Eternal’s ancient power filled the room with her dark symphony. She caressed frantic souls with her wondrous allure and transfixed everyone.
A brilliant shaft of sunlight sliced across the room, washing over Eternal. With a vicious snarl, she put up her arms to shield her eyes. She stepped out of the golden ray in annoyance and laughed, sensing the return of the eternal storm, the same one that ushered in her birth.
Her infectious smile was replaced by a look of pure hunger. She gazed upon the tasty morsels on offer before her with eyes black as night. Visions of blood feasting inflamed her appetite to bursting point. She shuddered and gleamed long fangs with a hiss of delight.
One by one, the patients backed away from her in abject terror, as far as they could into a corner. They huddled there, quivering like bowls of jelly. The word Eternal echoed around the room from patient to patient to orderly to orderly to Henri.
Eternal lifted her arms to the heavens. “I am Eternal! Let there be darkness.”
An otherworldly twilight descended with a shroud of heavy black clouds, transforming Douvrey and the surrounding area into the realm of the dead. Lightning flashed across the sky followed by a tremendous crackling of thunder. Not one single patient uttered a cry when the windowpanes rattled.
Henri looked with utter defeat from his patients to the deep, comfortless gloom that had descended upon the day room. He swayed as if slightly intoxicated. He gazed into Edouard’s eyes with hopeless resignation.
~~~~
Edouard gripped Henri’s shoulders. “You’ll be fine, Henri.” He smiled sadly at Henri’s acceptance. Eternal sent him Henri’s confusion.
Henri knew beyond all doubt what Bonbon and Nurse Marteau had been doing, right under his nose. It came to him in a flash of sickening revelation, straight from Eternal’s powerful mind. He glared at Nurse Marteau trying to control a shivering Philippe. What he saw repulsed him. The festering demon was trying to escape its fleshy prison.
Henri shuddered for a moment, a dark, cold wind blowing his fears away. He looked around the room and focused his anger on Nurse Marteau, hovering by the French doors. It looked like she was about to make a run for it but a whimpering Philippe hugged her legs, preventing escape.
Edouard gripped Henri’s jaw and turned him face-to-face. “Forget her, Henri.” He saw the confusion in Henri’s face. “Do not concern yourself with Bonbon ... his sacrifice was a fitting end for the evil he spread in this place. Be grateful he is gone. I know your patients are.”
Henri blinked for a moment, digesting Edouard’s words. He grimaced with anger and charged across the room towards a startled Nurse Marteau.
“What have you been doing to my patients?” Henri challenged with grim determination.
Chapter 53
Father Papineau lay spread-eagled on the cold stone floor of his church. He stared up into Lucien’s demented grin.
“Life is so unfair ... don’t you think?” Lucien giggled with superiority.
Father Papineau’s outstretched hand gripped a fallen candle, spitting a weak flame. He plunged the flaming end into Lucien’s right eye.
Lucien fell back, throwing his sword high in the air to clutch his hissing eye. He howled in agony, running around, stumbling and crashing into pews.
The eternal gloom that had descended upon Douvrey turned day to night within the confines of the church of Saint Madeleine. The only source of light came from the scattered candles that had rolled across the floor to ignite the red cloth atop the table. Flames licked up the dangling cloth, hungry for more food.
Father Papineau staggered to his feet and glared triumphantly at the vile vampire clutching its face. He saw the sword quivering in a pew. He looked around in the shadows for the other evil one and saw her in the aisle crouching with indecision.
Movement directed Papineau to look further down the aisle at Doctor Colbert pointing a shotgun at the female vampire. The sound of movement! Where was Lucien? He looked around for him but he had vanished along with his sword. More movement diverted his attention to the tall black one creeping up on the doctor.
“Behind you, doctor!”
Jacques crushed Doctor Colbert’s head with a tire iron, inflicting immediate death. The shotgun was ripped from the doctor’s dead hands before he collapsed to the floor, the tire iron embedded in his skull.
Father Papineau rushed down the central aisle, towards the main door. He heard the click, click of both triggers being pulled back. He dived for cover under the nearest row of pews, the shotgun blast peppering the thick oak door.
