Werewolf: Requiem

by Greg Hair

  “I thought she couldn’t walk. Where’s Jacinda?”

  “She can’t. We carried her here. And Jacinda’s in charge of music.”

  Catalina stepped inside, making her way toward the front pew.

  Ryker looked around outside for any late-comers, then stepped inside, closing the large, heavy doors behind him, and motioned to Jacinda. As people stood around the two rows of wooden pews, still talking, she pushed a button—Fiona Apple’s version of Across the Universe began playing.

  Landon and Alessandro, both in black tuxes, the former, like Ryker, in a Windsor, the latter being the only one in a bow tie, stepped out with the first guitar notes, as Ryker walked up the marble steps, which were split by a red carpet, toward the altar.

  Landon watched the various images of his wedding night unfold, almost in slow motion, as he listened to the song.

  Liam and Mara ran in and out of the pews, chasing each other, as Catalina now tried vainly to catch and seat them. The smiles of those in attendance, as they talked and laughed, made him forget what was yet to come, in the next few days.

  Moonlight broke through the large round window behind him, shining on the three men, and Annelise, who stood above all others, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

  A hundred candles lit the marble walls, making the prophetic figures on the ceiling dance to the joyful noise that rose from below.

  Finally, the song nearing its end, Alessandro cleared his throat, and all the guests, even Liam and Mara, who were being ushered by Catalina, one child in each hand, took their seats.

  “Did you find a couple of rings?” Ryker whispered in the ensuing silence as they waited for the bride.

  “Yeah. I got ‘em.”

  “Have you seen the dress?” the Dane asked.

  “No. Have you?”

  “You just shut your mouth,” Ryker said, smiling, shaking his head as if he’d seen something Landon wouldn’t believe. “Hang on. What’s your favorite color, again?”

  Landon looked at him, almost annoyed by the clues he’d already given, then cast his gaze on Alessandro, who appeared to focus his attention, at the moment, on Katarzyna.

  Ryker then gave a nod, another cue, to Jacinda.

  Suddenly, the beginning instrumentation of Enya’s Caribbean Blue, began. All those in attendance rose to their feet, and turned toward the church entrance.

  The doors opened as additional instruments came into play, the notes falling like water droplets on soft ears. No one entered. Enya’s voice began, uttering names in the Greek language.

  Then, as the songstress began English incantation of her musical spell that washed over all who could hear, LillyAnna appeared in the doorway.

  The Venetian sun, aligned perfectly with the nave of the church, cast its rays upon LillyAnna like a celestial spotlight. To Landon, she appeared as only an angelic silhouette approaching out of the light of God.

  Her deep Mediterranean blue, form-fitting dress, allowed her brown, shoulder-length pixie hair to graze a gracious amount of skin at the bottom of the neck. The opening in the front of the chest area projected heart-shaped cleavage.

  A silver and blue bracelet shimmered and draped over hand as she held a blue and white bouquet. LillyAnna’s blue shoes peeked out with each step, playing hide-and-seek, and sparkling to those who had a chance to glimpse them.

  A medium-length train trailed behind her as she made her way up the red-carpeted marble stairs. When she reached the top, Landon took her arm in his then, only for a second, looked to her back—her bare back that shone, like an ethereal glimpse of heaven, through an opening shaped like a cat’s eye.

  He noticed Annelise smiling at him, and returned his attention to the front, just as the song reached its end.

  Catalina loudly hushed Liam and Mara, who sat in their pew pestering each other.

  “Dearly beloved,” began Alessandro, “you have gathered with Alessandro, here in the beautiful Santa Maria dei Miracoli, to bear witness to the loving union of LillyAnna and Landon in holy matrimony.

  “And so, do you, Landon Murphy, take LillyAnna to be your wife? Do you promise to be true to her, to love her, in good times and in bad, all the days of your life?”

  “No,” said Landon. A loud, collective drawing of many breaths washed through the church. “I will love her beyond all the days of my life.”

  A collective sigh of relief.

