Discoveries in Death
Part 12
For two days Lumière watched as her partner went through the motions of what could be considered a day-to-day life with a house full of vampires and werewolves. Caprice, as she predicted, hopped out of bed fully healed the next morning. The woman named Liquide needed a little longer to recuperate, though she wouldn't be much longer. And the twins kept to themselves. Lumière didn't have to be a mind reader to understand that Tweedledee must have read Éclair's mind and found out about the phone call that night. Clearly this new information presented a dilemma which the redhead probably felt she didn't need on top of everything else.
But it wasn't as simple as giving the girl space. Lumière still found herself physically unable to be out of sight of Éclair as much as it occurred vice versa. So while Caprice did all the shopping and the twins went out hunting, Lumière felt the walls around her shrinking with each passing hour. The times they rested were the worst. The two women still held one another—the touch more soothing than Lumière has ever known in this lifetime—but the feelings were thick with unease. It did not help matters that the only words Éclair said during those two days were one-word answers to simple questions by her, Caprice, and Liquide.
By day three Liquide felt well enough to go back to school and Caprice eagerly followed at her heels in spite of the possibility that the werewolves would return.
“Nah, they looked pretty badly injured. Besides, if they did return it'd only be with more wolves and that'd take 'em several days,” the brunette stated.
Lumière heard Liquide's response before she voiced it. Does that mean we're leaving together?
Éclair moved away from the living room to her father's office. Although she could hear the answer from the other side of the field, Lumière wondered if the redhead did not want to deal with her friend's enthusiasm at the moment. She followed the teenager through the narrow halls into a room of dusty furniture, books, shelves, and a computer that hadn't been touched in weeks. The girl slid into the large, comfy computer chair behind the desk and looked out the window towards the pastures.
In the pastures the horses, much calmer now that they realized there wasn't a threat, grazed peacefully. Éclair had taken up the duties of the man the twins killed—only after their bodies were disposed of. She didn't ask any questions pertaining to the disposal which Lumière considered a good thing. A minute or two passed. The vampire watched her partner and felt a crease fold between her eyebrows from the increasing worry. Something had to give.
“I must retrieve my bags from the brush. I tossed them there in order to try to outrun the vampires who were hunting me.” Lumière studied the redhead closely and noted no visible reaction. “It will be better if I have them if we're going to travel overseas. They contain my passports. I'll need to make you one as well.”
As she spoke she felt a happiness growing within the sick feeling down the pit of her stomach. Although her instincts told her to stay away from these vampires, she did not want Éclair to carry around a sense of guilt or unhappiness about the situation. The best way for her to get through this was to track down her parents and decide what to do from there.
“Really?” Éclair's eyes were wide as saucers and the hopeful look across her face made it impossible for Lumière to say otherwise even if she'd planned it.
“Yes.”
The smile on her partners face sent a flush of warmth throughout Lumière's body. She walked behind the desk and wrapped her arms around the girl's head and pulled her close.
“Eclair, anytime you need or want anything, I want you to tell me. Please?” She nosed through the red locks and basked in the pure scent tinted with berries. “You're the only person who's mind I can't read, after all.”
A hand rested on her thin, pale arm and squeezed gently. Her partner's voice echoed a whisper, “I wasn't really sure until just now.”
Lumière grasped the werewolf tighter and kissed the top of her head. She heard the nearing movements and thoughts of a familiar voice but ignored them. If what Tweedledee said was true, then her feeling of nostalgia seemed perfectly attuned for this moment. In another life—or rather lives—she knew this body as well as she knew her own. She knew the girl, the soul, the individual, and loved them just as much. A love so strong that it continued for perhaps hundreds of lives. There would be time to discover, there would be time to figured it all out.
“Adorable. Teen wolf so worried about her parents and Louis, or should I say, Louise, there to sulk along side her and offer some comfort probably wishing she were still human.”
“You're not coming with us.” Éclair's voice startled Lumière almost as much as the stern and unmoving intent behind it.
