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Chapter 134
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Sunday morning, Leesa walked over to her mom and brother’s apartment. The almost three mile jaunt was the perfect amount of exercise, especially with the brunch her mom was going to be serving. The sun was shining and the temperature had already climbed above freezing. Leesa wore sunglasses to protect her eyes from the glare. By the time she reached the campus gateway she was warm enough to unzip her parka and shove her knit cap into her pocket.
She knew the last few sunny days had melted a considerable amount of snow, but she couldn’t tell by looking at it. A foot of snow looked pretty much the same as two feet, and the tall, soot and dirt spattered snow banks lining every street and sidewalk didn’t seem to have shrunk at all. She had been yearning for snow all winter, but they had gotten far more than she bargained for. Be careful what you wish for, she reminded herself—you just might get it. As she carefully skirted another of the seemingly endless
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 135
A tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice sat at each setting and there was a basket of rolls in the middle of the table.Leesa took the seat at the far end. Bradley sat to her right, with Aunt Janet opposite him. They saved the end nearest the kitchen for their mom, who emerged through the doorway a moment later carrying a spinach quiche in one hand and plate of bacon in the other.“Dig in,” she said. “Don’t wait for me. I’ll be right back.”She returned to the kitchen and came back this time with a big bowl of scrambled eggs and another of hash brown potatoes. After placing the two bowls onto the table, she sat down.“Since Roger’s not here, we’ll save the cinnamon rolls for dessert,” she said jokingly. She grabbed her glass of orange juice and held it up for a toast. “To family,” she said.Everyone clinked classes and then settled in to eat.The food was delicious
Leesa's Advent Chapter 136
Rave laughed. “I know. But the tone is always much hotter when it comes from you.” He kissed the top of her head. “So, is there anything special you want to do today?”Leesa linked her arms around his elbow. “Just being with you is enough for me,” she said. “What about you? Is there something you want to do?Rave nodded. “As a matter of fact, there is.”He swept Leesa up into his arms and started down the path, turning deeper into the Maston settlement when he reached the road. A melted pathway stretched ahead of them. Leesa could have walked beside him, but this was so much more fun, and quicker, too.He carried her past the now barren apple orchard on the far side of the road and several cabins and small houses on the nearer side. When he turned off the pathway into the trees, Leesa was pretty sure she knew where they were headed. She smiled, because it was a place she really liked.The ground
Leesa's Advent Chapter 137
Saturday morning, Leesa and Cali were sitting on Cali’s bed chatting when Caitlin rushed into the room, red-faced and breathing heavily. Her blonde-tipped hair looked like she had started using her curler but had stopped half-way through. One side looked full and fluffy, the other hung close to her head. She was wearing black sweatpants and sandals, with a yellow and white striped pullover shirt that was twisted in the front, as if she’d thrown it on just before leaving her room and hadn’t bothered to take the time to straighten it. Her face was bare of any makeup, which was rare for Caitlin.“Did you guys hear about the serial killers?” she asked excitedly.Leesa looked up worriedly. She hadn’t heard anything about any killings.“Calm down, girl,” Cali said to Caitlin. “You look like you’re about to explode.” She patted the mattress beside her. “Have a seat.”C
Leesa's Advent Chapter 138
“Sit, Stefan.” Ricard’s voice was deep and melodious.Stefan did as he was bid. The wood bench was smooth and comfortable.Richard stepped closer, remaining on his feet.“Someone has been feeding in our territory,” he said.“Yes, my lord. I have sensed it also.”When vampires fed, others of their kind could sense the feeding across great distances, especially vampires as powerful as Ricard and Stefan.“There are two of them, I think, traveling together,” Ricard said. “They have fed four times in the last fortnight.”“Four times, my lord?” This was even more serious than Stefan had known. “I sensed but three. The fourth must have occurred beyond my range to detect it.”“Once, or even twice, I could let pass,” Ricard declared, “thinking they might merely be wanderers passing through. But this is too much. We cannot risk the
Leesa's Advent Chapter 139
When Caitlin left to finish getting dressed and fixing her hair, Leesa and Cali were free to talk about the subject on both their minds—vampires. They each scooted backward on Cali’s bed until their backs rested against the wall.“Do you think it’s vampires doing it?” Cali asked.“I’m not sure. But it sure sounds like it could be.”“I wonder if they’re vampires from Stefan’s coven.”“I don’t know.” Leesa drew one leg up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her shin. “For all we know, Stefan could have done one of the killings himself.”“You really think so?” Cali frowned, clearly troubled by the idea. “He seemed so nice.”Leesa twisted her body around so that she was facing Cali.“Stefan is a vampire, Cali. Never forget that. He drinks blood, sometimes from people. That’s how he survives. A
Leesa's Advent Chapter 140
