Vampire of the Church - Chapters 51 and 52

Chapter 51

The scariest part about life is the moment of losing it. But I was not scared of losing my life. In contrary, I chose death, for I was scared of losing the things that meant the world to me.

Some force was pulling me towards the ground. At the last second and when I had no time to regret my decision something else happened. Another force seized me by the arm and stopped me from falling. I hung in the air in front of a large window of a room in the first floor of the building. Did it mean that I did not attain my will? Or was I dreaming? I wasn't dreaming nor was I dead; I could feel the currents of cold air amidst my hair and on the bare skin of my arms and legs. It could not be the kind of feeling that I would have had in my afterlife, could it? I must be alive, I thought.

It was fate.

A very old patient was stunned and looked in wonder at me and at the thing that had taken hold of my arm. The old man was even more stunned to see me landing slowly and very lightly on the grass-covered ground. Poor little man! An oxygen mask had covered his nose and mouth he was not able to speak. Very weakly he pointed a finger towards the window and me, but the nurse standing over his bed, with her back to the window, didn't seem to take him seriously and didn't bother to turn her face.

I was myself stunned. I survived the falling, without even a scratch.

I turned to a voice that said, "You should carry on." And faced a beautiful blonde woman wearing brown raincoat with hood. She had still had my arm in her hand. Quickly before anyone could discover our presence she took me between the columns of the hospital personnel's car park.

She pressed me against a cold tessellated column. "Why would you do that? Why would you want to kill yourself?" She looked angry but the anger couldn't lessen the sweetness of her face.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Rosalyn your Guardian!" She said very softly and with a surprise as though wondering how I did not know who she was. She looked around. Taking off her raincoat, she put it gently around my shoulders and pulled its hood up to cover my head. She was treating me as warmly as her light coat had made me feel.

"The Authorities ordered that no one should help you. They told me that you did not deserve to live. But I'm your Guardian, and you're a special and rare human. I couldn't watch you die."

"Will you help me?"

"I'm not allowed to save my humans in plain sight and I don't normally show myself to anyone. Knowing that you already knew about us I made an exception. I saved you. But I cannot help you, dear. I've already broken the basic rules of Guardianship."

"Why did you save me, then? Why did you not let me die and rest in peace?"

"Oh, you're so angry!" She frowned. "You are like them. Vampires." I could feel nervousness growing on her as she looked around and whispered to me, "You belong to them, to our enemies."

"Not all of them."

She kept looking and turning around until her dark blue eyes came to a focus and she stopped. "There is a vampire there! I can feel it."

I followed her weary eyes. She appeared to be looking over at a dark corner of the car park where nothing could be seen but a few cars. When I turned to look at her she was gone.

A few moments after she left I heard a car engine start and I saw two headlights turn on. A dark Sedan came out of the dark, approaching me.

Emrys! I didn't expect to see him again.

"Get in," he said.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. Who knows? Maybe I've planned to kill you!" He said with an undisguised sarcasm that made me feel offended. "Oh I forgot, he said raising an eyebrow. You don't care. Unless you've decided to die by your own hands?"

It was so thoughtless of him to talk to me that way in that situation but well, he was quite right, whether I liked it or not. He was right. Why would I care? I was going to kill myself anyhow.

Get in, he said one more time; probably for the last time. Knowing that he might not have the patience to wait for me and that he would simply leave me like had left me before, quickly I got in the car.

We drove out of the car park and into the parking lot. We left the hospital.

I was still not sure if it was a hospital until I saw the large sign over the building that said, 'The Green Hills Hospital.'

"How did you find me?" I asked. He glanced at me without saying anything, and looked away.

"Did you see my Guardian? She her name is Rosalyn, she saved me."

He ignored me.

"Where are we going?"

Still ignoring me, which was a sure sign that he was mad at me.

"Talk to me," I said.

He said only, "Don't... talk." Why would he be so angry? I wondered if there was anyone left in the world that was not mad at me.

I didn't talk anymore, and we drove the rest of the way in silence.

