A Demon's Fate, Ch.5

Title: A Demon’s Fate

Author: Annie Newton

Fandom: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (book!verse/AU)

Genre: Angst, Romance, Drama, Horror

Summery: When a letter from Henry calls Abe back to his dear friend, feelings blossom.  But an old enemy lies in wait, ready to destroy the Hunters’ new found happiness.

Pairing: Abery, Crowley/Henry, a bit (a teenie, weenie little bit) of Crowley/Abraham, Henry/Edeva

Rating: NC-17 (overall) / PG (Chapter 5)

Warnings: Language, Violence, Disturbing Images/Concepts, Gore and Blood-Play, Graphic M/M Sexual Content, Non-Con/Rape, Torture and Character Death

Disclaimer: I do not own Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter nor any characters or concepts contained within. 

Word Count:  2,514 (10,298 so far)

Chapter 5: Come What May

A nearby limb snapped, the echo causing Henry to jump out of his reverie.  He glanced around, wildly looking through the maze of trees with the sincere hope of seeing his wife standing close-by in the wood.  Henry knew his desire was irrational, that the idea of his lovely Edeva appearing beside him was beyond absurd.

But the daydream had seemed so real.  It was blessing of his kind, how the memories of the past could be so tactile and vivid.  One could relive moments so brief that they passed in the period of a single blink of an eye, without any of the deterioration that happens to plague the human race.  Past friends, former lovers could once again be by your side, conversing and laughing and adoring as though they were not gone.  Such recollections were a source of great happiness and tremendous solace to one cursed to walk the earth forever.

However, the memories could also be just that: a curse.  Though able to provide comfort in times of loneliness, the memories could very well also act as ghosts, haunting the subconscious of the mind with whispers of the forlorn past.  Those murmurs of the dead were at times frightening in their ferocity, insistent in their need to be paid attention to.  On occasion, messages, long since forgotten or disregarded, might be screamed through time itself.

At that moment, echoing down through the centuries, Henry thought he discerned a warning. 

A bright panic pushed through his dead veins like slow moving ice.  What the hell am I doing?  No, Henry couldn’t allow Abraham to leave.  The young hunter would be alone and vulnerable, a combination that he was positive would prove fatal, especially so if Abraham persisted with his vendetta against the undead. 

Of course, Henry had no doubt that Abe would continue.  The man was simply too stubborn to drop his campaign, even in the face of assured death.  Too stubborn, as well as too damned good, and Abraham well knew it. 

And there in laid the problem.

Henry sighed, the breath of air sounding more like a groan as it drew to a close.  The word ‘good’ to describe Abraham’s hunting capabilities was an understatement, one of the biggest Henry had ever before used.  Abe was uncannily proficient in the ways of killing Henry’s brethren, a natural quality that the vampire had only refined.  No matter how skilled the hunter was, however, he was only human; fragile and mortal.  It would take only an instant of carelessness, or a minor miscalculation in technique and a single physical blow could shatter his body.  Though he was more than capable, any one vampire at any moment in time could be the end of Abraham Lincoln.

But Thomas Crowley was not just any vampire.

Besides Henry, no other soul presently walking the Earth could possibly comprehend of the cruelty that Crowley was able to bring upon those who stood in his way.  If Abraham left here incessant that his fight with vampires should go on unabated, Crowley’s retribution would be immediate and severe.  And it was Henry’s great fear that Abraham’s body would not be the only thing Crowley would be keen on breaking, if the older vampire got his claws on the hunter. 

No.

Henry clenched his teeth as a primordial rage warmed his being to the very core.  So hot was his anger that his horse danced, nervously side-stepping in an attempt to escape his seething wrath.  No, he swore as he steadied the mare.  He would not allow Crowley to touch Abraham.  He would not allow Crowley to get close enough to defile the young man.

Not in any manner.

The question remained though: How to resolve the situation? 

Abraham had been correct when he had assumed that his mentor knew more than what he had previously taught the young man.  Throughout his many years, Henry had collected a wide arsenal of fighting skills as well as defensive moves, all of which could be utilized in a battle with one of his kind.  He had found such knowledge to be indispensable during his younger years, and he understood that a burgeoning hunter like Abraham could make use of the various techniques.

However, those techniques demanded much more of a fighter than what Abraham was accustomed to, which was the very reason as to why Henry had neglected to instruct the man in them previously.  Not only did the physical body need to be in top form, but the student had to be mature spiritually in order to achieve the full benefit of such lessons.  They were two sides of a coin; one could not exist without the other. 

