David stalked along the moving carousel, closely followed by Dwayne,
Paul, and Marko.
They came upon a
young couple. David reached out and gently caressed the woman's face.
Her boyfriend immediately reacted, stepping forward with anger
flashing in his eyes.
A fight nearly
broke out as Dwayne quickly positioned himself in front of the
boyfriend, blocking him from reaching David.
Before the
confrontation could escalate any further, a security guard appeared
and put an end to it.
He reminded David
and the others that he had already warned them to stay off the
boardwalk.
David conceded, and
he and the boys walked away.
As they moved away
from the carousel, Dwayne glanced upward. A young woman caught his
eye.
She had short, dark
brown hair with hints of reddish-brown woven through it. Her warm
brown eyes seemed friendly, and her café au lait complexion appeared
to glow beneath the lights. As she and her friends walked past, she
offered him a small smile.
Dwayne paused for a
moment to watch her. As he felt that there was something different
about her.
She was shapely and
zaftig, with graceful hourglass curves. The dark purple top she wore
draped off one shoulder, revealing a tattoo unlike any he had seen
before.
The design featured
two crescent moons, one large and one small, both turned upward and
stacked upon one another. Above them rested a third, smaller crescent
moon. Eight elegant, curved lines swept outward from the moons. A
four-pointed star nestled within the larger crescent, while fine
specks resembling stardust surrounded the entire design.
Then realization
struck.
The tattoo was a
spider.
A celestial spider.
The sight of it
stirred memories from his life before he had been turned.
He remembered being
a young man caught between two worlds. His mother had been Caucasian
American, and his father Native American. He had gravitated toward
his father's culture because his mother had fully embraced it as
well. Yet both of his parents had died when he was very young,
leaving him without a permanent place among either side of his
family.
“Dwayne.”
He turned to see
Marko calling his name.
“What?” Dwayne
asked.
“Whatcha looking
at?” Marko said.
“Nothing,” he
replied.
With that, he and
Marko hurried to catch up with the others.
· · · ✦ · · ·
Ava
sat at a picnic table, waiting for her friends to return with the
food.
With
her fingernail, she lightly traced the outline of a spiderweb onto
the tabletop. As she did, thoughts, ideas, and faces flooded her
mind—countless threads somehow connected in ways only she could
perceive.
“Cool
tattoo,” someone said.
Ava
looked up and saw a woman with bright blue hair shaved on one side.
She wore a black T-shirt and ripped jeans. A nose ring gleamed
beneath the boardwalk lights, and tattoos covered both of her arms.
“Thanks,”
Ava replied.
“Who's
the artist?” the punk woman asked.
“No
one.”
“No
one?” the woman repeated, her expression turning puzzled.
She
leaned in for a closer look.
Then
something startling happened.
The
tattoo seemed to move.
The
closer she looked, the more it appeared to shift beneath Ava's skin.
Suddenly, it crawled toward Ava's neck.
The
woman jumped backward.
“What
the hell!”
Ava
simply looked at her. For a brief moment, her eyes shimmered.
Without
another word, the woman turned and hurried away.
A
moment later, a man and another young woman approached the table and
set a cup of fries in front of Ava.
“What
was that about?” the man asked.
His
name was Bernard. He was tall, with long black hair, hazel eyes, and
a complexion a shade darker than Ava's.
The
young woman beside him was Colette. She stood the same height as Ava,
with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and grayish-brown eyes. Her
complexion was similar to Bernard's.
“She
was checking out my birthmark,” Ava said.
“Let
me guess,” Colette said with a smirk. “She found out something
about you, and it freaked her out.”
Ava
shrugged.
“C'est
la vie,” she said, popping a French fry into her mouth.
Then
she casually added, “By the way, there are vampires here in Santa
Carla.”
“Not
surprising,” Bernard replied. “The earthquake of 1906 caused a
lot of destruction and opened up doors that were meant to stay
closed.”
“The
question is," Colette said, “do we get involved?”
A
sudden sensation washed over Ava.
Her
fingernails shifted. The keratin tightened, hardened, and gleamed
like polished diamonds.
She
lowered one nail to the tabletop and began etching a spiderweb into
the wood. The carving appeared effortlessly beneath her touch.
When
she finished, she stared at the web.
It
began to glow.
Within
its shimmering strands, she saw images—death, pain, loneliness, and
darkness.
