Shimmer |✓|

//Sacrifice// Part 3

Like Kent rescuing Louis, Tidus gathered me in his arms and flew us from the mansion. The night rushed by, the wind filling our ears as he jetted at top speed. I gazed up at my guardian angel, amazed by the golden glow of his skin, the pink in his cheeks, the way his blue eyes were bright with true vitality. Tidus had never once been Human, but tonight he was alive.

Before I knew it, we were touching down on my front lawn. His landing was graceful, a smoother touchdown than any aircraft provided. Ever the gentleman, he carried me to the porch like newlyweds, as behind him streaks of pink lit the east.

My heart jumped the moment my feet hit the ground, as suddenly I remembered. "Tidus! It's daylight! We should get you inside--"

He smiled, startlingly unconcerned. "My blood offers some resistance to the curse. Aversion to sunlight is a side effect of Vampirisim that only affects Humans--lucky me. No stakes, no silver, no sunlight. No garlic either--but that's just a personal preference."

We laughed-until the forgotten body still sprawled on my grandparent's deck abruptly burst into flames. The Vampire rose with a wild scream, arms rolling as it pinwheeled over the deck. Tidus nodded his head sideways. We sighed in unison as the dying creature zipped across the lawn in a super-speed frenzy, the flames rising higher and higher...

I groaned. "My life cannot be any weirder." Having singed the lawn effectively, the body finally dropped to the grass. The flames peaked, dying away sharply until all that was left were dancing sparks in a steaming puddle of ichor. "Great. Charles is gonna kill me."

"For the lawn? Or for joining the Council? Naomi..." Tidus shook his head. "What were you thinking?"

I shrugged, shoulders hunched in what-can-ya-do fashion. "I wasn't. That was kinda the point, remember?"

"Fair enough. Still, Catherine won't be pleased."

"She won't have a bigger conniption than my grandparents--and I don't care. Ti, you and I made history last night. You heard your sister--no Wolf has ever been in the Hall. And now, a Wolf is on the Council. That's an accomplishment--right?"

"Of course--but it's also incredibly dangerous."

"I know. And I get it's a risk--and I might fail--but I had a chance to do something big, and I took it..." I scrutinized the Vamp-goo on the lawn, wondering how the Human version of him had died, and whether it had been as painful. "I don't know what my father would have done, but I do know he fought for this town. That... oil patch on the lawn--it used to be a person, a Human. No one's looking out for them any more, no one's fighting for them because we're too busy fighting each other. If we wanna change that, if we want to stop Catherine from doing something stupid like raising Dracula, then Supernaturals have to work together. That's all I want. Dangerous or not, I'm going for it."

"I understand." His hand cupped my cheek. I closed my eyes, biting my lip at the delicious warmth. "Your father would be proud, Naomi." When his hand slipped away, so did my remaining inhibitions.

"So. Now that you're alive again, what's the first thing you'd like to do?"

He gazed over my shoulder, to the distance, inhaling a great big breath. "I don't know." He shook his head. "I'd just like to enjoy it. I'd forgotten what it feels like... to feel."

"Wow, I'm sorry. The person who took that from you was an asshole."

"So am I. Naomi, I can't repay what you've given me. I don't even know how to begin..."

"Well, I'm sure I can think of a few things..." I smiled at Tidus. 

He smiled back.

His lips-they were turning blue.