Thank you everybody for the wonderful reviews! I appreciate them greatly. I am also thankful for the faves and follows. All of these are a wonderful source of inspiration to continue writing this story.
Just a quick note here...as I'm sure you've noticed, in addition to the main OC Eva I'm also bringing in many minor original characters. Since I'm staying mostly on the Church side of things, it has become necessary to add several of these OCs to the story. Some will only be used in a single scene, others might appear again. I indulged in adding a known character, Rio Satomi, from Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East. My reason for using him is, I will confess, excessively shallow. Not only is he a priest in that anime, he's freaking hot! I hope the excessive use of OCs does not detract from the story and I will certainly try to not let it take me off course. Please let me know if this happens.
I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Eva was awakened early, just as the sun was spreading its golden rays across the sky to announce the coming of a new day. Sister Mary Margaret Constantine roughly shook the sleeping woman not caring that she had tangled with the vampiric demon Alucard or that she had only gotten a few hours of nightmare riddled sleep. Eva rubbed the sleep from her eyes using her fists to scrub the drowsiness away. She yawned as she silently watched the tall, thin nun move with the elegance of a ballerina while she busily flitted around the room.
"Get up, child. Father Alexander is waiting for you," Sister Constantine told her, pouring water into the large bowl sitting on the table.
"What is that for?" Eva asked, wrinkling her nose at the dowdy black dress the nun laid on the back of one of the chairs.
"You must wash up and make yourself presentable," the nun said, looking upon the young woman with obvious disgust on her skinny face.
"Why do you hate me?" she inquired, going to the bowl to splash water on her face. The water was frigid and did a marvelous job of waking her up.
"You're cursed. A detestable wretch who will be the undoing of that pigheaded priest who took you in," the woman answered with brutal honesty, handing her a towel.
"I didn't ask to become this, whatever this is. I didn't ask for Father Anderson to come into my life either." But she was very grateful that he had come into her life. Eva looked down at her body still trying to figure everything out. She appeared to be the same person on the outside, but she could already feel the differences on the inside. Laying the towel on the back of the chair, she waited for the older woman to turn her back before she pulled off the replacement gown she had been given to wear last night after Alucard had shredded hers. She had taken two baths yesterday yet this woman treated her as if she stunk like street trash who had not bathed in weeks. She had not come begging at the door for a handout. She had been handpicked by Father Anderson and brought here yet she was looked at like an unwanted visitor. After pulling the plain black dress over her head, she realized it was one like the young women wear as nuns in training when they first come to join a convent. At least she would not have to wear the complete nun's habit like Sister Constantine was wearing. Once she slipped on the black ballerina flats that had been brought for her, she was ready to leave . She could barely wait to escape this woman's hawk like stare full of judgment and hatred. Scowling fiercely at the nun, she paused to tell her one last thing before walking out of the door. "It's good religious people like you that make some people hate God and church people alike."
Father Anderson was standing dutifully at the front door with a small suitcase held in his hand. Eva had no idea what could be in that suitcase. She also knew it was none of her business either. A sneaking suspicion oozed down her spine giving her the impression that she would be better off not knowing what was in that suitcase. Perhaps it was a gift for the Cardinal of St. Sebastian's Cathedral. They were about to leave in a car destined for the airport where a small private plane sent by Iscariot waited for them. In a few hours, they would arrive on the secluded island, also owned by Iscariot, that was home to St. Sebastian's.
The island was also the base of a training center meant for a special group of priests known as the Soldiers of God. Under the church, a large underground lab was hidden so that genetic engineering and human experimentation could take place undiscovered and uninterrupted. The scientists there also built fantastic, high-tech weaponry for the soldiers. No army could be left ill-equipped especially an army made for the decimation of all things evil. There was also an orphanage on the island. Orphaned children, males only, were found on the larger land masses surrounding the island. Then they were brought there to be raised and trained by the benevolent priests of St. Sebastian's to become the Soldiers of God. The island was like a small country unto itself, not only having its only rules and government as dictated by Iscariot and the Cardinal sent there to keep order, but also having exclusive shops, restaurants, and apartment buildings for the inhabitants to work, play, and live. A bungalow that was a guest house near the Cardinal's quarters would be the temporary home for Eva and Father Anderson. Since she would be the only woman on the island, he would be considered her official caretaker. The house would be stocked with food and even clothing, completely ready for their arrival.
