Dawn started to stroke my hair gently. "I like your new look, by the way," she said.
Curious, I looked up. "Mhm? What do you like about it?"
"You look more… contemporary, I guess. The long hair was giving a 1900s kind of vibe, but it wasn't unattractive or anything," she replied, her gaze drifting away. "Dragos?"
"Mmm?" I responded, my voice muffled against her leg. I'd already started to drift off into a peaceful sleep that had eluded me for over a week now.
Dawn continued to speak. "I...I still can't believe I'm back. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the entire thing."
She scoffed in amazement. "It's crazy. I mean, I was dead, Dragos. And now I'm alive again. Isn't it just incredible?"
"It is," I sat up on my haunches, taking both her hands in mine and leaning closer. "I don't want us to talk about anything relating to that tonight. I just want to be with you, in this moment, enjoying your presence. Okay?"
I pressed a soft kiss to her thigh, my lips lingering on her skin. "Besides, you're home now. You're safe. That's all that matters."
She nodded, touching my cheek. "Okay"
"Why don't we go on a vacation?" I suggested softly, "Before the craziness returns. Mmm?"
I brushed back a strand of her hair. "We can go somewhere peaceful. Where we can forget everything for a while"
She smiled, nodding happily. "Yes"
"Any country of your choice. Paris. Hawaii. We can go anywhere."
"How about Fiji?" she giggled.
"Sounds perfect."
"I'll speak to Rico and make plans tomorrow."
"Okay"
We were silent for a moment, with me taking in the sight of her beautiful face.
I left the floor to sit on the bed beside her. "We should sleep. Come"
She climbed into the bed beside me, and I held her close, feeling the warmth of her body against mine.
"You should get rid of Cassius' head by the way" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder.
I snuggled deeper into the crook of her neck. "How did you find out?"
"When I woke up, I needed to freshen up, and imagine the first sight that greeted my eyes when I walked into your bathroom?"
I fought back a laugh. "I'm sorry. I'll get rid of it."
For the first time in days, as I closed my eyes to sleep, a sense of peace washed over me.
All my worries began to fade, and my mind finally grew quiet.
This was how powerful love could be.
That the mere sight of the one you loved could bring such... relief, such solace, such escape… to a previously troubled mind.
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The next morning, we were all gathered in the living room, listening closely as Dawn explained the reason behind her resurrection.
"When I died," She began, "I expected something else... an afterlife maybe, but instead I found myself in a dark place. Almost like I was lost within the depths of my mind"
She paused to look at me. "Like I was lost in a very dark well. And in that darkness, I encountered something"
Dawn's eyes moved across the room, meeting each of us. "It felt... familiar, like a part of me, but different from the part that causes the shift to happen. No, this one seemed very ancient. Very powerful."
She leaned into the chair. "It showed me how to control my powers and gave me the knowledge I need to bring balance without bloodshed."
"This thing you encountered… was it some sort of presence?" Dacianus asked.
"Yes," she nodded. "It didn't speak, but I understood it. I know I sound crazy, but it's the truth, and it's hard to describe."
"We believe you," Rafael replied.
"Later, I came to understand more about Lysandra, through the presence I encountered," Dawn continued, "It showed me her memories."
My mother's eyes lit up with interest, and mine did the same. The mention of the powerful shaman who had cursed our bloodline was enough to pique our curiosity, was it not?
She walked over to Dawn's side of the sofa and leaned in closer. "What did she look like? What did it reveal to you about her?"
Dawn hesitated, thinking back, before speaking. "She was surprisingly young. Maybe mid-thirties?"
The room fell silent as my mother and I exchanged disbelieving glances.
We had assumed Lysandra would be an elderly woman, given the extent of her powers but we were both wrong.
"The entity that possesses me, the one that causes the Shift, is part of Lysandra's legacy because I'm her vessel. But it has nothing to do with me being the Divine Purge," she scoffed, shaking her head.
"It's almost funny. It preyed on my ignorance because I was still new to it all and made me believe it was tied to my role as the Divine Purge. But it wasn't. The Unleashing—that was the real Divine Purge thing all along."
