Hi, Oh, sorry to keep you waiting. Lizle K. : I'm speechless. You've been overly supportive. I don't know how to thank you. I was kind of stuck in the first paragraph of this chapter and when you can't write the first part of a story, you can't start writing at all. I hope you forgive me. It means a lot to me that you read all the chapters again and I'm glad you liked them. It was nice to know the point of view of a reader (a very special reader). I tried to make connection between the events, like Amelia and the bracelet, The new character Emrys and other vampires, Lorcan and his revenge, John Gray and his love for Merlyn, and I'm happy that my idea of connecting them to each other is working. Thanks. You're such a wonderful person :-) Megan: Every time I tried to write I thought of you. Whether you know it or not, your comment makes me move forward. I'm glad you liked the love scene. You are right. Love made a difference. There will be more love scenes, unexpected things will happen. Anna and Kristi: I hope you don't mind me putting your names together. It's just I know you both from the beginning and I like you both the same. There is action and drama in this chapter, which I hope you enjoy it. As I explained to Lizle, I had a hard time writing this chapter. I do hope you like the action scenes as well as the other parts. Malak H: It's great to hear from a talented writer. Even though I'm writing a fantasy fiction, I like reading the stories based on real life events, real relationships. Maybe after I finished this, I start writing something less fictional. Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it. Angela C: I think I kept you waiting for two weeks or so, and I'm sorry for that. Like you said, my readers are very special and I'm grateful for that. Everyone has been so nice to me, and I keep going because of your nice encouraging comments. Thanks to you and thanks to Lizle, Kristi, Anna, Megan and everyone else who reads my story and leaves comment. Em, Abbie, Mish, Ashley: If I could rewrite Chapter 28, I would change the ending and instead of writing, 'he left the apartment. ' I would write something else. I don't know what. But I think it made a little misunderstanding. He promised not to leave her and he can't. He just left the apartment to be away for awhile because at that moment he was in no mood for being close to a human. Thanks for your comments. It helps me to know what parts need correction. I think there are many errors in this chapter, grammatical, technical, spelling and I hope you ignore them. I don't mind you correcting me, though :-) Thanks. ----------------------------------- CHAPTER 29 Meeting new people. It was early afternoon and I had just finished tidying the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I imagined that it might be Arthur and rushed towards the door. I took a quick peek through the peephole and started back as I saw Amelia and Lorcan standing behind the door. "We know you're there," said Lorcan in a playful tone. "Leave me alone. " "Merlyn, please, open the door. Let's talk," said Amelia. I slid the door chain in its place, and slowly and hesitatingly unlocked the dead-bolt lock and turned the knob. "What do you want" I asked. I could only see a part of Amelia's face. "Merlyn, you don't need to be scared," she said, kindly. "Come on, open the door," said Lorcan, impatiently. "Have you called the church Have you told them where I am" "No, we haven't called the church. " said Amelia. Lorcan came close so that I could see him. "Don't worry. We won't tell anyone. " He said. "Arthur is not here. " "We know. We just need to talk to you," his voice changed as though he was begging me to open the door. "I don't wanna talk to you. Go away. " I shut the door, locked it and quickly headed to the living room. I sat in front of the television, ignoring the doorbell that was continuously ringing. I took a few bites of the pizza that I had ordered earlier, and feeling that I could not eat any more, I put it on the coffee table and lay down on the couch. I switched channels every two seconds, but the distracting and disturbing sound of the doorbell made me really uneasy. At last, after a few minutes of persistency, the doorbell stopped ringing. They were gone. *** A light tapping noise on the door woke me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock on wall. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. I had slept for a few hours, though it seemed like I had just taken a nap. I looked through the peephole. It was Arthur. I loosened the chain, and opened the door. "Did I wake you" he said, holding a small bouquet of red rose buds in one hand and a bottle of red wine in his other hand. "Lorcan was here," I said, abruptly. "Well" he stopped in the hallway, but didn't seem to be surprised. "I didn't let him in. " "It's your friend's apartment, isn't it He can't come in unless your friend invites him," he said as he went in to the kitchen, and put the flowers on the table. "Don't worry. He can't hurt you. He won't," he said, calmly, filling a tumbler with red wine. "What about Amelia She was with him," I couldn't take my eyes off the flowers. "Don't worry about them, okay" he said