Chapter 29: Chapter 29

PRESENT

CHAPTER 21: THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE VAMPIRES AND THE HUNTERS

Gualtiero was left alone in his thoughts as Diana scurried to leave. Anastasia was in danger. Mae was brutally murdered, and Diana was forced to watch every gruesome detail of her death. And he couldn’t do anything but watch it all happen. He had never felt so useless.

Something about Anastasia had been bothering him lately. The night when Diana arrived from Romania, he and Anastasia had been together. She was trying to calm him down. He had been angry and had not been himself since Diana left for a week. To him, it felt like a lifetime. Poor animals and humans had suffered due to his sour mood.

Anastasia had found him that night in the woods. She tried to calm him down saying he was not beyond absolution and Diana might understand everything he did. It seemed like she was too concerned about his feelings of despair, but it was not lost on him that she also seemed distracted with something. There was something bothering her, he could tell. He has always been good in reading emotions no matter how hard humans try to conceal it.

But he didn’t get the chance to ask her about it, because all of a sudden, an overwhelming feeling came upon him that Diana might be in great danger. The intuition turned out to be helpful as he was able to save Diana from bleeding to death, but he hadn’t talk to Anastasia yet about what was going on with her that night.

He also recalled Anastasia being apprehensive but overly enthusiastic about this particular date night. How could she have been compelled by a vampire? Being a familiar, she should be able to spot a vampire from a mile away. She knows what a vampire is like. How could she have fallen for any kind of trap?

Gualtiero was distressed about letting Diana go alone. She is a hunter but what if something bad happens to her and he is not there to help her this time? He glanced up at the wall and saw the bullet mark on it. It was enough for him to make a significant decision. He would follow her to Romania this time. Kieran is out of control. He needs to be obliterated.

He hurriedly got into the next flight to Romania. It was easy for him to be on this flight because compulsion usually works smoothly on unsuspecting humans. He tried calling Diana before the flight took off, but Diana’s phone could not be reached.

There was a nagging feeling forming in his chest that Diana needed his help. He hoped he would not be too late…

***

“Anastasia? Are you here?” Diana called out. She held a paper with the address Kieran instructed her to go to upon her arrival. This was supposed to be the place. But it looked empty and abandoned. She peered inside a derelict building. It was too quiet and dark. She couldn’t see anything.

“Kieran? I’m here. Do not touch her. I’m here alone like you asked,” Diana muttered, but the only sound she heard was the echo of her own voice. She kept walking inside the building, sensing a trap coming, but at the moment, she was not worried about her own safety. She was worried about Anastasia. If something happened to her best friend, she would never forgive herself.

She stopped walking upon hearing a crying sound. Someone was sobbing as quietly as they could, and as she continued walking to where the sound was coming from, it grew louder and louder. She felt the gun in her pocket. It was still there.

She finally saw Anastasia helplessly bawling as two vampires were feeding on both her wrists.

“Leave her alone!” Diana yelled. “It’s me that you are after.”

“Worthless piece of human trash!” one of the hideous-looking beasts suddenly lurched after Diana, yanking her hair out.

“Ow,” she cried in pain. “Let Anastasia go!”

“Diana, help! Help me. I’m in so much pain,” Anastasia kept screaming.

Diana looked up at her while struggling to free herself. Anastasia looked beautiful, with her face perfectly made up. Not a strand of hair on her face, even though she had been struggling from trying to free herself from the vampires feasting on her.

Momentarily distracted, Diana didn’t see Kieran showing up. He didn’t waste any time and shot her straight in the chest. It sent her staggering backwards.

Blood sputtered from her mouth as she felt the bullet hit her. She was bleeding from the gunshot. Her hand felt something solid from the ground. It was a dismembered hand.

She let out a pained scream. Tears were falling down her face as she realized whose hand it could possibly be. “I’m sorry, Mae, I failed you,” she wept despite herself.

“I just returned the favor. It was so rude of you when you hit me with that disgusting vervain-laced bullets,” Kieran hissed. “I am a man of honor, though. Set the girl free.”

The two vampires abruptly stopped feeding. The other vampire who attacked Diana gave Kieran a disapproving look.

“Why would we set her friend free? She killed my Kara,” he said angrily.

“Do not fret, my friend,” Kieran said with a laugh. “We can always capture the Anastasia girl another time. I am going to make sure you and your Gangrel clan will have fun tearing this hunter from limb to limb.”

