Not long before dawn, Madeline laid against Carl, her head on his
chest. She knew she had to leave him soon to escape the sunlight, but she
didn't want to leave. Madeline looked up at Carl, who was stroking her
hair while staring off at the corner of the room. She sat up, and Carl
looked up at her. He didn't speak, but his expression said it all. "I
have to go." Madeline told him quietly. "I have to hide while everyone's
around." She couldn't tell Carl that she had to hide because sunlight
would kill her because she didn't want to lose him after the night she'd
had with him.
Carl held her wrists and said, "Please stay."
It nearly broke Madeline's heart to say, "I can't." She was glad that Carl let go of her wrist so she would go. She slipped her chemise back on then pulled the dress back over her head. She realized that buttoning the dress back up was much more frustrating that unbuttoning it. She kept glancing over to the window to see how much time was left before the sunlight came pouring it. She still had a little time left, but not enough to fiddle with her buttons.
Madeline felt Carl's hands buttoning her dress, and she turned her head to see he was dressed in his whole friar outfit. She stood still even after Carl had finished buttoning her dress for her. Finally, she turned around and faced him. They both wore sorrowful faces, and Madeline kissed Carl. "I will find you when the sun goes down," she told him.
"I'll be waiting for you." Carl told her.
Madeline saw Carl's gaze turn to the window, and Madeline turned and saw a woman at the window. She didn't know Katalena, so she was surprised to see her. Carl rushed to the window and let Katalena in. "Madeline, this is Katalena. She helped get Van Helsing her by the train. She can read tarot cards."
"And, I can be a bit psychic at times." Katalena added. "But, it comes and goes."
Carl had a bright idea. "Katalena, could you take Madeline back to where you are staying? She is not supposed to be in here, and she needs to hide away until dark."
"Sure, she can come. That is, if you want to." Katalena said to Madeline.
"Yes, that would be splendid, and I'd love to hear about your tarot cards." Madeline said.
"Sure, I'll show you later." Katalena replied as Madeline went to the window and climbed out.
Katalena climbed up in the window, and she didn't tell Carl that she knew he and Madeline had made love the night before. Her psychic senses kicked in, even though Katalena had no real idea why. But, she ignored the thoughts and told Carl, "Good day," as she hopped down out of the window.
Mae received Madeline's cable the next morning and quickly went to action to save Van Helsing. She collected several herbs and flowers in a basket and began to chant in the witch tongue. The flowers and herb leaves danced around in the air as Mae chanted. The spell was an important one, so it took several minutes to complete. But, she was relieved that no one interrupted her during the spell. If someone had interrupted, the spell would have become useless.
Mae didn't know that Victoria knew about the spell, and she knew why Mae performed the spell. 'So, Van Helsing went and got himself bitten by a sea serpent. I see my spell for protection on the seas works. Shame Van Helsing killed the creature because it was very loyal to me and my powers. I'll let Mae's spell heal Van Helsing, but I won't let him come here. I'll cause a disturbance in Rome that he will have to attend to.'
Anna saw everything that Van Helsing was going through. She saw him lying motionless on a cot, suffering from the sea serpent bite. She longed to be there by his side, and she wanted to push the stray hairs out of his face. She felt a strange force traveling for Van Helsing, but Anna didn't know it was to help Van Helsing. But, she didn't know if it was bad either. She just knew she had a strange feeling deep inside of her that she couldn't understand. Anna was unaware that it was a child deep inside of her because of Victoria's spell. She didn't even know that she was never fully conscious anymore. All Anna knew was that she would stop seeing Van Helsing and would fall into a deep sleep when her body was awake.
Katalena brought Madeline into the place where she was staying. She immediately shut the curtains, and Madeline was alarmed. "What are you doing?" Madeline asked.
Katalena sighed and told her, "I know what you really are."
Madeline gasped but didn't say anything. Katalena told her, "I know you are a vampire, and I know what happened between you and Carl." Madeline felt a little betrayed since Katalena knew everything about her, but she still did not speak. Katalena continued, "Look, could I do a tarot card reading on you?" Madeline nodded.
