by JG Cully
“What about Glynis?”
“She took the immunity.” he assured her. “She owes you big time.”
Victoria smiled at that. She had suspected Glynis was only a pawn and in order to get the 'big' fish she saw no need to slam the elf in with him as well. Corruption at the highest level of the Council of Peace. Who'd have thought? She'd always fancied him as a professional idiot but not a professionally corrupt idiot. None the less, they'd got him. Probably mean a lot of reports due and follow up investigations.
“What about the girl?”
Malak nodded across to the other side of Victoria's bed.
“See for yourself.”
There, across from her, was Alyssa, looking back at her. She wasn't in a position to talk though as her mouth was covered by a thick looking bandage. Victoria assumed she was smiling. She could already tell the girl had changed. Her cheeks were reddened instead of pale, and she had seemingly chosen the most well lit area of the dormitory. Alyssa looked over at the window, from which bright sunshine came straight down on top of her and looked back at Victoria.
Victoria nodded. She understood and allowed the girl one of her smiles.
Job done.
* * * * *
Both of them got out of the hospital at different times, but ensured they both came to the same celebration at the Elk’s Horn. Victoria wasn't entirely sure if she was supposed to be drinking whilst her arm was still healing but she'd made an executive decision that in this case, stuff it, she was going to enjoy this bottle of wine and damn the consequences. Around her everyone and anyone was talking, dancing and drinking across the length and breadth of the tavern. The music was loud from a group of bards in the corner, the ambience cheery and the company plentiful.
Malak was over to one side, regaling some of the barmaids on his momentous adventures and soundly enjoying himself.
Men.
Gretna, unable to stop working, had at least a mug of mead in one hand as she cleaned tables and barked orders on the other side of the busy tavern.
She's still in charge then.
Katy was being courted by a young militia man and was obviously enjoying the experience, grinning from ear to ear and letting her pigtails bob from side to side.
Good for her.
James was in his element, surrounded by a cohort of militia men and engineers. He looked no longer as shy as Victoria had seen him.
The lad's come out of his shell.
All kinds had come in this evening, to hear the tales of the real last vampire.
Council of Peace members from every department, engineers from James' work, barmaids and friends from other taverns, militia and army troopers, particularly the Tornar who had brought Horna Gladwell to justice. Malak's friends and colleagues, who were as professional as he had said. Somehow, news of the party had spread and this little gathering had seen its numbers swell. People were particularly jovial because unlike a lot of other news these days, this was a good news story. An Evil tyrant at last laid low, a young girl released from the curse of the vampire, a corrupt Council of Peace Department Overseer convicted and justice restored.
The state of the post-war economy was forgotten, at least tonight.
Good front page stuff. It had rattled a good few of the senior members of the Council of Peace, and caused a degree of reshuffling in the departments. Maybe that was a good thing. Victoria certainly didn't mind.
She sighed and sipped her wine. She wasn't one for…
“Hey.”
Victoria looked up to find Alyssa standing beside her. The girl had a small smile on her now no longer deathly pale face. The bandage was gone, allowing a beautiful smile to shine. Victoria could see, behind said smile, that the teeth now seemed healed if a little crooked. The healer mages had done a fast, and fine job. Just a pity they hadn't done the same for her arm, though what could you do? She was allergic to the damn healing potions they used and so regrettably her arm had to heal the natural way.
Damn.
Victoria nodded. “Hey” she said and, after checking those nearby were not looking her way, returned the smile fleetingly. She'd a reputation to keep, after all. She couldn't have people thinking she was going soft!
“I never properly thanked you.” Alyssa said. She was still just as nervous now as she had been whilst a vampire, not that Victoria was surprised. The girl had kept her humanity well through that year.
“It's my job.” shrugged Victoria. “Keeper of the peace and all that.”
“Yeah but still.”
Alyssa paused, as if searching for her next words, but instead opted for action. Quite unexpectedly, she practically leapt on top of Victoria to hug her tightly.
I'm not a hugger! Victoria wanted to say but she could hear the girl almost immediately crying on her shoulder so decided maybe that wasn't the best response.
“It's ok.” she settled on. “it's over now.”
Alyssa continued to cry, the occasional 'thank you' heard between sobs.
Victoria, reluctantly, returned the hug, patting the girl’s back with difficulty as she was having to use her wounded arm.
“Yeah I know.” she said desperately trying to stop Alyssa from making any more of a scene.
Gods, why me? Do one good deed and everyone thinks you're 'nice'!
Something was wrong. The noise in the tavern had suddenly dropped. Slowly, Victoria looked around. Her eyes widened as she noticed every, single pair of eyes now on her and Alyssa. Victoria did not get embarrassed very often, but tonight was a big exception. She couldn't prevent the colour rising in her cheeks. Malak, the git that he was, was smirking at the far end of the room and enjoying the spectacle.
I'm going to beat you later she resolved.
“Three cheers for the hero!” bellowed Gretna across the bar
Oh Gods no!
Across the tavern mugs were raised and voices cheered. Victoria wanted to crawl into a hole and die right there and then, but she simply couldn't escape being the hero of the hour anymore, however much she wanted to.