Abraham was physically able, yes, but what about his mental ability?  Had he progressed far enough to excel in a more advanced style of combat?  Could he handle the rigorous training that Henry would be forced to unleash upon him?

Tired of standing, Henry’s horse lowered her head, intent upon grazing on the season’s last bit of good, green grass.  Truly grateful for the distraction, Henry pulled on the reins, taking up the slack in them as she snapped back to attention, snorting her displeasure.  He patted her neck, rubbing the patch of muscles just above her withers until her ears perked forward in contentment.

No, Abraham had been correct; they had to stay together.  Truthfully, it was their only chance of finding a way out from this mess.  And it was Abe’s only chance, period.

Henry rubbed at his brow, relieved that he had finally decided upon a course of action but frustrated as to what it was.  His human friend truly did not know what he would be getting himself into, nor did he have even the slightest inkling of what he was asking of Henry.

No, for how could he?

Henry cursed under his breath.  Flashing his teeth in a feral bark, he spun his horse upon her haunches, urging her in the direction Abraham had ridden off in just minutes before.

oOo

Leaves crunched softly under his horse’s hooves, the vegetation still somewhat moist and tinged with color from the fertile summer past.  He followed yet another deer trail, trusting the meandering path to guide him back down the face of the hill and under the shade of the valley.  From there, he would ride back to civilization, out of the countryside and away from Henry Sturges.

At least that’s what Abraham supposed he would do.  If he had to be completely honest, he wasn’t really certain what his next move would be, now that Henry had turned his ever-loving immortal back on him.

Abe frowned, an odd blush coloring his cheeks as his mind replayed his conversation with Henry.  Their talk had not gone well, a fact that bothered the young man immensely.  He had truly anticipated Henry accepting his offer to join forces, to work together to defeat Thomas Crowley, the vampire that had stolen his friend’s life.  The fact that Henry hadn’t, the fact that he had pushed Abe away, decisively away, hurt Abe in ways that were completely new to him. 

Time and again he had proven himself competent in the ways of killing vampires.  Henry had seen it well enough.  Hell, Henry had approved of his talents and of the way in which he utilized them in fighting the undead devils.  He was strong, an able fighter against those who stalk the night looking to take innocents from their families, and mothers from their children.

But it was true that he still had much to learn.  Abe would be a fool if he tried to deny that fact.  He knew that he could improve upon his combat skills and he was aware that his knowledge of the world’s supernatural creatures was a bit lacking.  He had expected that Henry could, in the weeks and the months following, expand on his understanding of such things.  Abe had hoped that Henry would tutor him, bring him under his protection like he had only five years before when Abe was but a child.

Apparently that plan was now forfeit. 

But it was not just the rejection of a friend and a partner – which stung plenty enough – that had wounded the young man so badly.  It was the rejection of someone that Abe held close to his heart.  That pain had cut deep into his being, and troubled him beyond imagination.

His horse slipped on a rock, the grimy moss peeling wetly away from the stone under the gelding’s hoof.  With a snort, the bay righted himself and Abe adjusted his position in the saddle, slightly annoyed that he had allowed his mind to wander.  The pondering over his feelings could wait.  Besides, it wasn’t like they mattered now anyway.

Pulling the gelding to a stop, Abe breathed deeply of the forest air, ripe with the smells of the changing season.  The warmth of the sun’s glow was comforting, but the occasional strong breeze chilled his head and whipped his hair before his face in an unruly manner.  Sitting there in the weather, it occurred to him that investing in a hat might not be a bad idea.  Maybe when this Crowley business was over with, he would settle down to a job so he could afford such an item.

He would head into town, Abe decided.  He would ride into Evansville and make inquiries after Crowley.  Henry had mentioned receiving a letter from Crowley six months previous, so Abe figured it would be safe to assume that Crowley had shown his face at about that time, to ask after Henry’s whereabouts.  Perhaps the question had been unique enough, or perhaps the inquisitor himself had been strange enough that the vampire just may have inadvertently made quite an impression upon the townspeople.  If Abe was lucky, there might still be a couple of acute, keen-eyed citizens to help point him in the right direction, assuming that Crowley was still within the general area.

If Crowley was determined to put a stop to him, then Abe was determined to put an end to Crowley.  Or at least try; come what may.  Abe smiled, peeking up through the gaps in the branches to the blue sky, taking delight in the rays of light dancing upon his skin.  No matter what, he would not fail her; he swore it upon his mother’s grave.

