|NINE|
WORDS OF THE DEAD

Eira was in a state of almost bliss. It was easy to stay in Fangtasia with Eric and merely forget all her problems. It was so easy because he made her unbelievably happy.

But problems couldn't merely be forgotten. The death of her mother was still a fresh wound that got ripped right open when a lawyer came looking for her to settle the affairs of her mother.

Eric was sitting on the throne and she was sitting in his lap when the lawyer found her. He looked so out of place in his pressed suit and the way he tried to avoid everyone he passed in the crowd. But then he stopped in front of the throne and he spoke nervously, "Are you Eira Lockhart? I was told I could find you here."

"Yes, that's me," she replied as she felt Eric tighten his hold around her protectively.

"I'm here on behalf of your mother..." and with those words, her heartbreak was back.

_____

Eira was now in the office talking to the lawyer. Eric leaned against the desk and had his arms crossed against his chest, his presence looming over the room.

"Well, I need you to sign some papers and the estate will pass to you," the lawyer explained as he handed her some forms.

She quickly signed them, wanting to be done with it. She handed them back to the man who put them in his briefcase. Then he pulled out an envelope, "Your mother also gave me very specific instructions. You were only to receive this upon her death."

Eira quickly snatched the envelope that her name on it written that she recognized as her mother's handwriting. She smiled a bit before she tore the envelope open and pulled out a letter. When she unfolded it, though, she frowned as she realized there was absolutely nothing on the paper.

"But it's blank," Eira frowned.

The lawyer shrugged, "She only said that once you received it that you would know what to do."

"Very sorry for your loss," the lawyer tipped his head in acknowledgment before he left.

Eira sighed sadly as she looked down at the blank piece of paper, "She left me a black letter."

"Let me see it," Eric said and she handed it to him. She leaned against the desk beside him with her arm brushing against his.

"It's not completely blank," he informed as he pointed to a symbol in the corner of the page; it matched the birthmark she had of the sun exactly.

"But I don't know what it means," she pouted as she leaned her head against his arm. "It's hopeless."

"You've become so pessimistic," he chuckled.

She looked up at him before she smiled a bit, "You could kiss me and make me less so."

Eric grinned as he shook his head before he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead which made her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. He cupped her cheek, "Your mother didn't leave this absentmindedly. You'll figure it out."

She nodded but she still pouted, "When I suggested you kiss me, that's not exactly what I had in mind."

He dropped his hand as he informed her, "I have to pay a visit to Bill tonight."

"What does that have to do with you kissing me?"

He looked at her intensely, "Because if I kiss you, I won't want to stop."

"Oh," she blushed before she gained a giddy smile and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Okay, no kissing then."

             The mere touch of her lips on his cheek felt like sunlight. He wanted more. He groaned, "You're excruciating."

            She frowned before he pressed his lips to hers. She smiled into his kiss before he pulled her onto his lap while he sat on the edge of his desk. She was practically straddling him as they kissed. She felt butterflies as they kissed and her heart beat ever so quickly. In a moment where he let her breathe, she uttered softly with a small smile, "It isn't just my lips that is yours, Eric. You have my heart forever, too."

His haunting blue eyes became guarded as they stared at her intensely. But then he softly pressed his lips to hers in the most delicate way that had her heart fluttering. He didn't say anything in response to what she said and she didn't expect him to. She didn't even need him to. She was content to exist in his arms forever and he seemed to like holding her as he didn't once move to release her as they kissed the night away.

It was safe to say he wouldn't be leaving to visit anyone and she didn't want him to; his kiss alone could melt heartbreak away.

_____

When the night faded to reveal the daylight, she was in a coffin with Eric. But while he slept, she laid awake. She kept thinking about the letter and the mark of sun that was on it.

She looked at Eric and she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek before she left the coffin. She didn't worry about being quiet. When vampires slept, it was like they literally became dead, and they hardly woke to anything.

She went to the office and she grabbed the letter. She studied the symbol before she realized that it was a mark of the sun and perhaps only sunlight would reveal what was written.

She quickly went outside into the sunlight. The mark on the page glowed bright white before pen ink started to appear on the page. Eira almost felt like crying as she stared at her mother's handwriting and then she stared to read the letter.

Eira,
If you received this, then I'm no longer with you. This letter is to tell you of the secrets I never had the heart to tell you before. I hope that you'll forgive me for that one day but, for now, the truth...

I came from a dangerous coven of witches with my mother, your grandmother, as its most powerful. When I was pregnant with you, she said she wanted to bless you and make you stronger. I did not realize what she had done until I attempted to leave with your father and start a life of our own.

She did bless you in a way but for her own gains. She performed a spell so powerful that it gave you the power of the sun. All for one purpose: to kill all vampires.

Your grandmother hated them and wanted to raise you to kill them all. I knew I had to hide you away from her and my escape ended fatally with the death of your father. I made sure his death wasn't in vain by using magic to cloak our presence from your grandmother.

We've been hidden and safe ever since but you must never use your power to kill a vampire. She would sense it and she will find you.

I know you care for Eric, my sweet girl, and I suspect you'll have to use your power at some point. If you do, do not fall for her tricks. She likes mind games.

This is probably much more than you were expecting. I wish I was there to tell you. I wish for so many things so I'll leave you with this: I love you always. Be careful.

Mom

Eira was crying as she read it. She cried both in sadness for never being able to say those three words back to her mother but she was also mad that her mother never told her all of this. She know understood why her blood allowed Eric to walk in the sun because it was imbued with the power of the sun. A power that could kill all vampires with a simple thought.