Chapter 18: The Holy Servant

Vincent stared in shock at the wizened old man who sat on the throne, the single word uttered from the Vampire Hunter sending his thoughts into a whirlwind of confusion. What was it about this man that had shaken her up so badly? The Holy Servant's smile widened and a twinkle shone in his eyes.

“It's been almost six hundred years since I last heard you call me that, my little rose.”

Kaileena walked slowly to the throne, her mind blank and her eyes bright. Vincent watched the dhampir stand before the Holy Servant, staring at him before collapsing to her knees and hugging him as though he was the only thing to pull her out of the tidal wave of thoughts that constantly crashed against her. The Holy Servant rested a hand on her hair, gently soothing and comforting the young woman. The vampire lord stared in shock as he saw pure tears stream down Kaileena's face. Then he recognised the initials on the man's cross and his eyes widened. That's impossible!

“Mordekai Varcolak?!”

The Holy Servant raised his eyes towards the vampire lord. “There was a time I went by that name. A time that was filled with the same turmoil I have witnessed in this age.”

Kaileena pulled away from the man and dried her eyes. “But how ….? I killed you centuries ago! I still remember the pain when I drove a stake into your heart! You were dead by my hand!”

“So I thought as well,” said Mordekai. “But you were too emotional and missed the mark by a mere fraction of an inch. All you did was stop my heart, you did not kill me.”

“But I was so sure....”

“You were only a child, Kaileena. Your skills as a Vampire Hunter were still raw and untested.” He gently patted her shoulder. “I made the same mistake when I killed my first vampire. So don't be too hard on yourself. You may not have killed me, but the shock of the stake piercing my chest drove out the predatory instinct and I regained a semblance of humanity.”

Kaileena's mind was all over the place. Seeing the man she had been forced to hunt all those years ago had shaken her up greatly. And yet she could find no fault in his tale. She had been just a child when she'd been charged with his slaying. Before she'd been forced to take on that task, she'd only killed ten vampires on her own. The rest of the hunts had been with Mordekai so she could get proper instruction. Mordekai rose to his feet and continued his tale.

“After I regained consciousness, I returned to the abbey to find you were gone. I searched all over for you, but you were no where to be found. News had spread of my alleged death rather quickly so I had no choice but to flee. I travelled extensively after that. The ancient tombs of China, the parthenons of Greece, the pyramids of Giza...I sought out knowledge and killed many vampires and demons along the way. Then I came to London to rest and found myself in this abbey. I could sense the power that converged here so I decided to take a look. But the minute I entered this sanctum, the power struck me down and I found myself in a white hall filled with the most beautiful voices. I thought I was in Heaven, that I had truly died. It was in that place I was given a second chance. I could never again be human, for the vampire had robbed me of my mortality. But I could regain my soul and in turn continue God's work. When I awoke, I found myself surrounded by nuns and priests who had gone on a pilgrimage to the abbey to save their villages from the vampire plague. So I established the Church of Virtue and dedicated myself to my past life's work.”

“But after you established the Church, why didn't you try and find me again?” asked Kaileena. “Why didn't you let me know you were still alive?!” She rose to her feet and clenched her fist. “I spent years wracked with guilt, centuries slaughtering vampires to atone for killing you! And now I find out, after all this time, that the man who had raised me and trained me to be a Vampire Hunter is actually still breathing? How do you think that makes me feel?! It's like my entire life has been wasted!”

“It has not been wasted, Kaileena,” said Mordekai sternly. “You have helped decrease the unholy population and saved hundreds of innocent lives. You've cleansed hundreds of the vampires' and demons' taint!”

She fell silent and turned her back on him, the tension in the room thick enough to slice through. Vincent watched the exchange, feeling immense pity towards the dhampir. He was starting to understand the kind of life she'd chosen to live, the burden she had forced herself to carry. She was constantly driven by vengeance, but it was the underlying guilt of not being able to save those precious to her that kept her going. The old vampire sighed, his voice becoming gentle.

