Victorian Vampire Boyfriend |MxM|

Chapter 15

The light from the hall windows spills in, silhouetting the two women.

"Well, now, what a lucky catch," grins Alaina, a feral light sparkling in her teeth as she laughs. She clasps her hands behind her back imperiously. "How lovely to see you, Darling, we weren't expecting you quite so soon."

"Alaina." Elliot grates out his reply and takes a step back defensively. He extends an arm in front of Orsino as if trying to keep him away from the newcomers. Meanwhile, Orsino is looking wildly between the three of them.

"Uh..."

Elliot's eyes land back on him, and Orsino tries to shake his head minutely. Marlene and Alaina can't know that he was speaking on friendly terms with Elliot, they'll take it as a sign of collaboration.

Elliot catches on and his eyes flick between Orsino, Marlene, and Alaina, reassessing. Then with a tap of his umbrella cane and a flap of his overcoat, he whips behind Orsino, who lets out a startled cry as for the third time today, he is clutched within Elliot's grasp. Except this time, Elliot's arm wraps around his front grabbing his shoulder, as Elliot stands behind him. Orsino shivers from the chill of something sharp pressed against his jaw, just above where his high-collared shirt ends.

He has to strain his eyes to see it, but Elliot is holding a letter opener to his neck.

"Don't play games with me," hisses Alaina. "Let him go."

When Elliot sprang into action, she and Marlene immediately moved into defensive postures. Marlene now holds a kitchen knife pulled from her skirts, and Alaina's silk gloved hands are held out in front of her like some kind of martial artist, but her fingers are contorted into strange shapes, almost symbols. The air hums like lightning had struck a tuning fork.

Orsino gulps feeling his throat flex against Elliot's blade.

"And you oughtn't try anything either, sister dearest, lest you want your newest hanger-on to lose his head," Elliot hissed right back at her, his breath whistling past Orsino's ear.

Sister?  Orsino's thoughts are sent swirling, but he can't think past the hand on his neck.

Elliot murmurs softly into his ear, as he pushes him forward, slowly stepping out of the closet together, "Apologies for this charade, but I must get away without sullying your rapport with Alaina, as I'm sure you know, she doesn't think kindly of anyone near me."

Relief tumbles through Orsino, but he tries not to show it. He glances around the hall as it comes back into his field of view. No telling if Elliot would have a chance running down either direction. Orsino still wasn't sure how much Elliot's limp affected him. Directly in front of them though was a window that lead directly outside, to the brush and greenery and then eventually the treeline. The day was getting long and the shadows were reaching further...

"Think you handle some daylight? The window might be your best shot. You can lose them in the woods," Orsino mumbles back, trying to move his mouth as little as possible.

"You may be right," Elliot whispers back after a moment, advancing another step forward. He turns his focus to Marlene who is closest and is still brandishing her knife at him.

Louder now, Elliot calls out to her. His voice is steely, but he can't seem to keep confusion from it, "Please, put that thing down Marlene. Frankly, I can't understand why you're here. Have William or I wronged you? Did I forget to pay your wage? What quarrel have you with me that you would point a blade at me and collaborate with my enemies?"

Marlene opens her mouth but can't seem to find the words, nor the willpower to meet Elliot's gaze. Instead, she meets Orsino's eyes. She mumbles, "Just... just let him go, no need to drag him into this."

Alaina raises her voice above Marlene's while she maneuvers slowly for a better angle at Elliot, "You've wronged us all with your very existence, Darling. No wage, nor masquerading with gentle words, can hide your true beastly nature from people. When will you learn that there is no place for you in this town, or on this earth?"

If Orsino hadn't been so close he wouldn't be able to hear the way Elliot's breath catches in his throat. He ducks his head to whisper urgently to Orsino again, "Will you be alright if I leave you here?"

Orsino nods, he can take his chances with Alaina and Marlene.

Elliot's voice loses its edge when he speaks to Alaina again, "I am a monster, but at least I am able to admit it, unlike you Alaina." With that, he shoves Orsnio into Marlene, so they stumble together blocking Alaina's sightline.

"Wait-!" Alaina hisses in frustration, pushing a tripping Marlene to the wall.

Orsino falls but manages to twist around in the last second, landing on his backside to watch Elliot crash through the window, the tip of his parasol first, shattering the glass and shielding him from the fragments as he tumbled through. Orsino's last glimpse is of Elliot making for the tree line, though his bad leg seems to be slowing him down. Then Alaina is at the window cursing bitterly, casting around the window frame for a way to get through safely, but it's a mess of broken shards.

"Damn!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*"*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a/n: It's a little late, I know, but here's the final chapter for the promised weekly October updates! I am going to be taking a break from updating this story as regularly, and in exchange, I'll be trying to do a similar weekly chapter update for my other book, The Suitors' Ball, which I've been neglecting, so if you're interested you can read that while you wait. Knowing me though, I'll still be working on this one in between, especially since I have the next chapter planned out, hehe :-).

Thanks for reading!