracts the steps and closes the door, leaving us alone (besides the pilot) in the most amazing plane I've ever seen.

"So... is this a rental?" I plop down on one of the chairs and watch him pour a bottle of water into two glasses.

Handing me one and sitting in the seat next to me, he answers, "no. It's mine. I'd bought it a few years ago, planning to visit my beloved France but never getting around to it. Until now, that is. I never dreamed I'd return under these conditions." He smiles as he sips at his drink, his fangs occasionally clinking against the glass quietly. Under these conditions, indeed. Rescuing your part vamp girlfriend from a vampire with a revengeful vendetta. Hehe girlfriend!

I take a sip, turns out it's flavored- peach, my favorite. "How can you afford it? I didn't know you had a job, especially not one that pays this well." I know it's rude to talk about other people's money, but I can't help myself, I'm a curious Kitty.

He chuckles, his fangs indenting his bottom lip alluringly. "Helping Paul in the lab is the closest thing I've had to a job in a long time. When I came to New York I had a little money saved up and when I realized that I didn't need much more than the clothes on my back, I invested it all. In computers, automobiles, planes, everything that everyone thought would never really become anything. The stocks were very cheap back then."

Oh, that explains a lot; like why he never seemed to need to leave the Complex, his Rolex, and that new phone I still can't remember the name of.

The plane lurches forward and starts taxiing down the runway. I squirm with giddiness, sloshing some of my water onto my leg; oh well, it won't kill my jeans. I can feel it when the tires leave the asphalt and I hurry to the window, hopefully getting the last glorious seconds of the New York sunset imbedded in my memory. Lin comes up behind me and I lean against him, pressing my fingers against the glass and thinking about how this is probably the last time I'll ever see my beloved city again.

Goodbye, New York.

End of book one- continue the adventure in part two: ...Nice