Chapter Eleven

London and Acacius

After the jet bounced to a halt, the attendant arrived to open the cabin door. Once the stairs were in place the small group of passengers was allowed to disembark. Aiden carried Emma's things first down the stairs for her and set them by the long black limo awaiting them. She stood at the top of the stairs scanned her surroundings with curious eyes. Rain drizzled down like mist on the small private tarmac. It was virtually empty save for them, a couple more jets and a handful of small hangers through which the main terminal was plainly visible. Emma looked towards the sky and saw what Aiden had been speaking of earlier. A think veil of grey covered the darkening purple sky and nearly blocked the sun's dimming light. "So this is London. Lovely." She shuddered from the murky, cool weather and quickly threw her corduroy jacket on. Feeling Layla nudge her impatiently, she finally descended the stairs and greeted the people waiting there.

Aiden had already met them at the car and was fervently shaking hands and kissing cheeks. She knew who the man was. Aiden had mentioned he would be here to pick them up. So, he must have been Martin Kessler the Kor Tan Yul of the Brotherhood. If it weren't for his gentle and kind clear blue eyes, he would almost look intimidating in his double breasted grey suit. The salt and pepper coloring of his wavy well groomed hair gave him an air of sophistication and dignity that might have otherwise have been lost from those soft eyes of his. Next to him kissing Aiden's cheek was an older woman with the most beautiful white hair. Emma thought that she looked like a movie star from the 1940's with her hair done so perfectly like that! It brushed just the tops of her shoulders and blew ever so gently in the evening breeze. The tiny droplets of rain never even seemed to touch her seemingly glowing tresses. She was so poised and graceful; Emma felt like a complete slob with she in her faded jeans and black Ac- Dc t-shirt. Everything about the woman was utterly flawless; from her perfectly arched eyebrows, down to her elegant maroon stiletto heels with the severe toe. "How odd for a woman than age to wear shoes like that. I would think shoes like that would be out of the question." Emma thought to herself. The woman exuded class! And as Emma neared her she noted the warm and inviting smell of her perfume that emanated from her even in the thick misty air. She couldn't tell from where, but there was this odd sense of familiarity about the lovely woman that she couldn't quite shake.

"It's good to see you again boyo! How was the flight?" The woman patted his back as she kissed his other cheek. Her rich lyrical accent gave Emma the realization that this woman was Irish too. "Maybe this is the woman that took him in!"

As Jimmy and Layla joined Emma at her sides, Martin Kessler approached the three first. "Hello dear lady. My name is Martin Kessler. I am the Kor Tant Yul, or 'Elected One' of the Brotherhood of the Abgal Da. Welcome to England! I cannot tell you how sorry I am that we have met under these circumstances, but, I am happy you are here none the less. I am sure that you have quite a few questions; as do we I assure you! But for now, let us get into the car and off to warmer and more comfortable surroundings! Shall we?" He gestured for them to enter the car and he shook hands with Jimmy and then Layla as well. "Ms. Fellows. It's lovely to see you again. Did we have a pleasant sabbatical?"

Layla looked up awkwardly and smiled. "Quite. Sir, I would ask if there has been any word as per the whereabouts of Mr. Finch."

Kessler laid a hand on Layla's shoulder and patted her gently. "Not as of late. I'm sorry. We will continue to search of course. But in the mean time, I have a few questions for you as well." He looked at her sternly and then ushered her into the car.

In the car Emma nudged Jimmy and suggested with her eyes towards the woman. "I know." He mumbled. "But, I don't know where we would have seen her before." The woman smiled at the two from across the car as sped off for the Industry Estate.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the World

The Sanctus Unus stood infront of the large altar in the sandstone temple infront of hundreds of Faithful. He spoke with passion and his charismatic presence was undeniable. Every word that rolled from his silver tongue won every ear among the crowd. Not an eye blinked or turned away from the magnetic deity.

"My devoted ones, I come to you this day with mournful reports. I am afraid that your lost comrades have in fact been slain."

Several moans and gasps arose from the crowd and were quickly silenced by the Sanctus Unus simply raising one of his large alabaster hands from his side.

"It appears that while attempting to retrieve the Holy Essence from a shell, the filthy carcass had the audacity to attack them!" He began to raise his voice to carry it over the crowd's reactions. "And it seems that she had some help from another unbeliever and your blasphemous Brothers sent one of their whores to watch over this shell. This small insignificant rabble dispatched our beloved fellow Faithful without remorse or mercy!"

The crowd began to call out for vengeance and justice. Once again The Sanctus Unus raised his hand and the crowd fell silent.

"My dearest devoted, please do not waste your energies upon this sadness at this moment! Instead, we must channel it towards completing our goal! That is what our fellow fallen would want of us! Don't make their sacrifices be in vain! Our revenge will be retrieving those shells sequestered away and bringing forth once more our glorious Goddess!"

