Epilogue
Luis wasn’t ready to talk about it, let alone discuss it as a real option, so when Karim walked into the room, he slammed his laptop shut.
Vampire eyesight was very good, and Karim would’ve clocked the twelve open tabs of information about the Change in a second.
They’d been officially dating for over three months now, and it was way, way too soon for an even bigger shift in his life.
But ever since it had been brought to his attention, Luis couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t stop wondering what his life would be like without this albatross hanging around his neck.
It would be no small undertaking. There were a lot of hoops to jump through to become a vampire, but Luis had started taking notes.
First there was the government permit to apply for.
Then he’d need to find a vampire guardian who’d Change him and be legally responsible for him for the first five years.
(He was guessing he’d have two volunteers, but again–too soon in the relationship.) After that, he’d need to pay a witch doctor who’d stabilize his body while it went through the Change, and make it as comfortable as possible.
And that was not to mention the paperwork. Identity changes were a lot of paperwork.
But Luis would live a lot, lot longer than he currently was destined for. He’d have an equivalent lifespan to Julien and Karim.
Not that that was anywhere near the top of his reasons to consider it. But it was something that had occurred to him.
“Whacha doing?” Karim asked, leaning against the doorway.
“Nothing,” Luis said too quickly. Not at all suspiciously. Karim eyed him.
“Right,” Karim said dubiously. “Well, I was about to start cooking. You asked Cassie about food allergies, right?”
Luis perked up. “Yeah. It’s only sesame seeds.”
“Great. She on her way?” Karim asked.
Luis picked up his phone to check. There were no new messages, so she was still driving. “Be here around eight.”
“‘Kay.” Karim’s attention drifted back to the laptop. “You know, if you have any questions about what it’s like, being a vampire, we’d be happy to answer them for you.”
Ah, so he hadn’t been quick enough.
Luis flushed, looking away. “Oh, um. Yeah, thanks. I’ll um, keep that in mind.”
Karim laughed, striding in to tilt Luis’s face back up and drop a kiss to his lips. “But no pressure, no rush. You know Julien, he loves a well-considered decision.”
Luis snorted. That, surprisingly, made him feel better. “Thanks,” Luis said.
Karim stepped back. “Dinner will be ready in an hour. If Cassie’s delayed, let me know and I can put it in the warmer.”
“Will do,” Luis said, affection settling in his belly as Karim left.
##
“–and that’s when the elevator stopped working,” Cassie said, deadpan.
Luis had already heard this story, but still laughed.
“Is this woman a bad luck magnet?” Karim asked.
Cassie grinned, fork playing with the small number of potatoes left on her plate. Karim had made something simple–steak and potatoes, and it had been sinfully good. “She’s definitely on one end of the Bell Curve,” Cassie said.
“And now you’re together, Luis mentioned?” Julien had taken an immediate shine to Cassie, which might have had something to do with the bioluminescent flowers she’d shown up with for him. Luis hadn’t even known such a thing existed.
“We’re… trying,” Cassie said cautiously. “A lot of miscommunications were cleared up in that elevator, but we’re still… in the testing phase.”
“A pair of scientists, I’m not surprised,” Julien said with a smile. “Well, I hope your trial bears fruit.”
“Me too. I want to bring her home for Christmas,” this Cassie directed at Luis. “Jess’s got no family in country, so I thought it might be nice?”
“You should,” Luis said immediately. He could read the sudden hesitance, like Cassie wasn’t sure if bringing her around would upset him.
It probably would’ve a few months ago, just because she’d been his only friend, his only connection.
He realized suddenly how tight he’d been holding on to her.
“I’d love to meet her,” he said earnestly.
Relief flashed over Cassie’s face, and Luis felt a splash of guilt. He’d been trying to hide how bad he’d gotten over the year she’d been gone, but it seemed she hadn’t missed it.
He was grateful all over again that he’d done so many hard things recently to change his life. Grateful not to be the person who might feel jealous and bitter at Cassie’s burgeoning love life. He could be a better friend now, because he’d been taking better care of himself.
“Great!” Cassie said with a grin. “We’ll stay in a hotel room though; I am not going to give her any opportunity to catch your kettle on fire or blow the fuse box in your apartment by plugging in her phone.”
Luis laughed. “Okay, yeah. Please.”
“By the way,” Cassie turned back to Karim, “I know I said this already, but Karim these potatoes are killer. I’m only not eating these last potatoes because I just want to savor them.”
“There’s more in the kitchen, I can send you two home with some,” Karim said.