  “And do you, LillyAnna McCourt, take Landon to be your husband? Do you promise to be true to him, to love him, in good times and in bad, all the days of your life?”

  “I’ll make it simple, and not put anyone on edge,” she said, smiling. “I do.”

  “Then by the power vested in me, a long, long, time ago, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Landon wrapped his hands around his wife’s back, pulled her in, and kissed her with every emotion his soul could muster. He pulled her in closer as he felt her begin to swoon, becoming heavier, as she nearly passed out.

  He finally released her and they turned to face the crowd as Ryker gave a last cue to Jacinda.

  The piano that begins Enya’s Book of Days started, leading the bride and groom down the steps, and out the church, as the song reached its stride.

  Later that evening, everyone gathered back on Poveglia around a long table draped with a blue and silver spread, and crowned with a towering blue and white cake, topped with a miniature version of the famous Eros and Psyche statue, dominating the scenery. The teens, Connor, Jacinda, Catalina, and Bianca, sitting in a chair, staffed the table. Placed around the cake, and extending down the table that sat in front of the Octagon, were various Italian finger foods. David Gray’s Be Mine played throughout the scene.

  On one side of the cake, among the many delectable delights that those in attendance could enjoy, were fava beans and pecorino cheese; stuffed olives; skewered grapes and cheese; and orange-flavored prawns. Strecthing down the table, flanking the other side of the pastry tower, were biscotti; grissini, or breadsticks; thick, little slices of toast, called crostini; and tiramisu.

  Lining the walls of the Octagon, were silver carafes of fresh blood.

  Landon, watching LillyAnna, still in her blue wedding dress mingling with friends, was pulled aside by Ryker.

  “Congratulations,” said the Dane. “Are you two going anywhere? I mean, for the night, of course. Like a hotel, or something.”

  “No,” said Landon. “I mean, yes, we are tonight, but as far as an actual honeymoon, there’s no opportunity. There’s just too much preparation to do. We’re going across the way, to a hotel, tonight, but we’ll be back tomorrow. I know I just got married, but I can’t lose sight of the larger issue.”

  “Yeah, I figured. When this is all over, you guys can take the longest vacation ever, just disappear for a while.”

  “Yeah.” Landon’s volume dropped, nearly to a whisper, as if to himself. “When it’s all over.”

  The werewolf walked away, joining his bride who stood talking to Annelise and the teens. He gently pulled her toward a waiting gondola, passing through a parted, waving crowd on their way to the dock.

  Chapter 20: Requiem

  “I got your note,” said Serinda. She waited for Nicholas to respond. “Well? What do you want?”

  The wind picked up, blowing dark clouds across the firmament as the pair stood atop the far hill. Thunder rolled like a domino chain across the land, and lightning flashed in the distance.

  “You know, I’ve had a lot of mediocre adversaries, even less good ones, and only a few greats. You, my dear, have turned into one of the latter. I have to give you credit for that. Every move I have made to ensure Jamie remains on a short leash, you have countered. You have wormed your way into Jamie, even having yourself chosen by him to become his successor. You continuously undermine me.

  “At first, I was dismayed by your presence, then figured a way to capitalize on your ambition. You became quite useful. Your attendance here has allowed me to dra
w more vampires to my cause. But, the way that you have taken control of Jamie’s psyche has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Frankly, I’ve grown tired of it, and I don’t have time to deal with you while planning for Landon. And, I have to be honest; I don’t like being told what to do.”

  A spattering of raindrops fell on the two on the hill.

  “Frankly, I don’t care what you think. Is this why you wanted me to meet you up here, on the hill, in private?”

  She suddenly realized what she had said, as a cold, hard, Scottish rain began falling from the gray sky.

  “Fuck,” she said, turning to run.

  Nicholas grabbed her long, dark hair, jerking her to the wet ground. His shoe weighed heavy on her chest, pushing her into the soil, keeping her bolted to the heather.

