The Paris Escapade

That cold feeling swirled around my legs again. My body tensed, ready to fight. Fear was deep inside, but it wasn’t the sharp panic from inside the tomb. I had Gabriel and Kieran with me now.

“Frederick chouchou, où êtes-vous?” a pleasant voice called. A thin figure stepped out of the tomb, looking around curiously. This new vampire was entirely different from the first one. The vampire that had attacked us had been wild and vicious. This one appeared almost pleasant.

He had short black hair that fell straight as a pin, and shone sleekly in the moonlight. It half shrouded his jewel-like crimson eyes. His face was thin and delicately proportioned. His skin was pale and smooth as alabaster. His suit was black and pinstriped, and was immaculate.

He saw the fallen vampire first. “Frederick chouchou?” A shocked expression crossed his features, quickly hidden behind a mask of deadly calm.

When he looked at us he stood straight, squaring his shoulders. “Qu'avez-vous fait à mon chouchou?” he asked sternly.

Kieran stepped forward to speak, but Gabriel beat him to it. “We are Americans. We don’t understand what you are saying.” I glanced at him in surprise. His hands were in his pant’s pockets, his dark red eyes glittered from narrow slits.

I was the only one who didn’t understand the vampire, so why was Gabriel pretending ignorance?

The vampire across from us arched one perfectly smoothed, thin, black brow. “Oh? Americans?” His voice carried a heavy accent. He coughed lightly into his fist, which was covered in a thin white glove. Then he turned his attention back to us and spoke. “What have you done to my pet?” he asked, speaking slowly and carefully, with exaggerated hand gestures, like you would to a small child.

“I said we were Americans.” Gabriel replied. “Not deaf and stupid.”

The vampire lifted his hands and shrugged. “It is the same.” He lowered his hands, his red eyes narrowed in anger. “What have you done to my pet?”

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders lightly. “He shot him.” He jerked his head in Kieran’s direction.

The vampire’s eyes went to Kieran, who already had his gun out. “You have slayed my pet?”

Kieran glared at the vampire grimly. “Like I would any papillon.”

“We were attacked first.” I pointed out quickly.

The vampire turned his eyes to me lazily, as if I was beneath notice and he was being generous. “You were where you should not have been.” he replied. “We just defend what is ours.” He looked back at Kieran. He pulled slowly pulled the glove on each hand tight, like a doctor would before an examination. “My name is Montblanc. I am a second generation Manigault. Feel honored to know the identity of your killer.”

I blinked and missed the vampire’s movement. One second he was standing at the entrance of the tomb, and the next he was in front of Kieran, rushing forward. Kieran managed to fire once, but missed by a mile.

I aimed Katrina’s gun, but Montblanc was moving too quickly. I was more likely to hit Kieran accidentally. I wavered, waiting for a clear shot.

Montblanc sent Kieran’s gun to the ground. They fought hand to hand, but I could barely make out their movements. Kieran was a blur, but Montblanc was faster and kept Kieran on the defensive.

Meanwhile, Gabriel just stood there and watched. I knew he was weak and tired, and not very likely to help Kieran. He was a vampire, human nature just wasn’t in him. It was up to me, then.

Montblanc swept his arm to the side in an elegant arc and Kieran flew backwards. I took a chance and fired off two rounds.

The first one missed, but the second grazed the vampire’s upper arm. He clutched it with his other hand and immediately turned on me. Kieran got to his feet and tackled the vampire from behind. They both hit the cobbles, but the vampire wouldn’t stay down. He threw Kieran off of him and rolled to his feet.

Kieran pulled a long silver knife from his coat and lunged at the vampire. The vampire ducked under his attack and grabbed Kieran by the throat. Kieran didn’t hesitate, and brought the knife down of the vampire’s arm.

The knife stopped just before it could touch the vampire’s suit. Kieran grunted in effort, but could not move the knife. As I watched, the knife twisted itself from Kieran’s grasp and clattered to the ground.

I fired off another shot, but despite the fact that my aim was true, it was way off target. Then the gun was wrenched from my hands by an invisible force and I was thrown to the ground.

My left ankle turned under me as I fell, taking the full weight of my body. Pain shot up my leg and I cried out, clutching at my ankle. I tried to get up, but it wouldn’t hold my weight.

