“They were vampires. I did not know this at the time, but my husband had bargained with them for his life. Baltasar and Rosalia told me they were from France and they had come across my husband only the day before. They were about to feed on him, but he begged for them to spare his life. Baltasar had asked him what he had to offer in return. At first it was money and land. Rosalia had told him that money and land would not feed them. That’s when he said they could have me, his pregnant wife. They agreed. They never told him they did not plan on killing him anyway. And since Rosalia wanted a child, she thought turning me into a vampire while I was pregnant might just give her a child, a child that would live as long as she did. Baltasar would do anything for Rosalia and agreed to do as she asked.
“Baltasar did not kill his prey. But Rosalia was different. She had a temper and would sometimes kill if she were in a bad mood. Baltasar could not bring himself to turn me, so Rosalia did it. The child died inside me before the transformation was complete. I killed Rosalia the day I woke up as a vampire and learned of my child’s death. Baltasar killed himself when he found her body. He did not blame me for my reaction, he understood. He was a good vampire. I found my way back to my home and killed my husband. He is the only human I have ever killed, and he deserved to die.”
Even though the events happened centuries ago, the memories were still painful. That pain was evident on her face and in her shaky voice. Cain held her hand and she gave it a quick squeeze.
“I have had two husbands since then, both human, and I loved them both, but Karl was my life. In my time I have only ever come across a handful of our kind that kill for pleasure. Most do the same as Cain and I. We feed on humans and sometimes animals, but we do not kill them. There is no need. And no one remembers us after we feed on them.”
Tim said to Ted, “Do you remember the old man? He didn’t believe us when we told him someone was biting his neck.” Ted just grunted.
“Are you ready for my story now?” Cain asked.
Tim agreed to listen, but Ted looked the other way.
Cain told them of Vasile and what he had done. That now he was here to kill Vasile.
Tim told of the brothers’ story, their encounter with the one that killed Mandy and how they had heard the rumors of people going missing and a body being found drained of blood. Right here in this area. They had come to check it out.
“Your description of the one that killed your neighbor sounds like it could have been Vasile,” Helena said.
After a lot more discussion, the brothers and the vampires finally agreed to team up and hunt for Vasile. Ted was not at all happy and he warned Cain. He said, “Don’t get in my way and don’t try anything. We’ve learned a lot since we last met up, and you won’t be so lucky next time.” He planned to bide his time. He would not let the blood sucking leech get away with Sam’s murder.
Tim, Helena, and Cain worked on plans as to how to find Vasile and how to fight him. Ted would not join in on the planning. The less time he spent with the bloodsuckers the better. His hatred toward them only grew as he saw his brother mellowing, treating them like they were human.
Chapter 20
The four of them went scouting in the forest. They thought this was the best place to start. The brothers agreed not to do anything to any vampire they might come across until Helena confirmed it was Vasile. They did not want to harm anyone who might not be a threat, even if they were vampires.
The forest was vast and many places were hard to pass through with the vegetation that grew between the large pine trees. There were pockets of open land in some places ranging from a few feet to the size of tennis courts. It was hard going on the brothers, but nothing to the vampires. They slowed down for the humans.
Cain was the first to sense another vampire, quickly followed by Helena. She stood there frozen, glaring at the vampire in the distance.
Tim said, “That’s him! I swear it’s the one that killed Mandy.” He looked at Ted for confirmation that he was right.
“That’s the fucking parasite!”
“Yes, that is Vasile!” Helena said.
Cain put his hand on Ted’s shoulder. “Keep your voice down,” he whispered.
Ted pushed his hand away. “Coward.” He looked at Tim and nodded.
Tim shook his head but Ted started to run toward Vasile.
“Cain, grab him,” Helena hissed as Tim ran after his brother.
Vasile turned around. He saw the brothers running toward him, and then he felt the vampires. Helena and another vampire were racing after the humans. Vasile watched with amusement until he realized, Cain and Helena weren’t hunting the humans. They were headed in his direction. Vasile speed off into the dense trees ahead of them.
Ted bent over, gasping for air, his hands braced on his thighs. “Damn, that bloodsucker’s fast! I thought you would have been able to keep up with him.”
“What the hell do you think you are playing at?” Cain shouted as Helena grabbed hold of his arm.
“Leave it, Cain. Let’s go after Vasile, please,” Helena pleaded.
“Okay. But for now, we need to split up and see if we can track him.” Cain pointed at Ted “You go with Helena. I’ll go with Tim, and we can meet back here in a couple of hours.”
Ted rushed toward Cain, and planted his face inches from Cain’s face. “You aren’t splitting us up! Split us up and take us out on our own? Is that the plan?”
“Don’t press me, Ted!”
Tim stepped in-between Cain and Ted. “It’s okay, Ted. They’re not the enemy.” Tim shook his head at his brother. “But that was a damn stupid move. Rushing off like that. I’m going with Cain.”
Cain walked on, and Tim followed him.
“Don’t you try anything,” Ted spat at Helena, upset with the prospect of leaving his brother.
“Why would I try anything? Look at me. I’m armless.” She batted her eyelashes and put her remaining arm behind her back, but Ted did not see the humor in her words or actions.
