Bequeathed

by Melinda Terranova

  Turning to me, his features relax. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so?”

  Dominic cradles my face in his large palms and kisses my forehead. “I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry,” he repeats against my lips. His breath tickles my nose and I cannot help but smile against his mouth. “I will be more careful next time. I didn’t know they…” He doesn’t finish his sentence. “You’re safe now.”

  “What happened down there? Where did you go?”

  “I went to see if I could fix the lights. I should have never left you there on your own.” He shakes his head.

  “Did you hear someone scream just after you disappeared?”

  Dominic’s face freezes and he tries to hide the knowing look in his eyes. “I did.” His eyes dart to the desk. “I think it may have been a scared tourist.”

  He drops his hands to my hips and squeezes me gently as he slowly walks me backwards into the wall. I am pinned between him and the cold stone, my senses heightened by the sweetness of his cologne. Our lips lock in a slow sensual nature. My hands find their way to his neck as his arms coil around me and crush me into him. I hear someone clear their throat and we both hesitate, eyes locked on one another, and slowly untangle.

  “What do you want?” Dominic spits as he turns to glare at the person who interrupted us.

  “An introduction perhaps?” The stranger chimes. “Hello. I’m Dom’s uncle, Vincent.”

  At the bottom of the stairs stands a tall masculine figure. His mere presence dominates the small room. His dark hair sits just above his shoulders and his crystal blue eyes regard me with curiosity. He looks to be no older than twenty-five and he exudes the same dark demeanor as his nephew—only looking at him you could truly believe that he could be dangerous.

  “Hi, I’m Katalina.”

  “So, you’re the one distracting Dom from his work.” He takes my hand in his and gives it a friendly squeeze.

  I look at up at Dominic. I can feel the anger rolling off him in waves. Vincent chuckles under his breath, obviously not taking any notice of Dominic’s mood.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Katalina. I hope my nephew here has been using his manners and hasn’t been acting like an animal.” His eyes flit to Dominic.

  “He has been a perfect gentleman.”

  Dominic storms past his uncle and out the door.

  “Don’t worry, I will take it from here. I don’t need any help anyway,” Vincent calls after him.

  “It was nice to meet you, Vincent,” I say as I brush past him escaping through the exit.

  “Ciao, Katalina. Don’t be a stranger.” He chuckles.

  I spot Dominic staring out into the field deep in thought. I approach him and gently touch his arm.

  “Hi,” he breathes.

  “Hi.”

  “Sorry about before. My uncle irritates me at the best of times.”

  “Don’t apologize. Family can be a pain,” I reassure him.

  He turns to me and sighs. “Let’s go do something fun. This day was supposed to be magical; it has been everything but.”

  “The day isn’t over yet.”

  “No, it isn’t. Are you hungry?”

  “I’m always hungry.” My voice breaks, not going unnoticed by Dominic.

  “Hey, come here.” He pulls me into his strong arms. “Are you okay?”

  “Like I said, family can be a pain.” I force a smile.

  Driving through the green fields as the rain gushes from the clouds above, I stare out my window as we pass the sodden ancient monuments. Once out on the open highway Dominic seems more relaxed and he turns down the music as he looks over at me.

  “Why was your uncle at the catacombs?” I press him for answers.

  “I…err,” he pauses. “I’m not sure?”

  “He wasn’t checking up on you?”

  “No, definitely not.” He laughs and it is a nice sound to hear.

  “He doesn’t seem much older than you.”

  “Vincent is twenty-four; he is more of a brother than an uncle. That is why we bicker a lot.”

  “What was he talking about when he said he will take care of it?”

  Dominic’s phone rings and he mouths “sorry” as he answers it. I can hear the echo of the person on the phone. Dominic listens and doesn’t say a word until the person stops talking. He speaks in Italian and I only manage to understand a word here and there. He glances at me as his tone becomes palpable and I catch two words: vita normale. He hangs up and drops the phone in a small compartment in his door. It makes a loud thud as it hits the bottom.

