A/N - I'm getting there guys! Next chapter, finally. Thank you for sticking with this story. I love all of you that reviewed and here *hands out the cookies that I promised* Please review again!
"I have a question for you, Claire?" Myrnin queried as he steered Claire down the road without consent. They passed buildings with brand new bricks and roofs, and the potholes in the road that Myrnin remembered were now filled in.
"Go ahead," The girl, tucked loosely at his side, said as she stumbled along beside the vampire.
"How come you're the mayor? Not that I don't think you're a wonderful choice; was it a decision made after Amelie was gone?"
The streets were only just light enough from the moonlight to be able to see shadows dancing in the alleyways, but other than that, the roads were completely abandoned. Darkened backstreets became pitch black in comparison to the white reflection of the moon. Out of instinct, Claire gripped more tightly to Myrnin's arm as she took over the leading, taking them in a different direction to the one that Myrnin had been moving towards. The way she guided him around, it was like Claire had forgotten that Myrnin could see perfectly through the hazy darkness.
It was strange for the vampire to see the tarmac and concrete so blank and empty. Before he left 6 years ago, during the day, humans roamed around, going about their business. But at this time - 11 O'clock according to the clock in Claire's office that Myrnin had knocked over - was vampire hour. No matter what time of year it was, 11 at night was always just dark enough for vampires to go outside without protective clothing. At any point in the day, however, there was always people, the silence here was... deafening. It was just too empty.
"After Amelie... left, I was distraught. Mary encouraged me to become the mayor, or at least to run for mayor. She said that it'd keep my mind off of things and I could make a difference to the town, it was good advice. I became the mayor and I've helped a lot of people, I think." Claire replied, smiling. Myrnin nodded in response, his curiosity satisfied for the time being.
As the pair wound their way along roads and between houses, some with the lights on, some not, Claire explained what she'd changed about the town.
"Well, the cages are gone, if you saw that back in the town square. Those were the first to go, thank God. The college students are free to go about Morganville whenever they want, even at night, and we had one major change... Do you recognise where we are?" Claire said as they rounded a corner onto a part of town that Myrnin had very rarely visited before.
"Yes. This is where the warehouse that housed Captain Obvious used to stand," Myrnin said, looking at the ground and seeing, darker that the rest of the ground, patches of ash from the fire.
"It seemed like the most appropriate place for the memorial," Claire smiled. This was one of the saddest places to go in town, but it was a place that Claire visited often. It was a sanctuary, it was beautiful.
Myrnin looked up at what Claire had referred to as a 'Memorial' and saw something that he was shocked that he hadn't noticed as soon as he'd got there. Stretched out across the entire area of the large warehouse was a field of gold. Each strand of grass individually sculpted to perfection out of the precious metal, and young children made from silver chasing each other around in a perpetual game of 'tag'. It had been a large warehouse, so the field of metal was vast and beautiful with a life sized silver oak tree at the furthest most corner. The leaves of the tree weren't silver, but Myrnin couldn't see from where he stood, what exact material they were.
"The leaves of the oak tree?" Claire guessed when he looked at her with a questioning expression. "Leather. This entire field, except for the items made from silver, are made from the protection bracelets. We got them all melted down and began a town project with the design students at the college, they created this," Claire beamed at her project with sadness showing beneath the cracks in her happy attitude.
"I come here, to think. It reflects the town, can you see?" The small girl pointed and Myrnin looked closely at the metallic structures, he could see himself in the arm of a child that stood mere feet from him. In fact, the entire town was reflected somewhere or another within the memorial. It showed every inch of the town that could see it and the grass was tinged blue from the night sky and moonlight. The actual moon, however, was a knot in the trunk of the large tree and Myrnin set of on the walk around the outside that would get him to the oak. There were paths of gold through the garden, however, Myrnin wasn't quite sure if he trusted himself enough not to trip, land on the silver and fry himself.
"There were no silver protection bracelets, we wouldn't have been able to touch them, so where did the silver come from?" Myrnin asked once he was certain that Claire had followed him. Now that he was closer to the tree, he could see his reflection properly and he took note of the fact that his eyes were growing red and hungry. He hadn't eaten in a while.
"Weapons. That's a solid tree trunk there, and that was only half of the weaponry that we used during the war, all been melted down. It was quite a battle," Claire came to stand beside him, folding her arms loosely across her chest, staring determinedly at the leather leaves. "The image is fitting, don't you think? The next generation, safe and happy?"
"Yes, in some ways it is fitting indeed. It seems a little out of place in this urban desert, though." Myrnin sighed, trying to will away the red that was clouding his vision and the enticing sound of Claire's blood pumping deliciously through her veins.
"Stop being pedantic! It's had a wonderful effect on the townsfolk. They smile now, some people even lay flowers beside it. It's a true memorial to what the town has suffered, and we survived!"
Myrnin frowned, we survived? That's not quite right. "No, you survived." Claire's face fell slightly from it's smile.
"What?"
"My species has pretty much been wiped out. You survived, not we. Try to remember who's attention it is that you are entertaining," Claire lowered her eyes to the ground.
"They murdered people without cause because their enemy was finally gone and they had nothing to fear. Well they were wrong. I lead the humans to do what I could to preserve us, but you can't say that we were the only selfish side in this war. At least we didn't eat your kind," Claire was getting angry, she had no reason to defend her actions against Myrnin, she had to protect what she loved.
"I didn't mean to cause anger, Claire. I merely meant, don't kid yourself that I'm human. I'm not, you know that better than most," Myrnin stepped forwards, regretting it almost instantly when the smell of blood intensified, but he couldn't take it back.