When their car neared the airport, the driver did not get into the busy traffic lane that led to the main terminal. Instead, he veered off the highway, taking a not often used path that led to a gate at the end of the chain length fence surrounding the runways. A man suddenly appeared from the small shack to the left of the gate to unlock the padlock and slide it open so the car could pass through. Eva sat in gape mouthed awe as the car drove right on to the airstrip to stop within mere yards of the small Leer jet that was ready to take them to the clandestine island. She doubted she would be safe from Alucard there, but the point for her going there was so she could be ready for him the next time he came for her. Hopefully, for just a little while, she prayed that she would be free from the lurid yet enticing beast who lurked in her mind, preying upon her both mentally and physically.
"Eva," Father Anderson called out to her, extending a hand to her to help her out of the car. "Let's go. A new life awaits you."
"You've promised me that before," she snapped feeling a bit irritable due to general agitation from lack of sleep and hunger. "What kind of life? Running for my life...hiding in shadows...hoping and praying every day that Alucard doesn't find me to finish what he started? How could it possibly be a good life? Being a monster - " By this time, Eva had worked herself into a such an emotional frenzy that tears choked her and cut off her words. She shrieked when she was furiously snatched from the car and crushed against the big priest's chest by one of his powerful arms.
"I know more about being a monster than you think," he whispered in her ear, feeling her body shaking against his. "One of my many names is the Monster of God. I will show that being a monster is not always a bad thing. Keep in mind that a monster is also a supernatural being. You're better than an ordinary human now. You're stronger, faster, smarter...an intimidating source of power. You can choose whether to be good or evil. By choosing good, you can be the anomaly who brings down the Invincible Vampire, the one who can't be killed." Alexander pulled her head back so he could see her face. She will have to defeat Alucard using more than brute strength. She would have to use emotional warfare to weaken him, making the True Immortal become mortal in a way that would render him susceptible to physical destruction. Watching the tear that dribbled from her eye zigzag down her cheek, he lowered his lips to kiss it away. He continued to press soft kisses to her wet cheeks to rid her skin of the rest of the tears she had cried. He wanted to stop her tears, to keep them from staining her cheeks ever again. After raising his head, he licked the saltiness of her tears from his lips. "Don't cry anymore, my child. I want you to wear a smile of peace and contentment as if it were your favorite garment."
Eva opened her eyes when he pulled her back into the comforting warmth of his embrace. She stared at the sapphire blue sky above them. Puffy white clouds lazily drifted past, pushed along by the same gentle breeze that stroked her face. It was a beautiful day. It was the perfect day to embrace the new her new life, leaving the old life behind to never be remembered again.
~...~
Eva studied the landscape below as the airplane circled around again to prepare for landing on the single runway. The palm trees swayed lazily in the tropical breeze as the plane lowered toward the black top. From above, the island appeared to be home to a lush, exclusive resort. The numerous buildings scattered over the landscape were of a Spanish design in white stucco with red-brown tiled roofs. Rich green foliage galore bursting with eye-popping hues of red, magenta, and yellow exotic blooms accented the exotic scenery. A ribbon of white sandy beach surrounded the island separating it from the shallow emerald-green water at the shore that turned azure blue as it grew deeper. Before arriving here, she had only seen places this beautiful in books and magazines.
As they disembarked the plane, there were several priests waiting to receive them. They were all dressed in the standard black clerical garb that Eva had already grown accustomed to seeing. Father Anderson handed the suitcase he had been carrying to the first priest. His name was Father Eduador Montalvan, a lean man in his early fifties with tanned skin and jet black was just starting to show signs of thinning. She did not hear the names of the other three priests as her mind was wandering. Exhaustion had set in and all she could think about was a nap. The blazing early afternoon sun-scorched her eyes causing her to squint until they were nearly closed. A pounding headache settled behind her eyes as she struggled to block out the sun. She reached out to take Father Anderson by the sleeve, catching the edge at his wrist. Closing her eyes completely alleviated the pulsating pain behind her eyes. When he took her hand in his, she was confident that he would lead her safely to wherever she needed to go. With him leading her, her steps remained confident and unfaltering. Her ears dulled the monotone voices of the men as they talked, reducing them to hushed tones that receded into the background. The sounds that she would have otherwise missed due to their conversation came to the forefront. The palm branches made a rustling noise when shuffled around by the temperate breeze. Twittering birds took flight and chattering animals scampered through the bushes. The sound of the ocean tickled her ears next. It was a static noise in the distance that droned at a predictable pace to smooth out the rough edges of her frayed nerves. She believed that she was experiencing the true meaning of selective hearing. It was as if she could choose the individual sound that she wanted to hear and concentrate on it alone. The haunting cry of a peacock filtered through the air, causing her to inhale sharply. That had been an unexpected sound.
