NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Relations – Part 6.
-Perfect.-
That one simple word passed through Sylvie’s thoughts as she navigated her motorcycle to a stop in front of what she knew as Lakeview Reservoir.
Years past, the City of Colonial Heights had taken the opportunity to create a dam and had laid plans for adding in a hydroelectric facility to allow the people to have a co-op source of power that was renewable. Unfortunately, the dam created a unique ecosystem that allowed for a huge source of fishing and it attracted a unique butterfly. A little creature with red-orange wings outlined in black, massed with others of its kind and drinking the nectar from the mostly closed flowers that dotted the circumference of the man-made lake. Within weeks of their nocturnal discovery, protesters from all over the surrounding cities demonstrated and blocked any vote to continue building the plant.
Currently, the calm soft blue water had red and gold maple leaves floating on its surface and with the mixture of a light wind, created a few charming ripples that spread out like tiny waves that gently patted the pebble-laden shoreline. Nearly identical to the vision she’d been pursuing for a year, Sylvie lightly smiled to herself when she spotted the identifiers that marked the moment.
-Lilypads. Bright green frogs. Spotted red fish swimming all over. Even the fog on the water. This has to be it.-
Sylvie pulled off her helmet and turned the key to shut off the engine. Following what she’d seen, the elder vampire walked to the shoreline and tossed a smooth stone across the water, making it skip through the water as foretold. Moments after the rock hit the opposite shoreline, a drop of rain bounced on Sylvie’s small nose.
-The moon. The rain.-
Closing her eyes, the blue-gray-haired vampire waited for the final act to reveal itself. Standing quietly on the rocky beach, Sylvie felt a soft hand on her shoulder. “Casey.” Sylvie sighed and opened her eyes to see the vampiric eclipse bathing across the calm water. “Finally.” Feeling a light pulse of energy coming from her third-eye tattoo, Sylvie turned her head and kissed Casey’s hand.
“Are you alright? You seemed to go into a trance until I touched your shoulder.” Casey warmly offered. “Should I get back on the bike and leave you to think?”
“No.” Sylvie confidently reassured and turned to face her progeny. “These events..” Sylvie waved her hand towards the lake, “..include you as well.” Sylvie took a step closer to Casey and lowered the hood on the raincoat, freeing Casey’s luxurious coppery-red hair to bounce lightly on the new vampire's shoulders.
“I’m sure you are about to explain it to me?” Casey gently questioned and wrapped her arms around Sylvie. “We’ve shared so much. I’m pretty sure you can tell me anything.” Casey tapped on her chest, “Besides we are part of each other now, I think I feel you are nervous.”
Gathering her strength to face what she’d almost dreamed wouldn’t happen, Sylvie pushed the completed vision from her mind and grabbed Casey into a warm hug. “The vision, Casey. All of this came true for me.” She sighed and began shaking, “I have never had a vision that told me so completely that this would be my moment to..love.”
“Is that why you became my friend?” Casey lightly cooed. “You had a vision about us? A year ago?”
Nodding while buried in Casey’s shoulder, Sylvie took in a heavy breath and took a step back. “You have to understand that I can’t control what I see.” She nervously bit her lip, “I didn’t know you at the time, Casey. I..I…It was one t-touch.”
Blinking her soulful sunlight eyes softly, Casey reached up and plucked a half-red tear from under her mistress’s eye. “Tell me, are you under the impression that I am angry with you, Sylvie?” Casey smiled when the shorter vampire shrugged her shoulder. “No. I’m fine.” She raised one carefully shaped eyebrow, “I don’t think you are forcing this. I feel free, other than the connection itself..”
“Not in a million y-hears.” Sylvie stammered as her eyes shifted to full moons. “I know..I know I seem so in control of this..” Sylvie hesitantly reached for Casey’s cheek and was pleasantly surprised when her progeny leaned into the touch. “..but..I have been plodding along since..since..” She gulped, “..you left.”
Music from the piano in Casey’s head began once again, with a tune she knew but couldn’t quite place. The soft melody added to the moment between creator and progeny. “Sylvie, I wasn’t in any shape to stay here..” She paused and pulled Sylvie into a hug, then began lightly swaying as though the two were dancing. “..in this area. It had nothing to do with you.” Casey’s voice lowered to a gentle whisper, “I couldn’t face what had happened, V-V…” She stammered and without trying, felt her blood ignite and flush her body. “..Vivienne kept all that anger and disparity in check..I asked her to.” Finishing her tiny encouraging speech, Casey added, “I needed somewhere I belonged..that is here, with you.” Casey lightly kissed Sylvie on the neck and stepped back.
-Belonging. It could be the connection.-
Sylvie stood silently and gazed at the moon for a couple seconds, reliving the bond between her and Amos. While she knew she did like the man, she somehow knew that his bond wasn’t remotely as close as she had with Casey. “My master and I were close, but I didn’t feel the same way.” Sylvie confessed her thought, “I might subconsciously be holding you here with our..bond. I could free you, Casey.”
Shaking her head so that the light autumn breeze caught it and spread the strands in her face, Casey adamantly refused, “No, not a chance. I can tell, Sylvie. I can tell.” Wanting to reassure her creator, Casey nearly jumped back into Sylvie’s arms. “You wouldn’t do that unless I asked. You…you..” She poked lightly at Sylvie’s chest. “You can’t just ditch me.”
