Earth, Sun, and Moon Saga Ch. 05

Welcome back! This chapter is part two of three for the flashback started in the last chapter. So that's a good place to start if you don't want to read from the beginning. Sorry about that, but the damned thing just kept growing until I needed to divide it. This chapter is relatively low on the smut and leans into the horror/suspense aspect of this series. If that's not your cup of tea, I get it.

Speaking of tea, welcome to

London, 1890

Gwendolyn hated cities.

They were cramped, dirty places filled with desperate people two missed meals away from savagery.

And London was worse.

The flood of humanity was everywhere, from starving, sickly children to the well-heeled gentry, with all of them scurrying about like rats in a barn.

Over her long years she'd traveled the world many times. She'd found herself in cities that fancied themselves the jewel of empires or the bedrock of kingdoms. She'd even lived in them at times, out in the open, when a woman of her talents could live anonymously among the masses.

The transformation of cities from merely cramped, dirty, and diseased to smoke-filled, toxic cesspits like London, had only occurred in the last hundred years.

Industry, they called it.

It was a pox on the surface of the land as far as she was concerned.

She was vaguely aware that a great transformation was occurring all over the world, that millions of poor, rural peasants were moving into cities in search of new factory jobs, and that this was causing a revolution in how people lived and worked. It was a hard thing to see when you lived during it, but she'd lived through countless of these transformations and her instinct was to stay far away until the dust settled and equilibrium was found again.

The stagecoach stopped in front of a seven-story tenement in London's East End. The building was near indistinguishable from those around it; just one of an endless line of brick buildings jutting upward in neat straight lines, each building bleeding into those next to it.

"Home sweet home," Lenore said with no hint of irony.

"I think that man is dead over there." Edward pointed to a body laying in the gutter.

The vampire Lenore looked over and shrugged. "He still has a heartbeat. For now."

They exited the stagecoach that had been their home for the last week, gathering their belongings and letting Lenore lead the way.

If London itself was a poisonous cesspit, the East End was where it drained out. A cacophony of smells assaulted Gwen as she stood on the street, only a few she could easily identify. Beer and piss and shit and coal smoke combined with the putrid smell of rot that came off the Thames.

"I can't believe you live here voluntarily," Gwen said, holding her nose.

All around them men and women lingered in various states of drunkenness, arguing and squabbling. The front of Lenore's building, however, was notably devoid of people. It was as if, even falling down drunk, the locals knew to avoid it.

"It smells like death here," Edward said.

"I know, isn't it lovely?" Lenore replied.

They followed her into the tenement. It was as dark as a cave inside, and they moved through a series of narrow hallways before coming to stairs that led into the basement. The air grew stale and then cold as they descended.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs Lenore led them through a door where she retrieved and lit an oil lamp.

"I thought the cities were using Edison's electric light," Edward said.

Lenore grinned darkly in the glow of the lamp. "They're being used in the street lights mostly. But only in the rich parts of the city. Here we still live in the dark."

Lenore led them through a series of corridors before entering a large chamber.

"Welcome to my coven," Lenore said as they entered. Then she froze, nearly dropping the lamp. "No," she whispered. "No no no..."

"What?" Gwen asked. She couldn't make out much in the large chamber, as mu of it was shrouded in darkness. Low light from candles gave some sense of the size but she didn't have Lenore's dark vision.

Edward took one of the dying candles to light another lamp.

She saw why Lenore froze.

Bodies hung from the ceiling. Pale and naked and drenched in dried black blood. Each had suffered a wound to their chest or abdomen and Gwen didn't need to get that close to know they were missing their hearts.

Lenore howled in rage.

Fangs out and eyes black, she grabbed the closest object she could reach--a heavy-looking reclining chair--and smashed it to pieces.

"You were supposed to wait!" she screamed at the bodies. "'Wait for my return,' I said!"

Gwen, who'd seen more death in her life than perhaps anyone who'd ever lived, waited until she was done before speaking.

"Lenore, sister, we may still be in danger here."

Lenore growled and disappeared into one of the rooms that connected to the main chamber. There were several and she searched them all in just a few seconds.

"We're alone," she announced. "Whatever did this is long gone."

Edward stood transfixed by the gory sight. "What creature out of hell could do this?"

"Nothing, I know of," Gwen said, solemnly.

