Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Chapter 2
Luc woke at noon when the chambermaid tapped on his door. After asking her to wait he got up, showered and dressed, and let her in while he prowled the house to see what had changed, and what had not.
He started on the top floor, where his small and dingy room seemed to have been transformed into another hotel room. There was a number on the door, at least, and though Luc contemplated breaking down the door and going in he turned away. Not yet.
Downstairs, he went into the "library", Angelus' study. Last time Luc had seen it the wood-panelled walls were being emptied of their books in preparation for his sire's departure. Now he found it sunny and bright, the cream-coloured curtains hooked up to allow daylight to stream into the room. There were still books, but once he had sidled along the walls, closed the curtains, and gone to the shelves to investigate, he found a disappointing collection of French and English classics, and romantic novels, mixed with a few on the history of Paris. Luc took a couple of the latter off the shelves and flicked through them.
Turning around, he noticed some board games tucked on a bottom shelf, and a number of deep armchairs. Evidently the room was used for after-dinner entertainment - just like the old days, Luc reflected, remembering the time he had stumbled in on Angelus and a pretty blonde in the study. That had been while he was still alive, and he had muttered an apology and rushed away. Strangely, Angelus had never mentioned the incident.
Luc left the curtains closed and went back into the hallway. He put his nose into the "residents' lounge" and found it a bookless version of the library, with more games and a television. The décor was modern and stylish, and the room (in Luc's day, it had been the music room) had none of its former atmosphere.
He sighed, and went back to his own room, finding the chambermaid was just leaving. She had opened the curtains and hooked them back, and Luc hovered by the door in the shade. He caught her arm as she was going out. "Could you close those again?"
"Monsieur?" The chambermaid turned a pair of confused dark eyes to his face. Luc smiled.
"I'm not a sun-lover. Very sensitive skin."
"Oh." She put down the pile of dirty laundry and obligingly closed the curtains. Luc thanked her, and she left.
He sat down in the comfortable armchair provided, and stared into space for a moment. He needed a plan, he needed something to do. Something to take his mind away from the still-present ache deep inside him. And then, he had an idea.
Luc made the call two hours later, when he judged the time difference had ceased to matter. The telephone was answered quickly, and he only had to wait a short time while he was put through.
"Lindsey McDonald." A tap as a coffee cup was put down.
"Mr McDonald," said Luc, "this is Luc Tarpeau."
"I suppose I should offer my condolences," the lawyer said, with a smile in his voice.
"Wolfram and Hart have good connections," Luc returned.
"I'm not going to miss the bastard," Lindsey McDonald said.
"I am," Luc said softly.
"I thought you'd fired me," said the lawyer, and Luc heard a pen scratching across paper.
"I decided you could still be of use," Luc said. "I need you to find someone for me."
A laugh from across the world. "Let me guess. Drusilla."
"Good guess," said Luc, impressed despite himself. "Let me put this plainly, Mr McDonald. With Darla and Angelus ... gone ... I believe I am now the head of my Order. Unless you've been resurrecting others in my family?"
"No, Darla was the only one," said Lindsey McDonald. "Go on."
"I am therefore," Luc said, "interested in using that power. Drusilla is my closest family. I want her by my side. Find her, and we'll continue using your firm."
"I'll ask her to call you," the lawyer said. "When we find her."
Luc smiled to himself, and gave McDonald his number.
* * *
Paris, 1838
Angelus waved his arm expansively. "This is your playground, Luc. It's no longer an enemy. You're never going to be hungry again, never cold, never lonely. You can have anyone and anything you choose."
"I must admit," Luc said, feeling the soft edge of his new jacket appreciatively, "I like this."
His sire smiled, dark eyes sparkling. "Who would not like it? And you, you are luckier than most, Luc."
"Because of you?" Luc said, hazarding a guess that he thought would please his sire.
"Because of me, partly," Angelus agreed. "But also because of our line. Family history, Luc. Darla's sire is a wrinkled walnut, but he has power."
Luc was intrigued. "A walnut?"
"He's so old he's forgotten how to blend in with the food," Angelus explained, with a laugh. "Bat-faced and fangs. Horrible thing, thinks too much of himself. He calls himself the Master - and though I can't stand him, nor him me, I have to acknowledge that title."
"What's he the master of?" asked Luc.
"Our Order," Angelus said, becoming serious all of a sudden. "The Order of Aurelius. Few vampires these days belong to any order, or group. They're weaker, pathetic beings. We -" he looked hard at Luc, to make sure the point was getting across, "we come from a stronger, older bloodline. We have power. Not only over humans, over our kind also."
"Where does he live?" Luc said, fascinated.
"Vienna, I think, at the moment. I saw him in London, but he moved." Angelus watched a woman go by and licked his lips. "Was shipped out in a box, if you can believe it. Darla's been to see him. I don't bother."
"But shouldn't you show some deference, or something?" said Luc. "If he's the Order's Master?"
Angelus stopped walking, and put his hands on Luc's shoulders. "Bonjour," he said. "Je m'appelle Angelus. Have I failed to introduce myself?" He leaned close to Luc. "Luc, my boy, people bow to me, not me to them. If you have any sense, you'll remember that."
Luc nodded. "Yes. I'll remember." He wondered, briefly, whether torture would hurt in his current state, and then thought that probably Angelus knew as many ways of hurting a vampire as he did a human.
"Enough talking," Angelus said, starting to walk again. "Time to eat."
Hurrying to catch up, Luc stored the new information about the Order of Aurelius in his mind, and hoped that one day it would come in useful.