The other vampires made a screeching sound in delight. Anastasia looked at Diana. She was bleeding. She was going to die. An inscrutable look passed her face. She heard Diana yelling her name, pleading.

“Anastasia, run! Please save yourself. Please. Tell Gualtiero I love him,” Diana tried to choke out the words even though she felt herself getting weaker and weaker. It was only a matter of time before she bled to death.

“I’m sorry, Diana. I’m so sorry,” Anastasia muttered as she ran away as fast as she could.

“Ah, Gualtiero,” Kieran said, spitting the name, facing Diana with a triumphant look on his face. “Do you know how he murdered Iosif Michea? It was rather entertaining. He clutched Michea’s heart from his chest with his bare hands and drank blood from him.”

“Stop, stop it…” Diana cried helplessly.

“And I’m not finished yet. The Malkavians including your beloved Gualtiero had sex with each other while drinking blood from Michea’s dead body,” Kieran said, pleased with himself. “You failed. I bet Michea is shaking from his grave. You associated with the vampire who happily murdered him?”

Diana couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face. Her body had gone numb from the physical pain. This time, she felt an excruciating emotional agony from listening to Kieran. He was right. She had betrayed her own kind. Instead of avenging Iosif’s grisly death, she made love to the vampire who killed Iosif so savagely.

“It was all an act,” Diana explained weakly, trying to convince herself more so than Iosif. “He did it to gain Lilith’s trust. He murdered her without hesitation right after Iosif. He said the hunters murdered you, too. How come you are still here?”

Kieran laughed heartily as if Diana had just uttered a big joke. “I am going to rule this earth, Michea. Don’t be so surprised how I knew you were related to that hunter. You are the biggest idiot on this planet.”

***

Upon his arrival in Romania, Gualtiero didn’t know where to go. He tried Diana’s phone again but she was still not answering his calls. He sat on the bench helplessly as he tried to conjure from his brain the conversation he had with Diana about the week she went training in Romania. He remembered her mentioning a Lucas Hall, her trainer. Maybe Lucas would know where to find her.

He saw a boy about ten years old standing in front of him, sipping a drink.

“Are you okay? Did you miss your flight?” the boy asked him in Romanian. Gualtiero was surprised upon taking a closer look on the boy’s face. He looked familiar to him but he couldn’t remember from where.

“I’m alright. I just got here,” Gualtiero responded in Romanian as well. “Are you alone? I need your help with something. I am willing to pay you if you help me.”

“If the price is right,” the boy winked.

Gualtiero looked around and settled his gaze upon an older woman sitting alone, typing furiously in her laptop.

He led the boy to follow him as he approached the woman quietly.

“I need to borrow your laptop,” he whispered. It wasn’t a request. It was a statement compelling her to hand her laptop over.

“Cool! I think she likes you way too much. You are very handsome,” the boy smirked, oblivious to being overheard by the woman.

Gualtiero handed the laptop to the boy. “Do you know how to find someone online?” he asked.

“Like in Facebook or IG? Sure, if I know their name. Which ex-girlfriend do you need me to stalk?” he asked.

“Is that a website?” Gualtiero asked. “Is that where people post photographs of their fake lives?”

The boy looked at him with an amused expression on his face. Gualtiero handed him cash. It was evident the boy hadn’t seen that ridiculous amount of money before, judging by the expression on his face. Still, he tried to act nonchalant and focused on the task at hand.

“Name?”

“He goes by Lucas Hall. I – ”

“Oh! I didn’t realize we are stalking your boyfriend, not girlfriend,” the boy teased, grinning. Gualtiero had no time to be offended. He just wanted to find Lucas Hall the earliest time possible.

“Let me see. There are so many Lucas Hall on Facebook,” the boy continued, giving Gualtiero a space to look over the profiles himself.

Gualtiero pointed to the one in the search result with a picture of a guy that resembled Roman a little bit.

“That one. Open it.”

The boy obliged. The profile was set to public. Gualtiero read everything written on it. Listed under hobbies were: sleeping, hunting prowling monsters at night and drinking beer. There was a subtle reference to being a hunter so he decided it was the right profile.

“Send him a message.”

“What the fuck!” the boy cursed roughly in English, then proceeded with the rest of his statement in his local language. “But this is my account. I don’t want this dude thinking I’m gay for him, you know? I’m not gay!” he said adamantly.

“Make me a profile then. Also, you’re too young to be thinking of fornicating,” Gualtiero lectured.

“Forni – what? Big word, weirdo,” the boy said. “But whatever.” He started signing up a new account. “Name?”