I looked at the small screen on the dashboard that showed the time and date. It was still twenty-eighth February, which meant Arthur was still alive. I was somewhat relieved.

The sun had set and it was now dark. I opened the car window, breathed in the cold air just to feel alive. A few minutes before, I had decided to die. Death had waylaid me awaiting my soul. I had imagined it was my last moments on earth and I would never see the world and its people, the lands and oceans, the sun and the stars ever again.

But Father Simons, John Gray and my Guardian angel Rosalyn changed my destiny in their own evil and good ways. Instead of being escorted to the Court by the FBI agents, I was now in a car with Emrys on a completely different path.

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Emrys turned onto a busy street somewhere in downtown Brooklyn and stopped in front of an old apartment house.

We used an old cargo elevator which took us directly to a large loft. As soon as Emrys slid up the large barred door of the elevator cats mewed loud as though with fear and ran out of the small triangle windows.

The room had a rancid smell and it was untidy. There were clothes everywhere, and there were bottles of liquor and dishes of rotten food scattered on the floor. Amongst all the uncleanness, some things caught my eye. There was an easel almost in the center of the room with an angel fighting a vampire painted on the canvas. It was beautiful but not complete yet. There were all sorts of oil painting materials and there were a few pictures on walls, paintings of vampires fighting angels and killing humans.

While I was looking at the pictures, Emrys took a bottle of brandy, and sank down in a time worn and unclean armchair.

I walked up the stairs to see the upper space, which I imagined was the sleeping place. I was going to pull back the dim gray curtain when suddenly Emrys appeared before me and startled me. Vampires supernatural powers could be annoying sometimes. Why did he move up so fast? Only to stop me from having a look inside a sleeping loft? What was behind that curtain that I was not supposed to see?

"What is it in there that you don't want me to see?"

"Nothing," he lied. He stopped me from having a look, but he couldn't prevent me from hearing a sound, a muffled voice.

Firmly I told him to step aside, but he didn't. I pulled back the curtain anyway and he didn't stop me. There were three people; an old woman, a young woman and a boy were cuffed to external pipes with their mouths taped. I could guess who they were and I was glad that they were alive. They looked at me imploringly. But I couldn't help them yet. I couldn't free them. Not now. I needed them.

It's okay. Don't be afraid. Nobody's going to hurt you. With simple and kindly words and attitude I tried to calm them.

There was someone else laid on a single bed whose body and face was covered. I forced myself and draw the coverlet from the body. It was a man. A dead man with an open and bloodless wound in his neck. I knew him. It was the man who helped us get new identities.

"Chuck Brandon!" I said to Emrys. "It's Chuck Brandon."

Emrys laughed quietly, "Yeah, he was so lazy, sitting here for days only painting vampires. He was worthless."

"You killed your own friend?"

He drew the coverlet over Chuck Brandon's face as he said, "He wasn't my friend."

"But he was working for you!" When I remembered what kind of jobs he used to do for Emrys my feeling of sympathy lessened.

"Do you know how much I'm worth?" Emrys said walking down the stairs. "From what I read in the paper, I'm worth four million dollars. So, Chuck, my loyal protege had to choose between four million bucks and his life. Foolish money grubber! I just wanted to stay in his loft for a few days but he was going to call the police, or that's what I thought anyway. He chose the money, and so he lost his life!"

As he spoke he walked over to a CD player, put a CD in. He turned the volume up listening to the Eagle's Hotel California. The sound of the electric Guitar was loud as it is in most of rock styles but not enough loud. I could still hear muffled and disturbing sounds of women moaning in terror. "What will you do to them?" I asked.

"Them?"

"Father Simons' family. I think we can use them as hostage, trade them for Arthur."

"Yeah, I thought about it, sounds like a good plan but then I thought harder. Who are we dealing with? Who should we negotiate with?

"Father Simons. He told me that he would help Arthur escape."

"When did he tell you that? Why would he help Arthur escape?"

"He wanted me to help him find you."

