Oh, I feel so terrible I wasn't able to write a chapter on this any sooner! I feel so bad, like I've discarded this story or something. I am extremely sorry!
And a warning: this chapter is unbetaed, so if there are any mistakes just point those out to me please. I went over it myself, but I'm not really good at catching things. But I really wanted to get this chapter up since I'm going out of town for a long time.
----------------------------------------
Chapter 8
"Will...Will, are you doing any better?" Ella queried. She leaned on the doorframe of Will's bedroom door. Will looked up from where he had been reading and smiled at the girl. She had finally bought a new dress, and Setia had done her hair up in curls for the day. She looked like so fragile to him from there, in her bright blue skirts and red curls, but when she approached him, it was with the strides of a woman. "You've been quiet lately. I mean, I can understand why..." She pulled herself into Will's lap and leaned against him as he ran his hand through her hair.
"I just have many things to think about, Ella," he replied. Ella turned to look at him, blue eyes shimmering. "Sometimes, everyone needs their space to contemplate what is going on in their life."
"Do you really have to think?" Ella put a hand on either of Will's shoulders. "Why don't you just live? You could go through every day and think about it as you go. It would probably be more fun for you that way. I mean, you spend hours up here, reading every day, but I always feel as if your attention is elsewhere, that you're not really reading, you know? Will, what's wrong?"
"It is just a bit much for me right now, thinking about the idea of being a blood servant, knowing then that I'm bound here for life. I don't belong here, Ella! I don't. My heart is far gone from this place..."
"It's with Jack, isn't it?" Ella whispered. She put her palm on Will's heart. "Jack's what makes it beat steadily every day of your life. I feel it beating now, Will. What is Jack like, if he's so much to you, he must be a wonderful person. What was he like?" Will lifted Ella from his lap and set her down on the bed. She grabbed some of the sheets and pulled them close. "Will you tell me about him?"
"The problem is: where do I start?" He chuckled. "There's so much about him I could dive in to, but I don't want to bore you to death..."
"I am patient," Ella insisted. "Now on with it, Will!" Will glowered and her and laughed as she returned the pout.
"Well, where should I start? There's so much to tell about Jack..."
"When did you first meet him?" Will chuckled to himself, then burst into laughter. There were tears in his eyes as he saw Jack standing in front of him, cutlass drawn, a smirk on his face, the dust swirling around his head...
"Well, actually, our first meeting was confrontation. They were looking for a pirate in the town where I lived, and that was Jack. He hid in my smithy and I challenged him to a fight. He had threatened Elizabeth...a woman I once thought I loved, until I met Jack." Will laughed, recalling events that Jack would later taunt him about in bed. "I didn't know it then, but there was something deep in me though, stirring, a twitch at the corner of my mind asking 'Now what's stopping you from kissing him now?'' Unfortunately, it took me a while to listen to that, but it might have been there from the start. Maybe it was love at first sight. Looking back, I don't know how I didn't notice how he watched me. He loved me from the beginning; I'm sure, even though he's never come out and said it.
"I guess we grew closer throughout that journey...well, you don't know that story, do you?" Ella titled her head to one side and grinned.
"Miana has more eyes and ears then you know," she whispered, tapping the side of her head. At Will's astonished face, she giggled and hugged him around the neck. "Yep, I know. Now go on, Will, please." Will wrapped his arms around her and continued his story.
"Jack's...well, nothing short of amazing really, especially when you get to know him. He has this unexplainable drive that even I don't understand, forcing him to continue through piracy, though his crew has rotated through so many times, changing forever, but the captain remains constant. He's optimistic, flippant, a trickster. I think half of his love of piracy comes from toying with the ships. I mean, he never finds anything of true gold value, you know, simply trade items. He has to sell those then, but he keeps on. And...and he's got a heart. You would not expect it, but he rarely kills. I remember, once, after a few of the crew got out of hand and massacred a whole ship, simply to see blood, he made them take every drop of it off the other ship and drink it. Drink it!" Will laughed. "Of course that wouldn't bother most people here, but humans do have a problem with it. I had never seen him so angered in my life. And that night when he came to bed, he sat beside me trembling most of the night."
