The Alexandru Chronicles: The Beginning

by Julienne Holmes

  As the fledgeling, behind him, raised his blade, Cirpian coldly smiled.

  It was that very smirk, that had Madeira's fear quickly returning. And, without saying a word, Cirpian swung around and decapitated the fledgeling in back of him. And then, turning just as swiftly, he brought his sword right down into Madeira's neck.

  XXX

  Swiftly stepping away from James, Genevieve noticed how at first this satisfying look crept to his ugly mug. And then, when his throat started to sizzle, this look was quickly replaced with an angry frightened one.

  “You bitch...!” he screamed.

  When he advanced upon her, she instinctively took a step back.

  The moment his head blew out, like a balloon, Genevieve's thoughts were ranging from: One, that's not humanly possible. And two, she really should look away from what was going to happen next.

  Yet, she couldn't seem to.

  As he continued to screamingly claw at his throat, he tried rushing her again. Yet, he was unable to even move an inch more from where he was standing.

  Genevieve hadn't a clue, on how long they all stood there. James was screaming like a banshee. Kyle was just standing there with this puzzled look on his face, and his mouth hanging open. And, Genevieve, herself, was trying to keep this sour pile, in her throat, from coming up; it was taking all her willpower not to throw up. She was really going to need to brush her teeth and drink a bottle full of mouthwash, when this night was over.

  When James' head eventually exploded, Genevieve was not just surprised by how quick it was, but she was astonished by the lack of blood and gore. All James' body and head did, was disappear; it was so quick, that Genevieve had to blink a few times.

  “Hhhh...,” puzzlingly staring at the spot where James had been, she said, “now that's strange.”

  Possibly if it hadn't been for that blood curling scream in back of her, Genevieve would have continued standing there – staring at that spot where James Fording had been.

  As she quickly turned around to look behind her, it was then that she heard the scream again. Yet, while the shriek had startled her, she was very much relieved that nobody was behind her.

  It was that last shriek, though, that had her feet moving and her hands hastily yanking the last three boards free; not even caring if she was getting any splinters in her hands. As it was, she would need a tetanus shot; so a few splinters were no big deal.

  After she had quickly gotten the door open, she grabbed Kyle; and hastily hauled him outside.

  It was that welcoming, Tucson night air, on her damp skin, that had her guard instantly coming down.

  It just so happened, that this exit/entrance, was closer to the front than the one she had used to come in.

  Just as they made it to the front and she saw Kyle's worthless Mustang, which was, at that moment, one of the prettiest cars that she had ever seen; she was just breathing a sigh of relief, when someone grabbed her from behind.

  If it was not enough of a surprise, to Genevieve, to be tossed on to the ground, for the second time that night – this was really starting to become something of an irritating problem—what did surprise her, was when she saw the ugly fucker towering over her.

  “We were told that James would get first bite..., but, seeing how he ain't around anymore, I now don't see why I can't have you...all to myself...” licking his lips. “Oh baby, I'm so going to enjoy fucking you senseless...and draining you.”

  If it hadn't been for his attention being adverted away from her to his jeans' zipper, Genevieve wouldn't have been given that short reprieve of mapping out a plan on what she was going to do to him; give him a good swift kick in the groin. Yet, as she was raising her foot to do just that, that's when her car showed up.

  When her car came roaring into the parking lot, she was so surprised by it's sudden appearance, that she abruptly forgot about kicking the guy in the groin. Yet, what eventually, did have her coming out of her stupor, was when the car may a beeline over to them. Realizing that if she didn't get out of the way, that she would surely be hit, she quickly rolled away from the towering car coming at them.

  It was because of the horny idiot in front of her, being too wrapped up in trying to get his jeans down, that he didn't even see the car until it was too late.

  The moment the car hit him, square on, Genevieve watched, mesmerized, as his body flew first right into her windshield and then up and over the roof of her car. When the passenger door suddenly came open, with no one at all present in her car, her astonishment over seeing a guy being hit was blended together with this new shock. She was so surprised, that at first, all she could do was stare, confoundedly, into her empty car; again, she was back to wondering if the car was possibly possessed.

  It was Kyle's painful moans, that eventually had her yanked out of her daze. After shakily getting to her feet, she hurried over to him and, after hauling him up, she quickly got him and herself into the car. Once she had closed the door and scooted from his lap, across to the driver side, she gunned the engine. As she peeled out of that parking lot, she did chance a final glance at that ominous building.

  Hopefully, Cirpian was alright.

  While she did have that insane notion to go back and see, it was when she glanced over at Kyle, and noticed how his pallor had taken on even a worse shade than before, that that desire was quickly stumped.

  For the sake of her partner, she needed to keep driving away from that horrible nightmare building. Possibly, after she got her partner to a hospital, she could come back and see if Cirpian was alright; or, for that matter, still alive.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The main factors behind Madeira not losing her head right then and there, was: One, Cirpian's angling had been a little off. And, two, the blow was meant to wound—not kill.

  For some reason, Cirpian had been hesitant about killing Madeira.

  His hesitation stemmed from his belief, that when it came to women, they were a lot harder to kill than men. One of his reasonings, for why he couldn't kill Madeira, was that he had lived when chivalry first came into existence. He had learned, during this time, that it was not at all right to kill or even hurt women. Even if they were asking for it... And Madeira was definitely asking for it.

  Granted he had hurt her, but, hopefully, the wound he had given her, would either lead to her death or she would think twice before hurting someone he cared about. All and all, he was okay with whatever happened to her. If she did by some chance, succumb to the wound he inflicted upon her or one of her fledgelings put her out of her misery; her death wouldn't entirely be on his hands.

