(no subject)
*sniffles*
Heidi, you've been the best co-writer ever! I wub oo! *hugs*....*hugs some more*
“Wait!” Ville began, but he was knocked back by a pair of strong hands, just in time to see Trent grab hold of a terrified Bam and lift him by the collar.
Trent was standing and holding Bam in the air like a helpless doll. Bam struggled a little, but Trent’s grip on him was as strong as steel and a glare like that was enough to render the strongest of men powerless.
“But what do we have here?” Trent roared into Bam’s flinching face, “You’ve made a fledgling of him!”
“Let him go, Trent!” Ville shouted, getting to his feet.
Trent turned the glare upon Ville and hissed, “Or you’ll do what?”
Ville glared at Trent, unable to think of a single way to get him to release Bam. It was hopeless, Trent was more powerful than Ville and Bam combined. Ville had known that the moment he had tasted Trent’s blood properly. Trent was ancient.
“I could crush him like an insect, pathetic thing.” Trent went on, “A fledgling made from a fledgling! What on Earth were you thinking, Ville?”
“Leave him.” Ville pleaded, “Please.”
“You do love him, don’t you?” Trent spat in disgust.
“Lemme go!” Bam yelled, trying to kick out at Trent, like a little kid trying to hurt an enormous bully.
Trent regarded Bam like he was something unpleasant he had found stuck to the back of his shoe, “What do you see in him? Ugh, he’s so weak I think I’d rather kill him than let him go on. It’s actually quite sad to watch.”
“Trent, please!” Ville moaned and he stepped forward to take a hold of Trent’s powerful arm, “Please, don’t hurt him. Don’t hate him, hate me. I’m the one who chose to leave you, not him.”
“How touching,” Trent spat, “but I’m afraid I’m not feeling very merciful today.”
He drew Bam closer to himself and Ville panicked as he saw Trent’s fangs emerge from behind his pale lips, but instead of biting Bam, Trent simply threw Bam from himself. What looked like something that required no effort from Trent actually sent Bam flying across the room where his head collided with the wall with a crunch that made Ville cry out in horror and run towards Bam, but Trent got there first. Just as Bam tried to get up, Trent raised a fist and gave Bam a blow to the head that knocked him down again.
“No!” Ville cried, “No!”
Trent raised his fist again to rain down more blows upon Bam, but this time it was Ville who got there first, by literally throwing his body between Bam and Trent’s fist. He cried out when Trent’s fist came down and made contact with his back, and Trent roared in anger.
“Get away!” Trent shouted, so loud that Ville winced again.
Ville shook his head without turning to face Trent. Bam was still conscious, but there was a trickle of blood running down his forehead from where his head had struck the wall and he stared at Ville dazedly. Ville stroked Bam’s cheek with his thumb as he held him, shielding his bruised and bloody lover with his body. He wept silently as he placed a kiss on Bam’s cheek and waited for more pain to come.
But none came.
Ville turned to see Trent staring at him in horror. It had only just sunk in just how much Ville really did love Bam, much more than he had ever, or could ever love Trent, it seemed, but he couldn’t accept that Ville would never love him. No, that wasn’t possible, not with all the love Trent still felt for Ville. He grit his teeth and lowered his fist slowly. How could it be possible? They were meant to be together, why couldn’t Ville see that?
Ville remained silent as Trent took a step backwards, his horrific expression changing smoothly to an almost expressionless look. He seemed to be fighting something deep inside. He was holding back the emotions that were struggling to come out. Typical Trent, Ville thought to himself, always trying to prove that he’s invincible.
“You’re willing to suffer… for him?” Trent whispered.
Ville nodded.
“Why?” he asked incredulously, “I don’t understand! I could give you eternity and instead you choose, this, even after all we shared! You told me, you told me that you loved me!”
He turned away from Ville and continued, “And I know that you meant it. Over the centuries, many people have told me that they loved me, but very few meant it. I knew from the moment our eyes met that you loved me, and I was fascinated by you, I even grew to love you. I haven’t loved in decades, and finally, finally I find you…”
While Trent was speaking, Ville was helping Bam to his feet, still listening to Trent’s speech, and as Trent spoke, Ville slowly came to realise just why Trent had been so twisted, so angry. Slowly but surely a feeling of pity for Trent came over Ville, even as he held Bam steady. As well as the pity, Ville felt fear. Not fear for himself, but fear for Bam. There was little chance of them getting away from Trent now, well, little chance for him, anyway. Trent still loved him, and what Trent wants, Trent gets. He began to accept that he may never be free of Trent ever again, but what about Bam? It was only a matter of time before Trent got angry and destroyed him, and Ville would be powerless to stop him.
There’s no way to get out of this. I’m trapped, but I can’t let him hurt Bam, I can’t. I won’t let him. I’d rather die first, but even if I did die defending Bam, Trent would still have the power to destroy us both, easily, and even if we did both somehow miraculously escape, Trent would hunt us both down and kill us, or kill Bam and take me back here, or wherever he felt like. He can do whatever he wants to me and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. He’s insane, and in love, or at least he thinks he is. There’s no hope for me, but can I save Bam?
Ville’s heart sank as he saw the only option left before him. To let Trent kill Bam was out of the question, and there was only one way he could convince Trent to spare Bam. Oh, it was so horrible! Even as he turned to look into Bam’s eyes he knew that it would break his heart, but what’s a broken heart compared to the pain he would suffer if Bam was to die?
Ville whispered Trent’s name and he turned around to glare at them both.
“I’m so sorry for causing you so much pain. Maybe… maybe you’re right, in the things you say. I got scared, I wasn’t used to being in love with a… a vampire. We all do strange things when we’re scared.”
Trent’s expression softened.
“Wh-what?” Bam said, “What d’you mean, Vil’? I thought… We… You…”
Trent sneered, “He doesn’t love you.”
Bam’s mouth opened in horror, then he frowned, “No, that’s not true! Ville said he loved me! You’re just jealous! You do love me, don’t you Ville?” There was panic in his voice as he said this and he looked to Ville for reassurance, “You do love me, right?”
Of course I do, Bam, but how can I tell you that when I know that it will be the death of you?
Ville shut his eyes and his face became a mask of pain. Bam tried to free himself from Ville and leant his weight against the wall. When Ville opened his eyes, Bam wouldn’t let Ville touch him. Ville reached out to try and take Bam in his arms, but Bam shifted away with the same look on his face as the one he had worn the moment they had both realised what Ville had become.
“Can we please have a moment alone?” Ville said, not turning to face Trent, but instead looking at the hand that was stretched towards Bam, as though it were something alien to him.
