Their journey had now carried on into June of 1865. It was prolonged mainly by the stops the train made in each city between New York and California in order to allow passengers to board, exit, or switch trains as needed. Though the continuous stops did slow their pace, it did at least allow for a constant flow of new faces from one day to the next. Considering Eliot spent most of the daylight hours just waiting on Claire to rise, he had taken to spending much of his time in the dining car, watching the faces around him, trying to distract himself from all the noise inside his own head since their arrival in the new world, and the consequences he was now dealing with.
He had just left Claire after indulging his still heightened desires with her once she had awoken, and now found himself in need of sustenance that evening. His eyes watched the passing scenery outside the train window as he sat in a booth alone, waiting on the serving girl to bring him his night’s meal. It was then that his eyes were suddenly drawn to the far end of the car as a man entered and made his way to a seat at the bar.
Though when the tall dark-haired gentleman turned slightly to take that seat, Eliot’s breath immediately caught, his heart racing as his eyes recognized that handsome face the moment he saw it. He instinctively looked back at the door that led to the passenger train. But he just as quickly turned back to hold Lucian in his gaze, trying to push past the shock of seeing him on the train at all, while simultaneously arguing with himself about whether he should actually confront the other man.
There were others around at least, Eliot told himself, trying to gather the courage for such a confrontation, hoping that that fact would keep Lucian from any sort of hostility, or further duplicity, if he were to be confronted with Eliot’s presence once again. But the others around would also make it difficult for him to even be able to say the things he wanted, no needed, to say to him.
Eliot swallowed hard as he made himself stand, taking a deep breath as he did. He cast one more glance toward the door that would lead him safely back to he and Claire’s quarters, then another at where Lucian had since pulled out a piece of paper, scribbling out what looked like a letter of some sort.
Another deep breath as he made his feet carry him toward the bar, despite all his fears about making his presence known to a creature such as Lucian. Especially when his powerful, immortal, three hundred year old companion had even voiced her own misgivings about any such confrontation.
As Eliot made himself take another step closer to the bar, Lucian then turned at the sound of the approaching footsteps on the hard metal floor of the train. He looked understandably startled at first, but still graced Eliot with another of those smiles that just dripped with charm.
“Eliot? Fancy meeting you here” Lucian was the one to begin the conversation, as Eliot seemed to be struggling to find his own words, his eyes glued to the other man’s every movement.
“Why?” Eliot managed, though the word seemed strangled in his throat.
“Why?” Lucian furrowed his brow at the question, “well you and your beautiful companion left New York over a week ago. Without a word” he added more quietly, then continued through another smile, “it is quite surprising that I would end up on the same train as the two of you after the several I’ve already taken in that time.”
“That wasn’t what I was asking” Eliot told him in a deep whisper, still staring at Lucian, his dark eyes unblinking as he did.
“It wasn’t?” Lucian replied in a skeptical tone.
“Why did you...” Eliot swallowed again as he looked around at the few others present, such as the bartender, the serving girl, and a sprinkling of other passengers in search of an evening meal or drink. “do what you did?” he added in a harsh whisper.
Lucian forced his smile to remain as he gave Eliot another questioning glance before making any sort of reply, “would you like a drink?” he gestured for the bartender to approach.
“No” Eliot returned instantly, biting the word out through his teeth.
“I see” Lucian returned as he nodded for the bartender to take his leave once more, “so that’s what you’re referring to?” he stated, keeping his voice even as he spoke.
“Why?” Eliot repeated again, trying to keep his volume low, despite the anger his voice couldn’t quite hide.
“Claire pleaded with me to do all I could to save your life. So I did” was Lucian’s simple, straightforward answer. “I just find it odd that Claire didn’t do the same herself, in all honesty” Lucian added with a slight sigh.
Eliot just shook his head as he looked back at Lucian with disbelief, “did you ever think that maybe there was a reason she didn’t?”
Lucian allowed a slight scoff then as well, “I assumed there must have been. But I couldn’t begin to fathom what that reason actually was. If she truly wanted to save you, she didn’t need my help for that.”
“She didn’t want to see me changed, like that” Eliot told him coolly.
That was when Lucian actually showed his first sign of discomfort, well-hidden though it was, “maybe we should continue this chat elsewhere” he suggested as he gave a pointed glance around the room.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
“You think I’d want to go anywhere with you after... this?” Eliot retorted bitterly.
“After what?” Lucian returned, “after I saved you?”
“Saved me?” Eliot returned with continued bitterness.
“You’re here. You’re standing. You’re healthy. I’d say it’s a pretty accurate statement” Lucian returned bluntly.
“You expect me to thank you?” Eliot returned with further disbelief.
“I honestly didn’t really care whether you thanked me or not. It was Claire I was trying to please.”
“You honestly didn’t really care” Eliot repeated the beginning of the sentence slowly, pointedly, “maybe we found the problem after all” he added sarcastically.
