Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I know it's a touch early, but I'm just odd like that!
Warning: Remember that little Mature rating in the profile of this story? Well, it gets very violent from here on out, so brace yourselves. Also, I just wanted to clarify the religious bits, in case some may find it a turn-off. I'm not pushing religion, rather, I writing from the point of views of character who are. Thank you.
Disclaimer: The only thing I own are the names and the new concept for this chapter, but for the original that it was based, I can't say I own it—or I'll get sued.
Author's Note: I decided to break the chapter up because there was a lot going on and I felt it would be a touch overwhelming. Thank me later…
Thanks: Shout-outs to Ruon jian for adding this story to his Story Alert. I'll do my best not to disappoint you or any of my other readers. Thank you all once again.
Last time on "The Devil You Know"…
"Ye, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me," she read. "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me…Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever," the woman continued.
"Amen," Rodrigo finished, opening his eyes and sighing before coming slowly to his feet.
"May God's power protect you," Mary-Catherine bade.
"From your lips to God's ears, good Sister," the brutish-looking man replied, then leaned down to place a tender kiss on her flawed cheek. He then grabbed his vest of weapons and his long coat and headed out into the night.
And now, back to the show!
The Devil You Know pt.4: The Professor and his Bride
Zen'Aku Lati
Well into the afternoon, Rodrigo staggered back to the chapel, barely able to make it actually inside.
There on the front steps he collapsed, and Catherine was there to receive him.
"Adam," she alerted. "Please bring him down to the grass, while I get a stool?" The concerned youth did as he was asked, and moments later, the little woman returned with a stool and a medicine kit.
"Looks like you saw some action last night, huh?" Adam pointed out, trying to be cheerful.
"Always," the other young man replied with a wince.
Catherine cautiously removed the torn and bloody coat and shirt from Rodrigo's back, and he sat there unmoving as she carefully tended to his wounds. New cuts along his chest, arms and neck.
He watched her as she proceeded to expertly apply her ointments and bandages, and he realized with sadness that these gentle ministrations will never be more than clinical.
"What happened?" the woman asked, preparing to carefully stitch up one of the deeper cuts on his side.
"I had an encounter with the good Professor and his creation," the wounded young man replied with scorn.
"The who and his what?" Adam asked intelligently, not meaning to butt in.
"He has an axe to grind with us, me in particular," Catherine informed calmly, still stitching her companion up.
"What? Why?"
"He believed wrongfully that I was a miracle worker who could save his housekeeper-lover from the brink of death. I did the best I could, but her illness was beyond me and the poor woman died," she explained, cutting the catgut she was using.
"But rather than accept her death and let her be at peace, he used dark magic to revive her. She came back without a mind—or a soul," Rodrigo finished with contempt. "And he has the nerve to call Catherine the witch!"
"Dear, please…" Catherine tried to assuage, but he had more on his mind.
"I'll never stop believing he was the one that initially accused you!
"Catherine," he carefully began, catching her hand against his chest. "It is no longer safe for you here. The creatures are gaining strength. I've never seen such a full moon! And now that fiend is using this full moon to make his campaign against us!"
"Well, wherever you suggest we go, we shall go," Catherine declared with confidence.
"But that's just it," the wounded young man interjected, taking her hand in both of his. "I can fight them off for as long as I'm able, but who will protect you from me?"
"Dear Rodrigo. You mustn't say such things! You know we'll get through!" the woman protested.
"No, dear heart. You know as well as I that over the past few months my transformations have been getting more and more severe. This has been the worst year yet. My love, it's only a matter of time before the creature within takes me over completely, and I'd rather die than harm you." He sighed. "Catherine, after this full moon I must leave you."
"No, Rodrigo. There must be another way…" she protested, but the rest of her sentence got lost against his lips. Surprise gave way to permission as the kiss deepened.
Coming out of the kiss, but in no hurry to separate, Rodrigo spoke. "I wish to God things could've been different, but you knew what I was the moment I knocked on your door." He then sighed and reluctantly pulled away from her. "I'm sorry, love, but there is no other way."
"Take me with you," the woman suggested, totally taking her companion by surprise. "Make me like you."
"Catherine, I don't think you hear me…"
"I hear you just fine, silly," the little woman interrupted, closing the distance between them and touching the troubled youth's face. "Answer me this, when was the last time you killed someone?" Rodrigo balked, then paused to consider the question.
"Five years, seven months and a fortnight," he replied finally, sighing into the air.
"And do you not regret this act?" Catherine continued.
"Every day of my life," he conceded.
"And when was the last time you consumed human blood?" the good Sister asked.
"Never!" Rodrigo snapped quite harshly, his eyes flaring a violent yellow.
"Exactly," she replied unflinchingly. "Even as a beast you are a far better man than any other I've encountered. Why would I not want to spend the rest of my days with you?" she then wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Let's run together."
"Catherine, do you know what you ask? How can I condemn you to this life with me?" He shook his head. "I cannot! I cannot…"
"Shh, be still, my sweet," she soothed until he stopped thrashing his head from side to side. "Look at me," she gently requested. "Only we could've ever seen the beauty in one another." He was breathing heavily now.
"I love you, Rodrigo," she softly pledged, undoing her restrictive collar, and he looked upon her with sorrow in his eyes before he plunged his teeth into the soft flesh of her shoulder muscle. She gasped.
A throaty moan erupted from his lips as he held fast to her. He never wanted to let her go. She was finally his.
He then lifted his face from her neck with a growl and looked up at the sky, panting for breath. Catherine was limp in his arms.
"Rodrigo…" Adam began cautiously. "Did you…is she…?"
"She's alive," the lupine youth snapped. "She'll be weak, but she'll recover soon enough. Adam, please take her inside," he coarsely requested, carefully sweeping the petite woman in his arms and passing her over to Adam.
The concerned boy did as asked and placed the exhausted woman on her little cot, cleaned away some of the blood with a wet cloth he found, and arrived at the window just in time to see Rodrigo slowly and noisily transform.
He removed his boots and the rest of his clothes and under the full moonlight morphed into the dreaded wolf creature, every bit as fearsome as Adam imagined.
"Rodrigo…" he heard Catherine groan.
"He's fine, Cat," Adam reassured, but he spoke too soon.
"There he is!" Adam heard from outside, and breaking through the foliage poured the locals, chanting and barking, out for blood…
They came with pitchforks, clubs, stones, rope, chain, and yes, firearms. These townsfolk weren't playing!
"Get him!" one villager rallied.
The lychan then gave a momentary backwards glance before darting through the trees. The villages gave chase.
"We should get out of here," Adam suggested with a note of panic. "Is there any place we can go?"
"We discussed that if there ever was an emergency, we would meet at the abandoned cottage by the creek," the woman informed, sitting up from her cot painfully. "We will wait for him there," she concluded, concern evident in her voice.
So off they went, the lady leading the way. But upon reaching the cottage the woman stopped short, causing Adam to do the same.
"What's wrong?" Adam asked in a hushed voice.
Sniffing the air, Catherine replied. "Someone else has been here…it smells of death…"
"So I see you've decided to give up that righteous charade!" a new male voice taunted, stepping out of the shadows of the side of the cottage. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to accept the she-wolf you really are."
"Professor Williams…" Catherine identified. And standing before them sporting a scornful grimace and his signature glasses was none other than Billy. No way!
But what was even more disturbing was his female companion.
Dressed in a lacey black gown and black veil was a creature who looked like she walked straight out of Resident Evil. But despite the decay of her flesh and the vacancy in her eyes, Adam knew it who she was supposed to be.
Tanya…
Tuesday, November 22, 2011