“A moment.” Trent said coldly and he made a hand gesture as though waving off his stubbornness, “Fine, one moment, but no more than that. I can’t stand these pathetic human scenes anyway.”
He turned and left Ville and Bam alone in the dungeon. Bam was crying quietly, but he wouldn’t let Ville near him to comfort him.
“You still love him, don’t you!” Bam cried, “All this time, and I was just a stupid mistake, is that it?”
“Bam, no! I…” Ville paused, before looking Bam straight in the eye and gesturing to be quiet by putting his finger to his lips. With his other hand, he gestured towards the door, where he was sure Trent would be, using his preternatural hearing to listen to their entire conversation.
Bam’s mouth made a little “o” shape and he nodded to show that he understood. Ville beckoned Bam to come closer and this time Bam did let Ville take him into his arms, before placing his lips to Bam’s ear.
“Listen,” Ville whispered so quietly that even Bam had to struggle to hear it, “I know it’s difficult, but you must try to act upset. I have a plan which, if it works, will mean that you walk out of here alive.”
Bam clung to Ville and replied in that same quiet voice, “But what about you?”
“I’ll do whatever I have to, to make sure that Trent doesn’t kill you.”
“What do you mean? You’re not going to stay with him, are you?”
Ville placed his lips on Bam’s smooth, pale cheek and tasted tears.
“You are going to stay with him!” Bam whispered, “But you can’t! He’ll hurt you!”
“I don’t know what he’ll do, darling Bam, and I wish I didn’t have to, but this is the only way, don’t you see? Any other way he’ll kill you and then I’d have to stay with him anyway. This way, at least I’ll know that you’re alive. You’ll find others, Bam, you can even make others once you’re strong enough. What about Jenn? You could bring her over to the other side if you wanted.”
“I don’t love her like I love you, Ville! The thought of you with him, it makes me sick. Is there any other way?”
Ville was crying, too now. They clung to each other as though Trent was about to burst into the room and physically tear them apart.
“There’s no other way, love. It’s this or nothing, I’m afraid.” Ville replied.
“No! There’s no way I’m going to just sit back and watch while he… does things to the man I love! No way!”
“You have to” Ville urged, “because if you don’t, you’ll die, and it won’t make a bit of difference because Trent will have me anyway. Bam, please, you’ve got to understand - if you’re alive, I’ll have something to hold on to, no matter what. Maybe one day I’ll grow strong enough to fight him, but for now, this is the only way. Please do this for me. If you love me, do this. I’ll love you forever, Bam, and one day I’ll break free and I’ll come and find you, I swear. Just do this for me.”
Bam cried out loud and pressed himself to Ville, who pressed his lips to Bam’s with as much passion as he could muster. Then, using his tooth, he cut his tongue and slid it inside Bam’s mouth. Bam relaxed instantly as Ville’s thick blood rushed into his mouth and joined his own. He could feel Ville’s emotions as he did this, he could feel the apprehension, the sheer love Ville had for Bam, as well as his fears that Bam should die. Bam moaned and sucked at Ville’s mouth as Ville brushed the tears from Bam’s face. They stayed like that for several minutes, locked together in one last intimate embrace. Bam ran his fingers through Ville’s hair and let himself become lost in the flow of the blood.
Then it was over. Ville pulled himself away from Bam and whispered, “Now it’s time.”
“Ville, wait…” Bam said, “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go through with this, not without at least trying. We can’t just give up like this.”
“Then what can we do, Bam?” Ville asked exasperatedly, “He’s the most powerful being we’ll probably ever know!”
“Then we’ll have to trick him, won’t we? We’ll have to figure out his weakness. Yeah, we need to know his weakness…”
“He’s a vampire! He doesn’t have a weakness!”
“He does! He must have! We’ve just got to think!”
“Bam, listen to me. It’s hopeless. Don’t make it any harder than it already is.”
Bam smiled and opened his mouth to whisper at Ville’s ear once more. As Ville listened, his eyes widened and he gripped Bam’s arms tightly.
Ville opened the door at the top of the steps to see Trent standing there, just as he’d suspected. The room beyond the doorway was a stark contrast to the dirt and gloom of the dungeon. It appeared to be a small hallway, with another set of stairs leading upwards to the left, and a door to the right. The carpet, although old and mouldy, appeared to blaze with red to Ville’s vampire eyes and the candelabra on the wall was almost blinding. Ville felt a slight fear of the candles, but there was no time to think about that too much.
Finally he saw Trent in the light, instead of having to squint in the dark, and he was reminded of just what had attracted him to Trent in the first place. Trent was wearing tight clothes that really showed off his “toned but not too muscular figure” as Ville had used to call it. His eyes glinted as usual, but now Ville could see the powerful blood pumping through his veins. His hair was so black it appeared almost blue in the flickering glow of the candelabra.
“So?” Trent asked casually.
“He’s leaving.” Ville replied.
Trent smiled and pointed towards the doorway, “This way is the fastest way out. I don’t want you agonising over him too much. He’ll get over it.”
Ville forced himself to remain neutral as he stepped into the bright light of the hallway. His eyes kept running over Trent’s strong arms, down to his hands that were capable of the strongest grip imaginable. Then Ville found himself staring at Trent’s fangs as he smirked.
Bam emerged from the dungeon silently, head down. “Goodbye, Ville.” He said quietly.
Ville couldn’t bring himself to look at Bam without bursting into tears. “Goodbye, Bam.” he replied.
“You’ll find someone else.” Trent said coldly.
Bam didn’t reply. Instead, he swung the door open and stepped out into the cold night.
“Well,” Trent said, taking a step closer to Ville, who fought the urge to recoil, “that’s that sorted. I am sorry about everything that’s happened, but you know as well as I do that we’re meant to be.”
“I know.” Ville replied, and he let Trent take him into his arms, where Ville rested his head on Trent’s chest, “It’s been… strange.”
“Come on,” Trent said softly, “I’ll show you the parts of this old place I’ve converted, to take your mind off things. The bedroom is my personal favourite.”
Ville forced a smile and said, “I’d like to see that, very much.”
Trent laughed and said, “Then I’ll show you where we sleep.”
Ugh, I can’t believe I used to think he was charming.
“Come,” Trent repeated softly, wrapping one arm around Ville’s shoulder and turning so that they both faced the stairway, “It’s not easy, dying and being reborn in the same night. You do make the most gorgeous vampire, though, almost as though you were made to be one of us.”
One of us. I made Bam one of us. Should I have done that at all? None of this should have happened. I wonder if Bam will hate me for what I’ve made him… He was never meant to be one of us.
