Never since has any person been so worthy of a life as he
The world seemed to pass very slowly before her vision. She was aware she still clasped Starkers's shirt. She was still aware that cars were passing. She was still aware that the breeze was throwing her skirt behind her. But she couldn't feel them. It was like she was dying- no sense of touch or taste. She could still see but it was like a barrier between her and the world. Anything that happened out there could not touch her. She was beyond pain.
"Hellfire he stabbed him right through the heart. With a big silver dagger. The blood... I tried. But he looked at me after with the dagger.. and and I just ran. I couldn't. I couldn't." The boy was almost in tears, Eternity almost reached out to comfort him. Poor boy. It was so sad for him. She looked round the group. Holly was staring open mouthed, her ruby lipstick rubbed off around the outside of her perfect skin. Wellies was staring steadily at Ollie before closing his eyes and turning away. Starkers was frozen, his arms still holding her she noticed but only vaguely.
And Carthage. He stood looking at Ollie with almost a hint of boredom. "Well then," He began putting on a slight Texas drawl, "we'd better go." He turned and began to walk towards were the cars were parked. Eternity blinked once before turning back to look at the club. It was just the same as it had been a second ago. Ollie had sunk to his knees and almost crawled after Eternity not meeting her eyes.
She felt a slight tug on her arm and Starkers's gruff words. "Come on." She turned back to him, but was distracted by Wellies picking Hayley out of the curb where she had collapsed after puking. At last she looked up at Starkers and dipped her head in a twisted nod. He led her away, her mind blank as a black hole.
They reached the cars and Holly took up the driving seat in one with Hayley, Wellies and Ollie in with her. Carthage took the other, Starkers and Eternity as passengers. The ride was silent except for the sounds of a one sided conversation from Carthage on his mobile to their boss. The clock by the heater read 02:34 and Eternity felt her body dropping as the alcohol wore off.
The ride was fast and winding. Carthage was apparently keen not to be followed so kept the car moving at a radical pace even though the turns called for a slow and patient hand. They arrived at their house a little before half past three. The house was cloaked in darkness as well as a fanatical amount of wards.
The Daybreak safe house was owned by Daybreakers Inc, a building company and used by said company to house it's temporary staff who lived in other areas. Or at least that was the story that the people in charge of the area held. In reality the Circle Daybreak used it as an occasional safe house and base of operations in the particular city in which outskirts it was located.
A building of at least hundred and fifty years it was tall and grand with five countable chimney's from the back. Big windows and rustic doorways ensured that if any Night Worlder was to pass the thought of it being a safe house for the illustrious Circle would never cross their minds. It was more like a posh businessman's home.
But to Eternity at that point it seemed very unfriendly. No lights were on, the howling of the next door neighbours dog warned them off their proximity to him and as soon as she stepped out the car she fell awkwardly upon the concrete floor beneath her. Looking up beneath her golden hair that had suddenly fallen in front of her eyes she saw Carthage shoot her a look of disgust before heading up the driveway in the right direction. Of course in this light he could see. Starkers emerged from the other side of the car apparently not noticing her on the floor and complacently followed Carthage into the darkness.
She struggled to her feet, brushing off the first raindrop that fell on her cheek. She stumbled, her ankle hurt slightly on the fall, supporting herself on the edge of the car she found the raised path leading to the front door before falling over once more onto the rough paved slabs beneath. The subtle click of the front door aided her efforts to reach a steady standing position as the second raindrop fell. She leant down on a sudden inspiration and removed her shoes, the heals being of 7cm in height and somewhat precarious.
Eternity picked up her shoes by the straps before the third raindrop fell and hobbled, the pain in her ankle was severe, towards the door. She felt two arms wrap about her and lift her up, by the cologne it was Starkers who out of character said nothing to her as he lifted her gently into the house. The fourth raindrop coldly hit her cheek with a cruel vengeance. Starker's face swam infront of her vision as he held her shoulders shaking her slightly and talking to her. But it was vague. Her mind was clouded as the fifth raindrop fell.
It was raining indoors???
