Like Blood in the Rayne - Chapter 18
Inara’s stomach leapt into her throat. ‘Mal is too observant sometimes for a man that can be so blind at others,’ she thought but kept her mouth clamped shut by sheer force of will, attempting to buy some time. She only hoped it would be enough to make good on her vow.
“What do you mean where’s…” Simon started to ask while everyone looked around the room for River. The panic in Simon’s face was clear. He rapidly scanned the room, looked for River next to Jayne and when he didn’t see her there, he asked the question anew. “Where’s River? Jayne?” His voice squeaked pitifully on Jayne’s name.
Jayne took one last hopeless look around and started for the front door, brow knitted and feet stomping as he went. He grumbled. “Chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo. I’ll rip his head off; don’t care what he is.”
Inara grabbed his arm in an absolute panic to stop him, hearing gasps of shock around her at the odd behavior. She requested, “Wait, Jayne. You can’t…”
Jayne gaped at the dainty hand around his forearm. He told her coolly, “Now, ‘Nara, I ain’t normally the kind o’ guy who hits women but you know I make exceptions and I’ll make another if you don’t let me go.”
Zoe, with a pained expression, asked, “Jayne, just what the hell do you plan to do? I hate to say it, you know I do, but if this Radu took her, what with the display he just put on, she might not be…”
Michelle broke in to explain, “If Radu took her, it isn’t going to be pretty but she isn’t dead. When we first tangled with Radu, he took my friends, one at a time, and slowly fed off them, turning them into monsters like he is. I didn’t know what was wrong with them at first and should have gotten them out of there but we wanted to finish our research. We were fools. In the end, I was forced to destroy them to save my life. He tried to force the same fate on my sister but she escaped, for a time. If he follows his pattern, he’ll keep her alive for days before turning her. We have time to plan a defense for when he returns.”
“Gorramit!” Jayne pulled his arm out of Inara’s clench, paced back to the table and kicked a chair into the wall, where it exploded into splinters with a crunch.
Kaylee yelped and Michelle jumped back like a skittish cat to avoid the projectile bits of wood, complaining. “What are you doing? Don’t you realize what wood could do to me?”
Simon told Jayne, “Look, you know I want River back as much as you do but the random violence against inanimate objects isn’t helping us get her.”
“Yeah, maybe, but it takes the edge off.” Jayne answered with a growl, kicking at the bits of wood on the floor. “I don’t care we got time or such. We can’t just sit here and let him cart her off, hell knows where.”
Inara cleared her throat to get their attention again and sheepishly admitted what she alone knew to be true. “Radu didn’t take her. I saw her leave.” She could feel her face turn red and the guilt made her stomach twist.
Jayne whirled around and shot the companion a look that ought to kill but just managed to make her feel like the worst person Jayne ever met, which was saying something. Before Inara could defend herself, Mal jumped in on her behalf. “Jayne, back up about two levels on the testosterone there and calm the hell down. Inara is going to explain but you’re not hitting anybody, dong ma?”
Inara spared Mal a grateful, albeit somewhat surprised, look before addressing the angry giant that stood in front of her. “You remember the night when River kept me company on the bridge?” At Jayne’s terse nod, she continued. “She told me she thought it might come to this, that she might have to go in alone after him. I’m sorry, Jayne. I promised her I’d be here to stop you from coming after her.”
Jayne didn’t answer but the twitch in his jaw was enough to let Inara know he was holding his temper by the thinnest of threads. When it became clear Jayne was going to stay silent, Mal asked what River was thinking going up against a hoard of Reavers.
Jayne pulled a hand through his hair so hard it had to hurt and reminded the Captain that it wouldn’t be the first time River pulled a stunt like that. “This is different from last time how? Feng le kid’s got some kinda idea she can do anything.”
Michelle’s soft alto gave another appearance. “What’s different this time is Radu. He controls them now.”
Simon said he was with Jayne. “Radu won’t expect an attack. I say we give him one.”
Jayne looked at Mal, waiting for the order to move. When Mal agreed with a nod, Jayne went to action. He talked as he hurried up the stairs with Simon, Mal and Zoe, seemingly in charge of the rescue effort despite his usual rank among the crew. “All right. Cap’n and Zoe got plenty of their own weapons, doc. So, you come with me and I’ll get you set up with something won’t take your arm off shooting it.”