The old stairs creaked as Trent led Ville into the hallway. Ville let Trent take his full weight, he was so tired and suddenly, even more afraid, so afraid that he began to feel physically sick.
“The grand hallway.” Trent announced with a sneer and a sweeping gesture to emphasise the size of the hallway, “The door to your left leads to the still unconverted parts, and to your right lies the dining room and kitchens, not that we have any need for them, but you never know when you might have unexpected guests. And, across there is the grand staircase that leads to the er… master bedroom.”
“It’s beautiful.” Ville whispered, and he wasn’t lying.
The hallway was massive, with large, carved oak doors on either side. The most impressive feature was the large, sweeping staircase that stood before them with its patterned carpet, ornate banisters and the pair of old stained-glass windows on either side of it. There was a flash of thunder outside and Ville was instantly reminded of Bam, out in the cold. He hated Trent for that most of all, but he still couldn’t bring himself to actually loathe Trent. There was still something mysterious about him, something fascinating in his unpredictability. Ville knew there was a story behind Trent’s bitterness and mood swings, but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know the story.
“You haven’t seen the bedroom yet, I decorated it myself. I think you’ll like it.” Trent whispered into Ville’s hair, before kissing Ville’s forehead and leading him up the main staircase.
As they reached the landing, they turned left. Trent explained that the other three doors led either back downstairs to the crypt beneath the castle, or to parts of the castle that were still in ruins. Ville wondered how long Trent had spent in this place before coming to Helsinki. Why had he come to Finland, anyway? Had it just been to find Ville, or had he had other business there? It didn’t matter now. As soon as the bedroom door opened Ville gasped.
“We’ll have a massive bedroom, the two of us.” Ville said with a twinkle in his eyes, whilst gesturing with a cigarette. Trent watched the little smoke rings Ville made with fascination as Ville continued, “And it’ll have a giant four-poster bed, with long, deep red hangings. Hmm, and it will have a balcony with an amazing view. There’ll be candles, lots of candles, all over our big, gothic castle.”
Trent smiled and said, “And there will be a full-length mirror, for you to get ready at before your concerts. Oh, and a chandelier.”
“A chandelier…” Ville repeated, as though it was the best two words he had ever heard, “and what colour will the walls be?”
“Whatever colour you want, darling. We can paint them a different colour whenever we like.”
“Let’s have them red, to go with the bed.”
“Of course.”
“And we can stand out on the balcony to watch the stars together. There’ll be soft, thin curtains at the balcony that float in the breeze…”
“Yes, that sounds perfect.” Trent replied and then he kissed Ville on the cheek, “So when do we move in?”
The walls were red. There was a large, four-poster bed in the middle of the room with blood-red hangings. There was a gold-framed, full-length mirror, a balcony with curtains that floated gently in the breeze. There was a chandelier, and candles on a little dressing table with another mirror.
“You… you made our room.” Ville whispered, “Everything… It’s…”
“Perfect?”
“Perfect.”
“Go out to the balcony.”
“Mind if I have a smoke?”
Trent laughed, “Smoking’s a human habit! Well, if you must, go on. I’ll wait here.”
Ville nodded and was released from Trent’s arms. He made sure to remember to turn and smile at Trent before pushing back the curtains and stepping out into the chilly night. The thunderstorm had died down and the air had a fresh feel as though it had just rained. The clear sky was littered with stars as Ville took a deep breath of fresh air and reached into his jacket pocket. He was almost surprised to find that his cigarettes were still there, and his lighter was in the other. Placing a cigarette in his mouth, he clicked the lighter, gasped and dropped it.
Heat. Light. Fire! Damn, I’ve got to get used to this…
Picking up the lighter, he tried again. This time he could stand to be near enough to the fire just long enough to light up the cigarette. He took a short drag and chocked. The smoke didn’t taste right at all. In fact, all he could taste were the ashes and the actual heat itself, but he took another drag anyway, and blew the smoke out into the night. Then he stepped closer to the edge of the balcony and leant out. The view was too dark to see. Ville supposed he would never see it, anyway. He took another drag and once again blew the smoke out into the darkness, before reaching out and flicking the end of his cigarette to make the ash fall.
Bam hugged his arms and exhaled through chattering teeth. Where the Hell was he, anyway? What ruined castle was this? Trust Trent to have a castle. A house? No! A house is for mere mortals, no not even a mansion! Trent had to have a proper bitch of a Medieval castle! He scowled and looked up at the rocky face of the castle. How long had he been standing out here? Half an hour? Who knows? He shivered and tried not to think of what was going on inside that castle right now.
Then he saw it, high up, directly above him, a tiny bit of movement in the darkness that no human could ever have seen. There it was again! Smoke! It was coming from the highest balcony. Then he saw something coming towards his face, fast, too late to avoid. He coughed and spluttered as cigarette ash fell on his face.
Thanks, Ville. The smoke was enough, you know. Right, how the fuck am I going to get up there?
“Not staying outside for a smoke?” Trent said with a sneer as Ville returned to the warmth of the bedroom.
Ville shook his head, “But you knew that, anyway. Vampires don’t smoke.”
Trent sat back a bit on the bed and gazed at Ville thoughtfully. Ville remembered when he used to love moments like this. He’d think what do vampires think about? What does this vampire think about when he looks at me? Now Ville could see the hunger in Trent’s eyes, a hunger that made him want to recoil. Instead, Ville went against his own instincts and crossed the room over to the bed, where Trent put his arms around Ville’s waist and smiled up at him.
“You look beautiful.” Trent said, “I didn’t tell you that enough, but you do, especially now.”
Ville smiled and leant forward to growl, “And you know you’re gorgeous, Trent. You don’t need to have me tell you.”
“I can’t help being a gorgeous fiend.” Trent said, quoting Lestat, “It’s just the card I drew.”
Hurry up, Bam.
Don’t look down, don’t look down…. Oh shit! Didn’t I just tell you not to look down, Bam? Just dig your nails in and pray to God you don’t fall… Not that it’ll kill you anyway, I s’pose. Oh, shit! Hell, I don’t care if it won’t kill me, I am not going to fall! There it is, look, there’s the balcony, nearly there… Now pull yourself up…
Bam swung his legs over the edge of the balcony and moved silently to a better viewing point. He peered through a gap in the curtains and suddenly wished he hadn’t.
