"Skylar... come to me... Skylar..." The voice of her mother echoed again and again, making it hard for the girl to find out in what direction the origin lay.
"Mama?"
"Come to me... Skylar... come..."
Blindly Skylar ran forward and finally she found her mother, who stood in front of a round opening. Wastewater flew in a steady stream from it. Helena's silhouette stood out sharply against the foggy background. Smiling, the huntress reached out a hand to her daughter and said joyfully, "You found me."
Skylar took deep breaths and hesitated. There it was again, the cold breeze that made the blood curl in her veins. Goosebumps rose all over her body and the fine hair at the nape of her neck began to rise. "This place... we should not stay here any longer..."
Still, Helena stood there and looked at her solicitously.
"Mama... please, let's go... I don't like it here," her daughter urged.
A sound came from behind the huntress, attracting Skylar's eyes to the opening of the sewer.
Slowly, but unstoppable, a strangely formed shadow crawled toward Helena, who stood frozen to the spot.
"Mama! Run!" Skylar screamed in terror. Instantly she wanted to hurry to her mother, but something held her tightly and she couldn't move.
The dark shadow straightened up and took shape.
Her eyes wide with fear, Skylar could only watch as the big, black cobra slid to her mother. Hissing, the monster wrapped itself around the huntress' boots and made its way upward, snaking tighter and tighter around Helena's body. Red, piercing eyes glowed dangerously and transparent, viscous secretion dripped from two pointy fangs in the wide open mouth.
Skylar struggled in the grip of an invisible attacker, an escape was impossible. "Mama! Mama!" Tears rolled down her cheeks and she doubled her efforts to get free, but it was in vain. She was not able to break the vise-like grip that prevented her from helping her mother. "Mama!"
Meanwhile, the black monster was wrapped tightly around the huntress' hips and waist. It swayed its mighty head from side to side. Spellbound, Helena stared into the red eyes. She seemed hypnotized by the glowing and couldn't turn her eyes away.
"Mama! You have to defend yourself! You have to fight! Fight! Mama!" But Skylar's pleading met deaf ears and Helena kept her petrified position.
At once, the snake drew her head back and then thrust forward with lightning speed to bore its head deeply into Helena's chest. As it pulled out of the gaping wound, the cobra had the still pounding, blood-dripping heart of the huntress between its fangs.
With terror written all over her face, Skylar screamed herself awake. "No! Mama!" Panting for breath, she tried to sit up and wrestled with the bed sheets that held her hopelessly trapped. Finally, she managed to free herself and looked around her dark room. Her heart was still beating fast, but gradually the girl calmed down. "Thank God. It was just a horrible nightmare... but it seemed so real." She shuddered as she remembered the glowing, red eyes of the big snake, which had been wrapped around her mother. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "I wonder if Mama is back from the hunt. Maybe... maybe I should go downstairs and look... just... just to make sure that everything is alright." She crawled out of her bed, tiptoed to the door and opened it a crack. Weak candlelight fell in from the corridor. She strained her ears, but couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary. Deadly silence ruled. The girl left her room and slowly moved in direction of the stairs. Cautiously and on bare feet, she walked down the cold, stony steps and crept to the library. Very carefully she opened the door and stuck her head into the room.
Her gaze fell on Helena's blood-stained coat, which still hung across the chair, and she felt her heart clench. Frightened, Skylar entered the library. "Mama?" she asked.
Kyrian turned around and hurried to hide his hands behind his back. "Skylar? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Where is Mama? Is she alright? How did the hunt go?" the girl blurted out so fast that the words nearly overlapped. Overpowered by fear, her eyes darted again and again to the blood-stained coat.
Kyrian placed the note book aside, went to her and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. "Little one, don't be concerned and go back to bed. Mama is fine. She is taking a bath. I'm sure that once she is done, she will come up and check on you."
Skylar closed her eyes in relief and released a sigh as she was told that nothing had happened to her mother. She squeezed her brother once more before she let go of him. "You know, Kyrian, I would not be so afraid for Mama if I knew she is not standing alone against the vampires. If only she had somebody to help her fight... like... well, like us for example. It would be far better to go with her, instead of sitting around here, doing nothing else but hope and pray that she will come back unharmed."
"You know, you are speaking the same words that are in my heart, little one. Unfortunately, that's not how Mama sees it," he answered, feeling somewhat sad.
"I know," Skylar replied, crestfallen. "Will that ever change?"
The young man shrugged his shoulders and thought to himself, 'At least, I will leave nothing undone to change her point of view concerning that matter.'
"Anyway, why are you awake, Skylar?" he smoothly changed the subject. "Did you have a bad dream again?" Kyrian asked, truly worried.
"Yes," Skylar responded in a small voice. "That's the reason I came downstairs. I wanted to make sure that everything is as it should be."
Protectively, he wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders and led her out of the library, up the stairs and toward her chambers. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Skylar shook her head. "No, I really do not want to think about it anymore. It was just a bad dream... nothing of importance."'At least that is what I hope,' she added in her mind.