“I truly don’t understand where all of this hostility is coming from, Eliot. You obviously have no problem with... people like Claire and I. So why all this hatred for the sort of help I gave you? It makes you a much better match for her in all honesty. As much as that was an intent I wasn’t really trying to achieve” he had to add.
Eliot narrowed his eyes then, “what are you even talking about? I didn’t get the impression that you and Claire had ever even met before the night we arrived. And you’re speaking like you know her. Which this conversation actually proves that you truly don’t” he had to add for weight.
Lucian let out a heavier sigh, “this conversation would honestly be a lot easier elsewhere” he reminded the younger man.
“Too bad” Eliot spat back.
Lucian sighed once more as he forced a slightly insincere smile this time, “I actually did know quite a bit about Claire before finally meeting her. Not enough, I’ll admit. But suffice it so say, she is the reason I came to America at all. And before you ask, I honestly cannot explain any more unless you’d like to take this conversation elsewhere after all.”
“You are trying very hard to get me alone again, aren’t you, Lucian?” Eliot replied, “and believe me when I say that fact is doing nothing to strengthen your arguments.”
“And the reasons I want to ‘get you alone’ as you say are not the ones you are implying. I assure you.”
“And you’re so trustworthy” Eliot returned with further sarcasm, as difficult as it even was to continue to put on a brave front when he knew what he knew about the man he was speaking to.
Lucian just shook his head again as he stood, “if you can’t even consent to having a private conversation with me, then I’m afraid there’s nothing more to say between us” he stated with what almost sounded like a tinge of regret, before gathering his unfinished letter and moving out of the dining car once more.
Once the door closed behind Lucian, Eliot found himself finally remembering to breathe again. As exasperating, and worrying, as the entire conversation had been, he had to admit that Lucian had not honestly attempted to harm him in any way again, despite Eliot’s obvious anger at the other, much more powerful man. And that thought couldn’t help plaguing him as he forced his feet to carry him back to his previous seat. He glanced at the door once more before looking down at the dinner the serving girl had since delivered, and realizing he seemed to have lost much of his appetite due to the knots his stomach was now tied in.
----------------------------------------
As she waited for Eliot to return from his dinner, Claire made her way to the tiny metal walkway outside the passenger car, above the couplings that connected one train car to the next. She took in the feel of the wind on her face and the stars above and she couldn’t help a small smile as she realized that she may very well be back home once again in just over two weeks. Of course, that was only if all went well. And she was wary of letting herself believe in that possibility after the perilous trip across the sea, and then the events that had taken place directly after their arrival on shore. But it was still a comforting thought that she was finally so close to seeing Sean once again.
She then heard the door of the car open behind her and turned to look back, only to freeze in place as her eyes fell on Lucian’s face once more. “Lovely night, isn’t it?′ was his charming greeting, seeming far less surprised by her presence than she was by his.
“What are you even doing here?” she asked, a stammer in her voice that even the wind whipping past them couldn’t completely muffle.
“Traveling west I assume. Same as you” he smiled down at her before turning his gaze away to take in the beauty of the stars above and the scenery below as well.
“How did you even end up on this train?” she made herself clarify her previous question.
“I took several others first, I assure you. Believe me, I was quite surprised when I saw your companion on board just a few minutes ago.”
That was when the panic appeared in her eyes, “what did you do to him?”
“What?” Lucian laughed off her question. “You mean over the course of our five minute conversation in the dining car?”
“Tell me you did not feed him any more of your blood. Or so help me, I’ll take my chances. I don’t care how old you might be!” she threatened.
Lucian looked back at her with more than a few emotions then, “I saved his life Claire. And apparently both of you seem quite furious about it. I’m gutted by the whole thing. I helped him, just because you asked me to. And now you both seem to think I’m some kind of monster for doing so?”
Claire scoffed, thankful though she was that he hadn’t yet chosen to take the route of any actual physical, or psychic hostility. “You honestly expect us to be happy that you tried to force your will on him, without him even being aware of what you were doing to him?”
Lucian looked down at her, seeming honestly hurt by both of their reactions to his assistance in the matter of the boy’s very life. “Forcing my will upon him? That’s what you think this was about?”
“You gave him your blood!” she returned in the same angry tone.
“Once” he retorted, his volume finally raising to meet her own, “to save his life. Because you asked me to” he told her plainly.
Claire just shook her head as she looked away, “don’t you think that if I wanted that life for him, I would’ve forced my own blood on him months ago?”
“That was the one part of this that didn’t make any sense to me. The fact that you didn’t use your own blood to save a man you seem to care for so much.”
“I didn’t do that to him because I do care about him! Why can’t you see that?” she told him with another sad shake of her head as she looked off into the night once more.
Lucian was quiet a long moment as he too turned his dark eyes to the passing nighttime scenery around them, “it should wear off soon enough” was his only response, though there seemed a sadness behind it.
“I know that” she mumbled, only daring to look up at him out of the corner of her eye then.
Another long silence before he spoke again, “I did honestly only want to help you. At least try to believe that” he added more quietly before sighing and turning to head back into the car, not allowing himself to look back her way again right then.