Opening her eyes, Eva found herself in a courtyard that must be the epicenter of the whole island. Peacocks, both albino and the full color versions, roamed free in the open grassy area among the white iron table sets that had been placed in each square made by the intersecting pathways. The paths led to the four most important areas on the island. They had just walked up the path from the airport. Continuing straight ahead would lead them to the expansive majesty of St. Sebastian's Cathedral. The path to the right led to the training grounds, the orphanage, and the living quarters of the priests who called the island home. The path to the left, the one they were walking down, led to the home of the Cardinal. The little four room cottage for them was located in that direction as well. The compact four room house was sat at the very edge of the island. So close to the edge in fact that the ocean was visible from Eva's bedroom window. The other three rooms were the other bedroom meant for Father Anderson, a living room, and a kitchen. A wide porch surrounded the house and hammocks were suspended from the ceiling of the open air porch on the beach side. Apparently the hammocks had been put there for enjoying the sunset while swaying in the island breeze. What a way to end a day in paradise. The sunrise could be admired from the wicker dining set on the glassed in portion of the front porch. Eva pinched herself, crying out in pain when it stung her arm.
"What are you doing?" Alexander asked her, concerned by her odd behavior.
"I'm just making sure that I'm not dreaming," she sighed breathlessly. She jumped when she felt his slightly calloused fingertips graze her cheek on their way to comb through her hair that she had left down to fall around her shoulders.
"Silly child," he kindly chastised her, smiling down at her. His expression was like that of an amused parent, and it softened the hard angles of his severe face. "You should rest. It is important that you be showered and ready for dinner by eight. Cardinal Satomi will be hosting us tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."
"Cardinal Satomi?" she inquired, keeping her eyes on the face of the man who loomed over her.
"Yes, he is the one in charge of this island." The priest paused, dropping his hand from her head that he was stroking as if he were petting her. He moved past her, pretending to stare out of the window across the front lawn of the bungalow. He could not bear to see her face while he confessed something to her. When O' Hara had made the call to Satomi requesting refuge for them, the Cardinal had willingly accepted but not without applying conditions. Alexander was about to have to inform her of those contingencies that must be met and upheld for them to remain on the island. Taking in a deep breath, he leaned against the wall as he prepared to tell her.
Eva's anxiety had risen to a level that was causing her body to tremble. Her fingers nervously twisted the smooth fabric of the ugly black dress she was wearing. Through his hesitation, it had become acutely apparent to her that he was preparing to tell her something that he did not like and that she did not want to hear. Worry sank its roots into the deepest part of her mind getting a solid hold on her already tortured psyche. Her upper teeth caught her lower lip to begin kneading it in an attempt to dispel her growing sense of distress. An unexpected tingle ran across her lip, temporarily numbing it before the tinny taste of her own blood filled her mouth. Gingerly touching her lip, she then glanced at her fingertips to see blood on them. Her fingers shook as she cautiously explored her teeth. Everything felt normal until she touched her incisors. The teeth seemed longer than normal while also having formed a point that was as sharp as a needle. No wonder it had punctured her lip so easily and cleanly. Before Father Anderson could turn to see what she had done, she sucked the blood from her fingers then hurriedly licked away the rest that had seeped from her lip. Her eyes dropped to the floor when he turned from the window to face her.
"We were only allowed to come here if we followed certain conditions dictated by Satomi. The first one is that the responsibility for you would be turned over to him." He watched her, waiting for a reaction. Slowly she raised her head to look at him. Her eyebrows had drawn together with a mixture of confusion and anger.
"What does that mean?" she asked, truly not understanding. She was a grown woman who could take care of herself. Then she remembered that she was no longer exactly human by the most basic definition. Circumstances also required that she be honest with herself and admit that she really could not take care of herself anymore. She could no longer hold a job, rent an apartment, take a walk through the park, or go out to dinner like normal people because she no longer held the ability to be 'normal.'
