Sands – Day four Part 10
It became apparent to Sands that shelling his thoughts off from any probing did nothing to diminish the pain of the silver. As the little thrall came over to his side, a long thin skewer in his hands, Viscalli even stepped back to avoid the silver's aura.
"Remember," Viscalli spoke softly in French to the Chinese thrall, "we don't want him dead. We want pain, as bad as you can make it, but not death. He's to valuable to me alive." Sands saw Viscalli smile across at Jacob, who had a petrified grisly grin on his face. "At least," Viscalli continued in English, "his blood is valuable to me."
The silver mesmerized Sands as the light glinted off its length. He couldn't tear his eyes away as the thrall held it over him, as if searching his left arm for the proper point. Then it descended and the tip bore into him with the intense, searing pain only silver could bring to a vampire. Sand's body arched in pain, his head going back, his jaw clenching as he fought to contain the scream that would otherwise erupt and shame him.
"...a pressure point," the thrall was explaining in French. Sands had missed the first part. "On a human, just applying pressure here can immobilize the arm."
It was a good thing he didn't have to breathe to live, Sands decided, because the moment the silver had entered his body he had ceased breathing and he decided that not breathing was the best way not to scream. He forced his eyes open as he sensed more movement on the thrall's part, and saw that the little man had another silver skewer in his hands. Deep within, Sands felt his body's involuntary shudder. Maybe the skewers wouldn't kill him, but the pain was already close to making him pass out. He hoped this second one would push him over the edge into oblivion.
Consciously, he knew Viscalli was speaking, but his ears were flooding with the pounding of his body's pulse as the second piece of cursed silver bit into the crook of his neck. Pain so intense it was almost exquisite flooded through him, paralyzing him. Blackness nibbled at his mind. The inner shuddering grew more pronounced. Before he could compensate for this new blinding pain, another skewer was shoved into the other side of his neck.
The world exploded in agony and Sands surrendered to the welcoming darkness.
*~*~* His smile turning into a frown, Jacob stood at the foot of the table upon which Sands was restrained. "He's passed out." His gaze went from the thrall to Viscalli. "I thought he could keep Sands awake through this."
Viscalli was also frowning. He lashed out at the thrall. "You were supposed to keep him conscious. He's not going to attract them if he's unconscious."
Cowering, the thrall picked up another skewer. "He'll wake. He's not dead."
"Of course he's not dead," Viscalli hissed. "But I wanted him awake."
"The silver is very painful."
Viscalli rolled his eyes. "Of course it is, you moron. You moved too quickly."
Jacob moved around behind Viscalli. He spoke to the older vampire in English, knowing the thrall didn't understand. "Maybe we should teach him a lesson, stick a few pins in his skinny ass."
"No," Viscalli said, his voice flat, as he turned to face Jacob. "He is usually good at his work, but I think he's getting a little senile." Viscalli turned back to address the thrall and saw he had another silver skewer in his hand. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Inflicting pain," the thrall said happily.
"He's already passed out." Viscalli's eyes narrowed. "Put that down and leave us."
"Where should I go?"
"He's a moron," Jacob reiterated.
"Go sit on the chair in the hallway," Viscalli directed the thrall. "I'll call when you can come back."
The thrall put his skewer back on the little table where he had unrolled his bundle of them, and left the room.
Viscalli turned to address Jacob again, when another vampire came rushing into the room, almost knocking the exiting thrall over. "Sir, there's fighting going on. Intruders," the vampire announced.
"Already?" Viscalli raised a brow. "How did they get in without being seen?" He frowned, wondering if the presence he'd felt going through his mind a while ago had actually gotten useful information without him knowing it. He dismissed that notion. "Jacob, are there other ways in and out of here, other than the doors and windows?"
A little slow at times, Jacob thought back. "There was a tunnel I used, but it hasn't been used in over a hundred years. I'm not sure where it is. How could the Abberline Clan know where it is?"
"Blueprints?" Viscalli suggested.
"There are none of that tunnel." Jacob frowned. "Unless..."
"Yes?"