Cassie made a sound of longing. “Yes please! God, it’s been so long since I’ve had a home cooked meal. Instant ramen just doesn’t compete.”
“Anytime you’re in town, feel free to come over, I’ll cook for you,” Karim said.
Cassie’s eyes lit up. “Okay, but is that a serious offer? Because I'm about to consider it a serious offer and just show up on your doorstep.”
“I’m serious,” Karim said. “And you can bring the girlfriend if you want. I half-built this house, I promise it’s sturdy enough for some bad luck.”
“It does seem sturdy,” Cassie said, casting a glance around. “Alright, deal. I’m going to take off for the trial next year too, so I’ll be around.”
Luis tried to ignore the swoop in his belly.
He got it every time he was reminded of the upcoming trials.
There’d been more arrests in the following month.
Law enforcement had managed to find the camp they’d been threatening to send Luis to, and shut it down.
Now, those running the camp were being sued for medical malpractice.
Luis’s civil suit against his mother and the other men at the church was also headed for trial.
Luis’s lawyer had assured him time and time again that both would be open-and-shut cases.
“Oh good,” Julien said, “I’m glad you’ll be here.”
“Wouldn’t miss it, I want to see that vile woman behind bars,” Cassie said with venom. She cringed, looking to Luis. “I mean–”
“It’s fine,” Luis cut in. Since his mother’s arrest, Cassie had been making her opinion of his mother clearer. Luis was working on letting go of his conditioned response to defend the woman. “Really.”
Cassie met his eyes and gave him a small smile before she turned back to the other two. “But yeah, I’ll be here. Maybe we can all go out? I hear Luis has been taking you both out to our old haunts.”
“He has,” Julien pounced on the topic change. “It’s been really refreshing…”
##
After dinner, they ended up in the backyard.
Julien gave Cassie a tour of his garden, and Cassie explained the bioluminescent flower business one of her colleagues had started.
It was a cool evening, the weather starting to tilt toward fall.
He and Karim had settled into chairs on the patio.
Luis had, feeling brave, brought out his guitar.
He touched over the strings, eyes drifting to the garden. Luis could just hear the murmurings of Julien and Cassie talking, Julien standing at rapt attention while Cassie gestured wildly as she told a story.
A calmness slipped over Luis’s shoulders.
Tonight had been nothing fancy, just a dinner with friends, some drinks and some laughter, but it had filled some of those cracks inside him.
He didn’t feel like he’d never been wounded, never been torn apart, but maybe like it didn’t matter so much that he had been.
That despite how hard it had been, it was worth it.
His fingers found their placements and started playing.
Luis started with his warm up, letting his fingers start slow. Karim’s attention turned to him, but that old spike of fear of someone hearing him play didn’t appear. It’d been missing for a few months now.
Luis got through that song and started another before Cassie and Julien made it back to the patio. Cassie had a white rose in hand and was beaming.
He played one more song while they took their seats. No one talked, and the music drifted around them.
“That was beautiful, Luis,” Julien said when he finished. “You’ve made progress on it.”
“Maybe,” Luis hedged. His cheeks were warm. “I’m still picking my way through.”
“I’m so proud of you,” Cassie’s eyes were sparkling with happiness. She reached over and took Luis’s hand to give it a squeeze. “And the black really suits you,” she nodded at the guitar.
Luis had to agree; it was stunning in black.
“That’s–” Karim started and then stopped. His gaze had drifted upward, and caught on something. He shot out of his chair. “It’s happening.”
Luis’s first reflex was panic. Karim strode to the corner of the patio.
“What’s… oh,” Julien was on his heels, but it was the way he turned and smiled at Luis that eased the fear. “Luis, come look, it’s blooming!”
Blooming?
He and Cassie got up, and he set his guitar down gently. He followed and found, tucked out of the immediate eyeline, what had caught Karim’s attention.
The night flower was in bloom.
“It’s called Queen of the Night,” Julien was saying to Cassie, drawing her in closer. “It only blooms one night a year. We’ve been trying to catch it the last two years without luck.”
“Wow,” Cassie said in awe. “It’s beautiful.”
The cactus hadn’t given just one flower, but several big, white blooms. They smelled amazing, a sweet, deep floral scent that made Luis step in between Julien and Karim to breathe in more of it.
“It takes its time to bloom when it’s ready,” Julien said softly, like he was telling them a secret, “but it’s always worth it.” His hand found Luis’s and threaded their fingers together.
“Always,” Karim agreed.
Emotion welled up in Luis’s throat. He reached and took Karim’s hand with his.
He was glad he hadn’t missed this.