“Remember when you were only a child and you came to me crying after children threw stones at you? Do you remember the vow you made? To protect them even though you knew in your heart they would never accept you?”

Kaileena turned to him slightly. “.....I raced you to the abbey because I was so eager to prove myself in my training.”

“That's right, little rose.” Mordekai smiled. “And look at you now; a Vampire Hunter of great renown. The slayer and protector of both races, the infamous Rose of Death. You may not like surrounding yourself with death, but it's saved many lives. Isn't that enough?”

“But....you know my reasons are not exactly noble. And that is the very reason I am standing here now.”

Mordekai frowned. “What do you mean?”

Kaileena sighed. “The Cerc De Diavoli have returned, Papa.”

His eyes widened. “What?!”

“We've been tracing the murders of several women whose hearts have been ripped out and taken,” she said. “That trail led us to an industrial area yesterday. Her coffin was there”

“You can't be serious.”

“I am,” said Kaileena. “Papa, I think it's time we brought the others in here. You need to hear what's been going on.”

~*~

Fickzo tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the others to come back from their search. The girl had escaped into an older part of the mines which were difficult to navigate. Still, she couldn't have gotten too far.

The vampire demons returned, covered in soot and frightened of their master's fury.

“Anything?” snapped the vampire.

“She is gone, my Lord,” said one of the demons. “The Vampire Hunter and her companion have disappeared too.”

“That little b***h,” growled Fickzo. “We were so close to resurrecting Her Royal Highness and she had to get in the way and ruin everything!” He slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a dent in the stone. He calmed himself and smoothed his hair back, straightening his robes. “It can't be helped. Focus on the other target. Find her exact location and make sure nothing can interfere.”

“At once, my Lord.” The demon bowed. “What of the Vampire Hunter and the Council member?”

“We'll leave the vampire but if you find that dhampir, eliminate her. She can't be allowed to interrupt our plans again.” His eyes flashed crimson. “I will not tolerate failure.”

The demons trembled in fear and nodded. With a bark in a strange tongue, they fled the chamber and began their search. Fickzo sighed and then glanced at the concealed coffin, patting the wall gently.

“Fear not, my Lady. You will have your vengeance soon.” A smirk curved his lips. “And if they can't kill her, I will make sure you will be able to finish what you started all those centuries ago.” The vampire chuckled and the coffin trembled in response, as though it anticipated the coming sacrifice. Fickzo frowned. “Still, that vampire.....”

He clicked his fingers and a large creature with bat like wings and a withered face swooped down to greet him. It bowed to him and a strange voice echoed through the chamber.

“What does my Lord command?” it rasped.

“I want you to find out about the vampire that is in league with the Vampire Hunter. Use whatever methods you can to glean any information. No matter how trivial it may seem, report back to me when you've found something.”

“And if he finds me out?”

Fickzo smirked. “Destroy him.”

The creature crowed in amusment. “It will be done, my Lord.” With that, the thing soared into the air and disappeared into the shadows. The vampire smirked and glanced at the countess's concealed resting place.

“Soon, my Lady. Very soon....this world will flow with rivers of blood.”

~*~

Mordekai went rather pale as he listened to Abigail's account. “So the rumours are true. They're planning to resurrect Elizabeth Bathory.”

Abigail nodded. “If it hadn't been for Kaileena and Lord Vincent, it would have been too late.”

“I see. Then I am deeply indebted to you both for returning her safely.”

“There is more.”

They turned to Vincent who had broken his silence. “It seems they've got all the hearts they need. Now they're missing a key piece; the blood of the descendant who sealed her away centuries ago. That is where we found Abigail.”

“They were going to sacrifice her?”

“We barely got there in time,” said Kaileena. “But now they're probably extremely pissed off we interrupted their ritual. Which means they will probably be more vicious in their attacks.”

