A piano began playing softly. The tune was slow and warm, playing for a few measures before a gentle violin joined it. Then a voice came in quietly, sweetly, then built slightly in volume. It was a beautiful voice, the most beautiful voice Dante had ever heard. The singer poured out a haunting refrain, bringing a chill to Dante’s spine. The goose bumps came back and he couldn’t help but look over his shoulder again. There stood the dancer who had so captivated him, singing a beautiful song in a language Dante didn’t know. Her voice washed over him like a wave of pure joy. It reminded him of walking through a moonlit plain under the light of a bright starry sky. He found himself swaying to the rhythm of her voice. Once again he was struck utterly senseless by her enthralling beauty, not only of her appearance or her voice, but also of the feeling behind her words and movements. Dante was powerless to resist listening and watching. Once again, his heart seemed likely to burst from his chest.
Before he realized it, the song was over and the patrons were applauding the beautiful woman on the stage. She smiled sweetly, humbly accepting their praise before bowing her head and motioning to the band for doing their part. Even Dante found himself clapping for her, wishing he could hear more of that melodic, enchanting voice.
She walked off the stage and toward the back of the bar. Dante could not help feeling as if he had lost a part of himself when she walked away. Without her nearby, he no longer felt whole.
“I feel like I’ll be seeing you here more often, sir demon,” the vampire chuckled.
“N… no…” Dante stammered, turning in his seat to face the bartender. “Maybe… I, uh… she… whu…”
The vampire chuckled again and shook his head. “That wasn’t even a sentence. I’ve never seen a man so struck by a woman. And I‘ve been around the century block a few times.”
“I… that’s… not what happened,” Dante finally managed. “Who…?”
“Staci,” the vampire smiled. “She’s one of my best girls. Smart one, too.”
“Ah, shit…”
“Problem?”
“Maybe…” Dante winced. “Hard to tell…”
“Keep your problems out of my bar, then, if you would.”
Dante nodded, looking in the direction the woman had gone. His mind was addled, impeccably scrambled by that woman. He felt as if his very soul was being pulled toward her. Something inside him told him to go after her.
“There you are,” a voice interrupted.
Dante turned to see Erin standing with her hands on her hips and he rolled his eyes.
“Yes, here I am,” Dante replied sharply, quickly regaining his wits. “What do you want?”
“I bought you a room in the first tavern we went to. I don’t really want to waste my money just so you can chase harlots elsewhere.” She realized the slip as soon as the words left her mouth.
Dante’s fist clenched and he had to keep himself from hitting the poor woman. Then, he realized what he was about to do and why. She had implied the woman, Staci, was a harlot, and he was ready to hit her for it.
Erin flinched upon seeing his fist ball up, but relaxed when he did.
“Yeah… I’m not looking for some woman to bed,” Dante stated, his speech slurring. Even though he was telling the truth, he did not sound very convincing. He tried to stand and nearly fell over. His hand clutched the bar and he leaned against it for support. The sound of clinking glass drew his attention to the eight bottles being removed from where he was sitting. He did not remember drinking that much, but soon realized that he must have. He was much more inebriated than he had meant to be.
Erin offered her arm for support, but Dante waved it away. He stood on weak legs and walked out of the bar, tossing a gold coin to the vampire as a tip.
“You need to get into bed,” Erin sighed, concerned for his well-being. “If we’re going to leave in the morning, we need to be rested.”
“Who says we’re leaving?” Dante grunted. “I ne’er said I planned on leaving after only a night here.”
Erin sighed and shook her head in defeat. It took them nearly an hour to get back to the first tavern and up the stairs to their rooms, but when Dante finally fell onto the hard bed, he was asleep in seconds. Erin left him there and retired to her own room for the remainder of the night.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dante awoke with a slight headache and rolled out of bed. Erin was sitting in the only chair in the tiny room with her arms folded across her chest.
“Time?” he grunted.
“After noon,” she replied softly. Her tone was friendly - if a little terse - but Dante could sense the rising anger behind the façade.
“Calm down, woman,” Dante sighed as he shakily rose from the bed. He stretched his sore muscles and winced as nearly every joint in his body popped in protest. “I never said we’d be leaving the day after we arrived. I like to relax when I travel.”
Erin’s posture softened further, but her face remained stern and unamused. “Why did you leave the tavern?” she asked.
Dante shrugged noncommittally. “Why not? You’ve never done a bar crawl?”
The look on her face told him she did not understand.
“Right… You’re too young, and Gerard was the one who raised you, so no booze,” he sighed. “I didn’t like the atmosphere. I wanted something a little more upscale.”
“You don’t like drinking with the working class?” Erin balked.
Dante rolled his eyes. “People are people, regardless of their so called ‘class.’ The drinks were better, though.”
Erin stood and walked out of the room in a huff. Dante knew she would be cross with him for a while. He didn’t care. After a day or two of traveling, she would be back to her old self. Hopefully.