"He's seems like a wonderful person," Ella said.
"But still harsh to those below him. He keeps a tight ship, though not with as much ruthlessness as some. Some of the crew members, who we might have captured to join from other ships, were not new to piracy, and said that this ship was heaven compared to some. Which I could not imagine, watching the way he shouted at the crew. Maybe I'm not used to ship life.
"And of course he does have a problem with drinking. I don't understand it at all, but he drinks constantly, a bottle almost always in his hand. I tried to decrease that habit, so he wouldn't drink himself to death someday, but he never listened, you know. Well, he listened for a while, but not long. I bet, of course, now, that by now he's drowning himself in bottles again. It's been five years...five years since I saw him." He clutched Ella tighter.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You really do love him, don't you? I want you to be happy Will. But the winds are changing. For good or ill, they will change, and you only have a small window of hope. I do not know what else to tell you, Will. There will be changes very soon, though what they are is up to those involved." A glassy look came over her eyes, and she studied Will, breathing slowly, carefully. Will waited for her to say more, but she just giggled and jumped off the bed suddenly.
"I want to meet Jack!" she said. "I want to meet him, Will." Will hung his head, before casting his glance out to the port of Miana. He saw the ocean outside, dull in the half-light, and shrouded in mist. Where was Jack out there? Nakuri had assured him he was not dead.
"Maybe you will someday," Will whispered. "Maybe someday I'll get out from here. Then, I can find him..." He looked back and Ella. "You can come with me. You and I can find Jack. I think he would love to meet you also. I would be free of this place. Doesn't it sound too good to be true, too much to ask that I would get out of here? I would probably escape then never be able to find Jack. Or I shall die here as a...blood servant...die at Nakuri's hands, and meet Jack after death."
"But Nakuri can't kill you!" Ella protested. "So stop being so dark. You know that you are protected by the decree of the four elders, so if he kills you he will be exiled. No vampire wants to be an exile from Miana, since they are thought of after that as disgraceful. So don't worry about that part. He won't kill you, and Nakuri is rarely in Miana as it is. And you have been his servant two weeks now and are still alive. If he had any intention to kill you, he would have done so already." Will shook his head.
"Still, I don't trust him. And...who are these elders you speak of? Nakuri mentioned them, but never explained them." Ella nodded before climbing onto the edge of the bed again. She faced Will and held his gaze a long time before beginning.
"The elders are the four first vampires: Larun, Ownitia, Silarn, and Htna. Out of the four, two of them are still living, but we only know the whereabouts of one of them. To begin with, each bloodline has different characteristics, likes, dislikes, and heirlooms. These heirlooms are symbols, passed on from master to fledgling, master being the person who created the vampire, fledgling being the created one. Let's see, how bout Larun's bloodline first.
"Larun is by far the strongest vampire alive. And his bloodline is not much different. Most of the fledglings of that line still carry his power, though it has dwindled some in the passing from master to fledgling, so it is not as strong with some vampires. But, for all of this, Larun is not ruthless. He is a lover of nature, and was actually the one who ordered that plants be planted in this city. Also, he rarely ever kills his meals, even when he is outside of Miana. His fledglings are much like him in this way. I mean, not all of these traits pass to all fledglings, since it does depend a bit on what a person was before, but that's just an overview.
"And Larun is still alive. He, in fact, is here in Miana, lives on one of the hills. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the heirlooms. His heirloom is a knife, with a black hilt and a tree inlayed upon that. It's so pretty! The tree has little gems in it, and the topmost leaf is emerald. Larun has a sword exactly like that. Maybe...maybe sometime I can ask Setia if you can see her knife. She's of Larun's like, you know.
"But I shouldn't dwell on only that, but the knife is so gorgeous. And on Larun's sword...no, Will, I'm stopping! Don't worry. On to Ownitia's line.