after swallowing a mouthful of wine. "You knew they were here! " "I knew they've been following us. They can be annoying but they're harmless. I'm not concerned about them. " He smiled a faint smile, handing the flowers to me. "We don't have to trouble ourselves with unimportant things. " As I stood there looking at him and pondering over the bouquet he asked if I didn't like it. I was so amazed that I hardly knew what to either think or say, it was hard to imagine that a man like him who was so rugged in nature would bring me flowers. It was one of the traditions that I never thought he would know about, or would care about. "Where did you get it from" I asked. Wrong question. I just didn't expect him to bring me flowers. "A flower shop, I guess! " "Where did you get the money" Another wrong question. "Is it important" He looked a little annoyed with me for questioning him and not taking the flowers, and hung them down in his hand. "Well," he shook his head and began to laugh with a quiet voice, in a way as though he was embarrassed. "Forget it! " he said, throwing the bouquet over on the table. "I" "Just" he cut in, holding up his hand, "don't say anything. Please! " He sat down at the table and filled his empty glass. He drank it all and refilled it. I just stood there watching him filling his glass over and over and drinking nonstop. At last, he stopped drinking for a moment. "It wasn't my idea," he said, hesitatingly. "What do you mean Whose idea was it" "I met an old woman in a church at noon. " "You went to a church" "Yeah, it was a nice place, dark, quiet. Anyway, I told her about us and what happened. Not exactly! I told her that I hurt you and if there is some way I can show how sorry I am. She suggested that I gave you flowers. 'Women love flowers,' she said, 'flowers are beautiful things and convey beautiful meanings: love, forgiveness, sympathy. '" He gave a chuckle and went on, "It's a human thing: to give everything a meaning. I don't even remember being a human. I never cared about anything. It was easy. Life was easy hollow meaningless until you came and altered my world. I tried to ignore you, to remain hollow. But then there are these moments that you can't help it. It made me feel alive, just to look at you. All I want to say is that you saved me, you changed my life, and I didn't even try to see it, I was being selfish. I hurt you, and for that, I'm sorry. I do hope you forgive me, even though I know I don't deserve it. " "There's nothing to forgive," I said and laid my hand on his sad, handsome face as he looked up at me with love in his eyes and pulled me close into his arms, rested his face against my stomach. He was breathing quietly. He released me avoiding my eyes. He looked so nervous. Something seemed to disturb him. Maybe it was me, my presence. He filled his glass, but before putting the bottle on the table it slipped from his hand. He got up, passing his hand through his hair, and went over to the sink, watching the red liquid pour down the table on the floor. I picked up the bottle and cleaned the table with a piece of cloth. I needed to say something, anything to make him feel better. The bouquet! I held it in my hands and almost embraced it. "It's beautiful," I said, softly. He smiled, "I was not supposed to tell you about the old lady! But then you wouldn't accept the flowers, would you" I felt bad for not being appreciative earlier. "So you like it" he asked as I began to search the cabinets for a jar. "I love it," I smiled at him. He looked contented. Putting the flowers in the water and arranging them, I remembered what he had told me earlier this morning. He told me to stay away from him, to fear him, and now he brought me flowers and held me in his arms. His words contradicted his actions. "I" we both said at once, and paused at once. "You first," he said. "No, you first. " "Well," he shook his head slightly and before he spoke he walked across the kitchen and stood by the kitchen door. "I should have warned you. I should have told you that I can't get too close to you. Everything about you, your warmth, your touch, even your heartbeat exacerbates my thirst. Every instinct tells me to drink. I can't help it. " "I know. " "You know" he asked, surprised. "I know about Emrys and Amelia's sister. " "So you know" he said, with a strange mix of surprise and anger. "I could have killed you! " "But you didn't. " I forced a smile, trying to hide the anxiety on my face. "Nothing will happen," I said, with a quiet voice. "I'm unstable, Merlyn. I'm tired and confused. " "It's okay," I nodded slightly noting the sadness he tried so hard to conceal from me. "I need some time to figure things out. I can't get too close to you. It's dangerous. I'm dangerous. I'm sorry. I'll work hard, and try to change. I promise. For you, I'll do anything. " I nodded again, didn't know what to say. He came close and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "I just need time," he whispered. A pleasant sense of relief came over me. He could get as close to me as his lips touch my skin. A touch would do us no harm. It was the act of making love that could change him into a monster. As a woman I could live with it. I could