Tweedledee moved into the room and wrinkled her nose at a stain on the cream colored carpet in the corner. She sat on a small dresser and crossed her legs. “I don't think you're in any position to tell us what to do T.W.” Tweedledum stood in the doorway and looked as awkward as the thoughts he was thinking.
The redhead extricated herself from Lumière's arms and leaned forward in the chair. “You're going to go with Caprice and Miss Cole and protect them.”
If she had not been taught to have a refined nature the light haired vampire might have burst out laughing at the look upon Tweedledee's face. She glanced towards her partner and noted a darkness in those violet eyes she had not seen before not to mention the growl in her voice she'd only heard when they made love that once. But the growl was not playful; it left no room for objection.
Lumière wished not for the first time she could dip into the folds of that woman's brain. Obviously something that she was reading in Éclair's brain told her that the redhead would be telling her what to do. Tweedledum's brain said nothing more than the confusion on his face. Fleeting thoughts of sticking up for his sister fizzled out faster than a bottle rocket mid flight. Then something more than a fleeting thought smacked his cerebrum harder than a head-on collision. This was a little more than Lumière wanted to know about the vampiric twins.
Tweedledee let out a long sigh and slipped down from the dresser. Her face looked as if it hit every unhappy branch on the fall from a pissed off tree. “Fine,” she finally relented. “But if we hear that you die or are killed, we'll personally lead the pack of wolves to that bitch and her human.”
The redhead frowned. Lumière decided to take advantage of the moment. “We could just take everyone with us. I have enough funds and means to fly everyone overseas.”
A hopeful light twinkled in Tweedledee's eyes. However, one look at her partner told the vampire that this idea would be no good. The werewolf shook her head and stared at the top of the desk.
“Caprice has a plan. Even if those werewolves are after her, I don't want to drag her away from her dream. Besides.” Éclair reached out and took Lumière's hand. “We'll come back, regardless of what we find, and we'll sort out this matter and then we can just live happily together.”
“Until your time is up,” the long haired twin scoffed in a manner which irritated Lumière. If the words affected Éclair, she did not show it. She stood up, still holding her partner's hand, and took a deep breath.
“Whatever lays ahead, we'll face it together, right Lumière?”
The small vampire squeezed her hand. The feelings that coursed through her all contradicted one another and so she couldn't say anything with certainty.
Part 13
“You know, when Columbus landed, these Americas were pretty empty, except the various tribes here and there. What the fuck happened, eh?” The green haired man crossed his arms and shook his head at the crowded sidewalks and busy street. Every other sign glared with neon letters and the flashing lights of the cars with the overhead street lights and shop lights made the area look something like day time. Not that this man could remember day light. The years blurred together. If it were not for the invention of the standard calendar, Un-ou would have lost track of his age and time on this planet.
Next to him, a dark skinned gentlemen readjusted his ponytail and then smoothed down his bangs. “Columbus didn't land in America,” he said simply. His partner rolled his eyes and threw his hands up.
“Dunno why I even bother with you A-ou.”
Many people in the crowd stared at the two as they made there way down the main strip. The two men ignored them. They were used to the staring and were well aware of the contrast they made. But most importantly, tonight they had a mission.
“We should like, dunno, get a weapon. I mean, one of them is a werewolf.”
The white haired man rested his arms behind his head as he walked. “Supposedly not a very strong wolf.”
Un-ou grinned. “Like, they can't change?”
His partner shrugged. A young man bumped into him and fell backwards.
“Fuckin eh, watch where you're going you freak!” Un-ou and A-ou studied this individual wearing baggy pants sagged to his knees and a t-shirt ten times too long. He wore a baseball cap inside out and twisted to the side and the tattoo's on his pale white arm looked like nothing more than glorified wanna-be art. The green haired man smirked and licked his lips.
“How about a snack, before we do the deed?”
