Chapter 30
Will | London, present day
Is Alexander an idiot? Perhaps he’s so busy compelling the others to freeze that he’s forgotten about me. Or he thinks I’m inconsequential? Whatever the reason, I can move. So as Floss shuffles towards his outstretched hand, move I do, stealthily. But not to her. To Hester.
She has her eyes shut tight. ‘Kiss me,’ I whisper in her ear.
Her eyes fly open, and I can see she gets it. Without hesitation, she puckers up, and I place a soft kiss on her lips. The change is instantaneous, a spark lighting a fire that inflames my entire being with rage. But this time, I have a new mark.
In a flash of green scales, I rear up and launch across the room with my fangs bared, knocking Floss out of the way in the process.
I quickly wrap myself around Alexander’s body like the boa constrictor I am.
Squeezing, contorting, hissing in his ear.
Then I tighten slowly, unmercifully, until I hear his bones crack.
Vaguely, I hear Sadie screaming, ‘Get the stake! Get the stake!’ So I must’ve interrupted Alexander’s control over them, but I’m too focused on the gurgling sounds he’s making.
Oh, is he trying to talk? Hissing in glee, I loosen my tight hold around his throat to hear what he has to say.
‘Let. Me. Go. Asshole,’ he chokes.
How rude! And annoying. I don’t think I want to hear any more of that kind of talk. I resume squeezing his throat. Then Alexander’s body jerks sharply. Tongue flicking, I angle my head to see the stake I fashioned out of a toilet plunger poking out of his chest.
Ah, my lovely Hester has done the job. And well aimed too since she’s managed to angle it in between the coils of my body. I flicker my tongue out at her in approval, and she grins at me. Oh yes. This piece of shit is going down.
Literally.
Being staked in the heart means that Alexander isn’t dead, but he no longer has any powers or any control over his body.
He crumples like a stack of cards, taking me with him.
We smash to the floor in a cloud of glitter.
Oooof! I attempt to wriggle from around him, but now I’m pinned by a staked vampire.
I hiss in distress until I feel my body being gently unwound from around his.
Hester drapes me over her shoulders and strokes my scales, and we have a moment.
Oh my god, Will. You were amazing. My hero!
She chucks my chin and kisses the top of my pointy head. My slitty eyes close briefly, enjoying the praise. My pleasure. What’s happening now?
Check it out, she tells me.
I undulate my head from breast height, feeling pleased with myself, surveying the scene.
Damian and Elliott are crouched on either side of Alexander while Sadie holds his head, and Floss is stabbing him repeatedly in the neck with her Swiss Army knife until he’s lying in a pool of blood and pink glitter.
Damian puts a hand on Floss’s arm. ‘I think that’s enough, babe.’
‘Is he drained? I want him drained!’ she cries, and I don’t blame her. She was seconds from death, and she wants to be 100 per cent sure this bastard isn’t coming back to haunt her any time soon.
But from the gaping wounds in his throat, the river of blood creeping over everyone’s shoes, and Alexander’s sightless eyes, it’s all over by the shouting.
‘He’s drained, babe. He’s gone.’
Damian takes the knife from Floss’s hand and helps her up. She collapses into his arms, whimpering.
‘My brave, brave girl. It’s all over now,’ Damian murmurs, stroking her back with a blood-streaked hand.
Elliott hugs Sadie too—after she gives Alexander’s body a couple of swift kicks with her stiletto.
I nestle my way into Hester’s hair, needing comfort myself, and she cuddles me. As best you can cuddle a snake.
‘Guys, this is all very touching, but we should celebrate later. We have to get out of here before anyone notices Alexander’s missing,’ says Elliott, breaking the moment. ‘Otherwise, we’re going to have a load of horny vampires after us.’
I tickle Hester’s ear with my tongue, making her giggle, as we head to the bathroom.
‘Kinky,’ says Sadie, sounding a bit envious.
Floss is a shaking mess, but she manages to fly Sadie down into the garden since she’s wearing high heels. The guys and Hester clamber down unassisted. I’m last, and I slither down the drainpipe. I’m expecting a quip, but no one says anything. I think they’re all a bit in awe of me.
But I don’t want to be a hero.
I want to change back into human form.
Yet try as I might, I can’t manage it. Perhaps I’m too stressed or traumatised.
Hester carries me on her shoulders again, and we creep around to the front of the building.
But when we get there, we find the place is in an uproar.