You're crying. The logical fact arrived to her brain with unearthly clarity in a befuddled brain which had no intention of letting itself feel pain. Carthage came into sight beneath the steep staircase. Her eyes dropped to the floor as the raindrops began beating her cheeks with a cold fury. She shrank into herself the floor suddenly only a foot away her arms grasping at something hard and something soft her eyes fixed upon the little table, her voice. Her voice crying an incomprehensible sound of pure pain.
Sorrow came driving like the sea into her, freeing her from any bounds of self restraint. Her emotions welled up to fight the driving tide but were swept back like a pebble on the beach. Her body curled up upon itself, fists beating the floor with the rabid fury. But nothing could soothe her pain when all she could think of.
He's dead.
He's dead
Never again will I feel his soft touch flirting across my back whilst we talk of the stars. Never can I ever be touched by his mere presence. Never can I feel his warmth of body and soul again. Never again.
Her body let out another cry of pain but this time mixed with disappointment and sorrow. In the distance she felt her body being lifted and carried, but it didn't matter. He mattered and now he was gone.
Are you flirting with me Ms Tippet? Hold on, damn it, hold on Hold on I want to check if there's a brain in there Calm down Etty, there's nothing we can do now Look what you did! Women... Etty! Etty! I have a surprise for you What are you doing in my bed little miss Etty? You know I love you so shut up and watch the damn movie Never forget I care no matter what happens tonight... Always know that I love you
Valerio Pazler had survived that night. He'd come home from the worst night world raid untouched with only a small burn on the lower part of his shoulder blade. The next night, tonight, he hadn't come home at all. They'd all been so relieved, well maybe not Carthage. With Valerio out the way Carthage was leader of their squad. Carthage had always wanted power.
Eternity's mind slowly drew back into her body and her senses returned in a foggy forigen way. She was in a stark white washed room on a double bed, which occupied most of the room. The room had, from the rocking horse in one corner and holes where the bars had been across the window, been a nursery many years before. The room was marginally alien to her and looked, although there were a couple of items of clothing hanging in the wardrobe, unlived in.
Which was slightly odd as it was Eternity's room. The few clothes were hers and the rare other items scattered about were also hers. It caused a little ripple of fear being in this room in the blackened almost dawn. It was so cold and unfriendly. She crept up off the high white metal framed bed and limped down onto the floor wincing at the pain her ankle caused her.
She struggled down the little flight of stairs that led to her little nursery before hobbling across the bare space at the head of the stairs and beyond it to the master room. The handle creaked it's familiar sound, the floorboard moaned their little tune and relief spread over her like the rushing day. She hastily shut the door and ran (hobbled) as fast as she could to the bed which welcoming duvet and blanket cushioned her.
She hollowed out a little space from the duvet and pillows so it surrounded her on all sides except one which looked out into the room. On a chair directly opposite was a pair of men's black trousers neatly placed ready for the next day. On top was a red ¾ length t-shirt with half a sleeve ripped off in the name of fashion. In the wardrobe hung her clothes next to his. In the en-suite sat her toothbrush next to his. As much as that nursery belonged to her, this room was where she lived. With him.
She bit back her tears with a self-hatred for being so sentimental. She was seventeen. You don't find THE one at seventeen. You don't become permanently scarred because your boyfriend d- goes away. You don't fall in love at seventeen it was ridiculous. And you definitely don't fall in love at thirteen. Even- no you just don't fall in love at seventeen it's not possible!
She angrily wiped away the tear as her defence crumbled. Any human is capable of love at any age. And if she didn't love him, why did it feel as if it was the end of everything?
This pain was beyond belief. And it wasn't even hurting. It was just an empty pain, pouring out all her emotions out of her body.
And then it was gone. The pain. It was gone.
It was a relief. Eternity closed her eyes and let her body fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.
-*-
Dover rubbed his eyes to the new dawn. It was frightening in colour, red with orange flecks. Looking almost as if they sky and sun were angry with the world. He grinned to himself before pulling himself up. In his left hand he fingered the outside of the card, running his thumb across the sharp edge. He opened the door to his office and walked down the two flights of stairs to the basement picking up the high power torch as he did so. The door to the basement was solid oak, out of place in the modern building, and opened with a large creek.
