Immortal Beauty (55 page)

“I’m sorry Sasha. I don’t know where they are.” He sounded like a little lost boy.

“Cheer up Dodger! I do!” She smiled and explained her dream to him. She didn’t care if he believed her or not, she knew it was real and she knew exactly where they were now. Frankie was catching her excitement and told her of his expansive knowledge of the catacombs. It had to be somewhere close enough to the house that Celine could keep an eye on them. Sasha waited while Frankie showered and changed emerging from the bathroom like a new person. He too was dressed all in black. It looked like they were going to Fashion Week.

“I’m beginning to think these are our immortal superhero uniforms!” He laughed. “I can just see it now. ‘The Immortals save Paris from the Evil Celine’. Taylor can write the article.

“I’m sorry Frankie. I have a feeling that our most important work is going to be done in secrecy. If you want fame you are gonna have to find it in some other way.” She helped him hide the weapons in his clothing much as she had. The whip chains he circled around his waist and they now really looked like a trendy, fashionable couple.

“People are going to think we dressed this way on purpose!” He made her laugh.

“We did.” She said and gave him a great big hug that took him by surprise. Then she slapped him on the back like a soldier and said. “Now let’s go get our family back.”

They walked quickly through the warm Spring evening and headed toward the Seine. First they were going to drop off some things at the back by the gate that swung inward at the rear of the park. Once they hid the weapons behind a fragrant linden tree, Frankie led the way. Sasha’s vision had left her no specific coordinates, but she was good with direction and she knew she could get them close enough. Close to the waters edge he led her to an iron door underneath a bridge. The door was padlocked and Frankie pulled out a smalll case of thin steel rods and within a few seconds he opened the lock. He went in first and Sasha followed eagerly. She had never been in the catacombs and had only heard incredible things about these old tunnels. She had always been afraid but she was not the same person she was two weeks ago. The only thing she was afraid of now was losing the only man she ever loved. They entered the dark world which smelled damp and slightly rotting but they moved quickly to notice too much. Frankie had a tiny flashlight hooked onto a band around his wrist as he raced foreword. His plan was to get underneath the house and use that as a starting point. He would find them. They always laughed at him and scolded him for being such a cad. Tonigh they would see a different Frankie, the one who had surveyed the harsh realities of an Alexandria brothel to be used by anyone willing to pay for his timeless good looks and he had been so young back then. Also there was the Frankie that witnessed the horrors of war and all the terrible things people did to each other because they were afraid. He had watched people being beaten to death and starve to death and even kill themselves out of despair. He laughed all the time because if he did not, he would never be able to go on. He learned long ago that if he lost his sense of humor then he had lost his soul. As they moved through the wet passageways he was glad that tonight they would all see who he really was behind the jokes and the smiles and all of his maddening joi de vie. This was going to be a night they would all remember.

REVOLUTION

“I swear I felt her Marcus!” Taylor was sweating and shaking. Something had moved through him in the darkness. It was like a breeze that went through him. He knew it was Sasha. She was trying to reach him. He knew now that she was no longer safe and on a plane to the United States.

“Taylor, it’s o.k. We believe you.” Marcus said calmly. “If she’s with Frankie that probable means they’re underneath the city right now.” He frowned as he paused for a moment to think. “I just don’t know how they’re going to find us.”

“I do.” Claire spoke calmly as always. “I’m going to give them a little help.” She closed her eyes and didn’t say another word.

“What are you doing Claire?” Taylor was more than curious. She opened her eyes and smiled at the two bewildered men.

