(12) When all else is lost the future still remains

“Wait, let me guess.” Race looked at Addie. “You said you knew vampires who were beautiful creatures, Shan. She’s beautiful so I’m betting she’s one of them.”

Addie smiled. “Thank you for the compliment, Race, and I am. Did Shan really call me a creature?” She shot a glace at him, pretending to be upset.

Shan held his hands up in mock surrender. “I did, but you know I didn’t mean it that way.”

With a kiss to his cheek she told him, “I’ll forgive you, this time.” Then she turned her attention back to Race. When he looked at her she locked eyes with him for a very long moment and the nodded. “You’re quite right you can’t be mesmerized, not even by one as old as I am.”

“So you’re going to tell me you’re around two-hundred, too, like Shan.”

Addie laughed. “Not even close. I’m well over one thousand, and no jokes about how I only look such and such, I’ve heard them all.”

“Honestly, if I’d been guessing, I’d have said you were only a couple of years older than me.”

“As Shan told me that you’re twenty-one you’d be spot on.”

“By the way,” Race said, “I did feel you touching my mind. And you, yesterday,” he added as he glanced at Shan.

“Now that’s very interesting.” Shan looked at Addie. “He’s sensitive in more ways than just the physical touch thing. I wonder…”

When Shan didn’t continue Race asked, “What””

“Nothing, well something but I need to give it some thought before I say anything.”

Addie nodded. “It’s a possibility.”

“Now I feel like I’m in some bad movie where everyone knows what’s going on but the dumbass hero,” Race grumbled.

“I’ll tell you in time,” Shan said, gripping his shoulder. When Race jerked away Shan pulled his hand back, apologizing. “Sorry, I forgot.”

Race let him think he’d done that because of the touching but it had been more than that. In the brief seconds of contact Race had felt the overpowering sense of loss at the core of Shan’s being. And once again he wanted desperately to help him get past it and move on with his life.