The Sire, Part 10
Fandom: Moonlight
Characters: Mick/Beth/Josef
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: After last tv episode, "Sonata"; also inspired by "The Mortal Cure"
Summary: Mick realizes he had successfully sired another vampire long ago.
Author's Note: Seventh in my post-"Sonata" series. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
*Like to catch up on all my previous stories? The links are posted here: http://donnamour1969.livejournal.com/
When I came to, the first thing that penetrated my foggy mind was that I was lying on cold, slightly damp stone. Next, I heard voices-one of which I recognized as Coraline. Then, I felt the tightness of the rope around my hands and feet, and the perfume-like taste of the gag in my mouth. And finally, upon opening my eyes, I saw the dim light from an old oil lantern, illuminating a heavy chair. A bedraggled Coraline and a dark-eyed man were engaged in an argument. About me.
“Coraline, rare blood-type or not, this human sacrifice will not be restitution enough for what you have done to the family. Now, I will gladly partake of her, but I will let you know when your debt is repaid.”
Partake of me?
“Please, Henri. What more can I do? I’ll leave Versailles. You’ll never have to see me again.”
The man, Henri, whom I strongly believed was a vampire, turned his black eyes on her. I’d never seen eyes like that-little or no whites were visible. Both eyes seemed totally dilated, like shark eyes. I shivered with more than just the cold.
“Enough! “ Then I realized there was another man present, who looked almost like a twin to the first, without the creepy eyes. Coraline flinched and almost cowered at his tone. “You will stay in Versailles until we are done with you. Don’t even think about leaving, or we will track you down and detach your pretty head from your body. Is that clear?”
Coraline was clearly frightened of these men. “Oui, Gilles.”
Then they focused on me. “Look, Gilles,” said Henri happily, “Sleeping Beauty awakes. Bring her to me, Coraline. She makes me very…hungry.” I began to struggle against my bonds, though I knew it was fruitless. Coraline came to me and effortlessly brought me to my feet. I stood awkwardly, my bound feet putting me off balance. Plus, I was scared to death. They were going to drain me, I knew it. I was going to die, and I would never see Mick again. He would blame himself for this. What would become of him then? The vampire named Henri sat down in the chair and patted his lap almost flirtatiously.
“Sit, ma petite. It will only hurt for a moment.” I fought in vain as Coraline pushed me down on Henri’s lap. Gilles came closer, as if awaiting his turn with me. I tried to scream against the gag in my mouth, but Henri ignored me, holding my arm painfully with one hand, the other pulling my neck down closer to the long fangs that had suddenly extended past deep, red lips. He seemed to enjoy my struggles, and I felt his excitement beneath me. I thought I would faint when I felt his fangs puncture my neck. Then, he began to drink.
When I heard Beth’s heart begin to accelerate, I began to run. I heard the struggles and the muffled screams, smelled the sudden sweet odor of her blood. Then the corridor took a sudden, sharp turn before abruptly bringing a horrifying scene to light. A vampire was feeding on my Beth. I immediately vamped out in rage, and I must have jumped the last ten feet, for the next thing I remembered, I was knocking over the chair and slamming my fist into the vamp’s face. Involuntarily, he detached from her and began trying to right himself. I was vaguely aware of the sound of fighting all around me, and knew Josef and Daryl were engaging the other male vamp and Coraline. I was too busy beating the hell out of the one who had attacked Beth, and I was able to pull out a stake from my pocket and jam it into the bastard’s chest.
I looked over at Beth, who had rolled helplessly aside, apparently unconscious. By this time, the two other vamps were staked and still. With one glance, I realized we had found Coraline’s other two brothers. I knelt down by Beth, pulling off the silk scarf that had been her gag, using it to staunch the blood that was still flowing from her neck. I brushed the hair from her eyes and whispered her name. I leaned down to kiss her lips softly, the residual fear in me so strong that my eyes watered, but I heard her pulse, shallow but there.
“Beth,” I said again, patting her soft cheeks to revive her. She slowly opened her beautiful eyes.
“Mick?” she said weakly. “You found me.”
“Yes,” I could barely speak. I looked down and began shakily untying the ropes at her hands and feet, then wrapped my arms tightly around her.
“I stayed in the car like I promised,” she whispered into my neck.
I chuckled softly, relieved beyond measure that she could make a joke. “I know, sweetheart.”
Josef and Daryl came over to us.