Mordekai sighed. “I knew from the very moment Sister Quedia sacrificed herself to seal away Elizabeth something like this would happen. That is why I hid away her daughter after the ritual was performed.” He glanced at Abigail. “We have one descendant here. The other is most likely hidden which means they will tear apart London to find her. And it will make our task difficult to track her down.”

“No, it won't.”

The old vampire frowned at Vincent. “Why do you say that?”

Vincent hesitated but a nod from Kaileena assured him everything would be fine. He sighed. “Because I know the other descendant.”

Mordekai's eyes widened. “You do?”

He nodded. “Lady Catherina Angelus, the Duchess of York. She lives in an estate close to Buckingham Palace.”

The Holy Servant's eyes narrowed. “How do you know this?”

“Because Lady Catherina is my mother. She's the one who raised me as her own.”

Mordekai was stunned. “You're the vampire she renounced the Church for?” The vampire lord nodded and he sighed. “I knew she had misgivings about our crusade against the vampiric horde but never did I think that the one she took in would become a member of the vampire government.”

“Your Grace, I know this is a lot to ask but let me deal with Lady Catherina,” Vincent said, looking down at the floor. “I know she used to be an initiate of the Church of Virtue. However...” He clenched his fist. “I don't want to stand by while the woman who raised me is in danger. She may be human and I may be a member of the Dracului's Full Moon circle....but she's still my mother. I don't want her in the hands of these murderers!”

“Vincent...” Kaileena looked at the vampire lord. Mordekai glanced between his surrogate daughter and the troubled vampire, a strange light in his eyes. He walked over to Vincent and clapped a hand on his shoulder. The young hybrid looked at him and the old vampire smiled.

“Go. Save your mother and bring her here. She will be well-protected. You two go and prepare a room for Lady Catherina.”

Vincent's eyes widened. “Thank you. Thank you so much!” The vampire lord quickly gripped the Holy Servant's hand in gratitude, turned on his heel and ran out of the sanctum. Laverne and Abigail bustled out to make the preparations. He turned to Kaileena who was staring the way the vampire had gone.

“Kaileena.”

She glanced at the old vampire.

“You're to stay here with me.”

Her eyes widened. “What?!”

“Regardless of his intentions, he is still a vampire,” said Mordekai. “You can't get involved in this task.”

“But this is the Cerc De Diavoli we're dealing with,” protested the Vampire Hunter. “He could get killed if he goes alone!”

“And you could die with him!” he said sternly. “You're letting your personal feelings get in the way of your calling. You're a Vampire Hunter.”

“Vincent is my partner in this case,” retorted Kaileena. “I won't sit by and watch as he is possibly butchered!”

“Which is why you can't go,” snapped the old vampire. “I lost you once before. I'm not losing my daughter again.”

“Papa, I understand your concern but I can't just sit here. And Vincent has saved my life three times when he could have easily let me die. He's not just any vampire. He's my friend and I'm not going to leave him to die!”

“Kaileena...”

“You won't change my mind, Papa,” said Kaileena firmly. “This is my fight now. I may not be able to stop Elizabeth's awakening, but I can stop innocent lives from being taken. Immortal or no.”

The Holy Servant looked his surrogate daughter in the eyes and saw the resolve there. She was adamant about this and even though he could use the power bestowed upon him to hold her here by force, he could not bring himself to harm the child he'd raised as his own. He sighed and chuckled slightly.

“You truly have changed, little rose,” he said. “You've grown to be a fine Vampire Hunter.” He sighed. “Very well, I won't stop you. But just promise me you'll try to come back alive.”

“You know that's a promise I can't keep, Papa.”

“I know....” He smiled. “But it was worth a try.”

She quickly hugged the vampire and chased after the vampire lord, leaving the Holy Servant alone in the sanctum.

“God speed, my daughter.”

~*~

Vincent had barely made it out of the courtyard before he remembered it was still the middle of the day. He snarled in pain as the harsh rays of light seared his pale flesh. He had been so hell-bent on saving his mother that the thought that it was still daylight had completely flown his mind. Now he faced the possibility of burning to death before he could even reach the estate.