The vampire still held Kieran by the throat. “I will deal with you in a moment.” he said coldly. “You deserve far more than a quick kill.” With his free hand, he gestured to the fallen door. Slowly it dragged itself across the stone cobbles towards them, moving quicker as it got going.

Montblanc lifted Kieran up and threw him into the tomb. Kieran hit the back wall and fell to the ground. Then the door slammed over the opening, the metal warping as it wedged itself in tightly. There were a few gaps, but it wasn’t going anywhere.

Montblanc turned to Gabriel, who looked ready for a fight. His feet were apart and his eyes were wary. “You do not wish to help your friend?” Montblanc asked him curiously.

“He’s no one to me.” Gabriel shrugged, but his body remained tensed. “Do whatever you like with him.”

Montblanc laughed lightly. “I see.” His expression was mirthful, but his eyes were deadly.

While the two vampires exchange words, I crawled over to where Katrina’s gun had fallen. Before I could reach it, an expensive black shoe kicked it lightly away. “I’m afraid I cannot let you have such a dangerous toy.” Montblanc said, standing over me.

I looked up at him, my eyes wide. He smiled broadly, his arm was raised. It came down swiftly.

His attack didn’t land, however. Gabriel had come up behind him and grabbed his elbow. “The girl is a different story.” he said tightly.

Montblanc’s smile turned into a toothy grin. “Ah, how interesting.” Then he turned and attacked.

Blows were exchanged, I knew that much. But the fight was going too fast for me to follow it. Whenever a hit landed, a loud crack! rent through the air. Then Gabriel broke away, the front of his shirt torn, deep gashes carved into his chest. He didn’t bleed, but the wounds were an angry red. He also didn’t heal.

“Look at you.” Montblanc said, sadness in his voice. There was laughter behind it. “Such a sad excuse. You are nothing but a weakling. I can see why you side yourself with les humains. You are much too soft to survive on your own.”

“You caught me on an off day.” Gabriel snarled.

“Who are you?” Montblanc asked. “You came here with purpose. What is it?”

Gabriel’s expression turned forbidding. “Do you really think I would tell you?”

Montblanc shrugged exaggeratedly. “It was worth the attempt. Now it is time for you to die.” He rushed forward and caught Gabriel by the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. Gabriel got to his elbows. He was panting, which worried me a lot. Gabriel didn’t need to breathe normally, but now his lips were pulled back, his fangs bared as he gasped heavily.

Montblanc surveyed him coldly. “I see I am wasting my effort.” He turned to the stone covered graves Gabriel had destroyed. He gestured to them and one of them flew off. It crashed into Gabriel, who let out a strangled cry as his body was smashed and scraped across the ground.

The granite slab broke into several pieces, covering Gabriel, who lay still underneath. “Gabriel?” I whispered. I got to one foot and hobbled over to him. I collapsed on the ground and started pulling the heavy pieces off him. Underneath, he was unmoving, his eyes closed.

There was a movement out of the corner of my eye and I immediately ducked. A coffin flew over my head, crashing into the graves behind us. The centuries old wood shattered into splinters, the contents turning to dust.

Montblanc had excavated the grave, each side perfectly straight, all without getting the tiniest bit of dirt on his suit. He gestured to us and Gabriel was dragged out from under the stone. I tried to grab him, but Montblanc threw him into the hole.

The vampire clapped his hands together and the pile of dirt next to the grave pushed itself into the hole, pressing down tightly.

I stared in horror at what had just happened, but I wasn’t immobile for long. "Gabriel!" I crawled over the hard cobble stones to the grave. Frantically, I began clawing at the fresh earth, uselessly trying to reach him. "Gabriel!"

Behind me, Montblanc laughed, high and harsh. "Poor petite fille. Alone and helpless. He was too weak, and died like he was supposed to. You should worry about yourself now."

"Gabriel, you have to get out of there, you stupid idiot!" I screamed. Dirt covered my hands and caked under my fingernails, small stones cutting my skin. "You can't let yourself die! What about the answers that you were looking for? They were about Nora, right? You are so close right now! Are you just going to let them remain hidden?”