"It means that whatever you do, any actions you take..." His words trailed off and his eyes met hers briefly before shifting focus to the wall behind her. "It means that he will be the one to answer for any people you kill, any property you destroy, any shame or harm you bring to the Church. You have officially become a possession of Iscariot. You will be honed and used as a weapon to rid the world of the vile filth called vampires. Satomi will be your master and guardian. He will take care of you, seeing to all of your basic needs such as shelter, clothing, and food. He is also the one whose duty it is to make sure you receive the training you need to become a fully functional armament in the Army of the Lord to rid the world of evil."
"Master?" she breathed, physically recoiling from the sound of the word issued from her own lips. She was not sure if the nausea that unexpectedly welled within her was due to the priest's stunning revelation or that familiar prodigious yearning for blood.
"It is his responsibility to assure your obedience to the Church and your compliance with the orders given to you," he told her not halting his words despite her becoming increasingly visibly upset with each word that left his mouth.
"Obedience? Compliance? Orders?" she whispered to herself, hating those words and the meanings they implied. She pressed her hands to her belly, sure that she was going to vomit.
"It's not as bad as it sounds. I am in the same position you are in. You are not alone," he said, bridging the gap between them in two steps. He put his forefinger under her chin to raise it so she would have to look at him. After capturing her gaze, he added, "I too belong to them. They created me. I understand how you feel. You will never be alone. I will not leave you."
Eva forced a smile to her lips. At the moment, she did not find comfort in his words. For inexplicable reasons, she felt the hot, acidic sting of betrayal penetrating her heart. Perhaps she should become accustomed to this heart-rending sensation of being deceived then abandoned. Why had she ever thought she could trust this man? Her eyes slipped from his face to focus on the lily-white clerical collar peeking from the neck of his cassock. That was why she had thought she could trust him. It did not make her feel better that he was caught between the same proverbial rock and a hard place that she had suddenly found herself in. She only cared about herself - what she was feeling and what this meant for her. Besides, it seems like if he really wanted to, he could vindicate himself and exert his independence. Moving her eyes back up to his, she could see his personal torment swirling into a sucking vortex of emotional pain in his emerald-green eyes. Perhaps telling Iscariot to go to hell wasn't quite as easy as she thought. He was just like her; owned like a slave, a servant to be used at their will.
"It is a great and majestic high calling, my dear. Please do not allow petty human pride to hold you back from accomplishing the glorious divine commission you have been given. You were born from death back to life for this. Don't squander a blessing that has been bestowed upon you," he encouraged her. While he had talked, he had lowered his face closer to hers, almost coming nose to nose with her.
Eva blinked slowly, allowing her eyes to close for a few seconds before opening again. Convincing Father Anderson that he had been chosen for a greater and higher purpose in life also seemed to be one of the ways Iscariot had kept a hold on him, keeping him chained to them like an obedient animal. Her mouth opened in an attempt to speak, to hurl insults at him that were spawned by her injured pride. Instead of saying them, she was left gape mouthed to suck in ragged breaths. She attempted to comprehend the true meaning of what her life had become. Her head was beginning to hurt again.
"I need to go lay down," she murmured, hoping he would let her go. Between knowing the truth of her position in this new life and the provocative nearness of his mouth to hers, she wanted to run away because it was all just too much to handle.
"It is truly unfortunate that your life is no longer your own," he murmured, his lips brushing across hers ever so slightly. A prickle of excitement rushed over his skin like an electrical current, raising goosebumps in its path. "We are chosen, set apart for a holy command that is so much more important than ourselves, a single person. We have to put self aside to accomplish a higher goal, accomplishing a heavenly good to bring hope to a sin riddled world."
