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Chapter 10
Divide & Conquer
"How much further?" Winter asked Dr. Coruthers, nervously twitching her hands together.
He relaxed his grip on the reins but still remained jolly in his demeanor as they trotted along the dirt road.
"Well, as I said before, the journey to your baby takes three days so I think it's best if we stop at my cottage for rest and supplies." The doctor looked over his shoulder to D's direction. "I'm sure after everything you've been through you'd like to gain a few hours of sleep?" His mouth widened into a smile which Winter found hard to counteract with any disagreement.
"It's just….I'm really eager to get to my baby as soon as possible. Are you sure the place you left him is safe?"
He placed a hand on Winter's thigh. "He's perfectly safe." He assured her. "I took him as far away from the Nobility as I could. You'll be together soon enough."
Winter tried to relax in his kind words. She returned his smile and sat back even though his touch made her feel a little uneasy. She looked to her left and saw D still riding his horse, as if he were made of stone. His hat was down again and he gripped his horse's reins with one firm hand. She expected him to look back at her but he didn't return her gaze. The dynamic between them had suddenly changed. They'd been alone with each other for so long that it was strange having another person along for the journey. But Winter knew the doctor was right, she was tired and fatigued and her injuries were really beginning to bother her. Several of her ribs were bruised from the fall and scratches and cuts lined her arms and legs. She longed for a hot bath and a warm soft bed but most of all she wanted to talk to D and ask his thoughts on the situation.
After a few more hours, a house was visible in the distance.
"Here we are." The doctor announced triumphantly. He pulled the cart up to the barn and stepped down and extended his hand to Winter, helping her down as well. He then untied his horse and put it the barn. D kept his horse saddled but allowed it water and rest. The three travelers walked to the doctor's cottage with D always quietly following behind, keeping ever vigilant. Immediately upon entering the house, the doctor started a fire and rubbed his hands over it to warm them.
"It may not be much but it beats sleeping on the ground." The doctor remarked.
Soon they would discover that the doctor possessed other talents, he was quite the cook as Winter was soon to discover. With a few ingredients, he was able to prepare a delicious broth complete with sour dough bread. Winter and the doctor ate heartedly at the kitchen table while D stood in the corner not touching a morsel.
"What's wrong Mr. D? Not hungry?" There was a slight tinge of sarcasm in his voice as surely he would know about the eating habits of dhampirs and yet chose to state the obvious.
"No." Was all D said.
"Suit yourself." The doctor began to slurp the broth off his spoon.
"I want to leave at first light." Winter said, changing the subject.
"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." He added more pepper into his food and continued to eat in an undignified manner.
D started to walk for the front door. He opened it and stood out on the front porch; surveying the landscape and listening to insects come alive in the darkness.
Knowing this was a good opportunity to talk to D; Winter put her spoon down and excused herself. She walked up behind D's wide black garb and put her hand on his back. He didn't even flinch.
"How are your injuries?" He asked in his svelte voice.
"I'm a little sore but just grateful to be alive." Winter responded. She moved around to his front so she could look him in the face. His beauty was magnified ten-fold in the moonlight. His paraffin skin was so flawless and his features so perfectly angular.
"What's going to happen after this is all over D?" She asked him nervously.
"What do you mean?" He responded nonchalantly.
"After I find my child what will you do?"
There was a brief pause and only the insects could be heard.
"Do not concern yourself with that." He said closing the conversation.
"But D, I just want to know."
"You should go and rest." He told her while refusing to look at her.
"Do I mean anything to you D?" Winter asked, fearing the possible answer.
D didn't answer her. He continued to stare straight ahead, his eyes locked onto the property. Even after all they'd been through together he still treated her with icy cold distain. Winter wondered what it took to bring out any real warmth in him. But she was beginning to feel that nothing she could do could change his ways and he would forever remain guarded and isolated from others.
After a while Winter said, "Good night D," and walked back in the house. She didn't expect D to respond so it wasn't a shock when he didn't. Her eyes began to well up but she quickly rubbed away any tears.
"Did you really have to be such a jerk?" Lefthand smirked. "You could have humored the girl, you know. What are you planning to do about the Doc, D?"
"He's planned a trap." D answered.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Spring the trap." D responded cryptically.
The doctor was cleaning up in the kitchen, washing the plates and putting away the food, Winter politely tried to offer him assistance.
"Winter, you've had such a long day. Why don't you go and take a bath upstairs? There's plenty of fresh towels and clean clothes."
Winter sighed, as she put down their plates. "Thank you doctor. I think I might."
"It's upstairs, first room on your left."
Winter began to run a bath. She laid out some fresh clothes on the sink and started to undress. Outside the bathroom door, the doctor stood with his hand on the doorknob ready to turn it in the hopes of catching a glance at the angel's naked form. But just as he was about to do so, someone startled him.