"Victoria."
It became apparent to Sands that shelling his thoughts off from any probing did nothing to diminish the pain of the silver. As the little thrall came over to his side, a long thin skewer in his hands, Viscalli even stepped back to avoid the silver's aura.
"Remember," Viscalli spoke softly in French to the Chinese thrall, "we don't want him dead. We want pain, as bad as you can make it, but not death. He's to valuable to me alive." Sands saw Viscalli smile across at Jacob, who had a petrified grisly grin on his face. "At least," Viscalli continued in English, "his blood is valuable to me."
The silver mesmerized Sands as the light glinted off its length. He couldn't tear his eyes away as the thrall held it over him, as if searching his left arm for the proper point. Then it descended and the tip bore into him with the intense, searing pain only silver could bring to a vampire. Sand's body arched in pain, his head going back, his jaw clenching as he fought to contain the scream that would otherwise erupt and shame him.
"...a pressure point," the thrall was explaining in French. Sands had missed the first part. "On a human, just applying pressure here can immobilize the arm."
It was a good thing he didn't have to breathe to live, Sands decided, because the moment the silver had entered his body he had ceased breathing and he decided that not breathing was the best way not to scream. He forced his eyes open as he sensed more movement on the thrall's part, and saw that the little man had another silver skewer in his hands. Deep within, Sands felt his body's involuntary shudder. Maybe the skewers wouldn't kill him, but the pain was already close to making him pass out. He hoped this second one would push him over the edge into oblivion.
Consciously, he knew Viscalli was speaking, but his ears were flooding with the pounding of his body's pulse as the second piece of cursed silver bit into the crook of his neck. Pain so intense it was almost exquisite flooded through him, paralyzing him. Blackness nibbled at his mind. The inner shuddering grew more pronounced. Before he could compensate for this new blinding pain, another skewer was shoved into the other side of his neck.
The world exploded in agony and Sands surrendered to the welcoming darkness.
*~*~* His smile turning into a frown, Jacob stood at the foot of the table upon which Sands was restrained. "He's passed out." His gaze went from the thrall to Viscalli. "I thought he could keep Sands awake through this."
Viscalli was also frowning. He lashed out at the thrall. "You were supposed to keep him conscious. He's not going to attract them if he's unconscious."
Cowering, the thrall picked up another skewer. "He'll wake. He's not dead."
"Of course he's not dead," Viscalli hissed. "But I wanted him awake."
"The silver is very painful."
Viscalli rolled his eyes. "Of course it is, you moron. You moved too quickly."
Jacob moved around behind Viscalli. He spoke to the older vampire in English, knowing the thrall didn't understand. "Maybe we should teach him a lesson, stick a few pins in his skinny ass."
"No," Viscalli said, his voice flat, as he turned to face Jacob. "He is usually good at his work, but I think he's getting a little senile." Viscalli turned back to address the thrall and saw he had another silver skewer in his hand. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Inflicting pain," the thrall said happily.
"He's already passed out." Viscalli's eyes narrowed. "Put that down and leave us."
"Where should I go?"
"He's a moron," Jacob reiterated.
"Go sit on the chair in the hallway," Viscalli directed the thrall. "I'll call when you can come back."
The thrall put his skewer back on the little table where he had unrolled his bundle of them, and left the room.
Viscalli turned to address Jacob again, when another vampire came rushing into the room, almost knocking the exiting thrall over. "Sir, there's fighting going on. Intruders," the vampire announced.
"Already?" Viscalli raised a brow. "How did they get in without being seen?" He frowned, wondering if the presence he'd felt going through his mind a while ago had actually gotten useful information without him knowing it. He dismissed that notion. "Jacob, are there other ways in and out of here, other than the doors and windows?"
A little slow at times, Jacob thought back. "There was a tunnel I used, but it hasn't been used in over a hundred years. I'm not sure where it is. How could the Abberline Clan know where it is?"
"Blueprints?" Viscalli suggested.
"There are none of that tunnel." Jacob frowned. "Unless..."
"Yes?"
"Victoria."