Eva closed her eyes and her mouth as his breath warmed the lower part of her face while talked. Since he was so close, she wanted to pucker her lips to take the kiss she desired. The way he had explained their predicament made it sound so much better. He managed to make it seem not just admirable but desirable; that they would be heroes fending off the forces of evil. What a load of -
"My sweet angel," he continued without putting a millimeter of distance between their lips. "The Bible tells us that we are to serve our masters on earth as if we were serving God himself because He is the one we are actually serving. The Lord will reward us for the work we are accomplishing here. He is our one true master. Satomi is only a stand in, not your real master. Never forget that."*
Eva placed her hands on his strong jaw. The silky stubble tickled her palms. A reward. At the moment she wanted a reward right here on earth: a kiss. One innocent kiss could not hurt. A kiss to comfort her, to take away her misery. A kiss to remind her that she still retained some semblance of humanity, the ability to experience human emotion and physical need beyond blood lust. She grunted in protest when his mouth moved away from hers to place a kiss of fatherly purity on her forehead.
"My child, I understand certain human frailties still remain within your body. These carnal, sinful desires should not be acted upon. Please do not become a wicked woman by leading me into temptation," he begged her, his voice sincere. He was laying open his heart expressing his own struggle with the same yearnings.
Eva felt crushed under the weight of shame that lightened slightly when he confessed to her that he was also fighting the same internal battle with sensual cravings. She lowered her hands from his face, backing away from him while avoiding eye contact. Without a word, she spun on her heel and retreated to her bedroom. Slamming the door behind her, she locked it so she could hopefully find peace in the solitude. Flinging open the french doors that led to the porch, she allowed the sea breeze to enter her room, bringing with it a gush of coolness and saline freshness. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the crisp, briny air to rid herself of the sensation of being suffocated and feeling trapped. When she opened her eyes, there was a man standing mere feet from her on the porch. He had pale blond hair that fell below his shoulders and clear blue eyes that were so light they were almost colorless. He was wearing a white mandarin style suit trimmed in gold. His light skin seemed to put off its own luminescence as if he were a heavenly being. Could he be an angel? He was certainly handsome enough; bearing an awe-inspiring beauty of sorts that could be considered angelic.
Eva cocked her head, studying him from head to toe. The man did not move. He only blinked occasionally as he surveyed her with the same curious gaze which she was bestowing upon him. His face was kind and impassive, and he made no move in her direction. Obviously he meant her no harm. A childlike inquisitiveness urged her forward to touch him. Tentatively extending her hand to his face, she recoiled when his flawlessly shaped pink lips lifted upward into a tender smile. When the tranquility of the fuzzy surrealism surrounding them remained unbroken, she brazenly reached out again, touching the impeccable skin on his cheek. His skin was soft and warm under her fingertips. She held her breath when he reached up to cup her cheek. Once again, she was not dreaming. He was real; very beautifully, enchantingly real. A comforting warmth flooded her veins, relaxing the knotted muscles of her tired, tense body.
"Who are you?" she whispered, unable to speak louder. She wanted to step closer to him, to encircle his slim body with her arms but her body remained still. He had such a reassuring aura about him; one that soothed her soul, comforting her troubled mind. At the same time, he also triggered something else in her. It was a far less noble feeling in that it amounted to nothing more than instinctual lust. His body seemed to call to hers, awakening sexual need and luring her in an unseen and inescapable way. She was attracted to this man in a helpless, mesmerizing way that reminded her of the way she had been captivated by Alucard.
"My name is Rio Satomi. I am your master. Welcome Eva," he declared, holding the unwavering gaze of her shock widened eyes. Her irises were the most arresting color he had ever seen. Their distinctive kelly green coloration was flecked with gold and a brown ring surrounded her pupil. Her pupils were beginning to dilate, the black overtaking the colored area. His hand dropped from her face to her shoulder. Leaning forward, he greeted her with kisses: one on her forehead and one on each cheek. He had formed the sign for the holy trinity as was custom for Catholic believers to do but in a very different manner.
In an instant, subservience and duty to this man did not seem like such unpleasant burdens to have been thrust upon her. Being under his dominion, subject to follow his every command, and perform his bidding did not bear such a negative, dreadful connotation. Fearing she might be consumed by the crystalline blue eyes that were plundering the extent of her very soul, she began to pray silently to God. Oh, dear Lord I fear that you have sent an even greater temptation than Father Anderson upon me. I need your help before I give in and do something very, very evil to this man. Please, PLEASE, deliver me from this temptation. Quickly...*
An intrusive knock on her bedroom door shattered the spell that had engulfed her. She had come alarmingly close to giving in to the sensual desires that were beginning to outstrip her restraint and common sense. She had wanted to take this man to the bed just a few feet away, rip off his clothes, and do things to him that Alucard had done to her in her dreams.
