Tempt Me When the Sun Goes Down (21 page)

“There now, don’t take on so.  It’s all past now.”

“I can’t believe it’s finally over,” I whispered into his neck, holding tight to him. 

“Ain’t nothing to stand in our way now,” he breathed into my hair and I found the thought both thrilling and terrifying.  No, there wasn’t anything to get in our way except for us and the baggage we brought.  And while a part of me wanted to kiss Rob and jump into that happily ever after stage, a part of me tripped over those big bags and wondered if it was possible. 

“Oh, I promised Carter I’d text him once this was all over,” I remembered suddenly, pulling back from the embrace.  “He’s probably not even up yet, but I should let him know I’m alright.  Excuse me a sec, okay?”

“Sure,” Rob replied equably, oblivious to my doubts.  “I’m for getting a drink.  You want anything?”

“Um, sure, whatever’s going around will be fine.”  Taking a seat on an empty lawn chair, I dug out my phone and pulled up Carter’s number (for which he’d substituted a pic of He-Man at some point when I wasn’t paying attention).  I admit, I spent a few extra seconds scrolling through my contacts.  Seeing as how I made most of my calls on Skype, who knew what other changes he might’ve made.  Instead of Felix’s picture, there was one of The Kingpin (from the comics, not that crappy movie), and Rob’s pic had been replaced with an icon of a steaming pile of poo. 

Still smiling, I stopped scrolling to text him before I got too distracted. 
So I guess you’ll figure out by the time you wake up that I survived this thing, since you still can’t kill anyone
, I sent.  And then I went back to scrolling, figuring it’d be hours before he even read the message.  Instead, my phone buzzed with his reply only seconds later.

Damn.  I had a bloodbath on my calendar for the next three hours.  Now what am I going to do to pass the time? 

Hey, what are you doing up?

Same as you, thanking my lucky stars you’re still here to keep me in line.

It was sweet, but I hated the thought of him holed up in a basement somewhere waiting on pins and needles to hear from me. 
You didn’t have to stay up all day on my account.  Get some sleep.

I didn’t, I’m in Calais.  It was the closest I could get to you thanks to your stupid compulsion – which you should remove, by the way, now that you’re okay.  You are okay, aren’t you?

He was in France? 
Yes, I’m fine.  You didn’t have to come all that way for me.

Sunshine, I’d travel to the ends of the Earth to get your back if you let me.  I was prepared to stalk Jakob’s ass if he walked away from this one and you didn’t.

I believed it.
Aw, that’s sweet, but I’m fine.  Jakob stepped up and offered himself as the sacrifice.

Is he dead?

No, he seems to be recovering.

Damn.  I could take care of that for you if you removed this pesky compulsion.

I smiled over the offer, Carter was nothing if not helpful. 
No thanks, it sounds like my compulsions are the only things keeping you from making some very bad decisions these days.

You’re really okay then?

Yep, I’m good.
  Conflicted, but good. 

Sweet, when you coming home? 

I don’t know, I still have some personal things to figure out.

I have a crossbow that’ll simple things up for you.

Funny. 
Ha ha.  It’s saying things like that, that will keep me from ever releasing you from my compulsion, you know.

I know, I know.

I’ll keep in touch, I imagine I’ll be heading back to the states in a day or two.

Stay frosty, sunshine.  Even without the curse Jakob has the power to fuck up your life.

I know.  Catch you later.

Only if I don’t catch you first.

I put the phone away, my eyes tracking Rob, who stood with Lilias and a bunch of distant cousins, laughing over something that looked hilarious.  Carter was right.  I should head home soon.  Even without the curse, Jakob had the power to mess my life up big time.  But could I go home and pick things up right where I’d left them?

My gaze fell on Bishop and Carys again, their heads awfully close as they talked.  What would the future bring?  The cast of
Buffy
sang in my head (as it often did) –
Where Do We Go From Here?

A change had come over Carys, definitely for the better.  As they sat talking, Bishop noticed how much softer her words were, her smiles sweet and open, not calculating and shrewd as he’d become accustomed to.  She’d turned increasingly nostalgic as the party sprang up around them, recalling that time they’d camped with the gypsies in Scotland one summer, and the nights spent on the road in the south of France.  And how the violinist put her in mind of that unwashed vagrant in Zagreb.

She laughed more genuinely in a half hour conversation with him than she had in their last year together.   Bishop found himself laughing back, surprised to find so many happy memories buried in their time together.  They talked, really talked, as they hadn’t done in years, about more than her latest conquests or which of the locals would taste the sweetest.  Carys kept finding excuses to touch Bishop, as if she couldn’t bear to be apart after finally finding her way back to him, and stranger still, he didn’t mind.  There was something comforting in the familiar way she touched him, and the smile that reminded him of the girl he’d first met so many years ago. 

And yet, his gaze kept drifting back to Anja.  Watching the way she cared for Jakob, even though she had plenty of reasons to let him suffer.  How she laughed when Rob swept her off her feet and how tightly she clung to him.  The way her face lit up at something funny on her phone, and how she sang along with they gypsies even though she had no idea what the words meant. 