Then
a face appeared.
The
same young man she had smiled at earlier.
A
voice echoed through her mind.
“Save him,
Ava. Bring him back. Awaken him.”
Bernard
and Colette exchanged glances.
They
could see the glowing spiderweb etched into the table, but they could
not see what lay within it.
“What
is it, Ava?” Bernard asked.
“The
Creator told me to save him,” she said quietly. “To bring him
back. To awaken him.”
“Save
who?” Bernard asked.
Ava's
gaze remained fixed on the glowing web.
“A
vampire.”
II
Another night
settled over Santa Carla.
David and the boys
walked the boardwalk without hesitation. After all, they had gotten
rid of the security guard the night before. Music drifted from the
stage nearby, but it wasn't to their taste.
After leaving the
video store and climbing onto their motorcycles, they rode through
the boardwalk crowds.
As they cruised
beneath the neon lights, Dwayne once again spotted the young woman
from the previous night.
She wore an
ankle-length light gray dress with cap sleeves. A deep pink shawl
rested across her shoulders, gently swaying in the ocean breeze.
Dwayne slowed his
motorcycle, allowing the others to pull ahead.
He didn't care.
The young woman
intrigued him. There was something unique about her—something he
couldn't explain. He wanted to know more.
Pulling alongside
her, he smiled.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” she
replied softly.
“Would you like
to go for a ride?” he asked.
A smile touched her
lips as she stepped closer.
“Maybe. What's
your name?” she asked.
“Dwayne.”
“I'm Ava.”
Dwayne gazed into
her eyes. They seemed to shimmer beneath the moonlight, almost
hypnotic in their beauty.
“You have
beautiful eyes,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“Hop on.”
Ava climbed onto
the back of the motorcycle, and they sped off into the night.
They rode along the
boardwalk, weaving through the lights and sounds of Santa Carla. Ava
rested her head against Dwayne's back.
He smiled as he
came to a stop.
For the first time
in a long while, he felt at peace.
Then he spotted
David and the others approaching.
“Shit,” he
muttered.
Ava lifted her head
and saw what was ahead.
“Friends of
yours?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I'll go.”
She dismounted
gracefully.
For a moment, they
simply looked at one another.
“I don't know if
I'll ever see you again,” Dwayne said.
“Maybe we will,”
Ava replied with a smile.
She stepped closer
and softly kissed him.
As she did, she
carefully plucked a strand of his hair with one hand while discreetly
etching a tiny spiderweb into the metal of his motorcycle with the
other.
The kiss ended.
“Later, Dwayne.”
She turned and
walked away.
A few moments
later, David and the others pulled up to him.
“Who was that?”
Paul asked.
“A girl. She
wanted to go for a ride,” Dwayne replied.
David watched Ava
as she disappeared into the crowd.
Something about her
unsettled him.
He couldn't explain
why.
“Don't ever talk
to her again,” David said.
Dwayne remained
silent and nodded.
But inwardly, he
had no intention of obeying.
He would see Ava
again.
He would find a
way—whether David liked it or not.
· · · ✦ · · ·
Ava joined Bernard
and Colette beneath the boardwalk.
“Did you get it?”
Colette asked.
“Yes. I managed
to get a strand of his hair. I also etched one of my spiderwebs onto
his motorcycle.”
“Are you sure
that was wise?” Bernard asked.
“I doubt David
spends much time inspecting their motorcycles,” Ava replied.
Bernard raised an
eyebrow.
“That's his
name?”
“No. That's the
leader's name. The vampire the Creator asked me to save is named
Dwayne.”
“Probed his
mind?” Colette asked with a smirk.
Ava shrugged.
“Actually, he
told me his name. Yet, even if he hadn’t told me. Everything is
connected. Being that close to him allowed me to glimpse his
thoughts. But when I kissed him, I learned everything”
Bernard and Colette
nodded knowingly.
“And speaking of
David,” Ava continued, “he sensed something about me as I walked
away. He told Dwayne never to see me again.”
“What did Dwayne
say?” Colette asked.
“He appeared to
obey,” Ava said. “But he has no intention of doing so.”
Bernard chuckled.
“If only the
vampires of Santa Carla knew what else was lurking here.”
“We should get
back to the den,” Colette said.
Ava nodded.
Bernard's finger
shifted into a beast-like form. He tapped the air, and reality
shimmered beneath his touch.
