"I am."
She nodded.
"I want you to know she is gone. The Cyprian Queen. She is gone. Forever."
Her eyes narrowed, and she lifted a palsied hand to her lips. "She is? You . . ."
"It is a story that would distress you to know. Just . . . she is gone for good."
"Gone for good," she echoed, her mouth trembling. "Yes."
"I wanted you to know that. And to thank you for your help," I said.
She did not seem to hear me. The look that came over her told me she had faded into the past, but not in the unfocused manner of her dementia. She was thinking of her sister, no doubt.
A tear slid down her cheek, but she made no sound.
"It"s time, Emma," Valerian called gently from the door as he gestured to me.
"A moment, please," I replied, ducking quickly into the kitchen to say farewell to Mrs. Danby. Then, I hurried outside.
Valerian intercepted me at the door. "We are coming with you. All of us. We"ve talked it over."
This surprised and delighted me. Still, I wanted to be certain they understood that I was not at all yet sure of my bearings. "I am headed home for now. I need some time to think over what the next step should be."
"Then I hope you have enough guest rooms," he said. "And perhaps we can decide together what comes next."
I laughed, feeling a sudden buoyancy lift my spirits.
"What a blasted cold day!" Sebastian announced, coming toward me as I emerged from the inn. I was astonished to see he was dressed more for a drawing room than for travel, in a fine coat and sleekly pressed trousers. I would have suggested the day would be much more tolerable were he attired appropriately, but I knew his answer would be to admonish me that comfort was always second to fashion.
"I am so glad you are coming with me." I cast a contented look to him, the priest, and, finally, Valerian. "All of you."
Valerian raised his eyebrows and smiled, and something secret and intimate pa.s.sed between us before I cast my gaze down, a bit embarra.s.sed.
Sebastian made a harrumphing sound and inquired, "Why, where else would I go?"
"Back to the city, where the beautiful people are," I said lightly, trying to break the uncomfortable mood.
"I rather think you are the most beautiful person I know," he retaliated with a shrug, "so I will tag along with you, if you don"t mind. And besides, we have important work to do."
Father Luke came to join us, giving a nod that we should board the carriage. His face was strained after the exertion of loading the luggage. He was still pale and clearly not at his full strength, and I suspected he still struggled mightily with his desire for the poppy. But he was stronger, and I had renewed faith in him. "What? Who has important work to do?"
"You do," Sebastian said. "We all do. Fighting vampires. Who else is going to do it if we do not?"
The priest gaped, then blinked. Then he grinned, giving each one of us a long look. "I believe that is the first time I can agree with you, Sebastian. Who else, indeed."
"I will," a new voice stated. We turned to see Serena Black standing a few paces off, holding a small valise. Her face was somber, but there was no hiding the combination of hope and fear in her eyes. "I have nothing here," she said feelingly. "I have nothing in my homeland. But with you, what you did, that is something to make a person proud. It is what I wish to continue to do. I could be of use to you; I will cook and take care of you, if nothing else. I promise you will not be sorry." She blinked once. "If you will have me."
No one moved or said anything until I touched Father Luke"s hand. "You surely have room for the valise among the other luggage. It cannot take up much s.p.a.ce."
Valerian caught my eye. "Five of us?" I knew why he hesitated. He was a man used to working alone, being alone. So was I. And Sebastian, and Father Luke-all of us had been alone in so many ways for all of our lives.
We"d parted after Avebury, tried to go our own paths. It hadn"t worked. I needed them. I was convinced I would have failed here in Blackbriar if not for them. They"d aided me, saved me. They had come to me because, I realized now, they needed me as well. This was love, I suddenly saw-so much for the promise of the Cyprian Queen. Nothing so glorious, just ordinary people standing together.
We none of us were alone any longer. Serena would not be, either.
"Five is a mystical number as well," I said cheerfully. "Five decades to a rosary, for example."
"Five . . ." Valerian gave me a helpless look.
"Five fingers," I said, showing him my hand, "gripping a stake to strike at the heart of the undead."
He coughed a wry laugh, his eyebrows furrowing in disapproval at my dramatics.
And so it was five of us, then, that headed out of the Vale of Eden that day, taking our time as we traveled to Dartmoor to plan, to think, to talk. For, as Sebastian had observed, we had important work to do.
Emma Andrews.
Brighton, February 1928.
Acknowledgments.
I have a great publishing team: Christina Hogrebe at Jane Rotrosen Agency, and Kate Nintzel and everyone else at HarperCollins. Thank you for championing these books and for letting me run with the concept. Your contributions continue to be so very helpful.
I need to express my most heartfelt thanks again to my sisters: Kate, Kay, Krisann, and Lorie-the power group, for sure (real power comes from love).
Thanks to my kids-Luke, Lindsey, and Kelly-who have been so supportive and ingenious in helping to spread the word about their mom"s vampire book to whomever would listen.
And again, my husband, Mick, deserves the biggest thanks. He worked almost as hard on this book as I did.
About the Author.
JACQUELINE LEPORE is a native Philadelphian. She holds a Ph.D in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband in Maryland, where she has practiced for more than twenty years as a licensed psychologist. For more information on Jacqueline, visit her website at www.jacquelinelepore.com.
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Also by Jacqueline Lepore.
The Emma Andrews Series.
Descent into Dust.
end.