The Ninth: Sequel

Part 4. I'm running after you

As Dean and Mary Louise were riding in a taxi to her house, Darla's words reached him. This hurt his head: he covered his face with his hands, squinting his eyes.

"Dean, darling, what's the matter?" Mary Louise touched his arm.

Opening his eyes, Dean realized: everything changed back to what it was.

"I'm sorry, where the hell are we going?" he asked the taxi driver, ignoring Mary Louise.

"To my house," she interrupted.

"Why?" Dean asked coldly.

"What do you mean?" Mary Louise was surprised.

"Hey, driver. There's a street near the park, you know? Closer to downtown. Hilton Street. We're going there now. House number eighteen. You'll drop me off there, and then, take this lady home."

"Dean, what do you mean, what are you doing?"

"Finally doing what I should. Bye, Mary Lou."

"What?!" she got angry and grabbed his hand, trying to use her magic, but nothing worked. "Damn. How could she not teach me anything at all!"

"Oh. These weird hand grabs again. You make me do the same thing."

Dean, grinning, broke her neck: she passed out. The taxi driver pulled up to Dana's house.

"Take her home, bring her inside and leave her there. Nah, I don't really care what you do. Whatever your heart desires. Or better yet, run, because she'll have you as her snack. Or burn you to ashes. She can't do anything else."

Having paid twice as much as he was supposed to, he jumped out of the car and disappeared into the darkness.

Dean didn't have the keys to Dana's apartment, but he remembered that he could always afford to climb there from the balcony: the window was often open there. But not this time. Dana wasn't at home and all the windows were closed.

"Well, where do I go now..." he muttered.

Corona. The first thoughts he got were about Corona. That's where Dean headed.

- - - - -

Meanwhile, Dana and Nate walked down the street towards East-end. A light snow was slowly swirling in the air.

"I hoped for the best, as usual. Even after such a selfish, mean act, I hoped for the best. I hate her. Our parents died because of her and I wasn't aware for three centuries. I don't know what to add, but I can't believe it. I want to make sure that if Darla faces a real death, it will be the most painful event for her."

"I can imagine how you feel right now," Dana replied in an undertone, "So many years washed away. Three hundred years. Ugh... and she took Hal. Again."

"She took him at his request. I heard his words."

"What... I don't understand. Why did he do that?"

"I have a certain hunch. But it could be wrong. Dean, well, he's probably free of compulsion now. And Hal did it because he was tormented by guilt about something. Didn't tell you anything?"

"Nope. Well... That time he just apologized for his behavior and for attacking me when I was still human. And that's it. Oh, I forgot about it already."

"There's something else. You're still new, Daniela, you don't get it much. But we have such instincts. They will come to you over the years, I think. When our conscience is completely clear, we never make such wrong decisions. If there is something said or not said, then we do that. Apparently, Hal is somehow to blame either for you or for Dean, but I think this has to do something with you," Nate said cryptically.