Strigoi Redemption

by Hall, K R

  Alana walked like her limbs didn’t belong to her, each step a negotiation rather than an order. Everything hurt now. Every damn thing. Alana winced to cross the floor, heading back to bed. She fumbled the little white pill, her mind already clamoring for the pain relief to come.

  ~ ~ ~

  Alana’s pale skin, shadowed eyes, and cast leg made a chill shiver up Victor’s back. Alana’s eyes opened and it took her a moment to focus. He wondered if her vision was off-kilter after the head trauma she had received.

  “Victor,” she whispered, looking at him. “What… what happened? No one will tell me anything.”

  “I had gotten our drinks and was heading back to the table to wait for you when I heard tires screeching and people screaming and saw a car speed off. When I saw you laying there, I dropped our drinks and ran to you.”

  “Who did this to me? I don’t remember anything after I stepped out of the lady’s bathroom,” Alana said her voice filled with pain and confusion.

  As she started to doze again, Victor assumed that the nurse must have recently given her the pain medicine. Victor had a good idea who hurt his mate— he thought he recognized the driver after giving it some thought— and intended to make them pay. First, he needed to see the doctor; second, he needed to have a talk with someone. The officer on duty guarding Alana gave a slight nod as Victor left her room.

  ~ ~ ~

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Chloe asked as Victor grabbed her by the arm.

  “Did you or did you not hit Alana with a car?” Victor asked vehemently.

  Chloe quickly looked around to see if there was any way she could distract Victor and make her escape. People had started to stare openly. She just knew that soon cellphones would soon be out snapping their pictures or recording them. She offered a huge grin in hopes of giving the onlookers no reason to continue.

  “Let’s not make a scene, Victor,” Chloe mumbled, pulling Victor along with her. Once they were out of the views of curious eyes, she rounded on Victor, full-on angry.

  “What is this about? Do you honestly think I would try to hurt Alana?” Chloe asked through her clenched jaw.

  “Was it Halberd,” Victor demanded. Halberd was a demon and Chloe’s number one hired henchman. She’d used him here and there in the past to get things done.

  “No! I ask again, do you honestly think I would hurt Alana?” Chloe’s temper was rising.

  “Sort of, yes,” Victor admitted. “I wanted to see your reaction when someone came out and directly asked you.”

  “Happy now?” Chloe asked, her anger was full-blown “I can’t believe you would accuse me of such a horrible thing! If you’re done, I want to go home.”

  Chloe turned and headed for the door. “I’m leaving. Do whatever the hell you want after you take me home.” She tossed the words over her shoulder.

  Victor hauled Chloe back hard enough that she slammed into him.

  “You can’t order me around, Chloe. You can’t order me to take you home. If you want to leave, call a Lyft.” Victor glared at her with hot, sparkling eyes.

  ~ ~ ~

  A few days after being released from the hospital, Victor and Alana went out to dinner at Mamma Mia’s with Grigore and Ladinas. Over one hundred and forty years ago, brothers Pasquale “Pat” and Giovanni “John” Viscariello opened the first Mamma Mia’s restaurant. It was a great place to indulge in authentic Italian dishes, incredible wines, and a luxurious environment. It was one of the few places run by paranormals.

  They were seated at their favorite table quickly. The waitress that came over to greet them was new. She had the body of a ballerina, nice and fit. Her blonde hair was put up in a classy bun.

  “Hi, I’m Molly and I will be your waitress for this evening, guys. So, what can I get for you?” she said.

  “I would like a slow, comfortable, screw,” Grigore said with a wink.

  Molly just ignored him.

  “We would like the Tuscan Pesto Bruschetta appetizer,” Victor said to Molly.

  “Sounds yummy,” Alana said.

  “We would like a bottle of your Chianti Classico,” Victor added.

  Molly returned with their drink order quickly.

  “I put in your appetizers. Are you ready to order? Molly asked.