Shortly before ten o’clock, Leesa left Cali’s room and headed back upstairs. Dominic was coming by at ten and they were going on another road trip. The timing was perfect—she would have plenty of time to talk to him about her vision during the drive.The weather had been unusually warm recently, but today’s forecast called for increasing clouds and colder temperatures arriving later in the day. Leesa donned a red Weston sweatshirt—all she thought she would need for the drive and maybe even outside during midday. She grabbed her parka for later when the temperature dropped and headed out the door. She didn’t know how late they would be gone and it was certain to be cold when the sun began to set.The elevator chimed as she was closing her door. Sandee, one of her neighbors from the far end of the hall stepped out and greeted her with a smile and a hello. Leesa returned the greeting and limped into the elevator. More often than not she
Leesa's Advent Chapter 141
“Having lots of people in the general area creates more psychic noise,” Dominic explained. “The noise reduces the chances of our enemies sensing you even if they happened to be in the vicinity. If we worked somewhere in the middle of nowhere, that would not be the case.”Leesa nodded. What Dominic said made sense. He had clearly been doing a lot of scouting to have found these places. She wondered how many more he had located already.“I understand,” she said.“And in the unlikely event we are sensed,” Dominic added, “having a city nearby gives us a better chance to disappear.”Dominic’s emphasis on caution and safety was an excellent reminder for Leesa just how dangerous what they were doing was. In the excitement of learning new skills, she tended to forget that sometimes. She resolved to try to remember it better.As before, Dominic directed her into a parking area away from the p
Leesa's Advent Chapter 142
They crisscrossed the countryside north of Middletown and Meriden, moving at vampire speed when they knew they would be invisible to human eyes and slowing when traversing more populated areas. By midnight they had covered many square miles, with nothing to show for it so far. Stefan almost hoped the visiting vampires would feed one more time so he would be able to sense their location from a distance. Still, he was not worried. Vampires were a patient species, for what did time matter to those who had eternity? If they did not find their quarry tonight, they would simply resume their hunt again tomorrow night. Eventually, the new vampires would feed, and he would find them.Finally, in an area of woods filled with thick, bare trees, Stefan detected the faint trace of vampire presence. He motioned his companions to a halt. They each raised their chins, listening and sniffing the air.“I sense it as well,” Genevieve said, “but it feels wrong some-how.&
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Serena awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh coffee brewing. She rolled over lazily, reaching out for Raphael, but the space was empty. With eyes still closed, she frowned. Where is that man? That man had probably been out of bed since the crack of dawn, beside himself with nerves for today’s big event, she thought regretfully. They were to be married today. Their lives intertwined for all of eternity. What man wouldn’t have cold feet at the prospect? And they’d known each other such a short time, too. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, and frowned again. She had awakened in the safe house. Last night, she’d killed a man in her own home, and knew she could never go back there ever again. She didn’t care how good the Brethren’s cleanup crew could restore her home. It would never erase the vivid memories and horrors of what had happened there. She and Raphael would have to find themselves a new home, together. Until such time, this place would be it, th
Leesa's Advent Chapter 726
It’s going to be a long day without Raphael, Serena thought, as she washed and dressed. But she carried on. With so many loose ends to tie up, final checks to be made, people and places to coordinate, she scarcely had time to think about anything else. Except for her father. In the quiet moments between the bedlam of planning a wedding, she reflected upon him and her heart ached. She had arranged for a nursing home staffer to drive him and his wheelchair to the Chapel of the Holy Cross for the wedding. They didn’t usually allow weddings there, but somehow, Raphael swayed their decision. Kemuel promised to wheel her father down the aisle beside her, and she loved him instantly for that. But her dream was to have him walk her down that aisle. A sob caught in her throat, and she quickly shook her head to whisk it away. None of that nonsense, Serena. Don’t be greedy. At least he is alive and here to be a part of it all. As the day waxed on to evening, Serena felt unsettled. She hadn’t s
Leesa's Advent Chapter 725
Raphael spent the next few days cloistered with Serena, away from everyone and everything, like a honeymoon before the wedding. But every morning he made creative excuses to tear himself away from her for a little while and work with Fred. To make sure she didn’t visit her father, he dropped her off at her shop first so she could plan a small wedding with Callie and catch up on the mountains of paperwork.The healing sessions with Serena’s father went spectacularly, and with Raphael’s charisma, he convinced the nursing home staff to keep any improvements secret from her. They thought it romantic that he came to help with his fiancée’s father’s rehabilitation. Everyone there rooted for him, amazed at his miraculous awakening. All of the therapists worked their tails off during his therapy sessions, wanting to see their severely stroke-damaged patient beat the odds and walk his daughter down the aisle.On the morning of the fifth day, Raphael got Fred walking without any assistance.“Co
Leesa's Advent Chapter 724