No one found any trace of Vasile that night.
***
That evening, Cain and Helena were back at the hotel. Cain needed to ask her something that had been playing on his mind, but he was unsure how to broach the subject. Helena sensed something was wrong because Cain was quiet. She sat next to him on the bed.
“Is it because he got away? We will catch him, Cain.”
Cain’s head was down. He glanced across at her without lifting his head. “It’s not just that. There is something I would like to ask you.”
A gentle smiled formed on her face. “Please, ask away. I will answer if I can.”
Cain could not look at her. “When you were at Karl’s grave, you told him you would join him soon.”
Her face became serious. “Yes, I did. And I will.”
He looked up at her, his face troubled. “So do you believe in the afterlife, the same thing that’s so important to humans?” Helena nodded. “What about the rest of the stuff that goes with it?”
Helena got up and stood in front of Cain, her hands on her hip. “If you are asking me if I believe in God and in heaven, then, yes, I do.”
“So if there is a God and heaven there must be a devil and hell?”
“Yes. Where are you going with this, Cain?”
He was wringing his hands, clearly agitated. “Do you not think our kind will go to hell?”
Her face softened as she knelt down in front of him. “Oh, Cain, why do you think you will go to hell? Our kind is not damned.”
“We should be. Because of what we are, and what we do.”
Her face became glazed for a split-second and then she frowned, her lips pursed together and her unblinking eyes holding his. “And what is that?”
His jaw tensed. “We are monsters, killers. We hunt and feed on the living.”
“We are all that but much more. Do you kill just to feed? Do I?”
“No, but I have killed, both in the beginning and in self-defense.”
&n
bsp; She came around to sit next to him, draping her arm across his shoulder. He leaned into her.
“Cain, I believe we will be judged on who we are now, not what we were decades ago. Just like children, we have learned to come to terms with what we are. We’ve grown up, if you like. We have learned to control our thirst and emotions, and we care about others.”
He closed his eyes and pulled away from her. “You never killed to feed, or just to kill, to feel the power? I did. Do you think differently of me now?”
“You were a different person then, Cain. And I did too. I killed my maker and my husband for revenge.” Cain looked away from her. “You are a good person and so am I. God would not deny us entrance into his kingdom and the chance to be reunited with our loved ones.” She noted the sadness in his eyes.
“Are we any different now that we are hunting our own kind to kill him for revenge?”
Helena could not remember ever seeing him so troubled. His normal face, the face that portrayed no emotion, was a world away, and this face made him look like a confused child, a boy lost in a man’s body. “I don’t think God will hate us for ridding this world of Vasile. He is the real monster here, not us. If any of our kind deserve to go to hell, he would be top on the list.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
Helena’s body tensed. “Have you changed your mind about killing Vasile?”
“No, that is the one thing in this world I am sure about.”
She said, “We are doing the right thing in ridding the world of him. I am sure of that.”
“For what he did to you, Helena, my mother, and to me, I will tear him apart with my bare hands. Would your God approve of that?”
“You do not have to believe in him but he believes in you. God is in your heart, Cain.” Cain’s face did not change. There was no relief for him in her words. “He has been with you for a long time. He sent you the girl when you needed each other the most. I think you saved each other.”
She kissed Cain on his cheek.
He considered her words. What if she spoke the truth, would this change him? How he lived his life? It was true that he and Mia found each other at exactly the right moment. Would God, if he existed, accept him into his kingdom when his life ended? Cain was unsure, but Helena, if heaven was real and Karl were there, then she would be accepted, of that Cain had no doubt. She was more human with her compassion than most humans he had ever known.
***
The next night the group decided to split up again. Tim went with Cain and Ted went with Helena.
Ted and Helena had been searching for hours with no sign of Vasile. They decided to call it a night and meet up with the others. They were heading back to the meeting point when Helena heard Vasile in the distance. She told Ted and quickly got her cell phone out to call Cain.
Ted watched Helena talking to Cain; she was too preoccupied to notice anything he might do. And he would not turn down this opportunity.
He opened his coat. He slowly pulled out the sword concealed inside the lining and stood behind her. He waited for her to end the call, already poised with sword in hand. Helena was distracted, trying to keep her voice low as she spoke to Cain. She did not want Vasile to escape again. As she ended the call she heard the blade cut through the air. She turned her head, as she felt the cold steel penetrating her skin. The ground swiftly came tumbling into view.
Ted smirked as her head rolled a few feet away from him, her bulging eyes staring at the sky. “Not so tough after all, are you, Helena.”
***
When Cain finally found Ted he saw and smelt Helena’s blood on his clothes. “Where is Helena?”
“The bloodsucker took her head off! I couldn’t get there in time. After she called you she didn’t wait for me. Just ran off after him.”
Cain’s fingers curled but he held his hands close to his sides. He felt the tingle before the pleasure-pain came. Why didn’t I see this happening? Keep calm. Don’t lose it. “Why do you have her blood on your clothes, Ted?” I want to torture the truth out of you, rip you limb from limb, hear you scream for mercy.
“I grabbed her as she fell. I tried to stop him, but he was too fast.”
