“Do I frighten you?” Amaia paused on the bridge they stood on and glanced down at the goldfish in the stream meandering through the garden. The fresh water left the fish clearly visible, larger and more colorful than any she had ever seen.
“No, you have simply completed your journey in this mortal realm. Why would that frighten me?” Cho stood patiently beside her, hands folded in front of him.
“Do you know what I am? Why I will not reincarnate?”
Cho shook his head. “No, and it is none of my business. Your path is your own.”
“Thank you, Cho.”
“Perhaps you would like to become more specific in your studies. I revealed my knowledge of your nature so that you might be more comfortable asking the questions you want to ask.”
It should have been disquieting to be seen so clearly by a mortal, but it wasn’t. Whether it was the garden or the monk’s demeanor, she felt surrounded by so much peace that she couldn’t help quieting her inner turmoil. Even the ever-haunting eyes receded in this place.
They walked on in silence. Cho never rushed her. The garden was immaculate, tended with a care that shone through in every clipped blade of grass, every perfectly shaped bush and branch. She longed to stay here forever, to be in a place where the pull of Michael’s energy didn’t consume her, where his eyes didn’t haunt her. As much. They were still there, he was still there, but here she was different. Her mind settled, and she could somewhat dispassionately examine her own life.
“Why would a person die at the same time during each of his lives? I thought each life was fluid, like a stream traveling to its destination.” She couldn’t resist hoping that Cho would have the answers she needed.
“It is, but sometimes the scars from a life can hold over, damage the lives that follow. That is why we reincarnate: to rectify those ills, learn, and grow.”
“But how can a person control the way he dies?”
“Humans can’t. Not on a conscious level. If a person were to die at the same time in each of their lives, I would question how they die. Therein may lie the answer.”
The first death had been by Amaia’s hand. He hadn’t died from a vampire bite again. The last death was from his chest, perhaps a heart attack. He hadn’t even bled to death. “What if how they die is different each time? Say someone bled to death, and then in his next life his heart stopped at the same moment.”
“You speak of the literal. Life’s lessons are rarely taught in such terms.”
“But how is death a life lesson?”
“The way one dies often reveals the way he lived. Everything in this life is here for us to learn from, even if the lesson is that not everything can be understood in our terms.”
Amaia felt that Cho must think of her as a child who needed everything explained in plain language. Even though she was twice his age, she felt very young around him. “I wish it were as simple for me as you make it out to be. I long for your peace, Cho.”
“You will achieve it someday. A long path led me to this point.”
“I appreciate you sharing your wisdom with me. These last few days, I have learned much from you.”
“I hope that you will continue your studies.” Cho produced a brown, leather-bound book from the satchel he carried. “Here, a gift from me.”
“Thank you.” Amaia handled the book with care. The characters on the cover read A Meditation on Rebirth. Tibetan had proved harder to learn than the other languages she had mastered, but she admired any language so artistically written. Tibetan conveyed a respect for words in the elegant way they were produced.
“Tonight is your last night here?”
“Yes. Tomorrow we are headed for Warsaw. I was wondering if I might stay here a while longer today.”
“Of course. You are welcome here anytime. Please, make yourself comfortable. I must tend to my duties.”
“Thank you, Cho. I have cherished our time together.”
“I hope that you will find the answers you seek. Perhaps we shall meet again.”
“Perhaps.” Amaia mirrored Cho’s bow, and the man left. She would never see him again. That’s how it was for her people. There was no sense forming attachments to humans, even if Amaia could overcome her distaste for them. Attachments made life messy. Amaia supposed that was why the mating bond was so strong. Whereas mortals formed attachments with a great variety of people, spreading out their love and devotion, vampires poured it all into one individual.