"I'm sorry, I - it's been a long time since I've seen anyone that was so integrated into my old life. It's hard not to want to tell you everything that happened from my point of view. I'm sorry I killed your friends, I had to protect those that I loved. Surely you understand?" Claire pleaded with her eyes and Myrnin felt his bitterness wash away.
Myrnin nodded and Claire moved forwards, gesturing towards the tree, a sadistic smile covering her usually perky features.
"The tree was built for her. For Amelie. I have silver chains with her name on that will one day tie her to that tree so I can watch her burn. She's been marked from the moment that she took my family away from me," There was pain and regret etched in between every single word that the small mayor spoke. Myrnin wasn't left in any doubt, he didn't ever want to mess with the new Claire. She had become a stake-first-negotiate-later kind of woman, and that was scary.
"Myrnin, I want to find them," He didn't need to look around to know that Claire's eyes were filling with tears again, this time angry ones, he could smell the salt from where he stood. Her tough girl routine was breaking at the seams and Myrnin knew that the assistant that he'd know wasn't completely gone. It was a comforting thought.
"I know, Claire," It was all that the vampire could think of to say. His jaw was aching from hunger and it was now an effort to speak without the urge to lunge. Claire's heightened emotions were just making the smell more potent and it was all Myrnin could do not to move his feet. She turned to look at him, and Myrnin couldn't stop his neck from turning his head to see her too.
"Please help me," Mascara mixed with tears down Claire's cheeks, leaving black streaks on the pale skin. Myrnin reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, allowing it to fall down her arm in a soothing gesture.
"Of course, Claire." Before he had a chance to even move his mouth from where it had formed the last word, Claire was hugging him like he was a life raft in the middle of a shark infested ocean. There was a pause before anyone spoke again, Myrnin, trying desperately to wrestle with the compelling urge to bite the neck so close to his mouth that was consuming him.
They stood for a while, Myrnin fighting an internal battle, and Claire grateful to have an ally after so long. It soon became too much for Myrnin, however, and his jaw opened, teeth extending as he leant forward, his brain no longer in command of his actions. As soon as his mind caught up to his body, Myrnin shoved Claire away as fast as he could and moved away, placing one hand on the trunk of the tree.
Claire fell to the ground with a thump, landing just out of the way of the sharp golden grass, and she looked up to glare at Myrnin. The vampire was hissing in pain, refusing to move his hand from the tree, it sizzled and burned, flesh melting in grotesque fashion. The burning sensation in Myrnin's jaw ceased, replaced by that of his hand, but he still didn't move his hand until 3 of his fingers had been eaten away. Eventually, he let out a yell and snatched his injured arm to cradle it close to his body, the healing already beginning slowly. Pins and needles shot through the fried areas.
Claire climbed to her feet and went over to the vampire, horror written in her expression.
"God, Myrnin why did you do that?! Are you okay?" The skin was healing fairly quickly, and Myrnin looked up at her, his eyes a fiery colour. Meeting her gaze, fangs extended.
Despite stepping back a few paces, Claire met his eyes unflinchingly and they stayed that way until the hand fully formed itself and the colour drained from Myrnin's eyes and he blinked.
"Sorry," Myrnin lowered his head, "I haven't eaten in a while. Is there anywhere that I can find something to eat?" Claire nodded stiffly, not speaking. She turned on her heel and walked away, slowly, waiting for Myrnin to follow.
Claire's head was spinning, Myrnin had tried to bite her! She wiped the remains of her tears off that clung to her skin. He hadn't changed quite as much as she'd thought then. Then again, he'd stopped himself in time... did that mean he was now in control of his mind? That was a strange concept.
"The blood bank in the hospital is the best place, I have a key. It was a privilege that Amelie ensured that the mayor had when she began appointing vampires into the powerful positions in society," Myrnin allowed his mind to wander to the woman that had once been his closest friend. None of what Claire described sounded like something that she would have done, back when he had first known Amelie. It was Bishop and everything that Morganville had gone through that turned the white queen to ice.
"The key is kept at my... at the Glass House. We'll have to go there to get it," Claire led the way. "While you were away, how have you suddenly become so... Sane?"
Myrnin chuckled, this was a story that he'd been a little bit reluctant to tell, but he supposed that she had told hers, Claire deserved to know his. Or at least some of it.
"I have a friend, she lives in Boston, her name's Jesse. She works with an old assistant of mine that I keep in contact with. They helped me. But that's as much as I can tell you Claire." Claire pouted, but didn't ask any more questions and they walked in comfortable silence. Just listening to the night.
It was only a few minutes until they reached the Glass House, and Claire fumbled for the keys in her pocket. Myrnin frowned, there was something off about the house, it wasn't right, but he couldn't place the source of what was making his skin prickle. Claire opened the door with the keys that she finally found, but Myrnin walked past her into the house first. Everything seemed normal.
Myrnin walked into the lounge and stopped dead. Claire bumped into him from behind, not having anticipated the sudden stop.
"Myrnin, what the-" coming out from the side, Claire stopped speaking, her eyes widening in shock. She then dropped everything she was holding and tried to run forward with a shout of "EVE!".
Myrnin put an arm out and caught Claire around the waist, refusing to allow her to go to the side of her friend that lay bleeding on the carpet of the Glass house. Eve's hair was sprawled across her face, matted with blood.
"Don't go near her, Claire!" Myrnin shouted over Claire's continuous chorus of Eve's name. Eve lifted her head gingerly, moving a fraction of an inch at a time, clearly in pain. Claire was thrashing against Myrnin's hold violently now.
"Why the hell not?!" She yelled, scrabbling to get to her friend whom she hadn't seem in over 2 years.
What came next made Claire stopped fighting, her entire body going slack as she fell onto Myrnin, his words causing her to fall in shock and guilt.
"Because she's a vampire."