*****
Satisfied, Azrael entered the corridor and saw his companion staring out of the window, without knowing that he was there. Of course, he noticed her inner turmoil and a sneer spread across his face. His cravings for the night had been fulfilled and he was in a happy mood. He tiptoed toward Chalice and brushed aside her disheveled hair. Azrael's lips began to lovingly caress her neck.
The young woman was startled for a moment, but then submitted to his kisses.
Forcefully, the vampire pressed her against the window's glass.
Chalice trembled and shivered under his demanding touch and she pulled up her dress willingly, wanting her Master to become one with her.
Suddenly Azrael let go of her. Glancing out the window, he said, "You know what else is to happen tonight, don't you?"
Dumbfounded, Chalice looked at him and needed a minute to regain her composure. "Of course, Master."
The vampire was about to return to the room with the D'Ardenne twins, but the young woman held him back with one word, "But ..."
Grumbling, Azrael turned towards her, his dark eyes gleaming dangerously.
Chalice swallowed hard and said, "Please, forgive me my bold words, my Master. I cannot continue living like this. I will perish at your side." Her voice trembled. "I only have one wish. It would be so easy for you to see it fulfilled."
Azrael rolled his eyes and answered disgruntled, "You want to say I am guilty of something I do not know anything about?"
"No, no, of course not, my Master. I am your loyal servant," the young woman tried to calm him. Fear flickered in her eyes. "I'm just so confused... the girls... this whole situation..."
Slowly, Azrael walked to her. "You are not confused. You are jealous."
Chalice blushed brightly and turned her head away, ashamed. Quietly, she said, "So what if I am..." Tears welled up and she began to whimper, not able to say another word.
The vampire walked past her and went to the window. "Michel's men are starting to surround us. You know what you have to do."
Chalice wanted to respond, but Azrael cut her off firmly, "We will talk later!"
Wordless, she relented.
The vampire crossed his arms behind his back an
d waited at the window, until Chalice left the house. He watched her entering the carriage and driving off. Azrael grinned gleefully, thinking about his plan. "So, my dear Michel. Let's see if you took the bait."
*****
The bathroom was illuminated by warm light from the small fireplace. A heavy iron kettle, filled with water, hung above the dancing flames. The huntress lit some candles that stood on the windowsill. Their wax had melted into each other, because she often used this room after work.
Helena's face contorted in pain as the fabric of her clothes rubbed against her grazes and contusions while she took off her dirty top. She lowered her bruised body to a small stool to take of her boots, and then she cautiously took of her pants. Disbelieving, she gazed at the pile of blood-stained clothes, which lay on the floor in front of her. "They are beyond saving," she muttered. Eventually, she tore her eyes away and grabbed the iron hook that hung from the wall beside the chimney. She hooked it into a handle of the kettle and pulled with all her might. The hot, nearly boiling water floated into the wooden tub. White steam rose as the hot water mixed with the cold, which Helena had added before. She chose a small flask with amber colored liquid, made of different herbs, and added it to the water. "This will help cleaning and healing my wounds." She swirled her fingertips through the water, spreading the oily substance.
First, she put one toe in to test, before submerging her whole, aching body in the tub. Helena leaned back in the warm water, sighed and closed her eyes. But she couldn't relax, her mind was too active. Behind her eyelids, she saw again the events of the night.
Unconsciously, her hand slid to the bite mark on her throat. It had been close, too close. Never before in her entire life had a vampire come close enough to plunge their teeth into her throat. She shuddered with the thought and opened her eyes.
The huntress looked around, grabbed the washcloth from the tub's rim. She began to clean herself off the vampires' blood, whom she had recently turned to dust. She jerked in pain as she ran the cloth over her face. Instantly, Helena let go of it and carefully touched her nose with her fingertips. "Well, it is not broken, but I'm sure it will be quite tender for some time. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. And a little pop on the nose won't prevent me from finding out what the hell is going on here. I think they were attacking as pack to find out my strengths and weaknesses. It's a pity that none of the dark brood is left to tell their master about it. If only I knew who their master is. My instincts are telling me that I will meet him sooner than I would like."
Lost in thoughts, she finished her bath and stepped from the tub. Helena grabbed a towel and dried herself, her long, blonde locks cascading over her naked back, while her gaze returned to the blood-stained clothes. Annoyed, she lifted them of the ground and flung them into the fire, which greedily consumed the material. Turning her back to the burning clothes, she slipped into her nightgown. After that, she pulled the tub's cork plug and red-colored water shot out. Her eyes tracked the way of the bloodied wetness across the stone floor and she remembered Kyrian's words. 'I could have helped you! Why didn't you take me along?'
"Maybe the time has come..." the huntress mumbled to herself." This brings me to a whole different matter. This Christine... why was she there? I have to talk to Kyrian. She seems to be naive and good-natured... but something tells me that the girl is not entirely truthful. I can't explain why, but I feel danger radiating from her."
*****
Already at dusk, Monsieur Dutroit and his men had taken their positions behind a small wall at the other side of the D'Ardenne residence.