"Did you agree?"

"No, how could I? I didn't know your whereabouts."

"Is that right?"

"I would do anything to save Arthur."

"Thanks," he smiled a sort of bitter, sarcastic smile.

"Thanks for what?"

"For letting me know who you really are."

"It's obvious. I'm Arthur's wife. I love him and I hate you."

"Yeah, me too. I love him too," he smiled again. "Do you believe that Simons can do it? He can help Arthur escape?

"Well, he will do anything to save his family."

"Do you think he has the permission to enter the church basement and walk out with Arthur?"

I shook my head slightly, didn't know what to answer.

"I can take the whole world as hostage, Merlyn, and trade them for Arthur. I don't need Simons' family for that. I can wage war, terrorize the world; kill men and women, even children. But, I won't do that. Governments are combative and belligerent. They fear nothing and don't care about lives. Catching me will become a priority for them. They won't give up. They'll hunt me down like a goddamn boar."

"So you think there is no hope?"

"Well, I'm going to call Father Simons, trade his family for Arthur and see if he can help Arthur escape and save his own family."

"So there is hope?"

"Yeah, it's my plan," he said, turning off the CD player angrily, and was possibly disturbed listening to the song mixed with the muffled moans. "I'll kill them if my plan doesn't work," he said loudly as though on purpose. It seemed like he wanted his hostages to hear him. He reveled in scaring those poor women and the boy who had been already frightened to death. "And if it works well I guess I'll kill them."

"You'll kill them?" I mumbled. "Of course you kill, Mr. Murderer."

"Do not judge me! I'm not Arthur."

"That's right. You're not Arthur."

"Right! I don't give a damn about your moral principles and high-minded believes, Mrs. Savior! I wonder how you feel responsible for people's lives while you don't value your own life and you decide to kill yourself. I'm a monster. I kill people. I don't believe in anything. But I know one thing: I love my life and am strong enough to go on living between you people. Stupid people! You go to church, worship God, read his book and obey his rites. But sometimes you seem to forget all those rules and rites. You forget that you're human, that you have a gift and that's humanity, the right to choose." He lowered his voice gradually. "You tried to kill yourself, and you act like you've done nothing wrong? As far as I know, the Bible says that suicide is taboo. Or did I read it in another book? Never mind." He walked to the fridge and grabbed another bottle of brandy. "Arthur was proud of you. He thought you were strong. You're not!"

"No, I'm not. Arthur thought wrong. I was going to kill myself, how pathetic is that? My dad is right. I should be ashamed of myself. I'm weak and stupid and useless and pathetic. I'm a failure." Tears rolled down my face. I was so sad and even though I didn't want Emrys to see my tears I couldn't stop crying. He had already seen my weakness, however. Something much worse than my tears! I had jumped out a window to kill myself! I hated myself for doing such a terrible thing. No reason is good enough to justify suicide, not even the feeling of being lost or being left helpless, for no one would be lost forever.

For a little while Emrys just stared at me. Then he stepped forward and said in a soft voice, "Please don't cry." He looked at me in an uneasy way, unsure of what to do or say. "Don't cry," he repeated.

I cried and cried, and between my fast-falling tears I said, "They're going to kill Arthur tomorrow night. They want to kill our child too."

"We can stop them."

"How? I don't think Father Simons is allowed to see Arthur," I said with a nasal voice. "I can't lose him. I can't thing of losing Arthur. I can't think of losing my child. Oh, God, I'm not even sure if they've made me get an abortion."

"Please stop," he sounded like he was begging. He came closer. I could barely see him through my tears. He gently and carefully wiped my cheek with the back of his forefinger. His hand moved down my body and almost touched my breast. I didn't stop him and felt his hand move again. He put his palm close to my stomach.

"I can feel two heartbeats. Your child is alive. It's still inside you."

My whole body went numb with a mix of relief and tiredness. I didn't cry anymore and sat down silent.