Dante dressed slowly, enjoying the little sunlight filtering in through the one dirty window in his room. After he was dressed, he went down to the common room for some lunch but quickly changed his mind as the odor coming from the kitchen turned his stomach. Instead, he walked out the door and onto the street. Erin chased after him, growing more and more frustrated with him as he went. She made certain to keep her feelings to herself to avoid angering him again, though. He made his way down the wide, busy avenue and entered the bar he had visited the night before. There behind the counter stood the same vampire who had served him.
“Afternoon, folks,” the vampire greeted warmly. He motioned for them to have a seat at the bar and went to the kitchen. Before Dante and Erin even sat down, he was back with two plates heaped with food. Dante placed a gold coin on the bar as payment and nodded his thanks to the vampire.
“Food’s better here, too,” Dante smiled at Erin.
“Everything is better here,” the host amended. “Including the clientele.”
Dante nodded, smiled in agreement and began eating. The vampire soon slid a tall glass in front of each of them and filled each with a sweet-smelling wine.
Erin ate in silence, slowly losing her ire with Dante. She even cracked a smile when the band struck up a light-hearted tune on the stage. No dancers accompanied them this time. Dante figured they were a nightly entertainment.
“She’s at her other job,” the vampire said suddenly.
Dante turned away from the stage and looked at the vampire in confusion.
“Staci,” he explained. “She’s a teacher. Teaches history at one of the local schools here.”
Dante cocked an eyebrow and took a long drink of his wine.
“You’re welcome,” the vampire grinned.
Erin looked between the two of them, confused.
“You know, Erin,” Dante said slowly, “I have the sudden urge to get a history lesson. What do you say we go learn something today?”
Erin gave him a short glare but gave up. She knew he would do as he pleased, whether it pleased her or not. She was at his mercy if she wanted to see the world.
Dante smiled and finished his lunch before leaving the bar to find this school the vampire had mentioned. It was a sma
ll city, so finding such a place did not seem too daunting.
An hour passed, during which Dante and Erin wandered through the city looking for the school. They finally found it on the outskirts of the city, nestled among ruined buildings left over from the war. The pair could hear the happy squeals of small children at play on the other side of the building, likely taking a break from learning. They walked around to the back and saw at least two dozen children running around or playing games in a fenced schoolyard.
Out of nowhere, Dante’s stomach growled, gaining him a backhanded swat from Erin. She glared at him while he only shrugged helplessly. When he looked back at the schoolyard, he spotted her. There on a bench, wearing a simple dress that reached the midpoint of her calf, was Staci. Her green eyes held a happy light as she watched over the children at play.
Dante did not realize he was moving until he was already halfway to her. He gently opened the gate and walked up to the bench on which Staci sat. He sat on the opposite end and had to tear his eyes from her. She had barely noticed him. He sat there in senseless silence for what seemed like an eternity.
“Do you have something to say?” Staci asked politely, never taking her eyes off her students.
Dante stared at her, stunned and without the ability to form words.
Stacie turned her head and gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry, sir, but do I know you?”
Dante’s mouth moved, but no sound came forth. Finally, he managed to utter, “Not quite.”
“Wait, I do recognize you. You were at the bar last night.”
Dante nodded sheepishly.
“Please don’t tell my students. I feel like they’ll get the wrong idea of me.”
“What?” Dante sputtered. “Why do you say that?”
“Dancing in a bar sorta sets a bad example. Doesn’t matter how upscale the place is.”
“But… You’re so good at it.”
Staci blushed and smiled, which caused Dante’s mind to go completely blank. That simple motion made his heart skip a beat.
“Thanks,” she said. “I love to dance. I can’t help it. Once the opening came up I had to do it.”
“It’s… it’s alright. Uh… I’m Dante.” He offered his hand for her to shake.
“Staci,” she said, shaking his hand. Her skin was so smooth against his own, and he could feel his pulse quicken. “I’m so sorry to seem so blunt, Dante, but I could swear I’ve met you before.”
A flashing image of a corpse rushed through Dante’s mind. “I’d remember,” was all he could muster. How could he tell her that he killed her in not one, but at least two of her past lives? Yet here she was, reincarnated into the beautiful dance-loving teacher sitting next to him on the bench.
“Well, Dante,” Staci said, standing from the bench, “I should get my kids back inside. I’m glad to have met you. Come by the bar sometime and I’ll get you a drink.” She smiled sweetly and turned to bring her students back into the classroom.
Dante smiled and left the schoolyard, feeling more complete than he ever had. He closed the gate and looked at Erin.
“You look pleased,” she said sourly.
“Do I?” Dante asked absently. “Alright, let’s get going.”
“Finally,” Erin breathed.
Victor turned away from the mirror on the wall of his bedroom in disgust.
“What are you doing, Staci?” he asked aloud. He snatched his sword from its resting place near the bed and hastily belted it on as he left his home. What was his beloved friend doing speaking with that demon? And what was Dante doing in his city? Ever since Victor had decided to check in on Dante after the angel had visited the demon’s home, things seemed to be falling apart. Victor had planned on facing Dante in the open fields outside of the cities, far from any innocent bystander who may get hurt in the conflict. But Dante was here, in Victor’s home town. Had Dante traced the message to its source? Why was he here? And why was he talking to Staci, Victor’s closest friend?