The warm, early summer air had turned icy. I stopped digging, clutching two handfuls of dirt, my head and shoulders bowed. My eyes stung, but no tears came. “Did you forget about the diary? I promised I would let you read Katrina’s diary. She didn't let you die when you wanted to, are you just going to let yourself die now, without even knowing why?!" I shouted, squeezing my eyes shut.

A few dry leaves fell into the dirt and I paused. My shoulders were shaking, and my breathing was coming out in ragged gasps. My face and eyes were hot. I scrubbed my cheeks with the back of my hand, leaving smears of dirt on my face.

"Well, petite fille, it is time for us to depart. We shall go find a place to be alone, oui? Then I will return and torture your friend for a bit. I think I will take my time in killing him. Days perhaps." The vampire's voice was mocking.

I picked up a leaf by the stem, twirling it in between two fingers. It was dead and dry, the edges crumbling. As I stared at it, anticipation filled my stomach, blooming up into my chest. I half turned, looking up at a tall tree a couple of yards away. There were a few of them in the cemetery, planted by the living to watch over the dead.

As I watched, the leaves fluid swishing movement turned into a dry crackling. I looked over at Montblanc. He walked over to me, not noticing anything unusual.

Underneath me, short grass grew between the cobble stones. I reached over and touched a stalk lightly. It crumbled to dust before my eyes. The rest of the grass slowly withered and died. A wave of dry, blackened, death moved through the grass, and to the tree.

Montblanc knelt down in front of me, a smile playing across his lips. “You are so flushed.” he cooed at me. “Will you cry? I find tears to be quite beautiful. Did you care about that miserable, walking corpse?” He laughed lightly, as if we were sitting quietly at a sidewalk cafe, instead of kneeling in a graveyard. “What could that weakling possibly mean to you?” He leaned close to me, his voice lowering. “I will show you the strength of a true papillon before you die, oui?”

An unnatural calm had settled over me. I felt completely numb inside. I didn’t even notice the pain in my ankle. It wasn’t good, I knew I must be in shock, but I was able to choose my words slowly and carefully. “You should be careful what you say about Gabriel.”

Montblanc smiled wide. He reached his hand out to me, placing one finger under my chin. “Is that so? And if I do not, will you beat me up?”

I kept my gaze steady on Montblanc’s face. “Not me, no.” I answered softly.

Dirt erupted from the ground next to me. One long arm reached out, it’s hand closing over Montblanc’s face.

I got the hell out of the way as Gabriel dragged his head and torso out of the ground. His normally red-brown eyes were a glowing crimson. His fangs were bared as he let out a bloodthirsty snarl.

Montblanc’s eyes were wide with shock. Gabriel’s claws bit into his skin, drawing blood. Montblanc brought one hand up to defend himself, but Gabriel was quicker and batted it away. “My name is Gabriel.” he whispered hoarsely. “I am the one who stole Nora from the Manigaults, and I am the one who killed her. You should feel honored to know my name.”

Gabriel crawled out of the grave, keeping a firm hold on Montblanc. His clothes were ruined. Stained irreparably by dirt and torn in several places. His hair was completely white now, striped with grime. Under his torn sleeves, his muscles were taut as a wire. They bulged as he hurled Montblanc into the mausoleum.

Montblanc hit the stone and cracked it. His eyes were dilated with fear. “Y-you were the one.” he whispered.

My heart pounded in my ribcage as I sat there, riveted by the scene before me. I could feel fear creeping over me. Montblanc looked sick with it.

I realized that the fear was born on a wave of influence. Gabriel’s true strength was how he affected others, and right now he was projecting abject terror onto Montblanc. I was merely catching the runoff.

Fighting against his fear, Montblanc raised up one hand shakily.

“Gabriel!” Kieran’s voice came from one of the gaps in the door he was trapped behind. “Here!” A silver dagger flew out of the gap. Gabriel caught it deftly, sending it at Montblanc in one fluid motion.

It hit the middle of his palm, the point burying itself deep into the stone. Montblanc was pinned. Gabriel lunged then, one hand outstretched. He drove his claws into the vampire’s chest.

