Return from Exile

Chapter 13 Shattered Hearts

Brice and Elwin charged across the field as the engines died. Finally, the last fliwas was over. They\'d made good time on this contract. It only took them till four am, the day after the contract was made, to finish. Galen hopped out the side hatch of the plane, marveling at how well organized things were, and hoped Brice had helped to make it that way, rather than criticize as he usually did when someone else did a job better than he.

\"Dad!\"

\"Elwin. Things are going well I see.\"

\"Yeah, Tyler did good.\" The three watched as some of the mutants crawled over the plane, securing lines to the propellers and the stops on the wings to keep them from turning in the wind. Then hoses were lifted and attached to deliver fuel. \"The mutants have been a big help too.\"

\"Really? OH!\" A tall slender blue woman passed him a cup of coffee, her white crystal like hair glistening in the random moonlight above. \"Tha...thank you.\"

\"Relax dad. They take a bit of getting use to, but...\" he blushed slightly as the woman brushed by him, her slightly chilled fingers tracing his jaw line to his ear. \"...ah...\" Brice and Galen both laughed.

\"I think she likes you Elwin,\" his father laughed, as the boy watched her walk away, her ice like eyes meeting his before she turned away completely.

\"You think so?\" he asked, suddenly turning back to the two. Brice just walked away laughing, his father also laughed so hard, half his coffee spilled to the ground. \"Oh come on...She\'s not my type!\"

\"Oh, I don\'t think she\'d mind!\" said a man with an accent.

\"Dracula! Welcome back. Ah...about...\"

\"Don\'t let it bother you. She\'s very attractive.\"

\"Really?\" he asked clearhis his throat, and catching sight of a loose rope around one of the propellers. \"I hadn\'t noticed.\" As he\'d tried to grab the rope without breaking eye contact with the vampire, what he didn\'t notice, was a slender green appendage do the same. Instead of grasping the rope, Elwin took hold of the green limb, and tugged it firmly. A loud scream drew his attention up, before he was flattened by a green spider like mutant.

Dracula left the tangled mess, apologies and laughter echoing around the whole area. \'Why can\'t it always be like this?\' he thought. It was exceptionally rare that humans, mutants, Dhampires, and Vampires worked together peacefully. He missed it, and marveled in the peace of it when it happened. Here, in this moment, no one was master, no one was servant to another. He glanced back to Elwin and smiled, as he helped the gangly mutant up to his former perch. Everyone, including Elwin, laughed as the mutant\'s feet found precarious footing along the man\'s frame. \'Ah...It seems the world is right somehow.\'

\"Master?\"

\'Oh dear, there goes the illusion.\' \"Yes?\"

\"The last of the prisoners are loaded, and your carriage is ready. All three teams are hitched.\"

\"Good. Bring the chest at the back of the carriage please.\"

\"Yes sire.\"

The plane was secured with blocks behind the wheels, and the mutants all climbed down from their perches. The spiked mutant returned with the chest, and together with Dracula, they made their way back to the family. \"Well, Mr. Padlen, the contract is completed, and here is the payment,\" he took several pouches out of the chest. \"$5,000, don\'t worry about the extra hundred. I\'ve no desire to be picky.\"

\"Thank you. Safe journey, to wherever you\'re going.\"

\"Thank you. Haneck, be so kind as to drive my carriage? My son and I need to talk.\"

\"Yes sire. It would be an honor.\"

The family waved them all good-bye, the crystal blue woman blowing a kiss to young Elwin from atop Dracula\'s carriage. Elwin blushed slightly. \"You sure you want to go with me?\" Tyler needled his brother.

