Fanfic Friday

“The Huntress at Sunset”

A continuation from last week's chapter.

Chapter Six

"Alondra," said the grey-haired woman Alondra had once known as her Shepherdess. "So good to see you after all this time. I trust that all is well with the family?"

"Why, yes, it is, Ms. Gillian," said Alondra as she climbed onto the porch of the woman whom she called Ms. Gillian. "And how are you?"

"Not as fast as I used to be, but fortunately, I don't need to be," said Ms. Gillian. "Thanks to you, there are others who are younger and faster who can take over where I left off so right now I'm sorta semi-retired."

"Semi-retired?" asked Alondra, lifting an eyebrow in Ms. Gillian's direction.

"Well, a person in my profession never completely retires, no matter how much she or he may want to," said Ms. Gillian. "Even if we're lucky enough to avoid some of the -- shall we say -- involuntary retirement that takes place in this profession, there is always a need for the more experienced among us to help out the less experienced. As much as I would like to say otherwise, I trust that I will never be truly retired until I'm six feet under. And hopefully, I'll die in such a way that I will not require the services of one of my former students at my burial site."

"Oh, please don't talk so morbidly, Ms. Gillian," said Alondra. "You'll live longer than you think."

"If you say so, Alondra," said Ms. Gillian. "If you say so. But the war never ends and we who have fought in it don't have the option of pretending otherwise, regardless of whether we be huntresses or shepherdesses."

"If you truly believe that, why did you let me retire?" asked Alondra.

"I did not 'let' you do anything," said Ms. Gillian. "You had already made plans to retire once the new generation was able to take your place and I could see no reason to interfere with your plans. After all, you had sacrificed much in the course of the war. It would be petty of me to deny you a privilege you had already earned."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," said Alondra. "Because I have something to say to you."

"Would you like to have a cup of tea first?" asked Ms. Gillian.

"You know I never drink tea," said Alondra.

"Then how about some coffee?" asked Ms. Gillian.

"You make coffee?" asked Alondra.

"Hey, I've actually learned something during my time here in the States that doesn't involve fighting you-know-what," said Ms. Gillian. "Care to have a sip of my humble efforts?"

"No, thanks," said Alondra. "I'll just say what I have to say and go."

"Thinking of coming out of retirement?" asked Ms. Gillian.

"No, not really," said Alondra. "As a matter of fact, I'm soon to be permanently retired. You see, I'm dying."

"Oh, no," said Ms. Gillian. "Are you certain?"

"You know me, Ms. Gillian," said Alondra. "If the doctor tells me I'm dying, I make very certain that he's telling me the truth."

"Has the man given you any options?" asked Ms. Gillian. "Because I know a woman in London --"

"That's sweet of you," said Alondra. "But everyone I turn to in the medical profession says there's no hope."

"I'm so sorry, Alondra," said Ms. Gillian.

"Don't be," said Alondra. "Because I think I have an idea how to get out of this."

"White magic?" asked Ms. Gillian.

"No, I already talked to Laurel about that and I don't think it would work in my case," said Alondra. "Besides, if things go as planned, I won't need white magic. You see --"

"Wait!" exclaimed Ms. Gillian. "What do you mean, 'if things go as planned'? Do you honestly expect your condition to reverse itself or something?"

"No," said Alondra. "But I was talking to this woman about my options and she said --"

"Who exactly is this woman you were talking to?" asked Ms. Gillian.

"It's not important," said Alondra. "Anyway --"

"On the contrary," said Ms. Gillian. "It obviously is important or else you would have told me just now."

"Well, if you really want to know it, it was Persephone," said Alondra. "Anyway, I was talking to her--"

"Persephone?" asked Ms. Gillian. "Of all the people you chose to get advice from, you chose to get it from Persephone?"

"So?" asked Alondra.

"You know Persephone's record," said Ms. Gillian. "You know her character. She has never confessed any guilt over having killed your former colleague Keisha and she never seems likely to. Why should she -- of all people -- want to help you?"

"I don't know but the point is that she does," said Alondra. "She wants to turn me into a vampire so that I won't die and I for one --"

"She wants to what?" asked Ms. Gillian.

It had been a long time since Alondra had seen Ms. Gillian so angry. Even when her best friend was killed by vampires, she showed less emotion about the death than she did now.

But she was definitely angry now. And judging from the way she was staring at Alondra, it was not just Persephone she was angry at.

"Please tell me that you don't plan to go along with Persephone's plan," said Ms. Gillian. "Please tell me that you -- the brightest and most talented of all the girls I've ever taught -- are not that stupid."

"I'm not that stupid," said Alondra. "But I am dying. So I told her --"

"Tell her you changed your mind," said Ms. Gillian. "Tell her you made a mistake. There's still time to make amends for your mistake. Do that and we can both forget this whole thing never happened."

"I can't do that," said Alondra. "I'm dying and she's the one person I've talked to so far who has given me a realistic alternative to death."

"She's fooling you, you know?" asked Ms. Gillian.

"Yes, I suspect so," said Alondra. "But I can't afford to not take the chance. Like I said --"

"You're dying," said Ms. Gillian. "Well, there's only one response I can make to that."

Ms. Gillian opened her purse and fumbled for something. What it was, Alondra did not know. A handkerchief? A tissue? Pills?

Then Alondra saw Ms. Gillian take out a pistol and aim it in Alondra's direction. Before Alondra could move or say anything, Ms. Gillian fired.

To be continued...