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Chapter 8

The unreal reality

Diana collapsed into her house like a wave. Everything seemed different since she saw Gabriel as a werewolf. The truth was so horrible.

'He can't be evil,' the girl thought while going upstairs, then to the parents' room. She knocked twice and heard sweet mother's voice, asking to come in. Dia saw Angelica, lying on the bed, still in her casual clothes: long skirt and black blouse. The witch was reading a book in red cover, which she put away as soon as noticed her daughter:

"You're not in bed, dear?"

"Well, you, too, mom. Where's dad?"

"He's … working …"

"Working? All day?" Diana said with suspicion in her tone, staring at the name of the book, but she didn't know what those symbols meant.

"He flew to New-York for a business meeting, but tomorrow he'll come back."

"Tomorrow at seven, right?"

"Right …"

"Just after the sunset. Mom, I was in the forest with Gabriel and saw him transforming into a wolf-like monster. Can you explain this? Oh, I know you can! You all know something I'm not allowed to." Dia smirked bitterly, watching her mother, hiding face in hands.

"Mom … I'll be twenty soon, just tell me the truth! I must know …" she whispered, touching Angelic's hand softly. The witch embraced her only child tightly and said:

"The time has come … So the truth is … that I'm not just a housewife, but a natural witch and you as my daughter could become, too, still you are not …"

"Interesting, why?" it was clear that Diana didn't believe any word.

"Because you're the Ancient power …"

After an hour of Angelica's narrative, the girl felt awful: her hands were shaking, squeezing the tiny silver cross on her neck and eyes became wet of tears.

"I shouldn't be born … Do you words mean that I'm evil?"

The witch caressed her daughter's face and said firmly:

"You are not. And I swear I won't let anyone to hurt you."

"But dad is a … vampire …"

"So what? Selin, too, but she has always helped me to save you from the Council. She as Gabriel, Kiara, Fellan and Vina spent nineteen years in fighting with our enemies. I know, you grew faithful and visit church every Sunday, where you were taught that we're evil … What do you understand under the word 'evil'?"

"Well, if you break commandments …"

"Yes, we did … but for saving you, my child, I'm ready for everything: to kill, to make a suicide. Everything! You're my only treasure as every child for every mother. I hadn't told you the truth before, because I hoped you to live a normal life without violence and cruelty. Forgive me…"

Dia embraced her mother tightly:

"Of course I'll forgive you … I don't think I'm this Ancient power, but I won't let anyone to suffer, especially you."

This touching scene was broken by Seline, entering the room without knocking.

"Hi, Diana, Kiara told me that the hunter told her that you've seen his transformation."

The girl nodded, first time in her life noticing how pale Sel was, how her eyes were sparkling in the dark and in what she was dressed in: black leather suit, including sleeveless top, pants and stiletto-heeled high boots.

"Yes, and my mom told me everything … I need to talk to you."

"Later. So I've checked the corpse and it had some red symbols on the forehead, chest and above the groin area. He wasn't sent by the Council, I'm sure."

"Thanks, dear, how's Van Helsing?"

"Hmm, I haven't met him, but Kiara. Oh, yes! One more thing: demons concern their forces in catacombs of New-York; still they don't belong to the Dark Lord."

"Some kind of a riot?" smirked Angelica and Selin smiled back, friends have almost forgotten about Dia, who felt as she used to at school: lonely and faint. But at this moment Gabriel pushed the vampiress aside and said seriously:

"Diana, I'm sorry I lied to you, can you forgive me?"

"Yes, I've already forgiven you."

Van Helsing smiled warmly, then walked away, trying not to look at Seline.

"What a boy! So, Diana, you wanted to talk?"

"Yes, there's a café near the hospital where I work …"

"O.K., I think I have an hour …"

"What did you want to ask? I think you have lots of questions …" said Seline, drinking simple tomato juice instead of usual red wine. The woman felt sick every time she just smelt the scent of alcohol or smoke of cigarettes.

"Selin, Miss Cale, oh, I don't know how to call you now …" Diana shook head with an unhappy smile.

"Call me as usual – Sel or Selin. Relax, I'm older than you, but if you call me 'miss' I'll feel myself an aging rubble!"

"My question is quite personal … What's between you and Gabriel?"

Sel blinked at the girl, thinking a bit and then said thoughtfully:

"Well, I thought there was something, but I'm not sure … And you … You like him, don't you?"

Dia became red, how could Seline understand her feelings?

"I've noticed long ago the way you look at him."

"There's more … Who was that man with dark hair in your room? Or it's a secret?"

The vampiress smiled mysteriously and showed the girl her wedding ring: rose-like black diamond in gold.

"We were going to marry, but circumstances were against us. I've kept this ring for about twenty years."

"So romantically!"

"Hmm, yes, it is. You said you've seen him before … Where?"

"In my dreams. First when I was ten: he was riding a black horse with red eyes. And few days ago I had another dream where he named himself and said his father needs my blood …"

Sel started thinking, while Diana was staring into the window.

"Don't worry about it. You'd better go home, I'll accompany you."

"No! I'm not a child, Sel, thanks, but I'll go by myself. I have to keep in minds all that I've heard for this day." Dia protested.

"Alright, I'll sit here for some time. Goodbye then."

The girl left the café and walked into home's direction. She was thinking about Gabriel, if Seline really loves that count, Diana has a chance.

While thinking, Diana hasn't noticed someone walking behind her back. Soon the strange increased speed and caught her by shoulders rudely, then pressed the scarf imbrued with chloroform to her mouth before she had been able to scream and placed her broken body over his shoulder. Everything happened so fast that the girl couldn't protect herself and the kidnapper disappeared in darkness …