"Ownitia was powerful also, almost as powerful as Larun, but she was vain, and flaunted that strength. She was a ruthless killer, rarely sparing a human's life when she fed. Her bloodline is much like this also. They are vain, unforgiving, crave blood and the feel of a human heart stopping as they such the last drop from their veins. Her bloodline is not a weak one, some of the vampires even stronger then those in Larun's bloodline. Her heirloom is a small throwing dagger, with a black blade. Ownitia is no longer alive, though. She died in a way most fitting of her vanity. She died, after being trampled by a horse drawn carriage, on a muddy street, where she lay bleeding for days afterwards and no one came to her aid."
"Wait, stop there," Will said. "Nakuri told me that vampires couldn't die by normal means. So why would she have died like that?" Ella jumped down from the bed and began to pace back and forth, a little bit hunched over. It would have looked very silly, to see a little girl doing that, except that Ella made it seem quite serious.
"Nakuri lied to you. Vampires can die in every way that humans can, except for starvation and sickness. It is true that they do not die as easily, their wounds usually healing faster, things like that. But, with Ownitia, supposedly it was a whole team of horses, not to mention the carriage itself. And after days of sitting in the mud, it's understandable that she would die." Will nodded. With a smile, Ella jumped back to the bed, smoothing out her skirts like a lady and staring at Will with even, measuring eyes. "Shall I go on?"
"The next line is Silarn's line," she said. "Silarn was just as proud as Ownitia, but lacked one crucial part of his boldness: his strength. He was a weak vampire, who thought he could rule the world, but had little power to do it. He loved to pick fights whenever he could, challenging other vampires. Though, for the most part, he lost. Still, his love was to destroy, to kill, and his fledglings are much like that. Silarn died one hundred years after his bloodline began, in a battle with one of his fledglings. The heirloom of this line is a knife with a serpent wound around the hilt. The serpent has rubies for eyes, and etched upon the blade are two serpents, one devouring the other as it screams to the heavens. You won't run across many vampires of this line in Miana. Most have been exiled for killing humans. In fact, the only one you might see is Moyahun—sorry, you would know him as James—though he is for sure soon to be leaving. Actually, James was the one who killed Silarn in battle." Will shivered at the thought of James. Ella put a small hand on his knee and smiled. "It's all right, Will. Let's go on.
"The final bloodline is that of Htna. He only needs one word to describe him: weak. He has very little power, very, very few fledglings, cares for humans immensely, and rarely feeds. There are so few fledglings since he is so hesitant to change anyone, and so are those of his bloodline. His love of humans has made it so that most in his line always seem underfed, since they refrain from feeding as much as they can. They are on the most part frowned upon, and you won't see many of them, either, since they just like to go into hiding. Their heirloom, actually, is not a dagger, but a necklace, with a black rose charm and a dove in the center of that." Ella stopped then and shrugged. "I would say there isn't much else to tell you about the bloodlines. I hoped that was helpful." Will nodded.
"I suppose so," he whispered. He turned away from Ella, staring outside. He shook his head slowly, before turning back to Ella. "Do you think you could leave me alone for a while? I need more time to think." Ella groaned but smiled, giving him a hug before she left.
"But don't think yourself to death," she said. "Maybe tonight you should go downstairs and spend some time socializing. There are many other humans there, Will. You might like it."
----------
"I'm terribly sorry I am late," Setia said, bowing, as she entered the sitting room. It was a spacious place, chairs placed around a central low table. All were full except for one, and there were refreshments at the table, at least, in one area. She took the open chair, the large, plush chair she always claimed at these meetings. Others nodded to her, and she took a glass from the table. She sipped and put it down.
"Don't tell me this is Emily again," she said. The man sitting across from her, on the couch, nodded. He was the only person on the large couch. He wore an amused expression and lifted his glass to her. His face was perfectly white over the rim of the glass, and his eyes were black pits, it seemed. He had fair colored hair, and the only wrinkles on him were around his eyes. Setia felt her heart beating again at his beauty, but she buried those thoughts before he could hear them.