They were in bed already! Ville was on top of Trent, but they weren’t doing anything… No, wait, Ville was bent over, he was kissing Trent’s neck. Ugh, Trent was taking Ville’s shirt off. Get your hands off my man, bitch! Ville’s pale back seemed almost to glow in the moonlight as Trent sat up to let Ville have easier access to his neck. Ville, if you don’t do it soon, I swear I’m gonna run in there and screw this up! There we go!
Ville bit down into Trent’s neck and felt Trent’s body tense beneath him. He made sure to keep stroking Trent’s hair, praying that Trent would let him do this. He moaned involuntarily as that wonderful thick, hot substance oozed from the gash in Trent’s neck and into his mouth. Wonderful, powerful blood! Trent’s body relaxed and soon they began to rock back and forth, Ville cradling Trent’s head in one hand, whilst gripping his shoulder in the other, and Trent was clinging to Ville’s back, digging his nails in. Trent was moaning more than Ville had ever heard him moan before and he suddenly realised just what Trent had meant when he said, “Sharing blood is like making love.” It was. Ville could feel an erection coming on even as he realised this.
Then, suddenly, there was a noise directly behind Ville, a crashing noise. There was an intruder in the room! Trent tried to pull away, but Ville held on tight to Trent’s hair in one hand and dug his nails into Trent’s shoulder with the other. Trent struggled, but Ville held on tight. He knew it wouldn’t last long. Trent tried to yell, but Ville was pulling from him hard now. He was just about to throw Ville from himself when he felt the weight of the bed shift and pain erupted on the other side of his neck. The fledgling! How could he not have seen it! It was on him, attacking him! Trent roared and lashed out, managing to deal a potentially fatal blow to Ville’s head. Ville was knocked backwards, but Bam clung on.
Through the haze of pain and blood, Ville looked up to watch Bam clinging to Trent for dear life, sucking hard from Trent’s neck. Trent couldn’t reach him, no matter how much he roared or snarled or tried to hit Bam. Even when he did make contact, Bam clung on, though Ville did hear him whimper once or twice when Trent managed to deal him a particularly painful blow. Ville got up and leapt onto the bed to join the twisting, snarling mass that was Trent and Bam. Taking Trent’s hair in one hand again, he managed to sink his teeth into Trent’s throat this time and immediately began to pull on that rich fount of blood.
Ville could feel Trent’s thoughts now, and he knew that death was approaching swiftly. How much blood could one being have, anyway? There was a mass of jumbled images, the face of Trent’s maker, then images from Trent’s mortal life, there was a tall, black-haired man who looked very like Trent himself, he was beating a young boy who was crying out and begging him to stop. Stop, please, you’re hurting me! Then there was that young boy again, but he was older, a teenager now, and there were a group of other teenagers around them, Ville could only make out their sneering faces, but then they were hitting the black-haired boy, calling him a freak, a boy-lover. Please, I’m sorry. I was born this way! Ville could feel that powerful heart now, and it was weakening.
Suddenly, he pulled back. Bam was still pulling at Trent’s blood, but he mustn’t! Vile reached over and had to actually wrestle with Bam for a moment to pull him off Trent. Bam stopped struggling to stare at Ville.
Trent’s blood dribbled down Bam’s chin as he said, “What? Why did you stop?”
“Look.” Ville said simply.
Trent had gone limp in their arms, but he wasn’t dead. His breath came out in sharp rasps and his skin looked more like marble than ever. The sparkle was gone from his eyes and the skin around his throat was tortured and broken. With trembling fingers he reached out for Ville.
“Ville…” he rasped, “What have you done? Why did you… you… I thought you loved me.”
Ville shook his head and felt a lump in his throat as he looked down at the pitiful creature Trent had become. It had happened so fast, too fast. Trent had been powerful and now he was this mess… That black-haired boy in the visions had been Trent.
“They beat you.” Ville whispered, crimson tears blocking his vision for a moment before he blinked them away, “They beat you because you were gay.”
Trent stared at Ville in amazement, before nodding mournfully.
“You never got a chance to learn how to love properly. You took me and didn’t know what to do with me. You never had a chance… But that’s no excuse for what you did. You hurt me over and over, then when I tried to leave you hurt me again. You tried to have me kill Bam, which was nothing short of torture.”
The light in Trent’s eyes was fading now, flickering like a candle about to be snuffed out forever.
“I loved you, yes, but you never loved me. You thought you did, but you don’t hurt the ones you love, no matter what, and if you do without realising, you try to make things right for them, not better for yourself. I’m sorry, Trent.”
“Ville,” he rasped, “Please, don’t do this.”
“Ville - ” Bam whispered
Ville sobbed quietly and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Ville.” Bam repeated urgently.
“What?”
“We can’t kill him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, he’s too powerful. Didn’t you feel it? If he dies, he’ll take us with him!”
“I’d thought about that.”
Ville stood and motioned for Bam to stand beside him. Trent tried to move, but instead lay pitifully, his eyes locked on Ville’s. Ville picked up his jacket and removed the lighter from the inside pocket.
“This is it.” He said, “Goodbye, Trent.”
Ville stared up at the blazing inferno that had been the castle of his dreams. Had he made the right decision? It had been so hurried, everything had burned so fast. He hadn’t expected it to burn up so quickly, and the noises… the noises Trent had made. He’d never be able to forget those.
Did I do the right thing? Could I have learned to love him again? He went to the trouble of making the room exactly as I’d wanted it…
He felt Bam’s arms wrap round him from behind and leaned into them gratefully. He turned to look into Bam’s mesmerising blue eyes, like two blazing sapphires and then he knew, he knew he’d made the right decision.
“D’you think he’s really dead?” Bam said quietly.
Ville nodded, “No one could survive that. You saw him, right?”
“Yeah…” Bam said quietly, but he didn’t seem convinced, “I saw him, but… You’ve read the books, Ville. You know that it’s possible…”
“Don’t believe everything you read in books, Bam.” Ville said, “After all, Mrs. Rice may be a wonderful writer, but there’s one glaring mistake at least.”
“And what’s that?”
“Vampires do have a sex-drive.”
“Oh. Hehe.”
Bam blushed and slipped his hand into Ville’s.
“So, what do we do now?” Bam asked.
“Well, I suppose we find a place to stay for the morning and after that, who knows? What do you feel like doing?”
Bam grinned and said, “How about we prove that Anne Rice mistake theory of yours, Mr. Valo?”
“We’ve got plenty of time for that. Centuries, in fact.”
“Centuries, eh? I guess this vampire thing’s not so bad after all.”
“I guess not.”
As they walked away from the smouldering ruins of the castle, Ville couldn’t help but take one last glance back to where they’d last seen Trent, screaming as the flames had engulfed him.
