Cronin's Key II (24 page)

Authors: N.R. Walker

BOOK: Cronin's Key II

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The vampire population as a whole were pleased to have a unified counsel, governing laws and holding accountable the most powerful vampire to have lived. And they were even more pleased that it was Alec’s idea. Alec had no doubt a time would come when someone thought themselves good enough to stand against him, but for now there was peace. Beautiful and soul-soothing peace.

Except for the time Alec accidently set fire to Jodis’ favorite sofa, or the time he zapped Eiji with electricity—even though it was Eiji’s idea to see how funny it would be—and Alec put him through two walls. Yeah, it was funny. Until they saw Jodis and Cronin’s faces, then it wasn’t funny. Well, not while they were around anyway.

The first thing Alec learned to do was block the thoughts of others. Not only was it a huge violation of their privacy, but there was shit Alec just didn’t want to see. Or hear. As if vampire hearing wasn’t enough to get used to, but full visuals of half the population of New York City was enough to make Alec want to live in Antarctica for a while.

Alec would sometimes use it to talk to Cronin, though only with his consent. And while mind reading had its advantages, in that Alec could see the true intentions of the hundreds of vampires he met, it also meant he could hear the thoughts of the humans he fed from.

That only happened one time. The very second time he fed—a mental picture slide show of life and happier times—and within an hour of that child-murderer’s body hitting the ground, Alec taught himself how to block thoughts.

The others believed it might not be possible for him to learn such things so quickly, but Alec just shrugged. He told Cronin, “It was like having a hundred tabs open on your computer and simply muting one while all the others were fully functioning.”

And once Alec learned to see how his mind worked, then everything became a whole lot easier. Cronin had thought that meeting so many vampires too soon might have been confronting or overwhelming, given Alec’s ability to read and transfer their own talents, but the opposite was true. It helped him understand his own powers. Just a few minutes after meeting them, he had a better understanding of how to control fire, wind, water, other people, reflecting, transferring, the list seemed endless.

And there
was
a list.

Jodis had started documenting and recording all the talents Alec encountered and accrued. The list was long, and in all likelihood, it would be never-ending. Jodis would get excited and quickly write down every new thing. Alec didn’t mind though. In fact, he adored Jodis and Eiji. They were like a sister and brother to him now, and Alec would be eternally grateful for their help, their friendship, and for how much they loved Cronin.

Alec hadn’t been apart from Cronin at all since he was changed. Not a minute. Which was what made this separation so hard.

There was no pain like there used to be when they were apart, but the yearning to be with him again was hollow and uneasy.

“How you holding up?” Eiji asked, now standing beside him.

“I’m okay,” Alec answered quietly. He stood in their New York apartment, in his and Cronin’s bedroom, in front of the single shelf along the end wall. Upon it was the ax and helmet Cronin had with him when his human life ended. And now next to those was the stone plate, still stained with his human blood and mercury, that he held when his human life ended.

Alec was yet too scared to touch it. His mental strength was easy to understand, but his physical strength was something he had to work on. He had crushed countless pens, a football, his laptop, faucets, and a vase he didn’t dare ask the age of. So he admired the stone plate with his hands behind his back.

“He has so many trinkets from the last twelve hundred years,” Alec said, referring to the wall of artifacts in the living room and the ones in his office. “He’s done so many amazing things.”

“Alec, you have the sun-disk of Ra, an ancient Egyptian God, and the stone plate from the First Emperor of China to start your collection. I think you’re doing okay.”

Alec snorted. “Sounds so bizarre, doesn’t it?”

Eiji studied him for a moment. “What is the real reason for this melancholy? Not having second thoughts are you?” he asked with a smile.

Alec didn’t even answer that. He rolled his eyes. “It’s not melancholy. It’s just… I don’t know what it is. I just want another twelve hundred years with him, or twelve thousand. I didn’t ask for these powers, and if given the chance, I’d give them away.”

“Why?”

“Because of the risk they pose to him, to you, and Jodis.”

He shook his head. “Risk? You mean awesome adventures. There hasn’t been a dull moment since the day we met you.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Eiji grinned. “You’re most welcome.”

Alec laughed quietly. “I still owe you driving lessons. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

“How about we wait until Cronin stops having conniptions every time you leave the house?”

