In Another Life (I'm Yours)

Part 12 : Re-Born

He wasn't gonna lie, this wasn't exactly how he'd imagined meeting the person carrying his sister's soul for the first time. Barely conscious, the guy obviously wasn't even aware where he was and who he was talking to, not that Bright was expecting to be recognized, for very obvious reasons.

"And you said you have no idea how he ended up where you found him?" he asked again, not bothering raising his head to acknowledge the presence of the vampire that brought this guy to him.

"Yes, Sire," the vampire, Tink, answered. Bright noticed the slight nervousness at the young vampire's voice but other than that, he couldn't sense anything else. The vampire was telling the truth.

"But the instruction to bring him straight to you was clear, so that's exactly what we did." Tink added, and the curiosity in his voice prompted Bright to lift his head enough to give the young vampire the attention he deserved.

"You know who gave the order?" he asked. He figured knowing who gave Tink and his coven the instruction would lead him to the vampire who took the guy housing Kanarin's soul from the comforts of the sentinel's residence and straight into Bright's arms.

The vampire shook his head. Bright watched as the vampire pointed at the unconscious man's form on the bed in answer. "It's there, Sire. Written in blood across that man's chest like a curse."

Bright doubled over at that, stumbling over to where the man was lying prone hoping to see it for himself. He'd smelled the blood earlier, but given that the man was unconscious and bloodied, Bright dismissed it altogether. He reached over and tugged the man's shirt up to reveal exactly what the young vampire was saying, carefully as he could manage it, his gaze settling on the words marring the man's chest and feeling his own blood freezing at the sight.

His fingers hovered over the letters, barely touching the man's skin. This close, Bright was certain that the blood used to write the words came from someone else's - the sight of it drying gave it away as much as its scent.

"Who bit him?" he asked, inspecting the twin puncture wound on the man's neck, the bruise around it and the drying blood.

The young vampire shook his head again. "I can assure you that no one in my coven did, Sire. He already had that wound on his neck when we found him."

Bright sighed. He honestly had no idea what was happening. On one hand, he was thankful that he had his 'sister' with him after so long of waiting for her return, but on the other, he was worried. Part of it had to do with the length of time she was gone, the extent of her memories once she made it to the surface, her recollection of all those times Suppasit allowed death to claim the body she was reborn into just to stop her from changing.

He motioned with his hand for the other vampire present in the room to come forward. "Check with our people at the lair. I need to know if there's any movement from the sentinels."

Khaotung had his phone in hand even before Bright refocused his attention on the man's still form on the bed. Searching the man's face, Bright sighed, unable to quell that sadness that sat in his heart without really understanding it.

-

He was dreaming. Again.

There was no other explanation for it, for the way he felt so detached from his own body despite the fact that he knew he hadn't gone anywhere. Or at least he was certain he didn't. The last thing he remembered was opening the blinds after getting out of bed, hoping to catch a glimpse of the angel as he was leaving. He remembered walking the short distance from the window to the glass sliding door and the balcony beyond it. Remembered catching sight of massive wings overshadowing the entire balcony and blocking the bright sunlight from getting through. He remembered smiling to himself, expecting and equal-parts glad to welcome the sentinel presence, raising his head to greet him.