Belle Morte Bites (Belle Morte 4.3)

Nicholas: Part Four

Gideon

He stumbled out of the pub.

Overhead the sky was dark; was it the same day that he'd walked here, soaked through but elated?

Noise crashed into him, and he let out a choked gasp. London was always noisy – the clatter of hooves and carriage wheels, vendors hawking their wares, people shouting, talking – but it felt so much worse suddenly. He could hear everything – footsteps, clothes rustling, the drumming of so many hearts beating, and it made his head feel like it would split apart.

He staggered, clapping his hands to his ears, but it made no difference. London roared around him like a storm. The smell of soot and mud and sewage was overwhelming, thick, rancid stenches that slid down his throat and made him gag.

Was this normal?

Surely not – Nicholas lived in this city and he'd never reacted like this.

Gideon stumbled away from the pub, hands still clutched to his ears, and almost fell into a dark alley. The stink of sewage was even stronger in here. Gideon sagged against the wall, bent double, and tried to breathe, but it didn't feel right anymore. Like his body already recognised it no longer needed to do that.

Skirts rustled as someone approached him and he was dimly aware of a voice asking if he was hurt. Blindly, he thrust out a hand.

"Don't come any closer," he gasped.

Those rustling skirts moved closer, ignoring him.

Gideon looked up.

A woman stood in front of him, her face wrinkled up in concern. Powder thickly gathered in the lines in her skin, rouge formed bright splotches on her cheeks, and the smell of her unwashed body clashed with the strong reek of gin, but her expression was kindly enough.

"You hurt?" she said again.

Gideon's eyes drifted to her neck. For the first time in his life he felt drawn to a woman – not in the sexual sense, but an instinctive urge to sink his teeth into her neck. He took a shaky step forward.

She backed off, suspicion mingling with concern in her tired eyes.

Nicholas appeared at the alley entrance, his face impassive. "Forgive my friend, he's had too much to drink," he said, flashing the woman a charming smile.

"I know you, don't I?" she said, squinting.

Nicholas flipped her a silver coin and her eyes lit up. "Consider me forgotten," he said. "Now go."

She went.

Whatever concern she'd had for Gideon's health was surpassed by her need for money – not that Gideon could blame her. Life was hard for London's prostitutes, and the money that Nicholas had given her would put a roof over her head and a hot meal in her belly, which was probably more than she'd had in a while.

Nicholas put a hand on Gideon's shoulder.

"It's so loud," Gideon whispered, sagging against the wall again.

"I promise you, that will get better in time."

"I wanted to bite her."

"That's what vampires do."

"What happens if I can't control it?" Gideon cried.

"I'll make sure that you can."

Gideon ran his tongue over his teeth, still flat and human. His fangs hadn't come out yet.

"Could you change me back?" he asked.

Nicholas stiffened. "No. Would you want to, even if I could?"