I blinked in surprise, but before I could speak, Dawn continued. "All that is over now." A faint smile graced her lips. "Now, I'm stronger. Smarter. And I can't be controlled by the entity anymore. This wasn't just a resurrection. It was a rebirth."
A slow smile spread across my face before I could stop it.
It was obvious that it was indeed a rebirth. Dawn no longer seemed like the same timid person of before. She had become a stronger, more confident, and better version of herself, and this pleased me greatly.
"Lysandra's curse came from a place of deep hatred and unbearable pain," she continued, her voice lowering with sadness. "She let her hatred for Dragavei's kind consume her, leading her to curse your bloodline and even give up her life in the process. I cannot blame her, after having seen what she endured."
"What happened?" Rafael asked.
"I'll tell that tale another day," she replied. "But her curse wasn't invincible. It can be broken"
"So, now you're strong enough to do it and you know how to go about it?" My mother asked hopefully.
Dawn nodded, "Yes"
My mother exhaled in relief. "Thanks be to Dragavei. How soon can you …"
Dacianus interrupted, "Now that you're here, what's the next step? How do you plan to protect humanity from the vampires without causing an all-out war?"
All eyes turned to Dawn, waiting for her response.
She cleared her throat and straightened. "The first step is to strip vampires of their ability to create more of their kind," she began. Pausing briefly, she added, "If I can rid them of that power, their numbers will be contained."
The frown on Geta's face deepened. "But that's not enough," he said. "It doesn't stop them from preying on humans and causing harm."
Dawn nodded. "That's true. But by taking away their ability to sire, we eliminate the greatest threat to humanity... the exponential growth of their kind. It's a necessary start."
She looked around the room. "I'll also have to set up a global treaty of some sort— an agreement between both species."
"A global treaty?" Rafael interrupted, leaning forward in his seat. "That's a huge task."
"I know. But that is what must be done." She replied. "It's important for the survival of humanity."
Dawn rose to her feet. "Vampires will need to find other ways to sustain themselves, like through blood bags or getting blood from willing donors. They can still feed from humans, of course, but they'd have to ask first and practice restraint to avoid draining them completely," she explained. "Compelling humans just to feed on them will amount to forced feeding."
"Vampires don't like being told what to do," My mother said, shaking her head. "This won't go down smoothly with them, not especially after they've been having their way for as long as I remember. They will resist."
A small frown creased Dawn's brow "Well, then I will have to step in. That is where my powers come in. They will be used to enforce the treaty" She folded her arms and shrugged. "They exist for this very purpose. To protect humanity. Those who defy the rules will face consequences."
She continued, "The threat of losing their abilities or worse should keep most of them in line. If they refuse to follow the rules, I'll make a sample out of one or maybe a few of them. Once they see I'm not bluffing, they'll learn to respect the treaty."
Dawn tilted her head. "This is about ensuring the humans are safe without having to resort to violence, but if I'm pushed, I will be violent. That's why I'm offering them a chance to coexist peacefully."
She looked at me. "It's quite simple, really. Obey the treaty, or lose your ultimate power as a vampire."
I smirked, feeling proud. "Now, that's the kind of determination I want to see. You're finally starting to sound like me, darling. I must say, I quite enjoy this side of you."
Dawn smiled wryly. "In all things, I'm being fair. I could easily kill those who pose a threat, it would certainly simplify things, but I'm offering a second chance instead. I'm choosing not to be the threat they fear so deeply, the one they're willing to risk their lives to destroy."
My mother crossed her legs elegantly, gesturing towards Dawn. "That sounds like a reasonable plan," she said "But you can't be everywhere at once. This treaty you're proposing would only work here, in Blue Cove. Right?"
She glanced at Dacianus.
"Mother, did you miss the part where she said it was going to be a global treaty?" I asked.
She shrugged. "My question still stands, Dawn. What about vampires in other countries, beyond our borders? How will you manage them? How do you plan to ensure they abide by these rules as well?"