by Adele Clee
Evelyn forced a smile. She stared at Grace, who soon followed her lead. “That sounds like a logical idea.” Evelyn glanced at the tiled floor. “But I cannot imagine it will be comfortable.”
“That is why we were waiting for your return. We need you to help Sylvester move items from one of the chambers, as we are all bound to the shadows until nightfall.”
Evelyn felt the hairs on her nape tingle and knew Alexander approached.
“You’re back.” He stood behind her, kissed the top of her head affectionately.
Be brave. Don’t let him see your fears.
She turned to face him, sucked in a breath at the magnificent sight of his handsome countenance. In her mind, she imagined hugging him, standing on the tips of her toes to feel his soft lips on hers. But she smiled and said, “Did you miss me?”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Always.”
Evelyn stared longingly into the steely-blue eyes that had held her captive from the first moment she’d met him. “I love you,” she mouthed silently.
The corners of his mouth curved up into a sinful grin.
“We will need pillows and blankets.” Elliot’s words invaded the tender moment. “Perhaps water and a cloth to wipe the brow.”
“We’ll go and find Sylvester,” Grace said.
Evelyn could hear apprehension in her friend’s voice and so glared at her when she swung back around. “Is there anything else we can get you, my lord,” she asked in a mocking tone. “Some foot rub perhaps, or a newspaper.”
Elliot raised a quizzical brow. “I’m pleased you’re still able to tease me despite the gravity of our situation.”
Evelyn raised her chin. “I am tired of all these morbid thoughts. All will be well. I am certain of it.” She gave a contented sigh in the hope he could not see through her facade. “Now we shall go in search of your provisions.”
Sylvester led them to a chamber on the first floor. They collected pillows and as many blankets as they could carry. Ivana had asked them to bring a mattress. Evelyn examined the bedding piled on top of the wooden frame. She doubted Ivana would want them to use the down one and so she folded it back and removed the cheaper flock from underneath. They would need at least five to make lying on the cold floor of the crypt seem appealing.
It was only as the blankets were folded and laid flat on top of the mattress in the crypt that Evelyn realised there was only one bed. The thought of trudging back upstairs made her groan, albeit inwardly.
“That should be suitable,” Ivana said placing her palms on top of the soft padding. “At least it is better than the cold tiles.”
Alexander gave a hapless shrug. “Comfort is the least of my concerns.”
“Give us a moment and we will go and search for more bedding.” Evelyn put her hands on her hips to catch her breath. “Shall we bring the same quantities again?”
“It won’t be necessary.” Alexander cleared his throat as he struggled to look her in the eye, a sure sign she would not like whatever he had to say. “While you’ve been busy upstairs we have decided it would be wise if only one of us took the cure. There is no point both of us suffering unnecessarily. Should there be no problems, then the other will take it.”
Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat, and she knew then that Alexander would be taking the cure first. “And you did not think to consult your wives when you made this decision?” Anger, mingled with a sudden sense of panic, infused her tone.
Alexander glanced at the floor. When he looked up, her heart ached at the fear she saw flashing in his eyes. There was a long agonising moment of silence. “Elliot has a son to think of, whereas I do not. It is only right I take the cure first.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” She did not want to see him suffer. Alexander was her love, her life, her everything. Without another word, she flew into his arms. “Know that I will lie by your side, that I will hold your hand while I wait for you to return to me.”
He wrapped his strong arms tightly around her. “I will come back to you.” The words were softer than a whisper but had the strength to soothe her tortured soul.
“Then let us get it over with. I cannot bear to stand here waiting, worrying.”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. “Come. It is time.”
They stepped apart, stared into each other eyes for a time. Leo went into the secret chamber and returned with the mahogany box. They all took turns to hug Alexander as though it was the last time they would see him alive. Elliot muttered something about friendship and honour, told him he should not worry about his wife as he would always care for her.
The next few minutes passed quickly. Alexander forced his fangs from their sheath, bit into a vein at his wrist and sucked a mouthful of blood. They counted five minutes. The muttered whispers were incoherent. With Evelyn’s mind distracted by pessimistic thoughts, she lost count many times and, in the end, left it to Leo to decide when her husband should drink the contents of the little brown bottle.
Leo pulled the stopper from the bottle and handed it to Alexander. “I wish you luck, my friend.”
Alexander stared at it for a moment. Locking gazes with her, his hand curled around her arm, and he pulled her closer. The kiss was chaste, yet infused with a wealth of feeling.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Should anything happen, know that I will find you again.”
He did not wait for a response, but drank the liquid quickly, wincing and shaking visibly as though it tasted stale, putrid. They all stared at him with open mouths. The silence was almost deafening as they waited for a reaction: a cry, a groan, anything.
A minute passed.
Nothing.
Alexander closed his eyes as his breathing slowed until it was barely audible. Evelyn tried not to panic; she tried to remain calm. He would come back to her. He had to come back to her. Then without any warning his body twisted, contorted. She could see from his pursed lips that he was suppressing the pain.
“S-something is happening,” Alexander stammered. He swallowed multiple times, clutched his throat as he shuddered violently.
“Help me to lie him down,” Elliot said tugging Leo’s arm.