Katalena drew out her cards and handed them to Madeline. Madeline shuffled the cards long enough to let her essence be imprinted in the cards. She handed them back to Katalena, who went over to a table and laid out her rows of cards. She drew a card and set it face-up. It was the Birth card. "You were born 1870 and have been a vampire since birth." Madeline nodded and watched Katalena draw another card and lay it down. It had a woman stuck between two versions of herself, good and evil. "You've fought off evil all your life because you are alive because of your mother's love. Her love left a strong Good imprint upon your soul. Which is why you've come; to right a wrong that others have brought upon Van Helsing and his love, Anna." Madeline nodded. Katalena laid down a Lovers card. "You've fallen in love with Carl, but must chose between telling him the truth or keeping hiding every day while the sun is out."
Madeline looked away for a moment. 'I don't want to have to lose him by telling him the truth about me. He would never come near me again if he knew I was a vampire,' she thought.
Katalena drew another card, a Passion card. "You and Carl shared a night of passion last night." Madeline watched Katalena draw another card, and her face went blank. Madeline asked, "What?" Katalena swallowed hard and slowly placed the card down.
Carl raced to where Van Helsing was being treated. He knew that Madeline's cable would have reached Mae by that time. He was hoping that Mae had answered the cable by casting a spell to wake Van Helsing. He found Van Helsing was still unchanged, and Carl felt his spirits plummet. He sighed and began to walk away when he heard Van Helsing curse. Carl spun around to see Van Helsing move his hands up to his face. "Van Helsing?" Carl asked to get his attention.
Van Helsing pulled his hands away from his face. "Carl, what happened?"
Carl raced over to Van Helsing and whispered, "Madeline came here, and she cabled her friend Mae to cast a spell to wake you up. It appears she succeeded."
Van Helsing gave Carl and icy stare. "I'm under another spell?"
Carl stepped back away from Van Helsing. "Come, now, Van Helsing, it's not the same as when Victoria drugged us. Mae saved your life. The monks couldn't revive you from that comatose state. I had given up hope in your recovery."
Van Helsing rubbed his eyes. He had a splitting headache, and he knew it was side effects from the serpent venom that had raged through his body. "Why is Madeline here, Carl?" Van Helsing asked.
"She came to tell you something about Anna. She was rather vague while telling me about it." Carl replied. "So, it must be something that is personal."
Van Helsing forgot his headache, "So, where is she now?"
"With Katalena. They have to hide while everyone is running about here in the Vatican." Carl told him.
Van Helsing started to get up, but was overwhelmed with the pain in his head. He felt like his head was going to explode. "Could the monks help cure this headache?" Van Helsing asked Carl.
"I'm sure they can." Carl told him.
"Good, it feels like my skull is splitting apart."
Carl left to find the monks, and Van Helsing stared up at the ceiling. 'What does Madeline have to tell me about Anna,' he wondered. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the blinding headache, but that was impossible. Van Helsing also realized that it was hard to move, and he figured that was from the serpent venom as well. The venom was a neurotoxin, so it attacked major systems in his body. He realized that he was lucky that Mae pulled him through with a spell because he had been doomed without her help.
Carl came back with a few monks carrying a few herbs to ease Van Helsing's pain. Van Helsing had no idea that the monks were celebrating his wakening, but he noticed that the monks seemed pleased. The handed him some medicine made from Willow tree bark. "It will help stop the pain." Carl informed him.
Madeline saw the card on the table but didn't want to believe it. 'My eyes are deceiving me,' she told herself. So, she shut her eyes for a moment and opened them back up. But, the card was still the same, and mocked her. The card had a picture of a pregnant woman on it. Katalena looked at Madeline, who sighed. "I don't understand this." Katalena replied, "The cards never lie."
Madeline got up and walked away. "That doesn't mean I have to believe it," she said.
"But, that doesn't make it any less true. You will still have to come to terms with the fact that you will have a baby." Katalena explained.
Madeline crossed her arms and felt very hollow. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew that it was true. "I just don't want my child to be a dhampir," she said to Katalena.
"Well, your child may not be. The only stories of Dhampirs have been when a mortal woman has a vampire's baby. The stories never mention a female vampire having a mortal's child." Katalena told Madeline.
"I should go home tonight." Madeline said to herself more than Katalena.
"You have to tell Carl." Katalena told her. She didn't get a reply from Madeline and replied, "If you do not tell him, I will."
