Father James Benanti
Child of God, Father of a Community
1693-1746
He stooped before the grey headstone and wiped away the leaves and dirt from it. He was not sure what he wanted to say to him. He spent years angry at Father James for what had happened in the house that night, but now, crouched before the man's grave, it did not seem to matter anymore. Even though Father Andrew had fretted that Ethan had not learned enough from him, Ethan had learned much about forgiveness since leaving his village. Or maybe Father Andrew only reinforced what Father James had taught Ethan all along. Ethan pulled out his rosary and placed his hand on the grave.
"I forgive you…Father," he said in a low voice. He bowed his head and prayed for not only the deceased, but also for himself. He opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the squeaky gate open and close.
"Boy?" Calmet called softly. "What are you doing?"
"I was just saying a quick goodbye before leaving," he said, "before going back to the monastery. After you are done vanquishing the evil here, I am sure you can find your way back." He stood and walked out of the cemetery.
"Don't go, Ethan," Calmet said following him. "I still need you. You are a great help."
Ethan scoffed. "What are you talking about? You killed that thing by yourself. What do you need me for?"
"I need you to lead me to the castle where they live. We must destroy them all."
Ethan pointed up a dark trail leading out of town. "That is the way to the castle. Follow it for about three miles. You can't miss it."
"I can't let you leave. I will do my best to protect you. We make a good team and I need a second. Don't go."
"You need a second? What, as a distraction or bait? Like tonight, how were you planning to wrest me from that demon's grasp? She almost ate me."
"Oh, I knew you could take care of yourself."
"Oh, yes, you say that now. Would that have been your eulogy? 'Well, I thought he could take care of himself.' Not very comforting."
"That is enough!" Calmet said, grabbing the boy by the arm and turning him around. "You are strong, boy. I can see it. I saw it the moment you entered my brother's office. When that demoness grabbed you, yes, I knew you were going to be fine. You wouldn't go down without a fight. And if you have heard anything about me, you know I always have a second to assist me. I have never slayed a vampire on my own."
"What happened to all your assistants?"
"Most move on. They become slayers themselves, they become priests, they find wives and settle down, and, yes, some have died. But I have never recklessly sacrificed them. You were not going to die tonight and even you know that."
Ethan sighed. He thought about his confrontation with the vampire. He did not remember feeling fear. She tried to kill him and he fought back. He did what was needed to survive.
"I know," Ethan said. "The way you killed that vampire…I know it is necessary, but it did not seem real before. I have never seen anyone die before. It was…worrisome."
"In what way?"
"I don't think I could do that to her. Even if the only choice was that one of us had to die, I couldn't subject her to what I saw tonight. It is just too awful."
Calmet reached out and put a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "That is all right, boy. It is good to know you still have your humanity intact." They both chuckled. "Are you going to come back inside? I left a couple of fillies chomping at the bit for some more stories to make their smooth skin crawl."
"No, that's all right, I am pretty tired and the tavern is terribly noisy. I own a house just at the edge of town here. I think I will retire there for the evening."
"Very well, boy. Keep to your chaste resolve. I hope you at least have good dreams." Calmet laughed heartily as he returned to the revelries. Ethan watched him return to the tavern and then headed for his old home.
The door was unlocked, just as Sara said it was. He pushed it open and entered the main room. It was cold. The room was exactly the way he had left it. No signs of the many passed years had left their mark. He walked over to the fireplace and quickly worked with the kindling to get a roaring fire going.
As he turned to go upstairs, he noticed that the back door was slightly open. He walked over and opened it to look into the backyard. He saw no footprints or other signs of life. He shuddered as the cold air from outside tried to rush into the warming room, so he shut and bolted the door. Brushing off his nerves, he thought it best to try to get some sleep.
He climbed the stairs and opened the door to the master bedroom. The drape for the large picture window was open, bathing the room in a lovely blue light. Across the room, a shadowy figure turned to greet him. Startled, his heart skipped a beat. It took less than a second to realize who it was. His breath left him. For a moment, the world stopped.
"Hello, Ethan," the soft voice finally said. Hearing the gentle voice sent a wave of relief over him and he took a deep breath.
"Victoria," he replied.
She did not know what she was going to say or how she would react when she saw him, she just knew she had to. She decided it would be best to go to the house and wait to see if he showed up. The walk to town was not long for her. What seemed like just a quick pace could move her miles in only a few minutes. She was not bothered by the cold, so her hooded cape was more than enough warmth. When she arrived at the house, the back door was unlocked, so she opened it cautiously. Years of disuse caused the door to stick. She forced it open with a small effort, but she was unable to reclose it the whole way. She looked around the room, which she could clearly see by the light of the moon. It was exactly the way she remembered it. Not a speck of dust, not a spider, not a single shred of evidence that so many years had passed by.
She climbed the stairs and opened the door to the master bedroom. It was not exactly as she had left it. The bed had been made and her clothes had been picked up. She closed the door to the room and walked over to the wardrobe. She opened the door to the closet and discovered her old dress. It hung so perfectly, as if it belonged there. She reached out and ran her fingers over the smooth satin. Even in the dark, she noticed that it had aged some. The color had changed slightly and when she touched the sleeve, a button fell free. It hit the ground and she watched it roll around before coming to rest in front of the nightstand.