Evelyn stood riveted to the spot. Grace put an arm around her shoulder, but it brought no comfort. Not today. Why had she insisted on coming with him to Bavaria? Why had she not begged and pleaded with him to stay with her at Stony Cross? Damn Leo. Damn everyone who sought to rob her of the only thing that mattered.
They laid him down on top of the mattress she had dragged off the bed. In the garden of Stony Cross, they had stood beside their favourite bench; she had told him how much she loved him, that she was not afraid anymore. Now, just mere months later, she had never been more terrified in her life.
“Loosen his cravat.” Elliot barked orders at Leo, the panic in his voice clearly evident. “We should have removed his coat, left him in just a shirt.”
Both gentlemen quickly set to the task. One of them held Alexander’s writhing body while the other stripped off his clothes, leaving him in just a shirt and breeches.
Alexander’s piercing cry shot through the crypt, the painful sound rebounding off the ceiling and hitting her like a shower of knives.
“He feels so damn hot,” Elliot complained as he touched Alexander’s brow.
Ivana hurried forward with the bowl and the linen cloth. The sound of trickling water was only just audible amongst Alexander’s cries and groans. Smoothing the damp cloth over his brow proved to be too difficult a task. With arms flailing wildly, he knocked Ivana back.
“I think we should compel him to sleep,” Ivana said as his face turned claret red. “I think we should do it now.”
“Very well.” Elliot sucked in a ragged breath. “Put your hands on him and will him to sleep.”
“Just help him, please.” Evelyn’s plea was barely louder than a whisper.
Ivana, Elliot, and Leo surrounded Alexander. They knelt beside him, one hand touching hi
s chest, their eyes all closed as they muttered their silent prayers.
Evelyn watched with bated breath, willing them to succeed.
Another minute passed before Alexander’s breathing slowed to a more regular pace. All cries of anguish ceased. The room felt suddenly calm and still like the air after a heavy storm.
Thank heavens. Evelyn sagged with relief. “Sweet dreams, my love.”
Hours passed. Only his faint mumbles, the changing hue of his complexion from alabaster to claret and the odd trickle from his brow alerted them to the fact he was still of this world.
Evelyn lay by his side, despite Elliot’s plea for her to rest, to quench her thirst and take sustenance. Nothing else could soothe her now. She closed her eyes, lingered in the place just before sleep, the magical place where one created their own versions of dreams.
“Eve … Eve.”
She opened her eyes with a start, sat up and scoured his face. Hope faded when she realised he was still locked in a deep form of stasis. Then his mouth twitched, the top lip rising up over his gum. The white points of his fangs appeared from their fleshy sheath, extending until they touched his bottom lip.
She glanced back over her shoulder to where Leo and Elliot sat on the floor. “Look at this,” she said quietly for fear of disturbing Alexander.
They jumped to their feet and rushed over to her side.
“What is it?” they said in unison.
“It’s his fangs.” Evelyn raised his upper lip fully. As soon as her finger brushed against the odd-shaped tooth, it fell from the gum into her hand. With a gasp, she stared at the shiny white weapon lying in her palm. “What does it mean?”
Was he dying? Was he cured?
“I don’t know.” Elliot touched the other one, and it came away, too. “Perhaps it is part of the healing process.”
Leo sighed. “Do you think we should attempt to wake him?”
A frown marred Elliot’s brow. “Let’s wait a little longer.”
Evelyn curled her fingers around Alexander’s fang. It was part of him. The memory of the night she first saw them flashed into her mind, the memory of the first time she had not been afraid. He had led her down to the river, joined with her, loved her. She clenched her hand tight, the treasure inside worth more to her than the rarest diamond.
Grace returned carrying a plate with sliced apple and cheese. “Is he awake?” she asked with excitement.
Evelyn shook her head.
“Here, I brought you this.” Grace offered her the plate. “You need to eat, Evelyn. You must stay strong.”
Evelyn nodded and put the plate on the floor at her side. “Where is Ivana?”
Grace’s lips thinned. “She’s sitting in the Great Hall. Watching him like this, seeing the pain, the guilt is too much for her.”
“You should stay with her, offer comfort. I’ll call you if there is any change.”
Grace glanced at Elliot, unable to hide her solemn expression. “We’ll call you,” he reiterated.
As soon as Grace left them, Alexander began mumbling again. “Eve … come to me … save me.”
“I am here, Alexander.” She put her head on his chest, could hear his heart beating. “I will always be here.”
He muttered something incoherent, but it sounded like ‘Mrs. Shaw’.
“Mrs. Shaw?” Leo scrunched his nose. “He must be dreaming about Stony Cross.”
“She is like a mother to him. She was the only person he had to turn to, the only person to keep him company during those first lonely years.” Just saying the words brought a tear to her eye.
Elliot touched Alexander’s brow with the back of his hand, raised his lids and peered into his eyes. “I think we should try to wake him.”
“I shall call Ivana,” Leo said.
“No. Leave her be. If we cannot manage on our own, then we will call her.”
Evelyn sat up. “Can I stay?”
Elliot nodded. “Of course.”