Alec snorted. “I know it’s tradition to be late, but speaking of leaving….”

Eiji grinned. “I’ve kept you here long enough. He’ll start to think we’re up to no good if we don’t get there soon.”

Alec reached out and touched Eiji’s arm, closed his eyes and thought of Cronin. Alec didn’t need to think of a place to leap, if he didn’t want. He could think of a person and turn up to wherever they were. He could also leap another person without touching them, with or without their consent. If he wanted to, he could have leapt Eiji to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Not that he would. He threatened it once, but that was only because he’d lost to him at backgammon. That might have also been the sofa burning incident, but at least it didn’t involve someone being thrown onto another continent without their consent.

Cronin had made him promise he would never do such a thing.

Cronin.

Cronin….

Alec leapt to where Cronin was.

And that just happened to be in the middle of the Calanais Stones in Scotland. There was a gathering of their closest friends. Alec saw Kennard first, Jacques, Jorge and Adelmo, even Bes from Egypt, and Eleanor who had become a close companion to his father, Kole. They’d been inseparable over the last six months, and this made Alec very happy. And Jodis stood at the top of the circle and held her hand out for Eiji.

It was midnight, the stones were illuminated by the stars, and the moon shone a spotlight on the red-haired vampire who stood in the middle. And what Alec saw took his breath away. Cronin was waiting in the center of the circle, dressed impeccably in a kilt, white shirt, black barathea jacket, and traditional brogues.

Alec had no clue he was going to wear a kilt. They’d talked about suits, organized suits, even bought and paid for
suits
.

Yet there he stood wearing a kilt.

Alec blinked back tears as he walked into the center of the stones to meet him. How he’d managed to keep this a secret, Alec could only guess. “A kilt?”

“Traditional tartan,” he said.

Alec took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You better be real traditional underneath that kilt.”

Everyone laughed and Cronin blushed.

Kole stepped into the circle then, to officiate. It was Cronin who asked Kole for his blessing to wed his son, but he also asked if he’d like to perform this ceremony. Cronin had said it would mean more if Alec’s father would be the one to see them wed. Kole cried and hugged Cronin a lot, but of course he said yes.

Kole held his hand out to Cronin first. “Your sash?”

Alec walked behind Cronin and took Cronin’s jacket off for him, and waited for Cronin to unpin the tartan sash. When he’d handed the long strip of red tartan to Kole, Alec helped Cronin back into the tight fitting jacket and slowly, savoring every second, walked back to face Cronin.

They each held out their right hand, and Kole wrapped the sash around their wrists and ceremoniously tied the material in a knot. And Alec saw what it was. Red plaid, wrapped around their hands. What Jorge had said all along was right. ‘When the red hand holds the key, forever is in the stones.’

Alec and Cronin both turned in unison to look at Jorge, and the little boy bounced on his toes and clapped his hands.

“Jorge saw it. Jorge saw it.”

Adelmo put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, shushing him like a father would a son, and everyone laughed.

Eventually, Kole cleared his throat, getting back to the ceremony.

"Upon this day, your hands we bind,

A symbol of your hearts entwined.

To witness this, we ask of thee,

Your union forever blessed be."

Cronin grinned and leaned in to kiss Alec quickly. He was just beaming happiness, and everyone who looked on smiled at his obvious joy. He unwrapped his and Alec’s hand, then in what was a traditional show of the joining of clans, with a bowed head, he offered his tartan sash to Alec.

Alec’s eyes welled with tears as he took the plaid cloth. “I am honored to be your husband.”

Cronin took hold of Alec’s face and kissed him, interrupted again by Kole clearing his throat. Alec looked to his dad to see that he was holding a folded cloth. Not just any cloth. The MacAidan tartan. Alec took the small piece of old material, no bigger than a handkerchief, and holding it out to Cronin, he bowed his head.

Cronin took the offering and put it to his heart. “I am honored to be your husband. To stand here where your new life began,” Cronin said reverently.

“And so it begins here again with you now,” Alec finished. “Forever by fate, wed by choice.”

Cronin’s eyes filled with tears. “I would choose you.”

Alec leaned in and kissed him softly. “And I would choose you.”

~The end.

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