Like Blood in the Rayne - Chapter 17
Ms. Wells informed the crew of Serenity, one room at a time, that they were to be in the dining room at twilight for dinner. So, Mal and Inara went downstairs a few minutes early, the Captain hoping to arrive first and get the lay of the land. He paused on the grand staircase and looked over the edge of the railing at the dining area. Unfortunately, he saw the indistinct figures of two women already seated at the table through the glimmering crystals of the chandelier.
Reaching the table, Mal helped Inara into a chair, earning a somewhat quizzical look from her. Mal took the seat to Inara’s right, placing himself as a buffer between her and Miss Morgan because Inara still didn’t seem to like the other woman much. He addressed their host. “Gotta say, I’m a mite surprised seeing you up and about already. Thought you’d just be waking up ‘bout now. Ain’t there some rule about your kind and sleeping during the day?”
Ms. Wells, sitting to Michelle’s right, filled Miss Morgan’s water glass from the sweating carafe and then her own. She answered. “Not sleep during the entire day, no. Though it may be harder to keep her alert during the day, the primary need is to avoid the ultraviolet radiation.”
Mal watched the two women share a smile and it finally hit him Zoe wasn’t wrong about them. He wondered what that meant when paired with Inara’s theory Michelle Morgan was somewhat in love with Radu Vladislas. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
Simon, Kaylee and Zoe all filed in, chatting amongst themselves. Their voices started as murmurs but became clearer when they came closer. “…the softest bed I ever felt.” Kaylee sighed happily.
Simon rubbed the back of his neck with one hand while pulling out a chair for Kaylee with the other. “It’s actually caused a bit of aching in my back. I used to love a soft mattress but suppose I’ve recently grown accustomed to the harder surfaces of Serenity’s bunks.”
Simon seemed to notice their host as he slid his own chair forward. He did a quick fish out of water impression before catching his composure again. “I’m so sorry, Miss Morgan. I’m being ungrateful and rude in the face of your hospitality. Forgive me.”
Michelle, for her part, didn’t look too put out by Simon’s remarks. She looked amused. She spoke, “I told you the mattresses you bought were too soft, Ginny.”
Mal grinned and looked at Inara to find even her smiling warmly. Seeing the vampire express her human side appeared to soften the companion’s opinion of the other woman. Well, either that or her jealousy abated at the obvious affection between Miss Morgan and Ms. Wells. Mal smirked and Inara elbowed him in the ribs lightly.
Jayne walked in with River trailing along quietly behind him. Jayne dropped into a seat and immediately grabbed a dish to fill his plate. “Shiny! Real meat. I could eat a horse right now.”
River looked at Jayne’s back forlornly for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders and taking the seat next to him. Jayne traded the plate he just filled for the empty one in front of River, which changed her lost expression to a happy smile instantaneously.
Mal already had trouble containing his burgeoning laugh at Simon’s attempts to ignore Jayne but couldn’t resist pushing it that extra step. “Jayne, you’ll eat anything.”
Simon choked on his first bite of potatoes, making a sickening snorting noise in his nose. Kaylee patted him on the back awkwardly while he coughed. “Oh, Simon.”
Jayne smirked. “You all right there, doc?”
Simon took a drink of water, looked like he was about to say something but just chuckled and nodded his head instead. Kaylee stopped patting and leaned in to kiss his cheek, smiling at him when she drew back. It looked like the doctor was calming down at last.
Michelle suddenly pushed her chair back, the action provoking a screech of wood rubbing on wood, and her muscles all tensed like a jungle cat about to pounce. “He’s here.”
Mal, Zoe and Jayne all had guns in hand and feet on the ground simultaneously. If only he knew where to aim, Mal might have felt a mite better about the situation. He looked around, trying to find a target. Ai ya. “But it ain’t completely dark out yet…” He ventured.
“It doesn’t have to be.” Ms. Wells’ voice trembled and she stood behind Michelle, eyes darting around nervously. “All he needs is enough shadow to avoid the light.”
“Still dallying in the presence of mortals, Michelle?” A frosty voice came from the shadows under the stairs.
Michelle stared at the darkness under the stairway. “You may as well show yourself, Radu. The air already stinks of you.” She reached one hand back to push Virginia further back and away from the disembodied voice.
“Michelle, my love.” The darkness solidified into a humanoid form and stepped out of the shadows into the artificial light that streamed from the chandelier. “Have you learned nothing of what I’ve tried to teach you? Leave them here and bring the stone to me.” He pointedly gazed past Michelle. “Maybe I’ll allow your plaything to live.”