  While Cirpian couldn't see Madeira, he could smell and hear how she was gurgling on her own blood. Possibly if he had been able to see Madeira's head hanging on by a single strand of flesh – with only this flesh to keep her head from tumbling from her shoulders – this would have given him even more reason not to be attracted to her. As it was, he didn't have his sight and he could only smell the blood squirting from her neck.

  No sooner had her body hit the ground, and not wasting even a second sniff, he, like a bullet, made it over to Brian before Madeira's fledgeling could decapitate him.

  The fledgeling, didn't even have time to raise his sword, before his head was flying from his shoulders and his body was dissolving in front of them.

  Helping Brian up, Cirpian, said, “You should have stayed in Paris.”

  Gurgling on his blood, Brain, snappishly, replied, “You should have killed that bitch, because look...Oh, wait...never mind...she's gone, though.”

  As he hauled Brain away, Cirpian said, “Can't be helped...I'll have to figure out the appropriate way to deal with her later.”

  XXX

  Before he even opened his eyes, Kyle knew that Genevieve was there – right next to him. It was just the way she smelled – like roses and lavender bubble bath.

  As his eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit room, he noticed then how she was sitting in the chair; next to his bed. In all app
earances, she appeared to be asleep. Yet, as Kyle's gaze wandered over that chair, just by how uncomfortably hard it looked, had him seriously doubting this—he had a hunch, that she was just resting her eyes.

  Sure enough, when he moved, Genevieve opened her eyes.

  Stretching, she smilingly, looked over at him.

  “How are you feeling?” when he just wearily stared at her, she said, “Kyle...”

  “I'm fine..., Gen.” there was this slight crackle to his voice. After looking around the room, he said, “How'd I get here?”

  “You don't remember what happened last night?” when all he did was shake his head, Genevieve said, “Okay..., maybe that's for the best.”

  Genevieve had been somewhat hopeful that Kyle would remember, it would make the news she had to tell him a lot easier. Yet, since he couldn't, she decided that it would just be best to wait until a later time to tell him.

  Leaning over, she gingerly kissed him on the forehead, and, as she stared into his hazelnut eyes, she said, “Kyle..., get some rest; I'll be back later...”

  As she turned to leave, Kyle surprised her, when he grabbed her hand. “Gen...,” his voice shook. “I love you.”

  Smiling she kissed him on the lips, and, when she withdrew, she said, “I love you, too, Kyle.”

  Long after she had left, Kyle just lay there, staring up at the ceiling – lost in thought.

  He hadn't been completely honest with Genevieve; he didn't have a problem with his memory, he could remember what had happened the night before. The problem he was having, was trying to forget those horrific images.

  He didn't want to remember, he wanted his brain to blissfully let him be ignorant of what had conspired that last night; he was content in it only being a figment of his imagination. The only thing he wanted to remember, at that moment, was how truly wonderful his partner's lips had felt against his – he desired nothing more than for that soft, sensual, sensation to last forever.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  As Brian sat at Cirpian's kitchen table, just staring at Cirpian, who was leaning up against the breakfast nook, adjacent from the stove, he tried gauging what the man, in front of him, was thinking. As frustrating as it was to admit, there was just no way of telling.

  During both their healing processes, both of them had not utter a word to each other.

  As it was, Brian was still not completely healed.

  Deciding to be the one to break the silence, Brian inquired, “So..., are you going to tell your pretty little lass?”

  Cirpian, looking over at him, with those unseeing eyes, just sighed discontentedly. For a few brief minutes, neither him nor Brian said a word. Eventually, Cirpian pulled his gaze away from Brain, to, unseeingly, look out the kitchen window. While he couldn't see what was going on out there, he could hear a few birds just flying around and communicating with each other.

  What ultimately ended the silence, was when Brian said, “I think you should...”

  This time when Cirpian, stoically, stared over at him; Brian said, “The lass has already seen too much..., there's no way you can explain all this away.”

  “Brian...” Cirpian abruptly ceased what he was going to say, when he felt something...

  It was that sudden arrival of someone outside, that had both men looking over to the kitchen doorway.

  “Speak of the devil...there's your pretty lassie, detective, now.”

  Sparing Brian one last, unseeing, look, Cirpian hastily turned on his heels and hurried out of the kitchen. During his swift haste to get to the front door, Brain's laugh made it's irritable presence known by following him.

  He really shouldn't have pulled that sword from Brian's chest, he should of let the little bastard suffer; that would have taught him a lesson. Sometimes, Brian really pissed him off. Yet, he supposed, that the real reason for why that was, was that Brian was right...At least in this case he was...

  XXX

  The moment the front door came open, Genevieve was slightly taken off guard; she hadn't even knocked. And yet, here was Cirpian; standing right there in front of her. He looked good, a little flustered, but good. With the late afternoon sunlight flickering off of him, he looked like a Greek or Roman hero that storytellers of old; told stories about.

  It was just the mystical way he looked, at that moment, that had her rational sense being replaced with total amnesia.

  Throughout, the whole drive, she had practiced what she was going to say. Yet, now, all those rehearsed words had deserted her; she could no longer remember what it was that she had been wanting to tell him

  As she continued staring, dumbfoundedly, at the man in front of her, the only thing she could will herself to do, was the one thing that surprised her the most; throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him.

  The moment she withdrew from him, she noted that that ever familiar stoic expression was now replaced with surprise – he appeared to be as much surprised by her actions as she was.

  When finally Genevieve found her voice, she said calmly, “We need to talk.”

  Wrapping his arms securely around her, Cirpian said, “I know...and I'm...” he, sighing defeatedly, said, “more than willing to tell you everything.”