Chapter 13: Larten Crepsley
Darren didn`t dare to feel safe, before they reached the meadows outside the city, where the Cirque du Freak camped.
Both he and Gillian saw repeatedly over their shoulders, if they had been followed.
But behind them everything was quiet.
Mr Crepsley went straight to his tent and he seemed to want to avoid being seen by members of the circus. He hit the canvas at the entrance aside and plunged into the dim interior.
Gillian wanted immediately to light the candles.
But Larten took the matches from her hand and gave it to Darren. "It's okay, Gillian, Darren can do that."
Darren did what he was told, however he watched Crepsley and his student from the corner of his eye. The vampire seemed to expect like him, that the small woman would break down, now that she was safe, because he covered her small hands with his big paws and pulled her towards him.
Gillian, however, remained calm and started to Darren and Lartens surprise not to cry at all.
The vampire master looked interested in his students face. "You have been very brave out there, Gillian."
But Gillian shook her head and sank to her knees before Mr Crepsley. "What has happened is my fault alone. I was not allowed to leave my post. "
The vampire took a step back in surprise, and crossed his arms.
"You were not alone, someone else has previously defied my orders and left the hiding place without permission."
He threw a glance to Darren, who pretended hastily to be engaged in lighting a candle.
"He should not have been able to escape me. I've committed an unforgivable stupidity, when I got to you in the coffin. And ... what I did then. I don`t know, how I can justify that. Only that it will never happen again. "
Larten grimaced: "It is alright, Gillian. It has turned out to be fortunate that you have drunk my blood, because only that way you could call me to you. You've managed to stand long enough against Murlough, so Darren was able to escape. I'd say you've saved his life tonight. Stand up. "
He gave her his hand, and Gillian rose.
"Let me see your wound," Larten said and wanted to touch her on the hip, but Gillian retreated.
"No need. It is already healed. "
She tried to hold together the tatters of her dress.
Mr Crepsley cocked his head and looked at her.
"You fought well, Gillian. And do not blame yourself, you would have had no chance against him, if he had been in for you. "
"I know. He was after Darren. When Darren escaped in my darkness, he was very angry. But he had not come to kill me. He has played with me. I think he has been waiting for you to show up. "
"What did he say to you?" Larten asked, took off his coat and threw it on the mannequin next to the entrance.
"Nothing of importance." Gillian looked down.
The vampire sat down in his chair. The red leather creaked.
"Darren," he turned suddenly to him. "Go, and take care of Madam Octa."
Darren rushed to put down the lighted candles, and went into the next room.
Apparently the old vampire wanted to talk to his student face to face.
Darren opened Octas cage, and fed her with dead flies from the glass. He strained his ears, because only a thin curtain separated him from the two, and he could hear their conversation over, even if they spoke in a hushed voice.
"Gillian," began the vampire, "you have your job done well tonight. I'm impressed with how calm you remained, when the vampaneze had you in his clutches. "
"Thanks," she muttered. "I've learned something today. The most important lesson. Today I understood what you wanted to teach me. If I had not stayed calm as he was choking me if I panicked and struggled with him, he would have possibly done even worse to me. And if I had let myself in for a fight, he would have only hurt me more. He would have lost his temper, when more blood would have spilled from me. The vampaneze would have killed me in bloodlust, no matter whether he was actually behind Darren or not. "
Gillian approached the chair, and knelt at the feet of her master again.
"Look here. No more tears. "
Darren forgot that he wanted to feed the spider. He crept to the curtain and peered out through a slit.
"This was the hardest lesson."
She took the pale hand of the Vampire, and breathed a kiss on his hand back. "I am ready."
Larten Crepsley looked down at her with burning eyes. His answer was whispered, but Darren could understand the words: "Yes ... you are."
Darren's heart began to beat.
"Then bring to an end, what you had started."
Gillian raised her arm and brushed back her long black mane and offered her neck to the old vampire, on her pale skin still strangulation marks could be seen.
Larten rose abruptly from his chair and almost pushed Gillian to the ground.
"Not now," he growled and began to pace up and down the tent like a tiger in a cage.
"When?" Gillian asked, and a hint of her old uncontrolled self came back.
"When I say, that it is time!" Crepsley growled, and clenched his fists.
Gillian jumped up: "Well, that means never!"
She gathered her skirts. "Murlough was right!"
Gillian thrust the curtain at the front entrance aside impatiently.
The vampire stared after her, and Darren saw for the first time cracks in the cold mask of the vampire: Crepsley took a crystal glass and hurled it full of rage against a tent pole, so that it shattered into a thousand glittering shards.
Then the vampire stormed out into the night, too.