A circular
distortion appeared before them, rippling like liquid glass.
“Ladies first,”
Bernard said with a flourish.
Colette stepped
through the shimmering portal.
Ava followed.
Bernard glanced
around one final time before stepping through as well.
The portal
instantly collapsed behind him, and the night reclaimed the empty
space.
· · · ✦ · · ·
At
the cave, Dwayne sat apart from the others. He wanted to be alone
with his thoughts.
Thoughts
of Ava.
When
she had kissed him, he had felt his heart beating frantically. It had
not done that in years. After he was turned, his heart had become
little more than a silent relic of the life he once lived.
Yet
somehow, Ava had awakened something within him.
Something
warm.
Something
emotional.
Something
alive.
The
feeling unsettled him, but it also exhilarated him.
“What
is it about you, Ava?” he murmured to himself. “Why do I feel so
enthralled by you? Almost as if I'm being drawn into a web.”
“Dwayne.”
He
turned and saw Star standing nearby.
“What
is it, Star?” he asked.
“Laddie
wants to go outside for a little while.”
Dwayne
nodded and walked over to the boy. Scooping Laddie into his arms, he
carried him out of the cave.
Once
they were gone, David approached Star.
“He's
hiding something.”
Star
folded her arms and looked at him.
“What
could he possibly be hiding, David?” she asked, her tone edged with
offense. “He's loyal to you, as we all are.”
Then
her expression hardened.
“And
speaking of keeping secrets, there's one you're keeping from all of
us.”
The
words came out almost like a hiss.
David's
jaw tightened.
Without
responding, he turned away.
Outside,
Laddie ran across the rocky shoreline, laughing as he jumped from
stone to stone and enjoyed being a child.
Dwayne
watched him and smiled sadly.
Part
of him was angry with David for turning Laddie.
The
boy was only nine years old.
He
would never grow up.
Not
physically, anyway.
Dwayne
lifted his gaze toward the night sky. Stars glittered overhead while
ocean waves crashed against the rocks below. The steady rhythm of the
sea was calming.
It
reminded him of what it had felt like to be human.
And
he realized how much he missed it.
“If
there's any hope for me,” Dwayne prayed silently, “I ask that it
be given. And please, allow that same hope for Laddie... and even
Star.”
The
wind stirred around him.
Then
he heard a faint voice.
“Hope
will arrive.”
Dwayne
froze.
The
voice was soft, almost carried upon the breeze itself.
“Dwayne,
look!”
He
looked up to see Laddie kneeling on the ground. And walked over.
In
his hands rested a spider.
It
wasn't small, but neither was it particularly large. What caught
Dwayne's attention was its unusual appearance. Its body wasn't white,
but translucent, almost as if it had been carved from crystal.
“Isn't
it cool?” Laddie asked.
Dwayne
crouched beside him and studied the creature.
“Yes,”
he said softly. “It is.”
The
spider seemed to pause, as if observing them in return.
“But
let's put it down and let it go back home.”
Laddie
nodded.
Carefully,
he lowered the spider to the ground.
The
creature scurried away into the darkness.
Dwayne
watched it disappear among the rocks.
For
some reason, he thought of Ava.
“Let's
head back inside,” he said.
“Okay.”
Together,
they returned to the cave.
Far
behind them, hidden among the rocks, the crystal-colored spider
remained motionless for a moment before quietly disappearing into the
night.
III
The crystal-colored spider crawled onto Dwayne's motorcycle and
shifted back into a spiderweb.
From the mirror in her bedroom, Ava watched the transformation and
saw the location it revealed.
Now she knew where Dwayne was.
Unfortunately, trouble was brewing.
The Frog Brothers were up to their usual antics and could easily
interfere with her plans. She would need to be careful.
The vision faded from the mirror.
Ava turned away and looked around her room.
It was, for the most part, an ordinary bedroom—a full-size bed
flanked by two nightstands, a vanity table, and a closet.
The only unusual thing was the absence of windows.
At least, real windows.
Ava lived within a dimensional realm that existed alongside Earth,
unseen by human eyes.
She shared the space with Bernard and Colette, two Ursi Caelestes
who served as her protectors. The Creator Himself had assigned them
to watch over her.
Ava had been born like any other human child.