A-ou didn't need to be told twice. He wrapped his large hand around the guy's neck and whisked him into the alley before anyone could think twice. No one noticed as the dark skinned vampire sunk his teeth deep into the boy's neck. No one heard the gurgle of spit and blood in the victim's mouth or paid any attention to the way the large vampire passed off the body to his smaller friend to feed on the rest. In the morning, the garbage man would find a treat in his dumpster and the police would be left puzzled as to why there were bite marks and the blood completely drained.
The two men slipped back on to the sidewalks and tread on with a tad more vigor.
“You know, it didn't occur to me, but what do we do if they're not there?”
“They're there.” Un-ou stared at his partner and then closed his eyes. He smiled.
“Yes, you're right. They are there. How about we go make acquaintance?”
They stopped in front of a small shop. The shop looked like it'd been crammed in, as an afterthought, between two large and dominating buildings. It's rotted exterior mirrored the interior. The only thing which looked new and up to date were the shiny glass windows and electronic security door, which at the present was unlocked and left open for customers. Un-ou strutted inside with his white haired partner just behind.
All around them were books. Shelves, tables, stands, and even on the floor in stacks were all sorts of books. Their conditions ranged from super-old to brand new. The entire store was like a maze and any wrong step would land you in a pile of books. In spite of this danger and obvious declaration of being a book store in a day and age where people preferred to watch their stories in the movies or on television, there were a handful of people browsing through the various stacks or shelves. The two vampires ignored them and made straight for the check-out counter.
At the counter, aside from a rusty old register, stood a tall man wearing a long coat in spite of the heat of the night, and next to him sitting on a stool, a young, pink haired girl. Neither acknowledged the presence of either Un-ou or A-ou as they approached.
“Interesting store you've got here.” The light blue haired man either ignored the sentiment or did not hear him. He made no movement and stared ahead in a sleepy gaze. His sugary counterpart, on the other hand, practically bobbed off her stool.
“Yeah! But this isn't nothing compared to our house!”
The green haired vampire cringed. His teeth hadn't pained him with this much feeling of sweetness since he were human. “Right. Anyways, if I'm not mistaken, you're Viola, and that's Cesario. Right?” Un-ou suddenly felt his body being jerked back and off his feet. He crashed into his partner who tumbled against a stand of books and fell onto them.
When he looked back to the counter, he noticed the man named Cesario clutching a sharpened wooden stake in his hand. He glared at the two vampires and had his pink haired friend behind his back. The customers in the store had all stopped and were staring at the two men on the floor. A-ou carefully picked himself up and hauled his green haired partner to his feet.
“Someone tip you off, huh?”
Behind Cesario, Viola spoke loudly, “Dunno what yer talkin' about. But I suggest getting out of the store and never coming back. You don't wanna mess with my brother when he's mad.”
Several people made their way towards the exit and slipped out onto sidewalk. The few left behind seemed frozen in place, unable to make a decision. A-ou and Un-ou moved away from each other like two cats on the hunt. They kept their eyes on the two behind the counter.
“You've got nowhere to go. Won't be too hard to kill a wolf, especially when he's trying to protect that ugly little thing. You know your kinds aren't welcome in our world. Just die quickly and save us the trouble.” The small vampire hopped up onto a table of books and began kicking them off. “Come and get me if you think you can.”
A-ou stood in front of the exit at the front and clenched his fists. His muscular frame nearly covered the entire door. He bared his fangs, scaring a few more people out of the store.
Behind the desk, Cesario continued to block Viola. His eyes were like daggers as they floated back and forth between the two vampires. He settled on the green haired one and shifted his weight.
“You've made Cessy mad. You're in trouble now.”
Un-ou laughed. “Little girl, I'll drink your blood personally.”
Viola's head popped out from behind the tall werewolf. She blew a raspberry at the vampire. This only set Un-ou off. He threw a book at the two which they easily dodged. A-ou went one further and launched an entire table, books included, at the counter. They hit nothing but the register and floor. Cesario had moved himself and his sister out of the way in the nick of time.
