The Black Lotus (Night Flower) (39 page)

Melissa reached out a hand and turned Marcus over. She brushed the strands off hair away from his face and felt the tears start to come. “I’ll miss you,” She whispered, weeping through the words. “And I love you, I’ll never forget.” With that she reached down and hugged him. Justin watched her stand and head for the door. Without so much as a backwards glance, she reached the stairs and headed back to her room to pack.

He sighed as he sat down and waited for her to reappear. It would have been better if he had never spoken to her, better if he had not returned to court. He thought of Emily and all the words he would have with her once he caught up with her. His ribs and body still hurt and John still had his brooch. As Melissa finally arrived in the room with a small case in her hands, he had made the decision. They couldn’t go on like this forever. There had to be an end to it, an end to the suffering and bickering, even if it took him many centuries, he would cure them. As Melissa mounted the horse behind him and they headed off into the night, he swore that he would not rest until he found the answer. No matter how far he had to travel he would cure them all.

The End.