"Is there something you need, doctor?" D said quietly.
"Uh, just wanted to see if my guest needed any fresh towels. But I think she's fine." He quickly moved away from the door and went to his room. He'd never heard D coming so he was very surprised to find D at the foot of the stairs when he thought he was still outside. The doctor closed his door behind him but annoyance was clearly visible on his face.
Winter finished bathing and dressed, one of the doctors long white button up shirts with a cream shawl over the top for warmth and to protect her wings. She had to rip the shirt in order to let her wings poke through. When she retired to her room the rest of the house was quiet and dark. It was easy to assume everyone was already asleep. The doctor's bedroom door was shut but there was still one other bed room and its door was open. Quietly, Winter crept down the hallway and poked her head in the bedroom expecting to see D but the room was dark and empty and the bed look untouched. Feeling alone, Winter walked back to her room and lay down. For someone who was so tired, Winter found it extremely hard to sleep. She tossed and turned but it only left her feeling frustrated. After sometime, she threw the blankets away and wrapped the shawl around her and went downstairs. The fire was still crackling in the living room so Winter sat down in front of it and let its golden embers soothe her. Suddenly she heard footsteps and turned around to see the doctor standing behind her.
"Can't sleep?" He asked.
"No, I can't." She replied.
"Want some company?"
Winter smiled. "Sure, that would be nice."
The doctor sat next to her in front of the fire. "Are your injuries bothering you?"
"No, I just feel restless."
"Well, that's not unusual especially after all you've been through. Do you want me to get you something that will make you sleep?"
"No, I just don't like being alone, I guess."
"I understand. I'm like that too."
"Tell me something, what does my baby look like? You said it was a boy didn't you?"
"Yes, a beautiful baby boy." The doctor answered. "He's perfect, ten fingers, ten toes, pinkish plump skin and dark hair and big blue eyes. He looks exactly like you."
Winter smiled but that quickly dissipated with her next question. "Does he have any vampire traits?" Winter asked.
The doctor took his time in answering her. "He was born with incisors which are something human babies aren't born with but you won't really know until he grows and reaches puberty. That's when the Noble gene will really come through."
"Does he have any angel traits yet?"
"Yes, he does have wings, they're small and white."
Winter continued to look into the fire, her eyes watering up again at the visualization of her baby.
"Why did this have to happen to me?" She whispered solemnly.
The doctor turned and looked at her. He reached over and placed his hand on her chin and guided her face towards his. Winter was unsure of what he was doing but in the moment it felt so good and so natural. Maybe it was her naivety but she wanted to continue and see what this would feel like. The doctor placed his lips on hers and it felt so wonderful for Winter to be able to connect with someone in such a way. It was so nice to be drawn in by a human instead of being constantly pushed away by a dhampir. Winter moved her hand up to touch his face. The human's skin felt so warm and touchable and real. Just then, in the corner of her eye, she saw D watching silently. She broke away from the doctor's kiss feeling surprised and ashamed.
"D. What's wrong?"
"I've decided to leave." Once again his words were devoid of emotion.
D turned and moved to the front door. "What? What do you mean you've leaving?" Winter eagerly followed D outside, running behind him, her legs and feet bare.
"You and the doctor should keep travelling north to your child. I'm going to track the Nobility east."
"Why are you leaving now though? Please don't leave! Is it because I kissed him?"
"Your life is your own. You are free to do what you wish." He replied as he untied his horse's reins from its post.
"Then why are you leaving so suddenly?" She cried, trying to stop him.
"There is nothing more I can do here. I am a Vampire Hunter and there are no vampires here." D mounted his horse.
"But I need you D!" Winter protested.
"The doctor will be your guide now." He responded as his horse began to trot away.
"Please D! I'm begging you, at least stay until the sun rises so we can talk about this."
"Good bye." Were the last words D said to her as he galloped away into the dark beyond the property's gates. Winter stood there stunned as she saw him disappear into the night, shocked that he could abandon her so easily. With a broken heart she walked back towards the house.
The doctor stood at the window of the house as he watched Winter and D. A smile crept on his face as he saw the massive Vampire Hunter ride away, deserting Winter. His plan had worked. D might have been a dhampir but he was still a man and like every man, sharing a woman's affections can be difficult to swallow. The doctor knew he was no physical match for the vampire hunter so he had concocted a plan to get him to leave of his own accord. Seeing Winter kissing another must have left a bad taste in D's mouth otherwise he wouldn't have left so abruptly. Fortunately not even a dhampir could escape the very human trait of jealousy. Now that D and Winter were separated, he was free to implement the next phase of his plan and deliver Winter back into the hands of his Noble masters.