Chapter 21
Asking Kian to help him was out of the question. Not only would he refuse, Aaron knew that, if he employed the assistance of another, he would grow to hate that person, laying the blame on them for the action he was too weak to take himself. He understood now why Kian refused to speak to him. Even though they both knew better, he held Aaron responsible for Shannon’s death.
He wouldn’t put this burden on anyone else’s shoulders. He would perform the task he must carry out in order to spare the children of Killarney, and then he would put Ward’s proclamation that he was unable to die to the test. If it proved true, he would go about finding a Hunter who would finish him off. That was a task he was quite certain Kian would be willing to perform.
That day, he went about his typical tasks, as did Aislyn. She even hummed a lullaby as she swept the dust out the door. After dinner, they read the Bible together, though Aislyn refused to touch it, and changed into their night clothes. The kiss goodnight was a long one, but Aaron did not want to remember this as the last kiss with his wife; whatever this creature was, it was not his sweet Aislyn.
She was snoring softly next to him as the night grew long. He did not, and could not, sleep. His hope was that, just as he had with Shannon, he could drive the stake in before she realized what was happening.
As it neared midnight, he quietly arose from bed. Not bothering to change his clothes, he crept outside to retrieve the stake and reentered their home.
Aislyn lay on her back with her hands folded, the same way he had discovered Shannon. She was so beautiful, even though she was not quite herself. Still, he had so many memories of that face, that hair. Doubt began to creep into his mind, and he hesitated. Before he could restore his resolve, her eyes flew open. “Aaron, darling, whatever are you doing?” she asked.
She didn’t sit up completely, and he took this opportunity to climb on top of her, his knees on either side of her hips. “I’m sorry, Aislyn. I know what you are. And I think you know what I am, too. This must end tonight.”
Her eyebrows creased atop her steel gray eyes. “What are you talking about?” she asked, panic beginning to rise in her voice. “Of course, you know who I am. I’m your wife.”
“You’re a Vampire,” he said, his voice as calm as he could force it to be.
“A Vampire?” she repeated. “Darling, that’s ridiculous. I’m your wife. I’m carrying your child. Now, put that down.”
“You’re a Vampire,” he insisted, though he could feel the doubt beginning to creep into his mind. “You’ve become a Dark One.”
“A Dark One? Aaron, my love, you’re dreaming. Put that weapon down now, before you hurt someone.”
Though the room was fairly dark, with only a small fire and a bit of moonlight illuminating the expanse, even under those conditions, he realized her teeth were changing. The more she spoke, the pointier they became. While Aislyn’s words convinced him she was the wife he had known and loved, her teeth revealed her true identity.
“I love you, Aislyn,” he said.
“Aaron, no! Please!” she begged, attempting to free her arms, which were pinned at her sides by his knees.
Before she could break away and escape into the night, Aaron took a deep breath and jammed the stake down into her heart, bracing himself for the shriek he was sure to hear next.
Aislyn’s eyes bulged. She inhaled deeply and then released that last breath, the sound of her exhaling the only noise that escaped her lips.
When the scream did not come, Aaron began to panic. What if he was wrong? What if she really was not a Vampire after all? He checked around the stake and found no blood, a sign she was no human. Frantically, he tore off the bed sheets and began to search her body. If there was an infected spot on her body, he needed to find it.
His initial search turned up nothing, so he lit a lantern and began to check her over again. The fact that she had not turned to ashes made him continue to question what he had done. This time, however, he eventually found it. On her left ankle, on the outside, there was a tiny purplish, black mark. Whether it was Shannon or another Vampire, this was the spot where she had been infected; he was sure of it. He rose and kissed her forehead, and as his lips met her flesh, her body dissolved into a pile of ashes.
There before him on the bed lie the most remarkable sight he’d ever seen. Curled up as if she was sleeping, his tiny baby daughter sat among the ashes. Though she was only in her mother’s womb about five months’ time, she was perfectly formed in every way, and as Aaron carefully lifted her small, lifeless body and cradled her in his arms, he began to weep uncontrollably. Had he done the unthinkable and ended the life of his innocent daughter because of the actions of her mother? Could he have waited a few more months so that his child could be born and then taken care of Aislyn? Her head was crowned with soft black hair; he kissed her cheeks and held her against his chest until she too began to dissolve. Though her face had faded away, Aaron would always remember the angelic child he’d held in his arms.
He released the ashes onto the sheet amidst the remains of Aislyn and then dropped to his knees unable to hold back his tears. He had no idea how he would go on without Aislyn, but he knew in his heart that he had a purpose that was bigger than the life he had intended for himself, that he had the capabilities of turning his pain into hope for others. Where he had stumbled and lost so much, he could protect others and keep their loved ones from ever having to say goodbye.
Tonight, he would mourn the loss of his angelic wife, Aislyn, and their precious daughter, Aarolyn. In the morning, he would rise from the ashes and begin the journey towards his destiny, defending Vampire Hunters and protecting the world against Vampires as a full-fledged Guardian.
