A/N: Officially my longest story ever! --waves little flags--
This is just a short little chapter that I HAD to put in. I was minding my own business, drawing our favorite nymphomaniac, sadistic Noble when I realized his picture just looked way too empty. So I decided to have someone else in the picture. Alexander? No. D? No. The Devil's Advocate? No. Well, how about that skinny, creepy girl from Chapter 3? OK! So I decided to put Quinn in the picture and as I was drawing her and deciding what she should wear, I created an entire story about her relationship with Auclair.
From that came this chapter. So this is just an extra bit of niceness before we get back to the actual storyline. Chapter 6 will be coming out (hopefully) within the month.
Disclaimer: Vampire Hunter D still isn't mine.
THE KISS OF DEATH
The naked woman pulled the white cloth tighter around her body, goosebumps littered her skin. It was always so cold. When did things get so cold?
Her footsteps fell harder than they should have for someone her size. She was angry at Auclair for being so quick to dismiss her. When they were together last night he seemed so passionate, why would he suddenly despise her so?
After all, she had surrendered herself so freely to him. She would do anything for him. But instead he treats her like his messenger, sending orders to that girl.
Quinn. That anorexic bitch… A burning hatred settled in the woman's core. Why did she need to tell Quinn to do something? Why couldn't she do it?
The woman rounded the corner in the last corridor. She lightened her steps, slowly easing into Auclair's bedroom. Curious eyes probed the room. She had never been in here before. It was a cluttered mess with books and papers stacked everywhere. A beautiful old coffin, a bare desk, and an antique wardrobe were the only pieces of furniture in the small room. This wasn't exactly the most elegant room in the underground manor.
The faint dance of a candle lit up the back wall. Someone else was in the room.
The woman carefully stepped in, eyes wide and nervous. The emaciated form of a young girl set the candlestick on the desk and opened one of the wardrobe's doors. Quinn…
The girl's short dress draped off her thin shoulders and the material clung tightly to her protruding ribcage. Frail legs that looked like they were barely able to carry any weight at all and long thin hair that hung loosely in waves down her back.
The woman watched the skeletal form of the girl remove a black tailcoat from the wardrobe.
"What are you doing?" The words came out before the woman could stop them.
Quinn looked behind her, not in the least bit surprised. The girl's doll-like face was unnaturally thin. "My lord detests such dank smell. He requires clean clothes nightly."
She went back to her work, setting out a pair of pants, being careful not to crease them.
The woman carried on unabashed. "You do his laundry? What are you? His maid?"
"I take care of my master's needs." A gray vest was laid on top of the outfit.
"That explains the dress, right?"
Cold eyes glanced up quickly at the woman. "I see you take care of some of his needs as well. That explains your lack of such dress, correct?"
Her face reddened. She wrapped the linen even tighter around her frame. Flustered, the woman decided to change the subject. She didn't want any questions directed to her. "Lord Auclair wants you to ready experiment A4."
"Very well." A high-collared white shirt was laid out. "Thank you."
The woman continued to stare. The audacity of that bitch. "You clean his clothes, prepare his experiments, and oversee all of the servants. How did you get so much authority?" Spitefulness seething from her tone.
The girl paused, bony hands clutching a black tie. "Millennia ago, my lord had a fondness for the finer sex of his species. He hated the humans with every fiber of his being and so would only feed on other vampires. For a brief century, I was his favorite. I felt so very fortunate. Many of the ladies of the Nobility were envious of me. For my lord is very powerful. He takes orders only from Dracula himself."
She is a vampire… The woman's throat constricted involuntarily.
Quinn held the tie tighter, knuckles whitening. "The only condition for me to stay in my master's presence was that I mustn't feed on humans. I was denied their blood, because my lord did not want my lips tainted before reaching his."
The girl's glassy eyes made contact with the woman's. "I have cared for my master's every need for 10,000 years and I have not had human blood in all that time."
The woman's heart rate began to increase. Jealousy had suddenly combined with fear.
The corner of Quinn's lip twitched, perhaps the closest thing to a smile the girl could muster. "Do you know why?" Her voice was completely monotone.
Biting her lip, she shook her head.
"Because I had hoped that my lord would love me." Her soulless eyes bore right through the woman into the hall behind her. "But he will never return my love. I know that now."
Quinn set the wrinkled tie down on the stack of clothes and with short steps walked past the woman standing in the doorway, carrying with her a scent of flowers. But it was the cold that traveled in her wake that sent shivers down the woman's spine.
Quinn left her standing in the doorway. She extended an arm, running it down the wall as she headed for the laboratory. A wave of anguished cries grew louder as the thin girl came closer to the cells that held the tortured beasts. Thousands of years ago, she may have felt sorry for them, but now she felt longing. Too many years had she been suffering their fate, but their end would soon be coming. She was dying for all eternity.
After so long the coldness had finally stopped. It was her life's purpose to keep her master company and take care of him. It's what made her feel she actually had a purpose. It's what made her feel needed.
"Please…help me…" A man's hand reached out between the bars and grabbed her bony ankle.
Quinn stopped in her tracks, turning her head slightly to look down at the man. A large tumor grew off his neck and had consumed most of his face; and large sections of skin and flesh were dripping off his bones.
The girl blinked slowly and her mouth tightened into a Cupid's bow. Her master, Lord Jonathan Auclair, was an intelligent man. Everything he did had a purpose…all of his scientific experiments…it was for the best.
Quinn pulled her leg free of the man's grasp. "It's for the best."
"No, please…" He began to sob.
She began walking again, ignoring the creatures' pleas for help.
Habitually, Jonathan ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't bring himself to focus on the monitors. His mind was swimming with ideas.
Maybe it would've been better to send A2 or C7. There was no chance to second guess himself. Quinn would've already released the experiment by now.
Jonathan smiled softly.
She always did as she was told.
Three thousand years ago, the Nobility had shunned Jonathan. They told him he had taken it too far. Testing on vampires was strictly prohibited and Auclair had crossed that boundary. The lords and ladies of the Capital told Jonathan if he didn't leave by his own will, they would force him to leave and be stripped of all titles. Even the vampire king was distressed by his behavior.
To avoid the immediate situation and let the matter die down, Auclair decided to go to sleep. Quinn was the only one who had stayed with him through the entire ordeal and the only one Auclair trusted enough to watch him while he slept.
A year ago, Jonathan awoke to the smell of violets and her sitting in the same seat, covered in dust and cobwebs. She was so much thinner and her eyes no longer shone. She was no longer beautiful; she looked like a sad porcelain doll. He dressed her to his taste, making her look more like the little girl she resembled.
Every evening at twilight, she bathed him, helped him dress, and organize papers for the night's activities. She would watch over the experiments and help to analyze menial results. Her reward was simply being with Jonathan, being able to taste the sweet blood of immortality.
The Noble closed his eyes, his lips twisting into a cynical smile.
She was so loyal. So dependable.
Auclair tented his fingers, musing over his devoted servant.
A/N: Exciting, right?
Like I said, this was a last-minute, one-nighter; took all of 30 minutes. I just felt this might be valuable information since Quinn will be a big character later on in the ending.