“You’ve seen my bird show?” They nodded in ascension. “Wait til you see the rats! I’ve been working with them for a few hours now and I have to say that they are actually a lot more interesting than you two.” She laughed at herself. Claire never made jokes. This alone made Marcus and Taylor join her in a much needed catharsis of laughter and tears. Claire drank a large amount of water, taking any energy she could get for the task ahead of her. She closed her eyes again and her tiny litte brow was furrowed in deep concentration. Marcus and Taylor watched her out of curiosity and they both became aware at the same time the scratching sounds and little squeaks that seemed to come from the walls around them. Taylor jumped as an enormous rodent ran over his leg without paying him any attention. He turned to say something to Marcus but was struck speechless. Rats were coming out of the walls! They were everywhere and they were increasing in number and sound. They ran over the three captives who sat perfectly still. Taylor was jumping out of his skin as the animals ran over his body as if he weren’t there at all. Not soon enough the number began to dwindle and the awful sounds died down as the last of the rats ran off into the various tunnels leading to their dungeon. Claire opened her eyes and the most serene smile covered her pink violet lips. She was too tired to speak and reached for more water.

“That was creepy.” Taylor glared at the girl who just stared straight ahead. Perspiration covered her face and she looked almost saintly.

“We have to do something about Celine once we are free.” Marcus was all business now. “I think if we act together then we have a chance. We’ll have to get her outside so we will have every advantage. A storm would be a nice distraction and I’m sure a lightning strike to that pretty red hair couldn’t hurt either.”

“That still won’t be enough to kill her.” Claire was back to her indifferent monotone.

“We’re not going to kill her.” It was barely a whisper that flew from Marcus.

“You have got to be kidding me! We are here today because you wouldn’t kill her, have you forgotten that?” Taylor could not believe this was happening all over again.

“No I have not forgotten. You are right Taylor. This is all my fault. I think I’ve known all along what I had to do but couldn’t admit it until just now. It’s too horrible but it is our only option.” Marcus drank a few sips of the water before he had the courage to continue. “I have to put her back in the hill. Her punishment for drinking the waters was eternal imprisonment. She knew what she was doing and her own people passed this judgment on her. We were all innocent. We had no idea that the waters would have brought us here today. Celine is the guilty one. It was her job to protect the waters and she has disobeyed with terrifying consequences. The biggest mistake I ever made in my life was removing that old stone from the cave and letting Celine loose on an unsuspecting world.” Marcus sighed heavily and Claire was moved for the first time in a hundred years. “Celine is mad and too many people have died. If we kill her she will only return and once she remembers who she is, she will go back to her eternal game of revenge.”
“What do you suggest?” Taylor asked quietly.

“If we can keep her unconscious long enough we can seal her up in the sacred cavern.” His conviction was evident. He had made up his mind and nothing was going to change that.

“But what about the water? What will we do?” Claire whispered.

“We will live and we will grow old and we will die like we were meant to. This has all been a horrible mistake. We have to make it right again. We have to send the demon back to hell and we have to return to the daylight. Sasha was right. She has a right to a normal life and so do we all. We never really got one in all these lifetimes.” Marcus could not be stopped now. “Just think of it! We could live among people without arousing suspicion and we could have families and children and grandchildren. The water is changing us in the same way it changed Celine. Each day we are becoming less human and more..” He couldn’t find the right word.

“Immortal” Claire stated the obvious.

“This is our chance to become human again. It’s not too late for any of us. It’s the only way.” Marcus looked up to see Claire crying. This is what she had wanted all along but never had enough ambition to change things. This was the end of everything and the beginning of something new and unknown. Marcus was indeed right. The world had no room for magic potions and monsters. Those days were over. Taylor didn’t say a word. He dednt care what happened with Celine or the water. All he cared about was Sasha. They all agreed to lure Celine into the garden for the final battle. They put their heads together and began working on how they were going to make this all happen without a hitch.