  “Me? You’re going to dictate to me?” asked Nicholas. “You’re going to come in here and take what’s mine? Take my position, the powers I should gain. Jeopardizing what I’ve waited thousands of years to do. Who the hell do you think you are? Oh, that’s right, a queen. Well, I’ve got news for you, today; this kingdom will have one less royal pain the ass.”

  Bones in her face shattered as Nicholas kicked her violently. Using his foot like a spatula, he flipped her over, face down. The storm came quick, now.

  “Thinking you have the right tell me how to treat Tsukiko or any other woman. How to treat those who are beneath me, which is everyone. But you thought you could outsmart me, didn’t you? Thought you could beat me at my own game.” He bent down, smashing her face into the soil. “Who’s beneath who, now? Who’s losing the game, now? Bitch.”

  Nicholas jumped high in the air, morphed, and came crashing down on Serinda’s back, her spine exploding into hundreds of tiny shards in her broken body. She screamed, only to find the worms in the earth react as the mud muffled her cries.

  He stepped down, and flipped her back over, face up. Her body, now lacking any internal framing, contorted in multiple directions as she lay splayed across the earth.

  “You won’t win,” she said, garbling through the mud in her mouth. “You’re going to lose. And I’m going to be laughing at you from the other side.”

  Nicholas’ rage engulfed him further. The massive black werewolf, with his razor-sharp lower claws, stripped flesh away from Serinda’s body, down to her bones.

  Threads of tan meat peeled off, and flew in multiple directions. Chips of bone immediately followed. Serinda, near the end, began to feel nothing, having passed the point of registering pain. She lay there helplessly, unable to fight back.

  Nicholas transformed to his human self, standing naked before her, seeming to bask in his own glory.

  She let out a small laugh.

  “You may be laughing, fucking vampire,” he said, “but after everything you’ve done, you’ll be doing it from hell.”

  She struggled a smile. “I’ll welcome you there when you arrive.”

  Seconds later, the would-be vampire queen, Bianca’s sister, died.

  Chapter 21: Requiem

  “Where’s Jamie?” Nicholas asked, taking a seat at a table next to Tsukiko in the Great Hall of Kilchurn. The storm outside blasted the castle walls as the inside swelled to capacity with the new recruits.

  “Out. Looking for Serinda.”

  “Really?”

  Nicholas suddenly felt a presence standing behind him. He turned to see the teenage werewolf recently blinded by Jamie. Another teen boy, giving off an electrical charge, stood with him, as an aide.

  “Excuse me, sir,” said the boy. “Would you like something to eat?”

  “No, I wouldn’t. So this is what they have you doing? Serving food to your Darwinian masters?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I guess you should have kept your mouth shut, huh?”

  “He only asked a question,” said the blind boy’s aide. “He didn’t deserve to be blinded for it.”

  “Well, Tsukiko, it seems we have another here who speaks before he thinks. Is that true, vampire?”

  “No, sir,” said the aide. “I’m just saying that the punishment seems unfair. My name is—“

  “I’m not interested in your name,” said Nicholas.

  “That’s enough,” said Tsukiko. “You two can go back to the kitchen now.”

  “No,” Nicholas said. “By all means stay. I’m intrigued by our sighted friend, here. Tell me, young vampire, are you the one that I’ve seen following Jamie around?”

  “Yes, sir, but I just wanted to know if I should be here, following him, or if I made a mistake. I meant no harm. I really admire Jamie, someone who’s the same age as me being able to put all of this together. But, when he blinded someone for asking a question, I wasn’t sure anymore.”

  “I am the one that put all this together, boy. And, I’ll see if I can arrange a special meeting with Jamie for you.”

  “Anyway, getting back to Serinda,” said Tsukiko, “you don’t seem too concerned that she’s missing.”

  “I’m not. Jamie will find her. And when he does…”

  “When he does, what?”

  “Actually, it looks like we’re about to find out.”

  The doors of Kilchurn suddenly burst open, lightning, thunder, and crashing rain came pouring in. Jamie stood in the entrance, dark, his face unseen, but what he carried was obvious. In his arms, was Serinda’s body.