She watched them place a hand on his chest, decided she would do the same although she knew it would not make any difference. They began their strange mutterings, and so she made her own silent plea.
Wake up, my love. Come home to me. Wake up.
She did not stop until she felt him suck in a deep breath.
“I think he is waking.” Elliot lifted Alexander’s lids, and they could see his eyes shifting left and right. “Alexander? Can you hear me?”
Evelyn’s heart was beating so rapidly she could feel it thumping in her neck.
Her husband mumbled and moaned for a few more minutes but eventually opened his eyes fully. He scanned his surroundings, put his hand to his temple and winced.
“I have … have the worst throbbing pain,” he complained, yet they were the most beautiful words she had ever heard. His eyes fluttered and closed numerous times. “I need to drink,” he suddenly gasped.
Fear gripped her, and she could tell by his brothers’ expressions that they believed the cure had failed to rid him of his addiction to blood.
“Quick,” Alexander gasped, suddenly shooting up to a sitting position. “I need … I need water.”
“Water?” The word rang through the chamber, filling her heart with hope.
Elliot gestured to the opposite side of the room. “There is a pitcher of clean water over there, hurry.”
Leo raced to get the pitcher and the pewter mug. When he returned, Alexander snatched the jug from his grasp and drank it down in seconds.
“Good God,” Alexander panted before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I … I have never been so thirsty in my entire life.”
Without another word, he shot to his feet, swayed from side to side as he tried to find his balance. “Eve.”
She jumped up and hugged him tight. “I am here, Alexander. I am here.”
“Did … did it work,” he muttered. “Am I cured? I can hardly remember a thing about it.”
Evelyn stepped back, and they all gaped at him. “You look the same,” she said, “although your fangs fell out.” She opened her clenched fist. “See.”
“Good heavens.” He touched his gums with the tip of his finger, then picked up the tooth and examined it closely. “Remarkable.”
Leo sighed. “The true test will be when you step outside, my friend.”
Alexander looked to the stairs apprehensively. “Is it still daylight?”
“I believe so,” Elliot replied.
He held out his hand to her. “Then there is no time like the present.”
Evelyn climbed the stairs with her husband. They stood before the large arched door while Elliot and Leo rushed to find Grace and Ivana.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Evelyn said as she gripped his hand, knowing their life together hinged on something as simple as stepping beyond the thick piece of oak. “I’m frightened something might have gone wrong.”
A loud rumbling noise erupted in his stomach. “My God, I’m starving. Surely that is a sign all is well.”
She stared up at him. His striking blue eyes were just as captivating as the first time she’d seen them. The dimple in his chin that conveyed a playful charm still held her spellbound. It was as though the events of last few hours had never occurred. He looked the same, had the same intoxicating scent.
“Do you feel any different?” she asked as she examined his features.
He shrugged. “I’m a little weak, and hungry, but not for blood.” He winced and made a clicking sound with his tongue. “There’s a strange metallic taste in my mouth and my head feels heavy, as though I’d downed a whole bottle of brandy last night and am suffering from the aftereffects.”
“I suppose it is like recovering from an illness. You should expect to feel this way for a day or two. Once you’ve eaten, you might feel better and more water will help to ease the pain in your head.” She was gabbling, stalling.
Alexander glanced at the oak door. “We cannot delay the inevitable,” he said turning back to caress her ch
eek. “Open the door, Eve.”
With trembling fingers she grasped the iron ring, turned the handle and pulled the door slowly towards her. Thin slivers of light penetrated the darkness, the rays touching his breeches, his shirt.
Alexander instinctively stepped back.
Evelyn froze, unable to open the door fully.
“Just give me a moment,” he said, daring to touch the white light with the tips of his fingers.
With a little more confidence, he let the sun’s stream envelope his whole hand as Evelyn watched in wonder. Alexander stared at it for a moment, twisting his hand this way and that, examining it, scrutinising.
She heard their friends approaching, heard their gasps as they witnessed what in essence was a miracle.
“Can you feel any pain at all?” Elliot asked incredulously from the gloomy depths of the hallway. “I daren’t take a step closer.”
“No. I feel nothing.” Alexander nodded to the door. “I’m ready to walk outside.”
Feeling much more confident, Evelyn opened it fully. She stepped over the threshold out into the courtyard. She had expected to see some remnants of the man who had tried to kill them, but she saw nothing other than a faint dusting of ash covering some of the cobblestones.
Holding her hands out in front of her, she said, “Come, my love.”
Sucking in a breath, Alexander stepped forward. He squinted, covered his eyes with his arm. Years spent hiding in the darkness had taken its toll. Evelyn waited to hear a cry, the sizzling of burning skin, but he lowered his arm slowly to expose himself to the harmful rays.
The fear in his eyes quickly changed to excitement, elation.
He raced forward, picked her up and swung her round and round. “Sweet Lord above, I cannot believe it.” His cheers of joy could surely be heard down in the village.
“You’re making me dizzy,” she laughed, gripping him tight.
He lowered her to the ground, his hungry gaze drifting over her face. “It is so good to see the way the sunlight reflects off your hair, to see its warmth illuminate your skin. Are you pleased I am human again?”