Chapter 8 #3
Athens waved a hand, brushing him off. “No, I know. What matters is, I got caught! Congratulations Mr Peters, you are officially a vampire hunter!” It wasn’t hard to detect the sarcasm in his voice.
Godwin wasn’t fazed by this though. Instead, he sat back and dropped his eyelids. “She’s looking for you, you know,” he said quietly.
“What?” Athens snapped.
It didn’t affect Godwin’s manner. His hands were trembling in his lap, but his voice did not stutter. “After the accident. You were marked as missing. She’s looking for you, your sister. There was a photo of you… only you had a different name… but I knew it was you and…”
She won’t miss me. Dariel recalled the other vampire’s words from earlier.
Athens gasped in a sharp breath.
Godwin shook his head in sorrow then finally gave in to the confidence he was desperately trying to uphold. “She wants you to be safe.”
“No she doesn’t.” Athens snarled. “She doesn’t want this.” He thumped his fist against his chest, jaw set.
“Athens…” Dariel started, expecting to be pushed away as he reached his arm out again, but instead, Athens leaned down into the embrace and suddenly Dariel found Athens’ head in his lap, his fingers beginning to stroke the soft black hair before him.
“Stop now, please,” Athens said, like he’d run out of energy.
“Of course, I’m sorry,” Godwin said, almost robotically.
“There is a reason the past is the past. It does you no good when you’re trying to move forward,” Athens continued, his breath warming Dariel’s thighs.
‘We can leave it where it belongs, everything.’
‘I thought I was strong enough.’
‘We don’t have to unpack anything tonight. Nothing changes my opinion of you, Athens.’
‘Thank you.’
Godwin sat with his eyes fixed to the pair of them, their position oddly intimate, Dariel thought. He didn’t mind how they looked though, as he continued to smooth Athens’ hair down to his shoulders.
“I admire you, Athens. I admire you a great deal. I envy your courage. Your heart,” Godwin said.
“Even though it doesn’t even beat?” A quiet, subtly joking tone came from Athens then, easing Dariel. He worried perhaps Athens would have grown too far gone into his own mind after that revelation.
Godwin’s face softened. “It still beats in your soul, does it not?” He tilted his head to be level with Athens.
Dariel listened to the words as if they were also meant for him, reaching his free hand to his own chest where his heart really did not beat.
He never understood how his body worked.
He was dead, but he could bleed. He breathed in air like every other human, but healed wounds at an alarming speed.
He wished to learn everything he did not understand from the man still resting his head on his lap.
Athens would surely have answers for him.
He just needed to keep the pair of them floating above the sea of shadows.
He was not alone, not anymore.
Maybe he didn’t have to be again. Even after this night was over.
Rain poured outside, the clock pendulum clicking at a constant pace.
“And you, Dariel Hale. You are wonderful.” Godwin smiled.
“I am?” Dariel rubbed his chest. Athens at some point had reached out a hand to stroke his knee, but he only noticed in that moment. Don’t stop.
“You are my elder, I presume?”
Was that a smirk? Dariel’s crotch hardened again. “You really do know us,” he said, trying to act unbothered.
‘You forget where my head is.’
‘No idea what you’re talking about.’
‘I’m definitely not moving now.’
Dariel discretely pulled a strand of Athens’ hair, causing the man in his lap to flinch.
“I believe I am, Mr Peters. I should be retiring.” Fuck it, just flirt. No going back now.
“Do you remember the war?” Godwin asked sincerely.
“A little. My earliest memory was the end.”
Godwin nodded. “Fascinating. Truly, I am… wow. Ha! You’re real.”
“I suppose I should be thankful I died at the age I did.” Dariel asked himself if he’d ever actually felt grateful for that, but the words came naturally.
He and Godwin latched onto each other’s gazes, and Athens deliberately pressed his head down into Dariel’s legs.
Heat burned his cheeks—and not from the fire.
“Forever a beauty,” Godwin said.
‘He’s right.’
‘You’re feeling smug, aren’t you?’
‘Maybe.’
Dariel might have exploded in that moment. He had run out of flirting techniques—he was, after all, insanely out of practice.
“Okay. What now?” He began, pulling himself away from Athens so the other man had no choice but to sit back up.
“You’ve confirmed your suspicions, we have solidified them for you, so what do you expect from us?
We cannot be known. The moment you step out of this house, we will have only one option. ”
No wonder you’ve been single this long. Threaten them, that ought to do it.
Godwin clapped his hands together, mellowing. “Well. That will be no problem, dear Dariel. For I summoned you both here this evening to…” he took in a deep breath, eyes glassy. “Well, to kill me.”
“I’m sorry?” Athens shouted, causing Dariel to jump. In the last five minutes of having Athens purely in his head, he’d already forgotten how loud the man could be.
Godwin beamed, but his hands trembled even more so than before. His body was betraying him. “You heard me right. Though after the evening we’ve all had, I’m sure that has now come as quite a shock.”
“I’m not going to kill you,” Dariel blurted out, confident in his statement. He would not raise a finger to this man. No. Never. He’d killed once before and refused to even come close to doing it again.
“You have no choice, though, do you?” Godwin said.