  “Who did this?” Jamie screamed, almost growling.

  The teen lumbered into the castle, the dead body draped over his arms like a black curtain.

  “Who was it?” he growled, eyes blazing. “Which one of you?”

  Nicholas got up from the table where he sat with Tsukiko, cautiously approaching Jamie.

  “I don’t know who did this, but try to calm down.”

  “Calm down?” Jamie screamed. “Look what they did to her. They ripped the flesh right off her. Crushed her insides. Then, they just left her in pouring rain. Someone’s gonna pay for this. She was my wife.”

  “I know. I was there. At your wedding, I mean. Look, what we need to do first is bury her. We can’t leave her out in the open like this, no matter how upset you are.”

  Jamie looked away from Nicholas, then slowly around the room, surveying all the faces. He finally turned back to his mentor, eyes still red.

  “Fine. But, I know it was one of them. This happened after all these people showed up.”

  “Okay. We’ll find the bastard,” said Nicholas. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you track them down. Now, let’s put her in the ground.”

  Outside, in the driving rain, pummeled by big, cold drops of water, Nicholas and Jamie dug a deep grave on the surrounding hill where the edge of the forest lay.

  “I’m going to find them,” Jamie said, digging, “and I’m going to kill them.”

  “Oh, no doubt. No doubt. I’m sure the perpetrator is scared to death at this very moment. Afraid to get near you. Fearing you’ll pick up on something, a scent, maybe. Scared to death at how intelligent you are, and filled with paranoia that you will figure them out. What they don’t understand, however, is that fear is the strongest scent there is.”

  Nicholas was a master at allowing people to know only what he wanted them to. He knew how to throw out comments, coded comments that contained valuable information, to which only he held the secret decoder ring.

  They dug faster, the hole they had created already filling up with rainwater.

  “You know,” Nicholas continued, “there is that one kid.”

  “What kid?” Jamie asked, furiously shoveling mud from the pit, tossing to the side.

  “You know. The one that’s about your age. The one that’s been following you around for the past day or two, since he got here. The one that seems to idolize you.”

  “Him? You think it was him?”

  “Why not? What do we do when we idolize someone? We want what they have. Eventually, if unstable enough, we want everything they have, and then, try to take it. I’ll bet he’s been coveting her eve
r since he got here.”

  After digging for what seemed like forever, they slowly lowered Serinda broken body into the ground. Thick mud was tossed back where it came from, plopping and running over her like molasses.

  “You want to say anything?” asked Nicholas, as they finished the job.

  “Say? No. I only want to do.”

  Jamie stormed off down the hill. Nicholas followed, calmly, taking in the beauty and rage of the Scottish storm. And the storm which he had now created.

  By the time Nicholas got back inside Kilchurn, Jamie was already being held back, restrained and unable to get to the physical embodiment of the seed Nicholas had planted.

  “Release me!” Jamie yelled. “And him.”

  “Your majesty,” said the kid, “I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything.”

  “Liar!”

  “Sir, please. I don’t lie. I never touched her.”

  Nicholas was right. The scent of fear was strong than any other. And he craved it. And on this night, he got plenty from the boy falsely accused.

  “You lie! You’re jealous of me, and you killed her! Probably did it because she wouldn’t give in to you!”

  “That’s my boy,” Nicholas whispered. “Come on. Come on.”

  “As your king, I demand that you release both of us and let justice be served.”

  “There it is,” the great werewolf whispered.

  Those that held fast to both teens were still reluctant to let go.

  “Unless there is one among you,” chimed Nicholas, “that would like to admit to the deed, and wishes to volunteer to take his place.”

  Suddenly, each was released. Jamie quickly leaped to the boy, snatching him by the neck and dragging him outside.

  “I can feel your charge,” Jamie said, both he and the boy being soaked in a matter of seconds. “I bet you didn’t like that a werewolf had married one of your kind. Did you? And you thought she would turn her back on her husband, her werewolf husband, leaving me for you. You miscalculated, and you killed her.”