Chapter 176
Most Guardians didn’t live that long, though, even though they could. Some were accidentally struck down by Hunters. That didn’t happen often. Some decided to end it and asked Hunters to put them out of their misery. There was always a Hunter or two willing to do that, particularly if the Guardian had a compelling story, like the death of a spouse or an extremely long existence. He’d also heard that some Guardians went away, practically disappearing off of the face of the Earth but honestly taking to the hills and the mountains. He’d heard stories about these old sages, ones who were wiser than all others, those who held secrets from the past. He wondered if he would ever be one of them or if he would stay active, killing Vampires for centuries to come.
“There, now.” His mother held up the gown. “All finished. What do you think, Abigail?”
Wiping her hands on her apron, Abigail, stepped over to where their mother was sitting. “Oh, it’s just lovely!” she exclaimed, not touching it. “Shall I try it on?”
“Please do,” Elizabeth said. “I’d like to make certain the fit is just right.”
Christian watched as his sister rushed to wash her hands and then came back for the gown, hurrying over behind the divider for some privacy. He couldn’t help but smile. She was so excited. Whether or not she truly loved the elder man who’d asked her to be his wife, Christian couldn’t say, but she seemed happy enough. Tunson was able to provide a nice home for her, and they’d no doubt have a large family and a long life together.
Elizabeth approached, letting out a sigh and brushing his hair back from his forehead. “My sweet Christian,” she said, “you have so much ahead of you. So many people to meet, so many places to see. You have no idea what lies in your future. It sounds as if this woman at the shop isn’t the one for you. That’s all right. Don’t expect perfection from anyone, though. You will likely meet thousands of beautiful women before your time here is up. Don’t discount them because they do not meet the high standards set in place for you by someone else.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. He had to suppose she was speaking of his father, that she thought his reasons for dismissing the girl for her foul language were due to his father’s influence. Perhaps that was the case. Or perhaps he realized what she said was true. There seemed no reason to rush into courting someone when he wouldn’t even be the same species in a couple of months’ time.
“What do you think?” Abigail called as she stepped out for them to see. “Does it fit?”
“Oh, my!” Elizabeth exclaimed, her thin fingers covering her mouth. “You look… exquisite. Really, darling, I’ve never seen anyone lovelier in all of my long, long life.”
His mother was right; his sister did look beautiful. Christian wasn’t sure she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Visions of the blonde beauty continued to come to mind. But she was gorgeous. “You look divine, Abigail,” he said.
She smiled at each of them, tears in her eyes, and then said, “I should take it off before I ruin it. Thank you, Mother.” Darting back behind the screen, she began to hum a hymn as she took the gown off. Christian continued to grin, glad that his sister was so content.
The weight of his mother’s eyes on his face had him looking up again. “Two months may seem like quite a lengthy amount of time for now, but believe me, it is like nothing compared to all of my days. Soon enough, you’ll see, time isn’t quite measurable the way you’re used to once you have a never ending supply of it.”
Christian nodded, not quite understanding what she was saying, though he got the gist of it. “I’m ready, Mother. I’m ready to join you.”
“I know, and you shall soon enough. Though there are not many Vampires in our area now, thanks to your father’s fine hunting skills, he is already arranging to take you elsewhere to make sure that the Transformation process can begin on your seventeenth birthday. You know his expectations for you are exceedingly high, son. He will demand perfection from you, the way he does from me.”
Her words shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him. Of course, he knew that his father wanted him to be the most powerful Guardian ever to exist, so why wouldn’t he expect the very best from him? Still, there was something intimidating about the way she phrased it. Something… frightening. “I know, Mother,” he said, hoping she didn’t notice when his voice wavered.
If she did, Elizabeth gave no indication. “I only hope that… his demands do not make your life more difficult than it needs to be.” Her eyes flickered away for a second, but when she returned her gaze to his face, she managed a smile.
An eyebrow raised of its own accord. He didn’t quite get what she was saying. He wouldn’t ask for clarification, though, because he knew he’d get none. It was no secret his parents were not happy together. His mother was strong willed and craved her independence. His father demanded she see him as less of a partner and more of a superior. The more he tried to bend her, the more she refused to break. Perhaps they’d be better off going their separate ways, and maybe they would one day, but as long as they had offspring living in their home, Christian knew that wouldn’t happen. Besides, his father was a firm believer in the Bible’s direction that one shouldn’t separate from his wife, no matter how much she longed for her freedom and how badly he yearned for someone more willing to yield.
In some ways, he envied Abigail and her human life. She would be married, have children, enjoy predictability, and eventually, like all humans she’d pass away. He hoped, for her, it would be many years from now, of natural causes. For him, there was no way of knowing where life might take him and everything he might see. He had no way of knowing if he’d be killed by a Hunter with an inaccurate aim or live forever. Perhaps he was making a mistake going through with the Transformation. The thought was fleeting. He’d made up his mind long ago that this was the path for him. Rather, his father had made up his mind, and Christian had accepted his fate. Sixty-seven days from now, he’d see a Vampire for only the third time in his life, and this one would help turn him into a creature all other monsters of its sort would fear for all of eternity.