  “My father has asked me to go back to the shop. He needs my help,” he apologizes. His shoulders slump in defeat and I can see that he has no choice but to do as his father asks.

  “That’s okay. We can have lunch another time.”

  “I promise you a day without interruptions or distractions.” He glances at me.

  “No interruptions or distractions,” I echo as my eyes linger on his lips, and the urge to kiss him is hard to resist.

  We both sit in silence for a moment. The only sound is the hum of the tires on the road. Dominic reaches over to take my hand in his and squeezes it gently, sending electric shock waves through me.

  “My father has only Vincent and me to help him. Sometimes he receives last-minute orders that need to be finished urgently, and we both have to drop everything and return to him. It has always been this way, and although it is a major disruption to my life, I am in no position to change it,” he explains. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t sneak away to see you.” He winks.

  “I like the sound of that last part.”

  “Me too.” He grins.

  The sleek, black car glides through the city and we stop outside my apartment. Dominic takes off his seatbelt, leans over to me, and gently grabs my chin to angle my face toward him.

  “I will see you tomorrow,” he whispers against my lips before kissing me gently. His palms cradle my face when he pulls away and I see a flash of concern cross his eyes.

  “Ciao,” I whisper breathlessly when I open my door.

  “Katalina,” Dominic calls as I am about to step out of the car. “Don’t go out by yourself after dark,” he warns.

  Huddled on the tiny balcony off the kitchen, I relish the radiating warmth from the hot mug of cocoa in my hands. I watch the steam rise and dissipate into the cool afternoon air. The brown tiled roof of the building behind ours looks freshly lacquered, still wet from the downpour throughout the day. I spot a grey and white cat leisurely walking along the roof tiles and lazily stretching itself out at the edge of the building where it proceeds to clean its paws. The cat stays curled up high above the sprawling city and watches as the world beneath it unfolds. The once seemingly simple and straightforward world that I lived in is now a complicated, crazy, and frightening place before me. How was I so oblivious to what my family hides- the secrets burdening my mom and grandmother throughout their lives and the heartache my ancestors have had to endure when one of their precious daughters showed the telltale signs of the impending curse; the curse that sits like a dark, heavy cloud bearing its weight upon me, about to erupt any minute; the curse that up until yesterday I had no inkling existed; the curse I want no part of.

  A gentle knock at the front door brings me back to reality. “Just a minute.”

  Standing on the other side of the door is a person with the largest bunch of pink roses I have ever seen. The courier speaks my name from behind the flowers and I graciously take them from him, thanking him as he wedges a card in the center of the fragrant bouquet. I close the door with my foot and make my way to the lounge. The flowers engulf the coffee table. I pluck the card from them and rip it open. In it is written Until Tomorrow. The flowers are from Dominic. A small squeal escapes my lips.

  Searching in the kitchen for a vase large enough to fit the flowers in, I hear Sofia come through the front door.

  “Who’s the lucky one?” she calls out.


  “Me. Does Maria have a vase somewhere?” I shout as Sofia enters the kitchen.

  “In there.” She points behind me. “So, how was your date?” She grins.

  “Not great.”

  “What happened?”

  “On the way, we stopped to get coffee. A pizza guy had cut himself and all I could smell was the blood. It smelt like vanilla. The realization that I am already having signs of this curse, well, it frightens me.”

  “You could smell the blood?” Sofia’s eyes widen in shock.

  “Yep, it made the air too thick to breathe. My heart started to race and I had this surge of energy. I can’t really describe it exactly,” I try to explain. “We visited the catacombs somewhere outside of Rome and the lights went out in one of the burial chambers. Dominic left me in the dark to go fix the lights and someone else was in the chamber with me. I screamed, they vanished. And now I am home.” I smile.

  “You didn’t have the urge to taste the blood, did you?” Sofia whispers.

  “Are you serious?” I ask, disgusted.

  “Something is not right. You’re not supposed to be able to smell blood like us,” Sofia mumbles to herself.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, alarmed at this revelation.