give him as much time as he needed. But, what about him How long could he try and control his desires I didn't need to be a vampire to know that a vampire's lust for blood couldn't be curbed. I knew that it could take a lot out of a man to have to exert so much control against his carnal desires. Food and sex could he deprive himself of such earthly pleasures I could feel his breath on my face as he whispered, "Your friend's here! " A few moments later Katie came in to the kitchen. "Hey Guys! " "Katie! Hi! " "Wow, beautiful flowers! " she said in my ear. "Where is Judie" "She's with my mom. Get ready. I told everyone to meet us in the bar in about an hour. All the girls and guys will be coming. " She came closer and said with a low voice, "guess what I've got a date! " "You've got a date" "His name is Tim. I met him in the bar two days ago. He's a nice man, a little overweight but nice. " "I'm sorry, Katie. I can't come. " I said. "No way. I'm gonna take you out tonight! " she said, resolutely and turned to Arthur, "Arthur Would you care for a drink in one of our favorite bars in New York" "I'd love to drink. " "Great! " "It's not our favorite. It's just the nearest bar we know. " I corrected her. "It is our favorite! It's also one of the largest bars in New York," she said, jokingly. "Well, we better hurry up and get changed. You have thirty minutes to get ready. " As she left, Arthur turned to me and said, quietly, "Let's go out. You can't stay here forever. " I was hesitant looking for an excuse to stay. "Katie's friends will be there! " "I'd like to meet new people! " "Are you sure you can" "I'm not gonna eat anyone! " He smiled. *** About an hour later we arrived at the bar, which was very crowded. Arthur looked strangely refreshed, with his eyes roving round, blazing with excitement. He was so overwhelmed in his sense of freedom he didn't seem to take notice of the people going out of his way just to get a look at him. What made his presence so noticeable, I couldn't understand. Was it the color of his skin He had got a fairly normal color since the day he began to feed on humans. Maybe his eyes were unnaturally bright! I looked at him trying to find out what it was that made him different. Nothing! There was nothing unnatural about him, except for distinctively good-looking features. Seeing that the observers were mostly women, I realized they were just gazing in admiration, as if he was some kind of a celebrity. Katie's friends had already taken a table for us and as we sat down, one of her friends ordered three more beers. There were already two men and two women sitting at the table. I had met them a few times both in the bar and in Katie's apartment, but could never get along with them. Katie was so busy searching for Tim, her new friend that she forgot to introduce Arthur. "I'm Ryan," said one of the men to Arthur, "this is my girlfriend, Sandy. " He put his left hand round the shoulder of the blonde girl sitting next to him and held out his right hand for a handshake. "Chris," the other man introduced himself and pointed to the brunet sitting next to him, "my fiance, Sarah. " "Arthur," he said as they shook hands. "I haven't seen you around," said Ryan to Arthur. "I've just arrived at New York. " "You're English, right" asked Sandy. "I was born in England. " "So, are you English or not" said Sarah. "Yeah, I guess I am. " "How long have you been in America" asked Sandy. "About one hundred and fifty years. " For a moment they all frowned and looked at him puzzled, and then everyone began to laugh, except Arthur who was smiling silently, and as for me, I felt so nervous and uneasy. I was afraid if they were skeptical while he didn't seem to care what they might think about him. "British sense of humor! I like that! " Chris said. "One hundred and fifty years, huh Too long to be away from home. " Ryan said, jokingly, "You must have missed your family. " Arthur pulled me close and looked down on me longingly. "My family is right here," he said, in a soft voice. They all smiled. I could feel my face blushing. "What do you do for a living If you don't mind me asking," said Chris. This time Arthur seemed to think for a few seconds before replying. "I'm a priest. " Everyone looked at him long and hard. They were about to laugh, and were waiting to see if it was another joke or something. "You don't look like a priest! " said Ryan, seriously. "What does a priest look like" asked Arthur, seriously. "He's joking," I interrupted. Nobody laughed this time. My voice faltered as I tried to think of a job that would suit him. "He he's an artist. I I mean a photographer. " "Who wants another drink" said Katie, saving us from her friend's annoying questions. She looked upset, probably because of her friend's delay. While she went to get us another round, a group of people in a corner of the bar and their loud, unpleasant voices appeared to attract Arthur's attention. "What's going on up there" he asked sympathy gift flowers. "Sometimes people gather and put a bet on drinking," said Chris. "A bet" Arthur asked. "Yeah, if you win you'll get two thousand dollars. " Chris explained to him. "I played once. I drank fifteen mugs of beer," said Ryan. "And