The lock shattered. Papineau rejoiced when the door burst inwards. A horde of angry villagers charged forth brandishing, shotguns, pitchforks, garden rakes, swords and rusted old rifles with bayonets fixed, screaming in righteous fury.
Father Papineau wept with relief, for his words had not fallen on deaf ears. Something caught his eye.
~~~~
Lucien sprang from a row of pews. He pulled his revolver from his coat and fired three times into the angry mob.
Three villagers fell to the floor but they advanced on the vampires without hesitation.
Lucien leapt over the pews and ran down the aisle, followed by Claudette and Jacques.
The villagers chased the vampires out of the burning church and into the square where more villagers lay in wait.
Lucien opened fire three more times into the surging crowd. The throng stuttered for a brief moment, allowing him to cut a swathe with his sword.
Several villagers fell, clutching their abdomens.
Lucien and Jacques dashed for the waiting Mercedes with its canopy down. He hopped into the passenger seat and thanked the Devil for Jacques leaving the keys in the ignition.
Jacques started her up and drove straight at the surging mob. The car bumped over the unfortunates unable to get out of the way. Jacques slowed down for Claudette but she was not so lucky.
A pitchfork impaled her through the back. She spat blood, staring down at the barbs protruding through each breast. She laughed in a bloody gurgle of surprise.
“Help me Lucien! I’m afraid!” She coughed blood into Jacques’ face.
Jacques reached out with his stumped hand and grabbed Claudette’s hand. That was all Jacques pulled into the car as a scythe swished. He stared at the detached hand in his grasp.
Claudette screamed at her bloody stump, spouting a fountain of blood. She staggered forward and collapsed to the cobbled square.
Jacques swerved the car into the man wielding the scythe. He grimaced when the car jolted over the villager. The rest of the mob scattered before the Mercedes.
With the Mercedes speeding away, Lucien looked behind to see screaming villagers hacking away at Claudette. Her head was held high.
Jacques put his foot to the floor. The car lurched out of the village into the gloomy unnatural twilight, leaving a wake of death.
Lucien screamed with a terrible rage to see his scarred, burnt face mocking him from the vanity mirror on the sun visor. He scraped wax from his swollen eye socket with a long fingernail. All the car’s instruments glowed as if made of gold.
Lucien turned to see the church bursting into flames. He heaved a sigh for Claudette.
Jacques wiped away tears. “That was not on the menu. Fuck it, I’m going to miss her.” He looked across at Lucien bemoaning his scarred face.
Lucien glared at Jacques. “I want them all to suffer for this.” He snarled, stamping his foot onto the dashboard causing the instruments to waver wildly.
“The asylum!” he screamed.
Jacques admonished Lucien, “Don’t take it out on the car, man.”
Lucien jabbed the pistol into Jacques’ temple. “Stop the fucking car or I’ll blow your brains out!”
Jacques laughed. “It’s empty you damned fool.”
Lucien shrugged and pulled the trigger to prove a point. He tossed the gun into Jacques lap, hitting him right where it counts.
Jacques slammed on the brakes and moan
ed with the gripping pain.
Lucien kicked him out of the driver’s seat and rammed into first gear with a crunch. He glanced curiously at a pretty blonde woman running past them, crying hysterically.
Jacques had just enough time to dive into the back before it raced away. He crawled to the front passenger seat and glared at Lucien. His shaking hands frantically opened the glove compartment and fished out a box of cartridges. He clumsily reloaded the gun, not daring to hand it back to Lucien.
Lucien drove like a man possessed. The Mercedes screamed down the country lane towards the bright lights of the institute. In his fury, he missed the turn. He slammed on the brakes, reversed to the turn off and sped like a lunatic down the driveway to the institute with headlights on full beam.
Jacques braced himself while Lucien swerved the Mercedes across the damp lawn to the rear of the institute, churning up the grass with skid marks.
A demonic grin etched across his scarred face, Lucien put his foot to the floor and charged straight for the large French doors.
