Sacrum

Sacrum

Chapter Twenty-Six

Nurse Mildred held the thermometer in her long spider-like fingers, smiling at it in bizarre satisfaction. I tapped my foot against the hospital bed restlessly, staring at her with growing agitation and loathing.

"Can I go now?" I asked in a tone of voice I almost didn't recognize.

"No bodily changes then, correct dear?" She asked a second time, ignoring my question.

"What changes are you hoping to see?" I hissed at her. "Does my gift put me at risk for having some strange un-vampire like ailments that nobody is telling me about?" I asked, my tone of voice fully illustrating the depth of my irritation.

Ever since my conversation with Vincent I had been walking around completely on edge. To say I was angry at the position he put me in would be an understatement. But more than that, I was angry at myself for not knowing what to do next. A choice would have to be made eventually. But how?

Graham had made his dislike of the Carandini family clear, yet he had defended Vincent in court. But could I still stand by the vampire I was falling for while knowing that he was planning to overtake the State? Graham said to trust no one, which didn't exactly leave me in the best mental state of mind. How could I go about my day trusting no one? It felt like I was isolating from the world and I would have to deal with all my problems on my own.

The nurse raised her thin eyebrows at my line of inquiry.

"We've already been over this, dear. It is State business," she replied in her overly-sweet tone of voice.

"Well since I'm about to become a State employee, I think the status of my health should be disclosed to me. I mean, wouldn't that be logical?" I asked, growing more frustrated by the second.

She smiled the most dangerous smile I had ever seen.

"Do not forget that you are a student. You will not talk to me in this manner," she replied. Her upturned lips and her bony hand on my shoulder suddenly made me violently ill. I tried to hide my discomfort.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything else, or can I go?" I asked in a nicer tone.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"No, no bodily changes whatsoever," I lied.

"Excellent," she replied happily, noting my response on her chart. "You may go," she added as an afterthought.

I ran straight to my room, passing a sleeping Neo and into the bathroom where I threw up my recently drank blood juice. It didn't make any sense for me to be feeling sick.

I sat on the bathroom floor and held my knees to my chest. What was the correct choice? What would Vinicius do? And what the hell was happening to me?

I dragged myself out of the bathroom and back to my bed, next to Neo's large and warm body. I held the dog, and my eyes grew heavy with sleep.

Once again, I dreamt of her. Blond and angelic. Female perfection.

Dahlia.

She was pacing around the same room I saw her in the last time, except she was clothed now. A beautiful silk white robe, which she pulled tight around her with her red nails.

"Please, I have no strength for quarrels today my love," a strained voice from the corner said. It was King Romero, sitting in an opulent armchair, his head tilted and held up by his left hand. He seemed tired.

"How is it that you never have strength for important conversations, Romero," she snapped back. I could tell she was on the verge of tears. "How long can I do this for, how long can I torture myself for your pleasure?"

"Torture yourself...must you be so dramatic?" He asked.

"Yes, make fun of me. Call me emotional. Call me childish. Call me all the ugly names you call me whenever I become too inconvenient for you to deal with," she snapped back, growing more hysterical by the minute. "I'm exhausted of this! Can't you tell? I know what they all say about me, what they whisper behind my back, and some even tell me to my face."

"I've already spoken to my brother about his behavior. He is remorseful. I'm sure he will tell you himself next time you see him."

"Remorseful?" She laughed hysterically now, and he seemed to grow agitated. "When has Ciprian ever been remorseful about anything? He merely stated the truth. He said what everyone else around here thinks. That I'm just some human whore. An object for you to play with!"

"We've been over this so many times before. I feel like a broken record at this point," he replied in a cold tone.

"Fine. I'll leave then! I'll leave you alone for good. That's what you want, isn't it? You want me gone. I'll go and find someone who can actually be a man," she warned, and the threat worked for he was up and nose to nose with her in less than a split second.

"You wouldn't dare," he snarled, holding her in place.

"Watch me," she egged him on.

"You test my patience, dear," he warned back, his lips inches away from hers.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"You can go, but you're not going to get very far. And no man around you is going to live long enough for you to get close to him. That I can promise you, my sweet," he whispered in a vicious tone.

"So you want me to live in misery until I die, is that it? You want me to suffer alone, except for the rare times that you actually find time for me. That's your idea of love?" He closed his eyes, and I woke up.