Victor made his way through the town, passing by those he swore to protect. Many of them greeted him warmly as he hurried by but he was too distracted to return the smiles. He rushed to his soldiers’ barracks on the outskirts of town and burst through the doorway. A score of the town’s militia looked up from their various activities and immediately snapped to attention.
“Stand at ease, men,” Victor commanded. “You are needed.”
“What are your orders, sir?” the sergeant, a large red-headed man, asked without hesitation. He stood over seven feet tall and was built like a mountain. A huge axe rested in its place on his back, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice.
Victor calmed his racing heart and said, “There is a dangerous intruder in our town. He is a young-looking man with unkempt black hair and crimson eyes. He wears a long coat over a uniform from the old United Earth Army. He carries a sword at his side and believe me when I tell you he knows how to use it.”
“Won’t be a problem for me and my boys,” the sergeant boasted, puffing out his chest and slapping it with his meaty fist.
The rest of the men shouted in agreement and raised their weapons in salute.
Victor smiled despite their obvious lack of knowledge. “I will still warn you, men. This is an extremely dangerous foe. He is a demon. Many of you will die if he is provoked into battle. I am ashamed to admit that he does have some sense of honor, so he may be convinced to leave peaceably. If he agrees to leave, let him. However, if he does not, remain true to your training and be vigilant. He is a powerful enemy.”
The mention of the target being a demon sobered all of the men. Victor had personally trained all of them for battles with demons, but they had unanimously thought all demons had been sent back to Hell. Some of them shifted nervously while others fiddled with their weapons, steeling themselves for a terrible battle.
The sergeant, however, never blinked. “He will leave in peace or in a body bag,” he stated confidently.
Victor nodded. “Last I saw, he was heading to an inn near the southern entrance. Spread out, find him, and do not engage him alone. Rip out his heart and cut off his head. The safety of our townsfolk is our top priority. Good hunting.”
The men went to attention again and saluted him as he swept out of the barracks. Victor rushed through the town, heading toward the school. He hurried through the streets, careful to avoid running into anybody, and made it to the school before long.
There, he looked through a window to see Staci giving a lecture to the children. He went to the door and stepped in.
“…and in the Second World War, America developed the first nuclear bomb and… Oh, hello, Victor,” she greeted warmly. The children turned in their seats, smiling when they looked upon the man who had been a hero to the whole town. “To what do we owe this pleasure?” Staci asked.
“I apologize for interrupting, Miss Serego, but I must speak with you.”
Staci nodded and asked her class to remain in their seats. She walked outside with Victor and asked, “What’s going on? Is everything alright?”
There was a dangerous man who came by here earlier,” Victor explained, “and I wanted to make sure you and the children were okay.”
“We haven’t seen anyone dangerous around here today,” she shrugged. “A kind young man stopped by to speak with me, though. Is that who you mean? He didn’t seem dangerous to me.”
Victor nodded gravely. “I happen to believe he is a demon,” he stated quietly.
“A demon?” Staci gasped. “Here? But why?”
“I don’t know,” Victor said, shaking his head. He did not want to tell her Dante had come for him. For all she knew, Victor was a human who had taken over keeping the town safe. “However, he can’t have a friendly reason. He matches a description my grandfather gave me years ago of a demon he fought in the war.” He hated lying to his dearest friend, but he feared she would react poorly to the truth. Humans in this era were falling away from their belief in the supernatural world, as they had s
o many times in the past.
“Then why would he come to the school? He sat right next to me while the children played.” A sudden realization drained her face of color. “Don’t demons eat children?” Something about Dante eating her children felt very wrong to her, but she could not ignore Victor’s warning.
Again, Victor nodded. The solemn look in his eyes spoke volumes. “I have sent my men to hunt him down and remove him from our home. If he does not agree to leave peacefully, my men have been instructed to kill him. If there is a battle, take the children down into the shelter beneath the school. They will be safe there. Stay with them until I come back.”
Staci nodded, taking Victor’s words to heart as he walked away. She still could not shake the feeling that Dante was being wrongly accused of being a demon, though how many men had blood-red eyes? Still, she felt she caught a glimpse of the man behind the crimson eyes when she spoke with him earlier. He seemed so kind and warm, if a little nervous about talking to her. How could a demon be nervous about meeting someone? And why would Staci doubt Victor’s warning? She had known Victor most of her life and had only just met Dante. Why would all of her instincts tell her that Dante was the one to defend? She shook her head and went back to her students. Her worried look caused the children to grow quiet.
“Miss S.,” one of the students asked. “What’s wrong?”
Staci looked up absently and had to force herself to focus. “Oh, nothing, dear.” She put on a smile and said, “Now, why don’t we open our books to the next chapter and read aloud about the Second World War.”
Dante and Erin had just left the tavern and were on their way out of town when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Several soldiers were approaching from various angles, all moving toward him. One man, a large soldier with a giant axe, came forward. Dante and Erin stopped their pace and the demon’s hand slowly moved to his sword.
“If this turns south,” he muttered to Erin, “get to safety. Don’t try to fight them, you’ll only get yourself killed.”
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