Avalon Revisited (20 page)

“Yah!” Victor shouted. God help us if he has the reigns.

“Well,” I said, feeling awkward, and I actually think I was blushing. This was new.

“Um. Well, I trust you, Arthur,” she said, although she didn’t sound too sure. She drew the curtains on her side of the carriage.

But did I trust me? I drew the curtains on my side, removed my hat, and blocked Avalon from my view. I turned to the window as if I were looking out of it, but since the curtains were drawn, I just stared into the blackness of them. I could hear her unbuttoning the uniform. I could hear her breathing increase. Her heartbeat became more rapid. Or was that mine? No, no, I didn’t have a heartbeat. I didn’t breathe. Was it hot in here? I was at full attention, and it was my turn to change next.

Think of anything but Avalon undressing merely an arm’s reach away. Think of anything else.

Um... rats. That’s it. Rats. Horrible, disgusting creatures. Not at all arousing... like Avalon. No!

Rats...
Of course the more I tried to not think of it, the more I thought of it. Even trying to imagine Henry with Catherine brought my thoughts back to Avalon. I was really in trouble now.

“All right,” she finally said, after what seemed like a lifetime. One of my lifetimes! I lowered my hat, placing it on my lap. Good place for it. I turned to her, and she looked like the ruffian I had run into a few nights back. Small. Adorable. I loved this woman. She gathered up Victor’s crumpled uniform from the floor and put it along with her own in the black satchel.

“Your turn,” she continued. “Could I borrow your hat?”

Placing my hand strategically in my lap, I handed her my hat, and she turned around for me to change. Why was this such a problem? I had undressed in front of countless women. I had undressed countless women, but this was all new to me.

I unbuttoned my uniform shirt and slipped it off. My obvious excitement wasn’t subsiding. I was really, really glad she had turned away.

“I--I really appreciate your courtesy,” she said from behind my hat. Her voice trembled in the nervousness she no doubt felt. It reflected my own.

“Of course,” I responded, unbuckling my trousers and slipping them off, exposing my considerable erection. I angled myself more toward the carriage door, just in case she turned around. She must’ve heard me move because she cleared her throat.

It was very hot in here.

“What do you think Victor has discovered?” she asked. She was trying to ease the tension by talking, but the sound of her voice was having the opposite effect on me.

“Not sure,” I replied, and my voice cracked. It actually cracked like a pre-pubescent school boy! How embarrassing! “Hopefully he’ll enlighten us when we stop,” I replied in my naturally deeper voice, then pulled on some workman’s dungarees and fastened them with some difficulty around my excitement. Will this carriage ride ever be over? As I was putting on my shirt, the carriage hit a large bump, and it rocked so forcibly that Avalon was thrown on top of me. My arms went instinctively around her. She looked at me in surprise, for there on my lap, she had to feel what I was so desperately trying to hide. Her eyes were even with mine and I felt her warm breath on my mouth. I ached for her. Looking down, I let go of her and tried to ease her back across the carriage to the opposite-facing seat, but to my surprise, she resisted. She placed her hand on my cheek and bent down for a kiss. I eagerly met her lips, and they tasted sweet and soft. Unlike what kissing me had to be like: cold and hard, but she didn’t recoil. Instead, she kissed me deeper, parting her lips so that I might swirl my tongue with hers. If it was possible, I got even harder, and she pressed into it, kissing me still. In our moment, neither of us noticed the carriage had stopped. The door swung open, interrupting the kiss, and there stood Victor, a smile quickly fading from his face.

“We’re here,” he snapped, looking directly at me with a spiteful scowl.

I finished dressing quickly while Avalon grabbed The Slayer gun and stepped out of the carriage past her angry partner to the other side of the street. He shoved his hand in his pocket and spit onto the sidewalk behind him.

“You coming or what?” he growled at me.

I grabbed the crossbow out of the bag on the floor, loaded it, and stepped out of the carriage, still buttoning up the shirt with the loaded crossbow under my arm.

“Where are we?” Avalon asked.

“Chelsea,” he said gruffly. “We’re heading down that way,” he added pointing down some rather dark streets. Avalon turned to look, then started heading in that direction. Victor took the opportunity to accost me.

