Page 32 of Blood Ties (City of Blood #1)

Bash

Rising with the moon on Sunday night, I’m so excited for the first half of the night, although a little worried about the second half.

Mother has requested I bring Elina to her, and I have no idea what is going to happen.

I want her to love Elina like I do, but I am not sure she will.

She has never had another relationship after my father, and she hasn’t told anyone who he was either.

Taking the legame in secret isn’t unheard of and she had to have.

I don’t want to keep Elina a secret though.

If she ever gave me enough of herself to bind with me, I want to shout it from the rooftops of Ville de Sang.

I dress in a black button down shirt—with a subtle grey pinstripe, rolling the sleeves to my elbows— and relaxed black jeans.

Black boots are on my feet. Spraying myself with my favorite Penhaligon’s cologne, I head out to the SUV with a driver I arranged for tonight.

I want to give Sarah, Ethan, and Elina my undivided attention. I’ve planned another first for her.

“Where are we going, Bash? And a driver tonight, fancy.” Elina smiles as soon as she climbs into the backseat with me.

She blushes a little as she notices I’m in the same seat I was in the last time we were in here.

Stunning as always, she is wearing a long black skirt covered in lace, sandals, and a pale-purple crop top.

Her pendant hangs low on her chest. It pleases me that it’s hanging around her neck even if I have to ask her to remove it when we are together.

She is followed into the car by Ethan in dark wash jeans and a green polo, and Sarah in a sundress covered in yellow flowers.

It’s obvious that with Sarah and Elina, Elina is the moon. But with me, she is the golden sun.

“It’s a surprise, Tesoro. Something you’ve never done before.” Heading into the Bywater area, we drive toward the river. This is where the gates open and we unload cargo ships. It’s also where we have a riverboat docked.

There is a collective gasp from the other occupants of the car as they realize where we are going.

“The river, Bash? You’re taking us out into the river?

” Elina exclaims, excitement in her voice.

She presses her face to the window like an excited kid.

I can’t help but be caught up in her excitement.

“Woah, man! This is so awesome. I’ve never been out there. I’ve unloaded stuff from the ships, but out on the river? Amazing.” I really like Ethan, and we have developed a friendship in the recent weeks. He’s relaxing, and makes me feel younger and more excited for life.

“Bash, thank you!” Sarah chimes in.

“Ok, ok, enough of the fawning, let’s go. La luna awaits.”

The moon glimmers off the still waters of the Mississippi River, silvery and seductive.

The deck of the boat is set for an intimate evening with friends and loves, a small table is set with fruit and cheese, and champagne already in glasses.

The girls sit and begin snacking, giggling the entire time while they sip champagne.

Heading over to the bar, I call out, “Would anyone like anything to drink other than champagne?” Ethan requests whatever I’m having, which is whiskey as usual.

As the boat is pushed out onto the river by the crew, a gentle breeze stirs Elina’s hair, a wide smile on her face.

Her pulse is racing and I can hear her heart hammering in her chest, full of excitement.

More food is set out around the table and the girls eat slowly, relaxed, the low chairs with their crimson cushions comfortable for lounging.

After the food has been cleared away, we all sit together at the bow and look out over the river.

“Here’s to food and friends, and forever,” Ethan lifts his glass in a toast.

“And to riverboats and love,” Sarah responds.

“And to families you create yourself,” Elina adds. It's my turn.

“Amare in eterno,” I proclaim, and we all clink our glasses and smile to one another.

I will be happy here for as long as Elina will have me.

I suspect it won’t be long before Ethan is asking for permission for Sarah to turn.

Maybe I could do it myself, as a way to bind us all together.

Once Sarah is turned, my love for her and her love for Sarah will help Elina view our situation as more permanent.

Every minute I spend with her, I am more resolved that she is my future.

The moon is like a silvery thread on the water, casting the entire night into black and white. Elina sits between my legs, wrapped in my arms, relaxed against my chest. Leaning forward into the darkness of the bow, I begin to tell a tale in a hushed whisper.

