Chapter 9
Gwen's eyes snapped open. She awakened as vampires do; all at once, with the world crashing down on her slumber like a roof caving in. She looked up at the familiar ceiling of her room in the palace at Tamlin and sat up suddenly, fighting down concern. She didn't know how she had gotten here. As she sat up there was a pull on her arm and when she looked down there was a needle stuck in it. It was attached to a rubber tube and at the other end was a bottle of blood. She vaguely recognized it as medical equipment for vampires who had been injured in battle.
Seeing the bottle and realizing she had been injured brought her memories crashing back. Abby, Will, and the Wager. The last thing she remembered was raising her sword to the crowd and basking in their adoration. The duel itself was a complete blank. But if she was here, and she was receiving medical care. It could only mean...
She had lost. Will had beaten her. She had lost Abby.
She felt a wave of despair rising from her chest, enveloping her head. Her throat and eyes started to burn. She started to drown in her complete and utter failure. She had lost her. The most beautiful, wonderful creature she had ever...
"Gwen!" said Carla.
She looked up in time to see Carla barreling toward her. Then Carla's arms were around her, pressing her close. Gwen squeezed back and all at once her despair evaporated like blood exposed to the sun, burned away in an instant by the warmth of Carla's affection.
"Carla," said Gwen, holding her beloved childe close.
Carla broke the hug and smiled down at her with a big smile. Carla's smiles were usually restrained, rarely showing her teeth, but right now the simple prospect of seeing Gwen awake had put the most dazzling smile on Carla's face. A smile just for her.
"I missed you so much," said Carla. Then she leaned over and kissed her.
Gwen sank into the feel of her lips, the press of their bodies together. She could sense the blood of her childe singing with her own. The surge of joy she felt at her presence was overwhelming.
They broke the kiss and Gwen still had her eyes closed. She sniffed and one of the tears of thousands that had been gathering escaped her eye.
Carla touched her face, wiping it away.
"What's wrong?"
"I lost, didn't I?"
Gwen opened her eyes to see Carla nodding seriously, "Yes. Yes you did. But it's fine."
"Its fine?"
"Yeah. I've seen Will and Abby a few times since you... you all got back and Abby seems really happy. Will explained what happened and to be honest the whole thing sounded a little ridiculous to me. If Abby liked Will, why would you try and keep them apart?"
"What?"
"That's what Will told me, that they started having feelings for each other but you wouldn't release Abby to him."
The conversation had taken on a surreal quality to Gwen. What Carla was saying didn't match up to what she remembered, but with Carla in front of her, the way she had acted with Abby seemed completely insane. And then she couldn't even remember the duel. Gwen didn't know if what she remembered was real or what Carla was telling her was real.
Gwen struggled for a moment, trying to put into words feelings she couldn't really trust or define.
"I... I didn't want to let her go."
"Was it because you hate the Savons so much? I can see where that's coming from. I really can. But Will isn't like that. You must have known he'd treat her well."
"Yeah I... yeah you're right. I got... I got carried away," said Gwen.
Carla shook her head, "Try not to do that in the future, okay? I... I really could have used you around the last few weeks."
"It's been weeks?"
"Yes. two weeks. And a lot's happened... Gwen, I ... so..." Carla trailed off. She looked as lost as Gwen.
"What's wrong?"
"Okay... nothing's wrong per se... not anymore. It's just that while you were out... the Savons came for me."
"Oh god are you okay? "
"I am, but Elaine... she..." Carla trailed off, at a loss for words once again.
"No..." Gwen felt despair rising again. Elaine was dead. The Savons had murdered her while Gwen had been sleeping. She had failed the people she was sworn to protect. Gwen vowed to find every Savon she could and cut them into...
"Hey there, grandma," said Elaine.
Gwen looked up and Elaine was standing in the doorway. She looked beautiful in an impeccable silver and blue dress that brought out her eyes, her very pale, very bright eyes. Elaine had always been pale but now her skin was luminous. She smiled a very confident, very self satisfied smile and Gwen saw her fangs.
Gwen stared, despair and vows of vengeance disintegrating into total, mind numbing shock.
"What is happening?"
...
"...So I told Nikola just to let them go," said Carla.
"I still can't believe you did that," Said a Elaine, "Those fuckers deserve to burn for what they tried to do."
"I know, but it worked didn't it?" said Carla, "We haven't heard a peep from the Savons since. And I swear the ones we do run into are actually nice to us now."
"Yeah I guess. But still, turning the other cheek was never my thing."
Gwen didn't say anything. She was numb from the story Carla had told her.