Lingerie-clad women are piling out of the brothel en masse, stumbling down the street in their high heels—crying, laughing, and clutching at one another now that Alexander’s enthrallment has been severed.
The vampires have followed them out and are crowded around, either frowning or looking bewildered.
Some of them are still sipping from shot glasses.
But then a police siren sounds, and they start dispersing swiftly, obviously figuring out that something has happened to Alexander and they’re going to be arrested if they stick around.
A few of them hold up their cloaks and turn into bats, flapping away into the night sky.
‘Now that’s one way to make an exit from a crime scene,’ says Elliott admiringly.
***
We trail back to the apartment building, no one saying much. Hester carrying a snake over her shoulders gets some curious glances, but it’s that hour of the night when you expect to see weird stuff in London.
I’m not sure why I haven’t changed back yet. Is it because she’s carrying me? Or because something’s altered, and every time I stare at myself in the mirror, I’ll look reptilian? Could put a new spin on how I’ll be playing Orssssino.
‘I’ll take Will upstairs,’ Hester tells the others. ‘He needs rest and recuperation.’
Sadie smirks at that but says, ‘OK, we’ll leave some blood for you.’
The others pat my scales goodbye, and I flick out my tongue at them.
‘Thank you,’ whispers Floss near where my ear would be if I had one.
Fortunately, I left my apartment door unlocked in case of an eventuality like this so Hester can enter. She places me gently on the bed, where I stretch out, enjoying the freedom of movement.
Do you want me to stay with you? she asks.
Yes pleassse, I say, putting on a silly snake voice to make her smile.
Hester laughs and sits next to me, stroking a hand down my glistening scales. A shudder ripples through my body.
That feels good. I nuzzle her hand with my head, flicking my tongue along her fingers. Fuck, I really wish I had lipssss right now.
Hester giggles. I’m sure you’ll change back soon.
What if I don’t? What if this is how I’ll look forever?
She shakes her head. It doesn’t work like that. Besides, you have to change back. We’ve got a rehearsal in the morning, and you can’t miss our first blocking out at the Globe. I need you onstage with me, looking every inch the handsome and debonair duke. I can’t do it without you.
She bends and kisses my scaly cheeks, and I gaze at her adoringly through black slitted eyes. Slowly, she stretches out on my bed, and I nestle in beside her.
We must fall asleep as when I wake some time later, I’m lying in Hester’s arms as Will.
‘Hey,’ I whisper.
Her eyes flutter open with a start of surprise, and she touches my bicep gingerly. ‘Are you OK?’
I nod and pull her closer.
‘I’m not afraid of snakes. But I’m really, really glad you’re back and that you have a human face again,’ she says, stroking my cheek.
‘Me too.’
She brushes my mouth with hers, her hand trailing down my spine. Something swells in my chest, and I think I’m going to turn again from her touch, but I manage to keep it at bay with an effort.
‘Don’t you think it’s ironic?’ I murmur. ‘All this time, I’ve been waiting in the wings, watching you, wondering when I would get my revenge. And then I play a part in helping someone else, who’s also out for revenge, get staked.’
‘I’m so grateful,’ Hester whispers. ‘You have no idea how much. If you hadn’t have done what you did, then Floss wouldn’t be here. I’ll never forget it.’
‘Did you not hear me just say I wanted revenge? You know what that means.’
She nods.
‘And you’re not worried?’
Hester looks at me steadily. ‘No. Because I think if you had really wanted to end me you would’ve done it years ago.’
I stroke her hair, knowing that she’s right. That deep down I never would have done it. She means too much to me.
‘I thought that I hated you, but I know now it was myself that I hated. Because I was—am—a monster. I thought you’d never be able to love me.’
Hester presses her forehead lightly against mine. ‘Never ever think that,’ she says. ‘Because I do love you, all the parts of you. You’re still the handsome, brave man that I met four hundred and sixty-five ago. It just makes me feel sad when I think of the centuries we’ve wasted.’
‘Well, at least we’ve got time to work on any lingering issues,’ I say wryly. ‘In another four hundred and sixty-five years, you’ll probably be sick of me.’
She shakes her head. ‘Never. Not even in a millennia.’
‘Yeah, I feel the same way.’
We look at each other and laugh softly. I grasp Hester’s hand and bring it to my lips, hardly daring to believe this is happening. After all these years of being apart, finally, finally, we can be together.