"Yes, Emily is always so generous," he said. "And I am glad you could join us, Setia. You did not keep us waiting long, though. If you would like, I can bring you something else to drink. Gil is present." The man clapped his hands, and Gil, the blacksmith, came forward. He inclined his head to the group.
"No, my lord Larun, I do believe I will pass." Larun shrugged his shoulders and scooted over on the couch all the same. Gil sat down. He was in better order than when Will had seen him, with his hair combed and new clothes, a bath helping to clean up his appearance; without the soot, he was not an ugly man, getting up in years, but obviously one who was attractive before. Larun wrapped his arm around Gil's waist.
"I do hope there are no objections of Gil sitting in on this. If there are, I can send him off." Though spoken casually, the feel of the words through each vampires' mind made it quite clear that Gil was staying. No one spoke. "Well, then, let us being. We have much to cover now.
"First comes the issue of Lady Katrina." Katrina, who had been sitting beside Setia, sat a little taller in her chair. She had done herself up quite beautifully, the black of her hair flowing down her back in curls, her almost-white face shining. "You were in Tortuga, when you sent a messenger, Moyahun, here to warn us of a coming attack. You said that we needed to defend ourselves, and that the Fleeting Dream was lost. Is this true?" Katrina nodded. Even she, the proud lady, showed humility towards Larun.
"Yes, my lord," she responded. "I know you wish to reprimand me on my choice of messenger, being that Moyahun was exiled from the city, but there were no other vampires in the vicinity. If there had been another option, I would have gladly taken that, my lord, yet I could find none. Please, excuse my choice of messenger." She bowed her head. Larun chuckled, then laughing outright.
"I did not come to criticize you, but instead to ask what we must now do with Moyahun. He cannot remain in the city any longer, now that he has killed one human here, and has attempted to kill another. It is not safe to keep him in the city any longer. From here on, I must say he cannot step foot into Miana, no matter who gives him permission or what status he is under. Twice is unforgivable."
"My lord, might I beg his case still? Let him stay one more week within Miana. He has made no more trouble, I assure you, and I assure he will not make any more trouble while I have watch over him. Allow him a little more time in this city. He loves it here."
"He loves you here, Katrina," Larun countered. He turned to Setia. "What would you advise?" Setia smiled.
"I would—I beg forgiveness Katrina—say he must leave here, this evening, and never return. There is no way he could dare to tarnish these streets any farther. Grant him no more time here Katrina. And if you wish it some other way, you may leave with him." Then the room erupted into chaos. Katrina stood, indignant, and her famed temper she had kept so well under control exploded. Setia stood also, trying to reason with Katrina and failing, and whatever tolerance had been between them was gone. Other vampires joined the irate ladies, bickering for either side. Finally, Larun himself rose, and stepped between the two sides. He caught Katrina's hand and Setia's, and exchanged looks with both of them.
"I did not call this meeting so that we would bicker amongst ourselves," he said. "In truth, I called it to have a drink with some old friends of mine!" He grinned and returned to his seat. "I had in mind a happier time than this! I did not want to talk of important matters like these. They bore me, anyway. But I think...now that we started upon this vein, that Moyahun must leave and never return. I am terribly sorry that this grieves you, Katrina, but you are still allowed into the city, so you can come and go as you please, visiting him when you wish. Now that that is settled, who wishes to have a little party?" Larun smiled.
Setia settled back on the chair again, as the vampire began to chat amongst themselves. For the most part these vampires were important and held high status in Miana. In other words, most were the first in bloodlines. They were often called together by the lord Larun for "meetings" as these, though usually Larun tired quickly of official matters in the city and called off the meeting halfway through, calling it a "party" instead. She liked these parties, for sure, but found it more enjoyable at her inn, where she could mingle with the humans and the more common vampires. There was always a feeling of tension when they were around Larun, especially when Gil was in the room. None of the vampires wished to offend Larun's...lover, for lack of better word. He was his blood servant, and they had grown quite close through the years of Gil's service. Setia watched the man with narrowed eyes. He had cleaned himself up, and really, once he looked presentable, he was not ugly. Sure, he had a crippled leg, but his face was good looking, and he was muscled. It was no wonder Larun took an attraction to him.