Montblanc gripped Gabriel’s wrist with his free hand. “Father... is looking for you.” he said with great difficulty, looking directly into Gabriel’s eyes. “When he finds you... he will kill you.”

Gabriel’s expression was cold. “Why are you warning me?”

Blood dripped from the side of Montblanc’s mouth. “So that... the short remainder of your days... are filled with fear. If Father is seeking you... so is Death.” He smiled slowly.

I wanted to look away, but my eyes were locked on the scene. Gabriel paused for a brief second, then ripped the vampire’s heart out. He slumped over lifelessly, held up by the dagger pinning his hand. Dark blood flowed from his wound, seeping into the earth.

Gabriel’s eyes glittered like jewels as he inspected his handiwork. “That was a nice trick you had.” he said softly. He tilted Montblanc’s head to the side and sank his fangs into his neck.

Finally, I managed to look away. I drew my legs up and buried my face in my knees, waiting for the shock to pass.

This had turned into something much more horrifying than a simple reconnaissance. My mind was trying to shy away, reject that it was even happening, but the throbbing pain in my ankle was a persistent reminder.

I had agreed to come here, to help Katrina’s school. I had been prepared for something like this, right?

No, there was no way I could have prepared myself, though there was a part of me that told me I should have known. As long as I followed Gabriel, things like this were going to happen.

The worst part wasn’t the physical harm. It wasn’t the danger I had put myself in. It was what I had seen, and how it would affect me mentally. Would I grow numb to this kind of shocking violence, like Katrina had? Or would I always end up like this, vulnerable and shaking?

“Evangeline.” My shoulders flinched at his voice. Slowly, I looked up at him.

He towered over me, his once white shirt torn in several places. His eyes still glowed fiercely. Underneath the dirt and the blood, he was whole again.

The wounds on his chest were healed, the lines from his face gone, his hair dark. He had been reborn.

He held one blood stained hand down to me and I shied away from him, my heart thumping erratically. His gaze faltered. He dropped his hand and turned away.

I watched him walk over to the mausoleum. He studied the wedged-in door for a moment, then put his hands into two gaps. His feet stepped apart as he readied himself. This time he did not pull the door right out. This time he tore into the door, ripping a section of the metal and bending it down.

He took a step back and Kieran emerged from the mausoleum. He looked at the two corpses. “Nice work.” he said simply. He was looking Gabriel over suspiciously.

Gabriel held up his hand and Kieran’s dagger pulled itself free from the stone and Montblanc’s lifeless hand. It flew right at Kieran, who caught it without looking. “I believe that’s yours.” Gabriel said.

“Merci.” Kieran replied. “I see you’ve learned a new trick.”

Gabriel smiled. “It’ll take a couple of decades to master it, but it’ll be worth it.”

Kieran looked at me. “We should report to Mother before we go any further.”

Gabriel was already heading into the mausoleum. “Take Evangeline back to the school. I will go on ahead.”

Kieran spun around to face him. “By yourself?”

“I would prefer it that way.” Gabriel vanished into the mausoleum. He reached out one hand and grasped the bent over metal. He bent it back up, so that the entrance was blocked once more.

“Wait a moment!” Kieran said, but Gabriel waved and was gone.

Kieran ran a hand through his hair irritably. “Bâtard arrogant.” he muttered, then walked over to me. “Can you stand?”

I tried to stand up. My legs wobbled and I lost my balance, pitching forward. Kieran stopped my fall and scooped me up into his arms in one motion. Blood rushed to my face. “You don’t have to carry me.”

“You are injured.” he told me. “If you try to walk, you will only hurt yourself more.”

“But... I’m heavy.” I said, grasping at straws.

“Absurdité. I feel like I’m carrying a sack of feathers.” He set off down the path before I could argue any more.

While Kieran picked his way through the graves and tombs, I studied his profile. He was fairly handsome, and it only made me more nervous. He was also strong and kind, and even funny. I didn’t know much about him, but I was starting to like him.

I laid my head down on his shoulder, enjoying his warmth. I breathed deeply as I relaxed. My body was exhausted, I just couldn’t stay tense any longer. My eyes closed on their own and his scent filled my nose. It was familiar, but I couldn’t place why. Before I could dwell on it, I passed blissfully into unconsciousness.