The sound of approaching hoof beats whispered to his ears.  The rhythmic thumping was distant but gaining quickly, the rider seemingly purposeful in his destination.  Abe shot a look over his shoulder, staring back in the direction he’d just come from, certain that was the source of the racket.  He spared a glance at his ax, tied snugly to the rigging of his saddle but made no grab for it.  Really though, there was only one person who would be racing through the tress after him.

I hope.

As the rider came into view, Abe could not help the beam that curved his lips, his heart alighting for a fleeting moment.  He came back.  Despite his happiness, Abe worked to consciously school his features as he reined his mount around, turning to meet the vampire as Henry continued to lope towards him.  After what had just passed between them, Abe preferred to remain stoic before his friend. 

At least until Henry revealed his intentions for returning.

Henry slowed, easing his mare into a trot and then to a brisk walk before halting her before Abe.  They sat there, gazing at one another appraisingly as their mounts touched noses.  Abe blinked, wishing that he could see through the dark, thick lenses that hid his friend’s eyes, to glimpse at what Henry was possibly thinking. 

The wind lipped at the collar of Henry’s overcoat and fingered through his hair.  “You will not waver?”

“No,” answered Abe, with strong conviction.

This did not seem to surprise Henry, who nodded to himself as if confirming a fact that he already knew to be true.  He set his jaw, his stiffness in the saddle nearly betraying his in-humanness.  “I cannot promise to be by your side if – when – you face Crowley.  What I can promise is that I will teach you what you need to know in order to protect yourself.”  Henry paused, inclining his head slightly, “I will show you how to survive.”

Abe grinned appreciatively.  “Thank you, Henry.”

“No,” Henry said as he shook his head, a serious frown marring his face.  “Do not thank me, Abraham.  There is a good reason as to why I have yet to school you in these techniques.  They are difficult and brutal.  I will push you to your very limits, physically and psychologically.  There is a good chance you will hate me when before we are finished.”

“Henry, hating you is not a possibility.”  Abe smiled, almost sadly.  “Not even remotely.  And actually,” fussing with the reins, Abe gave an uncomfortable shrug, “I meant ‘thank you’ for coming back.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that gesture.”

Henry took a long breath, letting the fresh air rinse him clean of what remained of their dispute.  “Of course, Abraham,” he said, his voice deep with feeling.  “You’re welcome.”

They rode in silence on their way back down the hill, much like they had during their ascent earlier that morning.  Unlike on that trip however, Abe now bore a smirk of confident victory, a sensation he was certain that Henry did not share in.  Despite their disagreement the young man had, he supposed, gotten what he had wanted.  The coming months would see the two friends spending a lot of time together, training and learning like before.  Though the cause – the vampire Thomas Crowley – was serious, Abe was not dismayed; he would get be close to Henry, something that he had not realized that he had been longing for quite a while, until finally being summoned by the other man.  This gave him satisfaction, a strange joy that filled his soul. 

Abe’s smile grew, a twinkle in his brown eyes.  He looked forward to discovering just what this newly discovered sensation meant.

It was early evening by the time the two men reached Henry’s cabin, the sun just beginning to dip below the crest of the hill they had just traversed, the lengthening shadows causing the air to cool rapidly around them.  Abe dismounted from his horse, the animal eliciting a noisy groan as the hunter removed his weight from its back.  He shrugged at the quizzical look Henry threw him.  “His name’s Duck.”

Henry raised his brow, comprehending the meaning of the title.  “Her name is Danseuse,” he offered, stroking the mare’s mane.

Taking Duck by the bridle to lead him to the barn, Abe snorted.  “Seems to be a fitting name.”

“Do not get too comfortable, Abraham,” Henry warned, still atop Danseuse.    

“Oh?”  Abe turned to face Henry, noting the vampire’s suddenly morose appearance.  “And why not?”

“Because in the morning,” Henry answered, gazing at his house, “we leave this place.”

oOo

Author’s Note:  I cannot tell you how difficult this chapter was.  I’ve always had an issue with communicating a character’s thought processes.  It’s my weakness.  But I tried right!?  I faced my fear head-on!  

But I do humbly apologize for the long wait for this update!!!  Part of the delay was because of the difficulty I was having with this chapter, part of it was because of the political debates/election and part of it was because I was just so tired from my long days at work.  But I will endeavor to ensure that such a delay doesn’t happen again!

I also want to thank all my readers, old and new, for being interested in this story!  You all are my inspiration, and I write mainly for you!  Love yous!  Keep the reviews coming, ok?  They excite me!

The Abery part of this fic will begin shortly, I assure you.  *wink*  But don’t get too excited; it won’t get hot and heavy for some time.  But it will get all nice and fluffy real soon!