No one could have survived that…right?
Heidi, you've been the best co-writer ever! I wub oo! *hugs*....*hugs some more*
“Wait!” Ville began, but he was knocked back by a pair of strong hands, just in time to see Trent grab hold of a terrified Bam and lift him by the collar.
Trent was standing and holding Bam in the air like a helpless doll. Bam struggled a little, but Trent’s grip on him was as strong as steel and a glare like that was enough to render the strongest of men powerless.
“But what do we have here?” Trent roared into Bam’s flinching face, “You’ve made a fledgling of him!”
“Let him go, Trent!” Ville shouted, getting to his feet.
Trent turned the glare upon Ville and hissed, “Or you’ll do what?”
Ville glared at Trent, unable to think of a single way to get him to release Bam. It was hopeless, Trent was more powerful than Ville and Bam combined. Ville had known that the moment he had tasted Trent’s blood properly. Trent was ancient.
“I could crush him like an insect, pathetic thing.” Trent went on, “A fledgling made from a fledgling! What on Earth were you thinking, Ville?”
“Leave him.” Ville pleaded, “Please.”
“You do love him, don’t you?” Trent spat in disgust.
“Lemme go!” Bam yelled, trying to kick out at Trent, like a little kid trying to hurt an enormous bully.
Trent regarded Bam like he was something unpleasant he had found stuck to the back of his shoe, “What do you see in him? Ugh, he’s so weak I think I’d rather kill him than let him go on. It’s actually quite sad to watch.”
“Trent, please!” Ville moaned and he stepped forward to take a hold of Trent’s powerful arm, “Please, don’t hurt him. Don’t hate him, hate me. I’m the one who chose to leave you, not him.”
“How touching,” Trent spat, “but I’m afraid I’m not feeling very merciful today.”
He drew Bam closer to himself and Ville panicked as he saw Trent’s fangs emerge from behind his pale lips, but instead of biting Bam, Trent simply threw Bam from himself. What looked like something that required no effort from Trent actually sent Bam flying across the room where his head collided with the wall with a crunch that made Ville cry out in horror and run towards Bam, but Trent got there first. Just as Bam tried to get up, Trent raised a fist and gave Bam a blow to the head that knocked him down again.
“No!” Ville cried, “No!”
Trent raised his fist again to rain down more blows upon Bam, but this time it was Ville who got there first, by literally throwing his body between Bam and Trent’s fist. He cried out when Trent’s fist came down and made contact with his back, and Trent roared in anger.
“Get away!” Trent shouted, so loud that Ville winced again.
Ville shook his head without turning to face Trent. Bam was still conscious, but there was a trickle of blood running down his forehead from where his head had struck the wall and he stared at Ville dazedly. Ville stroked Bam’s cheek with his thumb as he held him, shielding his bruised and bloody lover with his body. He wept silently as he placed a kiss on Bam’s cheek and waited for more pain to come.
But none came.
Ville turned to see Trent staring at him in horror. It had only just sunk in just how much Ville really did love Bam, much more than he had ever, or could ever love Trent, it seemed, but he couldn’t accept that Ville would never love him. No, that wasn’t possible, not with all the love Trent still felt for Ville. He grit his teeth and lowered his fist slowly. How could it be possible? They were meant to be together, why couldn’t Ville see that?
Ville remained silent as Trent took a step backwards, his horrific expression changing smoothly to an almost expressionless look. He seemed to be fighting something deep inside. He was holding back the emotions that were struggling to come out. Typical Trent, Ville thought to himself, always trying to prove that he’s invincible.
“You’re willing to suffer… for him?” Trent whispered.
Ville nodded.
“Why?” he asked incredulously, “I don’t understand! I could give you eternity and instead you choose, this, even after all we shared! You told me, you told me that you loved me!”
He turned away from Ville and continued, “And I know that you meant it. Over the centuries, many people have told me that they loved me, but very few meant it. I knew from the moment our eyes met that you loved me, and I was fascinated by you, I even grew to love you. I haven’t loved in decades, and finally, finally I find you…”
While Trent was speaking, Ville was helping Bam to his feet, still listening to Trent’s speech, and as Trent spoke, Ville slowly came to realise just why Trent had been so twisted, so angry. Slowly but surely a feeling of pity for Trent came over Ville, even as he held Bam steady. As well as the pity, Ville felt fear. Not fear for himself, but fear for Bam. There was little chance of them getting away from Trent now, well, little chance for him, anyway. Trent still loved him, and what Trent wants, Trent gets. He began to accept that he may never be free of Trent ever again, but what about Bam? It was only a matter of time before Trent got angry and destroyed him, and Ville would be powerless to stop him.
There’s no way to get out of this. I’m trapped, but I can’t let him hurt Bam, I can’t. I won’t let him. I’d rather die first, but even if I did die defending Bam, Trent would still have the power to destroy us both, easily, and even if we did both somehow miraculously escape, Trent would hunt us both down and kill us, or kill Bam and take me back here, or wherever he felt like. He can do whatever he wants to me and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. He’s insane, and in love, or at least he thinks he is. There’s no hope for me, but can I save Bam?
Ville’s heart sank as he saw the only option left before him. To let Trent kill Bam was out of the question, and there was only one way he could convince Trent to spare Bam. Oh, it was so horrible! Even as he turned to look into Bam’s eyes he knew that it would break his heart, but what’s a broken heart compared to the pain he would suffer if Bam was to die?
Ville whispered Trent’s name and he turned around to glare at them both.
“I’m so sorry for causing you so much pain. Maybe… maybe you’re right, in the things you say. I got scared, I wasn’t used to being in love with a… a vampire. We all do strange things when we’re scared.”
Trent’s expression softened.
“Wh-what?” Bam said, “What d’you mean, Vil’? I thought… We… You…”
Trent sneered, “He doesn’t love you.”
Bam’s mouth opened in horror, then he frowned, “No, that’s not true! Ville said he loved me! You’re just jealous! You do love me, don’t you Ville?” There was panic in his voice as he said this and he looked to Ville for reassurance, “You do love me, right?”
Of course I do, Bam, but how can I tell you that when I know that it will be the death of you?
Ville shut his eyes and his face became a mask of pain. Bam tried to free himself from Ville and leant his weight against the wall. When Ville opened his eyes, Bam wouldn’t let Ville touch him. Ville reached out to try and take Bam in his arms, but Bam shifted away with the same look on his face as the one he had worn the moment they had both realised what Ville had become.
“Can we please have a moment alone?” Ville said, not turning to face Trent, but instead looking at the hand that was stretched towards Bam, as though it were something alien to him.
