I healed quickly, and was back up and around 2 days later. But after that night, I realized just how dangerous the world was for me. A part of me changed that night. I was still the friendly person I'd always been, but there was doubt now. No one was what they seemed. The night had turned deadly and now everything was different.
But even in spite of the doubt, I continued to flourish in the environment, quickly making even more of a name for myself. The clan left me alone, at least for now, and things continued smoothly.
It seemed everything would end happily after. My adopted little sister would have an amazing life. The past was over and we both had a beautiful new future, despite the occasional bumps and vampire hunters we’d run into. I felt for once in my life, all 400 years of it, I'd finally done something worthwhile. I'd been able to help just one person, and she was going to make a difference. She in turn had challenged me, and I had become more than I ever dreamed possible. I was actually looking forward to my eternity. I could do anything, and I had grand plans. I was so happy.
And then one day, every dream exploded.
She was diagnosed with cancer, and within 4 months, she was gone. She was an exquisite blinding light, extinguished long before its time. And I could do nothing. I was destroyed.
At first, I was tempted to go back to my old ways, but only for a moment. I knew if nothing else, I owed it to the girl who had fought for my undead soul to remain who I'd become. So I buried myself in work, and tried to keep my friends, but I missed her more than I could ever express. I’d lost the only family I had, another sister, again. Time seemed to blur, each moment a month, and each month a moment.
After the first few months, I'd stayed away from the graveyard. It was too hard to go and see my future lying dead under a delicately carved slab of marble. But this night, for some reason, I had to go.
I went at the same time I had always gone before, but it seemed lighter than usual, even despite the extremely late hour. I cautiously slipped through the gate. When I got to Araina's grave, I stopped short. A gorgeous, blue haired angel was standing beside the stone, tears flowing down her face. Her wings were a glowing white, lighting up the area around the grave.
She was singing a Celtic lullaby I hadn't heard in years. Her voice reminded me of a long lost past, and I had a sudden memory of my mother, singing at my baby sister's funeral, hundreds of years before.
“Lennavanmo, Lennavanmo, who is it swinging you to and fro
With a long low swing and a sweet low croon
Loving words of a mother's rune
Lennavanmo, Lennavanmo, who is it swinging you to and fro
I am thinking it is an Angel fair
The Angel that looks on the gulf from the lowest stair.
And swings the green world upward by its leagues of sunshine hair
Lennavanmo, Lennavanmo, who swingeth you and the Angel to and fro.
It is he whose faintest thought is a world afar
It is He whose wish is a seven-mooned leaping star
It is He, Lennavanmo, to whom you and I and all things flow
Lennavanmo, Lennavanmo
It is only a little wee lass that you are
Eilidh mo chree
But as This wee blossom has roots in the depths of the sky,
So you are one with the Lord of Eternity
Bonny wee lass that you are, my morning star,
Elidh mo chree, Lennavanmo, Lennavanmo. “
As I stood there, mesmerized, she seemed to suddenly notice she wasn't alone. She turned, brushing a hand across her cheek and walked towards me.
The spell seemed to break, and I suddenly realized an angel was walking towards me. For the first time, I was actually concerned for my safety. My fangs seemed to gain a life of their own, and Araina's flowers fell to the ground unheeded.
"What do you want?" It came out between a hiss and a growl. "Stay away from her. She’s already dead. You’re wasting your time." Her sweet voice was calm.
"I came here for you." My panic level went up a notch.
"Stay away from me!" She seemed unfazed and kept gliding towards me.
"You don't have to stay this way, Lace. You were never meant to be like this. Let me help you. You've lost enough."
"Who are you?!?" The words seemed to burst from my lips, almost involuntarily. She smiled, a sweet, almost sharp edge crossing her face.
"My name is Lore. I'm your guardian angel." I burst out laughing, the irony of it suddenly making the whole thing hilarious.
"MY guardian angel? Really! So how exactly is it that I'm dead? Was there a clerical error? Or were you her angel and you completely blew it, so they sent you to harass me?" Her smile seemed to slip a little.
"How can you say that, Lace? I loved her as much as you did." I snarled, and stepped closer.
"Don't ever say something like that. You didn't know her. You weren't there when she cried, you didn't clean her bruises, you didn't take her away from them, you weren't the one tried to make everything better, a piece of you didn't die when she did!" I was shaking, I was so angry. She held out a hand as she moved closer.
"I know," She whispered. "That's why I'm here. Come away with me. None of this matters anymore. You don't have to live like this anymore." I dove at her, fangs bared.
"Never!"
She slipped away from my fingers in a whirl of white light, and when I spun back around, she was gone.
I took several deep breaths, flexed my fingers, trying desperately to calm down. After a few moments, when she didn't return, I collected the somewhat trampled flowers from the ground, and went to Araina's grave.
I slowly sat down, laying the crumpled flowers next to the stone. I couldn't believe this. I finally got the life I'd never known I could have, and then the one thing that had made it worth living was taken away. And now that I was fighting to keep what I’d become, my own 'guardian' angel had decided to 'convince' me to leave it behind. For the first time since Araina died, I cried.
