Chapter Seventeen

Christabela sat next to Christopher on the marble slab and reached her hand out gently touching his cheek letting her fingers travel across his smooth skin. His once hardened and cold features suddenly seemed angelic as she held her hand out accepting the two vials of blood Maharet had drawn from Joshua, and opened the first one, touching Christophers lips, gently parting them and poured the blood slowly into his mouth, smiling when she saw him swallow.

She had been able to witness a ritual like this once when she was a small child, and though she was ready to rush through it and see her brother, truly, for the first time, she knew the procedure had to go slow to make it work.

Giving him a moment to taste the first vial of blood and allow it to begin to flow through his veins, she opened the second and placed it to his lips doing the same as with the first. His eyes began to flutter as he swallowed the last of the second vial and his eyes opened staring up at her as she smiled down at him.

The ancients began to chant once again and christopher sat up brushing away Christabela's long dark hair from her shoulder as she tilted her head offering her neck for him to drink from. His eyes traveled from hers to the throbbing blue vein pushing against the silky skin of her neck and he leaned forward sinking his teeth into the soft flesh, moaning as the blood burst forth, filling his mouth full of sweet flavor. His arms circled her waist, pulling her against him, sucking fiercely in a manner of that of a starving child.

Joshua took a step closer, ready to pull her away, but was stopped by the strong hand of Maharet holding him back.

"Let her be Joshua."

He hesitantly stood back as Christopher continued to drain her and broke free from Maharet as Christopher released her limp body from his arms and pulled her into his, brushing the stray strands of hair from her face.

"Take her inside." McKeer spoke. "Lay her down in one of the bed chambers. We will be in shortly to feed her."

Joshua lifted her and carried her into the castle as Christopher stood, his legs weak, and held onto McKeer for support. The confusion was clear in his eyes as he looked around, uncertain of where he was, or what had occurred.

"McKeer, old friend, what is going on?"

McKeer smiled, patting Christopher on the back and slipped his arm around his shoulders leading him to the five females who stood in a row watching the scene as it took place.

"Many things have occurred dear friend, but we will talk of that another time, for now I would like for you to meet your mate"

Yvette looked into the familiar eyes, but saw a stranger that she knew she would love more than she did before. He reached out, placing his hands on her arms, and pulled her closer to him, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"You hold more beauty than anything I have ever seen walk this earth in centuries."

She stood on her tip toes gently touching her lips to his and smiled as she pulled away dropping back to her feet.

"I am Yvette."

He chuckled softly and pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly and closed his eyes enjoying the feel of her against him.

"Come along." Laurent laughed, clapping her hands together. "Let us go inside an have ourselves a festival. We shall hold off on the embracing for another night."

The ancients entered the castle, followed by Christopher and his coven, and gathered in the dinning hall where the servants served platters of fruit, cheese, and goblets of red wine mixed with blood of the extreme ancients that had been bottled for special occasions. The party ran on till the breaking of the sun where they parted and retreated to their rooms to sleep away the day.

**************

Joshua had sat by Christabelas side all night till his tiredness took over, and he leaned his head back on the plush high back chair he'd been resting in and closed his eyes falling into a deep, but uncomfortable sleep. Laurent had entered the room just before Joshua had fallen asleep and brought along a servant with her to help Christabela drink the goblet of blood they had brought for her. Her body was weak from Christophers feeding, but the blood of the ancients would help give her a little strength to rest for the the feeding she would receive when she awoke.

Her feeding would have to wait till morning when she would be somewhat stronger to handle the sacrifice that would be brought to her. For now the blood of the ancients and sleep was all that she would need.

*****

Christabela opened her eyes smiling up to the female that sat next to her and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hello. Night will fall soon. Did you sleep well?" Natasha asked.

Christabela nodded and looked around the room spotting Joshua asleep in the chair by her beside, his position appeared uncomfortable and the peacefulness that usually showed on his face was no longer there.

He didn't belong in her world, she realised, and she wasn't about to force him to make a decision she knew he was battling with. His mind was a raging war and she knew the decision she would have to make was going to be painful, but would have to be done none the less.

He had helped bring Christopher back from the abyss he had been locked into and Patradon, thanks to him, had been put to rest, or so she'd hoped. His purpose had been served, and he would return to the world in which he belonged.

"He will return to Salem tomorrow." Christabela whispered. "He should not have to chose this life over the one he has."

Slinging the covers back, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood, quickly moving across the room pulling open the closet and pulling out a low cut black long sleeved velvet dress.

The length hung to her ankles and hugged at her hour glass figure, flaring off at her hips causing the fabric to gather beautifully around her. Her black heels peered out from beneath the fabric and her long silky hair was pulled into a lose bun with stray ringlets hanging around her face.

The Festival of the Spirits would be held that night and all the females that had been chosen by her coven members would be embraced and their new lives would begin. Natasha watched in silence as Christabela finished preparing herself and frowned as she walked toward Joshua, brushing a strand of hair from his restless face, and dropped a kiss to his forehead whispering words in latin she couldn't quite hear before walking from the room leaving the two of them behind.

Christopher sat in the winged back chair in the silence of the library, his elbows resting on the velvet arms of the chair, and his palms pressed together, with his fingers laced, and his chin resting atop them. His sister was in pain, he could feel it, but it was a pain he had not felt in centuries. McKeer had sat with him in the darkness of that very room the night before with his palms resting against Christopher's temples and their eyes closed as McKeer showed him of the past century and what Christopher had been away from.

Their father had tortured Christabela tremendously and it had been this Father Chasez, or Joshua, as they called him, that had saved, not only him, but his sister as well. It was, however, this same Joshua who brought so much pain to their precious one and Christopher was determined to end that pain for her. She had sacrificed so much to bring him back, and now it was time for him to return the favor.