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Chapter 52

Heartbreak

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There were several cell phones in a drawer. Were they all Chuck Brandons? Why would he keep all those phones? What was the use of more than one cell phone? Emrys mumbled the same questions as he tried the phones one by one. He threw away the ones that were not working, and at last, finding a cell phone that seemed to work he dialed a number.

He looked at his watch as he waited.

"Hello Simons, he said. I'm the man who's kidnapped your family." After a few moments' pause he demanded imperiously, "You listen!" and continued with a calmer voice, "You help Arthur, get him out of church, and I will free your family."

The plan was: Arthur should call us and let us know that he was free and everything was fine. Then Emrys would release the boy in one of the most crowded stations and at one of the evening rush hours. And regarding the women, Emrys told Father Simons that he would decide after Arthur rejoined us.

He also told Father Simons that if he refused to follow his instructions and if he called the police he would not hesitate to kill his family.

He then passed the phone to me. Did I have to talk to Father Simons? That evil man who seemed to care for nothing and nobody but himself?

"Hello," I said, trying to sound as calm and easy as possible.

"Merlyn?" said Father Simons. "I need to know if my family's alive. My sister, my mother." I could feel the fear in his voice. I thought it would make me feel good to hear him beg. But it didn't. "They are alive," I said. "Help release Arthur and we will release your family."

"I need to talk to them. I need to make sure. Please."

"You have my word. They're alive."

"Please. Let me talk to them."

He sounded so desperate I felt myself softening towards him as I said to Emrys, "He wants to talk to his family.

Emrys grabbed the phone. "Do you wanna see your family again?"

Then he paused. He was now listening. I didn't know what Father Simons' answer was. Whatever it was, judging from Emrys expression I could imagine Father Simons being arrogant and insolent despite his weaknesses. He was arrogant both in speech and conduct. He was always arrogant, maybe was born that way. But this time it was different. This time he had to be very careful with every word that he said. He had to avoid provoking a vampire. Emrys could kill his family fast and easy, unconscionably.

"You are either stupid, Simons, or you don't care about your family!" Emrys said. He seemed to be interrupted again. He paused and looked at his watch as though he was concerned about his call being tracked by the police.

He walked up the stairs to the sleeping loft where he had kept Father Simons' family, untied the old woman's hands, removed the tape from her mouth and turned on the phone speaker. "Talk!" He said to her.

"Please," the old woman wept, "Simon, do what he says. He's a killer. He's dangerous."

"You got that right," said Emrys. His voice changed. So did his alluringly handsome face. He turned into a monster. "I am dangerous." He threw the phone over on the bed and grabbed Simons' mother by the arm, pulling her close to himself.

"Mom, are you all right? Father Simons asked.

Help us, Simon. Help us.

I will kill you, vampire!" He said to Emrys.

"You will kill me, huh? How about I start killing your family?"

"You don't dare."

When Emrys held the woman's head in his hands I imagined what was going to happen. With a sudden and swift move he broke the slender wrinkled neck of the old woman. She fell on the floor. Her daughter and grandson were shocked to see her dead.

"Did you hear that?" Emrys said with a contented voice. "It was the sound of your mother's neck breaking."

"No!" Father Simons shouted. His sister and nephew tried to shout too, but when they realized that they couldn't even talk, they began to struggle hopelessly.

"No, God. No."

"Oh yes, she's dead," Emrys said, composedly. "Okay, next one. Hmm which one should I kill? You tell me, Simons. Your sister or your nephew?"

"No, wait, please," said Father Simons. "I didn't say I couldn't free your friend. I'm just saying that I need more time. Give me a few more hours. I need to go to Brighton. It takes time."

"Last time I checked, you had a private aircraft!" Said Emrys.

"Please. I will do anything I can to get him out of the church. Just don't hurt my family." Fear intensified the quiver in his voice. Was he crying? He was too proud to cry, but his pride had been brought down now and was being replaced by entreaties. After all there were some people he cared about.

"We've got to give him more time," I said to Emrys.

He gave an impatient, short sigh and said, "Alright. If Arthur doesn't call me before dawn, the people you love will die."