you lost two thousand bucks," said Sandy. "Yeah, he threw up right in front of forty people and still he had ten mugs to finish," Chris said to Arthur and I. "It's much more difficult than you can even imagine," Ryan complained. "No, its not," Arthur chuckled, "It's just drinking. " "Yeah, that's what I thought, just drinking," said Ryan, "If it's not difficult, why don't you go sign up for it" Arthur turned and looked at me as if he wanted to know my opinion. I shook my head to show my opposition. He smiled a wicked smile and said to Ryan and Chris, "Let's go get some money. " "No, no, Arthur," I said, shocked. "Okay, its not for money. Let's go have some fun. " "No, you can't do that," I took a hold of his arm to stop him. "What's wrong Why not" "Everyone will find out that you're different. " "Am I different" he teased. "Trust me. No one will find out. " He turned his eyes to the crowd and said, "I know it's not easy to be human, but I think I can fake it for awhile. So no need to worry. " "Hey, Arthur! " Ryan called, "Come on, man. " His opponent was standing near a table waiting for someone to defeat. I knew him, a gigantic man with shaved head, black moustache and pointed beard whose large arms were covered in prison tattoos. They called him Big Bob. He spent almost every night in the bar. He was an insane gambler and outlaw surrounded by his insane folks. He looked like the kind of man who would never accept failure. He seemed to consider himself as a winner, while to me and many others he was nothing but a loser. "Do you think you can beat me at arm wrestling" he said to Arthur. He sat and placed his arm on the table, with his elbow bent touching the surface. "What" I asked Ryan, surprised, "Arm wrestling" "I thought it was just drinks," said Arthur to Ryan. He looked as surprised as I. "Sorry. I forgot to tell you. You have to arm wrestle first," said Ryan. There was a mocking smile on his bloated face as he turned to Chris and said something in his ear. "Don't try hard. Either way, you'll lose," said Chris, with the same mocking smile on his face, slapping Arthur lightly in the back. "You don't have to do this," I said, hoping that he might change his mind. He smiled an evil smile and sat at the table. The two men looked into each other's eyes. They gripped each other's hands and the competition began. For the first twenty seconds their arms did not move. Gradually Arthur's arm was pulled down and got close to the surface, only a few inches away, and stopped there. His opponent was winning the game, or it seemed like that. Unlike Arthur that looked so calm and relaxed, Big Bob's face was distorted with tension, the arteries of his neck swelled up and the muscles of his arm curved out. He was obviously using too much power to overcome the weight on his arm. Everyone looked at Arthur in amazement as his arm slowly overcame his opponent's. It seemed like he was enjoying the play but if you looked into his eyes more closely you could see the boredom. He could defeat the strongest human being in a second. For him, it was a boring, unequal competition. Over and over he let Big Bob get close to win, but didn't let him win. After a minute when Big Bob became completely powerless, Arthur pinned his arm onto the surface and brought his wrist down. He won. Everyone stood silent. There was no cheering anymore, no laughing. Big Bob lost the game. His face flushed red with anger as he stared at Arthur. He had lost the game as well as his pride to a man so much smaller than him. "Let's play drink the beer! " he said, with a controlled anger. So another competition began. Big Bob picked up the first mug and started to drink. Arthur didn't. He just sat there and watched his opponent drinking one beer after another. One, two, three mugs when Arthur took a sip of his first drink Big Bob had already finished the third mug. "What are you doing" Ryan wondered. "Why don't you drink" "Don't you see I'm drinking! " said Arthur, relaxed. "No, you're not," said Chris. They were as worried about him losing the game as he looked indifferent. Chris and Ryan and everyone who had encircled the table looked puzzled. Why was he not drinking At last, Big Bob stopped, and asked the same question. "I'm just letting you win. " Arthur smiled, "you keep drinking. " "I won't, until you start drinking like a man. " Arthur raised his eyebrows with an affectation of surprise. "Okay. I just wanted to give you a chance to win. " He said and drank the whole beer in one swallow and picked up the next one. At the time he decided to take the competition seriously Big Bob had already finished his fifteenth beer. Arthur was a fast drinker. I had never seen anyone drink so fast, without even showing any effects of being under pressure, as if he didn't need to breathe. He overtopped Big Bob and soon he reached the last beer and drank it all while Big Bob was still struggling to gulp down his twenty-second drink. Again Arthur won and it was time for the drunk giant to pay for his failure. He didn't seem to be willing to pay, however. Too much alcohol had redoubled his madness. He swore at Arthur and told him to get lost. A dozen of men surrounded Arthur while Ryan and Chris stayed