“A moment.” Trent said coldly and he made a hand gesture as though waving off his stubbornness, “Fine, one moment, but no more than that. I can’t stand these pathetic human scenes anyway.”
He turned and left Ville and Bam alone in the dungeon. Bam was crying quietly, but he wouldn’t let Ville near him to comfort him.
“You still love him, don’t you!” Bam cried, “All this time, and I was just a stupid mistake, is that it?”
“Bam, no! I…” Ville paused, before looking Bam straight in the eye and gesturing to be quiet by putting his finger to his lips. With his other hand, he gestured towards the door, where he was sure Trent would be, using his preternatural hearing to listen to their entire conversation.
Bam’s mouth made a little “o” shape and he nodded to show that he understood. Ville beckoned Bam to come closer and this time Bam did let Ville take him into his arms, before placing his lips to Bam’s ear.
“Listen,” Ville whispered so quietly that even Bam had to struggle to hear it, “I know it’s difficult, but you must try to act upset. I have a plan which, if it works, will mean that you walk out of here alive.”
Bam clung to Ville and replied in that same quiet voice, “But what about you?”
“I’ll do whatever I have to, to make sure that Trent doesn’t kill you.”
“What do you mean? You’re not going to stay with him, are you?”
Ville placed his lips on Bam’s smooth, pale cheek and tasted tears.
“You are going to stay with him!” Bam whispered, “But you can’t! He’ll hurt you!”
“I don’t know what he’ll do, darling Bam, and I wish I didn’t have to, but this is the only way, don’t you see? Any other way he’ll kill you and then I’d have to stay with him anyway. This way, at least I’ll know that you’re alive. You’ll find others, Bam, you can even make others once you’re strong enough. What about Jenn? You could bring her over to the other side if you wanted.”
“I don’t love her like I love you, Ville! The thought of you with him, it makes me sick. Is there any other way?”
Ville was crying, too now. They clung to each other as though Trent was about to burst into the room and physically tear them apart.
“There’s no other way, love. It’s this or nothing, I’m afraid.” Ville replied.
“No! There’s no way I’m going to just sit back and watch while he… does things to the man I love! No way!”
“You have to” Ville urged, “because if you don’t, you’ll die, and it won’t make a bit of difference because Trent will have me anyway. Bam, please, you’ve got to understand - if you’re alive, I’ll have something to hold on to, no matter what. Maybe one day I’ll grow strong enough to fight him, but for now, this is the only way. Please do this for me. If you love me, do this. I’ll love you forever, Bam, and one day I’ll break free and I’ll come and find you, I swear. Just do this for me.”
Bam cried out loud and pressed himself to Ville, who pressed his lips to Bam’s with as much passion as he could muster. Then, using his tooth, he cut his tongue and slid it inside Bam’s mouth. Bam relaxed instantly as Ville’s thick blood rushed into his mouth and joined his own. He could feel Ville’s emotions as he did this, he could feel the apprehension, the sheer love Ville had for Bam, as well as his fears that Bam should die. Bam moaned and sucked at Ville’s mouth as Ville brushed the tears from Bam’s face. They stayed like that for several minutes, locked together in one last intimate embrace. Bam ran his fingers through Ville’s hair and let himself become lost in the flow of the blood.
Then it was over. Ville pulled himself away from Bam and whispered, “Now it’s time.”
“Ville, wait…” Bam said, “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go through with this, not without at least trying. We can’t just give up like this.”
“Then what can we do, Bam?” Ville asked exasperatedly, “He’s the most powerful being we’ll probably ever know!”
“Then we’ll have to trick him, won’t we? We’ll have to figure out his weakness. Yeah, we need to know his weakness…”
“He’s a vampire! He doesn’t have a weakness!”
“He does! He must have! We’ve just got to think!”
“Bam, listen to me. It’s hopeless. Don’t make it any harder than it already is.”
Bam smiled and opened his mouth to whisper at Ville’s ear once more. As Ville listened, his eyes widened and he gripped Bam’s arms tightly.
Ville opened the door at the top of the steps to see Trent standing there, just as he’d suspected. The room beyond the doorway was a stark contrast to the dirt and gloom of the dungeon. It appeared to be a small hallway, with another set of stairs leading upwards to the left, and a door to the right. The carpet, although old and mouldy, appeared to blaze with red to Ville’s vampire eyes and the candelabra on the wall was almost blinding. Ville felt a slight fear of the candles, but there was no time to think about that too much.
Finally he saw Trent in the light, instead of having to squint in the dark, and he was reminded of just what had attracted him to Trent in the first place. Trent was wearing tight clothes that really showed off his “toned but not too muscular figure” as Ville had used to call it. His eyes glinted as usual, but now Ville could see the powerful blood pumping through his veins. His hair was so black it appeared almost blue in the flickering glow of the candelabra.
“So?” Trent asked casually.
“He’s leaving.” Ville replied.
Trent smiled and pointed towards the doorway, “This way is the fastest way out. I don’t want you agonising over him too much. He’ll get over it.”
Ville forced himself to remain neutral as he stepped into the bright light of the hallway. His eyes kept running over Trent’s strong arms, down to his hands that were capable of the strongest grip imaginable. Then Ville found himself staring at Trent’s fangs as he smirked.
Bam emerged from the dungeon silently, head down. “Goodbye, Ville.” He said quietly.
Ville couldn’t bring himself to look at Bam without bursting into tears. “Goodbye, Bam.” he replied.
“You’ll find someone else.” Trent said coldly.
Bam didn’t reply. Instead, he swung the door open and stepped out into the cold night.
“Well,” Trent said, taking a step closer to Ville, who fought the urge to recoil, “that’s that sorted. I am sorry about everything that’s happened, but you know as well as I do that we’re meant to be.”
“I know.” Ville replied, and he let Trent take him into his arms, where Ville rested his head on Trent’s chest, “It’s been… strange.”
“Come on,” Trent said softly, “I’ll show you the parts of this old place I’ve converted, to take your mind off things. The bedroom is my personal favourite.”
Ville forced a smile and said, “I’d like to see that, very much.”
Trent laughed and said, “Then I’ll show you where we sleep.”
Ugh, I can’t believe I used to think he was charming.
“Come,” Trent repeated softly, wrapping one arm around Ville’s shoulder and turning so that they both faced the stairway, “It’s not easy, dying and being reborn in the same night. You do make the most gorgeous vampire, though, almost as though you were made to be one of us.”
One of us. I made Bam one of us. Should I have done that at all? None of this should have happened. I wonder if Bam will hate me for what I’ve made him… He was never meant to be one of us.