“Stay away from her,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

“She doesn’t seem to mind,” I replied perhaps a little too arrogantly for my own good because he then shoved me, none too gently, up against the carriage.

My reaction was swift, and I was nose to nose with him before he could blink. Mistake.

“I knew it,” he said wide eyed. “You’re not human.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, taking a step back and straightening my coat. Avalon had turned back around in time to see Victor throw a punch. He hit me squarely in the jaw, and although it likely hurt his hand more than my jaw, I reacted as was expected of a human. I threw myself up against the carriage again, rocking it this time.

“Oi!” Thomas shouted jumping down from his seat and standing between me and Victor.

Avalon had reached us and also placed herself between Victor and me. “What is the meaning of this? Victor? What is wrong?” She demanded.

“It’s him, Avalon. I tell you. Something is off with him!”

“Not this again! There is no time for this, Victor. I’ve grown weary of this jealous tantrum.

There is work to be done. Please.”

Victor just stared at me with fiery eyes, teeth clenched.

“Victor!” Avalon scolded. “Let’s go!”

“C’mon.” He shook it off and led us down a dimly lit street. No matter how dark the night, I could always see clearly. Had to ensure I didn’t let on to that fact. We followed, not making eye contact with each other. Thomas stayed with the carriage.

After a few blocks, Avalon asked, “Where are we going?” She sounded exasperated, tired of all this business. It had been a trying few days.

“You’ll see,” he said.

“Victor. Stop,” she demanded. “Where are you taking us?”

“To see the maker of this,” he said, holding up the contraption found at the brothel.

“Why didn’t we just drive there?”

“Element of surprise, my dear. It does throw one off guard,” he said, looking squarely at me.

The scowl had returned. “Now c’mon.” He turned down a darkened alleyway between two buildings, but before he could go much further, they were upon us. Two of them. I didn’t even hear them approach, which makes them faster than me.

They were on Avalon and Victor before they could react, and I had to choose between them fast or lose them both.

No choice, of course.

I ripped the one off of Avalon and shot it point blank through the chest. Paralyzed, she fell to the dirty street with a thud. It was the whore I had a few nights back. Dropping the crossbow, I went for the next one, who had already taken a bite out of Victor and was feeding deeply. I grabbed it from the back of the neck and pulled it off of Victor. It was Lady Haldenby, blood drenched her mouth, and it reminded me that I hadn’t properly eaten for days. Well, since her.

She growled and clawed at me, but then recognition dawned on her face. I stabbed her through the heart with the stake attached to Victor’s belt before she could speak. She froze, and I lay her next to Victor, who was bleeding profusely. A large portion of his throat was ripped out. Blood was everywhere. Covering me. Covering Avalon. Covering Victor. It smelled so good. I could feel my fangs descending, but Avalon couldn’t see.
Control, Arthur. Must keep control.

“Victor!” she yelled, coming to his side. She knelt beside him and gasped in shock at his state.

Blood spurted from his mouth and from the hole in his throat as he tried to speak.

“Lacy,” he said.

“No, Victor. It’s Avalon.”

“Lacy,” he repeated, blood gurgling in his throat.

I stood over the two of them, unsure of what to do. All I knew was that I couldn’t feed, and it smelled so good. All that blood, just going into the street. What a waste. I licked off the little that was on my hands.

Avalon sobbed, and that stopped any thought of eating. My love was hurting. Her friend was dying.

Remember, Arthur
, I rebuked myself.
Remember what it’s like to be human.
As if I could after so long, but I faked it well enough.

I stooped down next to Avalon and put a hand on her shoulder. She was crying. Tears fell from her cheeks onto Victor’s blood-covered face, cutting clean lines in the delicious red mess that covered him.

“Victor! It will be all right, Victor,” she lied. This man had mere moments before he bled out.

Then with what must’ve been his last bit of strength, pushed that strange machine into Avalon’s hand and said, “Frederick Lacy.”

Then he died.

“Victor!” Avalon screamed, shaking him violently. She put her ear to his chest then started shaking him again. Shrieking, “Victor! NO!”

My heart ached. My shriveled up, dead heart ached. She was in so much pain, and I didn’t know what to do!

