The vampire continued. "I never realized how much I needed you, until you were dying." He laughed softly. "I seem to do that a lot, don't I?"
"Don't," Quentin choked between twinges of pain, "blame yourself." He could
feel his heart breaking at the sadness in Barnabas's voice.
Outside the cock crowed. Blood tears welled up in Barnabas's eyes as he silently
walked towards the door to expose himself to the sunlight.
"Bar - Barnabas! Stop!" Quentin croaked as he tried to catch Barnabas before his friend and love made it to the door, but lacked the strength. All he could do was watch as Barnabas opened the door.
* * *
Out of breath, Julia reached Nicholas' house. She unceremoniously threw the door open. "Nicholas!" She shouted.
"Yes, my dear Dr. Hoffman?" It seemed that Nicholas was waiting for her.
"You've got to do something to save Quentin!" She gasped.
"Do something? Why, Quentin's in no danger."
"He's dying! And you did something to cause it!" She advanced on him, anger blazing in her eyes.
"He's not dying."
The calm assuredness in Nicholas' tone brought Julia up short. "What?"
"Quentin isn't dying." The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile.
"He's not?"
"No. I incinerated that paint chip, then put a spell on Quentin to make him and Barnabas think that he's dying."
"Why on earth would you do that?"
"I'm tired of this continual carousel of pretty young things. I'm tired, Dr. Hoffman, of them coming to me, or Angelique, or Donamarie, to help them when one of their pretty young things is in trouble. So I put an end to all of that." His smile broadened. "I did it to make Quentin and Barnabas admit that their true love is for each other."