The old stairs creaked as Trent led Ville into the hallway. Ville let Trent take his full weight, he was so tired and suddenly, even more afraid, so afraid that he began to feel physically sick.
“The grand hallway.” Trent announced with a sneer and a sweeping gesture to emphasise the size of the hallway, “The door to your left leads to the still unconverted parts, and to your right lies the dining room and kitchens, not that we have any need for them, but you never know when you might have unexpected guests. And, across there is the grand staircase that leads to the er… master bedroom.”
“It’s beautiful.” Ville whispered, and he wasn’t lying.
The hallway was massive, with large, carved oak doors on either side. The most impressive feature was the large, sweeping staircase that stood before them with its patterned carpet, ornate banisters and the pair of old stained-glass windows on either side of it. There was a flash of thunder outside and Ville was instantly reminded of Bam, out in the cold. He hated Trent for that most of all, but he still couldn’t bring himself to actually loathe Trent. There was still something mysterious about him, something fascinating in his unpredictability. Ville knew there was a story behind Trent’s bitterness and mood swings, but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know the story.
“You haven’t seen the bedroom yet, I decorated it myself. I think you’ll like it.” Trent whispered into Ville’s hair, before kissing Ville’s forehead and leading him up the main staircase.
As they reached the landing, they turned left. Trent explained that the other three doors led either back downstairs to the crypt beneath the castle, or to parts of the castle that were still in ruins. Ville wondered how long Trent had spent in this place before coming to Helsinki. Why had he come to Finland, anyway? Had it just been to find Ville, or had he had other business there? It didn’t matter now. As soon as the bedroom door opened Ville gasped.
“We’ll have a massive bedroom, the two of us.” Ville said with a twinkle in his eyes, whilst gesturing with a cigarette. Trent watched the little smoke rings Ville made with fascination as Ville continued, “And it’ll have a giant four-poster bed, with long, deep red hangings. Hmm, and it will have a balcony with an amazing view. There’ll be candles, lots of candles, all over our big, gothic castle.”
Trent smiled and said, “And there will be a full-length mirror, for you to get ready at before your concerts. Oh, and a chandelier.”
“A chandelier…” Ville repeated, as though it was the best two words he had ever heard, “and what colour will the walls be?”
“Whatever colour you want, darling. We can paint them a different colour whenever we like.”
“Let’s have them red, to go with the bed.”
“Of course.”
“And we can stand out on the balcony to watch the stars together. There’ll be soft, thin curtains at the balcony that float in the breeze…”
“Yes, that sounds perfect.” Trent replied and then he kissed Ville on the cheek, “So when do we move in?”
The walls were red. There was a large, four-poster bed in the middle of the room with blood-red hangings. There was a gold-framed, full-length mirror, a balcony with curtains that floated gently in the breeze. There was a chandelier, and candles on a little dressing table with another mirror.
“You… you made our room.” Ville whispered, “Everything… It’s…”
“Perfect?”
“Perfect.”
“Go out to the balcony.”
“Mind if I have a smoke?”
Trent laughed, “Smoking’s a human habit! Well, if you must, go on. I’ll wait here.”
Ville nodded and was released from Trent’s arms. He made sure to remember to turn and smile at Trent before pushing back the curtains and stepping out into the chilly night. The thunderstorm had died down and the air had a fresh feel as though it had just rained. The clear sky was littered with stars as Ville took a deep breath of fresh air and reached into his jacket pocket. He was almost surprised to find that his cigarettes were still there, and his lighter was in the other. Placing a cigarette in his mouth, he clicked the lighter, gasped and dropped it.
Heat. Light. Fire! Damn, I’ve got to get used to this…
Picking up the lighter, he tried again. This time he could stand to be near enough to the fire just long enough to light up the cigarette. He took a short drag and chocked. The smoke didn’t taste right at all. In fact, all he could taste were the ashes and the actual heat itself, but he took another drag anyway, and blew the smoke out into the night. Then he stepped closer to the edge of the balcony and leant out. The view was too dark to see. Ville supposed he would never see it, anyway. He took another drag and once again blew the smoke out into the darkness, before reaching out and flicking the end of his cigarette to make the ash fall.
Bam hugged his arms and exhaled through chattering teeth. Where the Hell was he, anyway? What ruined castle was this? Trust Trent to have a castle. A house? No! A house is for mere mortals, no not even a mansion! Trent had to have a proper bitch of a Medieval castle! He scowled and looked up at the rocky face of the castle. How long had he been standing out here? Half an hour? Who knows? He shivered and tried not to think of what was going on inside that castle right now.
Then he saw it, high up, directly above him, a tiny bit of movement in the darkness that no human could ever have seen. There it was again! Smoke! It was coming from the highest balcony. Then he saw something coming towards his face, fast, too late to avoid. He coughed and spluttered as cigarette ash fell on his face.
Thanks, Ville. The smoke was enough, you know. Right, how the fuck am I going to get up there?
“Not staying outside for a smoke?” Trent said with a sneer as Ville returned to the warmth of the bedroom.
Ville shook his head, “But you knew that, anyway. Vampires don’t smoke.”
Trent sat back a bit on the bed and gazed at Ville thoughtfully. Ville remembered when he used to love moments like this. He’d think what do vampires think about? What does this vampire think about when he looks at me? Now Ville could see the hunger in Trent’s eyes, a hunger that made him want to recoil. Instead, Ville went against his own instincts and crossed the room over to the bed, where Trent put his arms around Ville’s waist and smiled up at him.
“You look beautiful.” Trent said, “I didn’t tell you that enough, but you do, especially now.”
Ville smiled and leant forward to growl, “And you know you’re gorgeous, Trent. You don’t need to have me tell you.”
“I can’t help being a gorgeous fiend.” Trent said, quoting Lestat, “It’s just the card I drew.”
Hurry up, Bam.
Don’t look down, don’t look down…. Oh shit! Didn’t I just tell you not to look down, Bam? Just dig your nails in and pray to God you don’t fall… Not that it’ll kill you anyway, I s’pose. Oh, shit! Hell, I don’t care if it won’t kill me, I am not going to fall! There it is, look, there’s the balcony, nearly there… Now pull yourself up…
Bam swung his legs over the edge of the balcony and moved silently to a better viewing point. He peered through a gap in the curtains and suddenly wished he hadn’t.