“Tomislav,” Gualtiero replied, thinking of the first name that came into his head.

The boy’s face went pale. “H-how did you know my name?” he asked.

Gualtiero could associate the boy’s face with that name although he didn’t understand how. “Do you want the money or not?” he asked, annoyed at every second wasted worrying over Diana.

The boy’s face looked serious this time. He was frightened of this stranger but he wanted the money. He decided it was better if he would stop asking questions and just do as he was told. “Tomislav what?”

“Michea.”

“Done. There’s your profile. Do you still need me to type your message? Jeez, my grandpa is better than you at computers.”

Lucas Hall, this is Gualtiero. I am Diana’s lover. A vampire murdered her grandmother, set her up for a trap by kidnapping her best friend. She traveled alone here. I followed her shortly but I don’t know where to find her. Could you hunt the vampire who took her? You’re a hunter, aren’t you? His name is Kieran, from the Malkavian clan.

Gualtiero compelled the boy to type. He grew impatient with their unnecessary conversation, so he decided to use compulsion on the boy so there would be no questions asked.

It didn’t take a while for him to get a reply. Lucas Hall sent a message asking to meet him. He wrote down the complete address and left in a blur.

***

Lucas seemed too eager to get Gualtiero inside his place. He immediately invited Gualtiero in. As soon as Gualtiero stepped into the threshold, Lucas shot him with an arrow laced with vervain. Gualtiero dropped to the ground.

“You think you can fool me, huh, vampire?” Lucas said with revulsion on his face.

“There is… no time… Diana… is in danger…” Gualtiero tried to focus on uttering the words.

Lucas was perplexed. Could the vampire be telling the truth in his message? Could Diana be in danger? But how was that possible? She already left Romania, as far as he knew.

“You said on your message you’re Diana’s boyfriend,” Lucas said, spitting the words in disgust. “You’re a vampire. She would never date a vampire. Especially after what vampires did to her ancestors, now possibly her great-grandmother too. There was an attack hours ago. I managed to escape and hide because the bloodsuckers were scared off by the sunlight but everyone else didn’t get lucky. Everyone is dead except me!”

“Diana…” Gualtiero couldn’t express his thoughts aloud anymore. The vervain in his system was too strong this time.

Diana’s strange reactions to his vampire tutorials suddenly flashed into Lucas’ memory. Gualtiero writhed in pain and didn’t look too eager to harm him. Maybe the vampire was telling the truth. He vaguely remembered a Gualtiero from the notifications on Diana’s phone when he took it for safe-keeping. Besides, if he was going to battle it out against the deadly beasts to save Diana, he would need a vampire’s help. Even if he was a skilled hunter, the vampire’s supernatural abilities would still be helpful to his cause.

Lucas was left with no choice but to remove the arrow from Gualtiero’s right shoulder where it hit. He also took Gualtiero to the forest to feed on as many wild animals as he could to gain his strength back. He could see what attracted Diana to the guy. Gualtiero was incredibly handsome. Maybe he charmed her into thinking he was not a monster like the others of his kind.

Lucas was sharpening his stakes when Gualtiero woke up disoriented. The last time he remembered was feeding on a deer, drinking from its blood.

“Diana!” was the first word.

“Sorry, it’s just me Lucas. I’ll be needing your help to track those vampires down. Are you feeling better?”

Gualtiero hurriedly got up from the bed. “We already wasted too much time. Let’s go!” he said.

“We can go where they attacked us. It was on a secret hunter’s lair that I have no idea how they managed to infiltrate,” Lucas said.

***

Lucas led the way as he and Gualtiero entered an abandoned building. It was massive in structure.

“Come in,” Lucas invited Gualtiero. As one of the hunters, he was technically one of the owners of the lair.

“Diana!” they called in unison.

In a blur, Gualtiero saw a vampire approaching behind Lucas. Using his speed, he was able to block Lucas from being its target. He gripped the vampire on its neck, trying to crush it with the sheer force of his hand. Lucas realized what happened. He took out his stake and plunged it deeply into the vampire’s heart. The vampire screeched, then turned to dust.

“You saved my life,” Lucas told Gualtiero matter-of-factly. In that moment, there was an unspoken bond formed between Gualtiero, the vampire and Lucas, the hunter. They fought side by side destroying all the enemies by helping each other out. More and more vampires got destroyed under their skilled hands.

Lucas finally handed a stake to Gualtiero. “No offense, man, but this one kills a lot easier than your bare hands,” he said with a grin.