Raphael grabbed her hands. “Do it!” he demanded. He placed them on his temples and spoke to her through their bonded connection. She felt every thought he had had of Sirona over the years straight to the present down their threaded connection. She heard every thought he’d had of her, including every word he had spoken while holding her in his arms at Dr. Chappo’s estate. He sent her everything that filled his heart and soul about her, and finally, at last, she knew.She knew. And knowing was everything to her. He gently brought her hands away from his face, kissing her fingertips as he eased them down, and she took a few steps backward, looking at him as if for the first time. No one before had ever felt about her the way he felt about her, let alone express so strongly all he’d expressed when she’d lain dying in his arms.“You’re in love with me.” She gasped, astonished. Tears welled again in her eyes, but this time, for a very different reason.“Yes.” He took a bold step toward her.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 723
A bundle of nerves, that’s what she’d turned into. Since leaving her father’s, Serena had been nothing but a bundle of nerves, rehearsing over and over again what she would say to Raphael up on the Rock. Looking all around her now, frightening memories kept popping into her mind, making her think that at any moment, Steve or Wheezer were going to jump out and nab her. Unfortunately, she had gotten to the summit way too early, and now paced like a caged bobcat. It had to stop. The bad guys are dead, Serena. Think positive, and let go the past. So, finding a suitable rock to sit on, Serena decided to do a little meditation to soothe her worried heart. “When I see him, I’ll know the right words to say,” she notified the birds. It may sting for a bit, but it’s for the best.****Raphael showed up at the base of the mountain with time to spare, and noticed Serena’s Jeep already parked. Perfect, he thought. He checked his pocket for the millionth time, making sure the ring box hadn’t fallen
Leesa's Advent Chapter 722
Raphael watched Serena leave the nursing home from behind one of the bushes in the front. She seems in good spirits, he thought. Only when he saw her disappear down the street did he dare to venture out of his hiding place. He walked into the nursing home and headed straight to the reception desk.“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Sikes.” He smiled amiably at the receptionist.“Wow, two visitors in one day. Fred’s a lucky guy. Sign in right here, please. You’ll sign out before you leave. Take this badge so we know you belong here. Room 103 is down the hall, make a left, and he’s at the end on the left.”He looked at her name tag, and winked. “Thanks so much, Judy.”Walking down the hall, he found himself fidgeting with the badge in his hand. Am I actually nervous? Hell yeah! Raphael, the man, is about to meet the father of the woman he loves. Raphael, the man, is about to ask for this guy’s daugh
Leesa's Advent Chapter 721
Great! Just great! There’s a leak in my bedroom ceiling. Wait a minute, that’s not right. I’m not in my bedroom. I’m locked away in Dr. Chappo’s house. She remembered more. Being bound to a gurney, her body broken and dying. But I’m not lying on a gurney now, and I actually feel great. How could she be dying and still feel great? And what’s with the rain shower on my face? Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.It was raining. Angel’s tears. Raphael’s tears, to be exact.She lay in his arms, and from the way he shuddered and sobbed, she thought maybe he didn’t know she lived. To be honest with herself, she’d only realized this fact just a few moments before. Iridescent wings were outstretched and trembling though no breeze made them flutter so.She gently raised her hand to caress his cheek and whispered softly. “Shh…there now, Raphael, shh. It’s all right. I’m ok
Leesa's Advent Chapter 720
Raphael noticed a knob on the box. It made sense to dial it to its lowest setting. He followed the tubing to its clamp on Serena’s side and decided to completely clamp it off. Now, no more blood could flow. But he still needed to get the needle out of her arm. He found gauze and tape on the tray stand and proceeded to extrude the catheter from her arm carefully so as not to injure her. He replaced it securely with the gauze and tape. His hands shook. I can’t fall apart like this right now! He quickly shrugged off the threat of paralyzing fear.“Hey, Raphael, this guy says his name is Steve. Isn’t that the name of one of guys who assaulted Serena?” Gabriel asked.“Yes, yes it is,” he said through gnashed teeth. Rage filled him and he clenched his fists, trying to gain some semblance of control. “Bind him, tightly. Make sure he can see Dr. Chappo. I’d like him to see what happens to assholes like him when they choose
Leesa's Advent Chapter 719
Searing hot pain shot like lightning throughout every inch of Serena’s body. Well, every inch she could feel, which left her very disturbed indeed, because she couldn’t feel anything past her waist. She could barely breathe without severe pain ripping through her chest and back. She knew what that meant—broken ribs. But what about her legs? Where were they? And why did her wrists feel shackled? Oh, dear God! What’s become of me? Her shallow breaths quickened. Her heart raced and fought for freedom behind her aching chest. Tears burst through her closed eyes and flowed untapped down the sides of her face.A voice sliced through the whooshing sound in her ears. A voice she knew all too well, and had come to despise with every molecule in her being.“Uh, Doc, I think she’s coming ’round. What do you want me to do?” Steve asked.“Hmm? Oh, nuffin. Nuffin, Seeve. Jus’ keep watchin’,” Dr. Chappo sl