Inara and Kaylee communicated with just their eyes, Kaylee accepting the silent request to intervene. “Hold on a second.” Kaylee yelled up the steps after the ‘would be’ rescuers. “Ain’t you all forgettin’ one important, little detail?”
Jayne raised one hand to ask the others to wait and looked over the landing at the women still downstairs. “And what’s that?”
Inara felt the sting of guilt-ridden tears trying to break free when she looked into Jayne’s face and answered him. “Not one of us knows where Radu is.”
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The few minutes it took for the pressing thoughts of the Reavers to filter through her brain gave them enough time to deposit River in the horridly decorated bedroom that greeted her when she came back to her senses. Not that she would have fought, anyway. She was waiting for Radu, exactly what she planned. The orange carpets and gold tone bedspreads were merely an unfortunate side effect.
While wondering how many Reavers guarded her makeshift prison, she tried to sort out all the minds she could feel in close proximity but the chaos that overwhelmed their tattered psyches served well as a cloak for their numbers. She rose groggily from the bed, frowning once more at the cover on her way up, and went to have a look around the room.
Finding the door locked and the window boarded up in a hasty manner, she turned her attention to herself and noticed her clothes had been changed while she was out. Apparently Radu needed to fulfill every vampire stereotype he could. She fingered the hem of the white silk dress with distaste. “Dressing her up in doll clothes again.” She whispered to nobody.
The door creaked open, reminding River of the sound of horror films watched late at night after her parents were in bed, movies Simon never wanted to see. Did movie monsters bring that sound along for show? Honestly, that hinge probably worked flawlessly before Radu arrived.
His voice overran the creak as the door shut behind him. “The prey does not often wander into my home willingly. You were fortunate my new friends didn’t rip you to pieces. I would so hate to have been robbed of that experience.”
“It’s not your home, merely a stronghold from which to wage your war.” She winked at him cheekily. “And, they don’t scare me. Too few.”
Radu’s eyes darted to the door and back to light on her again. “Too… ah, yes. I began with more of them but only 30 or so survived the hmm, call it infighting, along the way. Very bloody. Very…” He moved closer so she could smell the rot of his breath. “…delicious.”
River moved to sit on the bed, trying to maintain a casual air despite the hunger in Radu’s thoughts. “Discourse should precede action.” She plainly stated.
Radu followed her to stand at her knees, reaching one hand to hover over her chest, fingers splayed and shaking. “Enough talk.”
She moved sideways, as subtle as possible, in order to gain just enough distance from the questing hand to regain some semblance of comfort. “But I came alone and willing. Don’t you need to know why? What it is I want?”
The hand came closer still so that one bony, claw like finger slid down her cheek. She could feel his intrigue mingled with his blood lust. “What is it you desire of me, child?”
River asked simply, “Would you offer me all the same things you tried to give Michelle if I surrender to you?”
Radu played with the neck of River’s overly fluffy dress. “What do I get in return?”
She gave him her best flirty smile while holding in her own dread. “Do you mean outside of the obvious implication? For many men that would serve as enough enticement.”
Radu’s raspy laugh filled the small room with its friction, sending shivers of revulsion starting up River’s spine that she tried as hard as she could to hide. Luckily, he didn’t take any notice. “You have her fire, little thing, but I’ve been waiting for Michelle to concede for centuries. It is much to request you should take her place as my consort. Why should I allow it?”
She teased him, hoping to draw him into her plan. “To hear her vocalize tales of you, it would seem you were the fool to her queen. Not a correct assessment. Parameters for her definitions are all based on fallacy.”
“Why should I care?” He asked. “This game we play each time we dance amuses me no end.”
Here it was. River took a deep breath. “Because with your strength, your new army, and my ability to see into her plans and machinations, I can help you finish her.”
He radiated doubt that planted a seed of doubt in River’s mind. What did she do if he refused her offer? He asked, “Why would you offer your aide? You don’t strike me as the simpering kind.”
“The voices in my head. I want them to stop.” She held his eyes in an attempt to seem sincere. “You’ve had seers. Could you teach me to hold the voices back whenever I wish it?”
“I could.” He lied and she knew it.
“Then I’m yours to command.” River said. It didn’t matter that he lied. She was getting what she wanted of him. The pain would be a fleeting thing.
TBC…I swear it’s not over.
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I decided you should know the main curse words by now but…
*Help with the new Chinese, just in case:
chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo - Animal f-ing bastard