“In 1882, on this river, the steamboat, Iron Mountain, was sailing out for a routine supply run when it hit something under the surface. The boat began to take on water and the crew tried to escape, what they considered, certain death. That night, the Iron Mountain disappeared without a trace. There was no wreck. The next morning, the body of a woman was found floating near where the surviving crew claimed the ship went down, but again there was no shipwreck. For months after, pieces of wreckage reported to belong to the Iron Mountain were found up and down the Mississippi, some many miles away.” The fog rolling over the river sets a spooky ambience for my story.

“Months after that, in a field, 20 miles away from the spot it supposedly sank and nowhere near the river, the shipwrecked Iron Mountain re-appeared. The investigators were unable to offer a good explanation for how it got there. Louisianan’s believe it was a supernatural occurrence.

Since that day, there have been many unexplained sightings of a ghost steamboat on the river, believed to be the Iron Mountain continuing on its duties, a full crew on its deck and a sorrowful woman standing as a living figurehead, leading the way.

” I run my fingertips down the side of Elina’s neck causing her to shiver.

The water laps against the ship causing us to sway slightly.

Elina grips one of my hands tightly, clearly enjoying the ghost story.

“If you look out that way in the moonlight, you can just barely glimpse the outline of the misty hull.” I start tickling her causing her to shriek and laugh which results in Sarah screaming.

Ethan and I dissolve into laughter with them.

Rolling her eyes at us and grinning, Sarah announces, “Alright, I need another drink,” rising from the cushions and heading to the bar. “Who needs a refill?”

“Champagne for me!” from Elina

“More whiskey!” as Ethan holds his glass aloft.

“And for me!” my glass in the air.

The next few hours pass quickly, full of ghost stories, quiet reflections, and a lot of laughter.

I have always had a life full of people.

My family, the other Blood Ravens, friends like Jack, lovers like Talia, but in over 400 years, I have never felt the completeness that I feel on this steamy evening on a riverboat with them.

It feels like I didn’t only find Elina, I found much more than that.

Approaching the dock, my arms around the woman I love, our friends beside us, I steel myself for what happens next.

“Sarah, Michel is going to drive you both home, Elina and I have an appointment.”

“Oh yeah, the mommy meet and greet. Have fun!” She does not say it like she believes it will actually be fun but I laugh at her comment anyway.

“Thanks Sarah, love you! I’ll see you tomorrow!” Elina hugs her and Ethan and we go our separate ways. Grabbing her hand I lead her toward the car waiting for us.

She walks slowly, hesitantly. She squeezes my arm tightly and looks back at the riverboat one last time.

“Bash,” tears fill her eyes and my heart seizes in panic.

Does she not want to go? Does she regret this; us?

“Thank you for tonight. No matter what happens now or in the future, what you gave us tonight is something I will never forget. I have never felt how I did out there, beyond the walls.” I am absolutely gutted by this statement.

She is trapped here because of us. We are why she has to stay here.

I want to fix it for her but I don’t know how.

My own breath hitches in my throat and I hold her against my chest, breathing in her scent.

“Elina, I love you. The sun rises just for you. You are the sun in my sky—the moon that holds me close. Every moment I existed before you I was waiting, I didn’t know for what, but it was this.

It was you in my arms. You hold my heart in your hand and only you have the power to destroy me.

I want to spend eternity making up for the first 28 years of your life and I promise I will do whatever I can.

I swear it.” We spend the drive to my mother wrapped in each other’s arms, occasionally sharing a slow deep kiss.

It could be a goodbye or it could be coming home after a long time apart.

What happens next will determine the path we take forward.

Walking into my mother’s office—Elina at my side and holding my hand, looking small and fragile in this place of vampires—I am afraid.

I don’t often admit when I am afraid. I do not think my mother will hurt her, at least not physically, but that doesn’t mean she can’t wound her all the same.

I have finally gotten Elina comfortable with the idea of us, I don’t want my family to scare her away.

“Mother.” I bow my head respectfully, she does the same in return. “This is Elina. Elina, this is my mother, Vespera. You requested our presence?”