Gabriel checked into the first hotel he saw. Fixing the desk clerk with a hard stare that proscribed any questions, he demanded a room, warned that they were not to be disturbed for any reason, then carried Sara swiftly up the stairs.
Once inside the room, he closed and locked the door. With gentle hands he undressed Sara, inwardly lamenting the horror she had endured.
She remained quietly acquiescent as a bath was prepared. He lifted her into the tub, then carefully washed her from head to foot. When he was satisfied that every speck of dirt and debris had been scrubbed from her hair and skin, he lifted her from the tub, dried her, then wrapped her in a blanket.
And still she didn't speak, not a word since he had carried her out of the cemetery. It was as if she had retreated deep into herself. He had done this to her, he thought bitterly. If he had stayed out of her life, none of this would have happened.
She didn't speak when he put her to bed, though she refused to let go of his hand. Murmuring her name, assuring her that everything would be all right, Gabriel held her in his arms until she fell asleep.
How fragile she was, he thought as his fingers skimmed her cheek. And yet, she had defied Nina, proving she had the courage of a tigress and the heart of a warrior.
Easing out of bed, he went to the window and stared into the darkness, but it was Nina's face he saw, her eyes wide with surprise and pain as he drove the stake through her heart. What had she felt in those last few moments as she felt her strength ebb, and where was she now? Had a benevolent being taken her soul to heaven, or was she even now roasting in the flames of perdition, doing penance for all the blood she had shed, all the lives she had destroyed?
What would be his fate when death finally claimed him?
He stood at the window until he sensed dawn approaching, and then he closed the heavy drapes and slid under the covers beside Sara.
Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her close, absorbing her goodness and warmth into himself, until the sun climbed over the horizon and darkness claimed him. Yet even in his deathlike sleep, he was aware of her beside him. It seemed her heart beat in rhythm with his and he knew, without knowing how he knew, that she slept at his side throughout the day.
A little before dusk, he opened his eyes to find her head pillowed on his shoulder. A moment later, her eyelids fluttered open. And then, to his delight, she smiled at him.
And then she frowned. "Where are we?"
"A hotel room."
She glanced at the window. "What time is it?"
"A little before dusk. You slept the day away, I'm afraid."
"Where's... what happened to... to Nina?"
"She's dead."
"You killed her?"
"Yes."
She didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. Her stomach growled loudly in the silence.
Gabriel smiled indulgently. "I think perhaps I should feed you."
"I amhungry," she allowed, and yet she couldn't help feeling guilty for thinking of something as mundane as food after what they'd been through the night before.
Gabriel's gaze moved over her face, lingering on her lips. "Shall I call for room service?"
"Maybe later." She paused a moment. "Where's Maurice?"
There was no easy way to say it, Gabriel thought, no way to take the sting from the words. "He's dead."
Sara shook her head, not wanting to believe even though she could see the truth of it in Gabriel's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sara. He was a brave man. He loved you very much, more than you'll ever know."
"It's my fault," she said, her voice ragged with regret. "My fault that he's dead."
"No, cara, if it's anyone's fault, it's Nina's and she's paid for it."
Quiet tears slipped down Sara's cheeks as she mourned the death of her friend.
"It's only because of Maurice that I was able to come after you," Gabriel told her, gently wiping away her tears. "We owe him a great deal, you and I." He caught her hands in his and pressed them to his lips. "Tell me what you want, Sara."
"What do you mean?"
"The danger is past now. There's no one to hurt you, and now you must decide what it is you want to do with your life."
"Don't you know? I want to spend it with you."
"Are you sure? I warned you once before that, once you were mine, I would never let you go. Are you prepared to be mine for as long as you live, to share my dark existence? Can you be happy with only me, knowing you will never have children, that I will be the only family you will ever have?"
"Yes, Gabriel." She stroked his cheek with her fingertips, then sealed her promise with a kiss. "I'll live only for you, dance only for you. I'll be your sunshine, as you'll be mine, and all my tomorrows will be yours."
Humbled, as always, by her love and her trust, Gabriel drew Sara into his arms and held her close to his heart. He would lay the world at her feet, shower her with love, and pray that his meager offerings would be reward enough for sharing the loneliness of his existence. Gazing into her eyes, he vowed to do all in his power to make her happy so that she would never have cause to regret her decision.
And then she was lifting her face to his, pressing her lips to his, and there was no more time for thoughts of the future; there was only the here and the now, and the woman in his arms.
She had spoken truly, he thought as he covered her mouth with his. She was his sunshine, the light to his darkness, and from this night forward, all their tomorrows would be one.
