Subj: Barnabas & Quentin War Over Julia -- 14
Date: 7/21/00 12:27:49 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Beverly LaCroix
"Put that back, Quentin!" Julia snapped.
"You just stay out of this, Julia. This is between me and Barnabas, and you know how he loves to duel. Hell, he even challenged his uncle to a duel, and went through with it. We know the consequences of that disaster, don't we, Barnabas?" Quentin snarled.
"Quentin, I warn you, you are going too far." Barnabas growled at his cousin, his eyes beginning to turn red.
"You're telling me I'm going too far with my words, when you're ready to duel with me. You're a vampire, what the hell is a duel going to accomplish? How goddamn lame do you think I am, Cousin?" Quentin shouted.
"Just lame enough to go through with a duel. You're the one that took the pistols out, and put it in my hand. You're immortal, how goddamn lame do you think I am, Cousin?" Barnabas snapped back, eyes red.
"Why don't we duel at sunrise, Cousin, like you and Jeremiah? There would be just results then. You know, I read one time bats just hate sunrise. Would you go up in smoke or just turn to dust and blow away like Count Dracula?" Quentin said sarcastically.
"What would happen to you if somehow your portrait was somehow destroyed? Would you just wither away like the old man you are, or would you turn to dust and just disappear?" Barnabas shot back with a cruel sneer on his face.
Julia didn't like the direction this argument had taken. It was beginning to frighten her. She could feel the anger pouring off the two men in waves. It was dark, deadly and evil. Quentin's scream moved her to action.
"Quentin, what's wrong? What did you do to him?" Julia asked Barnabas angrily with her arm around Quentin supporting him.
"Why nothing, Julia. I've been here all along." Barnabas said, his countennance back to normal.
Barnabas saw the sheen of perspiration coating Quentin's face, and saw his features distorting in pain, and Barnabas knew that Quentin was really dying, that Nicholas was true to his word.
With an Herculean effort, Quentin grabbed Julia around the neck, and pointed the duelling pistol at her head, and said, "I'm not dead yet, Barnabas. You claim to love Julia so much, walk outside, the sun will be rising shortly. We can die together," Quentin said, as another spasm of pain took control of him.
"Quentin, you have lost your senses. What is wrong with you?" Barnabas said in a voice that Julia had heard before. Barnabas was lying, he knew what was wrong with Quentin.
'You walk outside right now, and you wait for the sun to rise or I will put a bullet right through Julia's head.
"Now, we'll see how much the man you claim to love so much, Julia, loves you." Quentin said as he cocked the gun, his hand on the trigger.
"Okay. Quentin, I'll go." Barnabas said, thinking maybe he could get to Blair before the sun rose, and have him reverse the spell, but then Quentin would kill Julia.
"Do it now! And none of your disappearing acts or I'll kill her, Barnabas, I swear I will." Quentin said enraged, and in pain.
"I thought you loved her, Quentin. How could you love her, and threaten to kill her at the same time." Barnabas said.
"I would rather see her dead than spend the rest of her natural life pining for you. This little episode that you're going through right now is just that. The moment I die, you will grow cold towards her just like all the rest of them, Barnabas. You're not in love with Julia. You think of her as belonging to you to use as you will. When you thought someone else wanted her, and loved her, you didn't want to lose what you thought you owned, and especially to me. I love Julia enough to prevent her from living that way."
"I should have let Carl kill you when he discovered you." Quentin finished through gasps of pain.
"But you didn't. I was your only hope, remember." Barnabas said bitterly.
"And now you are my murderer, and so shall I be yours." Quentin shot back.
"Yes, you are right. You shall be my executioner, Quentin, just as I am yours." Barnabas said sadly.
"Tell me, how?" Quentin finally said.
"I went to Nicholas. I was so enraged at the thought of you and Julia together, I just wanted you dead. At least, I thought I did." Barnabas said.
"And now, Cousin, you're beginning to sound as if you are regretting your haste." Quentin said.
"Let Julia go, I will gladly walk into the sun. A future without you in it, Quentin, is not a future atall." Barnabas said softly.
"Leave, Julia. I would have never harmed you. You know that, don't you?" Quentin said, kissing her on the cheek.
Julia ran out of the Old House, leaving the door open in her haste to get away from the bizarre happenings inside.
"Barnabas, go to your coffin. It's almost sunrise." Quentin said, with his hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"Is that affection I hear in your tone. And, no, I meant what I said, I don't think I could bear it with you not here, and it being my fault." Barnabas said, preparing to walk outside.
"Barnabas, please don't do this. Julia will need you." Quentin said holding onto Barnabas' arm for support.
Barnabas looked long and hard at Quentin, and stroked the side of his face gently, and said softly, "I am so sorry. I love you, you know."
next