  “Before I turned, I only suffered from the dreams and the ache in my bones. I had no reaction to blood until afterwards,” she explains.

  “Please don’t tell me that. I don’t think I can take any more of this…this shit that is happening to me.” I sit on the barstool, deflated. I lay my head on the bench and close my eyes for a few moments. The cool of the marble against my cheek is soothing. I can hear Sofia has left the kitchen and is on the phone to someone. She returns and holds the phone out toward me.

  “Hello,” I croak into the phone as I raise my head from the marble bench.

  “Katalina, sweetheart.” I hear my mother’s anxious voice on the other end and a combination of relief and angst washes over me.

  “Oh, Mom, I miss you so much,” I whisper as tears well in my eyes.

  “Everything is going to be fine,” she reassures me.

  “I know what we are. It is not going to be fine.”

  “Everything will be fine. I promise you that much. I knew in my heart that you would be burdened by that wretched curse.”

  I hear my mom sigh into the phone. I sit in silence waiting for her to rattle off her words of wisdom, words that are supposed to make everything better. Words that I wish would vanquish all that is coming. I feel it to my core that nothing is going to be the same. The world that I lived in is all but disappearing from before my eyes, spiraling into the unknown.

  “Do you want to come home?” My mom interrupts my thoughts.

  “I don’t think so, not yet anyway,” I answer, uncertainty tainting my response.

  “Sweetheart, you do not have to stay and be a part of any of that. Come home to where you belong.”

  My mom’s pleading voice makes me homesick, something I hadn’t realized I was feeling until now. “Why didn’t you or Nonna tell me the reason you sent me here?”

  “We weren’t sure if your dreams were part of the curse. I guess we were hoping, praying, that the curse would skip another generation and we wouldn’t have to explain any of it to you.” She exhales.

  “So, keeping me in the dark was a better option?” I hiss.

  “Please don’t be upset. Nonna and I thought we were doing the right thing by not telling you. I never wanted to send you, but your Nonna made me realize it was the right thing to do. Just in case you…” She doesn’t finish her sentence.

  “There is no chance I want to be.” I look up at Sofia who gives me a comforting smile. I manage a weak smile in return, hoping I have not offended her. I hear my mom breathe a sigh of relief.

  “Please don’t be upset, sweetheart,” she pleads.

  “It is difficult dealing with all of this.” I wave my arm in the air emphasizing my statement. “I thought I was coming here for a vacation, to do some sightseeing and to meet the family. Not to deal with all of this.”

  “It is a lot to handle when you are so young. It breaks my heart that you are there without me. However, Maria is best equipped to deal with these situations. Since the beginning Maria has comforted and guided all our ancestors who chose to accept their fate. Talk to her, sweetheart. Tell her how you are feeling.” My mom’s voice is strained and I can sense she is holding back her tears.

  “Can we change the subject please?” I frown into the phone.

  “Make sure you talk to Maria.”

  “Yes,” I hiss into the phone and at once apologize. We speak for another ten minutes about nothing, my mom going along with my request to not talk about the curse or anything related. I learn that Nicolette’s basketball team has made it into the finals and Dad managed to cook a simple pasta dish and not burn the house down.

  By the time Sofia and I get back from getting gelato, Maria is already home from work and soft music is echoing through the apartment. The bouquet of flowers has been placed in a crystal vase, which is sitting proudly in the center of the coffee table. I cringe at the thought of having to explain to Maria who they are from.

  “Ciao,” Maria calls from the kitchen.

  We both head to the kitchen.

  “Who are the beautiful flowers for?” Maria asks smiling.

  “They’re for me,” I confess.

  “From someone special?” she presses.

  “I’m hoping so.” I flush and look at my hands in my lap.

  “Give me all the details—his name, what he looks like, where you met him…” Maria’s eyes light up and a wide grin spreads across her face.