Yet as she grew older, she began noticing things that others could
not. She heard whispers no one else could hear. She sensed emotions
and connections so deeply that they often overwhelmed her.
Only later, after she and Colette became friends, was the truth
revealed.
She was a Weaver.
An Aranea Caelestis.
Though she could not weave destiny itself, she could perceive
patterns within creation. She could recognize the threads woven by
other Aranea Caelestis and discern the handiwork of the Creator.
The only things she could truly weave were thoughts and ideas born
from her imagination, often shaping them into stories and narrative
poems.
She sat upon her bed and thought of Dwayne.
When she had kissed him, she had felt his heart beat.
Instinctively, she knew it had not done so in a very long time.
She had also felt something else.
Warmth.
Loneliness.
Longing.
A deep yearning buried beneath years of darkness.
It was as though part of him desperately wanted to be human again.
No.
Not “as though.”
That was exactly what she had felt.
Yet that wasn't the only thing she had discovered.
She knew he was thinking about her. Just as she was thinking about
him.
A smile spread across her face.
She remembered his eyes—intense, yet possessing a gentleness that
most people would never notice. She remembered his long black hair,
softer than it appeared. She remembered the taste of his lips,
inviting and filled with restrained passion.
A shiver ran through her.
Ava smiled again.
Then another thought crossed her mind.
Could it be?
Her heart immediately began beating frantically.
Suddenly, an ethereal web formed before her eyes, its luminous
strands weaving themselves through the air.
When the web was complete, Dwayne's face appeared within its center.
Then she heard another heartbeat.
It wasn't her own.
Ava's eyes widened.
In that instant, understanding dawned upon her.
When she had kissed Dwayne, she had accidentally created a
connection between them.
Or perhaps...
It had not been an accident at all.
Perhaps the thread had already existed, waiting to be discovered.
The Creator had asked her to save him.
To awaken him.
To bring him back.
Slowly, Ava reached out and touched the glowing web.
The heartbeat answered.
Strong.
Steady.
Alive.
A smile touched her lips.
She and Dwayne were connected.
· · · ✦ · · ·
David had done it.
He had brought another into the gang.
His name was Michael.
However, Dwayne sensed that Michael would not easily accept what
David had made him. Strangely enough, a deep sense of foreboding told
him that Michael's turning would mark the beginning of the end.
Part of Dwayne feared that.
Another part longed for it.
The gang had taken Michael out and shown him what they truly
were—and what he was becoming. As they had fed on a group of Surf
Nazis.
David seemed confident that Michael would eventually embrace his new
nature.
Dwayne was not so certain.
Later that night, David and the others celebrated Michael's
introduction into the gang. Dwayne, however, wanted no part of it. He
quietly left the cave in search of a moment alone.
Outside, he gazed up at the night sky.
His thoughts drifted in countless directions, but they always seemed
to return to Ava.
Thinking about her brought him a sense of peace he had not felt in
years.
As he continued staring upward, he noticed something unusual.
The stars were moving.
Intrigued, he watched in silence.
Slowly, the stars rearranged themselves into the shape of a
spiderweb.
Then, within the center of the web, another image appeared.
The head of a wolf.
Dwayne stared in awe.
Moments later, the stars scattered, and the image faded back into
the darkness.
He felt certain the vision meant something.
Then thoughts of Ava surfaced once more.
Suddenly, he felt his heart beating again.
Strong.
Steady.
Alive.
He still found it strange.
For years, his heart had been little more than a silent memory.
Yet now it beat whenever he thought of her.
It had to mean something.
Whatever that meaning was, it filled him with hope.
· · · ✦ · · ·
Inside the Den—the dimensional realm where Ava, Bernard, and
Colette resided—the three stood within a room that resembled a
laboratory.
At the center of the room rested a man-sized cocoon woven entirely
from shimmering strands of web.
“So, what's the plan?” Bernard asked.
Ava looked at the cocoon.
“We go in, get Dwayne, replace him with the clone, and get out.”
Bernard blinked.
“You're saying it'll be that easy?”
“I'm only telling you what the Creator told me,” Ava replied.
Colette snickered.
“Sounds like the Creator to me.”
Bernard shook his head.
“It can't be that simple. Nothing ever is.”
“All I know is that we have to do this before full sunrise,” Ava
said.
Colette crossed her arms thoughtfully.
“If it has to be done before the sun fully rises, then something
else is going to happen. Whatever it is, we need to be there first.”