Chapter 54
Eternal advanced on the demon witch with hands outstretched, using her vampiric lullaby to confuse the evil creature. Her fangs begged for more blood. Her eyes were burning black coals of sanguineous desire. She relished the demon’s terror.
The evil creature tried to escape the old bag of skin in which it was trapped. The witch developed two heads and a swishing forked tail. The demon head hissed and spat its displeasure. It slipped back into its vile home.
Nurse Marteau tried desperately to pull Philippe from her legs but the stupid fool gripped her more tightly in his own terror.
“You are just like Mama,” Philippe cried out to Marteau.
“Stay away from me, you evil bitch!” she screamed. “Someone, please help me?”
Eternal heard Lucien’s hideous screams of hatred charging towards the institute like a raging bull. She stopped with a flash of fear curling her upper lip into a snarl. She turned to Edouard and rushed to him.
As they fled the room, Edouard shouted out, “Sorry Henri.”
~~~~
Completely confused, Henri watched Edouard leave. His heart was heavy at losing such a talented colleague. He turned his attention to the nurses, still comforting the patients. The room immediately settled to a tolerable level of insanity now that Eternal was gone.
He blinked when the strange music lost intensity. He shook his head to clear it, thinking how could vampires exist in this day and age? But he had seen her fangs and witnessed her power firsthand.
Everything Father Papineau had told him was true. There actually were demons and vampires walking the earth. He had seen Eternal’s demonic visions. Sweet Martha was a monstrous succubus. So it was her demon that had murdered all those men and devoured their genitals. Philippe had murdered his mother who was actually a demon. Henri’s world had been turned upside down and inside out. Could all his patients be possessed?
Henri knew of at least one other who nurtured a demon. He glared at Nurse Marteau struggling with Philippe, still trying to make good her escape through the French doors.
Intense light flooded the room. She looked behind her to be dazzled by the twin beams of the Mercedes’ headlights. Her hideous screams forced the demon within to vacate its home but it was too late.
Henri stood rooted to the floor while Nurse Marteau’s demon crawled out of her body with a bloody squelch. His stomach squirmed at the grotesque sight. It looked straight at Henri and snarled. Edouard had been correct all along about her influence. He backed away when a black rip appeared in the air and swallowed the demon whole leaving an icy mist.
The French doors exploded with a crash of glass and splintered wood. The front grill of the car slammed through Nurse Marteau and Philippe, shattering their skulls into fragments. The car sucked their bodies under and crushed the piano against the far wall. Poor Martha and an orderly died instantly.
~~~~
Lucien jumped from the car, brandishing his sword. He callously chuckled. “Knock knock.”
Lucien advanced on Henri, feeling the aftershock of Eternal’s presence. He faltered, looking for her and smiled dementedly, continuing to advance on the terrified doctor hugging a matronly nurse. He glanced at Busson lying motionless on the couch, arms wrapped around a whining Papillon.
“Please ... don’t get up!” Lucien laughed.
Jacques leapt from the back of the car leaving the engine running and surveyed the catastrophe.
Henri and Nurse Collette stood motionless, staring wide-eyed with terror at the pair of vampires advancing on them. He nodded to Nurse Collette, “Run!”
Nurse Collette didn’t need to be told twice.
Two male orderlies let go of troubled patients and charged at the intruders.
Jacques casually squeezed off two shots from the revolver. Both men were thrown backwards, their heads exploding. He laughed, blowing smoke from the barrel. He licked the muzzle with a hiss of steam from his tongue.
The remaining patients ran screaming through the shattered doors.
“Take care of that nurse!” Lucien shouted to Jacques.
~~~~
Edouard hurtled down the hallway led by Eternal’s immense strength. They slammed into the front door.
He tried to open it but then remembered it was locked. He cried out in anguish and turned to see Nurse Collette racing to him. She shrugged a goodbye and tossed a bunch of keys before dashing back down the corridor.
“Come with us.” He watched her disappear down the corridor.
Edouard heard her screams and so wanted to help now that his Lancelot persona was stronger. A mental slap from Eternal forced him to leave the nurse’s fate in her own hands. He frantically tried key after key.
