after life | Page 4

d on’t w ant t h at,” I a nsw ere d. E ve ry w ord I s p oke fe lt lik e
b lo od b ein g s q ueeze d fro m m y h eart . “ B ut I k n ow it ’s w hat L u ca s w ould w ant.” D id n’t lo vin g s o m eone m ean p uttin g t h eir
w is h es fir s t, e ve n w it h s o m eth in g a s t e rrib le a s t h is ?
Balt h aza r s h ook h is h ead. “ D on’t d o it .”
“Y ou s o und v e ry s u re .” I t rie d t o s a y it c a lm ly . S till, I w as s o a ngry a t B alt h aza r t h at I c o uld h ard ly lo ok a t h im ; h e’d
b ro ught L u ca s in to t h e b attle a gain st C harit y , e ve n t h ough h e k n ew L u ca s w as n um b w it h g rie f a nd u nable t o fig ht a t h is
b est. I t fe lt lik e L u ca s’s d eath w as a s m uch h is fa ult a s C harit y ’s . “ A re y o u ju st t e llin g m e w hat I w ant t o h ear? ”
Balt h aza r fro w ned. “ W hen h ave I e ve r d one t h at? B ia nca , lis te n t o m e. I f y o u’d a ske d m e t h e d ay b efo re I b eca m e a
v a m pir e w heth er I ’d w ant t o ris e a s u ndead, I w ould h ave s a id n o.”
“Y ou w ould s till s a y n o, if y o u h ad t h e c h ance . I f y o u c o uld g o b ack . W ould n’t y o u?” I d em anded.
That c a ught h im o ff g uard . “ W e a re n’t o nly t a lk in g a bout m e. T hin k a bout y o ur p are nts . A bout P atric e , a nd R anulf , t h e
o th er v a m pir e s y o u k n ow . W ould t h ey re ally b e b ette r o ff ro ttin g in t h eir g ra ve s
? ”
Som e v a m pir e s w ere o ka y, w ere n’t t h ey? T hat w as t ru e o f m ost o f t h e o nes I ’d e ve r k n ow n. M y p are nts h ad k n ow n
c e ntu rie s o f h appin ess a nd lo ve t o geth er. L u ca s a nd I c o uld h ave t h at, m ayb e. I k n ew h e h ate d t h e id ea o f b ein g a
v a m pir e — b ut o nly t w o s h ort y e ars a go, h e’d h ate d a ll v a m pir e s w it h b lin d, u nth in kin g p re ju dic e . H e’d c o m e s o fa r s o
q uic k ly ; s u re ly h