In the eyes of the Elders, Thayde was an abomination. But the only reason anyone thought that was because it hadn’t been done before. Thayde was extremely powerful, retaining all his powers as a merman and his new ones as a vampire. Not only was he able to swim at a sonic level, but now he could fly it as well. He didn’t break and he was incredibly strong. He did become Superman, in a sense.
A few days after my change, I watched Thayde’s initiation as the vampire leader. Flynn stayed by his side the entire time. The reverence with which the vampires held Thayde was awe-inspiring. They immediately accepted him. Thayde was born to rule and his immediate changes brought an end to much of the squabbling and disputes on both sides. With a renewed sense of being, Flynn stopped wishing for death and looked forward to the new life he had been given.
With Thayde’s permission, I blessed the several hundred gathered at his initiation. It allowed for an extended life of up to five hundred years. It was decreed illegal – one punishable by death – to kill a merperson for their blood.
The Blessing caused an uproar within the mermaid community, but it was the only way to stop the attacks and gain a truce. With the law in place, both sides could begin to heal. Our word was law and so it was done. It only took a few weeks for the merpeople to realize the changes were for the best and they begrudgingly settled into a new era. Gavran’s ability to bring peace and calm made him a fantastic ambassador and he settled into the role easily.
It was funny to think of a vampire and merman as best friends, but it worked well. Flynn and Gavran were perfect in their roles and the fact that they like each other, worked out to everyone’s benefit. It looked as if life would go on, despite the deaths and upheaval. But there was just one more thing I had to take care of.
“Do you hate me?”
Tiesa and I sat on the bench where we first met. I remembered being shocked at how open and at ease with the world she seemed. I had always admired that about her. Tiesa spoke her mind when she wanted and it was always the truth.
“I don’t hate you.”
“But you don’t like me?”
She turned to me, fidgeting with the heavy charm bracelet hanging around her wrist.
“Of course I like you,” she said.
“Then what is it, Tiesa? You told me you hated vampires. Do you still hate them?”
“Yes,” she admitted, turning her eyes back to the sea. “They took my mother from me. They left my father alone to raise Fallyn and me.”
I sighed. She had every right to feel the way she did, but where did it leave our friendship?
“I’m half vampire now,”
“I know,”
“There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“I know,” she repeated.
“So what happens now? Do you still want to be friends?”
When she turned to me, she had tears in her eyes.
“Of course I still want to be friends, you idiot!” A laugh escaped her and she wiped her eyes. “You’re the best friend I ever had. It’s just different. I don’t hate you. I love you.”
I returned her smile. “I was worried.”
“You don’t have to worry. It will be a little strange when you’re still nineteen and I’m like, eighty, but…” she trailed off, her shoulders shaking as a little sob escaped.
“I’m sorry,” I said, suddenly understanding what was happening. She was in mourning, in a sense. Her friend had died and now there was this new friend – one that wouldn’t die of old age. One that couldn’t die by natural means.
“It’s okay. I’ll get used to it, I suppose.” She wiped another tear. “I guess I should be glad to know that my children’s children will always be safe with you around.”
“That’s one way to look at it,” I agreed.
“And I’ll never have to go to your funeral.”
“I suppose that’s good,”
“And you’ll have your family.” Her sentence ended quickly and she stood. “I’ll get used to it.”
Pushing myself to my feet, I dug my toes into the soft sand. It was a beautiful day in Florida, as usual.
“We should get something to eat. Seaweed sounds good.” Tiesa was finished with the subject.
“I hate seaweed, you know that.”
“Yeah, I know that.” She put her arm around me, a sly smile about her face. “You haven’t changed that much.”
It was true. I hadn’t.
Lars and Aletheia were married in a double wedding with Tiesa and Ezen on the lawn at Tammer’s home. In his will, Tammer had left the property to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to live there. The memories of my family were too painful. Naira’s little voice seemed to echo in the hallways and I ended up giving Aletheia and Lars the property as a wedding present. Lars was in love with the three horses that had survived and promised to care for them like they were his babies.