“I see this isn't going to be easy,” the small vampire murmured. He picked up a book and took out a lighter. In a matter of seconds the book became engulfed in flames. Un-ou dropped it onto the floor where it spread quickly from book to book. On the other side of Cesario and Viola, A-ou was doing the same. The last few people ran out of the store yelling for the fire department.
The pink haired girl screamed, “You idiots! A lot of these books are irreplaceable!”
“Just like you!” Un-ou leaped towards the two at the same time as his partner. The werewolf threw his sister over the flames towards the door just before being tackled by the two vampires. Viola hopped to her feet and made to run back to the fight, but the flames were too high. She frowned deeply and ran out into the cool night air.
“Goddamnit! I'll get her!” The small vampire tried to follow but found his ankle trapped by a furry paw. He looked to see the man—now wolf—in a struggle with his partner. A-ou clutched the arm whose bony and furry hand wrapped itself around his thick neck. Un-ou twisted and kicked Cesario in the face making him lose grip on both the vampires. Both men jumped back with the smaller one heading for the door. Un-ou didn't make it outside, however, as the door slammed shut on him and the gates on the outside came crashing down.
He turned and saw the werewolf standing by the security system on the wall. The wolf tore the unit off and there came a fountain of sparks with it.
“I need an exit!”
A-ou heaved a table on his shoulder and chucked it towards the window. It barely cracked the surface. Before he could try again the wolf leaped at him and took him rolling into the flames. Un-ou snarled. Around him the flames licked the walls and ceiling and the heat became near unbearable. His skin began peeling like the time he made the mistake of stepping into the sun only a week after his change. Knowing that he had little chance against the werewolf he ran to the back in search of an exit. The struggle between his partner and the vile monster continued on, ignorant of the commotion outside and Un-ou's struggle to get out.
The green haired vampire found what he was looking for. A small door which he kicked open led him right into the alley. Cool night air soothed the burn wounds along his small body. He yelled for A-ou to get out. Inside the small shop the fire dominated the every corner. Un-ou wasn't even sure if they were still fighting each other or a way to get out. Down the alley he could see the street and the flood of people. No pink hair caught his eye. The brat could be long gone or still near by. He had to check, but he worried for his partner. Even though the man had strength equal to that of many wolves, he was still just a vampire.
“Damnit A-ou, get out here!”
Un-ou took one more look to the crowd before bursting back into the burning shop. If they at least killed one, the other should follow. He hoped the fire would do most of the work for them.
Part 14
There is a sparse field in a remote part of the world where the days are never too hot, nor too cold, and the sun light is pleasant and the nights not too dark. In this field there sits a large house, one might say mansion, or perhaps modern castle. Bigger structures have been built and unless a person grew up in a village of huts they might think very little of this house. It is grand nevertheless.
Around the house are fields of wheat, oats, or beans depending on the year. Farmers come from the village—a three mile walk—to tend these fields and pay visits with the owner and proprietor. The area draws little attention from the outside and rightly so. There is nothing magnificent here. Food is okay, the people are kind but aloof, and even the weather rarely changes. Nothing could be less spectacular, but a slight more than boring.
The owner of this land seems to embody this feeling right down to his manner of dress. He sports a drab gray suit and has rather modest features. His long dark hair is kept in a loose ponytail and resembles the style of that region. His voice is a tone below tenor and one would say say his height is a slight above average. When he smiles, a person might feel the kindness, and when he frowns the same person would feel a sense of mild loss, as if finding out they dropped a coin or lost a button on a coat. And this gentlemen would have it no other way.
Today a woman in a black, wide-neck sweater broke the monotony of the day to day life. Her pale white skin contrasted the tanned skin of the workers and townspeople. She also caught the attention of several men with her white mini-skirt and knee-high black leather boots. And unlike the black hair that swept the heads throughout the area, hers shone a bright blue and offset a pair of sparkling blue-green eyes. As she passed the men and women in the fields she smiled brightly. They nodded their heads and could be hard pressed to ignore the gleaming white teeth. She walked with a fervor and a bounce. Today she would get to see the man in gray.