He liked this new (or old, depending on how you viewed it) Carys better, but it didn’t lessen what he felt for Anja in any way.  The question was, where did Anja’s heart lie?  He’d felt sure she’d be glued to Rob’s side for the rest of the night, but when she settled on a chair by herself, Bishop decided it might be an opportune moment to suss things out between them. 

“Excuse me for a minute, I think I’ll go get a drink,” he said politely, remembering his manners at the last moment when he would’ve simply walked away.  “Do you want anything?”

Carys smiled, her fingers lingering along his wrist before she let him go.  “I wouldn’t mind a sip of that boy over there with the curls, but I’ll settle for some wine.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he smiled back, mostly sure she was kidding.  “I should probably go see how Anja and Rob are doing,” he added, downplaying it like it was no big deal.  “This was a big night for them too.”

“You go ahead, I understand.” 

“You do?”  Bishop hardly understood it himself.  Still, he wasn’t about to waste the gift of freedom.  Stopping off to get the promised drink for Carys first, he edged his way to Anja’s side, waiting for her to take notice of him until he spoke.  “Hey.”

“Hi,” she replied, looking up with a startled smile.  “How are you feeling?  That looked pretty rough back there.”

“It wasn’t my best hour, but at least it was over quickly.  Not nearly as bad as that business with Volkov in the dungeon, remember?”

“How could I forget?  Rob still has that terrible scar.”

“Right.”  Not quite the way he’d intended to ease into the topic, but he took the opening.  “So you and Rob, are you…?”

“I… don’t really know.  I mean, I’ve been putting all that stuff off to figure out after we beat the curse, but now it’s just as confusing as it was before, you know?”

He couldn’t help but look back at Carys, confusing didn’t even begin to cover it.  “I do.  I guess there’s no rush to figure it all out tonight, right?”

“That’s true.  Someone wise once said forever is a long time.” 

His head tilted to one side as he racked his memory.  “Wasn’t that you?”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, I guess it was,” she smiled, and all Bishop wanted to do was take her in his arms and pledge that forever to her.  But her next words brought the confusion back in a heartbeat.  “It seems like you and Carys are getting along pretty well though.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely weird seeing her like this again.  It brings back a lot of memories, you know?”

“I can imagine.”

Bishop looked over to where Carys waited patiently, with none of the drama he’d come to associate with her.  “I’d almost forgotten she could be like this.  I’m kind of glad to see the girl I first met is still in there.” 

“I’m glad too, I don’t know how much longer I could’ve taken the other Carys,” she muttered and he had to laugh. 

“She’s definitely an acquired taste.”  Carys looked up and smiled at him and he decided not to push his luck for too much longer.  “I should probably go bring her this drink before she decides to open up someone’s vein.  And I’m sure you’ll want to celebrate with Rob.”  He couldn’t help it, he had to lay out that last lure to see how she took the bait, but her response was as conflicted as he felt. 

“Right.  I’m sure we’ll get a chance to talk later.  Won’t we?”

There was a touch of anticipation in her voice, he was sure of that, and it gave him hope.  “Count on it.” 

Anja smiled, settling back in her chair.  “I’ll hold you to that.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to come right out and tell her – how much he loved her and why she should choose him over Rob, but in the end he kept silent.  In part, because he wanted her to make up her own mind without any pressure, and partly because he realized he should probably have that conversation with Carys first.  He owed her that much at least.   

Because the more he thought about it, the more the haze of confusion cleared and he realized Anja was the only one he wanted.  Carys might be sweeter without Jakob’s compulsion, and he felt bad about all she’d sacrificed on his behalf, but Anja was the one he loved.  For a while he’d been content to step aside to let Rob make her happy if that’s what she wanted, but now he was prepared to fight for her with any means at his disposal. 

As he walked back to Carys, Bishop was already trying to find the words to ease the sting of rejection, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak. 

“Finally, I almost had to get up and fetch my own drink,” Carys rebuked him lightly as soon as he approached.  It didn’t bother him though, not anymore. 

“Sorry.  Next time I’ll try and hustle a bit faster so I don’t spoil my tip.”

She didn’t get the joke, but didn’t dwell on it, accepting the wine and taking a dainty sip.  “And are Anja and her man well?”

“They’re good, at least they seem to be.  I think we can assume the curse is officially broken now.  In fact, you can probably take that ring off now if you want.”

Carys slipped the amber ring off and then promptly slid it back on.  “Yes, I suppose I could.”

“But you don’t want to?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she replied, studying the ring on her hand.  “I’ve worn it for over seven centuries now, I’m not certain I could part with it.  It’s worth a fortune, you know.”

“Ah,” he nodded, knowing that made sense in her head.  “So, listen… Carys, I wanted to talk to you…” 

“Yes, we have so much to discuss,” she agreed, forgetting about the ring as excitement took hold of her.  “I can’t wait to leave this dirty camp and get back to civilization.  Ah, Ulrik, when I think of the future that awaits us!  You must show me everything.  I would see the world again with new eyes.” 

Momentarily stunned, it took him a few seconds to respond.  “Carys, I can’t…”

She laid a hand on his arm.  “Sorry, I meant to say Bishop, of course.” 