"Okay," said Father Simons. "Please don't hurt my."

Emrys hung up and took a deep breath. As the monster was leaving his human body he put on his coat, and without saying anything to me he left the loft.

I stayed. I could barely afford to wait, but I had to stay and wait. I stayed and waited sleepless and hungry, hoping that Father Simons was able to save Arthur, help him get out of the church.

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I closed the old woman's eyes and covered her body. It was the first time I was touching a dead body and was sitting beside it. It was sad, so sad. After all, everything will end. No matter how you live your life, the day will come when you disappear as though you have never been. You will turn into dust and will be gone with the wind. Only your memories remain for some time.

The boy stared in terror and his mother wept in silence. It would have broken my heart to see a mother's tears again if I wasn't heartbroken already.

I asked them to promise me not to scream and when the young woman answered with a nod, carefully I removed the tapes from their mouths and gave the boy some water. His mother refused to drink water. In a weak tone, she asked me to feed her child.

There was nothing edible in the stinking fridge, except bottles of beer and brandy. Looking for some food in the shelves and drawers I found some cash in the same place that Emrys had found the cell phones.

I took the money, decided to go out and buy some food. So, I put the tapes back on their mouths, put on a large-size jacket and a pair of large boots, which I assumed belonged to Chuck Brandon.

In my way out of the building I saw Emrys. He took my arm angrily and made me walk in with him, though it was difficult for me to walk as fast as him, especially with those uncomfortable boots. When we entered the loft he gave me two big plastic bags. I searched the bags. There were warm clothes in one bag and food in the other. Hotdog, chicken nuggets, sushi, noodles, fish and chips, French fries, water, coffee and coca! Too much food for a woman my size. Was he thoughtful of his hostages? Had he brought extra food for them too? Probably not.

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"I'm sorry for your mother," I told the young woman as I was feeding her son. "I really am." She just stared at me with a vague expression. Was my sympathy accepted?

I heard Emrys' footsteps, and as the woman's face expressed her fear I said to her, "I will not allow him to hurt you or your son, I promise."

"Look at you," she said with a hoarse voice full of anger, hate and fear. I had never seen such strong combination of emotions. I had never seen such anger before. "You're as disgusting as your vampire friend." I knew I disgusted her. I hated myself too. I thought of myself as the reason for all the losses and sufferings.

Emrys taped her mouth shut and took the food.

As we walked down he took out a hotdog. Passing it to me he ordered, Eat! I was starving, yet I couldn't eat. He reminded me that I was pregnant and needed to eat for two people.

"God knows what kind of creature is inside you!" He giggled.

I looked at him hard, and said nothing.

"Okay, I'm joking."

I didn't take my eyes off of him. It wasn't funny if it was a joke.

"It's a baby..." He said, "Well... will be a baby. A cute baby, I guess. Beautiful like its mother."

I forced a faint smile.

He continued and told me that I needed about 2500 calories per day and asked if I knew what that meant. As I stared at him surprised, he explained that I needed more nutrients in my diet, more protein, vitamin and mineral, otherwise I would become weaker and sicker and there was nobody that he could ask for help. It was strange. How did he know all that? A vampire whose lifestyle was very, very different. When I asked him of how he knew about food and diet he gave a cough and replied, Tonight I met a doctor. Before I killed him I thought it was better if I asked him about your condition. He was a good doctor. He explained everything in detail.

You killed him!?

You know, it's a pity I had to kill him. I was so thirsty.

He talked about killing a man like he had killed a fly. How conscienceless! At least, he was man enough to think of me before he fed on that doctor! He was right anyhow. I was weak and I had to eat, for my child's sake. So, I forced myself to eat the sushi and swallowed every morsel with difficulty. My mouth was dry. Not to mention that I had lost my appetite and my sense of taste.

After I finished my food Emrys went to the bathroom to make sure that the water was warm and told me to take a shower.