“We would simply erase your memory of the evening,” Athens said, indicating he was on the same page as Dariel. “No harm will come to you, I promise.”
“Ah, but then you’d have to erase the last decade of my life. I’d rather die with the knowledge than go on as a man without his mind.”
Neither of them spoke.
“I never expected you both to answer my invitation, but you did. Now my wish is one step closer to coming true.”
Dariel weighed the options the moment Godwin revealed his knowledge.
Either they wiped all memory of their existence from his mind, or they stopped him from ever speaking to another human for the rest of his life.
Though it seemed he was doing a fine job of the latter himself anyway, Dariel had been too entranced by this man to ever let his mind wander to any other option.
To the very idea Godwin may have to die.
A human man had found not one, but two vampires; creatures the world really did not know existed—not in any believable state.
He could not live on with this knowledge, and simply wiping his memory may do more damage than good. But murder? No. Dariel couldn’t.
“Godwin, I know what we said, but we really do not want to have to do this. Let us cause you to forget us. It is the easiest option for us all. No one has to be harmed,” Dariel tried, still worrying even this option may not work.
He could sense the rising pulse of their host; noting the beads of sweat on his forehead.
“I don’t want to forget you,” Godwin said, his voice innocent and childlike. His terror was plain to see.
“Godwin… I...” I don’t want to make you forget us.
“Why?” Athens cried. “Why do you want to die?”
Godwin wiped his eyes. “It is simply my wish. I decided a while ago I wanted my life to end, that I was coming to the end of my time on this earth, but I…”
“WHY? Why is your life not worth living? And why go to the extremes of finding vampires to do it?” Athens was speaking so loud now, his voice shaking in time with Godwin’s hands.
Their host’s breathing grew erratic as he raised a trembling hand to his face, covering his mouth.
“Godwin? Why? Please. I don’t want to do this,” Dariel pleaded.
“I didn’t think I’d grow so fond of you both this quickly. One evening should never have the effect this one has had on one’s opinion of strangers but…” he choked up. “I do rather like you both.”
“So let us help! After everything you shared with us, we cannot let you die. You haven’t even let yourself live yet! You’ve been cooped up in this prison for far too long. You’re mortal. Time is precious. And you wasted a whole lot of it.” Why are you crying now Dariel? Pull yourself together.
“Oh, Dariel. You really are a bonny man, inside and out. I am glad I found you.”
“Shut up! It doesn’t matter what you say or think about me. This is about you. We will not let you die!” Dariel hadn’t realised he was standing until he felt a soft hand reach out to pull him back. Athens.
“Godwin. You are not going anywhere. Your soul is staying put,” the other man said harshly.
“I made my decision.” Godwin was not budging.
“Well you’ll have to find someone else to do it, because we’re wiping your memories then we’re leaving.” It was Athens’ turn to stand. He walked over to Godwin and bent down to his eye level.
“What! NO! I want to die with my memories. I want this evening to be just as it was. The moments we shared, the wisdom the both of you gave me. You helped me see and understand I am not alone!”
‘If we helped him, why does he still want to die? I don’t understand.’
‘Sometimes these things run a lot deeper. He’s a stubborn man. Reminds me of myself.’
‘You wanted to die?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘Athens?’
‘I’m still here, aren’t I?’ Athens still crouched in front of Godwin, arms rooted to each side of the sofa, locking their host in.
“Don’t,” Dariel said out loud. Though he wasn’t sure who he was talking to. Don’t take his memories. Don’t leave me. Don’t.
“Fine.” Athens stood up abruptly, dusting off his hands but still towering over Godwin on the Chesterfield.
Dariel heard Godwin’s audible sigh of relief, despite the remaining tension in the room.
“You’re so sure you want to die, fine. I will kill you.”
‘What? No! I won’t let you…’
‘Relax. I’m not going to kill him.’
‘You’re not?’
‘I’m only letting him believe it.’
‘Why? I don’t understand.’
‘You fancy sticking around for a little longer than one night?’
‘What? Well I…’
Yes. Yes I do.
“I will kill you, Godwin Peters, but not yet. You’re going to tell us how you hoped the rest of the evening would play out first.”
Athens finally moved out of the way to let the other man stand. Godwin lowered his head in thanks to Athens.
“How did you envision leaving this world?” Athens kept his tone sharp.
Godwin cowered a little. “Oh, well, it feels stupid to say it out loud finally, and I made assumptions I perhaps shouldn’t have, but…”
“Nothing is stupid. Not tonight. What do you want?”
“I want it to be pleasant. I want my dying moments to be blissful, to make me feel, and I want my last breath to be one of relief. I have lived this life, it was set out for me, but now it is time to leave. I do not wish to grow old, ha.” Godwin swallowed and closed his eyes with a ghost of a smile across his lips.
“I want one last moment to remember what I once had.” He sighed as if it were already his last breath, pausing before he finished and dipping his head once more.
“It is pathetic really, and only attests to the selfishness that has always lain within me—this lust—but it is what I wish for.”
Dariel scowled. Then his face softened.
‘Did you hear that?’
‘I…huh.’
“Well, Godwin Peters,” Athens patted him on the back, “If you’re asking a man into your bed, you could at least show him your record collection first.”