He got that she was trying, and that made it even harder, but it still needed saying.  “No, that’s not it.  I mean, thank you for remembering what I asked, but we have to talk about this whole future thing.  I’m glad the curse is lifted if it helps you get back to the person you used to be, but I’m not ready to jump right back into what we had before.  That’s not why I set out to help do this.”

“Why else would you do it if not to be restored to my side?”

“Like I said, the curse messed with Anja and Rob big time, and I promised to help her any way I could.”

“And I think it’s sweet that you want to save her love when you have found your own true heart’s desire,” she smiled, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and he leaned back. 

“No, you’re not getting it.  Carys, I’m sorry, but you’re not my heart’s desire, and you haven’t been for a long, long time.”

She blinked up at him in confusion, before her brow smoothed again, the smile returning to her lips.  “Clearly you don’t know what you’re saying.  It’s been a difficult evening for all of us.  Perhaps you should rest a while, have some blood and all will seem clear.  In fact, take some of mine.”  She stepped closer again and Bishop took a step backwards. 

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.  She never could accept bad news.  “No, Carys.  I know exactly what I’m saying.  I’m sorry if it hurts you, but I keep telling you, I’ve moved on.  I love Anja and I’ll do whatever it takes to be with her.”

“Anja.”  Her voice went flat with undisguised dislike.  “Now I know you’re really not yourself.  How could you prefer that creature to me?” she laughed. 

“You don’t even know her.  You heard Jakob though, she’s as worthy as she is beautiful.”

“She is nothing!” Carys spat out, her voice rising to a screech and she instantly calmed herself as she noticed the heads swivel in their direction.  Bishop braced himself for the next onslaught of her fury, but instead, she gave a short huff of laughter and a roll of the eyes.  “Lord, I nearly forgot.  You’re only conflicted because I forgot to remove the compulsion over you.” 

“No, I don’t think that’s it.”

“Of course it is.  I compelled you not to care whether I loved you or not, it was the only way to keep you from greeting the dawn, you silly boy.”  She grabbed hold of his face, her grip too strong for him to easily shrug away.  “Ulrik, listen to me carefully.  I release you from any compulsions I set upon you before.”

Bishop wasn’t sure what to think for a moment, he felt exactly the same.  But then the memories started to flood in, overwhelming him as history rewrote itself.  He’d always recalled those heady days of loving Carys more than life itself, but now he remembered how she’d showered him with that same love.  He remembered how she’d fretted over him and nursed him when he’d first fallen ill, and how desperately they’d clung to each other when they learned of the curse.  He remembered the overpowering urges that’d almost destroyed him, and that one terrible day when she’d had Jakob compel her not to love him anymore.  He’d wanted to die without that love, until she’d compelled him not to mind. 

“There now, you see?” she crooned, stroking the side of his face.  “You remember, don’t you?”

“I do,” he whispered.  But that’s all they were – memories.  “It doesn’t change how I feel about you now, and it doesn’t change how I feel about Anja.”  He picked up her hands and gently brought them down.  “Carys, I don’t want to hurt you.  You’re right, I loved you, almost more than life itself.  I will always treasure the time we had together, but it’s time to let go.” 

“Let you go…” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Yes, if you love me, you’ll let me go.” 

“All I’ve ever wanted was your love.”

“And I gave it to you.  But that was over three hundred years ago.  Things change, and we have to learn to accept it.” 

“Accept it,” she murmured, shell shocked. 

“Otherwise you’d be no better than Jakob.  I know what it did to you to have him commandeer your life the way he always did.”  Maybe it was a dirty trick to throw Jakob into the mix, but Bishop needed her to try and see things from his point of view.  “Can you understand what it’ll be like for me if you force me to stay by your side?”

“I can.”

“Then you understand?”  She nodded slowly and he breathed an inward sigh of relief.  “I really am sorry.  I never wanted to bring you pain.”

Carys smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek.  “No, you never did.  You were always my sweet, gentle boy.” 

No one had thought him gentle for centuries, but he appreciated the fact that she’d always see him that way.  “We’ll always have those memories.” 

“I understand, Bishop,” she said, withdrawing her hand.  “Thank you for being courteous of my feelings.” 

“Thank you for being so accepting.”  He was really doing this and she’d let him.  Maybe he’d underestimated her ability to change?  “Goodbye, Carys.”  He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and she nodded, returning the kiss with an air of distraction.

Now that he’d been given this second chance, he had to find Anja, he had to tell her what was in his heart once and for all.  He spotted her by the fiddler, chatting animatedly about something or other, the campfire painting her face with light.  Rob stood talking to Lee and Tucker on the other side of the party, and Bishop decided it was the perfect time to take his shot.  Skirting the encampment, he made his way to her campfire, smiling when she looked up and their eyes met. 
God, she was beautiful.
 

“Bishop?”

He turned toward the gentle voice, surprised to see Carys standing between two of the trailers, beckoning to him. 

“Might I have a few words with you?”

“Can we talk about it later?  There’s something I need to do.”

“No, I need to talk to you now.”