Gualtiero took the stake gladly. As he was staking another vampire they had defeated together, a thought crossed his mind. “I’m sorry… about your brother. He was a – ”

“He was an idiot. If he took his training seriously, he wouldn’t die so easily,” Lucas said with a pained chuckle. “We will be able to save Diana, man, I can feel it,” he added with an unshakable optimism.

They both stopped in their tracks when they heard a loud panting from a figure approaching them. It was Anastasia, sobbing and breathing hard from all the running.

“Gualtiero!” Anastasia exclaimed upon recognizing him. “What are you doing here? Lucas Hall?” She examined Lucas from head to foot. She couldn’t comprehend what happened. She had always known from the training she got from her parents that the Halls came from an ancient family of hunters. How on earth did Lucas end up with Gualtiero? A hunter and a vampire? She felt like she was going to be sick.

“Anastasia, where is Diana?” Gualtiero asked. He noticed the bleeding on her wrists, but he was too worried over Diana to care.

“I… I don’t know,” she stammered. “I lost her. She’s probably already dead.”

“She can’t be dead,” Gualtiero shook his head adamantly. “Diana!” he called helplessly. Diana was close, Gualtiero could tell. He could hear her heartbeat. It was too weak but at least she was still alive.

“How could you leave your friend behind?” Lucas hissed at Anastasia angrily, while following Gualtiero’s lead.

Anastasia was so scared for Gualtiero. She had no plan going back to watch the torture, but she was left with no choice. Gualtiero was going to risk his own life for Diana – again. She needed to protect him.

Lucas bitterly handed her a wooden stake to defend herself with. The three of them kept searching the edifice for any sign of Diana. Anastasia tried to hold Gualtiero’s cold hand, but he quickly swiped it away. It hurt her to see he wasn’t even worried about the ordeal she had gone through. He and Lucas, they only cared about Diana. They came for Diana – not for her. She felt bad for a moment thinking about Diana’s horrific death at the hands of the vampires who captured her. She thought about how it would definitely crush Gualtiero to find her dead. She could almost feel his pain as if it were her own. Do not worry, my Gualtiero, she thought to herself. I will always be here for you. I would never leave you.

***

“Patience, Gangrels. Patience,” Kieran said with amusement. “You can tear this little hunter apart from limb to limb but let’s wait for Gualtiero, shall we? I want him to witness how I laugh at his face as you rip this little hunter apart.”

Diana was lying on the floor. She was slowly bleeding to death. Kieran had wounded her all over her body with a knife, just to see blood gushing from her everywhere. Her body had gone numb from the torture. The pain in her heart was much greater than any other pain she was feeling. A memory from her past suddenly came rushing into her.

It was her seventh birthday. She was about to blow her birthday candles to make a wish when her father interrupted.

“What is your birthday wish? Would you tell us, sweetheart?” her father asked.

“My wish is to never lose my memories, to remember everything always, even when I grow veeery old,” little Diana crooned.

She went on to blow her candles and ate her slice of cake happily, but she had no way of knowing if her wish was granted.

As quickly as it came, the memory was gone, and she was back to the present. Maybe she reminisced this memory because she was ready to join her parents in the afterlife. She could feel herself slipping away. A tear fell from her eyes as she thought of Gualtiero. She realized she doesn’t really blame him for all the misfortunes she had suffered in the vampires’ hands.

Gualtiero may be a vampire, but his heart is purer than most humans she knew. She thought about his protective nature, his cheesy sounding lines which she could tell he meant every word of, his innocent kiss on her face which he referred to as “revenge” for when she kissed his, his selfless act of sacrificing himself to save her from the bullet that could have ended her life, the list could go on and on…

She silently thanked her lucky stars for her decision not to involve him in her quest to save Anastasia. Anastasia would be safe. Gualtiero would protect her. Maybe it was always meant to be this way. Maybe the vampire and his familiar always end up together eventually. Fate had been harsh to her. But it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that Gualtiero and Anastasia are safe.

“Diana! We’re here! We came to save you. You’re safe. I am – ”

Diana’s vision was already blurry, but she recognized the voice. It was Lucas. Lucas was so relieved to finally see Diana, but his speech was suddenly cut off as he fell to the floor. Kieran was behind him in a blink of an eye, stabbing him with a sharp blade so deep.

“No!” it was Gualtiero’s cry of anguish.

“Hello, brother,” Kieran greeted Gualtiero with a forced smile.

