Shan, Darren - Cirque Du Freak 03 - Tunnels Of Blood

"Mr. Crepsley was alone," I baited him. "He had no flashlight. He was in the dark. But you decided to come afterme . You're a coward. You were too scared to attack someone your own size. You're no better than —"

Murlough's fist connected with my jaw, and I saw stars.

"Say that again," he hissed, "and I'll slice off an ear."

I stared at the vampaneze with hatred, but held my tongue.

"Murlough's afraid of nothing!" he told me. "Especially not a weak old vampire like Crepsley. What kind of a vampire is it that consorts with children, hmmm? He isn't worth bothering with. I'll knock him off later. You have more guts. You're more hot-blooded." Murlough bent and tweaked my cheeks. "I like hot blood," he said softly.

"You can't drink from me," I said. "I'm a half-vampire. I'm off-limits."

"Maybe I'm finished with limits. I'm a free agent. I answer to no one. The laws of the vampaneze don't trouble me down here. I'll do what I like."

"It's poison," I gasped. "Vampire blood is poison to vampaneze."

"Is it?"

"Yes. So's snake blood. You can't drink from either of us."

Murlough made a face. "You're right about the snake blood," he grumbled. "I took a little from him — just testing, you understand, just testing — and threw up for hours after."

"I told you!" I said triumphantly. "We're no good to you. Our blood's worthless. It can't be drunk."

"You're right," Murlough murmured, "but it can beshed . I can kill and eat the two of you, even if I can't drink from you." He began pushing us, so that we were swinging around wildly. I felt sick.

Then Murlough went to get something. When he came back, he was carrying two huge knives. Evra began whimpering quietly when he saw the blades.

"Ah! Snakey remembers what these are for." Murlough laughed evilly. He sliced the knives together, producing a sharp, grating sound that made me shiver. "We had some fun with these, didn't we, reptile?"

"I'm sorry, Darren." Evra sobbed. "He made me tell him where you were. I couldn't help it. He cut my scales off and… and…"

"It's all right," I said calmly. "It's not your fault. I would have talked, too. Besides, that wasn't how he caught me. We left the hotel before he found it."

"You must have left your brains behind, too," Murlough said. "Did you really think you could waltz down here into my lair, rescue the snake-boy, and run along like a happy little lamb? Did it never occur to you that I am master of this domain, and would do all in my power to stop you?"

"It occurred to me," I said softly.

"But you came anyway?"

"Evra's my friend," I said simply. "I'd do anything to help him."

Murlough shook his head and snorted. "That's the human in you. If you were a full vampire, you would have known better. I'm surprised Crepsley came so far with you before bailing out."

"He didn't bail out!" I shouted.

"Yes he did, yes he did." Murlough laughed. "I followed him to the top. That's why I didn't come after you sooner, hmmm? He ran as if the sun itself was at his back."

"You're lying," I said. "He wouldn't run. He wouldn't leave me."

"No?" The vampaneze grinned. "You don't know him as well as you think, boy. He's gone. He's out of the game. He's probably halfway back to wherever it was he came from by now, fleeing with his tail between his legs."

Murlough leaped forward without warning and swung the two knives at my face, one from either side. I screamed and shut my eyes, expecting him to draw blood. But he stopped just a quarter of an inch short of my flesh, tapped my ears with them, then drew back.

"Just testing," he said. "Wanted to see how much moral fiber you have. Not much, hmmm? Not much. Snakey didn't scream until the fourth or fifth lunge. You're going to be less fun than I thought. Maybe I won't bother torturing you. Perhaps I'll kill you outright. Would you like that, half-vampire? It would be for the best: no pain, no suffering, no nightmares. Snakey has nightmares. Tell him about your nightmares, reptile. Tell him how you jerk awake, screaming and sobbing like a baby."

Evra pulled his lips in tight and said nothing.

"Oh ho!" Murlough smirked. "Getting brave again in front of your friend, are you? Rediscovering your courage, hmmm? Well, don't worry — it won't take long to knock it back out of you."

He scraped the knives together again and circled around behind us, where we couldn't see him. "Which one should I start with?" he mused, jumping around behind us. "I think… I'll choose…" He went very quiet. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing upright.

"You!" he suddenly roared, and threw himself on…me .

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Murlough pulled my head back. I felt the blade of a knife poking into the soft flesh of my throat. I stiffened in anticipation of the cut. I wanted to scream, but the blade stopped me.This is it , I thought.This is the end. What a lousy, useless way to die .

But the vampaneze was only teasing me. He slowly removed the knife and laughed nastily. He had all the time in the world. There was no reason for him to rush. He wanted to play with us awhile.

"You shouldn't have come," Evra muttered. "It was stupid." He paused. "But thanks anyway," he added.

"Wouldyou have left me?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, but I knew he was lying.

"Don't worry," I told him. "We'll still figure a way out of this."

"A way out?" Murlough boomed. "Don't talk rubbish. How are you going to escape? Chew through the ropes? You could if you could reach them with your teeth, but you can't. Snap them with your super vampire strength? No good. They're too strong. I tested them myself in advance, hmmm?

"Face it, Darren Shan — you're doomed! Nobody's going to ride to the rescue. Nobody can find you down here. I'm going to take my time, cut you up into itty-bitty pieces, drop you all over the city — like confetti — and there isn't a thing you can do about it, sowise up !"

"At least let Evra go," I begged. "You've got me. You don't need him. Think how horrible it'd be for him if you let him go: he'd have to live with the knowledge that I'd died in his place. That would be a horrible burden. It would be even worse than killing him."

"Maybe." Murlough grunted. "But I'm a simple man. I like simple pleasures. It's a nice idea, but I'd rather slice him up slowly and painfully, if it's all the same to you. Fewer complications."

"Please." I sobbed. "Let him go. I'll do anything you want. I… I… I'll give you Mr. Crepsley!"

Murlough laughed. "No go. You had the chance to do that earlier. You blew it. Besides, you couldn't lead me to him now. He's bound to have changed hotels again. Might even have fled the city."

"There must be something I can give you!" I yelled desperately. "There must be some way I can…" I stopped.

I could practically hear Murlough's ears stiffening.

"What is it?" he asked, after several seconds of silence. "What were you going to say?"

"Wait a minute!" I snapped. "I have to think something through." I could feel Evra's eyes on me, half hopeful, half resigned to the fate he felt neither of us could escape.

"Hurry up," Murlough prompted me, coming around in front of me. His purple face didn't show up well in the dim light of the cavern, so his eyes and lips appeared to be three free-floating globs of red, while his discolored hair looked like a strange kind of bat. "I haven't got all night," he said. "Speak while you're able."

"I was just thinking," I said quickly. "You're going to have to leave town after this, aren't you?"

"Leave?" Murlough bellowed. "Leave my beautiful tunnels? Never! I love it here. You know what being down here makes me feel like? As if I'm inside the body of the city. These tunnels are like veins. This cavern is the heart, where the blood of the city flows in and out." He smiled, and for once it wasn't an evil expression. "Can you imagine?" he said softly. "Living in a body, roaming the veins — the tunnels of blood — freely, as you please."