“Hope I didn’t make you lose your beauty sleep, Spade.”
The acid in my voice didn’t dissuade him. He waved a hand.
“Not at all. Put Crispin in a better mood, I daresay. He’s been such a foul-tempered sod lately.”
Which brought up a question I’d been wondering. “Where is Bones?”
“Fetching Mencheres. Can’t tell you from where, of course, just in case you catch a nap before the big event tonight. He’ll be gone for hours.”
Oh. I understood, but I wished I’d seen him before he left. With how bad things had been between us, I was greedy for more time with Bones now that they were better.
“Thanks for bringing me breakfast,” I said.
“No trouble. Now I’m off to get my own breakfast.”
With Spade gone, I debated over what to do with myself for the next few hours. Eating and showering would only take up so much time. Maybe I should notify some people about what I was about to do.
I could call Denise. But then again, Denise didn’t need reminders about vampires in her life right now. After Randy’s brutal death, it had been too much for Denise to see Spade making a mess out of that man’s head at the rodeo bar. I’d tell Denise once it was over. That way she wouldn’t have to worry about something going wrong. Giving her one less thing to worry about sounded like the least I could do as her friend.
Next I considered calling my uncle, but then I decided against it. Don’s first words wouldn’t be congratulations, even though it was something he probably knew was inevitable.
I certainly wasn’t going to call my mother. I already knew everything she’d say, and the words “don’t do it!” would factor in repeatedly. What was nice was that no matter how much she’d hate this—and she would loathe it to the bone, no question—it wouldn’t mean the end of our relationship. I couldn’t have said the same years ago.
I should call Vlad and tell him his offer to sire me wasn’t needed. Somehow I didn’t think that would surprise him. But even as I was about to pick up the phone, I thought of another person I wanted to speak to.
I shut the door and knelt by the bed. Hi, Lord, it’s Catherine. Been a while, I know…
I heard Bones come in the house. He asked Spade where I was, then his long, booted stride headed toward the parlor I’d met him in yesterday. I’d been on the couch reading, not wanting to inadvertently learn my location by watching TV and seeing a local channel. I rose when Bones walked in, taking in his appearance. He wore black pants, a short-sleeved black shirt, and black shoes. Dark colors looked great on him. They made his skin even more incandescent by comparison.
“Very appropriate,” I noted, to cover up any butterflies in my stomach. “You look like the perfect Grim Reaper.”
He stared at me for so long that I cleared my throat. “Okay, it was a bad joke…”
“Are you certain about this, Kitten? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“I want this.” And I did. I was ready.
Bones walked over to me with a slow, leashed grace, stopping when he was only inches away. He took my hands, bringing them to his lips. His eyes never left mine.
“You decide when. We can wait until later. There’s no rush.”
I’d been gearing up for this all day. Waiting wouldn’t make me more ready, so there was no time like the present.
“Now. Should, ah, we go somewhere else to do this?”
“Here is fine.”
I glanced around the room. It didn’t look secure to me, considering the humans nearby, but I didn’t expect I’d stay long here after…well, after dying. I wondered how long I’d be dead. If death would be like dreaming, or if I’d not be aware of anything until my eyes opened again. Only one way to find out.
“All right.”
I’d seen people being turned when Bones changed Tate and Juan, so I knew what to expect, but seeing it and being the one it was happening to felt worlds apart. My heart began to thump. Guess that would only help in this case.
Bones’s eyes went green, fangs extending from his teeth. He smoothed my hair back, holding me close next to him. I closed my eyes as he leaned down, touching his cheek to mine. His skin was cool. Soon I’d be the same temperature.
“It’s normal to be nervous, but there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Bones whispered. “I’ve done this many, many times, and at no point will you be going anywhere beyond my reach.”
The reassurance was helpful. One doesn’t stare death in the face and just give it the finger, no matter the circumstances.
“Are you ready, Kitten?”