It had only taken giving Max the highlights of Bennett’s near-death experience for the council to rain down on Napoleon like the falls of Niagara. He had finally stepped over a line, and it was the line that had always ensured that vampires could co-exist with daywalkers without fear of annihilation.

Despite the fact they had no proof Napoleon was behind the attack on Bennett, there was little doubt he had orchestrated the grievous misstep that could have caused a war, and the council ruled unanimously. Napoleon was told in no uncertain terms if any harm befell Bennett or any members of his flock trespassed in her area again, he would face a forced slumber of a hundred years.

Few steeper penalties could be handed out, so with his twisted tail tucked between his skinny legs, Napoleon had no choice but to adhere to the council’s ruling. He forbade his followers from visiting Back Bay and the surrounding areas, and by early the following week, Bennett, once again, returned to her routine.

For Bennett, most holidays were simply days with events attached to them. She had lived for so long that unless there was a special someone in her life, she didn’t decorate or shop, and she’d spent literally dozens of them alone. That didn’t mean, however, Bennett didn’t understand the importance of holidays for others, so her gallery closed at noon on the eve of Thanksgiving and wouldn’t reopen until Monday.

Both the Jensen clan and the Rooney family had invited Bennett to spend the holiday with them, but with Fallon’s and Kenna’s birthdays falling on Thanksgiving this year, Bennett accepted the latter’s invitation. Lisa, Finn, Gunnar, and his family all headed to Yarmouth to spend the time with their parents, and on Thursday, with two bottles of wine in hand and a selection of cookies and treats from Mario’s Bakery, Bennett arrived at Gus’s house promptly at noon.

It was an afternoon spent amidst the love of a family and divine aromas of family favorites filling the house. Bennett played—and lost—several Xbox games with Liam and Aidan before Fallon whisked her upstairs to see the new rainbow-themed décor in the teenager’s bedroom. But it wasn’t until Kenna asked for Bennett’s opinion on two recently purchased dresses that reality hit home. So, when it came time for her to leave, the feeling that washed over Bennett was unmistakable. She wasn’t sad because she was bidding farewell to friends. She was sad because these friends had become her family. Yes, she’d see them again, and yes, they’d include her in family gatherings again, but her lifespan would far exceed theirs, and Bennett already missed their company.

***

Ruby stumbled into her apartment late Friday morning, and after putting her shoes and coat where they belonged, she collapsed onto the bed.