I'm never going to live this down now. People are going to think I'm approachable!
She waved, half-heartedly with her good arm, hoping that was enough. Alyssa had stopped crying and seemed to suddenly realise that both of them were the centre of attention.
“Ah.” she said in Victoria's ear. “They're cheering us, aren't they?”
“Yes...Yes they are”
Thankfully Victoria now had someone else to turn red with.
Gretna strode over as the cheers continued.
“Get up the both of you!” She ordered. “Take a bow for Grogra's sake!”.
Alyssa complied immediately and Victoria wasn't given much of a choice as Gretna rather cruelly used the injured arm to help Victoria out of her seat. At least it was less awkward than being hugged from a seated position, just much more embarrassing. Now standing, Victoria felt like a newborn child being presented for the first time, with what felt like the entire world looking at her. She exchanged glances with Alyssa who was now feeling just as exposed, but bowed to the assembled crowd regardless.
“This is your fault” hissed Victoria though a forced smile and a red face, though without menace.
“Sorry!” whispered Alyssa back. “How long do you think they'll make us stand?”
“Till they get bored.” replied Victoria.
Soon, I hope!
It took two agonisingly long minutes for the final clapping and cheering to end, the continuation prompted mostly by Malak. He approached Victoria as the clapping abated.
“I will never let you live this down.” he said with a superior smirk
Well, that just won't do.
“Really” she said. She took her mug and downed the remains of her drink in a single long gulp. Malak should have realised that she was about to do something, but he just wasn't quick enough off the mark.
“Wrong answer.”
With a speed that took the entire room off guard, she took his fa
ce in her hands and brought him in for a long, passionate and forceful kiss. One that left his eyes bulging, his mouth agape and his chances with the Barmaids well and truly shattered.
“Now we're even.” she said with smug satisfaction as she finished. “Proper, even.”
The whole room whooped in excitement, except of course the barmaids Malak had left behind at the other end of the bar.
“He said he was single!” one of them piped up as Victoria swooped past them to the bar. Her honour well and truly satisfied. Just once, just for a fleeting minute, she allowed herself a wide and joyous grin. She concluded something rather important.
I did enjoy that.
Gretna nodded as she passed.
“Nicely done.” she whispered. “Very nicely done.”
* * * * *
Alyssa used the distraction that Victoria provided to slip away, back into the corner of the Tavern, straight into James’ arms. The kiss they shared was just as passionate if not more so than the one Victoria and Malak had shared, and a lot more sincere. He had become a lot more confident now. Parts of that she liked but she kind of missed his awkwardness. Then again, it was a small price to pay for humanity. A very small price to pay to walk in the sunlight, all the time, every day. She took James’ face in her hands, looking intently into his eyes.
“I am truly, truly happy.” she said.
So she was. Alyssa the vampire was no more. She was human once again.
“Now,” she said after few more glorious moments of kissing her beloved. “I'm hungry.”
* * * * *
Epilogue:
Watcher In The Night
* * * * *
The figure watched from across the street.
Clad all in black, his form invisible in the shadows. The test had been completed. The rival eliminated, the mark, found to be wanting. A pity, as another ally would have been most useful. Still, he had learnt a lot from the events he had set in motion. Killing the drunk had yielded a great deal of unexpected information.
Horna Gladwell's alliance with the Darnhun for example, had proven to be closer than expected. They were not simply hired muscle but a close connection, though to what end...well, that would have to be looked into perhaps. Neither had he expected the Council of Peace Investigative Department to be so diligent. Even when he had arranged for the railings to be removed so swiftly to challenge them, they had risen to that challenge. How admirable.
It had been interesting to see not one, but two individuals immune to the aura. That was not just coincidence. It said, to his mind, that such individuals were more widespread than at first believed. If one could locate more, they would prove useful in the future for operating undetected within the city.
Satisfied that nothing else could be gained from here, he turned to leave
He had pressing, important business to attend to.
THE END
* * * * *
Acknowledgements
This is my first novel, and hopefully depending on how it is received, not my only one.
There are a lot of people who have contributed time and effort to helping me produce this. Not least of which are my elite cadre of very patient proof readers who even as they are finishing reading this acknowledgement will be having painful flashbacks to some truly awful grammar and spelling mistakes.
All being well, these have now been eliminated in this final product. Cara, Lesley-Anne, Gail, Esther, Andrew, Robert, Michael and Christopher. To you all I say, thank you so very much for all your time and effort.
A special thank you to K for the immense amount of work she put into helping me with this novel, everything from scene suggestions to correcting spelling mistakes.
Thank you to Mat Thampi who illustrated the front cover and produced so many additional images for the Novel. Fantastic, professional work.
Finally, many, many other friends, work colleagues and family members have offered advice and encouragement in the completion of this book. Whether it was a scene suggestion, a character sketch or just a 'keep it up JG', to you all, thank you for helping me to at last, finish this novel.
I hope you the reader, whoever you are, will have enjoyed this little attempt at fantasy.