***
Blake helped Jessondra back to the house. She had calmed down considerably and was now very tired. However, when they reached the house she flew up the stairs to the bedroom.
"Mia."
The female vampire sat in the center of the room, holding her brother’s body in her lap, much as Jessondra had not too long ago.
"You killed him!" she yelled, leaping to her feet.
"No," Jessondra argued. "There was a hunter. There was nothing I could do." She paused before adding, "I killed the hunter."
"That does nothing to help my brother! You could have stayed at least! I knew you were a fake, you never loved him!"
Mia effortlessly lifted her brother into her arms. "You did kill him," she said coldly. "Just as if you had put that stake in him yourself."
Jessondra suddenly felt so weak. How could everything have gone so wrong? "No, that’s not true, I loved him!"
She ran to her dresser and pulled out a small box. She took out the silver anhk necklace and barely got it around Skye’s neck before Mia pulled away.
"Stay away! I knew you’d be the end of him." She leapt out the window and was gone before Blake could reach the balcony.
"She’s gone, but I might be able to follow her trail."
"No," Jessondra said softly.
Blake turned to look at his friend. She knelt on the floor where Skye had fallen. She seemed so small and weak, so unlike herself. No, she was always a pillar of strength for them all. Seeing her like that...it was just so...wrong.
"Jessondra?" He reverted to his human form and carefully approached her fallen form.
"Just leave me alone."
Her voice was emotionless, and it hurt Blake to hear it. "I think it would be better if you had someone with you."
"Go."
She lowered her head, her golden hair falling down, streaked heavily with red.
Blake slipped away and went to see if he could pick up Mia’s trail.
***
Blake returned the next day, having lost the trail. He found Jessondra in exactly the same spot he had left her in the night before. It looked like she hadn't even moved. At first he thought she might have killed herself, but he could hear her heartbeat.
He knew better than to try and talk to her now, so he left to wait until she was ready.
***
Ten minutes after the water stopped, Jessondra made her way downstairs. She was dressed all in black, but that wasn't too different from the usual. What broke Blake's heart was the way she carried herself, like all her confidence and power had been drained from her.
"Are you going to be all right?" Blake asked carefully.
"I...I don't know."
He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. "I'll be here for you."
"No, you won't. I'm leaving."
"Maybe a little time away will do some good."
Jessondra broke away. "No, I'm leaving! Permanently. I can't stay here anymore. I'm putting the house up for sale."
Blake stared in surprise. "B-b-but...you can't do that!"
"I can and will. I can set you up with a cabin in the Rockies, or maybe Montana. I'm getting as far from here as possible." She pushed past him to the phone. "I suggest you start packing."
"Jess, rethink this, please."
"I can't!" Her tears, which had been so carefully controlled for years poured down her face. "I just can't!"
"You're not going to change your mind, are you?"
"I'm changing everything but that."
***
Jessondra watched the waning moon from her spot in the water. She stared intently as the seawater swirled around her body. She ducked down, holding her breath as the water consumed her completely.
When she surfaced, she concentrated on the feel of the water cascading down her skin.
She gathered up her clothes and dressed, knowing that Blake was impatiently waiting for her in the car. She wanted to get out of this place just as badly. She had a job offer from a company in New York that she had to get to. Blake had his cabin in the Central Rockies where he could be at peace.
She looked out over the water once again before leaving. On the sand there were still stains from the battle, but most of the evidence had been washed away. Like everything else in her life.
She took a deep breath and left her home for the last time.
***