Bernard nodded and hoisted the cocoon onto his shoulder.
“Fair enough," he said. "Let's do this.”
Colette's hand shifted into its beastly form. She reached forward
and touched the air.
Reality shimmered beneath her fingertips.
A doorway of rippling light opened before them.
“Let's go,”Ava said.
Without hesitation, the three stepped through the portal.
The doorway vanished behind them.
IV
Ava, Bernard, and Colette arrived at the sunken hotel cave.
The sun was rising, but it had not yet fully breached the horizon.
At that moment, they understood why the Creator had insisted the
rescue take place now.
It was no longer truly night, yet it was not quite day.
A precarious moment suspended between darkness and light.
As they made their way deeper into the cave, complete darkness
enveloped them.
Ava twirled her fingers, weaving celestial strands into a glowing
orb of light.
The orb floated ahead of them, illuminating their path.
Once they could see clearly, all three were stunned by the enormous
size of the cavern.
“Wow,” Bernard said.
“No kidding,” Colette replied. “Perfect location for a gang of
vampires. Deep underground, completely hidden from the world. The
last place anyone would think to look.”
“One enormous coffin,” Bernard added.
Soon they came upon the sleeping vampires.
David, Marko, Paul, and Dwayne hung upside down from the ceiling
like bats.
“How are we going to get him down?” Bernard asked.
Before anyone could answer, a soft aura of light surrounded Ava.
The light transformed into strands of celestial webbing that rose
toward the ceiling and anchored themselves to the stone above.
The webbing gently lifted Ava into the air until she was
face-to-face with Dwayne.
She smiled softly.
“Hello, Dwayne,” she whispered.
Then she kissed him.
“Make out later, Ava,” Bernard called from below.
Colette giggled.
Ava ignored them both.
Instead, she studied the sleeping vampires.
They were hanging far closer together than she had expected.
And David was right beside Dwayne.
This was going to be difficult.
Then she noticed something.
David twitched.
A moment later, he twitched again.
Ava frowned.
He was sensing her.
As an Aranea Caelestis, she was connected to all things, and all
things were connected to her. Her mere presence within the cave was
enough to disturb the currents surrounding him.
“Please, Creator,” she whispered. “Shield me from danger.”
Immediately, she felt something shift.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Something else.
It felt as though a connection had been severed.
David stopped twitching.
So did the others.
Understanding dawned upon her.
The Creator had cut their spiritual threads.
All except one.
Dwayne's.
She could still feel him.
His thoughts.
His emotions.
His heartbeat.
He was partially alive.
“Dwayne,” she whispered.
She turned toward Bernard.
“Lift the cocoon.”
Bernard nodded.
The celestial webbing stretched downward and attached itself to the
man-sized cocoon.
Slowly, it rose into the air.
Ava looked back at Dwayne.
“My darling, forgive me,” she whispered. “But this is the only
way to get you out of here.”
Her voice softened.
“I love you.”
“Just do it.”
The reply entered her mind.
Not spoken aloud.
Telepathic.
Dwayne was aware of her.
Aware of everything.
Ava smiled.
Then she kissed him one last time.
Placing both hands against his head, she closed her eyes.
Streams of glowing webbing flowed from her palms and wrapped around
him.
Layer upon layer encased him until he was completely enclosed within
a shimmering cocoon.
Once the cocoon was complete, the supporting webbing attached itself
to it and gently lowered Dwayne toward the ground.
At the same time, the cocoon clone was lifted into position.
Moments later, the clone occupied Dwayne's place among the sleeping
vampires.
Ava's nails hardened and gleamed.
With a swift motion, she sliced open the replacement cocoon.
The webbing fell away.
The clone was perfect.
No one would notice the difference.
The strands supporting Ava lowered her back to the cavern floor.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the celestial webbing
dissolved into tiny sparks of light.
Suddenly, Colette stiffened.
“We need to leave,” she said.
“What?” Bernard asked.
“I hear a car.”
“A car?” Bernard repeated.
Using the glowing orb, Ava extended her sight toward the cave
entrance.
Her eyes widened.
“It's the Frog Brothers.”
Bernard groaned.
“And they're with Sam and Michael Emerson,” Ava continued. “We
need to get out of here now.”
“We can't leave through the top,” Bernard said. “They'll see
us.”