She looked around the room and realized that the room might appear very dark to someone like Ethan. She didn't want to scare him if he did not recognize her. She went to a large window and pulled back the heavy inner layer of curtains. A sheer layer still allowed the moonlight to filter in but gave a hint of privacy. She walked over to the other window to open the curtains there when she heard the door open behind her.
When he opened the door, she turned to meet him and tried to remain composed, but her heart raced. She felt her cheeks flush. Her hands tensed. Her knees went weak. Her mouth went dry.
"Hello, Ethan," was all she managed to get out.
"Victoria," he replied.
She could not tell from his tone if he was happy to see her or not. The look on his face, his frown, his lusterless gaze, made her fear that he had never wanted to see her again. She hoped he was just surprised. When he said nothing more, she struggled to find something to say.
"You look well," she said. Even in the evening light, she could see how handsome he was. His scruffy, unshaven face was older and more mature. He looked more manly and strong. She was disappointed by the monk's robe he wore, but she was glad to see he had not lost his faith. "I am pleased that you are alive," she said.
"What are you doing here?" he asked indifferently.
"I heard you were back," she said, slowly crossing to room toward him. "You left quite an impression on my father's wife."
"Oh, you mean the vampire who tried to eat me?" he asked.
Victoria blinked. She had not heard of vampires before. "I am unfamiliar with that term, but I do suppose we are talking about the same person," she said.
She was only a fe
w feet from him and he could see her more clearly now. Her face was thinner and paler, but she was still beautiful. The only change was a few lines across her brow. They conveyed to him that she had spent the last few years in heavy worry or sorrow.
"I am glad," she said, reaching out and touching the medallion through his clothes, "that my gift was of service to you and that you were not injured." As she touched him, he let out a deep breath and the heat from it was like a furnace across her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. She did not notice the small moan of pleasure that escaped her lips. Ethan took a step back from her and she dropped her hand. He still said nothing to her. She fidgeted uncomfortably. "So, you are a monk now? Just like you always wanted," she said.
"No, not exactly," he said. "I have not taken vows, but Father Andrew has been kind enough to let me live the lifestyle at his monastery."
A feeling of relief swept over her at his words and her eyes widened. "Oh, but you have not fully committed yourself yet?" she asked.
He did not reply. At his silence, she blushed and looked down at her hands. She was so close to him. As he looked at her, he could smell the sweetness of her hair. He could hear her soft breaths. He longed to reach out and touch her white neck. His eyes followed the chain of her necklace as it hugged the curves of her chest and disappeared under the edge of her gown. He almost forgot the hurt and pain he had been harboring for so long. He closed his eyes, summoned all his strength, and forced himself to remember what she was – a cold, blood-sucking, she-demon. He opened his eyes and shoved all his feelings of love and compassion deep inside of himself. He forced himself to do what he believed was required of him.
"What do you want, Victoria?" he asked. This time his tone was much more direct.
She knew what she wanted. She wanted him. She wanted him to realize that she had made a mistake and was sorry. She wanted him to finish what they had started so many years ago in that very room. She did not want to give Sebastian the gift of her virginity – she wanted it to go to Ethan. She wanted him to grab her in his arms and tell her he loved her. She wanted him to take her by the hand and run away, never to look back. She wanted to tell him.
She took a deep breath and gathered up all her strength to speak, but as she looked up into his eyes, her words stilled. As she gazed at him, she did not see the warm look of compassion she remembered. He looked hard, angry. A small part of her recoiled in fear. What was he doing in the village? Did he travel with the slayer her father was talking about? Was he here to kill her?
"Nothing," she finally managed to say softly. "I wanted to see you for myself, was all."
"Fine, you have seen me. I think you should go." She was so surprised at the heartless way he simply dismissed her after all these years, she only stared at him. He saw the confusion on her face. "I cannot have anything to do with you anymore," he explained. "You are one of them."
She let out a disappointed sigh. "Is that how you truly feel?" she asked. "Am I so different from the woman you once loved so completely?"
"Fair, kind, and true," he said, reaching up and gently taking her chin in his hand, "are words I once used to describe you." She blinked dreamily at his touch. His hand was warm, and she felt a slight pulse throughout her body. "But now," he continued, letting go of her face, "you are only fair. You showed your falseness when you chose another, and no one who drinks the blood of the living can be kind."
The warmth she felt vanished instantly as he withdrew his hand. He walked over to the door and opened it further for her to exit. She could not believe what she was hearing.
"Whatever you have been told about me and my people cannot be true," she said, walking toward him. "How can you not trust me? I have only ever wanted to protect you. I thought you understood that."
"I am a man of God," he said. "You and your kind are in opposition to Him."
"You know that is not true," she firmly said. "Believe what you will of yourself or Father James, but I have worked hard to keep my faith. I still long to be at His side one day. I will not stop until my family is there with me." He did not respond. "Ethan, please, do not help this man take the lives of my family members before they can be saved."
