Rising, he went to trade the towel for a gilt-coated goblet near the wash basin.Returning to the women, he dipped the goblet in the pool of blood.When he filled it, he held the gold cup aloft and declared, "Here is to the gods who have made us, and to us the immortals, to our power and strength, and our ability to love and live forever."He handed the goblet to Elena.
"To us," she murmured and then took a sip.She returned the cup to Charles who also drank.Then he offered it to Marianne.She took it between her small trembling hands and stared at its contents for a moment.
"To us," Elena repeated in a soft murmur.
"To us," Charles added."To the liquid of life."
Marianne sucked in her breath."To us," she whispered.Bringing the cup to her mouth, she took a long, successful drink.When finished, she licked her lips to catch any lingering blood.