I sat in the bathtub for a while, closed my eyes and took a few minutes nap. After shower I put on a sweater, tights and socks that Emrys had bought or had he stolen them, I was not sure. I lay down on the sofa. Emrys covered me with a blanket and set the electric heater to a high heat. I began to feel better. And I wondered. Why would he treat me so nicely? Why would he care about my health? He was strangely and disturbingly nice to me.

1 March, - I woke up at three o'clock in the morning. Emrys was sitting in an armchair. He had leaned back staring at the ceiling. When I sat up his eyes turned to me.

He insisted that I should go back to sleep. So weird!

Enough, I thought.

"I don't need a babysitter!"

A babysitter, he giggled.

Don't pretend you care. I don't want you to be nice to me.

"I'm not. I don't!" He said nervously. "I don't know what to do."

I kept my eyes fixed on him and it seemed like it made him more nervous. I didn't want to make him feel uneasy. I just wanted him to give a rational explanation for his eccentric behavior.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked, assailed by uneasiness. He stood up as he said, "I tried to kill you and you turned my best friend against me. I try to be nice to you and still you don't like me. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. I just don't want you to act weird. You are not supposed to be nice to me."

"Okay. Being nice is hard. I will be normal well vampire normal. But you have to bear with me until Arthur is free," he said and smiled a wry smile. "You have to like me for a while!"

"I will never like you!"

"Oh yeah? Well, guess what? I don't care!" He said and went to the fridge, took a bottle of beer and as though he was trying to cool himself, he drank the beer in one long gulp.

"How did you know about Father Simons and his family?" I asked.

"Arthur told me. He told me to kill them."

"When?"

"Before he got caught. He told me that if anything happened to him, I promise that I look after you. I promised him."

"That's why you're acting weird. I was wondering what reasons could turn a cruel heartless killer into a nice and sweet man. I still wonder. You have no principles. You told me so yourself. It's so odd and unnatural for a man like you to have friends and to be loyal to his friend, loyalty is a part of humanity. You need to be human to understand it. But you're not human!"

"Once I was. I know what it's like and how it feels to be mortal. I might have forgotten some things about being human, but I experienced things I will never forget. But you have never been a vampire and you can never understand us."

"I understand."

"No, you don't. Don't waste your time trying."

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It was now around four in the morning. Emrys and I were both waiting, waiting anxiously for Arthur to call.

At five thirty the phone rang. Its ring tone sounded so loud to my ears it almost froze my heart.

It was Father Simons.

According to him, everything had gone well. He had Arthur with him. When I asked him to let me talk to Arthur, he said that Arthur was unconscious and not able to talk, that he had poisoned him, for he could trust neither him nor us.

Suddenly pangs of doubt overwhelmed me. Father Simons did not sound nervous anymore, nor did he seem to be afraid for his family. He said with outwardly infinite confidence that if we wanted to see Arthur again, we should bring his sister and nephew, safe and sound, to Red Rose Cemetery where he would be waiting for us at six thirty in the morning. He would only trade Arthur for his family.

He was lying. He had not been able to save Arthur, we were sure of it. But not completely sure. What if he had really taken Arthur out of the church? Emrys threatened that he would kill his sister and nephew if Father Simons didn't cooperate. Father Simons told him to do whatever he wanted, for he was not going to negotiate anymore. Either we had to accept his term or we would never see Arthur again.

His threats were not working. Even killing Father Simons' mother hadn't been effective.

What should we do now? I asked.

Emrys prepared himself to go and meet Father Simons in the cemetery.

You don't believe him, do you?

No, I don't.

Then don't go. We have to think of another way.

There is no other way. Don't worry. I'm wiser than that priest. I'm going to kill him.

Kill him? Then What?

Don't ask, Merlyn. I don't know.

I'm coming with you.

It's better if I go alone. You'll slow me down.

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From the small window I could see the moon as it was fading into the rising sun. The dark would be soon over. For the first time in my life the brightness of sunrise felt like a dark nightmare. I wondered if Arthur and all other vampires would have been feeling the same every morning.