Lenore cut the bodies down. There were four, and they were the last of her coven. Laying flat, their features desiccated, Gwen thought they looked pathetic rather than the ancient killers they were.

She knelt, inspecting their wounds. "You said the others were missing their hearts? Were they missing other organs?"

"We didn't do a bloody autopsy," Lenore replied darkly. "After we found Catherine I came straight away to find you."

Gwen reached into the chest cavity of one of the dead vampires. "This one is missing his liver too."

They looked over the other bodies. Two of the four were disemboweled as well, missing other organs along with their hearts.

The female vampire was missing her lungs and most of her windpipe. One was missing his liver, another his spleen. The fourth dead vampire was missing his stomach and most of his intestines.

Lenore lightly stroked the hair of the fourth corpse. "This was Albrecht. We've been together since the reign of Queen Elizabeth. We built this coven together."

Gwen knelt too and put a hand on the corpse's chest. "I'm so sorry, sister. I know what he meant to you."

Lenore wiped tears of blood away. "I'm going to find who did this and tear out their throat."

"Aye," Gwen agreed. "I'll stand by you as you do."

Edward just put a hand on her shoulder. Gwen's apprentice had grown rather fond of Lenore during the week of their travels, likely due to the carnal relations they'd shared during the otherwise long, dull journey.

They were silent a long time before Edward moved. He knelt next to the body of the female vampire and opened her clawed hand.

A burn was seared to the flesh of her palm, as clear as ink on paper.

"A cross?" Edward asked.

Lenore scowled at the burn. "That's no cross. Besides, it's a mere legend that a crucifix offers any protection against my kind. That's something else."

Gwen pulled a memory of her time in Alexandria. The fashion at the time was for men and women to wear this symbol as jewelry. They wore it around their necks as a protective amulet when Christianity was still just a cult for slaves and the poor.

"It's an ankh," she said. "It means life. The key of life."

"Makes a certain sense that it burns vampires, doesn't it?" Edward said. "They were undead after all."

Lenore stood suddenly, tears of blood running down her face. She pulled a handkerchief from one black sleeve and wiped the blood away. As she did, her expression hardened.

"We have to get rid of the bodies."

***

This part of the Thames was sparsely traversed. The muckrakers that trolled the banks for bits of saleable debris were long gone, preferring to work during the day. Swift currents could pull the unsuspecting off their feet and at night there would be no hope of rescue. Even the poorest and most desperate avoided it at night.

They had wrapped the bodies in cloth and Tom Cooper had wordlessly driven them to the water's edge. The coachman was unflappable, barely reacting as they piled four dead vampires into the carriage.

Lenore lined them up on the uneven pier.

"Would you like to say a few words?" Edward asked.

Lenore considered for a moment then responded coldly, "Aye. Existence is pain. Attachment is for the weak. Nothing has meaning. Life is pointless, even for the immortal."

"I mean... maybe tell us about your coven?"

"There's no point to it," she growled. "We fed on the scum of this city for hundreds of years. We were sewer rats eating trash. Now they're gone and I'm alone."

"You're not alone," Gwen said, putting a hand on the vampire's shoulder. "Whatever happens, know you have a place with me. I may not drink blood but we can try to make it like it was."             

"It won't ever be like it was," Lenore said. "I'm not some abandoned orphan you can take in and instruct in the fine art of basket weaving."

"Hey," Edward said, knowing that was, at least partly, directed at him. "Don't speak to my mistress that way. She's only telling you that she cares about you."

"And you, handsome?" Lenore asked, sneering. "Do you care for me?"

Edward sputtered but quickly gained composure. "Yes. I do. I think you're fiendish and brash and an unrepentant harlot. But there's a tenderness in you too. You're not the devil you pretend to be. Like Gwendolyn said; you're not alone in this."

Lenore was going to reply, probably with some biting insult, but there was a splash behind them.

"Hello?" a feminine voice called.

The three of them turned to see a figure in the water.

"Asari?" Gwen said, confused.

"I thought that was you!" Asari said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was following a crocodile!" Asari pulled herself up onto the pier. Her breasts were bare, and her blonde hair hung in tangles around her shoulders. When she was seated on the pier, she flicked her tail. "Ugh! This river is so gross! I don't remember it being this disgusting."