“I would never ditch you, Casey. I came running when I knew you were missing.” Sylvie stopped and knew that she had no other choice except to just say how she felt. “I don’t just love you, Casey..” Going for all the marbles, Sylvie pressed her point. “I’m in love with you. I think I have been since I saw your lovely brown eyes.” She lightly laughed, “I used to see pools of rich chocolate that seemed so deep..I wanted to swim in them.”
Within the depths of her being, Casey knew that she loved Sylvie for everything the lovely vampire lady had done for her in the last year without an expectation of anything in return. Slowly it dawned on the young vampire that Sylvie had responded when Casey made the first intimate gesture. All of the hugs and light kisses were returned, not initiated. Conceptually, Casey knew that she could love Sylvie as she never thought about love on a gender basis due to her mother’s open lifestyle.
-Rivers, don’t just stand here. Answer her. Tell her something. Do you love this woman? Yes. Are you in love with her? Not sure, maybe?-
Clearing her burning throat, Casey shook off the indecisive thoughts and answered Sylvie the best she could. “You’re the only person living or undead..” Casey giggled, “..that hasn’t treated me as something to possess or use as a sex toy in some way.” Casey felt herself warm up inside as she spoke, “Yes, I do love you, Sylvie.” Casey pressed her blood-red lips to Sylvie’s soft purplish ones, “I’ve never found myself in a position to be in love with a woman.” Casey twirled one of Sylvie’s blue locks in her hair and heard the music in her head change to a more romantic tone, “You’d think I would have noticed the signs you gave me months ago, all of the gestures.”
“Love has a funny way of staying hidden.” Sylvie added nervously and returned the light kiss.
An energetic pulse ripped through Casey as Sylvie planted her lips on hers. “I..I..” Casey stammered and giggled like a teenager, “..Yes, I am willing to find out. I’m sure that I am in love, I just don’t know what that means, Sylvie.”
Elated beyond her wildest dreams, Sylvie felt her third eye stop pulsing and in its place a rush of excitement made the elder hop in place much like Casey had. “We can take our time and see what happens.” She looked into the rays of sunshine emanating from Casey’s eyes, “We move at your pace. We have no time limit.”
“Maybe this is a good time for me to tell you something intimate.” Casey leaned forward to whisper in Sylvie’s ear. “I am glad it’s you.” She breathed a little stream of hot air, “I like the fact I … am yours.”
“All mine?” Sylvie felt her blood race, “All too tempting.” Sylvie gently pulled away. “Casey, if I wanted sex, I would have done it before I turned you.”
Feeling the first set of words slam into her heart and mind, Casey hurriedly turned and pulled Sylvie’s arms around her and laid her head back against Sylvie’s shoulder, purring lightly. “Yes, all yours. Let’s find out what that truly means.” Casey put her finger over her ruby red lips, “I know we aren’t about sex, I remember the moments before your lovely fangs took my blood, crystal clear.” Casey took a satisfying breath, “I love that my blood is yours. Take more if you’d like..” Casey flipped her hair to the side and heard the soft beat of the song Magic playing in her head. Unable to hold back the inspiring lyrics, Casey sang along with Olivia-Newton John so Sylvie could hear.
“..The planets align so rare,
There's promise in the air,
And I'm guiding you,
Through every turn I'll be near you,
I'll come anytime you call,
I'll catch you when you fall,
I'll be guiding you,
You have to believe we are magic,
Nothin' can stand in our way,
You have to believe we are magic..”
“Magic.” Sylvie confirmed and kissed Casey on the cheek. “There is one more little thing, Magicmaiden..” Sylvie cutely nicknamed Casey, “..No lying, no cheating. It’s monogamy or nothing.” She sighed and finished, “..It opens too many strained emotions otherwise.”
Twisting herself free of Sylvie’s light grip, Casey knelt on both her knees and pulled her mistress's hands into her own before kissing each. “Sylvie.” Casey shivered lightly, “I vaguely recall how I came into Vivienne’s clutch, so I know I wasn’t the most promising, or faithful.” Feeling her skin begin to prickle, Casey knew that what she was about to say was absolutely right. “I agree. I am yours..Taini.” Unsure if she’d earned the right to use that name, Casey internally knew that this was the right time. “No lying, No Cheating, monogamy.” She kissed both of Sylvie’s hands again. “Plus one more?” Witnessing how the two lined up as a natural eclipse, Casey crooned, “No more hiding secrets or visions from each other. Open book.”
Unwilling to allow Casey to be alone on the ground, Sylvie also got down on her knees. “Open book, Casey.” Spotting a green and red spotted bloodstone in the smooth rocks, Sylvie picked it up and pressed it into her partner’s hand. “This marks our moment..it also is said to promote emotional balance..” Sylvie smiled and lightly kissed Casey’s cheeks. “It is also a ward against evil spirits.”
Digging around in the stones, Casey picked up a yellow-orange stone with hints of red through it. “What’s this?” Casey pressed it into Sylvie’s hand.
“A sunstone.” Sylvie laughed, “Everything about you seems to emanate the sun.”
Laughing, Casey tapped the stone. “I don’t know what it means, but it was pretty and caught my eye. It makes sense that it is a sunstone so no matter where you are, I’m with you.”
“Emotional well-being, Protection from dark realms, promotes vitality and reduces fear.” Sylvie pulled Casey into her arms. “Heightens intuition. You picked a stone that matches perfectly.”
“Fate.” Casey whispered confidently.
“Fate.” Sylvie affirmed lovingly.