Setia was jealous.
As were probably most females in the room. Larun had charmed even the most sensible vampires by his good looks and disposition. But he had only eyes for the human, Gil. And Gil was unwavering in his devotion and would not assist anyone who wanted to get close to Larun. Not that that was really a problem. Larun threw enough parties that anyone could at least chat with him. And as Setia looked around the room, she could tell that most of the women here had tried, at least once, to get close to Larun. Even Katrina, who (though she never appeared to be) was so unwavering in her love for James, had attempted, unsuccessfully, to seduce Larun.
And Setia? What of her attempts? She had tried, yes, before Larun met Gil, and...had succeeded. She had been one of Larun's fledglings directly, his favorite pupil. So...so many years ago that Setia did not care to look back. Of course, through those centuries, her love was unwavering. And, Larun knew. He knew as he looked up and saw Setia studying him, as he smiled at her.
Let it be, he whispered. Do you want to talk later? But your inn is awaiting your, Setia. Go there; don't linger here, little one. Setia blocked her thoughts in her head, knowing Larun had been listening to all of them. With a blush on her cheeks, she rose.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now," she announced. "If we have no more business, I need to get back to my inn." She left the room hastily, hoping her host would not wish to show her to the door.
But waiting for her in the foyer was Larun. His arms were crossed, though he smiled when she approached him.
"Don't be afraid of Gil," he said. "And don't be afraid of your fear. It is such a human emotion, but you should not hate it. You were human once, remember?" He took her in his arms, and Setia collapsed into his embrace.
"Human once...but not now." Larun shook his head and smoothed back her hair.
"There is nothing wrong with human emotions. Leave those behind and you become a heartless killer. Leave behind confusion and you become nothing. Remember to stay human." He bent down and placed a kiss on Setia's lips. "Maybe later this evening Gil and I will stop into your inn. There is a man there I would much like to meet, Gil says: William Turner."
"Yes, he's a nice lad," Setia said, still stunned by the kiss. Then her eyes narrowed. "But, Larun, will you feel guilt over that kiss? Or is that an emotion that you can wipe away?" Larun backed away, shaking his head.
"Maybe I've taught you wrong," he said. It was the phrase he used every time one of his fledglings questioned him, only raising more questions in their heads. He nodded to Setia and disappeared, back to the party.
Still, as Setia turned away to walk home, she thought she had seen a bit of despondency in his black eyes. Larun had always loved questions, confusion. Setia looked back to the glowing windows of the house. She heard Larun's laughter inside and shook her head.
----------
Shouts rang out from the large gathering on the inn's bottom floor. Will was sitting in his study, scribbling something down on a piece of paper, but constantly stopping because of this noise or that. A song started up, far off key, but joyous. Will closed his eyes and resumed his writing. He had taken to recording information about the vampires, simply to keep his mind active. Currently, he copied down what Ella had told him of the bloodlines.
"Maybe tonight you should go downstairs and spend some time socializing." Will winced as something crashed downstairs. He wasn't yet in a mindset to join in the happiness downstairs. His mood would just darken it. He could not take a drink down there; those drinks would bring him no joy. Still, hearing the laughter downstairs, he thought about Ella's words. He had had little contact with humans, spending most days locked in his room and turning in for bed early. In fact, he had only really had contact with Setia and Ella; not even Nakuri had stopped by since that night he bound Will to him. He rose from his chair, setting the piece of paper aside. He slipped into new clothes (he had bought them a few days before, promising the storeowner that he would pay him back once he found a job in the city) and pulled back his hair again. Taking a breath to calm himself, he left for the downstairs.
The hall was lit up, a fire burning cheerfully in the large fireplace. People were scattered all through the main area. Will scanned the crowds for a familiar face; he did see Setia, and the dressmaker girl, Alaren. Much to his surprise, Ella was also there, right by Setia's side as she bustled around making sure all her guests were happy. He made his way down the stairs and slipped into the crowd.