  “His name is Dominic. He is tall and to die for. I first saw him when I got lost on my way to the Spanish Steps and then ran into him last night when we had dinner. I went on a sort-of date today with him to the catacombs,” I explain, my heart thrumming. “You aren’t angry that I didn’t tell you?”

  “Sweetheart, you are old enough to drink and old enough to drive. If you wish to see this boy just let me know so I know where you are. I won’t forbid you; I am not your mother.” Maria grins. “Who am I to stand in the way of a little romance?”

  “I think I really like him.” I grin.

  “Tell her,” Sofia whispers as she glances from me to Maria.

  “Tell me what?”

  “On the way to the catacombs we stopped for coffee and a man had cut his hand. He had blood everywhere and I could smell it.” My eyes trace the marble on the bench. “It smelt like vanilla. The scent was thick in the air.”

  “It is quite normal—each of us reacts differently to certain triggers. Some have had only dreams and others only a hunger so deep it would make them physically ill,” Maria explains. “I too had the ability to smell blood differently than humans before turning. Although I have not come across another that could smell the sweet vanilla scent of blood until you,” she adds, a little perplexed.

  “That makes me feel better in a way but a little worried that I am the only one apart from you,” I sigh.

  “Honestly, sweetheart, there is nothing to worry about. You can take the elixir and it will all be over. If that is what you want?”

  “Yes. That is what I want,” I whisper into my lap.

  “Katalina, look at me,” Maria commands.

  I look up and into her beautiful dark eyes.

  “Never be afraid to say what you want, and please do not feel bad that this is a lifestyle you do not choose.” Maria walks around the bench in a blur to give me a tight hug.

  “Thank you.” I feel relief in her words.

  Maria eases herself out of the hug. “The Feast of San Vincenzo festival is this weekend in Craco. What do you girls think of a little road trip with a few stops along the way? We can stop in all the small villages and vineyards. Eat and drink our way to the south.”

  “Sounds perfect,” Sofia squeals.

  They both look at me expectantly, as though my answer counts on the w
hole trip to go ahead. “Sounds exactly like what I need right now—something fun to take my mind off everything.” I grin from ear to ear.

  “We will leave at first light tomorrow,” Maria states as she swiftly disappears to her room.

  Sitting in the middle of my bed I stare out the window, the fading light bringing with it a chill that seeps into my room. I shiver as I recall this morning and the close encounter with the being in the burial chamber. The way it managed to be so silent and so quick to vanish keeps playing in the back of my mind. The swiftness of its disappearance is as though it flew out of the darkened chamber as soon as the lights flickered on. I gasp as realization hits me, certain that it was a vampire. The thought of standing so close to one, so close to its sharp fangs sends shivers through my bones. The fact that it got close enough for me to feel its breath on my cheek makes me sick to my stomach, let alone that it could have fed on me and disappeared without being detected. My thoughts flicker to Dominic and my pulse races at the very thought of him being hurt, or worse still, drained by a vampire. I cannot allow him to get caught up in any of this craziness that is my family.

  Reaching over to my bag I retrieve my phone and text him. “Hey, I’m going on a road trip down south with my aunt and cousin for a few days, so our day of no distractions will have to wait. Hope to see you when I get back. And thank you for the beautiful flowers.” I sigh as I drop my phone onto the bed and slouch back onto the mountain of pillows behind me. My phone buzzes instantly.

  “You’re very welcome. You will have to see me when you get back as I never go back on my promises. No distractions or interruptions. Although I think I may be distracted by thoughts of you while you’re away.”

  My heart flutters and I grab a pillow and quietly scream into it. “I may be distracted too,” I quickly reply.

  My phone lights up with another incoming text. “I hope so.”

  I can’t help but grin stupidly at my phone. “Wish you were here.” I press send before I allow myself to think about what I just texted him and hide my phone under the pillows. After a couple of minutes, I grab the phone back out and nothing. He has not replied. Completely mortified and humiliated that I just texted him that, I stuff the phone back under the pillows before escaping to Sofia’s room.