"You have been deceived," he said to her. "They cannot be saved. You cannot be saved."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
He looked at her and could not bring himself to tell her that they had, in fact, come to kill her and that she would only go to hell afterward.
"Ethan?" she prodded.
"Nothing," he finally said. "You need to leave. Go home to your family."
"Ethan…" she tried to plead.
"Go!" he shouted at her.
Her eyes widened at his tone. She was shocked, afraid, and angry. How could he speak to her like that? She almost felt the urge to cry, but her pride would not let her. She stood up straight, held her head high, and walked out of the room. She heard the door to the bedroom close behind her as she entered the hallway. She slowly descended the stairs and, remembering the troublesome back door, she cautiously went out the front. She still heard sounds of music and laughter coming from the tavern, but she did not see anyone.
Dejected, she wrapped her cape around herself, pulled up her hood, and slowly walked toward the trail leading to her home. She was just at the forest's edge when she felt someone watching her. She turned and saw a scarred man clad in black looking at her. He started to reach for something in his coat. She looked him straight in the eye and put a finger to her lips in a very soft hush.
Calmet was unable to move. He became utterly transfixed by the beauty before him. He had never seen anything like her. Her skin was pale, but not with the disgusting translucence most female vampires possessed. Her dark eyes were not so dark they were unnatural, but were like calm pools of water. Her elegant form and delicate movements betrayed a lady of the highest class and sophistication. Yet even from such a distance, her sadness was evident.
He knew immediately that she had to be the one, the child of the vampire lord he had come to slay, but for the moment, he could not kill her. Even if he had possessed the means to move, he thought it was not her time to die. He watched as she turned away and disappeared into the blackness of the night. It was not until after she was gone that he was able to move. He realized that she must have been there to see Ethan. He saw that the house was almost completely dark. He ran to it and opened the door.
"Ethan!" he called out.
Ethan had been sitting on the master bed ever since she had left. He was confused and conflicted and was debating whether to run after Victoria when he heard his name called. He jumped off the bed and opened the door.
"What?" he called back.
"Oh, my boy, you about gave an old man a heart attack," Calmet said, clutching his chest as he looked up the stairs.
"What? What is going on?" Ethan asked, running down the stairs to meet him.
"The girl, your vampirette, I saw her heading toward the woods away from this house. I thought maybe you were dead." He sat down in one of the chairs by the fireplace.
"How nice of you to worry about me," Ethan said, dropping into a chair opposite Calmet.
Calmet leaned forward and looked at Ethan. "I saw her, I looked into her eyes. She was so beautiful. I reached for a weapon, there could not have been a better opportunity to rid the village of her, but I couldn't do it. I was not afraid of her, but I couldn't do it. Me! Oh, my boy." Calmet leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes to try to remember the look on her face.
"She is lovely," Ethan said softly. "'White as lilies, yet red as roses'," he mumbled.
Calmet opened his eyes. "Did you see her? Did she appear to you or was she just watching you?"
"She was here. She talked to me."
"What did she say?" Calmet was on the edge of his seat.
He sighed and looked at Calmet. "Nothing," was all he could say.
"Quite the contradiction," Calmet said.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.<
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"It is amazing how much meaning can be conveyed even when one says nothing," he said.
They sat for a moment, looking into the fire. Calmet lit a cigar and watched the smoke float in the darkness.
Ethan finally broke the silence. "That was holy water that you threw at the creatures, when they tried to escape, right? It burned them like you said it would."
"Aye. Painful stuff, that. Crosses, too, burn them like fire."
"That is interesting," Ethan mused.
"Why? I told you it would."
"Many years ago, before she knew what she was, she used to come to church whenever she could. She would dip her fingers in the holy water and cross herself. She would hold her rosary and kiss the cross. The priest would give her communion. It never bothered her."
"That is interesting," Calmet said. "But after seeing her for myself, I have no doubt she is a vampire."
"What will you do? She seems immune to your usual arms."
"There is one sure way to kill anything: cut off the head and the body dies."
Ethan felt queasy at the thought. "I don't know, sir," he said. "After seeing her tonight, I just…I am so unsure anymore."
"I felt the same way," Calmet said.
Ethan looked at him, but Calmet just looked into the fire as if lost in a faraway thought.
"About the girl in your nightmares?" Ethan prodded.
"Aye," Calmet said, pulling himself from his thoughts and turning to Ethan. "My brother did not just choose you because you knew where the village was. We have much in common. The first vampire I ever had to slay…was my own wife. She had been taken after we had been married a few years. I searched for her everywhere. Eventually I contacted a slayer and together we tracked her down and the male who had taken her. Finally, it came down to her or me…and I did what I thought was necessary." Ethan watched as Calmet puffed on the cigar. His face was filled with sadness and regret. "It was the biggest mistake of my life," Calmet finally said.
"What?" Ethan asked with shock, almost with indignation. "How can you say that? She was a demon and had to be stopped."
The Vampire's Daughter Page 15