"Eva, open the door," Alexander ordered brusquely, barely able to contain the urge to beat down the door with his fists. He held his arms stiffly by his sides, his balled fists pressing into his thighs. He promised himself that he would not react immediately when the door was opened for fear he might hit her by accident in his anger.
Hearing Satomi's voice had ignited a raging inferno of jealous fury inside of him. The man was not supposed to be here, and he was certainly not allowed to engage Eva alone. Satomi might be her master and guardian, but he was still her immediate caretaker. Propriety and rules were a constant part of Alexander's life, and he abhorred it when those lines of conduct were crossed. That was one of the many things he hated about Alucard. The vampire had no sense of boundaries, displayed no common decency, and was completely devoid of morals. Being a demon after it all it was to be expected, but knowing that it was an inherent part of Alucard served to fuel his hatred for the vampire. Cardinal Satomi had, and he was giving the man the benefit of a doubt, unintentionally provoked his ire by violating invisible boundaries. As far as he was concerned, Eva was strictly off-limits from Satomi on an intimate personal basis.
Eva opened the door just as he was about to knock again. She raised her arms defensively to shield her face upon seeing his raised fist. When he did not strike her, her body reacted instinctually from what it perceived as a threat of impending violence. Her leg raised, bending at the knee before it kicked straight out to administer a harsh blow to the priest's solid abdomen. She watched in thunderstruck disbelief as his massive body was launched backwards to smash into the wall all the way on the other side of the living room. Cracks appeared on the wall, zigzagging across the white plaster while sending out puffs of dust due to being split apart. "Oh, dear," she gasped, running to the man as he shook his head to dispel the dizzy sensation that saturated his brain. "Are you all right?"
"That was impressive," Father Anderson complimented her, standing up straight. He commenced to beating off the white powder that had settled onto his black suit.
"I don't know what happened. My body just reacted. I thought I was going to be hurt so I - " She halted her babbling when the priest placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. She caught her lower lip under her upper teeth to prevent any more words from falling out. The super sharp incisor poked her lower lip quickly reminding her to resist the urge to bite down with any force.
"It's all right. Actually that is a very good thing. It was no more than your body acting upon the basic instinct of fight or flight when it perceives danger. You reacted in a very, very appropriate manner," he assured her with kindness in his deep voice. He could see the turmoil in her eyes and wanted to keep her calm so she would not have another outburst of physical violence. His belly ached from the force of her kick. The muscles and mass of his body had been able to absorb most of the residual energy driving the blow which had prevented him from actually going through the wall.
"Well, Father Anderson, it appears we have a very interesting young woman on our hands," Satomi said, coming to stand next to them since it seemed they had forgotten about his presence.
"I prefer that you don't have your hands on anything...especially her," the priest shot back in an astounding show of sarcasm.
Eva was flabbergasted by his quick-witted comment. No one spoke, none of them being sure how to react to the flagrant display of insubordination. When the stark humor of his rapid fire retort filtered past the shock, she snorted in her effort to restrain the laughter that bubbled up from deep inside of her. Her eyes focused on Satomi's handsome face that was completely devoid of any emotion except for an unflappable tranquility.
"Shall we go to my home for an early dinner? I'm sure you two must be weary and hungry from your journey. This way you can eat then retire for the night for much needed rest. Shall we?" Satomi suggested, opening the door of the cottage.
Father Anderson moved to stand between the open door held by Satomi and Eva. In addition to giving the man a silent but obvious refusal to leave, he was also purposely blocking Satomi's view of the woman he was staring at. "I believe it would be better if we waited until the appointed hour for dinner. You must understand that Eva needs rest."
Eva reached forward to grab handfuls of her valiant keeper's shirt. It made her happy that he was always looking out for her. Although she had been angry with him earlier, she understood that her situation, and even his own, was beyond his control.
"All right. I will see you at eight o' clock tonight. Good afternoon," he bid them pleasantly before leaving through the door he held open.
Eva lay her head against the huge priest's back, letting go of the breath she had been holding. The encounter had been tense, made even more so when the stubborn priest had all but ordered the Cardinal out of the cottage. After seeing Alexander handle Satomi, a man who was his superior in church rank, she realized that Father Anderson had a way of asserting himself to gain the upper hand while leaving the other person no choice but to back down or risk shame by saying or doing something not befitting to their position.