It was now daylight. I became more anxious, more nervous, walking up and down the room, watching the clock and its minute hand that seemed to move fast. Emrys was late. Soon he would turn into a normal man and become vulnerable. I was worried about him having to confront the evil priest in daylight and I was worried about Arthur getting closer and closer to death. I was worried. Worried beyond words.

It was around eight in the morning. Hearing the noisy elevator unnerved me.

Emrys slipped the elevator door open and stepped in. Although I had no hopes to see Arthur, I waited for the next person stepping in. Lorcan and Nora Walsh walked into the loft. What were they doing here? Where was Arthur?

Emrys was mad. A mad monster! Something worse than bad had happened I could tell. I looked at his face and all my hopes were ruined suddenly.

He hobbled across the room, with so much effort drew his right leg over the floor and reached the stairway. It seemed like his leg was paralyzed.

I will kill them, he said. His voice was deep and angry.

What happened? I asked. He walked up the stairs and I followed him. What happened, Emrys?

"You wanna play? Let's play, Simons," he said in the phone and attacked the young woman. Without opening her hands or removing the tape from her mouth he sank his teeth in to her neck and began to drink from her blood.

No, I shouted and turned to Lorcan, "Stop him." And he did stop him. He pushed him away from the woman. Forcibly he and Nora laid their vampire brother on the floor. They held him tight and pressed his weak hands against the floor.

I should kill them. Emrys struggled in vain to reach the young woman. Please let me kill them.

When he was enough disappointed and realized that Lorcan and Nora would never allow him to touch the woman and her child, he stopped struggling.

The room was filled only with gasps and heavy breathing.

What's happened? Somebody talk to me! I said.

Father Simons used himself as bait to trap Emrys, Lorcan explained. If we were not following Emrys, he could've been arrested by the FBI.

They shot me in the leg. Bastards! I should kill his family. I should kill him!

"You think it will help Arthur if you kill them?" I asked desperately.

"I will kill them. You'll see."

"That's enough Emrys. You seem to forget that you're a vampire and I should have killed you," said Lorcan.

"Yeah," Emrys gasped. "I should kill you too."

"It's the poison," said Nora. "It's affected his brain."

"I'm fine," Emrys said weakly. "I just don't like you. I despise you."

"Find a rope, Nora," said Lorcan.

How are we gonna save Arthur?" I asked.

"Arthur? Arthur, my stupid friend," Emrys giggled like a miserable drunk man. "Arthur is dead." He giggled louder, "Again! He died again!"

"What is he talking about?"

Lorcan and Nora just looked at me and refused to answer. I stared so deep into their eyes I could read their minds and could see bad news in their faces.

I felt my head spin round. "Answer me!"

"Arthur is dead, Merlyn," Lorcan said. "They executed him before dawn."

I shook my head and said faintly, "No." A great sob rose in my throat I felt choked.

"We know Father Ansel," said Nora. "He told us."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm sorry," said Nora.

"You're lying," I said with a sob that shook me all over and broke me down.

"I'm not sorry that Arthur's dead. I'm sorry that you have to go through the life you chose. But you don't have to go through all this by yourself. We can help you, Merlyn." Said Lorcan.

"You just want to make me forget him, to forget about saving him."

"I'm sorry, Merlyn, but it's true," said Nora, moving close trying to hold me in her arms.

I stepped back as I said, "Why are you so cruel to me?"

"Arthur is dead, Merlyn. You have to think of your own life now, and the... the thing inside you," said Lorcan.

"Arthur is not dead. He can't be. He can't die..." Shaking my head I grew quite hysterical. I wanted to cry so bad. I wanted to cry out my crushing pain but the invasion of emotions wouldn't allow.
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Author's Note

Hi,

My dear friends, thanks a lot for being so patient. I hope I haven't lost any of you as every one of you is very, very dear to me. You are the reason I keep going, you know that of course.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter and the next one. I'll try to finish the next three chapters before the new year.

I love you for reading my story. I love you all.

Thanks. Thanks a lot.