“Damn it! I let myself get carried away!” he growled, trying to use his leather coat to shield him from the sun. It helped a little but he didn't have time to stand here. He ran to the far reaches of the abbey and into the shelter of the thick canopy of trees surrounding it. He remembered his car on the other side of the premises and cursed himself for not thinking. Now what do I do?

The low rumble of an approaching storm echoed in the courtyard as he shielded himself with his coat. He could hear the sound of tires crumbling gravel and the slight panting of someone catching their breath. The rapid staccato of boots scraping the dirt reached him and he suddenly felt cool and refreshed. He glanced down to see his burns healing and noticed he was in proper shade. He peeked out from his coat and saw the gleaming black vehicle parked nearby. Who brought my car around​? The coat was pulled off of him and he found himself staring a beautiful face accentuated by pale green eyes holding a large black umbrella over his head.

“Kaileena! What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” said the dhampir. “I'm heading for the Buckingham Palace district. That's where your mother is, right?”

“No, Kaileena. I can't let you get involved.”

“I already got this from Father Mordekai. I'm not getting it from you,” said the Vampire Hunter flatly. “Vincent. You are going up against the Cerc De Diavoli. You really think you can fight them and protect your mother at the same time? Alone?”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” cried the vampire lord. “Let the woman who raised me be carried away for a damned sacrifice?”

“I'm not saying that and you know it,” snapped Kaileena. “You worry about your mother. Let me worry about the Cerc De Diavoli.”

“I can't let you do that,” protested Vincent. “You're a Vampire Hunter, not a rescue worker. You're tasked with protecting the innocents from the things that take their lives away.”

“And both you and your mother are innocents,” argued the dhampir. “And I'm not going to let innocent people die because of Elizabeth.” He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. “We both agreed to work together on this case. And that includes helping each other out when we need it. You saved my life, Vincent. I'm not about to stand aside and watch those m***********s take yours.”

Vincent stared at the dhampir in shock. This was the first time she had openly admitted to caring about his safety and well-being. And from the look of resolution in her eyes, she wasn't fooling around. The more time he spent with her, the more he realised that she was more benevolent and compassionate than she normally let on. But to hear this coming from her mouth....he was so surprised he didn't even tell her to curb the language this time!

“Now, are you going to hop in the car with me or are you going to stand there slowly burning to a crisp? Because I don't think the Council would take kindly to me taking back a hot piece of beef jerky.”

The vampire lord blinked and burst into laughter, shaking his head. “Fine, but I'll drive.”

“Good!”

He glanced at the dhampir strangely and she turned beet red.

“I can't drive a car!”

“Then how did you get it down here?”

“.....”

Vincent's eyes widened. “You pushed it all the way down here?!”

“What? You wanted me to crash the damn thing? You dropped your keys by the way.” She placed them into his waiting hand.

“....You do realise there is an auto pilot in the car.”

“WHAT?! Why didn't you say anything before?!”

“I've never known a woman who can't drive.”

“Well, I guess it's my lucky day.” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.

“Lighten up a little. You have to admit, it's an amusing image.”

“Oh bite me!”

Vincent smirked. “Been there. Done that. But we can jab all we want later. Right now, we have to get to the Buckingham district first!”

Kaileena stopped mid-retort and nodded. He had a point. “All right, you drive.”

“And you rest. You must be really sore pushing my car down here.”

“Oh bite me!”

“You really need to stop saying that. Someone may take it as an invitation.” The smirk grew wider and she went beet red.

“I'm going to make you pay for that!”

“Then do it later. We have to move.” He pulled the door open and slid into the car, opening the other side for the dhampir to scramble. Vincent turned the key and buckled himself in, glancing at the woman as she did the same.

“You better hold on.”

Kaileena blinked. “Excuse me?”

He punched down the accelerator with his foot and the car flew out of the abbey at breakneck speed towards the Buckingham district.