The followers erupted into cheers and applause at the climax of his monologue. His hand once more calmed the sea of chants allowing him to continue. He closed his eyes and held his throat in a gesture to emphasize his emotions building.

"I cannot tell you what it was like so many thousand years ago, when she first graced this Earth. I was new to the dark curse and still clung fervently to my beautiful and loving widow, Darnasia. Even the undead have conventions, and visiting those from your former life was forbidden. Unless ofcourse you have intentions otherwise noble. I had visited our bed on many a night to lie with her. Darnasia and her golden hair." He mused as he continued his speech. "It became clear to me not weeks after our initial coupling after my re-birth that her belly had begun to swell! She whispered to me under the glowing moonlight among the vineyard that she was with child! I, I was aghast! I was elated! I was going to be a father! How could that be? An undead one and mortal woman conceiving a child! And I cannot tell you children, how it was when that beautiful and uncanny child was born! She walked as if she floated. Her precious feet never seemed to touch the ground! Her skin was as alabaster and satin, her hair was a sure spun golden silk! And when she touched you, you were blessed for an age! This world knew peace, and love and beauty when she was here! My lovely daughter. Savior of the world." He clenched his fists as he choked on his words and he changed his tone.

"And those blasphemous bastards stole her spirit and shoved it into the filthy shells of un-worthy mortals who flaunt her glory and exploit her power! WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE! WE WILL HAVE OUR REVENGE IN HER RE-BIRTH! WE WILL HAVE OUR RECKONING IN MY DAUGHTER'S REWAKENING! IT IS TIME FOR THE FAITHFUL TO BE REWARDED AND THE NON-BELIEVERS BE PLUCKED LIKE A THORN IN THEIR SIDES! WILL YOU CHANNEL YOUR ANGER FROM YOUR BROTHERS WHO WERE STOLEN FROM YOU LIKE THEY STOLE MY DAUGHTER? WILL YOU STAND WITH ME?"

The crowd roared in euphoric and determined agreement. They cheered until their throats could no longer stand the pain and until their lungs empty. The entire cavern seemed to tremble at the uproarious horde. They chanted "justice" over and over again with clenched fists and gritted teeth. The Sanctus Unus smiled through tear filled eyes as his magnetism continued to captivate the multitude of followers. Yet again he raised a firm white hand to the chanting crowd.

"Fear not children. Loyal, deserving children! Our time is close at hand. Do not fret over those scandalous and manipulative Brothers that stole those filthy shells from our grasp. Do not be so quick to mourn and call this a loss. As we speak, dozens of out fellow Faithful are sited at Motherhouses throughout the world! Through their courageous efforts and talented espionage, we will know their every move. We will find every shell and scrape that precious, miss-given gift straight from their rotten skulls! We WILL flaunt the Brothers' weaknesses and strike when the time has presented itself! My devoted ones, there is no greater virtue than patience! And we will show them what great patience we have demonstrated these many, many centuries as we tear down their houses and take back what is rightfully ours!"

Again the cavern was a world of chaotic applause and cheer. He bowed before them like a monarch acknowledging his peasants. He lifted his many robes like a roman senator and waited as the applause died down.

"Thank you for joining together once again. It is always a pleasure and a joy to see so many Faithful faces! Don't forget that next Thursday is the pot-luck; Adrian, don't think that you can get away without bringing that phenomenal lasagna of yours! Please feel free to help yourselves to the buffet and punch back there. This evening's delectables were prepared by the lovely Saundra. So please remember to thank her before you go! Hi Saundra! Be blessed everyone and remember, patience! Mostcaciolli and cake now; vengeance later!"

As the crowd dispersed and made a line for the buffet tables towards the back of the temple, he turned and gestured for a man standing near him to follow. They entered through the wooden door behind the massive altar into the Sanctus Unus' personal chambers. They walked immediately to the back room where the young woman was kept. She had been given a clean, white linen sack dress to wear and a plusher mattress; but she was still restrained. The Sanctus Unus greeted her as if a happy husband were returning home as the man who followed remained in the doorway.

"Darling! How are we feeling today?" He stood beside her and ran his cold hand over her abdomen. "Ah! We have grown some! I told you this would be quick! You won't have to bother with all of that impatience and anxiously awaiting the baby's arrival like most pregnant mothers! Yes! She is coming along nicely in your cozy womb! And I must say you look absolutely lovely! You are positively glowing!" He ran his finger up her leg and across her cheek.

Flashes of his many sadistic violations bombarded her fragile mind. She could once again feel him thumbs pressing into her thighs as he held her legs up and forced himself into her again and again. The pain from the memory alone was almost too much to bear. The violent sickness in her middle began to rise again and she found herself choking and shaking her head to loosen her gag if only to move it a hair.

