Give her peace. I could do that. A final gift before we said goodbye.
He took Jennifer from my arms and took a step back, allowing me to stand. Letting her go would be one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life. She was the only person who knew me before things went to shit, who got to know the Rhiannon I used to be. In a way, she was taking that part of me with her. The rare joys from my teenage years were hers to keep.
I followed Disco out of the basement and up the stairs. We ignored the slaves as we walked down the hallway, until it was no longer safe for him to carry Jennifer. He passed her over to me, giving me an added dose of his strength as he did. She felt like a child in my arms, lightweight and easy to hold.
“Tell Jerry to pull around the estate. There’s a carport on the back of the property that will allow us to leave,” he said softly, as though he knew just how fragile I was, how broken.
I almost asked him how he knew about Jerry, but then I realized he’d plucked the thought from my head. We couldn’t stay here. It wasn’t safe. We had to come together, organize, and start getting ready for what Disco had in store for his kindred.
A war that had started and would end in blood.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” Disco whispered, seeing more than I wanted him to, telling me what I needed to hear.
My gasp heralded my descent into grief, my fortitude slipping away, my steel walls crashing down. I started to make the trip outside, forcing my legs to function. But I felt frozen in place after the first few steps, unable to continue when I neared the doorway.
I couldn’t do this on my own.
I didn’t want to face the unknown alone.
Waves of reassurance cocooned me like invisible arms, giving me the support and comfort I craved. Like the dreams we shared, Disco cradled me with his mind, soothing my fears, taking as much pain from me as he was able. I felt stronger in my lover’s presence, relying on his strength and will.
“You will never be alone,” he promised, prompting me to keep going, aiding me as I struggled not to cry as I continued my trek. “Not now. Not tomorrow. Not for eternity. I am here, Rhiannon. I will always be here.”
Epilogue
The steps to the front door were the longest I’d ever taken. My legs felt sucked knee-deep in quicksand, so that the closer I got to my goal, the harder it was to lift each foot and place it in front of the other. Each step was too far away yet too close, beckoning me even though my heart demanded I take a step back and turn away. When I reached the door, a slave was there to open it wide. I nodded and he did just that. Then he moved aside to give me room. The morning sunshine hit my feet when I stepped into the entranceway, heated despite the chill of winter, warming the black leather protecting my feet.
The time had come. No turning back.
As I stepped outside, the sun wrapped around me, familiar and welcoming, touching every inch of my body from head to toe. As Disco had promised, Jennifer didn’t stir, remaining limp in my arms, her head crooked into the arch of my neck. I carried her down the stairs, walked past the driveway, and stopped at the grassy area with a fountain several yards from the mansion. For several seconds, I stood as I was, holding her like a child in my arms. Then I sank to my knees and took her with me, cradling Jenny to my chest, and bowed my head as heavy sobs racked my body.
Two of the people I cared for most in my life were gone, taken from me. Like my parents, I was given a whisper in time with each of them, impressions of the past that were precious enough to sustain me and make an imprint long after their departure. Bittersweet memories, the most precious and coveted, meant to last a lifetime.