Suddenly, the orb of light expanded.
Its surface rippled.
A portal formed.
Ava smiled.
“I think the Creator is providing our exit.”
“Then let's move!” Bernard said.
He hoisted the cocooned Dwayne onto his shoulder.
Without hesitation, the three stepped through the portal.
The instant it vanished, another group entered the cave.
Sam and Michael Emerson, along with Alan and Edgar Frog.
Michael quickly retrieved Star and Laddie while the others searched
the cavern.
Soon they spotted the sleeping vampires.
David.
Paul.
Marko.
And Dwayne.
Or rather...
Dwayne's clone.
Without hesitation, they drove a stake into Marko.
The vampire screamed.
His body erupted in a burst of destruction.
The others awoke instantly.
Chaos erupted throughout the cavern.
David, Paul, and the false Dwayne attacked.
Sam, Alan, and Edgar fought back desperately.
Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the boys eventually managed to escape
the cave.
David watched them disappear into the darkness.
His golden eyes narrowed.
A dangerous smile crossed his face.
“Tonight,” he whispered.
· · · ✦ · · ·
Inside
the Den, Ava knelt beside Dwayne's cocoon.
Once
again, her nails hardened. With a swift motion, she sliced through
the webbing.
The
cocoon split open.
Dwayne's
eyes flew open.
He
took a deep breath.
Then
another.
And
another.
Slowly,
he sat up, inhaling and exhaling as though rediscovering something he
had lost long ago.
He
looked around.
The
room resembled a Victorian parlor, complete with elegant furnishings
and warm colors, though modern touches were scattered throughout.
Finally,
his gaze settled on Ava.
For
a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Dwayne
slowly raised a hand and caressed her face.
“What
are you?” he asked softly.
Ava
smiled.
“An
Aranea Caelestis. A Celestial Spider. No, I don't transform into a
spider. My gifts simply resemble those of one. And before you ask, I
don't bite people and inject venom.”
Dwayne
chuckled.
For
the first time in years, the sound felt genuine.
Then
he realized something.
He
was breathing.
Actually
breathing.
For
the first time since he had been turned.
His
eyes widened.
He
looked at Ava.
“How?"
he asked. "How did you turn me back?”
Ava
sat beside him.
“Just
so you know, I'm not immortal. I can still die. I simply possess
gifts from beyond this world.”
She
took his hand.
“As
for how I restored you... a little thing called love.”
Dwayne
blinked.
“Love?”
Ava
nodded.
“Not
just my love. Your love for Laddie. Your concern for Star. The
compassion you never completely lost.”
A
playful smile crossed her face.
“And
maybe all that kissing helped.”
Dwayne
laughed.
Then
his expression grew serious.
“What
happens now?”
Ava's
smile faded.
“Laddie,
Star, and Michael Emerson will survive and be restored. Sam Emerson,
Edgar Frog, Alan Frog, Lucy Emerson, and Grandpa Emerson will live.”
Her
voice became solemn.
“But
David, the others, and their maker will not.”
Dwayne
lowered his eyes.
He
had expected that answer.
“Why
save me?” he asked.
Ava
gently squeezed his hand.
“Because
despite embracing life as a vampire, you never completely abandoned
your humanity.”
She
paused.
“The
Creator saw that.”
Dwayne
remained silent.
“You
still cared. You still protected others. Deep down, you longed to be
human again.”
Ava
smiled.
“And
there's another reason.”
Dwayne
looked up.
“Like
me, you possess an otherworldly gift. Becoming a vampire forced it
into dormancy.”
A
memory surfaced.
The
spiderweb in the stars.
The
wolf's head.
Suddenly,
understanding dawned.
His
eyes briefly turned feral.
Ava
nodded.
“Lupus
Caelestis.”
Dwayne
raised an eyebrow.
“A
Celestial Wolf?”
“Exactly.”
She
smiled.
“You
can't transform into a wolf. But your gifts mirror the nature of one.
Loyalty. Protection. Instinct. Guardianship.”
She
leaned closer.
“The
protective impulses you displayed as a vampire were only a glimpse of
what you truly are.”
Dwayne
pulled her gently toward him.
“Tell
me something.”
“What?”
“Tell
me we're meant to be together.”
Ava's
smile softened.
“Yes.”
She
touched his cheek.
“We
are.”
They
leaned toward one another.
“HELLO!”