Edward, despite being Gwen's apprentice and thus familiar with a variety of supernatural beings, responded by leaping backward. "B-ah! That's a mermaid!"

"What's his problem?" Asari asked.

"Edward," Gwen said. "This is Asari. She's a selkie. We go back away." She turned to the selkie. "Nice to see you again, Ash. How was your journey?"

"Fun," Asari said, wringing dirty water out of her hair. "Just got back from the Cyclades. Family reunions sure are stressful though."

"Any other supernatural friends I might want to know about?" Edward asked. "Perhaps a werewolf or two?"

Lenore snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. Werewolves don't exist."

"So what's this about a crocodile?" Gwen asked.

"Well," Asari began. "I'm not so sure it was a crocodile. That was part of why I followed it. I mean, they don't live around here anyways, which is odd on its own but this one didn't look like one either. It kind of looked like a fat cow from the back. It didn't really have a tail."

"A crocodile-cow?" Edward asked, incredulous.

"Not the weirdest thing you've seen today, handsome." Lenore signed. "Well, it was nice to see you again, Ash. Drop us a line the next time you're swimming through."

"Wait," Edward said, "You don't think that's connected to..." He motioned to the four corpses still on the pier. "All this?"

Lenore looked at him with sympathy. "This is her modus operandi, so to speak. She finds all sorts of weird shit in the ocean."

"Lenore's coven was just wiped out by something," Gwen explained to Ash. "Something very powerful that can easily kill vampires. There was a symbol. An ankh. Burned into the hand of this body." Gwen knelt and partially unwrapped the body to reveal the hand.

Ash scrunched her face, deep in thought. As she did, her legs began forming. "How funny. The crocodile thing was wearing that as a necklace. What are the odds?"

"Wait, what?" Lenore asked.

"Yeah, that was the other strange thing about it. Crocodiles don't normally wear jewelry. Maybe he found it and thought it was pretty?"

"Alright, so this probably is connected," Lenore said. "Where did this crocodile go?"

Ash pointed down the Thames. "That way. Then he disappeared into the sewers."

"Did you follow him?"

"Ew, no."

Edward turned to Gwen. "Do you think this is the thing we're after?"

Gwen shook her head. "I don't think so. But it appears connected, yes? That symbol is Egyptian. It's very old. Older than me. And crocodiles are sacred in their ancient religion. But I don't know more than that. Much of their history was lost to time. Even when I traveled through the region, hundreds of years ago, that old religion had been dead for over a millennium."

Edward nodded. "You once told me that the old gods are connected to this world by sacred objects and their temples. What if that symbol is connected to an old god? One powerful enough to treat a coven of vampires like kindling?"

"But why would Egyptian gods be here of all damn places?" Lenore scowled.

"Excuse my interruption, Countess."

They turned to see the coachman, Tom, had approached them. He valiantly avoided staring at Asari, who now stood naked on the pier.

"Couldn't help but overhear. But it might have something to do with them gravediggers what brought them old artifacts."

"What gravediggers?"

"They fancy calling themselves archeologists or some such nonsense. Brought back treasures from the east, they did. Now that Egypt is a crown territory."

Lenore and Gwen traded looks.

"Good Tom, would you happen to know where they brought these treasures?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, mum. Brought them to the new museum in central London, they did. Open to the public. Penny for admission, I hear."

Gwendolyn turned to Lenore. "I'm willing to wager that the sewer connects directly underneath the museum."

"So you believe my coven, elite hunters of the night all, were killed by an ancient crocodile-cow god from halfway around the bloody world? Because what? Some tomb robbers brought back a statue or two?"

Gwen pointed to the bodies. "You came to me asking for help. My powers aren't infinite but I've picked up a few pearls of wisdom over the years. One of which is don't fuck around with the idols of the old gods. If humans brought something back like that, they may have awoken a dormant god without realizing it."

Lenore crossed her arms. "Absurdity of the highest order. But as we have no other leads, I guess I must acquiesce."

Edward, who during their back and forth had not stopped staring at the very naked Asari, finally spoke, "So is the mermaid--I mean, selkie, coming too?"

"Coming where?" Asari asked.

Gwen sighed. "Asari, would you like to join us in tracking down an ancient Egyptian god that for, some reason, has decided to hunt and kill vampires? This is going to be extraordinarily dangerous and will likely involve us all dying horribly gruesome deaths."

