Chapter 4 - Facing Off
Normal POV
Night had fallen on Venice. The canals grew still as gondoliers ceased ferrying across, and the cobbled streets glimmered under the stars. A cat raced through a dark alleyway, pausing at the sound of raised voices.
A prostitute, no older than sixteen winters, was thrown violently to the ground. Her assailants, two burly men armed with a knife and a cudgel, spoke in scathing Italian, threatening the girl with the blade. She shook her head, trying to curl up and hide. The bulkier of the two stepped forward, cudgel lifted.
The prostitute began to cry, rocking herself desperately. The man with the knife stole forward, kicking back the girl when she screamed and clawed at him. Flurried words were exchanged, and she cried out as her provocative gown was ripped to the waist, exposing her torso to the lecherous eyes of her assailants. The second man grasped her arms and smirked, displaying a yellow smile with missing teeth.
The sound of heels clicking on the cobblestones silenced the robbers, and the prostitute gasped pitifully in hope. Slowly, a crimson gown was unveiled from the shadows, black layering the skirt enticingly, the expensive fabric lifting with each step of fine black boots. Gold embroidery lined the white overlay of the bodice, and a necklace, depicting a serpent with outstretched wings, nestled into her cleavage. It was vaguely familiar. White gloves demurely covered her elegant arms to the elbows, and earrings, red like blood, flashed from her ears. Pale and slender, the mysterious woman held her head low, shadows hiding her eyes. Black curls, pinned artfully against her head, framed a face that could only belong to an angel. Though her eyes were hidden, her full red lips and flushed cheeks were displayed, along with her aristocratic nose.
"My, my." Her voice, sweet and honeyed, struck the men into a stupor. "That's no way to treat a lady, boys." Seemingly under some strange compulsion, the burly man released his grip on the girl, who scrambled away as fast as she could. A brief smile touched the face of the stranger, before she spoke again.
"Well, now that we're alone…" She stepped back into the shadows, melding with the darkness as the men looked around in confusion. "Shall we dance?"
Catalina POV
The blood was sweet, trickling from the corners of my mouth, both satiating and inflaming my desire for sustenance. I could taste the sin and greed in their blood, tainting it with a trace of bitterness. Having foregone meals for weeks, however, ever since the vampire hunter shot me with a poisoned dart, I was starving, almost to the point of madness. When the second corpse was drained dry, I released him, licking the cursed sweetness from my arms in a frenzy. The sound of coin clinking caught my attention.
Not four meters behind me, a powerful figure stood, dropping coins into the eager hands of the prostitute I'd saved earlier. She thanked him vigorously in Italian before running off. My eyes followed her, cursing my weakness the entire time. If I had not revealed myself… My still heart contracted briefly at the thought of the wretched fate that I had diverted from her. No. I will not regret my decision. That girl already has been forced into a life that is horrible enough, without men the likes of those two.
Rage filled me, flooding through my veins, beating in phantom contractions, though my heart was cold and still. I dropped my head, hiding my expression. My hands curled into fists, the anger boiling within my body urging my demonic visage to linger just beneath the surface. How long has it been, I wondered, detached, since I flew? A fascinated voice pulled me back to reality.
"She seems to be in a state of turmoil. An effect of the blood, I wonder? Or your presence, Van Helsing? Either way, I can see the physical changes on her body, trying to shift from one form to another! It's fascinating, don't you think, Van Helsing?" A small, enraptured man was speaking quickly in English, his passion and curiosity practically oozing from each word. His tall companion merely snorted, leveling the crossbow that had formerly been leaning against his shoulder. His hat threw his face into shadow, but even I could make out the infamous profile of Van Helsing, bounty hunter and monster exterminator.
"Gabriel." The name rolled unbidden off my tongue, leaving a bitter aftertaste in its wake. The small man cocked his head, fascinated, but Van Helsing stiffened. "The Left Hand of God." The name of the Father sent a scorching wave of heat through my body, and I hissed quietly as some of my skin burned minutely. "You angel in human form, who killed my brother and the rest of my kind." Grief and horror slowly spread through me at my own assertion. I was the last, doomed to walk the Earth forever, without a peaceful death. Though my brother and I had not been close, I had never mourned him, as his killer had remained unknown. A nod from the man before me confirmed my statements as true.
I gasped raggedly, as though winded. The small man began to step forward, concern on his face, before Gabriel blocked his path with a hand, pushing him back and away from me. "You…" My words were overflowing, running together in their haste to escape my lips. "You have cursed me… and now you are going to kill me." The finality of my realization forcefully triggered my change.
In an instant, I was dodging bolts as they whistled past my wings. Carl, as I had gathered the small man was called, babbled in admiration at my seemingly unique form. Vladislaus and his brides had been ugly, terrifying creatures, not at all beautiful. My crimson gown fluidly shifted to grant me powerful wings, more feathered than bat-like. Although my canines extended slightly and my fingernails sharpened, my features remained much the same.
"Are you so misled, Gabriel?" My question seemed to incense him, as he let loose another sheath of arrows, one passing mere centimeters from my left wing. "Can you not see past your own clouded judgement?" A snarl of annoyance reached me, and I chose to go out on a limb. "Anna would not approve of your recklessness."
My hunch proved correct, for all tact and skill instantly vanished from Gabriel's attacks. Firing wildly, he cried out in rage and grief. His arrows ran out, yet he gave no reaction. It was almost too easy to knock him out. Shifting back, I felt for a pulse before a heavy sideways blow surprised me. Carl, though terrified, was valiantly attempting to clumsily defend his friend. His next swing was stopped by one hand, while the other rested on his cheek sadly, tenderly. "You poor man… I wish I could but get through to men like you and Gabriel… like Giovanni." A single tear slipped down my face, soundlessly. Carl dropped the bag from numb fingers. "If you so wish me to disappear, then disappear I shall. We shall see how many more suffer when I am unable to curb the darkness that threatens this city."
Taking a chance, I leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the trembling man's forehead. A sharp pain in my abdomen registered after I pulled away. Smiling bittersweetly, I tugged the stake from my stomach. "Tend to Gabriel, Carl. Perhaps, someday, men will learn. Perhaps…" Taking off, I finished my sentence. "Perhaps I will cease to be a monster to your eyes, Gabriel… Giovanni."
A/N - Hello, everyone! A.T. here again! Well... I got a PM from Asteroth1, asking if I would continue the story. I'm really thankful that he PM'd, because otherwise I'd still be twiddling my thumbs instead of posting this update! So, I've developed the plot a bit more. I'd really like to know what you think, so please drop a review and tell me your thoughts! I try to answer every review I get, but please forgive me if I take a while. I have a new puppy to train, and he likes to chew wires. Not great for my laptop. :P I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next time!
Love,
AT