He shut it behind himself joining his friend at the bottom of the stairs. His friend grinned with vicious bloodlust at his boss before turning back to their captured. There were two captured in the basement, both chained in wooden stocks impossible to escape from even if they were not vampire. "My friend, may I be the first to welcome you to Midday Sun." Dover told the nearest of the two vampires.
The vampire looked up at with ravaged fury and many at such a look would have slunk away but Dover just laughed. "It's such a shame," He commented through loud bursts of laughter. "That you can't enjoy the many hospitalities of Midday Sun longer like our friend over here." He moved the torch to directly in the eyes of the other who's eyes reflected the light as he dived forward hissing and screaming, trying to break to wooden bonds he was bound with.
"Never the less I am glad you have come. It means so much to me, us." He stepped back to indicate his friend who at that precise moment shot the wooden bow, from the crossbow he'd picked up whilst Dover was talking, deep into the heart of the vampire. Dover reached down a second after the corpse began to mummify and picked up a wooden stake.
Walking confidently up to the vampire he lent over and drew the circle with the MS coming out on the beast's forehead. Stepping back he admired his work before turning to his friend. "Take our friend here to the back streets and leave him outside a Black Rose club." His friend nodded and moved to uncuff the body with the wooden key before hauling him up the stairs. Dover did not stay to watch.
As he ascended the second staircase a voice hailed him. He turned to see a Daybreak spy climbing wearily up the stairs after him. He was out of breath and pink in the face. "Sir, you wanted to be kept up-to-date with the latest Daybreak news?" He asked whilst leaning on his knees in an attempt to regain breath.
Dover did not bother to answer and the spy continued. "Valerio Palzer was killed in a club this evening by, err, Hellfore, Hellfire? Err, and that means this city's lead squad will now be run by Carthage Prinze, the, errr, vampire." He whispered the last word gently. Dover stared mutely at him for a minute before he attempted to dispel any further information that apparently Dover wanted. "Err, umm, It's the squad that, err, she's in. She, err, Eternity, I mean, was dating Valerio, who got stabbed."
Dover finally acknowledged him with a flick of his hand and the spy went running. His face, far from the seconds ago jubilation at the capture and killing of a prominent vampire under Hellfire, was subdued and morose. "What do you propose?" Asked the serious voice of Cathcarte the second in command of Midday Sun.
"Revenge." Dover said offhand, sidling into a seat of one of the tactical advisors, his hand to his mouth in thought. "Eternity and Palzer. They'd been dating for years. He was a witch. They cared-" He stopped and looked up at Cathcarte.
"I still think she'd be far safer and happier under Midday Sun, Sir." He said the last words with emphasis. "Especially with her being your-" They cut off as a meek shifter cat brought up their tea.
"Another time Cathcarte another time." Was all Dover completed on the subject.
-*-
Review... just a few little words....
Bex Drake: I owe you x2 thanks cos your review came in the second i posted the next chapter. So sorry darling. Great to know your reading and I have been told by a certain Stone that you not a happy bunny recently so CHEER UP CHUNTEY!!!!
Practikal Magik: Don't worry you're not in there for too long. The guys are just standard with me now, I should really stop being so superficial shouldn't I? It's really weird writing a story and not having Shady review it.... Back on track thankies duderino.
Nada: Darling I have never read an Anne Rice book in my life nor even seen the film so I cannot judge in the least and it is pointless telling me that. Well names: Valerio is from a Italian author who I liked one of his books. I nicked his first name and Palzer is the surname of another author (my laptop faces my bookshelf- so natural to pick what you see). Carthage is the name of the city where Hannibal came from. I wanted to make him sound like a hero, hence also Prinze. Dover will become clear later. Hellfire well that's pretty obvious isn't it?
Thade182: Well he could be dead. Everyone seems to think he's dead. I think that's a pretty big sign pointing to the dead angle. Great to hear from you darling, your review prompted me to start writing.