A few people called out to him, welcoming him, inviting him into their conversation. He smiled and turned away from all of them, a little hesitant to mingle. But it was not long before Ella looked up and saw him, wandering lost. The little girl pulled on Setia's dress, dragging her towards Will.
"Will, Will, you came!" Ella squealed. She danced around Will. "I'm so glad you're here. You need to me everyone now. Setia can introduce you!" Setia smiled and inclined her head.
"I hope you're doing well, Will. You look better than you were last week. Here, do you want something to drink? No, then food? Anything? Yes, Ella, I know he needs to meet my friends, now hush. Oh, don't give me that look, you rascal." Ella clasped Will's hand tightly as Setia guided him back to the group she had been conversing with. She introduced each one; most, Will noted, looked more...human, for lack of better word. He smiled and made small talk with them, calming down as each minute passed. They were friendly and unbothered it appeared, by the life they were living. It was nothing to them that they were trapped on the island with vampires using them as food. Will did not let his fears on, though, instead laughing with them. Ella, all the while, clung to his hand. She would make some comment here and there, and much to Will's surprise, the others treated her with the respect of an adult. Well, she does seem different. Is she a vampire? Is that why they treat her like an adult? They already seemed to know he was once part of the crew of the Fleeting Dream. They quite admired that he had been on the ship for five years without leaving. He told them that he loved it on the ship, nothing about before that time. But they were happy to give out their stories. From them, as the hours ticked away, he learned much of the workings of the Fleeting Dream.
"I was in...some port town in Spain, on a holiday; I can't remember the name of it now, since it's been years. I was looking at some of the ships and a few men approached me. They asked me if I wanted to have some drinks with them. We got to talking, and I told them I liked exotic places. They told me about an island they knew of, a beautiful place, and that they would sail there on their way back to the Caribbean. I agree to go with them, as drunk as I was, and also since they had spoken so highly of this island, a supposed jewel of beauty. They brought me here; at first, I was skeptical of the place, but I grew to love it. I have been here since I was around your age, Mr. Turner (the man talking was now probably around fifty), and it is not a bad place. It is beautiful, and I can understand why the vampires would want to be in seclusion like this. It also helps to make sure not more humans are killed by them, since here they have servants."
"Doesn't it ever disturb you you're their food, though?" Will asked. He himself had had a few drinks finally (at the pressuring of the other guests), and he had very little tolerance for alcohol. He was getting very drunk. Before, he had been careful not to ask questions that might upset the others, but now he wanted answers. Ella tugged at his hand, and he ignored her.
"I don't really mind it. I mean, my vampire rarely comes to feed on me, so it's not bad." Another man, a little younger shook his head.
"Mine comes every night, and after a while you get used to it. And, of course, if you have a woman, and she's pretty..." the man chuckled. Ella grumbled something about "perverted drunk fools" and strode off to find Setia, who had long left the group. Now it was only humans. "So, who's yours...what's your name again? Will, right? Man or woman? She pretty?"
"It's a man, and he hasn't actually come since he bound me, which was two weeks ago." The man took another swig of his drink.
"Shame, shame; the women here are so pretty." He lowered his voice. "Especially the dressmaker, Alaren, now there's a beauty. Wouldn't you just love..." The older man hushed him.
"You shouldn't talk about them that way, you know. She knows you're talking about her." Will looked up and saw that, yes, Alaren was looking their way. She smiled and winked at Will. "It's a shame, Mr. Turner, there are the likes of him here. But he's bound, so they can't do anything about it. He has to stay here." A third man, who had been silent most of the time, engrossed in his drinks, suddenly spoke up.
"I came here because I was bound to a vampire before, and he wanted to move to Miana. He is nice, never asks much of me, and lets me do as I will. He's probably moving away again, and so off I'll go with him. I have a free home wherever I go, and he pays for all of my meals and clothes. I'd say this is a good life. You don't like it though, do you, boy?" He turned to Will. Will sighed.