  “Say, babe, what time do you get off?” Ladinas asked with a wink.

  “Um, we close at 11:00 pm, but by the time cleaning and other side work is done, it’s usually around 12:30,” Molly replied, confused.

  “Can I watch?” Ladinas and Grigore said at the same time.

  “Don’t mind them,” Victor said. “They’re just out from under a rock and forget their manners.”

  “Aww, come on, Victor. She knows we’re just joking,” Ladinas complained.

  “Yeah, it’s fun to flirt with Molly because she’s new to Carver,” Grigore said.

  Molly blushed and tried to compose herself. She flashed her wedding ring to put an end to it all. The brothers never messed with someone else’s mate or wife. It wasn’t proper or respectful.

  “Are you ready to order now?” Molly asked.

  “I will have the Steak Tip Pizziola. May I have the mashed potatoes without garlic? And a Greek Salad,” Grigore said.

  “That sounds good, but I want Cousin Vito’s Artichoke Salad instead of a Greek Salad,” Ladinas said.

  “Alana and I would like to share an Antipasto,” Victor said. “As my entre, I would like Veal Saltimbocca.”

  “I would like the John’s Seafood Florentine please,” Alana said.

  Molly repeated their order and after everyone agreed, she was off to put their order in. Victor wanted them all there for a reason.

  “If you knew deep within your soul that there was only one person in the world meant just for you, the only person who could make you happy, what would you give up? How long would you search for them? How many centuries? And if you ever did find them, then what? Could you ever let them go? Wouldn’t you grab onto them with both arms... and never... never let them go?” Victor began.

  When Molly delivered their meals, they stopped talking. The talk was littered with smiles, the real communication, not the words. It told them of the family love that lay there, unspoken. It was as obvious as the morning sun, as real as the grass. The feeling flowed through them as the conversation filled the air.

  “There’s not a day goes by I don’t feel regret. I must live with that. Guilt is like a stomachache from overeating. You make all sorts of promises while you’re feeling it, but once it passes, you just get hungry again,” Victor began.

  Turning to his brothers, he said, “I have a special project for you two. Lots of detail work. That shouldn’t be difficult for you. You’re excused from regular duties. This will be your sole focus.”

  “We will do anything you want from us,” Ladinas said.

  Chapter 8

  As a child, Christian Woodard learned the story of how his fifth-great-grandfather, Gerald’s, brother’s family was struck with the plague. Gerald told his children, who in turn told their children, who told their children and so on down through five generations to when he learned about how they needed to avenge the family. Christian wanted the man who wiped out his family, and thousands of others, to pay.

  Christian had spent his life tracking down the man that brought the plague from Romania to the American colonies. Ignorance was no excuse for what the man had done. With modern advances such as the internet, he was finally able to discover who the person was. It was time for him to enact his revenge for his family’s loss.

  But last month, when he finally found Victor, everything was different; the thoughts of revenge came in the daylight. It started to come together more like a plan: stages, equipment, an alibi.

  Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in his small, narrowed eyes as he weighed the pros and cons of the various and creative means available to him for exacting revenge. He remembered all the stories about how all his family died because of V
ictor’s carelessness. And that fueled him. He would fight like the devil devoid of sympathy, crushing Victor and slaughtering him and any who tried to interfere. It would be a terrible sight, but he wanted revenge. He was thirsty for revenge and blood.

  Christian had gone to Victor’s home, believing that no one was home. He had a friend that worked at the automobile repair shop where Victor had his vehicles serviced. His friend called the last time that Victor brought his private car in for routine maintenance. He arrived as quickly as possible and took an imprint of Victor’s house key in putty without Victor’s knowledge. He needed final proof of his suspicions.

  That was how he was able to enter Victor’s home so quickly. He had not expected the girl to be there. The last time the staff had the day off, she had gone to visit her family.