"What is it my darling?" The Sanctus Unus cooed as he gently removed the tightly wound linen from her mouth. Immediately the corners of her lips relaxed and she could once more move them freely. It took her a moment to regain her ability to speak again only for the foul fluid in her throat to come roaring out of her mouth and spill with a splash onto the stones below.

"Yes, they say morning sickness is really just a name. It can come at anytime of the day, or night for that matter." He patted her forehead as he lightly dabbed the curdled yellow liquid from her chin. "If there is anything I can do to ease the…"

"Smell…" She rasped.

"What darling?"

"The smell. Please, they smell so bad!" She began to choke and then cough up more of her putrid vomit.

He turned around and looked at the far wall of the cell. There, loosely covered by old tattered sheets, were three bodies of her predecessors. Their badly beaten, bruised, and decomposing corpses made it obvious that they had lain there neglected for some time. Their sour odor had tormented the young captive ever since they brought her to this filthy cell.

"Ah yes. I had almost forgotten how hard it was to find the right one. You should feel privileged that you were chosen to be The Carina! The Holy Vessel! The mother of the Goddess! Don't worry, about them anymore." He turned and faced the squinty eyed assistant that lingered in the doorway. "Deslin! Go and retrieve a couple of your fellow Faithful to assist you in disposing of these carcasses. And when you are finished, make sure The Carina eats something. Our Goddess needs nutrients to grow!" He leaned forward and kissed her clammy forehead before her bowed and exited the room.

He removed his deep indigo robe and handed it to his assistant that followed close behind him. The assistant immediately turned and hung it carefully in the large oak wardrobe near the door.

The Sanctus Unus pinched the bridge of his nose and gazed at his reflection in the mirror. His pale face was becoming even gaunter than it was before. "My word Deslin, I had no idea that I had any color left in my face to lose! I believe it is time that I have a spot to eat. Do me a favor and fetch for me my evening meal?"

The brown haired man bowed his head and exited through a door to his left. The Sanctus Unus removed his black tunic and stretched his arms wearily. He padded across the Oriental rug to his simple desk where his scrolls still laid. He smiled as he lovingly ran his index finger over the elegant calligraphy. He loved the texture of the ancient ink that still miraculously seemed to bubble up from the yellowed parchment. He loved words. He loved reading them; writing them; speaking them. He loved the way it felt when those marvels of communication rolled off of his tongue and through his lips. It gave him such great joy that his many years of life have given him such an eloquent and well-versed vocabulary. He relished the fact that his many years of practiced articulation gave him power over others. It wasn't that he was significantly more intelligent than mortal men or even other vampires; the versed vampire knew exactly how to weave his words to intimidate the most savage of beasts. It was just a matter of convincing them that what he wanted was their desire as well.

"A few pretty words are all anyone needs to hear to follow a blind man off a cliff." He mused to himself. This was not a recent revelation. It wasn't even isolated to his vampiric life. It was a lesson first taught to him by his father. As a well respected Grecian senator, he was known for his eloquent and passionate speeches. Many citizens would travel from all over Greece to hear the great Acaeus do his best to marvel and persuade the crowd. When he spoke, the words seemed to drip from his mouth and spill out over those listening like a wave of influence. It was a talent that not only won his interests many votes, but also, for himself, many lovers.

"You can have any woman that graces this earth, even Aphrodite herself my son! All you have to do is whisper the right words into her ear, and she will do anything just to hear more!" His father had shared with him one night when he was very young.

The Sanctus Unus closed his eyes as he lingered on that memory. Suddenly he was startled out of his revelry by the clack of a closing door. He looked up and shook his head and chuckled at himself when he realized that it was only Deslin doing what he was asked.

Deslin dragged behind him a bound portly man in a tattered and dirty tweed suit. His thinning grey hair was covered in a sheen of nervous sweat and his face was flushed bright red. The Sanctus Unus nodded acknowledging Deslin's silent request to remove the gag.

"Acacius!" The man spat disgustedly.

The Sanctus Unus grinned as he was impressed by the man's deduction. "I see that the Brotherhood's reputation is well earned! You must have been quite studious to have known about me."

"An infant in the Brotherhood would know about you! The con man of vampires! Your not satisfied with feasting on mortals, you have to make them love you for it as well! Like a bloody pied piper!"

Deslin's rage from the man's accusations could no longer be contained. He yelled for the man to be silent as he turned to face him and struck him across the face with the back of his hand so hard that he fell backwards to the floor.

"Help him back up Deslin." Acacius instructed calmly.

Deslin looked at him with surprise and protest. "How dare he insult you that way! You are The Father! He is an unbeliever! He shouldn't even be allowed to speak to you let alone such lies!"

Acacius stepped forward and laid a cold and heavy hand on Deslin's shoulder. "That is why he is here my loyal servant. We won't let the horrors he speaks affect us since we know that they are untrue. His disbelief sealed his fate long ago which is why he lies bound on my floor. Now please, help him back up."