He did not greet her at the door. He never does. She knew she was welcome and went on inside. The clean cut inside matched the unblemished stone walls of the outside. Marble floors, stainless steel trims, expensive-looking carpets and rugs, and various placed sculptures reflected a lavish nature which few ever had the privilege of seeing. It certainly was a privilege to be inside this house, the girl thought.
She had no need to stare at the house's many wonders and beauties because she has already seen them. A quick scan of the house told her that the man was upstairs in his study. The stairs wound carefully and seamlessly up a tall hall into a narrow passage that contained only three doors. Two were open, showing a bathroom in one and the entrance into a master bedroom from the other. She stopped at the closed door and rapped her knuckles against it quietly. A voice from the other side beckoned her in.
Inside sat the man in the gray suit. Around him were several computer screens all with various pictures and videos of the outside world. Satellite uplinks brought the onlooker to places thousands of miles away. He smiled at the girl when she entered. Her heart fluttered.
“I've missed you,” he drawled. His accent could never be placed. He adapted when necessary to avoid any scrutiny and unwanted attention. “You finished your business, I take it?”
The blue haired girl slid over the desk and brushed her lips against his. She rubbed her cheek against his hand when he brought it up to her face. “She's full fledged now. And has gotten herself a partner.”
He leaned back in his chair and ignored the pout from the woman on his desk. “A partner you say?” His lips turned downward and his gaze became distant.
“Yes,” the girl said, “A vampire by the name of Lumière. You are not pleased? She would have died otherwise.”
The man made no movement. His eyes transfixed on a spot on the wall. She had seen him like this before and it made her uncomfortable. Another feeling cropped up within her: jealousy. She didn't have to be a mind reader to know that he wanted this girl for his own. The moment he asked her to go and change the girl she wondered about his intentions. But she loved him, for all his downfalls and issues, and she wanted to make him happy. No stupid teenager would stand between their love.
She slipped off the desk and climbed into his lap. His hands wrapped around her waist—no doubt a unconscious act. When he looked at her, he didn't really see her. “Armbrust, what are you thinking about?”
Her voice brought him out of his reverie and he rubbed his nose against her. She loved when he did this and kissed his forehead. “I'm thinking about you, my Mercredi.” The lie was too obvious to ignore. The blue haired girl climbed off his lap and moved back to the door. Armbrust let out a sigh and stood up. “Where are you going?”
“Just downstairs. I'm hungry.” The question lay on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't ask it. A part of her did not want to know, did not want to validate her suspicions and feelings. They had been together for so long now that she felt she needed to trust him. So why was it so hard to do just that?
“Come back up when you're done. I haven't seen you in weeks and I want you tonight.” His voice came out husky and wanton. It made her believe for that moment that she could trust him. She turned at the door and smiled at him. Her sweater hung lower and her skirt appeared shorter.
Mercredi opened her mouth and then paused. A taste of the girl's thigh reminded her tongue and mouth of the deed she'd only done about a week prior. What was so precious about this girl? It should have helped matters that she took on a vampire for a partner. She knew Armbrust hated those couplings with a passion. Vampires and werewolves were never meant to be together. They only extended the curse brought upon themselves from the demigods. Not the demigods like her lover. No, the man sitting across from her was kind and loving and only wanted to cleanse this planet of the evil which had forlorn it for so long.
He stared at her, expecting and waiting for the answer he already knew. She had to say something. “I'll be quick.”
She closed the door behind her and walked quietly down the stairs. The girl should be killed, along with her demon lover. When she and Armbrust finished their work, only werewolves and demigods would be left. “That has to be the way,” she whispered to herself. Her heart beat heavily in her chest. This, after all, was the path she choose with her lover, the man in the gray suit, hundreds of years ago.