Madeline walked away to sit down in the corner and be alone to think for a while. She needed rest first of all, and then she would make up her mind when she was awake and at a more rational state of mind. She laid down in the floor and felt like crying. 'This is too complicated,' she thought desperately. 'I love Carl, but I'm a vampire. It is not suppose to be this way.'
Carl held her wrists and said, "Please stay."
It nearly broke Madeline's heart to say, "I can't." She was glad that Carl let go of her wrist so she would go. She slipped her chemise back on then pulled the dress back over her head. She realized that buttoning the dress back up was much more frustrating that unbuttoning it. She kept glancing over to the window to see how much time was left before the sunlight came pouring it. She still had a little time left, but not enough to fiddle with her buttons.
Madeline felt Carl's hands buttoning her dress, and she turned her head to see he was dressed in his whole friar outfit. She stood still even after Carl had finished buttoning her dress for her. Finally, she turned around and faced him. They both wore sorrowful faces, and Madeline kissed Carl. "I will find you when the sun goes down," she told him.
"I'll be waiting for you." Carl told her.
Madeline saw Carl's gaze turn to the window, and Madeline turned and saw a woman at the window. She didn't know Katalena, so she was surprised to see her. Carl rushed to the window and let Katalena in. "Madeline, this is Katalena. She helped get Van Helsing her by the train. She can read tarot cards."
"And, I can be a bit psychic at times." Katalena added. "But, it comes and goes."
Carl had a bright idea. "Katalena, could you take Madeline back to where you are staying? She is not supposed to be in here, and she needs to hide away until dark."
"Sure, she can come. That is, if you want to." Katalena said to Madeline.
"Yes, that would be splendid, and I'd love to hear about your tarot cards." Madeline said.
"Sure, I'll show you later." Katalena replied as Madeline went to the window and climbed out.
Katalena climbed up in the window, and she didn't tell Carl that she knew he and Madeline had made love the night before. Her psychic senses kicked in, even though Katalena had no real idea why. But, she ignored the thoughts and told Carl, "Good day," as she hopped down out of the window.
Mae received Madeline's cable the next morning and quickly went to action to save Van Helsing. She collected several herbs and flowers in a basket and began to chant in the witch tongue. The flowers and herb leaves danced around in the air as Mae chanted. The spell was an important one, so it took several minutes to complete. But, she was relieved that no one interrupted her during the spell. If someone had interrupted, the spell would have become useless.
Mae didn't know that Victoria knew about the spell, and she knew why Mae performed the spell. 'So, Van Helsing went and got himself bitten by a sea serpent. I see my spell for protection on the seas works. Shame Van Helsing killed the creature because it was very loyal to me and my powers. I'll let Mae's spell heal Van Helsing, but I won't let him come here. I'll cause a disturbance in Rome that he will have to attend to.'
Anna saw everything that Van Helsing was going through. She saw him lying motionless on a cot, suffering from the sea serpent bite. She longed to be there by his side, and she wanted to push the stray hairs out of his face. She felt a strange force traveling for Van Helsing, but Anna didn't know it was to help Van Helsing. But, she didn't know if it was bad either. She just knew she had a strange feeling deep inside of her that she couldn't understand. Anna was unaware that it was a child deep inside of her because of Victoria's spell. She didn't even know that she was never fully conscious anymore. All Anna knew was that she would stop seeing Van Helsing and would fall into a deep sleep when her body was awake.
Katalena brought Madeline into the place where she was staying. She immediately shut the curtains, and Madeline was alarmed. "What are you doing?" Madeline asked.
Katalena sighed and told her, "I know what you really are."
Madeline gasped but didn't say anything. Katalena told her, "I know you are a vampire, and I know what happened between you and Carl." Madeline felt a little betrayed since Katalena knew everything about her, but she still did not speak. Katalena continued, "Look, could I do a tarot card reading on you?" Madeline nodded.
Katalena drew out her cards and handed them to Madeline. Madeline shuffled the cards long enough to let her essence be imprinted in the cards. She handed them back to Katalena, who went over to a table and laid out her rows of cards. She drew a card and set it face-up. It was the Birth card. "You were born 1870 and have been a vampire since birth." Madeline nodded and watched Katalena draw another card and lay it down. It had a woman stuck between two versions of herself, good and evil. "You've fought off evil all your life because you are alive because of your mother's love. Her love left a strong Good imprint upon your soul. Which is why you've come; to right a wrong that others have brought upon Van Helsing and his love, Anna." Madeline nodded. Katalena laid down a Lovers card. "You've fallen in love with Carl, but must chose between telling him the truth or keeping hiding every day while the sun is out."