"Eva, please go rest now. It is important that you not overextend yourself."
"Yes, sir," she acquiesced willingly because she was so tired. She turned back at the doorway of her room to speak. "Thank you, Father."
"I told you that I will always take care of you."
~...~
Satomi's mansion mirrored the man who owned it. Everything was white and gold with the occasional splash of sky blue. It was all so pure and pristine, intensifying Eva's guilt while making her feel dirty not only for her lustful thoughts toward Rio but also the fact that she had been tainted by a vampire. However, if it were not for that vampire, she would not be here on this gorgeous tropical island with the lovely blond-haired man and the overprotective priest who refused to violate his vow of celibacy. She was not sure if she wanted to thank Alucard or just curse him to hell for doing this to her. One thing she knew without a doubt was that she wanted to kill him. She hated him for destroying her life, for destroying her, and forcing this disturbing, unwanted existence upon her. Way down deep she knew with surety that there would be many more horrors to be endured in her future. One day everything she had gone through up until this point would be deemed the 'good old days.' Her greatest fear was that she would be the one who would bring about many of those grotesque and terrifying situations. She sighed, covering her eyes with her hands to block out the sight of the men enjoying their meal while her empty stomach complained loudly.
"Eva, I have not forgotten my pledge to take care of all of your needs," Satomi announced, apparently having heard her empty belly growling in a plea for nourishment. "I promised your friend here," he said, nodding his head toward Father Anderson, "that I would provide for you. I meant that. I will now make the same vow to you."
Eva opened her eyes, staring at the man as he stood from his chair positioned at the head of the table. She watched as he removed his jacket then unbuttoned the wrist of his long-sleeved shirt before rolling it up to his elbow. Standing to her feet, she walked over to him. Her pulse quickened, driving the blood through her body so forcefully it pounded in her ears and made her dizzy. When his fingers wrapped around her wrist, her body became willing and submissive as he pulled her downward while he sat back down in his chair. She was kneeling between his legs while he smiled down at her with a placid expression. Her body shook as she observed him lowering a knife to his wrist. Licking her lips, she waited impatiently as he sliced open the skin to open his veins so they would free the blood she so desperately needed.
"I will take care of your every need, no matter what," the handsome Cardinal promised, cradling the back of her hand in his palm.
Eva held his earnest gaze briefly before her eyes focused on the beautiful red river of life flowing from his lovely light-colored skin. Her eyes flicked toward his one last time to reassure herself of his approval. When he nodded silently and brought his wrist closer to her mouth, she parted her lips to encompass the cut.
"Be prepared, Cardinal," Father Anderson warned him, getting up from his chair. He grabbed his glass and the half empty bottle of wine. He was going to need those. "You're about to get the rush of your life. You're about to feel things and think things that you'll seek God's forgiveness for."
"What do you me-...oh, dear God in heaven above," Satomi sighed as she sucked the blood from his wrist. He quickly found out what Anderson meant when arousal and pleasure streamed through his body simultaneously.
Father Anderson smiled wickedly as he walked out of the door. Although he hated to leave them alone, he could not bear to stay and watch while completely aware of what that man was experiencing at the moment. He knew what thoughts and desires would be assaulting Satomi and that knowledge was killing him. Jealousy made his brain sizzle as he walked back toward the little house that he would be sharing with Eva. He raised the glass to his lips to take another sip of wine but it was empty. In frustration, he threw the glass on the cement hearing it shatter as he latched onto the bottle to imbibe a hefty sip of wine. It wasn't working dammit! The alcohol wasn't numbing the pain that had taken hold of him, sinking its acid coated claws into his brain and heart to burn them. One of the ten commandments says 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.' Eva was not Rio Satomi's wife, or his for that matter, but covetousness consumed him. He was experiencing first hand why jealousy was considered such an atrocious, destructive, and terrible sin. Envy had even found its way into religious and historical infamy by being considered one of the seven most deadly sins known to man. Turning away from the cottage, taking the path that led to the church, he decided he should pray for forgiveness for thinking what he was presently thinking. He certainly understood why jealousy was considered a deadly sin. He wanted to kill Satomi.
*Notes*
*Ephesians 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV): 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
*1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.