Miss Morgan laughed, a cold laugh that didn’t reach her eyes at all, and answered. “I know you too well for this, Radu. Your lies will never fool me into trusting you again.”
In response, he held one skeletal hand to his chest as if in affront. “You wound me, my childe. You know I only have love for you in my heart.” On a sneer, Radu melted into shadow again, a shadow that moved astronomically fast.
The shadow stretched across the room to reform on the other side, putting one of Radu’s vicious hands around Virginia Wells’ throat before a living soul moved to stop him. He pulled the crying woman away from the other vampire, keeping his eyes squarely on his main adversary but still somehow aware of the people in the room. He spat out, “Their guns will not destroy me, fledgling. You know this to be true.”
Michelle calmly spoke, a contrast to the tension in her face and body. “He’s right. Put away the guns. They won’t do any good. I’ve already tried to kill him that way.” Her eyes pleaded with the older vampire. “Radu, I’m begging you. Let her go and I’ll come with you.”
“You dare lie to me?” Radu asked. “Did you think I wouldn’t see through your attempts to save her? Don’t you understand it yet, little one? I will destroy everyone you love until you truly relent and take your place at my side.” Gravelly tones conveyed the depth of his threat.
Mal, cringing at the familiar nickname Radu had for Michelle and not wanting to be reminded of Radu’s earlier threats regarding River, tried to focus on what was actually happening. Still, he only managed to stand and witness what occurred next, the drama that unfolded as if the universe had moved into slow motion.
The sharp claws of Radu’s right hand dug into Ms. Wells’ neck with a sickening slurp, causing blood to erupt in spurts as she gurgled. He laughed a dry rasp, teeth all showing and head thrown back. Leveling his head again, he looked into Michelle’s stricken eyes. “One day you will learn to give me what I ask of you.”
Despite the fact that they had clearly been told their gunfire would serve no purpose, bullets from three guns hurtled to where Radu stood. The only trouble was, he was gone before the bullets reached him, vanished back into the same shadows in which he arrived. Mal let a stream of curses out that nobody even registered hearing.
Michelle emitted a strangled cry and partly morphed into shadow as well, as if she meant to give chase. Mal figured she would have done just that had she not been stopped by her name, choked out almost inaudibly by the fallen woman. Michelle solidified and turned back to see her lover on the floor and covered in an increasing mass of blood. Her pursuit summarily abandoned, she knelt beside Virginia on the opposite side of Simon while the doctor did everything he could in a vain attempt to staunch the wound.
Michelle grabbed her hand and begged, “Please, Ginny, let me do what we talked about? Don’t leave me. We can stay together forever if you just say yes.” Her voice broke on the last word and silent sobs jerked at her shoulders.
Virginia’s eyes, rapidly becoming more vague in their stare, welled up and she tried to shake her head but only managed a small movement that accelerated the blood flow. Without any sound at all, she mouthed only the word, “No.” before she shuddered and gurgled one last deep breath. She fell still and the sounds of women crying were the only sounds left when the labored breathing ceased.
Michelle finally let out a real sob, just one, and reached one unsteady hand forward to slide closed the dead eyes that stared blankly upward. “Oh, Ginny, why?” Her face hardened, chin drawing tight. “I’ll end him once and for all this time.”
Jayne coughed, interrupting the somber mood. “Shouldn’t we oughtta be gettin’ a move on ‘bout now? Ain’t no tellin’ how many of ‘em was right behind him.”
Kaylee wailed loudly at Jayne’s harsh words and Mal felt compelled to call him on it. “Jayne, that ain’t…”
Michelle stopped him with a raised hand, her eyes still on the corpse. “He’s only thinking of what’s best for your survival, Captain Reynolds. It’s understandable, given the circumstances.” She turned her head and faced the captain. “It’s not immediately necessary, however. He won’t return tonight.”
Mal caught himself just before he stupidly asked how the gorram hell she knew that for certain. “You sayin’ he’s taunting you with killing her? He’s what, seein’ if you’ll crack?”
“No. He’s playing his twisted, little game. He knows I won’t give in but gets a thrill out of…” Her fingers fluttered lightly over the body at her knees. “…tormenting me.”
“Great. This guy just gets more fun all the time, don’t he?” Mal thought about what she said. “So, he won’t be comin’ back tonight. That means we got twenty four hours to come up with a plan and get ready for him.” He looked around at his crew, attempting to formulate an idea and noticed something was off. First thing that caught his eye was the patently guilty look on Inara’s face. The second thing he noticed was that they weren’t all there. “Where’s River?”