Gualtiero tried to stab Kieran with the stake Lucas gave him earlier, but Kieran dodged the attack easily.

“Diana is bleeding, Gualtiero. She’s going to die. Do something,” Anastasia cried. Gualtiero ran towards Diana. The amount of blood she lost was overwhelming. He fought the urge to drink them all in. He tried to cover up her wounds so she would stop losing more blood.

Gualtiero and Lucas were able to destroy all the other vampires in the lair except Kieran. But Kieran still had an ally left.

“Stop the theatrics,” Kieran hissed at Anastasia. With one quick motion, Kieran was able to grab Anastasia by the neck. Gualtiero was torn whether to save Anastasia or stay by Diana’s side.

“Are you sure you want this traitor to live?” Kieran asked Gualtiero in amusement. Gualtiero was about to attack Kieran but something about the tone in Kieran’s voice made him stop.

“Traitor? What are you talking about?” he asked, confused.

“Who do you think let me in their house the first time? And did you honestly believe I compelled her to travel here? You are such an idiot, Gualtiero. Anastasia has been working with me all along.”

“What are you…” Gualtiero couldn’t even finish the sentence. It was unfathomable to him. It was not possible. Anastasia, his familiar, plotting with the enemy how to murder the girl he loves, who also happens to be her best friend?

“Tell me he’s lying, Anastasia,” Gualtiero said.

“I only did it because I love you very much, I only did it because I believe we should be together. I only agreed to let her die. I didn’t agree about hurting you. Gualtiero, please forgive me, pl- ” But Anastasia wasn’t able to finish her sentence anymore. Kieran beheaded her instantly.

Gualtiero was sick of all the deaths happening around him lately. Until the very last minute, he had held out hope that Kieran would change his ways and would stop being a vicious killer. If Gualtiero himself was able to develop conscience because of true love, he believed it was possible for every other vampire. But he could see there was no redemption for Kieran anymore. Kieran needed to be destroyed. With every ounce of his renewed strength from the raging fire that had taken over his emotions, he was able to punch Kieran hard in the gut. Kieran toppled over backwards. Gualtiero didn’t waste any more time. He immediately picked up a stake to finish him off. Kieran tried to run before Gualtiero could reach him, but Gualtiero threw the stake at him as if it were a dart pin. It went deep in Kieran’s back piercing his heart from the inside.

Gualtiero moved forward to rip Kieran’s heart out of his chest. Kieran turned into an ugly corpse and then finally, into dust.

“Anastasia… did I hear you scream?” Gualtiero suddenly heard Diana’s weak and disoriented voice.

“Diana, listen to me, when I told you that you can always ride on my back I was not kidding,” Gualtiero said, his voice cracking. “You need to be strong for me. I’m going to have to ask you to ride on my back. We need to get you to the hospital. I need you to fight for your life. You’re going to make it.”

“I’m dying. I lost so much blood…I…vampire,” Diana said weakly. “Make… me a vampire. I’m scared… I don’t want to die.”

“Diana, you aren’t going to die, do you hear me? Lucas Hall came with me here willingly to save you. You are going to be strong for him, for Theodosia, for your parents, do you understand?” Gualtiero said, trying hard to sound stronger than he felt. He deliberately didn’t mention Anastasia upon learning about her betrayal. Anastasia betrayed Diana because of him. It was his fault. Everything was his fault. If Diana had never met him, her life would have been better.

Diana latched onto his back, fighting to stay awake. Gualtiero was cold, but she felt safe wrapped around him. She loved her parents deeply. She was thankful for Mae’s kindness and for Lucas’ bravery, but her biggest motivation to stay alive was Gualtiero – and a possible future with him.

“I love you,” she whispered at him. Gualtiero heard her. A tear fell from his face. He felt emotionally drained.

I’m not going to exist without you, Diana. If you don’t make it, there is nothing for me to live for. It took me two centuries, but I found love. I found you. It is true what they say about love – it defies all logic. I don’t even need a beating heart to love you. I love you from the moment I saw you. I know I ruined your life. I’ve been selfish. I cared more about being crazily in love with you than your own safety. Deep inside, I knew there was no future for my kind and yours but I selfishly let myself experience how to love and be loved in return. If you make it, I promise you I would leave so you could live peacefully. You deserve a good life and as much as it kills me to admit it, it is only attainable if you don’t have me in your life anymore. Forgive me, Diana, but as soon as you regain consciousness, I’ll compel you forget me. You are better off without me in your life...