Dracula's Groom

Epilogue

Dracula
Twenty Years Later...
Paris, France

Life is mankind's greatest creation. From the moment that we're born, a clock begins, counting down the final minutes until we take our last breathe. For some, death is inevitable, while others like myself are immune to the ravages of time. We may be immortal, but we can still die nonetheless, we've just found other ways to simply coexist within the human population.

But death is not something to be taken lightly. Death is virtually all around us, no matter where we look. I mean, I myself am a walking, talking, breathing creature who feeds on blood to survive and sometimes I do kill. Depending on the subject, of course. Some say I am death himself. While others see me as a nightmarish creature who stalks the shadows late at night and haunts the dreams of their children.

Yet, I digress, while turning my attention to someone who needs it much more than I do, my daughter, Astrid. I sit at a little sidewalk café near the water's edge with the Eiffel Tower only a few blocks away. A courtyard with a fountain sets the backdrop for a romantic setting in a city quite like this one. Steam rises from the small tea cup in front of me as I take a gentle sip and watch my daughter feed a piece of bread to a bird that rests on the tip of her finger.

She smiles in awe, laughing softly. Then she looks at me and I find myself holding my breath. Her eyes are like mine, green and beautiful. Her hair is long and wavy, the color of auburn. Her figure is slim, but nicely toned thanks to the characteristics of being a pure-blood vampire. The first and only of her kind. Just like me. But there is one thing I can't get past and that is her face.

Angelic by nature. Her rare beauty is something that most people would kill for. She's even been offered a modeling contract in New York. In other words, she reminds me of someone. Someone I used to know and love. My eternal lover who's immortal life was cut tragically short when he saved and even sacrificed himself in the process. And though it's been twenty years to the day since his death, every time I look at her, all I see is him. God, I miss him.

I wave at Astrid, just before my eyes begin to brim with tears after mentioning about Nathan. I see someone standing beside my table as I quickly dry my eyes and clear my throat. A human male carrying a bag or two, along with another containing food from the farmer's market just down the street. He kindly asks if the seat beside me is taken. I shake my head and then look up at him.

A cute guy in his mid-to-late twenties with soft, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. His smile is genuine, his attire relaxed. And he's also American, there's no doubt about that. He pulls out the chair beside me and sits down just as my waiter greets him and asks what he would like to have.

"Pinot Noir. Red, if you have it, thank you."

"Red wine." I replied. "Bold choice."

He smiles again. "I do it for my health."

I look up at the sky and watch as the clouds form into even bigger clouds while the faint smell of rain lingers in the Autumn air. A moment later, our waiter returns with a tall glass of red wine as the young man thanks him and gently swirls the dark red liquid before taking a sip. A quick glance over my shoulder informs me that most of the tables surrounding us are either occupied or vacant.

So why the American would choose to sit next to me is a total mystery even in itself. The thought churns in my mind as I keep my head down and take a closer look at him from behind my dark lashes. I sniff the air more closely and notice just how pure his blood smells. Pure blood like this only occurs once a baby is born and ages over time, creating a unique flavor.

Next, I aim to take a peek inside his mind and find myself utterly blocked. Like a rubber band snapping back after an attack, my powers fluctuate to assist in recovery after what just what happened. This human is a complete mystery to me. No one has ever been able to resist my charms before, all except one.

"So what brings you to Paris?" I asked, looking up at Astrid as she tosses a penny into the fountain.

"Work, mostly. I work as an apprentice for a world class chef not far from here."

"And how long have you been living here?"

"It'll be two years this October. But I love it here. The city is beautiful and the food is delicious. What about you?"

"Just visiting. I'm on vacation."

"From work I suppose."

"Isn't that how this usually works?"

The young man laughs, taking another sip. "That's very true. What about your wife?"

His question stuns me as I look at him. "I don't have a wife. My partner passed away, some time ago. This ring that I wear is all that reminds me of him. A symbol of our union."

"I apologize," he said. "Sometimes, I can be too forward. It's a nasty habit of mine."

"None taken. It's quite alright. I've learned to accept his passing, but my love for him is still, so strong. I can't say that I'm fully recovered yet."

"That's understandable. The loss of a loved one can never truly take the pain away."

"True. But I have someone else now, that keeps me a going. Keeps me strong."

A light-hearted laughter flowed across the courtyard as gentle as an evening breeze. I looked up at Astrid as she walked along the edge of the fountain, her arms stretched out like she was pretending to walk on a tightrope. My whole world is right there, inside my little girl. My little girl who has grown into a beautiful young woman. Who reminds me so much of my beloved Nathan.

"Is that your daughter?"

"Yeah."

"Mmm. She's very pretty."

"She most certainly is." I glanced down at the bag containing food. "Cooking for someone special tonight?"

"Hardly. It's just me. I'm tempted to work on this new recipe I found."

"Well, I'm sure it will be a good one."

His cheeks turned red as he blushed. And they say the first crack is always the deepest. Then the sky turned black in an instant as the smell of rain grew stronger. A flash of lightning striked across the sky allowing the first few raindrops to fall overhead. Soon the streets were drenched as people started gathering in drones to escape the storm. And as the guy stood up, he reached into a bag and pulled out a red umbrella.

The canopy shot up and expanded as he pushed a button and gathered his belongings. "Well, it was nice to have met you. Good day to you both." As he turned to walk away, he said something that shook me to my very core. "Tell your daughter, Astrid, I said hello."

"Wait! What did you say? Please, tell me your name."

But he was already walking across the courtyard just as Astrid appeared by my side. "Who was that, Daddy? A friend?"

"I'm not sure. But I will soon find out." Just then, I heard my phone ring as I pulled out it of my coat pocket and placed the call to my ear. "Yes?"

"Dracula! You need to get back here now," Nicholas said with alarm in his voice.

"What? Why? What are you talking about?"

"It's gone. Nathan's body is gone. Someone has taken it!"

Author's Note: It's done! It's done! Another book is finally completed! I feel like I've just returned home after months and months of being at war with my writing. The struggle is real people. Trust me! LOL. So...tell me! I'm dying to hear what you guys thought about the Epilogue. Did you like? Love it? Hate it even?! And what could this mean for Dracula and Astrid? And who was that guy with the wine?! UGH! So many questions need to be answered. But how? How? How?