The Reverend Eden Black
The Good Shepard
When the light hits me just right
It looks like I have a halo
But I'm no angel
Not by a long shot
My name it…
I forget, it's been so long since I've had anyone to talk to
I guess you can call me Anna
It's what my brother calls me
I think… I don't know if he's really my brother but oh well
He takes care of me sometimes
When he's not at the chapel
Playing with his new toy
She's so naïve
I wish he'd leave her alone
That kind of innocence doesn't exist anymore
Not in this world
All I know is
I have to get away
My brother is planning something
With some vampire lord
Something about the Vatican
And the humans repenting for their persecution of the fanged ones
I should be worried
But I'm not
I'm too weak to do much on my own
There's this odd hunger
In the back of my throat
The memory of something coppery and thick and warm
I can't quite put my finger on it
But I remember it
Like the memory of some ancient fine wine
Quenching a burning thirst
But that's not important right now
All that matters is escaping from this wretched place
This marble tomb
And stopping whatever they're planning
I'm waiting for my brother now
Shuffling the cards he gave me
Carefully
They're sharp
But it's not like I need them
Just something to do
Keep me occupied
I'm stronger now, the bigger fish so to speak
And now I'm waiting for him to come back
I have a feeling that he will not walk out of here alive
I will do my best to avoid that…
I can smell him now he's close
He's unlocking the door
I tackle him as soon as the door is wide enough to squeeze through
He screams as I sink elongated teeth into his throat
This was it
The wine I had craved
I only took a few gulps but it was enough
Enough to weaken him
Enough to harden my body
Enough to know who I needed to kill and, most importantly,
Who I was:
Peacekeeper Reverend Eden Black
First things first
Find the priest and the nun
They could help me…
Maybe
Or was it the other way around?
No matter
Either way they were bound to get tangled up in this mess
Whether I liked it or not
I decided it would be best to keep them as uninvolved as possible
How does one accomplish the impossible?
It seems the harder you try
The farther away it seems
I found the chapel
Brother is there
And the nun and the priest
Oh how I wish I had killed him earlier
Taken more blood
I'm weaker now
Oh Brother you fool
The vampire doesn't care about guns
Don't show it to him
He'll only take it from you before you have a chance to use it
Seconds pass
Brother has been removed from the game
Now it's only the nun
And that foolish priest!
Dear God forgive me for what I'm about to do
It is true
That you must do a little evil
To serve a greater good
The priest is stronger than I thought
But he's slow
Too slow to pull the vampire to pieces
But I'm not slow
And I can kill him
Right before the killing strike
I grip his long dark hair
And pull him back
I can smell the blood
Under his marble skin
Yet he is not afraid
Not of me
Then again…
Ignorance it bliss
Is it not?
He tells me that he'll kill me if I do not release him
I tell him I do not fear Death
He says I should
How can I fear Death…
When I am the Reaper?
He never replies
Only a strangled gasp
His blood is better than Brother's
And I swallow every last drop
I don't need a mirror to know that
In the dim candlelight chapel
I glowed
Like some terrible saint
Haloed in the blackness
How I must appear
To my forgotten audience
Only the priest is conscious and alert
Those dark blue eyes
Shining with confusion, wonder,
And fear
I tell him to stay out of the way
That the Vatican should not be concerned
He gives the faintest of nods
I thought I was the only one
His words stop me dead
It doesn't matter priest
You'll never see me again
And that is my sincerest hope
Streetlamps and grave stones flash past me
If what I saw is true
I only have a few minutes
To get to the bishop before they attack
There she is
Watching over the nun from last night
Fates entwined I suppose
No matter
My only concern
Is their safety
Military
I can smell the freshly oiled guns and knives
And the leather of their belts and boots
Saints be damned, the priest too?
I have only seconds to reach them
Even less to get them all away
Safe
I have the bishop
And the nun
Tucked under an arm
Shielding them
The priest is over my shoulder
Doing his best to cling to me
I shift so he is on my back
Gun drawn
Smart man, my hands are tied
I can only wish that I could be the one shooting
I tell him to hold on
Like a child
His arms wrap around my neck
In a chokehold
But I'm not bothered
After all…
It's not like I really need the oxygen
Rooftop after rooftop
Files under my feet
Earning a surprised squeak from the priest
The nun clings tighter
I believe the bishop has fainted
I only wish the priest would do the same
I left the trio in a church on the other side of town
The priest simply bubbled with questions
One good hit
Was all it took
Out cold
And finally silent
A quick nod to the nun
And I left
Rooftops and taller buildings streaking past
As I fled the scene
I didn't want to be any more involved in this than I already was
All I wanted to do was find a place to rest
Tomorrow was the day
I moved in for the kill
Before I could rest
I had to hunt
Only the light of a few street lamps
Light the way
For a few straggling humans
Every so often
One will rush by in their haste
They don't like me
Their fear is like a long forgotten sweet
On my tongue
Despair and fear
Make the sweetest candies
But Hope sits better
The moon has finally risen
When I find
A safe place to rest
I doubt I'll be disturbed
So I drift off
The spoils of the hunt
Running through my veins
Taking even more of what was once human
I hear footsteps
A pair of boots
And pair of low heels
I pay it no mind
Until I catch the accompanying scent
Irritation makes my muscles tense
That damned priest
And that nun
Again
It would seem that God has a sense of humor after all
I let it go
Our goals are the same
All I can do now is complete my task
And keep them safe
At all costs