  Christian raged as he drove from Victor’s home. He had almost been caught when he attacked the woman. His face was hardened and his fists opened and closed rhythmically. Adrenaline coursed through his system. He was sure that Victor was the man he was looking for. The immigration papers showed that Victor Marinescu had arrived from Romania weeks before the first case of the plague nearly wiped out Boston. He followed the deadly trail through Dorchester to Braintree all along what is now known as the Pilgrim’s Highway to Kingston to Plymouth and finally stopped in Carver. Each stop had an outbreak of the plague and nearly wiped out all the villages. If winter hadn’t come, Christian believed that all the towns along the trail would have been completely wiped out and that the plague could have spread out to the entire state of Massachusetts.

  He needed to get closer to Victor to enact his revenge. He paid heavily for a new id and a fake job at Victor’s company. It would be worth it.

  Chapter 9

  The last time Ladinas was visiting Victor and Alana, he could smell Alana’s fear of Chloe when she answered the door, though it was clear Alana wasn’t sure why she was afraid. Judging from the look he saw on Chloe’s face, though, she knew Alana was afraid and she was thoroughly enjoying it.

  The air was thick with the scent of coffee. Ladinas was watching from a seat outside a coffee bar. His gaze was unwavering and unabashed as he sipped and analyzed. Without conscious thought, Ladinas wrapped his fingers around the paper cup, enjoying the heat that spread through his hands. Relaxed, he took a sip, the warm liquid creeping over his taste buds and down his throat, savoring both the drink and the moment. Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention.

  The whiskey eyes behind gunmetal glasses did not travel up to Chloe’s face or down to her boots, but they followed her as if focusing on something a couple of feet further away. He made no gesture of recognition, no raised hand or stiff nod. She quickened her pace to the street corner and melted into the Carver holiday crowds.

  Chloe had a movie star look, not overly tall and willowy, but more like an action star. Her muscle definition was perfect, and she walked with the confidence of someone a decade older. She wasn’t just flawless in her bone structure; her skin was like silk over glass and she radiated an exceptional beauty. Too bad her insides weren’t as pretty as the outside package. Inside, Chloe had a heart black as coal. She was indeed a mystery. He supposed this to be true of many women— wondrous, mysterious, and magical beings.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Good morning. You’re early,” Victor said as he entered Ladinas’ office.

  “Yeah,” replied Ladinas with a yawn.

  “Did you even go home?”

  “I couldn't sleep,” Ladinas said.

  “Why so?”

  “No idea. Afraid of missing something,” Ladinas said. “I hired a private detective to follow Chloe when I am unable to. I don’t want to make her suspicious.”

  “Good idea. Now, I'll give you some advice: find something to offset your job.”

  “Like a hobby?” Ladinas asked.

  “No, like a private life. Cuddling and smooching,” Victor said.

  ~ ~ ~

  Victor was unable to concentrate on his work any longer. Maybe a little time on the treadmill would help clear his mind. As Victor left his office, he told his secretary he would be in the gym as he headed out the door.

  Walking on the treadmill, Victor was able to let his mind wander. He needed to work on his redemption, but where to begin? The road to redemption is a rocky path.

  Victor would describe his heartache as the music of a great orchestra. At times, it was quiet and allowed him to function. At other times, the violins would play and he would be sad or it would rise to a crescendo and the anger would burst from his chest in a vicious shout of anguish. Right now, there was a flute playing and he was able to remember his childhood with fondness, that was rare, though, and he enjoyed the moment.

  The black memories that made Victor wake up screaming at night, the fear he could still taste in moments of despair, were softened by the sense of stillness that settled into him. In his mind, redemption took the form of a small plant sitting in the sunlight. Its leaves and vines curled toward the sky. Redemption was hope and forgiveness. It was striving to do better after being wrong.

  A sudden, bright light momentarily blinded Victor. When he could see again, a strange man was standing next to him— his skin almost translucent, a bloodless hue, pale as a corpse. He remained staring at Victor. Victor stopped the treadmill and was dismayed to see he was the only other person in the gym. He grabbed his towel and sat on a nearby bench.

