28. Chapter 28

Rowan

I blink awake, momentarily disoriented. Sounds of life filter into my room – the lawnmower in the neighbor's yard, voices in the distance. It's daytime, and panic grips me as I feel a warm body next to mine.

Darick!

My heart races as I remember the events of last night, the joy of finding him alive, battling with the sudden fear for his safety.

I twist onto my side, then exhale a relieved breath. He's still there, peaceful and unharmed. The room is blissfully dark, the heavy curtains doing their job.

Oh, thank God!

I prop myself up on one elbow, drinking in the sight of him. Darick's face is relaxed in sleep, all the guardedness gone. It's strange to see him like this – vulnerable, almost…human. His chest rises and falls with steady breaths, a rhythm I never noticed before. Has he always breathed in his sleep?

My fingers itch to trace the lines of his face, but I resist, not wanting to wake him. Instead, I marvel at how different he looks. The sharp angles of his features seem softer in the low light, and there's a hint of color in his cheeks that I don't remember from before.

"What happened to you?" I whisper. So many questions swirl in my mind, but for now, I'm content to simply watch him sleep, savoring this moment of peace after everything we've been through.

I slip out of bed, careful not to disturb Darick, as I reach for my soft robe and drape it around me. My bare feet pad silently across the cool wooden floor as I make my way to the kitchen. The familiar routine of making tea settles me, my hands moving on autopilot while my mind whirls.

The kettle's whistle pierces the morning quiet, and I wince, glancing back toward the closed bedroom door. No sound comes from behind it. I pour the steaming water over the tea leaves, watching as the color seeps out, staining the water a rich amber.

Cup in hand, I step out onto the patio. The air is crisp, carrying the scent of dew and early morning. I wrap my free arm around myself, suddenly aware of how thin my robe is in the cool air.

The sky is just beginning to lighten, gold, orange, and bronze blending into the fading darkness. I take a sip of tea, letting the warmth spread through me. It's strange how normal this feels – standing here, watching the sunrise – when just yesterday, the thought of sunlight filled me with terror.

I close my eyes, remembering that heart-stopping moment in that room, the sunlight seeping across the floor toward Darick. The panic, the certainty that I was about to lose him forever. My hand tightens around the mug.

But he's here. Alive. Sleeping peacefully in my bed as if nothing happened.

I open my eyes, watching as the sun slowly climbs higher, bathing everything in a soft, golden light. For the first time in what feels like forever, I allow myself to relax. There's still so much to deal with, but for now, I let myself sink into the peace of this moment.

It's a moment that ends abruptly.

I nearly drop my mug as warm arms encircle my waist from behind. Lips graze the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. For a second, I almost lean into the embrace, savoring the feeling of safety and comfort.

Then reality crashes in.

I whirl around, my heart hammering. "Darick! What are you—?"

The words die in my throat as I take in the sight before me. Darick stands there, a soft smile on his face, his skin glowing in the morning light. Sunlight. My eyes widen in horror as I realize the danger he's in.

"Oh, my God!" I gasp, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him back inside. "We need to get you out of the sun! How did you—? Why aren't you—?" I can't even form a coherent sentence, panic overwhelming me.

But Darick doesn't budge. His smile grows wider as he gently takes my hand, stopping my frantic attempts to drag him to safety.

"Rowan," he says softly, his voice gentle. "It's okay. Look."

I pause, really looking at him for the first time. His skin isn't burning. There's no smoke, no sign of pain or discomfort. He's standing in direct sunlight, and he's…fine?

What the hell is going on?

"I don't understand," I whisper, reaching up to touch his face. His skin is warm, warmer than I've ever felt it. "How is this possible? You're a vampire. You can't be in the sun! Or…" I pause. "Is this…is this because you're ancient?"

Darick takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine as he shakes his head. "I gave it up, beautiful."

I feel my eyebrows pull together, still afraid that at any moment, he's going to go up in flames. "Gave it up? Gave what up?"

"Immortality," he says simply, reaching up to stroke my cheek.

My mouth drops open. "You what?"

"I'm not afraid of the sun because I'm no longer a vampire. I'm mortal. Just like you." He pauses as he says it, his eyes searching my face as if looking for something.

"Mortal," I repeat. "You mean you're not going to live forever?"

Duh, Rowan, that's what mortal means.

"I'm going to live as long as I need to. With you. If…if you'll have me." There's the faintest hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"But…but why?" I ask, not realizing I'm not answering his question.

"Because I want to do this," he waves a hand at the sky, "with you every day. And I want to watch the sun set with you, too. And see our children playing out in the daylight."

"Children?" I choke out the word. I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"You don't want children?"

"Of course I want children!" I'm still stupefied, and he's confusing me even more. "But…but…" I shake my head stupidly. "But I don't understand. How?"

"It was my choice." His lips quirk up. "To give it all up to save you. When I gave you the pendant, I gave you my lifetimes. All of them. It was in the prophecy."

I stare at Darick, trying to process his words. My mind whirls with questions, but I can't seem to form them into rational sentences. Finally, I manage to ask, "What do you mean by ‘prophecy'?"

Darick takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. "There was an ancient prophecy, Rowan. It spoke of a vampire who would give up his immortality for a witch of your bloodline. The pendant…it contained a powerful spell tied to this prophecy. There's a lot more to the story, and I'm sure your grandmother will tell you when the time is right."

Gran. I should have known she had a hand in this.

I gnaw on my lip for a moment. "And you…you chose this? For me?"

He nods, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "I faced a choice: my vampire existence or a mortal life with you. The weight of centuries, Rowan…the endless goodbyes, watching everyone I cared about age and die while I remained unchanged. I stopped feeling love a dozen lives ago. I was ready for a change. Ready for you."

