She is Fatal to Death (Standalone Story)

Chapter 46 (Dance With Death)

Renata

Her heart stopped racing and started sinking when Tahoma didn't answer right away. She naively hoped he would say only a couple of months or even a year at most. "Tahoma?" She repeated, unable to stand the suspense any longer.

He swallowed and placed a kiss on her temple. "Priya, it's been a little over fifteen years for them."

It took her a while to register the number itself. The air froze in her throat, matching the cold yet hot waves washing through her from head to toe. "Fifteen years?" The answer tasted rotten on her tongue. Wrong. "We were only gone two days, if that." But it made sense, perfect sense. When she'd lingered longer than a moment, when she lingered for only a minute or two more, she was gone for months. Of course days means far too many years.

"I'm so sorry." She didn't understand why he was apologizing. "You've endured so much already, for all of us, the last thing you deserve is this kind of news."

The back of her eyes and throat burned with devastation. "It's not your fault." She sniffled. "None of this is your fault."

"Or yours," he added.

She looked down at her chest to see she was dressed in fresh clothes. She could still feel the echo of pain from her heart being ripped out, though it was more memory than actual pain. Tahoma pressed a palm over the spot, and she wished she could take his guilt away. "How did you know it would work?"

She cringed, not wanting to admit the truth. "I just did...and didn't. My mind was a mess."

Tahoma nodded along. "I could tell I was losing you. It's like you were turning into a completely different person. This hollow shell filled with one single purpose."

She wasn't in the mood to discuss that traumatic moment just yet, at least not any further. She reached up to clasp some of his locks between her fingers. "Humanity doesn't look so bad on you, you know."

He smiled, pretending to be self conscious. "I hope your attraction for me hasn't lessened just because I'm not a sexy vampire anymore."

Renata appreciated that he could always keep pace with her. "Of course not. Don't worry." She leaned in so their lips nearly touched. It was eclectic as their eyes flitted between contact and studying the rest of each other's faces. "The attraction is still very much there, supernatural or not." They kissed, savoring each other once more, as though it was impossible for them to get their fill of this passion but would relish in trying.

She reluctantly pulled back, satisfied when she saw his lips were just a tad bit swollen. She imagined she didn't look much different. "Where are we? Where are Rocio and Diamond?"

He sighed, though it was a lighter sound. "We're actually in their home. They settled into a town nearby the bunker. I only saw a little on our way in, but it's really nice here. Definitely not like how we remember," His eyes turned distant for the shortest moment. "I'm still a bit shocked myself that it's been so long."

The reminder sent her mind back into chaos. "I want to see them."

Tahoma pulled away from their embrace but kept his hand on her. "I should warn you, they aren't the same people. I mean, they're not strangers, but..."