Dahlia and Romero were entangled in a toxic affair. The question was, why was I dreaming about it? Like Vincent already stated, Romero must have had many affairs during his reign. What was so special about this particular one?

As always, I wrote everything down in my dream journal. Maybe one day I would get enough pieces to put the puzzle together.

If I had any hope of figuring out who Dahlia was, I would need to get the assistance of my friends.

"I need help," I stated, finding them in the library writing essays for Vampire History.

"What is it?" Laura asked.

"There's a human. A woman. She lived sometime during King Romero's reign," I explained, and Angelo's eyebrows shot up.

"That's...a long stretch," he said. I ignored him.

"Her name is Dahlia, and I need to find out who she is," I stated.

"And you said she was human, right?" Laura asked.

"Yes, she was King Romero's lover. There's something important about her, I just have a hunch."

"Sorry to break it to you, but King Romero had countless lovers. This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Angelo replied, testing my patience.

"She was unique. There's something about her...I need to know who she was," I stated firmly. Angelo still looked unconvinced, but Laura jumped in.

"I'll check some history books and see if I can find her name," she offered.

"That'd be great, thanks. I have to go walk Neo, I'll see you guys later."

I went back to my room and grabbed the big black dog. He still wasn't the greatest with following my commands, especially after being reunited with his true master, but he seemed slightly more well behaved at least. Perhaps he was growing accustomed to me.

I managed to lose Declan in the hallway, and quickly made my way outside. I needed a few minutes to myself.

It was dark and cold. I decided to head for the hut in the woods, where I found Vincent sitting at the table and looking at the board game Demetrius and I left behind.

"Hello Dani," he greeted me.

"I had a feeling you'd be here," I said.

"Looks like someone else has been here as well," he said in a curious tone, his eyes drifting to the game in front of him. It was only half-played since I left in the middle.

"Demetrius," I replied truthfully. There was no point in lying.

He stared at me curiously but didn't make any further comments about my friendship with the Russian.

"Have you given any thought to what we talked about?" He asked instead.

"You put me in an impossible situation," I replied, and he seemed surprised by my answer.

"You'd rather join Arani Deadnus than come with me?" He asked.

I let go of Neo's leash and sat at the table across from him. I knew that what I was about to say could sever our relationship forever, but I needed to say it nonetheless.

"You're an 18-year-old vampire who wants to take revenge on those who have wronged him. Even if I believe that you have better intentions than Deadnus, how can I join your cause knowing what I know about your ancestors? Why should I believe that you'll be any better?" I asked.

I figured he'd get upset, but he just smiled.

"You're growing into your own, Dani. I like it," he replied, taking my hands in his. Then his face turned serious again. "I realize that my grandfather made...mistakes, during his reign. I don't plan to repeat those, Dani. All I want to do is to get rid of corrupt vampires like Deadnus and make our people feel like they can be free again. The State holds far too much power."

"And crowning you King wouldn't grant you too much power?" I asked, and his face got animated as he launched into his reply.

"That's why I need you by my side, Dani. Don't you see? I've been thinking about this for a long time now. Vinicius was always thinking ahead, and in his genius, he created the perfect solution. He made you for me, not against me. He made you as my very own checks and balances system. With you by my side, we could have a fair government," he said, his eyes feverishly alive.

I looked at him in disbelief. Was it possible that he was right, and that my Mentor created me with the knowledge that a Carandini ruler would once again ascend the throne?

Graham believed that Vinicius would have wanted him to defend Vincent in court, after all. The theory seemed to make sense.

It would be a way out for me. Away from Deadnus and by the side of the handsome vampire who made me feel things I'd never felt before. Of course, we'd have to take on the State first. But, if we somehow managed to succeed, there could be so much good coming from it. And Demetrius wouldn't be forced to work for Deadnus and use his terrifying gift. It would be a huge weight off his shoulders. If I did that for him, perhaps we would be even.

Vincent's offer was a tempting one.

On the other hand, it was the thing I was created to prevent from happening.

"We're just teenagers, we don't know the first thing about running a vampire government," I mused out loud.

"We'd have advisors. We'd sack all the corrupt players and put the right people in place."

"Right, because Deadnus is just going to allow herself to be 'sacked'," I said in disbelief.