cowardly away. "What about my money" Arthur asked, honestly. Suddenly and unexpectedly Big Bob punched him in the face. Everyone backed away. The hard and heavy punch seemed like a flick to Arthur. It didn't hurt him, no blood, not an injury. Arthur stepped back and held out his hands with a peacekeeping gesture, "Stop! Stop. I'm not gonna fight with you. You're no match for my strength. " Everyone laughed at what he said, "It's not fair, and you, not giving me my money, it's not fair either. So give me my money and I'll leave. " To my surprise, he was calm, no sign of anger on his face, but I wasn't sure. "What money" Big Bob shouted. For a moment I pictured him being drowned in his own blood. "You know what you can do now You can take a running jump. Beat it! " "Let's go," I said, "It's not worth it. " "I should drain his blood," he said, in a fierce whisper. I took his hand, said goodbye to Katie and the others, and led him outside the bar. "I should dismember him, cut off his left arm and right leg, cut off his ears and let him live in misery. " Even though he tried not to look serious there was something in his tones that made me think he wished to go back in the bar and do what he said. Was it what he used to do to his victims I'd rather not know. "Where should we go now We can't spend the night in the streets. " I asked. "The night is young. We'll find some place to stay. For now there is so much to see, so much to learn. " A malignant smile appeared on his face as his eyes turned round the street and fixed on an under construction building. "Stay here," he said to me, and went to the alley where the building was. I followed after him. He walked inside the building and in the darkness he suddenly disappeared. I stood in the middle of the ground floor and looked up. It looked like a shopping mall with a complex of shops and interconnecting sidewalks that were not completely built. A minute later or maybe it took him less than a minute to come back to me, with Amelia in his grip. He pressed her against a wall. I watched as his strong hand grasped her neck. "Arthur, No! " I closed my hand over his, trying to stop him before he broke her neck or suffocated her. "I told you to stay in the street. " He loosened his grip and let her breathe. There was a dart gun in his hand. It was not loaded. He threw it away and asked, calmly, "Where is Lorcan" "I don't know. " "You don't know I'll tell you where he is," he suddenly shifted, holding her in front of him as though to shield himself. He wrapped her neck into the crook of his arm and lowered his head; his mouth touched her ear as he took a glance at the upper storey of the building and whispered, "There he's there. " She was scared. I could see the fear in her face and I could hear it in the way she was breathing. "Come on, Lorcan. Don't make me kill her! " His voice was deep and frightening. He cast a look into the darkness, and said with a loud voice, "Come out and save her. Isn't it what you do Save people" he paused and waited a few seconds, but there was no answer. "I'm gonna count to three and if you don't come out, I'll break her neck," he threatened as if he'd forgotten all about the promises he had made to me, as if I was not even there. But I was there. It seemed like he'd had it all planned before. We came out so that he could use me as bait. "One," he counted, "Two three. " Lorcan walked down the steps with the sword in his hand. "Let her go. It's between you and me," he said. "Lorcan. My dear Lorcan," Arthur smiled, triumphantly and took a deep breath. He pushed Amelia away harshly. It was a relief he didn't kill her. "It's great seeing you, makes me believe that I'm not dreaming! " "I've been waiting for this moment for long, didn't know you were in jail! " "What moment You can't kill me. You've tried before, and you failed! You really don't want to do this. " "It's not about what I want. It's about what you did. " "There are two women here, humans, not to mention the people in the street. Isn't it against your rules to fight a vampire in a city full of humans" "I'm not playing by the rules anymore. If other Guardians hadn't stopped me, you were dead by now. I could have killed you in daylight. I could have shot you and paralyze you. Stupid Guardians didn't let me finish it, just because of their ridiculous rules. " "Oh. Okay. So you're the bad guy now! " he said and turned his eyes to me. Without taking his eyes from my face, he said to Lorcan, "Look, Lorcan! I've made a promise to my friend that I'll never hurt anyone, and I want to keep my promise. " His eyes turned back to Lorcan as he continued, "So, I'm asking you, respectfully, to stop following me. Do us a favor, do yourself a favor and forget the past. " "You think you've changed You're no longer the sick, pitiless bastard that loves to torture and kill I never forget what you did to my family. " "What can I say I can't change the past. But I'll try not to repeat it. " "You're doomed to repeat the past. You're doomed to destroy everything you touch, you and my cruel brother. You're the Black Death, a fatal disease, incurable. " His voice quivered with anger and disgust. There was a venomous look on his face as he pointed