"I had too much of a life outside of this. I want to get back to that. And I still don't trust this place. It's so different from the outside world. Maybe...maybe I will come to like it, though." Will looked up again, and his eyes drifted back to Alaren. She had her eyes fixed on him and grinned when he looked up.
You don't like it here, William? Will looked back at the group and joined in the conversation, but Alaren was in his head now. You should be very happy here. These men think you're quite a talkative fellow, and will probably want to join you for a drink more often. I like you too, William. You've won over my heart.
"Do you have a woman out there?" the younger man asked. Will smiled, let out a long sigh.
"Yes, yes," he lied. In his head, Jack was grinning, and he could guess quite well how Jack would have taken to being called the "woman" of their relationship. If Jack was even alive. Will bowed his head and reached for his drink, but it was empty. "H...she doesn't know that I'm here, so I'm worried she thinks I'm dead. I was caught in a storm at sea, and the Fleeting Dream rescued me. I don't know what happened to rest of the ship, if anyone aboard even survived. She probably thinks I'm dead. I...I don't even know if she's alive."
Now stop telling lies, William dear. You know he is alive and well, and he thinks you're as good as gone. Jack Sparrow, that's his name? Will tried to push Alaren from his mind, but she would not leave him alone. Oh, but come on William. You are so handsome and lonesome at the same time. Why don't you come back upstairs to your room? Will felt a strange sensation in his head, as if part of him was not his own anymore. I'll be waiting.
"Will, Will, did you hear me?" Will looked back to the group. One of the men had left, the younger one, and he was off talking to a woman he had seen come in. The other two were still looking at Will.
"I don't know if he's alive," Will muttered. He stood up, swaying back and forth, and almost toppled to the ground. The other two men caught him in time.
"You're far gone, lad, and with only a few drinks. You have no stomach for it." Will chuckled. His head was very light, and all he could think about was returning to his room.
"Jack said that," Will said, chuckling. "Jack always said that."
"Is Jack one of your friends? Now go on, you've had enough drink."
"I should go to my room," Will said. He staggered towards the stairs. One of the men called after him.
"Come join us tomorrow night!" Will clutched the railing of the staircase and made his way back up, only stumbling a few times. The hallway above was dark, but he managed, by leaning on the wall, to get back to his room. He found the door already open once he made it there and staggered inside. He could go no further than the first room and fell upon the couch, groaning. His head was really spinning now, and he was almost ready to faint.
"Don't faint, William," a voice called to him. He opened his eyes and saw Alaren standing over him. She put her hand to his face. "You are so handsome. I think you can keep yourself awake a little longer. You look like you haven't had any fun in quite a long time."
"Jack...where is Jack?" Will's head felt so heavy, and he wanted only to drift away, but Alaren would not let him. Something in the back of his mind, that piece that was no longer his told him to stay conscious just a little longer. Alaren giggled and pushed away a strand of hair from Will's face.
"Jack is currently sailing back to the Caribbean, away from this island. He was here, Will. I'm sure you know; you saw his sword." Will let out a sob. Alaren leaned over him, her faces inches from him. "He has given up on you now, and knows he cannot reach you. He will find another, William. Why don't you forget too?" She brushed a finger over his lips. "There is no reason you should remember him."
"I love him," Will whispered. Alaren sighed, all the while smiling at Will.
"No you do not, William. You should forget he ever existed." The words rang in Will's head and ears, making his head spin and ache. He looked into Alaren's black eyes; saw how in the darkness her white skin seemed to glow. So perfectly white when the moon rested upon it, the moon outside over the harbor...
"The ocean," Will said. "Jack..." Alaren shook her head and bent lower over Will. She placed her lips on his, ever so gently, and her fangs brushed Will's lips. Isn't it wonderful? Alaren whispered in his head; Will closed his eyes, relaxing in her touch. He reached up to hold her face, as that corner of his mind told him to do. She pulled away from him ever so slightly, but he groaned and she brought back down her lips. Her hair fell around Will, tickling his face and neck. He opened his eyes once more to look on her, and her skin was all white with the moon upon it...