Elwin quickly stopped smiling and crossed his arms. \"I don\'t know what you\'re talking about.\"

\"Feeling better?\"

\"Much. I thought crossing the water was bad.\"

\"Yes. Be glad we made such good time. Kale and D had to spend three months at sea.\"

\"You know Quin is going to really be pissed at you for taking the Clipper, and not her too.\"

\"There wasn\'t time. And do you honestly think Toni is going to let you off so easily?\"

\"Don\'t remind me!\"

\"Not to worry. It isn\'t entirely your fault. You were responding to the call. I just had to get to you before you tried to swim across.\"

\"I didn\'t hurt anyone? Did I?\"

\"No. No. You were quite calm. No one paid any attention to you. Um...well...maybe not no one.\"

\"Who?\"

\"On it was nothing.\"

\"Father? Who? Did I hurt them? Kill them?! What?!!\"

\"Oh please, no. Noting like that.\"

\"Then what?!\"

\"Well...I was just catching up to you, you see, and...\"

\"FATHER!!\"

\"It hapd oud outside the bar.\"

\"WHAT!?\"

\"On of the very attractive bar girls came up and...\"

\"WHAT!! FATHER I SWARE...!\"

\"She kissed you, and she...well...ran her hands all over your...ah hum...posterior.\"

\"Oh dear lord.\"

\"You just walked away, and she was quite upset. I told her you were reacting to medication. She asked that I bring you back, when you felt better.\"

\"Toni\'s gona have my head...\"

\"Which one?\"

Edward shot his father a confused look...then realized what he meant and berried his face in his hands, embarrassed beyond believe. Dracula\'s hardy laugh echoed off the mountains as his carriage was thread down the path to Barbarois.

\'How could she!\' he cut the air once more, but still the exercise wasn\'t smooth. He often was able to relax, and center himself while doing this. Shadow play, Adrian had called it, as he watched his older brother as a child, practicing his sword thrusts with only his shadow for company. Only this time, unlike the days before, he couldn\'t clear his mind. \'She\'s my WIFE!?!\'?!\' he chipped a rock as he swung out. \'How could HE!! He\'s supposed to be my BROTHER!\'

\"You\'re sloppy! Unbalanced! FOCUS!!\" Like lightning, he swung around and his sword met another, sparks flying at the strike.

\"I SAID TO LEAVE ME BE!\" he yelled, his voice deep with restrained rage, his face and body soaked with sweat.

\"FOCUS D! You\'ll be much calmer when you see Kale.\"

\"DON\'T MENTION HER NAME!!\" D struck at his father\'s sword, driving him back with a ferocity he\'d never shown or felt before.

\"What is wrong with you?!\"

\"You should know! You almost did the same thing!!\" Dracula turned to mist and reformed in the middle of the room. D turned and slowly advanced on him. His words deep with anger and accusation. \"That night. The first time you met her, outside Donrath...what did you think of her?\"

\"D...\"

\"TELL ME!! Did you want only to feed from her? Or did you want more? I shouldn\'t have interfered...I should have let you TAKE HER!!\"

Dracula blocked D\'s attacks, his sword jarring fiercely in his grip. \"What are you talking about?!\"

\"I would have seen then! I\'d have known then, what kind of a woman she was!\" D brought his sword down, but Dracula swung out, reinforcing his blow with his powers, knocking D\'s sword away, and across the room. \"I would have been prepared, or at least left her before this...\"

\"What happened D? Tell me\"

\"Adrian...Kale...I found them, together...\"

\"So?\"

\"He took her...He screwed my WIFE! Then he bit her...\" D fell to his knees. He couldn\'t believe he\'d finally said it, and still it hurt like hell.

\"Can\'t be...he wouldn\'t!\"

\"He did! I saw them!\" D fought with his left hand, as the sym raised it up. Before D could regain control of it, Dracula grabbed his wrist and turned his hand over. There was a gag around his hand, holding the demon silent, which Dracula quickly removed.

\"AAK *cough, cough* thank you,\" it said.

\"Is this true?!\" Dracula asked.

\"Partly.\"

\"I don\'t want to hear it demon! I wont!\"

Dracula waved his hand over D\'s face, pulling him to unwilling silence, halting him from bringing his dagger\'s blade down across his arm. \"Did you find them? Yes or no!\"

\"Yes.\"

\"Together?\"

\"Yes.\"

\"Was Adrian...seducing Kale?\" D gave a hard shudder, as his expression showed him trying to break his father\'s control. Dracula concentrated a little harder, and D stilled in place.