Cain glared at Ted. Liar. “Why did he let you live if you were so close to Helena that you could catch her as she fell?” His hands balled into fists. He leaned forward, daring him to repeat once more the words that were tearing his heart into fragments. You are lucky I have plans for you, vampire bait.
Ted gave a half-cocked grin and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Why do you murdering freaks do anything?”
I’m watching you, dead meat. Both of you. Cain turned away from the brothers. He followed the scent of Helena’s blood. The smell got stronger and then he could see her body on the ground, her head a few feet away from her. He froze. He then looked up to the sky and bellowed.
***
Two days later the three of them were out scouting in the forests for Vasile.
Vasile was clearly occupied. He had hold of two half-naked teenage girls. He released his grip on them, but when they tried to run he took off after them. One girl was missing all her fingers and teeth. He caught her first. When he punched the back of her head, she fell to the ground. Within seconds, he was on top of her, biting at her neck. Her body was convulsing and covered with blood, while chunks of skin were being ripped from her arms and legs.
Cain could not wait for the brothers to catch up; he had to help the girls. In his mind, he had a clear plan. He would grab Vasile from behind and rip his head clean off. He ran at Vasile just as Vasile started to feed on the girl.
Vasile heard Cain’s approach. He was quick and easily dodged Cain. He grabbed Cain by the throat and ripped a hole in it with his teeth, But Cain managed to grab Vasile’s arm. When the brothers came running at Vasile he tried to run, but Cain would not let go of his arm. He bellowed as his arm dislocated in Cain’s grip.
Tim was right in front of Vasile. With his other arm, Vasile swung at Tim. Tim’s bones crunched on contact and Vasile lifted him off the ground. He hit the floor with a thud, his neck twisted, eyes open and blood seeping from his mouth.
Cain bit into Vasile’s neck as Ted pulled the sword from inside his coat. Ted swung it at Vasile just as Vasile forced Cain back with his shoulder, and put his hand out toward the sword. His arm clicked back into the socket as the sword sliced through his flesh. Part of Vasile’s right hand fell to the ground; the three fingers attached to it still twitched. He grabbed Cain by the neck and threw him into the trees.
Cain roared as a low tree branch went through his thigh. In the second it took Cain to release himself, Vasile was gone.
Cain scowled at Ted, who stood there with the sword dripping with Vasile’s blood, his chest heaving. “I knew it. You killed her. How did you do it? Did you sneak up behind her and kill her like the coward you are?”
Ted’s lips curled into a sly grin. “Yeah. I took that bitch’s head, now it’s your turn.”
He ran at Cain, his sword held high above his head. Cain leaped off the ground and grabbed the sword in one hand, and Ted’s arm with the other. Cain smiled as he landed on Ted’s side. The sound of snapping bone was only drowned out by Ted’s shrill screams. Cain raised the sword, and as the air whooshed he bought in down on Ted’s neck. He stood over the body, picked Ted’s head up and tossed it as far as he could.
Would God forgive him for this? In the end did he really care if he did? No. This was for Helena.
Cain checked on the two girls. The one Vasile had been feeding on was dead, curled into a ball on the ground. He found the other girl lying on her back some distance away. She appeared to have choked on her own blood. The veins on his neck stood out as he studied the horrific scene. An image of the young maid he killed so many years ago flashed before his eyes. He screamed out loud at the memory. I don’t deserve forgiveness!
He stayed in Alaska for another two months, searching the vast forests in vain. Vasile had left.
I
t took him nearly a year to open Helena’s letter.
Dearest Cain
In my heart I pray you survived.
I have no one else and consider you my dearest friend. I hope you find someone to care for. You deserve to be alive and loved, although I don’t think you believe that.
In the ledger are all my assets, my bank account information and passwords. You will find everything you need to obtain the deeds to all my properties and jewelry. Most are in safety deposit boxes. Mr. Edward Mair of Taylor, Mair, and Sons in Ohio will make all the arrangements for the transfers. I ask in return just one thing: please have Edward transfer the contents of bank account 00239785 to Karl’s family, anonymously of course. You will find his parents’ address in the ledger.
Thank you for being a friend to me. I treasured my time with you.
Helena of Wittgenstein.
Chapter 21
Years went by with no sign of Phil. Mia rarely thought about him and tried to make that part of her life a distant memory.
On her eighteenth birthday Grandpa John bought her a car. She was so excited she ran across the road. She turned when she heard screeching tires and saw a car careening around the corner. It swerved as the driver nearly lost control. She froze for a second, staring at the car speeding toward her. She felt a thud in her chest and fell backward; her head bounced off the tarmac as it made contact. Dazed, she saw Angel lying on the tarmac too, just inches from the car tires.
Mia screamed, “No!” and crawled desperately over to her. She stroked the dog’s fur, begging her to be all right. But Angel did not move. When Jess and Grandpa John arrived Mia was cradling the dog in her arms.
The driver got out of the car, his body trembling, trying to shake the image from his head.
“I’m sorry.”
Mia lifted her hand and as she went to scream at him she saw the blood. “No! No!”
Jess was on her knees holding Mia, floods of tears preventing her from speaking.