Asari shrugged. "Sure. Sounds fun."

***

After dumping the bodies, Tom drove them to west London, to a much nicer Georgian townhouse overlooking Hyde Park. Lenore explained that the coven kept this and other properties all over the city, rotating different members through them as needed. Lenore's current alias was a wealthy yet reclusive widow occupying the expensive but not extravagant address here. As her coven hunted and fed on the dregs of London's underbelly, it was often convenient to have hideouts well away from their hunting grounds.

Unlike the dark tenement building, where they housed themselves in a catacomb-like basement, the Hyde Park house was all above ground, the only basement space being the coal cellar and furnace room.

"Are we sure it's safe here?" Edward asked when they arrived.

"I don't know how the other lair was discovered," Lenore explained. "But I imagine one of my coven was stalked and followed there. No one was occupying this place when I left, so its significance is perhaps still concealed."

"It is much nicer than the other place," Edward conceded. "Even at night."

"Aye." Lenore nodded. "I've always found this place tacky but Albrecht loved playing the part of the handsomely rakish gentleman, luring the lustful woman of the gentry here and bathing in their blood."

Edward cleared his throat. "It's a shame I couldn't meet him."

"Normally, I would say something congenial, like 'Oh, you would have had so much in common'. But you wouldn't. And Albrecht would have likely drained you of every drop as soon as you displeased him."

Lenore turned to Asari, who'd borrowed Tom's overcoat for the ride as she had no clothes of her own. "You'll be happy to learn that we have a water tank here and a tub. I'm sure you'll want to soak."

Asari's eyes went wide. "You have water inside the house?"

Lenore nodded. "Indoor plumbing, they call it. It's all the rage."

Asari hugged the vampire enthusiastically. "Yay! You're such a good friend!"

"No need to mention it. Ever."

Lenore gave them a brief tour and pointed them to their rooms. Gwen and Edward were invited to stay in the main bedroom as Lenore's coffin was located in the attic. That space was easily closed off from below> and contained no windows.

"Before we all settle in," Lenore said to Gwen. "I was hoping I could borrow handsome for a moment?"

"So long as you promise to behave," Gwen said.

"Of course."

Edward let Lenore lead him to the attic. A short staircase led to an impressively open room with an arched ceiling. Several ornate coffins lined one side. It was the opposite of the cramped, dusty space Edward had imagined. It was clean and comfortable, with light from a few fancy electric light bulbs shining on the plush Persian rug and other fine furnishings.

Once there, she turned to him. "I have a favor to ask of you," she stammered.

"Go on."

Lenore had previously explained that sunlight was normally a death sentence for vampires but for her, it was merely an inconvenience. She was old enough that she'd gained mastery of her powers in ways fledgling vampires could only dream of. Sunlight could easily burn her but so long as she wore long clothes and hats and used umbrellas, she could spend significant amounts of time outside, especially in the frequently overcast British isles. Being awake during the day, however, was taxing on her powers, requiring significant amounts of sleep to renew herself.

"But there's one teeny-tiny thing you could do for me."

"I think I know what you're about to ask."

Lenore sighed. "Yes. And I'm sorry, I'm not used to it."

"Why even ask then?"

"Because you're Gwen's apprentice."

"She doesn't own me, you know."

"Of course not. But you do have a special relationship, right?"

"You could say that."

"So, out of respect for her and you, I'll ask..." Lenore bit her lower lip, nervous. "May I drink your blood? Just a taste? It's getting early and I don't want to go out hunting."

"And if I say no?"

Lenore sighed. "I'll respect that." She undid the top lace on the front of her dress. "But I can make it worth your while..."

Edward scoffed. "You don't have to do that."

She put her hands on his chest and began opening the buttons there. He grabbed her hands, gently but firmly.

"No."

Lenore looked at him with confusion. "Are you turning me down?"

"You just lost your whole family. I don't care how old you are but that can't ever be easy. So, no, you don't need to trade sex for... your food." Edward pulled up his sleeve and held his wrist out. "I trust you."

Lenore stared back at him, their eyes locking. He studied her as her cold wall of defenses crumbled. She suddenly seemed unsure, even nervous. She kissed his wrist gently and he didn't even feel when she bit into him, just a touch of pressure, and then she was drinking from him.