The Story of the Vampire, L (Completed | Featured )

Quinn, part 4 - The Devil You Know

Leis was every color, standing over me. Fury, desolation, relief. I covered my face with my hands and turned around to rock myself, because rocking is good for the nerves. I kept to the corner while they argued, unable to understand them, body pulsing with their shouting, their screaming. The platinum blond had gone completely abuzz, hysterical, so I knew I had picked a good one even if the words were beyond me, and I could not help but laugh at that, though the slap had wounded me deeply, and I clawed at my face to stop the pain of it, unaware of my screaming until it had gone all silent in the room. 

Leis came, and he was speaking French, and trying to pull me up from the floor, speaking to the blond behind him. "He does not want you to come to his house, Quinny," he said to me, in English, "I don't know what to do. What do I do?"

I wanted to tell him not to touch me, but instead struggled, trying to get loose from his grip.

"I am sorry, darling. I'm sorry for hitting you. I could not find the words. I'm sorry, there isn't time to apologize well. I'm sorry. Please come." 

When I looked at the blond, he was trying to speak, but it was plain we did not share a language, and he spoke to Leis instead. Leis helped me up from the floor and brought a paper parcel, which he sat on the bed, gesturing for me to sit as well. Inside were nice clothes, and he gestured for me to dress.

"What did he say?" 

"He says that you are mortal enemies now, and that since you are young you will be easy to kill."

"That's nice. Tell him if he lays a hand on you instead for retaliation, it will be me spitting on his grave."

Leis shook his head, leaning over me to button my collar. "No, I can't."

"Excuse me, darling?" I asked.

"I can't. I don't understand to translate. So, I can't." 

"What part?" 

"You use many idioms. I don't know."

Sometimes he has these dumbfounding moments of not knowing my language. He still does that, even now. It makes me wonder what he has been doing with me for so long. 

"I will let it go then," I told him, amused even for the tension in the room. "There is not much punch in it if he has to wait for an English lesson."

"Still I do not understand. There are many idioms when you are unhappy."

"Well tell him I don't want to go to his house either."

"That is too bad. You are going," he said. "This one is Laurent. That is not his name you say before, but it is the right name, but it is not a good one for us. Not good."

"Lots of fake names," I said, teasing him so that he might smile. 

"Darkling, please don't say wrong names. It will be badly for me. Here, I like for you very much to wear this hat, and I will put them together, your cufflinks."

The blond was pacing the room like a caged animal, pretending to ignore us, but I could hear his mind running like a steam engine, a fury and a fear too large for his petite frame. I continued to whisper back and forth with Leis, because his nerves were driving his heartrate through the roof, and I could not lie down with him. It is murmuring with him I remember best, for though I am bitter about it, I love him.

"Come here and quiet down," I said, tipping up my chin and taking his hands.

"What is it, 'quiet down'?" he asked, murmuring, breathing shallowly. "What is it? What is it?"

"Be quiet and calm down a little, please," I said, remaining still until he kissed me, very briefly, so that he could continue to fret. "I have known you nearly one hundred years. I have said that thousands of times."