"Alaren, what have I told you about not seducing my servants?" a voice called from the doorway. "Love, it hurts me you would so shamelessly kiss him when you knew I would be coming for him tonight." Alaren stood up, and Will felt his mind slipping back into blackness. His stomach churned, not only from the alcohol, but also as he thought back to Jack. He felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, knowing he had betrayed his love.
"Nakuri, dear, I did not mean to hurt you. I am so sorry." Will saw Alaren approach Nakuri, who was standing in the doorway, and wrap her arms around his neck. He smiled and kissed the base of her neck, his arms around her waist. "Will you forgive me?" Nakuri grinned and pulled her into a long kiss.
"Yes, I forgive you," he said. "But I need some time alone with Will right now, Alaren. And...do not try to seduce him again. In fact, please don't seduce any more men if you can. I love to have you all for myself." Alaren giggled. She looked back and curtsied to Will.
"Maybe we can meet again, but not in the same circumstances as before." With that, she was gone, closing the door behind her. Will tried to sit up to watch Nakuri, but he could not make his muscles move. Nakuri looked at Will with a mixed expression. He finally made his way to the couch and knelt beside Will.
"I've waited to give you time to acclimate and come to terms with your new life here, but I can wait no longer Will," Nakuri said, then he laughed. "And I also must apologize for my lover. I think that sometimes she believes she has the right to take all of the new men here at least once for her own. It's troublesome for me, of course, since there are so few men who resist her."
"What?" Will mumbled. Nakuri shook his head.
"I'm sorry Will, but this is something a blood servant must do occasionally. Just relax; you will probably faint halfway through it as it is. You shouldn't worry though, and don't struggle. I won't try to kill you like Moyahun did." Nakuri put his lips to Will's neck, and Will felt the fangs pierce his skin. He groaned and tried to fight back, but blackness crept through his mind.
Please don't struggle. Think about something other than this. Think about Jack. Will closed his eyes and let images of Jack float through his head. Jack smiled at him through the haze and made some comment about Will's position. Then, the vision changed and Will saw a ship over waters where the sun was just beginning to rise. He thought he saw his lover on the deck, leaning over the railing. The ship was not moving, waiting instead for full daylight and more favorable winds. He called out to Jack, and thought he saw Jack turn, but before he could say more he lost consciousness, and the vision faded.
Nakuri stood after he had had his fill. He lifted Will from the couch and carried him back to the bedroom, setting him down on the bed. His face fell as he looked at Will, so peaceful now in the darkness. He knew that Will was always looking out to the ocean where his other life rested, his lover. Nakuri sat on the edge of the bed and held Will's hand. He had known Will's pain, once, hundreds of years before. The youthful face, the other lad's eagerness to serve Nakuri, always faithful, always adoring: it was something time could not erase. Alaren? Oh, she was simply something temporary to help the pain, nothing more. Nakuri stood up and looked at the bedroom window, masked by curtains now.
"You should remember this Will: we too are human, as you might not think. We have many curses upon us now, as do humans, and many more, one curse probably the harshest of all. Will, we can never forget."
----------------------------------------
Well, I hope the fact that this chapter was long makes up for the lack of updates. But...I feel that this chapter was really choppy and a bit rushed. Please, tell me if you think that things are getting really jumbled and confusing, so I can try to fix that in the next few chapters. It's just that now that I've started writing on this story again I have so many ideas for it they are all getting mixed together and I so want to put them in there it's getting confusing in my head. Argh!
And I don't think I'll say expect more updates, but there might be another soon since IT'S SUMMERTIME! No more school, no more school, and lots of time to WRITE! But, there might not be frequent updating since I'm at least trying to add one chapter to each of my stories I'm still updating this summer. But I think this story will get a little more attention, since all these ideas for it are floating around in my head!
Please, please review! It would be nice to know people are still reading this story after the long break without updates.