his sword at Arthur. Arthur frowned slightly. Then he smiled, looking at Lorcan intently. "All right. " He broke a piece of an iron bar from a stairway. For him, it was like breaking a small branch from a tree. Lorcan thrust his sword at him. Amelia looked frightened. She stepped back while I intended to go and block his way to stop them from fighting. It wasn't safe, however, to stand on the way of a determined and revengeful man. Amelia took my hand and pulled me away from the scene. Jumping backwards, Arthur avoided the sword and countered with the iron bar. Lorcan struck again, veering to a different direction. Again Arthur deflected the blow. Several strokes were thrown with full force between the two men, who seemed to be equally strong and fast. Lorcan seemed to be more determined however, as he used his utmost energy to beat Arthur and made him run up the stairs. Arthur fought back only to defend himself against the sharp edge of the blade. Struck by several hits, Arthur lost his grip on the iron bar, and being bare-handed he jumped down from the upper floor to escape the strokes of a skillful swordsman. Lorcan rushed down the stairs, following him. His sword was changing direction so fast that it looked like a streak of light in darkness. Every time, Arthur anticipated the strokes, however, and parried quickly. But then suddenly he stopped, and looked down at the slash across his chest. His eyes blazed with demoniac fury as he put his hand on his own wound. Silence overwhelmed the place as he stared, in disbelief, at the blood on his fingers. Even Lorcan stood, surprised of what he had done. Suddenly Arthur attacked him violently, and before Lorcan could make another thrusting move with his sword, he grasped his wrist with one hand, and punched him in the face with his other hand. He punched him again and again, until Lorcan's face was covered in blood and he staggered back defenselessly. Arthur pressed him against the wall slamming his fist into Lorcan's stomach. Lorcan could no longer resist. He could hardly breathe. He sank down into a half crouch, gasping in pain. Arthur held him tight, grabbed hold of his wrist and smashed his hand against the bars of the stairway repeatedly. He kept hitting and even though Lorcan was so determined to retain his weapon, the hard strokes numbed his fingers and at last, he dropped the sword and it clattered on the ground. Arthur picked up the sword and held it across Lorcan's throat. After all he proved to be stronger. "I didn't want it to end like this," he said. "Please," begged Amelia, "Don't. " "Amelia, go! " Lorcan said, in a weak voice. I could hear his gasp as Arthur held up the sword. My heart grew cold. Arthur was going to cut off a man's head right in front of my eyes. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't stop him. He lingered, his eyes turned to the entrance of the building while Lorcan's eyes followed the same direction. "Can you feel it" Arthur asked, with a puzzled frown on his face. "Yes," Lorcan replied, "Vampires! "Yeah, vampires! " whispered Arthur. A dark look came into his face, and his eyes blazed wickedly as he turned to Lorcan and slowly pushed the sword point into his heart, in a way that was painful to see, and as slowly he took it out and said, "I'm not going to behead you. I'll spare your life, Lorcan. I hope you've learnt your lesson: don't mess with a vampire. " Lorcan moaned and leaned against the wall. "You better kill me now! " he said with a dry cough, "Or I swear, I will find a way to kill you! And I won't stop! " "Well. . . next time there will be no mercy. " Arthur looked around and said to me hurriedly, "we should go! " He looked worried. Why Vampires! How could he feel their presence Why would he be afraid of his own kind What would happen to Lorcan So many questions, so little time. Before Arthur approached me his gaze darted away from mine to a white-haired woman that stood next to the wide entrance of the building, smiling at him. "Hello Arthur! " she said, quite gently. Another woman, young and dark-haired, appeared from the other side of the building. "Long time, no see! " she said, with long-drawn music in her voice. Arthur stood, transfixed. His eyes blazed with surprise as he watched the young woman step forward. She reached under her leather jacket, took out a handgun, and pointed it at him. Still, he looked at her in disbelief. He didn't move, not an inch. She pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest. The sound of the gunshot echoed in the empty building. With his eyes drawn away from the strange woman and fixed now on my terrified face, he took the needle out of his chest and let it drop down from his trembling hand. Another gunshot from the upper floor made me tremble. Someone shot him in the back. They shot him several times, injecting him with poison and didn't stop until he went down on his knees. I tore my arm from Amelia's hand and ran towards him. I keeled and held him in my slim arms just to look into his eyes. He lowered his head and rested his forehead on my shoulder. Heavy breathing was all I could hear. He then pulled away and lay down on the ground. Slowly he closed his eyes and stopped breathing.