Chapter 70

Ste. Genevieve

Nick groaned and rolled over. He hurt everywhere. Looking up he noticed he was no longer outside but was in a sparse room with a high arched ceiling. He tried to sit up and felt a wave of nausea unlike anything he'd felt as an immortal. An explosion of pain swept across his back and he slid to one side.

"Bet that hurt!" the voice cackled. "Likely broke your back. Not to worry. I'm certain it will heal. Meanwhile!" Nick was roughly kicked about so that he saw his tormentor lean down and peer into his face.

Clear blue eyes met his... pale blue so that they seemed almost devoid of color gazed into his. They were red-rimmed as if straining in the light of the late afternoon. A foul rotten odor assaulted Nick's nostrils and he wanted to gag.

"There now... now you can watch." Nestor ran one filthy hand over Nick's face... softly caressing it and then rose with a leer as he crossed to Marie-France's unconscious form. Roughly he pulled her to a standing position and began fondling her and licking her face. She stirred. Then she struggled.

"Good! I like it when they struggle. I'd hoped for Amanda.... but you will do." Nestor raised his knife and began slowly slicing her clothes away in strips... not caring if he cut her as well. Meanwhile his pale eyes watched Nick's struggles on the floor as he attempted to stretch and heal.

Nick tried to raise his arms. He could see his sword... he had only to reach it. But his arms wouldn't move... not yet. Darkness wavered around him.

"No... no ...no! Stay awake you young pup!" Nestor, dragging Marie-France by her hair as he crossed to Nick, kicked him several times. "I haven't hurt you enough to die... just enough to keep you still for a while. Now watch what I do to her... watch and know you are nothing... you are helpless... you cannot stop me!"

By this time the last vestiges of clothing had fallen from Marie-France.

[Section has been removed as being too graphic for this board by request.

Once through... Nestor plunged the knife into Marie-France's heart and tossed her dead body next to Nick's.

"Comfort her if she lets you." He picked up a massive sledge-hammer and swung it at Nick's legs several times. Strangely.... Nick could feel nothing. Nestor laughed. "Back still bothering you? Best let you heal a bit. Perhaps I should hunt the little ones?"

Nick tried once more to move. One hand clutched convulsively in the air... but he could not control it. Nestor leaned down and wiped his knife across Nick's mouth so that Marie-France's blood remained on his face. "See you soon..." the monster whispered in Nick's ear and kissed his cheek. Nestor left the room cackling in pleasure. Nick sensed him go. He still could physically feel nothing. Next to him Marie-France dragged in that harsh breath of new life. She started shaking and sobbing... so near and yet he could not touch her. 'Marie... I'm so sorry... Marie..."

Finally she raised her tear-stained face and clutched at him. "I can't let him kill me... take my head. I may know where the children are... I can't let him find them. I can't endure his attentions again. Help me Nick... please. Help me end this."

"My sword," Nick managed to get out. "It's over there... get it. I can't move... yet!"

Marie-France stilled her sobs and looked about fearfully... afraid that if she went for Nick's sword... Nestor would return. She shivered in fear. She had never in her entire life felt so used and so degraded. She had been a prostitute in her mortal life... she had known the perversions of men. Immortality for her had been a way out...a way she might learn to protect herself from unwelcome advances. With a sword she could kill those who'd tried to use her. Then Darius and Eleanor had helped her to move beyond even that life so that at the end she had found this one caring for the children. They had never intended for her to remain here for all time. Indeed they had often urged her to go beyond these walls and see something of the world. But she never had... at least not far and not for long. And she had never considered that a man might simply love her and offer only a gentle touch. Now even that was denied her.

Taking a ragged breath she lunged for Nick's sword and drew it close to her and then collapsed once more beside him. There was no sign of the madman. She handled the katana awkwardly. She'd never really learned to use many weapons... not really needing them here, but she thought she could manage it. She lay close to Nick and stared into his dark eyes. "I wish we'd had more time." He nodded. Gently she kissed him.

Nick felt he'd never known so soft and gentle a kiss in his entire life. Pain was returning to his extremities so his back was evidently healing. He stretched and bones and ligaments crack as they righted themselves. "Won't be long." His hand clutched convulsively wanting to somehow touch her... let her know how sorry he was. He should have prevented this. He... felt Nestor's returning presence.

Marie-France arranged his hand on the sword handle and kissed him again. Once more his arm convulsed. This time she shifted it so that with her help... he could take her head. "He shall never have me again Nick... I am yours for all time." Nick's arm shot forward even as a tortured cry sounded in his soul. He watched the sword slice evenly across her neck and he felt the quickening... a gentle warmth filled with love and sadness entered him... then the lightning began to crackle as windows blew out about the room.

Behind him he heard Nestor shriek in anger and frustration. Nick Wolfe tried to absorb all that was Marie-France... he saw her sad youth and her desperate young adulthood. He saw the priest who helped her and the strange young woman who befriended her. He saw her quiet life in this place and her long peace of mind here helping to guard the children. He was with her whenever a child died... and felt her sorrow at their loss. Finally, all that had been Marie of France, who'd fallen to her death at the dawn of the thirteenth century from the rising heights of Notre Dame's bell tower because she had been too slow with the water, faded within him and was gone.

Nestor's anger at being thwarted of his toy knew no bounds and as the quickening died... he pounded Nick's still partially paralyzed form again and again as he screamed obscenities into the gathering gloom of late afternoon.

Once he was finished, Nestor pulled out his knife and waited for Nick Wolfe to recover. He still had many plans... and soon... the boy would tell him everything... absolutely everything.

***

In the nearby brush, Valeraine watched the quickening die away with bitter tears. She knew either the man she loved or her dearest friend was dead. If Nestor had taken them... now might be the only chance she had to kill him... but the fear of the dark quickening held her back.

She looked up startled as Kenny descended to her side.

"They're dead let's go before he comes for us."

"Only one is dead. The other lives."

"Yeah, well I don't intend to be the next one. I'm outta here!"

Valeraine pulled at his arm. "Try to find the Swordmaster... You must tell him that Nestor has a dark quickening."

Kenny threw off her hand. "I got no plans to see him or any other immortal anytime soon." the boy sneered. "Wanta come with me?"

Valeraine shook her head. "I have to stay until it's over. I have to see if there's something I can do."

"Then you're a fool!" Kenny scrambled back up the hillside and vanished in the afternoon shadows.

Valeraine clasped her knees and said a prayer for the souls of her friends and prayed that somehow... some way... someone knew how to stop this immortal before anyone else died.