“Victor!” She shook him again, trying to wake him from that eternal sleep. There was no waking from that rest, not without becoming an abomination.

I pulled her close to me, and she turned, burying her face in my shoulder, and wept. Her heaving frame rocked me back and forth as I stared down at our fallen companion and watched his blood fill the gaps between the cobblestones on the street. I’ve seen a lot of death in my time, as one might imagine. Caused a great deal of it myself, so I had long become numb to it; but this was different. It’s as if I felt grief through Avalon. It was as if death itself had taken up residence in my body. I felt sick, nauseous.

Pulling myself out of Avalon’s despair, I knew we had to get out of this alley in case more came. I had to get her to safety and then finish the job here. Who was this Frederick Lacy?

Avalon still sobbed into my chest. I lifted her as I stood up, hoping to walk her back to the carriage, but she pushed away from me, looking at me as if she had never seen me before. Her face was a smeared canvas of dirt, blood, and tears.

“Avalon,” I said. “Let’s get back to the carriage. Thomas will take you back to my house, and keep you safe. I’ll finish up here.”

She looked around at the bloody scene beneath us. Fresh tears fell silently down her face, and her hands went up over her ears, as if she was trying to keep out some harrowing sound. I reached to comfort her again, but she pushed me away.

“No.” That’s all she said.

“Ava,” I said gently, reaching for her again. Trying to regain that connection we held so briefly, but she’d have none of it. She was too traumatized.

“NO!” she screamed, then turned and ran in the direction of the carriage. I kept in time with her, assuring that when she reached the brougham, she’d stop. She didn’t. I had to forcibly bring her back to it, and she was none too happy about it.

“Let me go!” she shouted, struggling in my grasp. Passersby began to stare and point.

“Thomas. Take her back home. My home. Make sure she’s safe.”

“Yes, m’lord,” he said, helping me get her into the carriage.

“NO!” Avalon screamed and struggled to get free. We finally got her inside the carriage and closed the door, but before Thomas could get up into his seat, she had opened the door and tried to run. Now the passersby had completely stopped, formed little groups, and were looking more cross by the moment. Pointing and whispering, I remembered that we were both covered in Victor’s blood. They would likely call the police, and I couldn’t risk a run in with the police.

I let her go. I had no choice.

Reaching inside the carriage to grab Victor’s weapon bag, I instructed Thomas to try to follow her, but not to attempt to apprehend her again. Just to make sure she got home safely. He nodded and drove away. The clump of people dispersed and continued on in their predictable lives. They would have an exciting tale of attempted kidnapping by a bloody assailant to tell at tea tomorrow.

I returned to the scene of the murder. It was all the same, frozen in time. The two creatures were still paralyzed. Victor was still dead, as that rarely changes once it happens. I thought about what I had to do. Since we don’t know how these things multiply, I will have to decapitate Victor as well. Just in case. After all, he might be infected, and he knows where Avalon lives.

Good thing she isn’t here for that. She may not understand.

His blood had wound its way between the cobblestones of the side street and found release in a storm drain situated in the middle of the main road. The bodies had already bled out, or I would’ve loved a quick snack. I dropped the weapon bag and rummaged around inside for the hatchet.

Surely he didn’t leave it behind again, not after last time.

But it wasn’t in there. Beneath the constable uniforms stuffed inside, all that remained were some extra stakes, some holy water, and some crosses. Mostly useless. I looked at Victor’s body lying there in the alleyway, so much blood wasted. The one stake, with which I had pierced Lady Haldenby, was still attached to his belt. I snapped the cord easily enough, and then I noticed something stuck inside his belt just behind the stake kit: the hatchet!

“Good man, Victor,” I said to the night.

I looked down at Victor’s remains and marveled at life and death. I had known this man.

Alive, Full of fury and life and love, and now nothing. Still. What must be done, must be done.

With a single stoke, I removed his head and then dragged his body into the shadows against one of the buildings to hide it, at least until I could dispose of it properly. Then I severed the head of the prostitute. Dust to dust. Certainly less of a mess! Now onto Lady Haldenby, but before I struck, I had a thought. Perhaps I could find a way to question her first. Find out who this Frederick Lacy was. Find out someway to stop this, or London would be quite overrun with these creatures before long.