Chapter 7
"Welcome, Hallie" Amy said to her.
"I was told that I must help you." Hallie said, guardedly.
'"Yes. You will be of use to me."
Hallie looked down, and a ripple of fear ran through her. Amy was blind, and she had been the one to blind her... And now she was in Amy's power.
"Is she a vampire now?' Edmund asked, curious.
"Yes. Don't you remember what was done to her?"
'Yes, I remember."
"Then you should not ask embarrassing questions.."
"I am sorry." he turned to Hallie. "I am sorry if I upset you."
"It is all right," Hallie said.
"It is time that you went, Edmund." Amy said. "You still have a part to play"
Edmund vanished, on his way to Collinsport. Amy and Hallie were left, facing each other.
"You are afraid of me." Amy said simply.
Hallie did not deny it.
"You think that I shall seek revenge."
"You have the right, and the power. I cannot stop you, if you choose to."
"I do not have the right. You were promised protection, and you have it. Phyllis Wick is the one who has power over you, and she will allow no harm to come to you. Should I harm you to please myself, I shall incur her wrath. And should I have the right, I would still not use it. The debt between us was settled when Barnabas' fangs pierced your throat. Now it is only your help that I require."
Hallie straightened up, more sure of herself. "What do you want me to do?"
"Elsa" Amy said. "Show yourself to our guest."
Elsa stepped out of the veil that Amy had thrown over her.
"You see her? You must look like her. I shall disguise you so well that no one will be able to tell you apart. Not till the teeth are exposed will anyone know that you are not Elsa Quarles."
Barnabas panted and whimpered. And the pain would not stop.
"It can stop any time you choose." Burke reminded him.
"No, not that way."
"It will only stop when you give me what I seek."
Barnabas wondered about Verhoff. Was he still there? Did he know how the body was being used? Did he agree to it? Did he think that his revenge was worth the price he was paying, being a helpless spectator of his own body?"
"Doctor Verhoff, please, don't.."
Burke laughed, then released him. "You really are confused, aren't you? You still think that I am Verhoff, not Burke Devlin."
"Verhoff is still there."
"He does not count."
"I think that he'd like to have his body back"
Was there a flicker in Burke's eyes? What was it? Anger, a sense of betrayal?
"Doctor Verhoff, do you agree with what Burke is doing?"
Burke laughed. "He is not to agree nor disagree. I asked to use his body, and he granted it. I will use it as long as I want, and he has nothing to say about it."
"Still, he can retake control, if he fights for it."
Burke laughed again.
Elsa gasped at Hallie's transformation.
"She looks exactly like me."
"Yes, she does. But she is still Hallie Stokes Collins underneath. And still a vampire."
"It is amazing."
"Just a sample of the power to be found in this place... Yes, she looks enough like you to fool most people. but will it fool Burke?"
"So you are going to marry her." It was not a question, but a comment. Sabrina was neither surprised nor distressed by knowing that Quentin would marry Maggie. Even if it meant that Maggie would no longer need Sabrina as she once did.
It was time to move on.
"Yes." Quentin said. "We are going to be married soon."
"I wish you good luck, then."
"Thank you."
"I will not say that I am totally happy about it, but I wish you well."
"You don't have to leave her."
"I want to. Washington is a big city and I had more that one attractive offer. I did my best for Maggie, but I am tired of watching this continuing drama between her and Barnabas. Let someone worry about it for a change."
"She has finally made his peace with Barnabas."
"That I'll believe when I see it. This story will only end when one of them is dead and buried."
Barnabas whimpered again.
"Does it still hurt?" Dave asked, solicitously.
"It is not the pain. It is that I don't know if I can last another session... I know that I agreed to it, and that it will end soon. But I still have to get through it."
"I can't take that away. I can share your pain, but I cannot prevent it. All that you endure from Burke, you are all alone. Even the knowledge of the truth is taken from you. You must hold on a bit longer, until the time you break and you blurt out what you believe to be the truth."
"Is there no other way?"
"It is too late now to seek it. All the traps are set, all the players ready. Your role is that of bait and victim."
"And I agreed to it? Does it have to be done?"
"Do you wish Burke to grown in power?"
Barnabas thought of the cold, cruel stare that had been fixed on him, thought of the threat against George, Willie, Julia, Urien... anyone who might learn too much.
"No. I want him stopped. Only why does it have to be me?'
"Because you were there... By the way you did a smart thing today. You tried to call on Verhoff. You might yet arouse him and make him try to regain control of his body."
"How aware is he?"
"Enough to resent it. He is in a kind of sleep, but can be aroused. You did arouse him for a few moments... I think that I will work on him, too."
"I see. Tell me, Dave, why does this have to happen?'
"Because too many people made mistakes and now those mistakes have come together."
"And some of those mistakes were mine."
"And some mine. But you will be the one to pay for it."