Edouard whined desperately for the right key amongst the countless within the bunch. He prayed the vampires would give him enough time. He jumped when several loud gunshots shattered the moment.
Edouard gasped, sliding the right key home and the door popped open to freedom. They burst into the strange twilight gloom of early morning and ran, hand in hand, across the manicured lawn towards the woods to the north of the institute. Neither dared look back.
~~~~
Lucien glared at Jacques’ miserable return. “Well?”
“She won’t be telling tales to the flics,” Jacques said, not looking Lucien eye to eye.
Lucien picked up Jacques lies and knew he had not taken care of the nurse. The room was so thick with car fumes Lucien coughed his guts up. He stood surrounded by the blood-spattered remnants of humanity left in the wake of his vampiric rage. The only survivors were Henri, Busson and his dog.
Lucien grimaced in pain, his need for Eternal raking against his nerves with rusty nails. He gave Jacques a nod to check outside. Blood seeped from the makeshift bandage around his neck. More blood flowed down his left leg to pool at his feet. His psychic bond to Jacques was barely functioning. He received only garbled images.
Jacques eagerly left through the shattered doors. He breathed in the fresh air and surveyed the pandemonium in the gardens. He moaned in pain and glared at the blood dribbling unabated from his stumped hand.
Several patients scrambled onto Busson’s cart. One enterprising patient whipped the horse into action and cantered off while more patients hopped onto the back, howling like devils.
He lowered the pistol, not wanting to waste bullets on those idiots. In fact he didn’t think he could hit the broad side of a barn now that his blood boiled through his body with a terrible need.
Another male patient danced frantically with three naked females. They seemed oblivious to the carnage around them. Three more patients were entangled in an orgy, cavorting on the lawn.
Jacques turned from that disgusting sight to see two people dash into the woods surrounding the northern perimeter of the institute. He couldn’t see who they were. The pain erupted with full force.
To placate his uncontrollable need for Eternal’s pure blood, he di
ved on a naked female running past him. He ripped her neck wide open with his fangs and drank but immediately threw up the vile stuff contaminated with foul tasting drugs.
Jacques heaved a sigh, sliding off the dead woman. He dreaded the inevitable tirade from Lucien and entered the asylum.
Lucien held up a hand to stop Jacques from opening his mouth. He placed the tip of his shaking sword under Henri’s chin. The sword wavered, his hand trembling with the blood fire. It felt like acid flowed through his veins. He must have her blood now and his confused senses told him she was still very close.
“Where is she Doctor Vernier ... where is Eternal?”
~~~~
Henri grimaced at the shaking blade cutting into his neck. He stoically stood his ground and for the first time in his life he experienced a traumatic flashback, so often described by his patients. Lucien changed into a strutting officer aiming his swagger stick at him. Instead of thunder shaking the room, shells exploded all around the hospital surgery. The officer screamed demented orders at Henri. Henri looked on in dismay at the dismembered bodies heaped in a corner and buckets full of amputated limbs.
Henri was rudely shaken from his flashback to see the deranged glare of victory on Lucien’s face. He stepped back in shock when Lucien’s mouth pounced on his neck. Henri shoved the vampire away with a tearing of flesh.
“Go to hell, Dupont!”
“You first, doctor,” Lucien said with a cold chuckle. He ended Henri’s life with a thrust of the sword through his heart.
Henri fell to the blood-soaked floor no longer troubled by the horrors of the Great War.
“I saw someone running into the woods. It could’ve been her,” Jacques said nervously to his thoroughly deranged master.
Lucien turned to Jacques. His face paint cracked with pent up rage. He exploded like a volcano. “You fucking idiot!”
Jacques backed away and hopped into the car, now dangerously close to overheating. He slid across to the passenger side.
“They can’t be far. Come on!” he urged.
Lucien slumped into the driver’s seat. He felt slightly better for Henri’s vintage. Brief images of warfare and screaming legless soldiers flashed across his mind. That was when he noticed Busson staring at him with sheer hatred and fear. He shrugged a smile and winked.
Voracious Vixens, 13 Novels of Sexy Horror and Hot Paranormal Romance Page 42