Madeline looked away for a moment. 'I don't want to have to lose him by telling him the truth about me. He would never come near me again if he knew I was a vampire,' she thought.
Katalena drew another card, a Passion card. "You and Carl shared a night of passion last night." Madeline watched Katalena draw another card, and her face went blank. Madeline asked, "What?" Katalena swallowed hard and slowly placed the card down.
Carl raced to where Van Helsing was being treated. He knew that Madeline's cable would have reached Mae by that time. He was hoping that Mae had answered the cable by casting a spell to wake Van Helsing. He found Van Helsing was still unchanged, and Carl felt his spirits plummet. He sighed and began to walk away when he heard Van Helsing curse. Carl spun around to see Van Helsing move his hands up to his face. "Van Helsing?" Carl asked to get his attention.
Van Helsing pulled his hands away from his face. "Carl, what happened?"
Carl raced over to Van Helsing and whispered, "Madeline came here, and she cabled her friend Mae to cast a spell to wake you up. It appears she succeeded."
Van Helsing gave Carl and icy stare. "I'm under another spell?"
Carl stepped back away from Van Helsing. "Come, now, Van Helsing, it's not the same as when Victoria drugged us. Mae saved your life. The monks couldn't revive you from that comatose state. I had given up hope in your recovery."
Van Helsing rubbed his eyes. He had a splitting headache, and he knew it was side effects from the serpent venom that had raged through his body. "Why is Madeline here, Carl?" Van Helsing asked.
"She came to tell you something about Anna. She was rather vague while telling me about it." Carl replied. "So, it must be something that is personal."
Van Helsing forgot his headache, "So, where is she now?"
"With Katalena. They have to hide while everyone is running about here in the Vatican." Carl told him.
Van Helsing started to get up, but was overwhelmed with the pain in his head. He felt like his head was going to explode. "Could the monks help cure this headache?" Van Helsing asked Carl.
"I'm sure they can." Carl told him.
"Good, it feels like my skull is splitting apart."
Carl left to find the monks, and Van Helsing stared up at the ceiling. 'What does Madeline have to tell me about Anna,' he wondered. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the blinding headache, but that was impossible. Van Helsing also realized that it was hard to move, and he figured that was from the serpent venom as well. The venom was a neurotoxin, so it attacked major systems in his body. He realized that he was lucky that Mae pulled him through with a spell because he had been doomed without her help.
Carl came back with a few monks carrying a few herbs to ease Van Helsing's pain. Van Helsing had no idea that the monks were celebrating his wakening, but he noticed that the monks seemed pleased. The handed him some medicine made from Willow tree bark. "It will help stop the pain." Carl informed him.
Madeline saw the card on the table but didn't want to believe it. 'My eyes are deceiving me,' she told herself. So, she shut her eyes for a moment and opened them back up. But, the card was still the same, and mocked her. The card had a picture of a pregnant woman on it. Katalena looked at Madeline, who sighed. "I don't understand this." Katalena replied, "The cards never lie."
Madeline got up and walked away. "That doesn't mean I have to believe it," she said.
"But, that doesn't make it any less true. You will still have to come to terms with the fact that you will have a baby." Katalena explained.
Madeline crossed her arms and felt very hollow. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew that it was true. "I just don't want my child to be a dhampir," she said to Katalena.
"Well, your child may not be. The only stories of Dhampirs have been when a mortal woman has a vampire's baby. The stories never mention a female vampire having a mortal's child." Katalena told Madeline.
"I should go home tonight." Madeline said to herself more than Katalena.
"You have to tell Carl." Katalena told her. She didn't get a reply from Madeline and replied, "If you do not tell him, I will."
Madeline walked away to sit down in the corner and be alone to think for a while. She needed rest first of all, and then she would make up her mind when she was awake and at a more rational state of mind. She laid down in the floor and felt like crying. 'This is too complicated,' she thought desperately. 'I love Carl, but I'm a vampire. It is not suppose to be this way.'