  “I've been sent by the powers that be. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Magnus.”

  “The powers that be what?” Victor asked.

  “You are never gonna have a better chance,” Magnus said.

  “At what?”

  “Redemption. You did terrible things in your past, didn’t you? And now you’re trying so hard to do good. Being a good person doesn’t come from your mind… it comes from your heart. People who do good deeds based on what they think is the right thing to do are not good people. They’re doing it for how others perceive them, which is vanity. When you do something good from the heart… it’s because something in your core wants to make a difference. It truly makes you happy to help others,” Magnus said.

  “What do you want, Victor? I think I know, but I’d like to hear it from you. The truth... I’ll know if you’re lying.”

  Magnus walked over to Victor and sat on the bench beside him, waiting for his answer.

  “This is difficult,” Victor stumbled “I want... forgiveness.”

  “Yes, that’s the truth. And you want to earn it. You’re not the type who takes the easy way out, which is why I like you so much. In the end, you won’t feel guilty... or remorse... or anything but pure joy. In the end, none of it will mean anything anymore. You’ll be free. I promise.”

  “Then and only then will I be able to complete the mating bond with Alana,” Victor said. “I will finally have my redemption and be worthy of my mate.”

  “It’s not just saving lives, it’s saving souls,” Magnus said. “You know, there’s a lot of people in this town in need of help.”

  “So I noticed. I’ve helped keep the town safe. I have donated to charities and those less fortunate than me. What more can I possibly do?”

  “You donate things and money. I’m talking about getting down into the trenches, working with your hands. Really seeing the people and making a difference. You game?” Magnus said. “Here’s your chance for redemption. Make it worth it.”

  “I'll do my best,” Victor said. “I'm game.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Victor’s property was so large that there was a jogging trail that circled the yard for a mile. It was late October and Alana could feel the autumn breeze running through her veins, caressing her lungs, and laying deep inside her heart, filling her with nostalgic, calm happiness. She gazed up at the manor as she jogged up the walkway to the front door, elated to have her cast off. Her heart was running a marathon.

  The shower was on and she was singing while undressing, allowing the water to heat. Han
ds grabbed her from behind and attempted to subdue her. Alana screamed as loudly as she could and thrashed, shoving herself backward trying to free herself from the attacker. The attacker squeezed her tighter, their arms encircling her chest as she screamed, making it harder for her to move or scream.

  Alana flailed and kicked wildly and knocked them backward, causing the attacker to bump the window sensor. Sirens blared in the distance and her attacker suddenly let her go and disappeared out the bathroom door.

  Unable to move, she panted, body convulsing with aftershocks from the attack. The alarm went silent. A moment later, Nicolae rushed into the room, looking around quickly for anyone else in the room. Alana realized that she only had her underwear on and grabbed for her robe that hung on the bathroom door to cover herself.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “Yes, I believe so,” she said, trying to control her breathing.

  “We need to figure out how someone keeps bypassing our security system.”

  Alana nodded and headed to shower when Nicolae left her room.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Nicolae, I want to make a special dinner for Victor. Would you please take me to the grocery store?” Alana asked. She was refreshed and determined after her shower and ready to go.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea after the attack.”

  “I’m not going to hide out here forever. Please, just a little trip to town. You can even wait for me in the car. What could possibly happen?”

  “Okay, you win, Alana,” Nicolae said with a smile.

  Chapter 10

  The air was perfumed with produce, the ground was gritty stone, and the air a perfect, pre-winter chill. Alana laughed internally at the stupid covers of the magazines when she was suddenly rammed from behind with a shopping cart. She turned in time to see a woman that looked like Chloe turn down an aisle. Alana couldn’t be sure if it were Chloe or not, so she brushed it off. Maybe it had been an accident.