Out in the garden Isis and Osiris were watching the clouds drift across the night sky. They lay together underneath an enormous tree that they had claimed as their own by clawing the bark up and down playfully. For a moment they were happy. Isis was pretending that they were far away in a jungle and in this jungle of hers they were king and queen. The more they stayed outdoors the more they developed an aversion to clothing. Little by little their animal nature was claiming them. They were still so young and were not done with all the changes that occur in childhood. Only their childhood was monstrously accelerated and they had little time to adapt to all that was happening to their minds and their bodies and their very souls. They knew that by drinking the water the changes would continue to accelerate and then they would be grown. It should only be a couple of days now. Osiris had a hard time focusing on all the things Celine asked him to do and once he caught himself taking a swipe at her. Thankfully she did not see it but it had happened. Isis was becoming more and more in tune with her instincts. They spoke to her at night in her dreams whispering little things that only she could hear. They warned her of her own mother. Her mother did not kill to feed like she did, she killed to get what she wanted. She was going to kill the maid. Celine said that she already knew too much and had to go. She wanted Isis and her brother to kill her in a day or two. She said they could feed off her. Sometimes when Celine spoke, Isis had the impulse to pounce on her and devour her without a thought. Celine was bossy and pushy and she no longer seemed very interested in her own children. She didn’t even look like them. Maybe Claire and Taylor were right. Maybe they weren’t her children at all. They were not like anyone else and they truly only had each other. If only they could get out of this human madness and escape into the jungle somewhere. The jungle that Claire had imagined them all in, peaceful and content without the need for all these useless words. Osiris knew what she was thinking about like all twins do and asked her dreamily.

“What shall we call our jungle?” He watched the clouds dancing between the great limbs of the tree they were nestled under.

“What about Genesis? After our brother.” She sighed wistfully. “I wish we had met him.” With that she ripped the last remnant of what used to be a pink silk blouse from her body. The material bothered her and she liked the feel of the air and the ground on her skin.

“I wish we had too. Except what if you liked him more than you like me? I couldn’t stand that!” He tickled her rib playfully.

“Osiris! We’re twins! I could never like anyone more than I like you.” She pushed him back with her strong arms. He rolled away from her and sprang up acting as if he were going to pounce on her.

“Do you promise? Do you promise to always like me better than anyone in the whole world?” He leapt at her and at the last minute she sprang away through the trees screaming: “I promise! I promise!” He chased after her and for a while they were pure animal again. They were two wild cats carousing through the night in the backyard howling and making all sorts of mischief.

“We should be directly underneath the house.” Frankie stopped in a puddle of black water and Sasha crouched next to him. The ceiling was low and the tunnel was narrow. If Sasha had any thoughts of claustrophobia, she quickly quieted them. Now was not the time to freak out. There were three tunnels leading in three different directions directly ahead of them.

“Now what?” Sasha asked. She was beginning to think that this was an impossible task and her heart sank at the thought of never finding them. In all actuality it could take weeks, even months before they covered all the ground under Passy, let alone all of Paris. They had assumed Celine was keeping them close. What if they were wrong?

“Now we start searching and keeping track of the ground we’ve covered. If we split up we should save some time.” He shined his light into the worried face of Sasha.

“Frankie, I don’t know these caves at all! I’m sure I’ll get lost. I couldn’t even get back to where we came from I’m so turned around.” She did not want to be alone in this dark and clammy place. It was too horrible a thought to entertain.

“OK! We stick together. Let’s try this one first and then backtrack. Let me know if you sense anything.”

“Frankie.” Sasha said quietly.

“Yeah?” He whispered back.

“I sense something.” They both stood very still as the sound of high pitched squeals arose out of the gloom. There was the pitterr patter of a thousand little feet and Sasha could only imagine what was heading their way. Frankie shined the light down the hall and they could see a stream of rats in a single file running toward them.

“Oh my God! Get the hell out of here!” He pushed her back into the little room behind them.

“Wait!” Sasha grabbed his arm. “Frankie, when was the last time you saw rats marching in a single file?” She held her breath hoping that she was right.

“Claire!” Frankie exclaimed. “Of course! She sent them for us. Don’t move.” The rats came closer and Frankie and Sasha remained motionless as the rodents gathered all around them, staring at them with their glowing eyes. Without warning they all turned and scattered back into the tunnel from where they first appeared. Only this time they were moving a little more slowly and a few of them kept turning their heads back at the bewildered pair to make sure they were indeed coming too.