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Authors: Robyn M. Pierce
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embrace; she looked flustered at
our closeness, and her face flamed with a blush. "Sorry," I said,
still grinning. She glared a little, scowling. "I would have
thought that, as a vampire, you would have a little more balance
and better sight in the dark as well. Can we try to not trip for
the rest of the way since I forgot to bring a light up?" I asked,
chuckling.
I released the huffing girl
and took her hand. "Come on. I'll explain when we're up there."
When we emerged from the stairway onto a platform with a single
door, I released Elyssa's hand. Gently gripping the doorknob, I
twisted and gave a sharp push on the old door to get it open all
the way.
We stepped into the dusty
attic, no words shared between us, and began to look around. There
was a lot of stuff there, from weapons to paintings, to trunks and
boxes filled with who-knew-what. But the best thing about the attic
was the portrait that hung from the wall opposite the only
window.
Light streamed onto the
beautiful image of my mother, and I smiled. "Elyssa," I whispered,
turning to face her. Her eyes were still roaming the attic
excitedly, taking in everything that lay dormant in this place.
When she realized I'd called out to her, her face reddened slightly
and she looked at me, the barest hint of a smile touching her
mouth. I held my hand out and she placed her palm against mine,
barely touching my skin with hers. "Come meet our
mother."
At my words, her emerald
eyes widened and she began to look around, more urgent than before.
I knew her gaze landed on the portrait when her expression softened
and tears made her eyes glisten. "Oh," she whispered. "She's
beautiful, Dmitri." As she said the words, she squeezed my hand and
then released it, taking one step at a time as she made her way
over to the image.
We’d taken good care of it
over the years, refusing to allow the only good painting of our
mother be ruined by time. I couldn't take my eyes off Elyssa's face
as she took in the picture. As I opened my mouth to comment on her
expression, to ask what she thought of it, she turned to me, a
brilliant smile taking my breath away.
"I can see you guys in
her," she murmured, looking back at the portrait. "May I?" she
glanced at me, extending her hand. "I won't touch it, I'll just
point..." I nodded my consent and waited.
"You got the shape and look
of her eyes – not the color of course, but they're your eyes
nonetheless," she breathed, tracing the air just above the surface
of the painting as she spoke. "You can see Zeke's expression all
over her face," she laughed. "I'll bet he's very happy about
that..."
A sigh left her mouth as
she moved her fingertip to hover over my mother's mouth. "Her smile
was definitely reborn in Reid," she whispered.
I wanted to break the
suddenly heavy atmosphere by mentioning that she left out Wyatt,
but she hadn't really seen too much of him – come to think of it,
had she ever really seen my oldest brother? – so she wouldn't be able to see that
the strong jaw of my brother came from our mother.
I stepped up to her,
setting my hands on her shoulders tenderly. "Yes, Reid's smile is
the same as our mother's," I murmured, squeezing her shoulders
lightly. Elyssa sighed once more before looking over her shoulder
at me.
"Thank you," she said. It
was as simple as that.
I didn't know what she was
thanking me for, but I nodded anyway, smiling as I hugged her
loosely from behind. "You're welcome, Elyssa," I said, kissing her
temple.
She stiffened and removed
herself from my grasp carefully, not meeting my eyes again. I
chuckled. "So shy all of a sudden, Elyssa!" I said, winking. "One
may think you have a crush on the best-looking brother of them
all!"
I was relieved when she
scoffed and rolled her eyes; if she had taken me seriously, I might
have had a problem – I certainly didn't have feelings of that sort
for Elyssa.
"Why, Dmitri, you devil,
you! Taking advantage of your brother's mourning widow!" She held
the back of one hand
our closeness, and her face flamed with a blush. "Sorry," I said,
still grinning. She glared a little, scowling. "I would have
thought that, as a vampire, you would have a little more balance
and better sight in the dark as well. Can we try to not trip for
the rest of the way since I forgot to bring a light up?" I asked,
chuckling.
I released the huffing girl
and took her hand. "Come on. I'll explain when we're up there."
When we emerged from the stairway onto a platform with a single
door, I released Elyssa's hand. Gently gripping the doorknob, I
twisted and gave a sharp push on the old door to get it open all
the way.
We stepped into the dusty
attic, no words shared between us, and began to look around. There
was a lot of stuff there, from weapons to paintings, to trunks and
boxes filled with who-knew-what. But the best thing about the attic
was the portrait that hung from the wall opposite the only
window.
Light streamed onto the
beautiful image of my mother, and I smiled. "Elyssa," I whispered,
turning to face her. Her eyes were still roaming the attic
excitedly, taking in everything that lay dormant in this place.
When she realized I'd called out to her, her face reddened slightly
and she looked at me, the barest hint of a smile touching her
mouth. I held my hand out and she placed her palm against mine,
barely touching my skin with hers. "Come meet our
mother."
At my words, her emerald
eyes widened and she began to look around, more urgent than before.
I knew her gaze landed on the portrait when her expression softened
and tears made her eyes glisten. "Oh," she whispered. "She's
beautiful, Dmitri." As she said the words, she squeezed my hand and
then released it, taking one step at a time as she made her way
over to the image.
We’d taken good care of it
over the years, refusing to allow the only good painting of our
mother be ruined by time. I couldn't take my eyes off Elyssa's face
as she took in the picture. As I opened my mouth to comment on her
expression, to ask what she thought of it, she turned to me, a
brilliant smile taking my breath away.
"I can see you guys in
her," she murmured, looking back at the portrait. "May I?" she
glanced at me, extending her hand. "I won't touch it, I'll just
point..." I nodded my consent and waited.
"You got the shape and look
of her eyes – not the color of course, but they're your eyes
nonetheless," she breathed, tracing the air just above the surface
of the painting as she spoke. "You can see Zeke's expression all
over her face," she laughed. "I'll bet he's very happy about
that..."
A sigh left her mouth as
she moved her fingertip to hover over my mother's mouth. "Her smile
was definitely reborn in Reid," she whispered.
I wanted to break the
suddenly heavy atmosphere by mentioning that she left out Wyatt,
but she hadn't really seen too much of him – come to think of it,
had she ever really seen my oldest brother? – so she wouldn't be able to see that
the strong jaw of my brother came from our mother.
I stepped up to her,
setting my hands on her shoulders tenderly. "Yes, Reid's smile is
the same as our mother's," I murmured, squeezing her shoulders
lightly. Elyssa sighed once more before looking over her shoulder
at me.
"Thank you," she said. It
was as simple as that.
I didn't know what she was
thanking me for, but I nodded anyway, smiling as I hugged her
loosely from behind. "You're welcome, Elyssa," I said, kissing her
temple.
She stiffened and removed
herself from my grasp carefully, not meeting my eyes again. I
chuckled. "So shy all of a sudden, Elyssa!" I said, winking. "One
may think you have a crush on the best-looking brother of them
all!"
I was relieved when she
scoffed and rolled her eyes; if she had taken me seriously, I might
have had a problem – I certainly didn't have feelings of that sort
for Elyssa.
"Why, Dmitri, you devil,
you! Taking advantage of your brother's mourning widow!" She held
the back of one hand
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