Calling for a Miracle [The Order of Vampyres 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (48 page)

“Yes.”

“I am sorry. The answer is no. Go back to your wife, Jonas. I prefer to suffer my own death than to watch one more person I love die.”

“I cannot. She does not want me there. I will die before I harm her or go against her wishes again.”

“Are you certain the only other option is death?”

He nodded. Moving before her, he dropped to his knees and carefully took her hands in his. She was so frail. Her fingers seemed made of the bones of birds. “Clara, you are my only hope of salvation. I know you loved Arthur. I, too, love my wife. Without you I will be leaving her to an eternity of misery. I have no doubt she will soon follow me to heaven and thus leave our children orphaned. I do not wish to intrude on what you had with your husband, but I beg you, please, help me save my marriage to Abilene.”

“She would abide you being with another woman?”

“Even if she could not, I would spend the rest of my existence continuing to watch over her as I have done since she was a child.”

“How old are you, Jonas?”

“One hundred and forty-eight.”

“And I thought I was old.” She laughed then more seriously said, “I do not wish to live an eternity. I have somehow come to peace with my departure. You will not require anything of me past the bond, correct?”

“I…I do not know. I do not intend to betray my wife more than I must. I believe the need will fade once the bond is complete.”

She nodded and was silent for a while. “I have an offer I am considering. I am not agreeing to it yet, but I will tell you what I am thinking and see how it sits with you. You have a nice son. I have noticed Cybil is quite fond of him. Dane is coming around. I know a bit about the Amish, having lived in the area all of my life. You are kind and good, but most of all, your people have managed to exist untouched by the ugliness that has tainted the rest of the world. I do not wish to see my grandchildren turned over to the state. If I do this thing for you, would you give me your word to raise my grandchildren on your farm until they are of age and decide to leave? If they want to stay forever, they may. Would you do that?”

“If you bonded with me, you would be there to raise them, Clara.”

“I have not told you the other half of my conditions. If I bond with you, I would only do so if you gave me your word to end my life the moment it was over.”

He drew back as if she were Satan himself. “I cannot.”

“Then I’m sorry.”

“You are my mate. It is unheard of.”

“But you do not see me as such.”

“A part of me very much does, Clara. And besides that, I am a Christian. I cannot kill another living being. It is an unforgivable transgression in the eyes of the Lord. You are a child of God. I would be murdering his child.”

“Those are my conditions. You want to live with your Abilene. I want to join my Arthur and know that my grandchildren are being looked after. I’m sorry. It is the only way I can agree to such a fate.”

“But you said you were only considering it.”

“Well, when you only have a week or two left, you tend to make up your mind fast. That’s my final choice. You decide and let me know when you have made up your mind.” She stood slowly, having trouble lifting herself from the chair. “But, Jonas…”

He looked up at her. “Yes,”

“Do not dawdle. I feel myself slipping away.”

Chapter 32

The following morning Eleazar woke to find Larissa absent from their bed. He turned and saw her form silhouetted in the gray light seeping through the window as a cold winter dawn approached. At first, he said nothing, only watched her. He had left her alone the night before, knowing the day had been taxing on her. He knew something had shifted since their arrival at the farm and he wanted to set things back to right now that the matter of her marriage was being resolved.

“Come back to bed,
bellissima.
It is too cold this morning to be anywhere else.”

She turned and softly smiled at him, but Eleazar knew her smile was not genuine. Why had she been holding back with him as of late? She dutifully walked to the bed and as he held up the covers, she climbed back into his arms.

He leaned on his elbow, holding his head in his palm and watched her as he mindlessly twirled a lock of her ebony hair around his finger. “Will you talk to me, Larissa? I know you are worried. Whatever has you upset I will do my best to remedy.”

She looked at him in silence for a moment then softly asked, “Why wasn’t my father at the trial yesterday?”

Eleazar sighed. He had known this discussion would come sooner or later. “Larissa, your father has been sick.”

“I am aware something was ailing him for some time. Cain had told me.”

“Yes, Cain. Your brother seems to have a gift for being everywhere at once except for where he is needed.”

“Cain will come see me when he can. I asked Adriel to visit Annalise with my message for him.”

Eleazar frowned. “How does Annalise intend to find him when he is off the farm?”

“They share dreams.”

