Blood Vengeance [COMPLETED]

Chapter Thirty-Three - Smoke

When Selene finally regained consciousness she opened her eyes to see Xander and Virgil staring down at her, their faces like tragic theatre masks.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blinking and sitting up in the bed she lay on, in a room she recognised as one just off the main landing.

A shadowy movement to the right drew her attention, and she saw Cecily standing by the end of the bed. Selene fixed her attention on her Cecily, who moved forward and sat on the bed, reaching out and taking hold of Selene's hand.

"I bathed you," she said, and Selene felt her grip tighten round her fingers

Selene was baffled; they were all looking at her as though she might explode or die at any moment. The expressions on their faces frightened her and she sat up, looking down at her body, seeing she wore a white nightgown that was laced at the collar and about the wrists.

"Arthur's dead," she whispered, looking up at Xander for confirmation.

"I'm sorry Selene. I had to. He deserved it after what he did to you."

She nodded. "I don't remember" - she raised a hand to her temple in confusion - "afterwards."

No one spoke, but Selene could see uneasy glances exchanged between Xander and Virgil.

"What is it?" she asked, but still they hesitated. "Tell me!" she demanded, growing more agitated the longer they stayed silent.

"Selene, it wasn't your fault," began Virgil, refusing to look at her.

"For blood's sake, what happened? Where's Hector?" she asked, throwing her upturned palms down on the bed on either side of her legs.

Xander latched onto her second question, relieved at the opportunity to divert her attention.

"Downstairs. We have restrained him."

Selene stared up at him. "You're no better than he was."

"What?" asked Xander.

"You're so ready to treat him as badly as he treated you. To tie him up and lock him down."

"Selene..." he pleaded, but she turned away, looking now at Virgil.

"Tell me what happened." She gritted her teeth, feeling her molars grate over one another, and the muscle in her jaw tighten and loosen in an aching rhythm, recognising a tension in her brow that folded her eyebrows towards one another..

"Selene," he said, in a tone that was meant to placate, but it only served to increase her ire.

"Do you think anything could shock me now?" she asked. "I don't care what it was." She sat up and clasped her hands in her lap, waiting for a response.

Virgil lowered his head, and began to to talk. His voice was low and calm, and he kept the details minimal without avoiding any part of events.

As he spoke Selene fixed her gaze on her hands, staring at her thumbs as she wound then round each other.

She felt her cheeks burn, on hearing what they had seen, what she had done. The knowledge of what these two men had witnessed, the situations they had seen her in which they never should have done; never would have done had they not come to Epershand, was a heavy burden to bear, and one she could have done without. But, she reassured herself, they were her friends, and they cared for her. She was glad it was Virgil who told the story, rather than Xander.

Xander, she felt, had always been more judgmental, and fundamentally less understanding about the way humans and Vampires lived together in society. To Virgil, what had happened to her was not so shocking. But to Xander, who had always lived an isolated life beyond the confines of society...well, he couldn't have helped but be appalled.