Sugar and Spice

Twenty

Twenty

*~*~*~*

Magnus and I sat together in silence as we looked over some of Ragnor's things, or, at least, tried to. We both seemed to be stuck on a pair of his photo albums. A sad smile filled my lips as I looked over all of the photos of Ragnor that had been captured throughout the centuries.

"How I loathe that photograph." I looked up, finding Ragnor standing between the chairs that Magnus and I were sitting in. "I must remember, chin down and eyes open. Otherwise, I look like a squinty toad."

"You're here." Magnus and I both looked at our newly deceased friend with wide eyes as he walked around the coffee table to sit on the couch.

"You didn't think you'd both be rid of me that easily, did you?" He raised a brow at us. "Oh, my dear friends, I will always be here for you. Now, please, put away that horrid photograph. It commemorates a night I'd rather forget. Oh, how I had to comfort you."

"Camille." I frowned at the familiar vampire in the photo that Magnus had been looking at.

"How I loved her." Magnus sighed at the memory. "I prayed she would love me the same, but she just laughed. To Camille, immortals aren't supposed to feel true love. She was so cynical. Camille broke my heart."

"You let her break your heart, my friend." Ragnor shook his head. "You're immortal, but she killed you. It took you centuries to get over her, to allow yourself to feel love again."

"Maybe Camille had a point." I mused, taking a sip of the scotch that Magnus had poured me earlier. "Maybe love isn't real, at least, not for those in the Shadow World."

"Now, you know that's not true." Ragnor frowned at me as I watched Magnus get up from his seat, walking over to the table to look at the other objects that rested there, Ragnor's eyes following him as well. "This is why I told you to keep her father's identity a secret. I knew it would only lead to this way of thinking."

"Spare me the lecture." Magnus rolled his eyes as he picked up an instrument from the table, strumming its strings.

"I wouldn't describe that as an instrument of music." Ragnor frowned at the tune. "An instrument of torture, perhaps."

"Oh, you never liked the charango." Magnus chuckled softly.

"No, I did not." Ragnor agreed. "And I pray you don't play it. Death has already given me enough of a headache."

"Do you remember Imasu?" Magnus asked. "He played this so beautifully."

"I'm surprised that lasted as long as it did." Ragnor nodded. "He was always so much better looking than you. I don't understand why you didn't go after the boy. I'm certain, with very little effort, you could have won him back."

"No. Imasu wanted more than I can give." Magnus shook his head as he poured himself another drink. "Maybe Camille was right. I am immortal. I can party and have fun to my heart's content without the anchors of love around my feet."

"You are not Camille. Neither of you are." Ragnor leaned forward in his seat as he looked between us. "And though I know you won't believe me, someday someone will come along who will tear down those walls you've both built around your hearts. And when that love comes back to you, you must do everything in your power to fight for it."

"You're right." I smiled as I put the photo album aside and rose from my seat.

"Going somewhere?" Ragnor asked as he and Magnus both watched me.

"Even in death, you give the best advice." I smiled at him.

"Be nice if you took it more than once every few years." He smiled at me.