"Those who refuse will be eliminated by force," he said coldly.

"Eliminated?" I asked, feeling uneasy.

"Relax, I'm not planning a massacre. Those who refuse to obey will end up in Grunfeld."

"Grunfeld?" I asked.

"It's a vampire prison."

I stared in amazement. There were so many things I still didn't know about our world.

"So you plan to take on the State and crown yourself King, then throw those who oppose you in prison, correct?"

"More or less."

"And you hope to accomplish that how?"

"I have supporters."

"And the State has soldiers," I countered.

"And I have State weapons," he replied, smiling.

"Me?"

"Hopefully you, yes. Demetrius and Luciana are already on board. If you say yes, it will be an easy takeover." I couldn't hide my surprise. So Demetrius had made his choice after all. And so did Luciana.

I took my hand away from his.

"Has it all been about this from the start?" I asked, unsure if I was ready to hear the answer. "Please be honest."

He looked insulted.

"No, Dani, I have feelings for you. Together...we could be so great."

There was a sudden bang, and the door flew open making me and Vincent jump to our feet. Neo began barking like crazy.

Thankfully, it was only Declan.

Vincent seemed irritated by the interruption.

"There you are," Declan stated looking at me with relief.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"Let's get you to your room, it's getting late," he said grabbing me by the arm and shooting Vincent a menacing look.

I tossed and turned in bed that night, trying to figure out what to do. I wasn't ready to make a choice, but a choice would need to be made whether I liked it or not.

Neither option seemed right. But being close to Vincent and Demetrius seemed more logical than working with Arani Deadnus.

The next day brought more bad news.

"She's a ghost," Laura stated as she quietly turned to me during math class.

"Huh?" I mumbled, not understanding.

"There's nothing about anyone named Dahlia anywhere, Dani. I've checked every book I could think of." I gritted my teeth.

"Maybe she's really just a dream," Angelo stated.

"No, I know she's real," I replied, even though I had no proof. I was certain of it.

Laura looked apologetic. Suddenly Angelo chimed in again.

"Who's the oldest vampire you know?" He asked both of us.

"I don't know, it was probably Vinicius," I replied. He looked to Laura.

"Well, I don't know everyone's age, but if we're talking at this school, and I had to take a guess, I would say Professor Maratoni." Angelo grimaced.

"Why?" She asked.

"Well, Dani says the clothes Dahlia and King Romero are wearing in his dreams are outdated. And Dahlia is a human. Therefore, she probably lived a long time ago. Maybe someone who was actually around back then and knew King Romero would remember her."

"That's brilliant," I replied, feeling like we were finally onto something.

"Right, expect unless you guys forgot, Professor Maratoni isn't exactly forthcoming with answers," Laura said, blowing the air out of my entire plan.

She was right, Maratoni would never help me. But I had to try. It was my only option.

I tried to form my plan and waited to see Maratoni during Vampire History. Ever since his public arrest he'd become even more mean-spirited than usual, so I knew I had to be careful about how I approached him.

I lingered at my desk after class until everyone cleared out.

"Why are you still here?" He asked without even looking at me.

"Professor, I was wondering if you could help me with something," I said as politely as I could muster.

"Whatever it is, the answer is a resounding no," he replied in an icy tone.

"It's just that, you're the only one who might have the answer to this. I don't know who else to ask," I said, sounding as pathetic as possible. Maybe he'd take pity on me.

"What?" He finally snapped.

"Well, I'm just learning about King Romero's history, and those closest to him throughout the years, and I was wondering if you knew who a certain woman was. Her name was Dahlia."

At the mention of her name Maratoni became as still as a statue. His eyes finally connected with mine.

"And where exactly did you hear her name?" So I wasn't crazy, she was real.

"It popped up in a history book."

"No, it didn't," he hissed, catching me in my lie. "Did Vinicius tell you about her?" Suddenly I was the speechless one.

"No. Why, did he know her?" Maratoni studied my face for a brief moment to make sure I wasn't lying. When he decided that I wasn't, he chuckled to himself, then grabbed his briefcase and left.

It wasn't much, but it was all the confirmation I needed to know that Dahlia was real. She had existed.

Trying to figure out why I was dreaming about her would be a whole other issue.

Questions and feedback can be sent to c.hendersonfic@gmail.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.