“Is she alright?” asked Josef.
“Yeah.”
Daryl was trying not to be impatient, given Beth’s condition, but I could tell he needed to know about Carrie.
“Sorry, Beth, but did you see Carrie?”
She was recovering quickly, so I thought she likely had fainted more from fear than blood loss. Thank God we’d gotten there in time.
“No, Daryl,” she said, her voice much stronger now. “Coraline knocked me out, then I only remembered waking up a few minutes ago. I mean, the first time today.”
Daryl went over to Coraline, who lay paralyzed by the silver stake protruding from her chest. He nudged her with his foot. I knew from personal experience that she could still hear and see what was right before her, but she couldn’t speak.
“So, you’re the infamous Coraline,” said Daryl somewhat dangerously. “From what I’d heard of you, I thought you’d have horns and cloven hooves.” He took out his gun, loaded with silver bullets, and aimed it at her. “I’m going to remove this stake, and you’re gonna tell me where my wife Carrie is, or I’m gonna tear your head off with my bare hands. You got it?” Her eyes, already open, opened wider.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Beth was sitting up on her own, leaning against a wall, so I left her to stand by Coraline. Josef and I were ready to help restrain her if need be. Daryl reached down and pulled out the stake with little compassion. Coraline gasped, then grabbed her chest in relief. She sat up slowly.
“Well?” prompted Josef.
“Whose Carrie?” she said when she could. Daryl raised the stake again. Instinctively, I blocked his hand.
“Carrie Morgan,” I said. “You remember when I bit that dockworker when I was first turned? We both thought he was dead at the time, so we left him.” I looked briefly, guiltily at Daryl. “Well, Daryl here was that dockworker. My attempt to turn him had worked. Carrie is his wife, and she came here to kill you.” Coraline legitimately was trying to remember the incident, I could tell. I had known her long enough to read her, and although I didn’t trust most things she said, I could see all this had taken her by surprise.
“Why does she want to kill me? What did I do to this Carrie person?”
“It’s not what you did to her, you bitch, it’s what you did to me. You left me on the docks to die. You lied to Carrie and said you knew nothing about me. She was left to take responsibility for something you could have prevented, or could have at least guided Mick about.” This was the first I had heard Daryl sound remotely understanding of what I had done, of how Coraline shared some of the responsibility, even though I still mainly blamed myself.
I watched a light come on in Coraline’s eyes. “You mean Carissa. You’re married to Carissa du Noailles. She did come to me, I remember. That was the last time I saw her. Yes, I lied to her, because I hated her. Her family displaced mine in this palace, even though we were cousins. I wasn’t about to help her after that.”
“Cousins?” Daryl and I said at the same time.
“She didn’t tell you.” Coraline snickered. “Well, I’m not the only liar around here. You didn’t even know her real name.”
“That still doesn’t excuse what you did to me,” said Daryl.
Coraline looked at me, her brown eyes pleading. Years before, that would have meant something to me. “Mick, I swear, I sent the Cleaners out to dispose of the body. They said there was nothing there. What else could I do?”
“You could have told Carrie the truth,” I said. “You could have allowed both of us to take responsibility for him. But you couldn’t be bothered, could you?”
“Carissa had it well in hand. I already had my own fledgling to teach. I figured everything had worked out for the best.” Her eyes grew sharp. “So they must have just found out it was you who turned Carissa’s husband. Tell me, Mick, what kept you from telling this man? You seem to be friends. You didn’t recognize him?”
She still knew how to get to the heart of things. And rip it out by the roots. “I didn’t remember his face,” I said softly, “until recently. I’m trying to make amends now.” I spared a glance at Daryl, who looked away uncomfortably.
“So you haven’t seen Carrie recently?” Daryl asked again.
“No, but I sensed that a vamp has been following me. I had no idea it was Carissa.”
We were at an impasse. Coraline didn’t have Carrie. The vamps on the floor didn’t have Carrie, but they were going to kill Beth. Coraline was still my only chance at the cure, even though she’d been the one who brought Beth to them.
“What do we do about these guys?” Josef asked, eyeing Coraline’s brothers.
“If someone frees them, they’ll try to hunt us down. I don’t like the idea of always looking over my shoulder,” reasoned Daryl. Suddenly everyone was looking at me. It was Coraline, however, who offered up the solution.
“Kill them,” she said.
Josef shrugged and grabbed the lantern. “My pleasure.”