The Morganville Vampires Series: Final Goodbyes

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

CLAIRE

Feeling like she was still asleep, Claire rolled on to her back. She sat up immediately which caused an angry vein in her head to punish her for sitting up so quickly. "I'm in my bed!"

"Claire?" Shane made her jump as he mummbled as he woke up. "Are you ok?"

"Shane," She turned to him, "what happened?"

"Myrnin saved us all or something. Let's go back to sleep." It took him a moment to realise Claire was awake. "Claire! How are you feeling?"

"Got a headache." He kissed her forehead. "Shane, what happened? The last thing I remember was the machine."

"I'll go make some coffee and tell you all about it." Shane smiled, kissed her again and then skipped downstairs.

Eve's pale, vulnerable face appeared around the doorway. "Oh, Claire," she said rushing into the room, "your up. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Claire smiled, "just got a headache and am slightly confused."

"You passed out or something from...some red crystal stuff. Then Myrnin turned up and finished your work and saved us all, sending the ghosts back." She took Claire's hand. "We're getting the babies  today. We thought it was best to wait and tidy up first."

"They are ok?" She asked eagerly.

"Yes, CB, they're fine." Eve squeezed her hand. "Did I hear Shane going downstairs to make coffee?"

"Yeah, you did." Claire grinned at her best friend.

"Better go tell him I'm awake and in need of some." Eve shared her smile. "Why don't you come with? It's better than sitting in bed all morning."

Claire smiled and nodded. She padded downstairs and into the kitchen after Eve, both in their pyjamas, just as Shane was done making the coffee.

"Hey," he smiled as Claire walked through the kitchen door, "I was just about to bring it up to you."

"I don't want to stay in bed all day," Claire shrugged as she gratefully took the mug from Shane.

"Shane..." Eve innocently batted her eyelids.

"I'm guessing you want one," Shane rolled his eyes, "I know there's a cookie monster and all, but you are definitely the coffee monster."

"You think that's bad?" Eve smiled brightly, "Claire's the mocha-everything-sprinkled-on-top monster."

"Yeah, but that's probably why she's so sweet all the time." Shane looked at Claire with a little twinkle in his eye.

There was a knock at the back door which turned out to be Oliver carrying Amelia, followed by Amelie carrying Sam and Jesse carrying Carrie.

"Sorry," Jesse said, "I know it's early and none of you are dressed but we thought it was time to bring back the little ones."

Eve ran for Sam, just as Shane went for Carrie and Oliver handed Claire Amelia.

"Theyre safe," Oliver said.

"I bet Miranda will have a lot to say and she'll be happy that the babies are home too." Claire smiled at Amelia.

"Unfortunately not, Claire," Amelie frowned, "Miranda agreed to keep the town's borders and security systems running. So, there will be no presence of her here. You'll see her when you work with Myrnin, other than that she is no longer a part of the Glass House."

"I-If Hiram's gone and Melissa's gone and so is Miranda...does that mean that the Glass House has lost its protection...its power...our friend...our home?" Claire stammered out of shock.

"I'm sorry, Claire," Amelie said as still as a frozen river, "there is nothing more I can do. It is out of my control."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Jesse smiled, "you always do."

"What about the journals, my lady?" Oliver asked, placing a hand on Amelie's shoulder.

"Yes, what about them," she echoed.

"You don't want anyone getting hold of them," Eve agreed, "but we need to find them. If Myrnin's got journals on every person - dead or alive - in town, then all hell will be about to break lose and it'll be out for revenge."

"Where would Ada and Hiram have put the ones they took?" Shane asked as Michael walked through the kitchen door.

"In the attic," Michael said, yawning as he walked in and dumped a box on the kitchen table in between the mugs of coffee, "what did I miss?"

"That's quite...clever." Claire said as it dawned on her. "The attic was the one place that Hiram couldn't get through to. But Ada could. Ada hid them in the attic to trick everyone into thinking they wouldn't be there as Hiram couldn't enter the attic. They made us forget that Ada could - plus she could use it for compensation."

"Yeah, if Hiram double-crossed her, she could use the journals against him," Shane continued, "and he couldn't do a thing about it."

"Well," a voice said from the backdoor, "are you going to open the box or not?" Myrnin looks like he hadn't slept in a hundred years, Claire thought. "I know how I look, Claire."

"Myrnin," Claire forgot for a moment that he could sometimes know what she was thinking, "don't do that."

"One should be resting after the task I have completed, however, I came to the same speculation as Claire once I heard that that Miranda girl would be working with me. What about the Glass House if there is no supernatural power to protect it." Myrnin smiled and looked at everyone, "I have come to the conculsion - an unscientfic one that I will explore someday-"

"Get to the point Myrnin." Michael said as he sipped his coffee.

"My point is...I have reason to believe that the spirits of our loved ones that have good intentions will guard and protect every good living soul." Myrnin was turning into the Cheshire Cat.

"What are you suggesting Myrnin?" Claire urged him to continue.

"Come on, Claire," His smile didn't falter one tiny bit, "you're a smart girl. I'm suggesting that maybe - just maybe - of course like I said: I'd have to conduct some experiments - I'm suggesting that perhaps the Glass House isn't left unprotected. I'm suggesting that there are no final goodbyes for any of us." Myrnin looked up, "isn't that right Sam and Melissa?"

Claire felt a cold shiver fall over her and she saw the others feel it too, one by one like dominoes.

[Sam/Melissa not Miranda/ babies - Jesse - myrnin - Oliver - amelie - journals]