Both
of them jumped.
Bernard
and Colette burst into the room.
“And
welcome to the Den!” Bernard announced.
Ava
laughed.
Dwayne
merely raised an eyebrow.
“Ava,”
Bernard said, “are we interrupting something?”
“Obviously,”
Colette replied.
“Dwayne,
meet Bernard and Colette. Ursi Caelestes”
“The
bear people?” Dwayne asked.
Bernard
grinned.
He
shifted one hand into a massive bear paw.
“Bear-like
gifts. No actual transforming.”
Dwayne
laughed.
“Nice
to meet you.”
Bernard
shook his hand and pulled him to his feet. As Ava stood up also.
“So,”
Dwayne asked, “what now?”
"We
leave Santa Carla," Colette said.
Ava
turned toward her companions.
Both
nodded.
“The
Creator revealed that our arrival in Santa Carla wasn't a
coincidence,” Bernard said.
“He
led us here to find you.”
"And
now that you've been restored," Colette added, "and your
Lupus Caelestis abilities have awakened, it's time to leave."
Bernard
folded his arms.
“Besides,
Santa Carla is far more dangerous than most people realize.”
Dwayne
looked at him curiously.
“The
earthquake of 1906 didn't just destroy buildings,” Bernard
continued.
“It
opened hidden doors. Pathways between worlds. Things escaped.”
He
smiled grimly.
“Let's
just say vampires aren't the only things lurking in and around Santa
Carla.”
Colette
nodded.
“This
Den is only one of many safe havens maintained by the Creator for
those of Celestial descent or those touched by Celestial gifts.”
She
glanced around.
“And
this one won't remain here much longer.”
Dwayne
wrapped an arm around Ava.
“Where
you go, I go.”
Ava
smiled.
Then
they kissed.
⋅
⋅ ✦ ⋅ ⋅
Epilogue
The
following morning, the Emerson family worked together to repair their
home.
The
previous night had transformed it into a battlefield.
None
of them would ever be the same.
From
a distance, Dwayne watched.
Michael
and Sam bantered back and forth while Star and Laddie laughed nearby.
Seeing
them alive and free of the vampire curse filled him with peace.
Ava
stepped beside him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“They
never suspected you were replaced,” she said.
Dwayne
smiled.
“How
did you accomplish that?”
“A
strand of your hair.”
He
looked at her. She grinned
“I
acquired it
when we first
kissed”
“You
made the clone?”
“With
a little help from the Creator.”
Dwayne
laughed.
“How
did you find the lair?”
Ava
rested her head against his shoulder.
“While
I was plucking your hair, I etched a spiderweb onto your motorcycle.”
Dwayne
blinked.
“The
crystal-colored spider?”
“That
was me.”
Dwayne
shook his head and laughed.
“You
really do think like a spider.”
“I'll
take that as a compliment.”
“It
was.”
Their
eyes met.
Ava's
shimmered.
Dwayne's
briefly turned feral.
“You'll
have to show me how you
make those spiderwebs.”
“Of
course.”
Suddenly,
Dwayne's heightened hearing picked up a distant sound.
He
looked toward the house.
Laddie
was staring at him.
For
a brief moment, neither spoke.
Neither
needed to.
“We
should go,” Ava said softly.
“You
can't say goodbye.”
“I
know.”
Dwayne
gave the boy one final smile.
Then
he turned away.
A
short time later, he and Ava climbed into a 1978 Camaro while Bernard
and Colette settled into the back seat.
The
engine roared to life.
As
they pulled onto the highway, Dwayne glanced at Ava.
“So
how does all this work?”
Ava
smiled.
“Open
your senses and let the Creator do the rest.”
Dwayne
nodded.
“Got
it.”
A
moment later, he glanced at her.
“Ava?”
“Yes?”
“Will
you marry me?”
Ava
laughed softly.
“Something
tells me the Creator already married us.”
Dwayne
took her hand and kissed it.
The
Camaro continued down the road.
Soon
they passed a weathered sign.
LEAVING
SANTA CARLA — COME AGAIN
Spray-painted
beneath it were additional words:
IF
YOU'RE LEAVING SANTA CARLA ALIVE, CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY.
IF
YOU HAVE ANY SENSE, DON'T EVER COME BACK.
The
sign disappeared in the rearview mirror.
Ahead
of them lay an entirely new journey.