\"...Yes.\"

\"Did he bite her?\"

\"...Yes.\"

\"What has Kale said about this?\"

\"She was unconscious, and we haven\'t seen her sense they took her to a room.\"

\"What of Adrian?\"

\"He wanted to explain but...\"

\"BUT WHAT!!!?\"

\"He got sick.\"

\"Impossible!\"

\"But true! We watched...Adrian expelled, or vomited, Kale\'s blood, only moments after taking it.\"

\"How? Why?\"

\"My theory is that whatever Kale had been suspended in, not only changed her in the way\'s that we\'d learned from the Arkers, but her blood is now like a poison to Vampires, and Dhampire. In essence, she\'s been pickled, and is quite unappetizing to anyone who takes her blood. Could also happen to werewolves, should they bite her.\"

Dracula waved his hand again, and D stepped away. \"What do you think happened D?\"

\"I don\'t know.\"

\"She did call out for D,\" the sym remembered. \"We heard her. She may have thought Adrian, though in his wounded state, was the aggressor. Pulling on his vampire half, he could overcome her.\"

\"Then why was she SMILING!?\"

\"What do you mean?\" Dracula asked.

\"When I separated them, she was nearly dead. He\'d nearly killed her...tore her neck to pieces! Almost bit into her jugular...but then she smiled. Small and beautiful, like she\'d gotten all she\'d ever wanted...From my brother!!!\"

\"This doesn\'t make sense.\"

\"Yes it does. She and Adrian, over Christmas. I know she was in his room! But I trusted her...how could I be so stupid! So BLIND!! I should have left her in the ark!!\"

\"Don\'t say that!\" the sym protested. \"You\'ve been far more livable to be attached to sense you found her.\"

\"The demon is right. Hide your anger, organize your questions. Go see her, and ask her what had happened. There may be a simple explanation to all of this.\"

\"Simple!! HE FUCKED MY WIFE!!!!!\"

\"Then find out why!!! They owe you that!\"

\"You jumped to conclusions D. You\'ve never done that before. And you gagged me! Your voice of reason...\"

\"Shut up!\"

\"D. We\'ll go together.\"

\"I can\'t even look at her!\"

\"Then don\'t. Look beyond her. Ask the wall, if you must. But ask. Come.\"

Edward stepped into the room the stone man had led him to, to find both Adrian, lying half awake on the bed, and Kale sitting at his side, holding a cup of red liquid to his lips. \"You\'re all right!\" he said relieved.

\"I wouldn\'t say all, alright. But we\'re alive,\" Kale greeted, as the young man pulled up a chair.

\"You look tired Kale. What happened to your neck?\"

\"Nothing you need to worry about,\" she cooed, a gentle smile across her lips. \"Have you seen D?\"

\"No. I just got here. Father\'s gone to find him.\"

\"Something\'s wrong. I just know it. He\'s never NOT been there when I wake up. Not without good reason. And I usually know what it is, before I fall asleep.\"

\"Where...is D?\"

\"Easy Adrian, just rest.\"

\"What\'s wrong with him?\"

\"I don\'t know. He\'s been shivering like crazy sense I woke up. Castle\'s off sleeping. She\'s really worn herself out this time.\"

\"What do you mean?\"

\"Well, she\'s got O negative blood, which is compatible to give to all other blood types out there in a transfusion. I\'d lost a lot of blood, she gave me a transfusion to get me out of my near comma state. She\'s apparently also been drawing off her blood to share among the vampires here. Then she\'d also fed Adrian. But it didn\'t seem to help.\"

\"What\'s this then?\"

\"Lambs blood. The only kind of virgin blood they\'ve got right now.\"

\"You know about virgin\'s blood?\"

\"Edward...My husband is a Dhampire. Of course I know, and Castle also told me.\"

\"D...\" Adrian was pushed back to his pillows, more so by Edward than Kale. \"Must...speak to D!\"

\"Adrian, please. You must rest. D will be here soon.\"

\"Edward...Kale...where...?\"

\"I\'m right here,\" she soothed, putting the cup once more to his lips. \"Come on. Drink this. You\'ll feel better real soon.\"

\"Castle...please...help...\"

\"I don\'t think he hears you.\" Edward surmised.

\"No, he isn\'t. I\'ve got an idea.\"

\"Castle please...\"

\"I\'m right here...\" Kale answered, hoping her well-meaning deception to the man would be taken as truth in his current state.

