An Era Of Zombies

Part 17: Prince Fitzwilliam Delancey of Earth

"That is all? That is the whole truth?" Asia felt sick, but she quickly overcame it. It was better to know the truth, no matter how horrible, than to be ignorant. 

Lady Lucien smiled, "Yes, that is your story, your past." The memory came back that moment. The memory that Asia had never been able to make out. It had been a face, her mother's face, determined and brave.

Asia was silent for a moment, and in that minute, she took in what Lady Lucien had told her. She cried for a mother whom she did not know but seemed to love already. She cried for her father. It was wrong to cry for him, he killed so many, but he had lost her son. It was sad, but it was not an excuse for her father's actions. Asia cried for her brother, Trevor. She wished she'd known him. Asia wondered why he rebelled, but she forgave him anyway. Life was too short for unanswerable questions.

"How do you know about what happened after my- my mother knocked you out?"

She looked bored and simply leaned back in her chair, "Security tapes, some of it was inferring."

"My father?" Asia demanded.

"Is not here at the moment, but trust me, he is keeping an eye on you."

"So you're my aunt then?" Asia looked up. Then she began to see the similarities, the grey eyes, the chocolate colored hair, and of course, the delicateness.

"Yes, but I'd prefer it if you just called me Lady Lucien my dear niece," It said with a grin.

"MY MOTHER AND YOUR SISTER IS DEAD!" She shouted. She really wanted to strangle Lucien. "Don't you feel it? The emptiness, the sorrow?" Asia said softly. Lady Lucien didn't make the slightest change of emotion.

"No, I do not. Do you want to know what I am thinking right now, Asia?"

Asia said nothing, only stared at her.

"Arissa should have killed me. She would have saved me, but no, she doomed me. And now, I am looking at you, and I see the ghost of what damned me."

"Do not blame me!" Asia shouted. "Do not mistake me for my mother! Yes, I think she shouldn't have let you become this, but I think she knew that. I think that she knew the logical thing to do was kill you, but she didn't. I don't think you could've killed your sister, your younger sister, either."

Lucien's face was pale white and she was looking very darkly at Asia. Then, with impossible speed, she came up to Asia and pushed her up against the wall. "No, I would've killed her. Because in that situation, killing her would have been saving her."

"You cannot turn me."

"Let me tell you a secret. I have created a mutation of the zomtoxin, and it is stronger. Even your mother's injection will not be able to save you now."

Asia sucked in a breath. What now?  My only assurance that I could never be turned is gone. Lucien moved back and moved to leave but Asia stopped her. "What happened to the prince then?"

Lucien actually smirked, "Prince Fitzwilliam Delancey?"

She closed the door back and turned again to face Asia, "I killed Alice a while back, poor woman. Fitzwilliam was there too, but he escaped. Haven't you figured it out yet Asia? Here's a hint, Fitzwilliam is a very long name, I would shorten it." Then Lady Lucien actually left.

Oh my god, Fitzwilliam is Will.

«««»»»

"Guys, Asia is somewhere around here, I know it," Will said.

"Will, it's almost dawn, we cannot just keep looking in the dark. We'll miss things, and what are we supposed to do when we find them? Fight them half-asleep? I know you love Asia, but you cannot be irrational!" Ford shouted at him.

"Like you wouldn't do the same thing for Sonnet," he retorted, "Just ask her-"

Ford tackled Will and they both went down to the ground. Will's lip was bleeding but he wasn't hurting, he was part zombie after all. It was taking all his strength to not kill or even worse, turn Ford into another half-zombie.

Darcy, Sonnet, & Wade were trying to pull them off each other but then Ford head butted him and Will lost it. He punched Ford, hard. Ford fell back. His teeth was bleeding and his cheek was a dangerous blue-purple. Will stood back up. He didn't know what to say. He thought of Asia, the times that he had blew it up with her. He had always meant to tell her eventually, but he was afraid that she would get scared and leave him.

"I'm sorry Ford, I don't-" but then Sonnet had came up and slapped him in the face. Damn, he thought.  Even with his zombie strength, his cheek stung a little.

No one knew that he was not fully human. Everyone knew that Prince Fitzwilliam Delancey had been turned, but he had told no one that he was part zombie since then and did his best to keep it under control.

Will tried to ease the tension, "So no one's going to check on me? It was Ford who attacked me not me who attacked him."

"What is wrong with you!" Sonnet shouted.

"I will explain, I just can't right now. I'll explain after we rescue Asia," Will added. 

Ford had gotten up now. His right cheek was a purple-blue shade and his hair was covered in dirt. Ford had been the one that Will found the most easy to talk to. They had kind of grown up together, after Alice had been killed, he'd found the fort. Will had arrived at the camp when he was only 7, barely able to register the fact that he was part monster. Janelle had been able to help him, she was like a mother to him since he never really knew his birth family.

"Will, you need to trust us," Ford said, "Aren't we best friends?"

"Wade, you trust me right?" Will asked.

"Will, we will help you find Asia but you need to tell us what's wrong." Wade was looking at Will, almost desperately.

"Guys," Will ran a hand through his hair.

"Will, just tell us. Is it just something dumb like anger issues? I honestly don't know what to think," Ford said, "Please trust us."

"Okay, okay, you know what, I'm gonna tell you. But I need you to listen to me. Don't try to kill me because it won't work." Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is happening.

They were all looking intently at him and a bit worried. "I'm half zombie."

Sonnet gasped. Darcy raised her eyebrows. Ford and Wade looked emotionless but they were probably shocked and feeling betrayed. "Anything else?" Wade asked.

"I am Prince Fitzwilliam Delanacey of Earth."