Say Live, Let Die

Chapter 34: "everything's just black or burning sun"

David lay, listening. His wound, much to his frustration, was only designed to incapacitate, not kill him. The bleeding had slowed when his hyperphysical healing tried to kick in, but the fact he hadn't had any blood except what he'd drunk from Beth hours earlier made the process slow and difficult.

Clearly he should have read those books of hers. Or maybe burned them, since Beth was using her knowledge of the supernatural against him. If only he had listened to her, when she'd chided him about his ignorance.

"Why?" He asked aloud, his voice weak to his own ears, as Beth passed by where he lay. She was carrying various items to the broken fountain, mostly wood and other flammable materials, arranging them around the remains of the other three vampires.

Beth paused, sparing him a glance, her expression clouded and unreadable. "Why? Because you're an asshole, David."

"There's more to it than just that." David snorted, trying to ball his hands into fists and finding his arms had gone numb. "Was it because I didn't love you the way you wanted?"

It was Beth's turn to snort, waving a hand at him in dismissal. "Hell no! I've always known you're incapable of that, of any kind of romance. It's just not in you to love someone that isn't yourself. Occasionally you might care, you can show kindness, but never love."

"Then what?" David asked flatly, his upper lip curling. "Being second in command wasn't enough?"

"Why would I want to serve the king when I could be queen in my own right?"

"Queen Elizabeth of Santa Carla, huh."

Beth smiled brightly, the double fangs visible. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it. The first Queen Elizabeth never married, never shared her kingdom. Brilliant woman; she knew a man would ruin everything."

David couldn't help but roll his eyes. "So you killed everybody else and pushed me out of your way. Who's going to help you? Who's going to do the dirty work you need done?"

"I've done a lot of dirty work with my own hands, David." Beth reminded him. "For you, for the Lost Boys, for Max. Getting dirty doesn't bother me. I'm far more efficient by myself, alone."

"You still need me."

"Correction: I wanted you, but I don't need you, David." Beth leaned over his prone form, smoothing a smudge of dirt from his cheek tenderly. "You would never share Santa Carla with me, as my consort or my second."

Growling, David snapped at her, trying to bite her hand. Beth moved out of the way, too fast for him. She shook her head.

"I know you had to try, just like the old man did."

Glaring at the blonde darkly, David laid his head back and closed his eyes. Whatever Beth was planning to do to him, it would be over soon.

***

Time passed. David lost track. His eyes snapped open only because his supernatural senses were flooding him with panic, warnings of impending danger. Looking up at the top of the cave, the vampire could see bright light. Sunlight was slowly beginning to fill the space of the cave.

"No, no!" He whispered through parched lips, his eyes wild. Struggling, he tried to get up, only to realize he had been removed from his place in the dirt. Plastic crinkled, liquid squelched out into the earth, the putrid smell filling the air. Turning his head, David came face to face with Maria's dead-eyed corpse. Beth had arranged him on a funeral pyre; she intended to burn him, and the rest, to ash.

"No!

"Should have just stayed asleep, David. It would have been more peaceful that way."

David heard a creaking sound, turning his head to look in its direction. Beth was sitting in his wicker and metal wheelchair, his throne, pushing on the wheels to roll over towards the fountain. She grinned at him, her face all angles and fangs, in spite of the looming sunlight.