My heart races as I begin to grasp the magnitude of what he's done. "But why? Why would you give up everything for me?"

Darick cups my face in his hands, his touch warm and alive. "Because in all my years, I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. The prophecy would only allow this transformation if the right vampire gave his life for one of your lineage. I wasn't entirely sure it had worked until I walked out into the sunshine with you just now."

I lean into his touch, overwhelmed by the depth of his decision and its implications. "So you're really…human now?"

He nods, wonder in his eyes. "Mortal, just like you. And I've never felt more alive."

Suddenly, I notice a flicker of worry in his expression. His usual confidence seems to waver, and for the first time since I've known him, Darick looks…afraid.

"Rowan," he goes on, "I need to know. Now that I'm…mortal, is this what you want? I'm not the powerful vampire you first knew. I'm just a man now."

My heart aches at the doubt in his voice. I reach up, cupping his face in my hands, once again, marveling at the warmth of his skin.

"Darick," I say softly, "I fell in love with you, not the vampire Lord Drake. Your strength, your bravery, your infuriating relentlessness – those are the things I love about you. And those haven't changed."

I see hope flicker in his eyes, but there's still a shadow of doubt. I continue, pouring my heart into my words.

"I love you, Darick. Vampire or human, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we're together. You gave up eternity for me – how could I not want you?"

Darick's eyes shine with emotion. He pulls me closer until we're standing nose to nose. "I love you, Rowan Blackwood," he says, his voice thick with feeling.

My heart soars at his words. We're so close that our breaths mingle. "And I love you, Darick Drake." Hearing myself say it still shakes me…because it's true.

And then our lips meet and it feels different from before – warmer, more alive. I melt into it, savoring the warmth of his lips and the gentle pressure of his hands on my waist. When we finally part, I can't help but smile up at him, my heart full of love and hope.

Once more, we turn to face the rising sun, Darick's arm wrapped securely around me. The world seems brighter somehow, more vibrant. I lean my head against his shoulder, amazed at how quickly everything has changed.

"So," I say, breaking the comfortable silence, "what do we do now?"

Darick chuckles softly. "Well, I suppose we have quite a few people to talk to."

I groan, thinking of the insanity that awaits us. "My family is going to freak out. Again."

"I imagine they will," Darick agrees. "But I think they'll come around once they understand what's happened."

I nod, and then another thought strikes me. "What about the vampires? How will they react to…this?" I gesture vaguely at his sun-kissed skin.

Darick's expression grows serious. "That's going to be complicated. I'll need to step down from my position, of course. There will likely be power struggles, especially with Lucien still out there. Marcus will step in. He's a good man. A leader. I have faith in him. But still…"

"You'll regret leaving it behind?" I watch his face for signs of remorse. I find none.

"No. It's been so long that I've been going through the motions. Hating the tedium. There'll be fallout, though."

"We'll face it together," I assure him, squeezing his hand.

His eyes soften as he looks at me. "I know," he agrees. "My woman is a powerful witch. I'm not afraid of anything.

We stand in silence for a moment, watching the sun climb higher. Then I voice the thought that's been nagging at me since I woke up.

"We need to find Mia," I say quietly.

Darick nods, his expression determined. "We will. Now that I'm no longer bound by vampire politics and not afraid of you being targeted because of me, we can focus all our efforts on finding her."

I feel a surge of hope at his words. With Darick by my side, it feels like anything is possible.

"It's not going to be easy," I muse.

"No, it won't be. But we've already overcome so much. I'm pretty sure we're unstoppable."

"Especially if we have Gran on our side."

He chuckles. "The woman is something else. I have a feeling she's invincible. It's probably where you get it from."

I grin in response. "You never would have said that if you'd known me a few months ago. You would have thought I was too stupid to live." I pull a face. "Going to that club alone was probably right up there with the worst of my bad decisions."

His chest rises and falls as he laughs at me. "You really have a way with words, little witch."

"Doesn't mean it isn't true, though," I grumble, trying not to look back over some of my spectacularly foolish moments.

"Rowan, you don't get to be who you are without taking chances." He leans down and nips at my earlobe. "But let me promise you now that if you ever do anything like that again, I will be spanking that pretty ass of yours until you can't sit for a week."

"Oh, really?" I glance back at him over my shoulder. "You know, I kinda like that idea."

There's another warm wave of laughter that ripples through me. "Oh beautiful, I think we're going to get along very well."

I turn in his arms and slide my hands up his chest, then lock them behind his neck. "You mean better than last night?"

"That was just the tip of the iceberg," he murmurs, his mouth hovering near mine. "Just wait until—"

His words are cut off by the sound of rapid footsteps as Kara comes racing down the path to my cottage. She skids to a halt, her eyes widening as she spots Darick standing with me in the sunlight.

"What the…?" Kara stammers, her gaze darting between us. "What are you…? Are you…? Shit…holy fucking shit!"

I step forward, trying to calm her down. "Kara, I can explain—"

But she's too worked up, waving her hands frantically. "No, no, explain later. This is… I can't even… Look, we don't have time for this right now."

I exchange a worried glance with Darick.

"Kara, what's going on?" he says.

She takes a deep breath, her eyes shining with a mix of excitement and disbelief. "When they went through that building, they found maps, documents, and they think they know what they mean." She's so breathless that she puts a hand to her chest and stops speaking for a second.

Impatience bubbles in my chest because I sense that whatever she has to say is going to be life-changing. "What do they mean, Kara? Spit it out!"

Her eyes are huge as she answers me, the words running into each other. "They found her, Ro! They found Mia!"

The End