\"Castle!\"

\"Yes. Sssshhhh. You need to drink this...then you need to rest.\"

\"I\'m sorry...\"

\"What did I say...\"

\"Forgive me...please...\"

\"Only if you drink. Come on baby.\"

\"Yours?\"

\"Yes. It\'s mine. And I spiked it a little, just the way you like it.\"

\"I love you my sweet, please never forget that...no matter what.\"

\"I love you too. Now come on. Drink up. Then get some rest.\" Gently she held the cup to him as he consumed the contents. \"That\'s it, baby. Now sleep.\" With Adrian at last resting quietly, his cup empty, Kale turned from his side to find D and Dracula standing in the doorway. \"D! Thank god!\" Her first attempt to rise failed, still feeling lightheaded, Edward caught her before she could hit the floor. But when she turned her attention back to the door, both men had gone. \"D?\"

\"I\'ll get him. You stay here. You look like you\'ll fall over just from someone sneezing on you.\"

\"Please hurry! Something\'s wrong with him. I\'m worried.\"

Dracula watched as D threw his saddle over Nightmare\'s back. \"I can\'t believe she\'d do that,\" Dracula whispered.

\"Believe it. She loves him. I won\'t share MY WIFE with anyone!\"

\"We had to have missed something.\"

\"Like what?!\"

\"Well...why was Edward just sitting there? With such things as that said...\"

\"Edward hardly knows me. What he does know is that I\'d kill to protect her. He wanted to save his onw skin. So he kept his mouth shut, hoping I\'d find out some other way. He may only be 200 years old or so. But he\'s a lot smarter than he looks.\"

\"Where are you going?\" the two turned to see Edward in the door to the stable. \"D? Kale\'s really worried about you, and she doesn\'t look too good.\"

\"Not my problem. Not anymore.\"

\"WHAT!?\"

\"Edward, let it go. D knows everything. As do I.\"

\"Knows what? D?\" The young man chased after the dark figure as he rode out of the barn. \"D! Wait!\"

\"For what?! Wait for others to start snickering behind my back! Saying what a fool I am!? No thanks. This fool is leaving.\"

\"D!!\" He didn\'t have to tuo kno know that voice. Kale staggered up to Nightmare, her hand over D\'s. \"Where are you going? Please wait for me? I promise, I\'ll be stronger by evening. We can leave together then.\"

D shook her hand off, turned his head so that the brim of his hat hid her face from him. His gaze rested upon her cross, the one he\'d had specially made for Christmas almost 2 years prior. Though the symbiote wanted to fight D for what he was about to do, it couldn\'t let Kale know it was there. It had promised D that on New Years.

Slowly D took the cross in his hand, curling his fingers around it, he wrenched the chain from her neck. What good was a marriage tie, without a marriage? \"I don\'t know where your heart is anymore,\" he whispered, through haggard breath to keep from screaming at her, tears welling in his eyes. He wouldn\'t let her see him cry, not like this. She didn\'t deserve it. He dug in his heals, and charged his horse through the gates, dropping the cross as he left.

\"What...what just happened?\" she asked, in total shock. She dropped to the ground, her strength unable to hold her up any longer, finding her cross in one of Nightmare\'s hoof prints. She picked it up, cradling it in her hands like a wounded bird. The cross was all bent and misshapen, the engraved words on the back all distorted, the glass ball, with its single drop of holly water, broken. \"Why is this happening?\"

\"He knows Kale,\" Dracula hissed. \"He knows everything.\"

\"Knows what?\"

\"Don\'t play innocent with me. You\'ve shattered him! And if I hadn\'t swore never to harm you, I\'d kill you where you sit!\"

\"Dracu...\"

\"Quiet!! I don\'t care what you do from this day on. But know this! You are not welcome at my home ever again. Go there, and I will break my oat and kill you.\"

She tried to call him back to protest, but found her voice lost to her, strangled in cries wanting to escape, but fear, and confusion muffling them. \"Has everyone gone crazy?!\" Edward asked, picking his sister up off the ground. \"Come on, you\'ll catch your death. I\'ll put you to bed, then talk to father.\"

\"He left me..\" she whispered hoarsely. \"He promised he\'d never leave me...Edward...he promised...he broke his promise...Its happening...oh god...its happening again!!\"