Carla and Elaine both looked at her, concerned "You okay?"
"I failed you."
"What?"
"I should have been there to protect you. I should have been the one rescuing you. But it was Will. Of all people."
Carla took her hand, "No, no this was my fault. I left the palace. I let Sophia get to me and I just had to get away. I put us all in danger because I was too immature..."
"Oh my god will you two stop?" said Elaine.
They both looked at Elaine, who had pulled up a chair and was sitting next to the bed.
"I can not go through this again. Carla was moping for a week about how this was all her fault. Who cares? Sure, you both fucked up. It happens. Gwen was stupid about a girl and Carla let grandma wind her up. But it all worked out fine. If you two hadn't been idiots Abby wouldn't be with Will, Carla wouldn't have her magic back, and, most importantly, I wouldn't be a vampire. There were so many ways this all could have gone horribly, horribly wrong. But thanks to Carla being a total badass, everything worked out great. Can we just all acknowledge Carla saved our asses, skip the guilt and move onto the happy reunion? Save the misery for when something bad actually happens."
Gwen's rising guilt and self recrimination shattered against Elaine's exasperation. She looked at Carla, who had a small half smile, "She does have a point."
Elaine nodded, looking very pleased with herself, "Of course I have a point. I'm the queen of fuckups so I know what I'm talking about. Now..."
Elaine got up and sat on the bed next to them and Gwen felt a ripple of calm and desire wash over her. With a shock, she realized Elaine was using the Painted Eyes on her. Instinctively she started to fight the manipulation. It wouldn't have been hard to resist; Elaine's power was strong for one so young but it was a trickle compared to what Gwen could do. But then Elaine smiled at her and touched her face and her resistance melted away.
"... why don't I go grab the bottle of blood wine I've been holding onto for just this occasion, and the absolutely delicious laundress I've been getting to know, and we can have the wonderful family reunion I've been dreaming about for the last two weeks."
Then Elaine leaned down and kissed Gwen. Gwen made a shocked noise and Elaine used her surprise to touch the tip of their tongues together. Gwen shuddered as pins and needles traveled over her body.
Then Elaine leaned over and kissed Carla. Based on the muffled moan Carla made, their kiss was just as intense.
Then without another word, Elaine got up and walked out of the room.
Gwen and Carla looked at each other.
"Holy shit," said Gwen.
"I know," said Carla. It was half a groan.
"What the hell?"
"She's been like that ever since I turned her. It's been driving me crazy. I can't tell if she's the perfect vampire or the worst one."
"What are we going to do?"
"I have no idea. According to her we both need to loosen up."
Carla smiled and Gwen smiled back.
Carla pushed her hair back, "I really missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Yeah? Abby didn't..? No, sorry I said I wasn't going to do this. We don't need jealousy. It's like you said; what happens with humans doesn't have anything to do with us."
Gwen remembered telling Carla that her first night with Elaine, but what had happened between her and Abby felt different to her. It felt like she had betrayed Carla even though she couldn't say how.
"I'm sorry. I really did get a little... carried away. She was so... so sad and lost. I just wanted to make her happy."
"Sounds like you. Always trying to make everyone happy. I think she's happy now."
Gwen felt a small surge of irritation that Abby had found happiness with someone else, but it was a faint echo of before, drowned out by the presence of the woman in front of her.
"Good. That's good, but you're my childe. We're forever."
Gwen leaned forward and kissed her again. And there was a comfort to her lips, the feel of her body, that told Gwen she was home.
...
Gwen couldn't stop staring at Abby. She knew she shouldn't be. Carla was sitting there, right next to her, so she didn't need to think about Abby anymore. But she couldn't help it. Abby's skin was still that beautiful nut brown, but now it shined like burnished wood and her acne scars had disappeared. Her auburn hair had the same shine as her skin and her big grey eyes had darkened slightly, becoming the color of approaching storm clouds. More than just how she looked, there was a poise and confidence that hadn't been there before. Abby didn't look anything like Elaine, but what they shared was an absolute satisfaction with what they had become.
Carla raised a glass, "Congratulations you two!"
Lily and Caroline raised their glasses as well. Gwen did the same about five seconds too late. Abby laughed and looked down and Will gave a similarly abashed grin.
They were all at the Dorian together a few weeks after Gwen had come out of Languor. They had come out to watch Elaine's first public performance since she had been blooded. They had invited Will to come along and he had accepted enthusiastically, adding that he had a surprise for them all as well. Gwen had barely been able to contain her shock when she saw Abby with Will, now a full blooded member of house Savon.