Eleazar sucked in a breath. His mind went back to that stormy night in August when he had Cain in one of the cells. Nothing of the bond with that woman, Annalise, made sense. “She is still dreaming?”

“Yes, but only with Cain. After her and Adam bonded, their dreams ended.”

“I suppose I have not dreamt since our bond as well.”

“Eleazar?”

“Yes.”

“My father, you were going to explain my father’s absence.”

“Right.” He let go of her hair and sat up. “Larissa, your father is not on the farm right now. I am unsure if he will return.” He heard her draw in a fast breath and waited for her to speak.

“Where has he gone?”

“He had to take care of something that could no longer be put off. He did not want to go and that is why he was here the day we returned. He asked if I would…excuse him from this obligation.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because it was not my place.”

“Did my mother go with him? I was hoping to visit her today.”

“Your mother is here.”

“What are you not telling me, Bishop?”

He hesitated. There was no easy way to say this. “Larissa, your father has been called to another.”

“
What?
”

“I am sorry.”

“When? How? Oh my goodness. How is my mother?”

“I do not know. I was busy with my own call
while this was going on.”

“Does everyone know? She must be a mess. I must go to her.”

He stilled her movement and looked at her seriously. “Larissa, you cannot interfere with another male’s calling.
Your father is obligated by law to do this thing. It is God’s will.”

She pulled her arm out of his grasp. “I know what it is. What I don’t know is how my mother is coping with this. Eleazar, I need to go to her. Now.”

He sighed. “I will take you.”

“No. I want to go alone.”

“Larissa—”

“No, Eleazar. You may be my mate, but to my family you are just the bishop.” Her words stung more than they should have. “My mother is a prideful woman. She will have a difficult time even speaking to me on such matters. If you are there it will only make matters more difficult. I need to go to her and I need to go alone.”

He considered her words then finally compromised. “I do not want you walking alone. I will take you and when you are prepared to come home, you either send message with one of the children for me to come get you or have your brother run you back. It is really quite inconvenient that I cannot get into your head.”

She was already up and dressing. “That is fine. We must go now.”

Just as the sun crested the horizon, Eleazar was lifting Larissa into a buggy. He looked to the east and felt a melancholy sense of foreboding. It was bitter out. Even the sun seemed to be clinging to warmer places. Faded magenta hues hardly fought for the sky as clouds rolled overhead. The horses huffed and kicked as steam rose off their bodies and misted up from their nostrils. Eleazar briskly walked to the other side of the carriage and grabbed the reins.

They rode in silence, nothing but the click-clack of horse hooves over the ground accompanied by the rattling of their rig. Larissa shivered beside him and he pulled her closer to his body. “We will have to have some cloaks made up for you. Winter is approaching.”

“I have cloaks.”

“I would rather have new ones made than have to ask Silus for one more thing. I will arrange for you to have new ones.”

“I can make my own.”

“Larissa, let me do this for you. Not everything must be a battle.”

She quieted and said no more on the subject. When they pulled in front of the Hartzler house, Eleazar said a silent prayer that this day not be too difficult for his mate. He climbed down from the carriage and walked around to Larissa’s side. He heard the door of the house open and close and sensed Abilene’s presence behind him.

As he handed Larissa down, he heard the woman gasp and move to greet her daughter. The moment he turned, Abilene froze.

“Bish…Bishop King.” She looked terrified to see him there. He loathed the effect his presence could have on some. He had never, in his mind, done anything to deserve such a reaction. He was a good and fair male to his thinking. Abilene’s trembling fingers went to her mouth. “Is Jonas…?”

“Good morning, Abilene. I am only here to deliver your daughter. I know nothing of Jonas’s whereabouts, only that he was…well enough the last time I set eyes on him.”

He could see she wanted to embrace her daughter, but would not while he remained present. He pressed a forced smile to his lips and turned to his mate. His palms went to the side of her face where he gently ran his thumbs along her cheekbone. “Now you be good,” he whispered. “Do not stray from this house without the escort of your brother or myself.”

Knowing Abilene was watching them with keen, disbelieving eyes, he did not kiss her, but simply tapped her nose affectionately. He turned to Abilene and tipped his hat then circled back around the carriage. Seeing that Abilene was suffering quite a shock, he hid a smirk and commanded the horses to move.

* * * *

“What is this, Larissa?”

“May we go in and talk? I am freezing.”