Deslin obliged and knelt to the floor. He grabbed the man's blazer and tilted him upwards.

"Now, be about your business. Select some of your comrades and remove the garbage from the Carina's chamber. Then, come back her in an hour and I will have some for you as well."

Deslin bowed respectfully and left his master's presence.

"Now Mr. Finch. I'm curious. About a couple of things actually. For one, what all does the Brotherhood know about my Faithful here and me?"

Howard Finch smirked at the question and spat at his feet. "Do you really think that you could pull something like this off without the Brotherhood of the Abgal Da knowing your every move? The journals hardly do you justice sir! You are more arrogant than they portray!"

"Oh Howard. I don't think so." Acacius squatted down on his haunches and leaned forward until he was practically nose to nose with the shaken head of the Indiana House. "You see, if they did know, then why are you still here on my floor? Why hasn't an army of magicians and warrior girls come charging through those doors? And for that matter, why did they allow so many of those girls and women to die? Because, they DON'T know where you are! They DON'T know where I am, and THEY DON'T KNOW about The Faithful! Your little club is completely unaware that they are about to become a very extinct culture!"

Howard shuttered at the feline Vampire's revelations. But, he did his best to hide it from him. He couldn't allow him to continue on with the notion that he was untouchable. He had to find a way to put some fear in him. "This will never work Acacius. You will have to search hundreds of women before you find one compatible to carry your seed."

"Only dozens really."

Horror overtook Howard Finch's face.

"Were you not listening earlier? Aren't you people supposed to be psychics and the like? Warrior Priests and Warlocks and blah blah blah! I've already found a compatible woman and she lies, PREGNANT, in that room over there!" He laughed as he pointed across the chamber to locked wooden door.

Howard shuddered and the sweat began to pour from his forehead and then drip from his nose. He could feel his blood run cold. What could he do now?

"It did take quit a while, I will tell you that. But, I'm not going to say it wasn't any fun! HA! Some of them really put up a fight! I didn't even tie the first twenty or so up it was so much fun. But after awhile, holding them down for so long became so exhausting that I couldn't finish. And what was the point in trying to impregnate the woman if I couldn't plant the seed? So that's when we started tying them to the cots. It wasn't as arousing as when they were kicking and punching me, but I managed. And eventually my patience and persistence paid off and we found the right one. Soon, the Dhampir will be born and it will have all been worth it!"

Howard was sickened and infuriated by Acacius' admissions. "And what do you think your precious 'Faithful' will do once they find out that you really aren't 'The Father' of the first Ba Musal and just a pathetic imposter planning on stealing the Dhampir spirit for yourself? Do you really think you can keep this masquerade up that long? Do you really think that they will let you live once they find you out?"

The vampire just smiled and sat down Indian style infront of the obviously nervous man. "It's not what I think old man. It's what they believe!" He said as he gestured to the door that led to the temple. "Be fearful of a true believer!" He laughed as he patted Howard's knee.

"Now about the other thing. Tell me about the little witch you were visiting and her Ba Musal friend. How did they dispatch my men so quickly and where did they disappear to?"

Howard smiled. That meant that Layla and the twins were alive. This was the fear he was looking for. Even though he knew his life was about to end, he would go gladly knowing that Layla was safe. And that through her, the Brotherhood would have all that it needed to find this monster and stop his plan from unraveling further. "Oh Acacius. You failed in killing them? You will never finish this now! That girl knows EVERYTHING! And there is only one place she could have gone! Now the Brotherhood really knows all about your plans and this whole charade is about to come crashing down on your head!" Howard laughed in the face of the fast angering Acacius. "You want to know what it is that I do Acacius? Do you want to know what my special ability is? They have a nickname for me. The projector. Everything that you have told me; I can send all of that to that girl! And she will share it with all of the Brotherhood!" Howard continued to laugh.

"Not if I kill you first!" Acacius growled as grabbed Howard by the throat and bared his fangs.

"Too late! Whether you kill me or not now doesn't matter! I've already done it!"

With that, Acacius yanked him forward and sunk his teeth into his jugular with a hard crunch. The thick sweet nectar or Howard's life blood flowed into his mouth at such speed that Acacius had to gulp with each draught. As he drank hungrily, he squeezed Howard's arms so tightly in his hands that the bones snapped and Howard screamed in agony. Finally, as his heart slowed, so did the flow of blood until Acacius had drained him to his last drop. He let the empty broken body of Howard Finch fall lifeless to the stones and Acacius stood wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He faced the mirror licking the back of his hand, and watched as his the color began to return to his slowly ripening body. He turned from side to side and flexed his chest and biceps.

"That's better." He marveled. "Now, to find out this girl's name and where she and her friends are hiding."