Chapter 2
Luc woke at noon when the chambermaid tapped on his door. After asking her to wait he got up, showered and dressed, and let her in while he prowled the house to see what had changed, and what had not.
He started on the top floor, where his small and dingy room seemed to have been transformed into another hotel room. There was a number on the door, at least, and though Luc contemplated breaking down the door and going in he turned away. Not yet.
Downstairs, he went into the "library", Angelus' study. Last time Luc had seen it the wood-panelled walls were being emptied of their books in preparation for his sire's departure. Now he found it sunny and bright, the cream-coloured curtains hooked up to allow daylight to stream into the room. There were still books, but once he had sidled along the walls, closed the curtains, and gone to the shelves to investigate, he found a disappointing collection of French and English classics, and romantic novels, mixed with a few on the history of Paris. Luc took a couple of the latter off the shelves and flicked through them.
Turning around, he noticed some board games tucked on a bottom shelf, and a number of deep armchairs. Evidently the room was used for after-dinner entertainment - just like the old days, Luc reflected, remembering the time he had stumbled in on Angelus and a pretty blonde in the study. That had been while he was still alive, and he had muttered an apology and rushed away. Strangely, Angelus had never mentioned the incident.
Luc left the curtains closed and went back into the hallway. He put his nose into the "residents' lounge" and found it a bookless version of the library, with more games and a television. The décor was modern and stylish, and the room (in Luc's day, it had been the music room) had none of its former atmosphere.
He sighed, and went back to his own room, finding the chambermaid was just leaving. She had opened the curtains and hooked them back, and Luc hovered by the door in the shade. He caught her arm as she was going out. "Could you close those again?"
"Monsieur?" The chambermaid turned a pair of confused dark eyes to his face. Luc smiled.
"I'm not a sun-lover. Very sensitive skin."
"Oh." She put down the pile of dirty laundry and obligingly closed the curtains. Luc thanked her, and she left.
He sat down in the comfortable armchair provided, and stared into space for a moment. He needed a plan, he needed something to do. Something to take his mind away from the still-present ache deep inside him. And then, he had an idea.
Luc made the call two hours later, when he judged the time difference had ceased to matter. The telephone was answered quickly, and he only had to wait a short time while he was put through.
"Lindsey McDonald." A tap as a coffee cup was put down.
"Mr McDonald," said Luc, "this is Luc Tarpeau."
"I suppose I should offer my condolences," the lawyer said, with a smile in his voice.
"Wolfram and Hart have good connections," Luc returned.
"I'm not going to miss the bastard," Lindsey McDonald said.
"I am," Luc said softly.
"I thought you'd fired me," said the lawyer, and Luc heard a pen scratching across paper.
"I decided you could still be of use," Luc said. "I need you to find someone for me."
A laugh from across the world. "Let me guess. Drusilla."
"Good guess," said Luc, impressed despite himself. "Let me put this plainly, Mr McDonald. With Darla and Angelus ... gone ... I believe I am now the head of my Order. Unless you've been resurrecting others in my family?"
"No, Darla was the only one," said Lindsey McDonald. "Go on."
"I am therefore," Luc said, "interested in using that power. Drusilla is my closest family. I want her by my side. Find her, and we'll continue using your firm."
"I'll ask her to call you," the lawyer said. "When we find her."
Luc smiled to himself, and gave McDonald his number.
* * *
Paris, 1838
Angelus waved his arm expansively. "This is your playground, Luc. It's no longer an enemy. You're never going to be hungry again, never cold, never lonely. You can have anyone and anything you choose."
"I must admit," Luc said, feeling the soft edge of his new jacket appreciatively, "I like this."
His sire smiled, dark eyes sparkling. "Who would not like it? And you, you are luckier than most, Luc."
"Because of you?" Luc said, hazarding a guess that he thought would please his sire.
"Because of me, partly," Angelus agreed. "But also because of our line. Family history, Luc. Darla's sire is a wrinkled walnut, but he has power."
Luc was intrigued. "A walnut?"
"He's so old he's forgotten how to blend in with the food," Angelus explained, with a laugh. "Bat-faced and fangs. Horrible thing, thinks too much of himself. He calls himself the Master - and though I can't stand him, nor him me, I have to acknowledge that title."
"What's he the master of?" asked Luc.
"Our Order," Angelus said, becoming serious all of a sudden. "The Order of Aurelius. Few vampires these days belong to any order, or group. They're weaker, pathetic beings. We -" he looked hard at Luc, to make sure the point was getting across, "we come from a stronger, older bloodline. We have power. Not only over humans, over our kind also."
"Where does he live?" Luc said, fascinated.
"Vienna, I think, at the moment. I saw him in London, but he moved." Angelus watched a woman go by and licked his lips. "Was shipped out in a box, if you can believe it. Darla's been to see him. I don't bother."
"But shouldn't you show some deference, or something?" said Luc. "If he's the Order's Master?"
Angelus stopped walking, and put his hands on Luc's shoulders. "Bonjour," he said. "Je m'appelle Angelus. Have I failed to introduce myself?" He leaned close to Luc. "Luc, my boy, people bow to me, not me to them. If you have any sense, you'll remember that."
Luc nodded. "Yes. I'll remember." He wondered, briefly, whether torture would hurt in his current state, and then thought that probably Angelus knew as many ways of hurting a vampire as he did a human.
"Enough talking," Angelus said, starting to walk again. "Time to eat."
Hurrying to catch up, Luc stored the new information about the Order of Aurelius in his mind, and hoped that one day it would come in useful.