They were in bed already! Ville was on top of Trent, but they weren’t doing anything… No, wait, Ville was bent over, he was kissing Trent’s neck. Ugh, Trent was taking Ville’s shirt off. Get your hands off my man, bitch! Ville’s pale back seemed almost to glow in the moonlight as Trent sat up to let Ville have easier access to his neck. Ville, if you don’t do it soon, I swear I’m gonna run in there and screw this up! There we go!
Ville bit down into Trent’s neck and felt Trent’s body tense beneath him. He made sure to keep stroking Trent’s hair, praying that Trent would let him do this. He moaned involuntarily as that wonderful thick, hot substance oozed from the gash in Trent’s neck and into his mouth. Wonderful, powerful blood! Trent’s body relaxed and soon they began to rock back and forth, Ville cradling Trent’s head in one hand, whilst gripping his shoulder in the other, and Trent was clinging to Ville’s back, digging his nails in. Trent was moaning more than Ville had ever heard him moan before and he suddenly realised just what Trent had meant when he said, “Sharing blood is like making love.” It was. Ville could feel an erection coming on even as he realised this.
Then, suddenly, there was a noise directly behind Ville, a crashing noise. There was an intruder in the room! Trent tried to pull away, but Ville held on tight to Trent’s hair in one hand and dug his nails into Trent’s shoulder with the other. Trent struggled, but Ville held on tight. He knew it wouldn’t last long. Trent tried to yell, but Ville was pulling from him hard now. He was just about to throw Ville from himself when he felt the weight of the bed shift and pain erupted on the other side of his neck. The fledgling! How could he not have seen it! It was on him, attacking him! Trent roared and lashed out, managing to deal a potentially fatal blow to Ville’s head. Ville was knocked backwards, but Bam clung on.
Through the haze of pain and blood, Ville looked up to watch Bam clinging to Trent for dear life, sucking hard from Trent’s neck. Trent couldn’t reach him, no matter how much he roared or snarled or tried to hit Bam. Even when he did make contact, Bam clung on, though Ville did hear him whimper once or twice when Trent managed to deal him a particularly painful blow. Ville got up and leapt onto the bed to join the twisting, snarling mass that was Trent and Bam. Taking Trent’s hair in one hand again, he managed to sink his teeth into Trent’s throat this time and immediately began to pull on that rich fount of blood.
Ville could feel Trent’s thoughts now, and he knew that death was approaching swiftly. How much blood could one being have, anyway? There was a mass of jumbled images, the face of Trent’s maker, then images from Trent’s mortal life, there was a tall, black-haired man who looked very like Trent himself, he was beating a young boy who was crying out and begging him to stop. Stop, please, you’re hurting me! Then there was that young boy again, but he was older, a teenager now, and there were a group of other teenagers around them, Ville could only make out their sneering faces, but then they were hitting the black-haired boy, calling him a freak, a boy-lover. Please, I’m sorry. I was born this way! Ville could feel that powerful heart now, and it was weakening.
Suddenly, he pulled back. Bam was still pulling at Trent’s blood, but he mustn’t! Vile reached over and had to actually wrestle with Bam for a moment to pull him off Trent. Bam stopped struggling to stare at Ville.
Trent’s blood dribbled down Bam’s chin as he said, “What? Why did you stop?”
“Look.” Ville said simply.
Trent had gone limp in their arms, but he wasn’t dead. His breath came out in sharp rasps and his skin looked more like marble than ever. The sparkle was gone from his eyes and the skin around his throat was tortured and broken. With trembling fingers he reached out for Ville.
“Ville…” he rasped, “What have you done? Why did you… you… I thought you loved me.”
Ville shook his head and felt a lump in his throat as he looked down at the pitiful creature Trent had become. It had happened so fast, too fast. Trent had been powerful and now he was this mess… That black-haired boy in the visions had been Trent.
“They beat you.” Ville whispered, crimson tears blocking his vision for a moment before he blinked them away, “They beat you because you were gay.”
Trent stared at Ville in amazement, before nodding mournfully.
“You never got a chance to learn how to love properly. You took me and didn’t know what to do with me. You never had a chance… But that’s no excuse for what you did. You hurt me over and over, then when I tried to leave you hurt me again. You tried to have me kill Bam, which was nothing short of torture.”
The light in Trent’s eyes was fading now, flickering like a candle about to be snuffed out forever.
“I loved you, yes, but you never loved me. You thought you did, but you don’t hurt the ones you love, no matter what, and if you do without realising, you try to make things right for them, not better for yourself. I’m sorry, Trent.”
“Ville,” he rasped, “Please, don’t do this.”
“Ville - ” Bam whispered
Ville sobbed quietly and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Ville.” Bam repeated urgently.
“What?”
“We can’t kill him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, he’s too powerful. Didn’t you feel it? If he dies, he’ll take us with him!”
“I’d thought about that.”
Ville stood and motioned for Bam to stand beside him. Trent tried to move, but instead lay pitifully, his eyes locked on Ville’s. Ville picked up his jacket and removed the lighter from the inside pocket.
“This is it.” He said, “Goodbye, Trent.”
Ville stared up at the blazing inferno that had been the castle of his dreams. Had he made the right decision? It had been so hurried, everything had burned so fast. He hadn’t expected it to burn up so quickly, and the noises… the noises Trent had made. He’d never be able to forget those.
Did I do the right thing? Could I have learned to love him again? He went to the trouble of making the room exactly as I’d wanted it…
He felt Bam’s arms wrap round him from behind and leaned into them gratefully. He turned to look into Bam’s mesmerising blue eyes, like two blazing sapphires and then he knew, he knew he’d made the right decision.
“D’you think he’s really dead?” Bam said quietly.
Ville nodded, “No one could survive that. You saw him, right?”
“Yeah…” Bam said quietly, but he didn’t seem convinced, “I saw him, but… You’ve read the books, Ville. You know that it’s possible…”
“Don’t believe everything you read in books, Bam.” Ville said, “After all, Mrs. Rice may be a wonderful writer, but there’s one glaring mistake at least.”
“And what’s that?”
“Vampires do have a sex-drive.”
“Oh. Hehe.”
Bam blushed and slipped his hand into Ville’s.
“So, what do we do now?” Bam asked.
“Well, I suppose we find a place to stay for the morning and after that, who knows? What do you feel like doing?”
Bam grinned and said, “How about we prove that Anne Rice mistake theory of yours, Mr. Valo?”
“We’ve got plenty of time for that. Centuries, in fact.”
“Centuries, eh? I guess this vampire thing’s not so bad after all.”
“I guess not.”
As they walked away from the smouldering ruins of the castle, Ville couldn’t help but take one last glance back to where they’d last seen Trent, screaming as the flames had engulfed him.
No one could have survived that…right?