From Protector of the Grey House:
“The first man I slept with used me in every way he could. He thought I was younger than I was and kept me until he tired of me. I allowed it to happen as I had nowhere else to go. The first woman…” Mierka turned her head away and sighed. “I think Cara loved me.”
Natalia leaned back on the couch and took Mierka’s hand. “Was she your sire?”
Mierka shook her head. “No, I was hers. She died to Slayers three years later.”
Pain crossed Natalia’s features. She reached out to Mierka and placed her hand on her cheek. “I’m so sorry.”
“Life is not easy for those of us who live a long time. My life is full of stories of loss.”
Natalia stared the woman down. “As is mine, and I’ve lived a lot less years. Life is pain.” The last sentence was almost a whisper. She looked Mierka in the eye as she said the next words. “But there is love in that pain, and beauty. That’s what makes us hold on.”
Mierka sighed. “You are correct.”
Cat Stark 