Once more, Michel asked one officer, "You are sure that this woman entered the house this evening? Tell me exactly what happened."
The man began. "Alright. We had just changed shifts. I had been standing here for some minutes, as she arrived with the carriage, which is over there, and went into the house. Since then, nothing has happened. And she definitely has not left the building."
Michel had to think of Helena and a small smile formed on his face. 'Now I am one step ahead, my dearest Madame Leosol. We know about the murderer's accomplice and followed her trail. We are going to find the Heart Taker, because she will lead us right to him.'
"That's all that happened," the officer finished.
"Zut alors!" Michel cursed improperly. "And the D'Ardenne twins are still at the theatre?"
Another man answered him, "Just now, we received a message that the girls have been at the theatre since nightfall. They are constantly under surveillance, but nothing unusual has happened."
"Strange," Michel thought aloud. "I could have sworn..." he couldn't complete his sentence, because one of his men nudged him, pointing at the house. "There! Monsieur Dutroit, look! His accomplice is leaving the building."
"She seems to be in quite a hurry."
The police men watched Chalice, who looked carefully around, before entering her carriage. "What shall we do?"
Michel didn't hesitate. "Fast! Follow her! Now she will lead us to him!" Then he glanced to the empty house. He thought he detected a face behind one of the windows, but it was gone in a flash. "I will join you later. Right now, I need to check the house, if everything is as it should be." He spoke like he had been hypnotized.
The last present officer asked, "Do you want me to come with you, Monsieur Dutroit?"
"No, that is not necessary. I will be with you shortly."
"Understood!" The last police man left and Michel crossed the street. Dazed, he walked towards the house, uttering, "I have to go."
*****
Hurriedly, Kyrian put the note book back to where it belonged, into Helena's coat pocket. He had heard her approaching the library. Taking the French book his sister had left behind, he sat down in one of the armchairs. As Helena entered the room, he pretended to be completely engrossed in the text.
The huntress had wrapped a warming blanket around herself and hid her long, blonde, still wet locks underneath a roughly woven towel. She took a seat opposite her son and pulled the woolen blanket tighter around her slightly shivering body. Her eyes fell on the book in Kyrian's hands and she couldn't suppress a small laugh.
With an innocent gaze, Kyrian looked questioningly over the rim of the yellowed pages.
"My son, is that a new way to read?" Helena asked, grinning widely.
The young man drew his brows together. "Mama?"
"Your book. It is upside down," she explained and chuckled.
"Oh, I didn't notice." Kyrian blushed slightly and put the book aside.
"Kyrian, I have to ask you something..." his mother began.
"Well, go on," came the restrained answer and Kyrian waited.
"Your friend... Christine. What do you know about her?" Helena asked straight forward.
"You know about Christine?" His face grew even redder.
"I am your mother... and a well educated huntress."
Kyrian regarded her suspiciously. "Why do you want to know that? For what do you need this information?"
It was obvious Helena had raised a subject that didn't sit well with her son, but she continued. "Well, just call it curiosity of your loving mother. You are spending a lot of time with this girl."
It came as a shock to him that she knew about his meetings with Christine. "Is there anything to say against it?" Kyrian responded, a bit snappy.
"No. I just wish to get to know her better. The young lady and I have not been introduced properly yet."
Kyrian thought hard about what he should tell his mother. While he was searching his brain, he realized that he truly didn't know anything about Christine. Neither where she lived, nor what she was doing or anything about her family. He didn't even know her surname.
His long silence was enough of an answer for Helena. "You don't know anything about this girl, do you?"
"So what? Why is that so important?" he said in annoyance.
"Why are you so angry?" Helena asked in her calm way.
"Because I feel like I'm being
interrogated! Do I ask questions about that Michel?" the young man shot back impudently.
"Hereafter, I don't want you to ever meet that girl again," Helena said without answering his question and in a tone that allowed no contradiction.
Kyrian didn't care about it. "What? Why?!" he exclaimed loudly and leapt from his armchair.
Helena took a deep breath, trying to keep her calm. She wanted to tell him about the occurrence and searched for the fitting words. "I saw her..."
Angered, he cut her off, "So what? That doesn't mean..."
"KYRIAN!" Helena had also gotten up and raised her voice. She grabbed her son's shoulders and shook him slightly. "Christine loafers around the Quartier Latin at night! I saw her there, shortly before the vampires attacked me!"
"I don't believe you!" he responded defiantly, shaking off her hands. "It was dark and there are hundreds of girls, who have light, blonde hair like Christine does. Who knows what you have seen!"
"Kyrian! Come back to your senses. These are poor excuses. You're obsessed with..."
"This time, I'm the one who doesn't wish to finish this conversation! I will go to bed! Good night!" he growled irascibly and stomped out of the library.
Helena knew it would be of no use to follow him now. Dejected, the huntress sat back down. One lonely tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek, while the words of one vampire echoed through her mind, 'You... your children... you all will die... it... is... inevitable...'
"Just how am I supposed to protect you?" she asked into the silence of the room.
*****
Chronicles of Darkness: Shadows and Dust Page 20