Chapter 31: Chapter 31
EPILOGUE
PAST
THE FORGOTTEN MEMORIES
December 1833
Sicily, Italy
a day before Lilith’s death
It was a bold decision for Iosif Michea to journey this far from Transylvania but he had to see it through. He had to know if he had indeed been seeing the ghost of his good friend or it was an imposter. Even if he turned out to be a fraud, Iosif wanted to know the purpose behind the cruel prank.
The lodge he paid for was not very fancy but it reminded him of Theodosia. She often talked about traveling the world with him once they could afford it before having children of their own. He wiped away the tears forming from his eyes. There was no need to upset himself with thoughts of the past. He traveled far for Gualtiero, not for Theodosia.
He got the surprise of his life when he saw a beautiful lady walking at the hallway. She looked exactly like Theodosia. He was dumbfounded. He kept pinching himself awake, but her figure did not disappear from his sight.
“Theodosia?” he called, with desperation in his voice.
She looked up and smiled at him, but did not utter a word. Instead, she continued walking. He had no choice but to follow.
“Theodosia, it’s me! Tell me I am not going mad!” he yelled, trying to catch up with her. She moved so fast that he was already breathing heavily trying to walk as swiftly to catch up with her.
“Theodosia, wait!”
She finally stopped walking and faced Iosif. “The eyes see what they want to see,” she said cryptically.
“What do you mean? What are you talking abou—” But Iosif did not finish the question he was about to ask upon witnessing Theodosia’s face transform into that of a stranger’s.
“Greetings, Iosif Michea! I am not Theodosia, but I think I can help you with your affliction.”
He clutched his chest in astonishment.
“Gualtiero still exists, but he does not remember you anymore. Nor anything about his human life,” she informed him. “My name is Andreea, and I am a witch. His familiar, Althaia, asked me to find out about his past life, and it led me to you.”
Iosif could not move. He automatically felt the stake in his pocket. “Do not come near me!” he warned.
“Gualtiero never chose what happened to him. He was dying of an incurable disease. The evil vampire queen Lilith took fancy on him and turned him into a vampire to make him her permanent mate,” the witch continued. “I know this is a lot to take in but we do not have so much time.”
“Lilith… she was the one who…?” Iosif managed to ask but his knees went weak and he couldn’t continue what he was going to say anymore.
Andreea nodded. “We do not have much time left to mourn your loved ones. Lilith is powerful but she is not indestructible. If you want her to be destroyed, you need to trust me. Are you prepared to give your life for the cause?”
Iosif nodded enthusiastically. The evil vampire should pay for everything. It was worth his life to see her destroyed. He could not even fathom the wickedness Gualtiero must have lived in all his years as a vampire because of her. Poor Gualtiero!
“This is the only chance Lilith could be destroyed, by momentarily giving back Gualtiero’s memories of his human life. You and him should come up with a cunning strategy to defeat evil. I need to make my journey to the Malkavians’ manor to carry out the spell for you and him to talk before the opera tomorrow. I am wishing you all the luck, vampire hunter. Evil never wins.”
Iosif felt a sudden ache for the family he would leave behind, but he knew this was his destiny. He knew the witch was right. If there was anyone that would be willing to destroy the evil permanently, it would be Gualtiero, who was once upon a time the bravest and most selfless human he knew.
“I am willing to give my life for this cause. But I have a final request…” he began.
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Gualtiero did not say anything upon meeting Andreea. She eyed him with fascination. “I can see now why Lilith chose you to be her mate,” she muttered.
“I do not want to talk about Lilith. Althaia said you would help me remember my origin. Do it,” Gualtiero replied. “What do I have to offer you? Intimacy? I will give you everything you ask. I want my memories back.”
“Careful with your words or I might take your offer,” Andreea smiled playfully. Gualtiero was definitely more interesting than Kieran. “Look at the mirror, Gualtiero.”
“But have no reflection, nor a shadow,” he protested.
“Just look. Look closely,” Andreea insisted. Gualtiero did. At first, he saw nothing but in an instant, a man appeared in it, as he heard Andreea repeatedly whispering an enchantment.
“Gualtiero!” the man cried. Gualtiero did not know what to say. It was Iosif Michea, he knew. But that was all he remembered.
He suddenly felt a numbing pain from deep within his skull. It felt as if he was going to die. Make this pain stop. Death is preferable than this, he thought to himself. And then everything came flooding back in his memory…
“Do you remember me?” an emotional Iosif cried from the other end. “I can see you from here. I am so sorry I failed you. I am so sorry I was too late. I did not know you were dying of an illness. You never told me!”
“I did not want your engagement party to turn morose if you knew. It is my fault. I should have protected you and Theodosia. I should just destroy myself. I have no wish to be immortal. Death is better than the life I have been living. Destroy me, Iosif. It would be the ultimate revenge for everything she has taken away from you. I no longer desire to live. I – “ Gualtiero lamented.
“Listen to me, my friend. I will not destroy you. That would achieve nothing but more wrath from the demon. You will destroy me,” Iosif said.
“What! No!” Gualtiero refused. His body turned rigid over the suggestion.
“If you want to destroy her, you will destroy me, do you hear me?” Iosif insisted. “I am good as dead now. You cannot do anything to save me anymore. But you still can save yourself and the humans.”
Iosif laid out his ingenious plan. Gualtiero would kill him mercilessly and feed on his blood to gain Lilith’s trust. Althaia informed the witch that Gualtiero had never really participated willingly in any blood ritual involving Lilith, or any blood ritual at all. Lilith would touch him as much as she pleased but he never really showed pleasure or approval to whatever she was doing to him. This information, which was laid out to Iosif, was crucial to the formulation of the plan. If Gualtiero would seduce Lilith after years of indifference, she might fall for it, especially right after he killed his good friend. It would convince her Gualtiero is as much as a monster as the rest of them.
But Gualtiero kept shaking his head as he listened to Iosif. Tears were slowly forming from his eyes.
“I will do no such thing,” Gualtiero said.
“You have to. You have to be strong. I am going to perish tomorrow whether you destroy me or not. I am begging you to make my death useful. You will not remember anything by sunrise. You will not remember this anymore,” Iosif stated. “We have no more time left. I forgive you, Gualtiero, even before you do it. I forgive whatever ruthless death I would suffer in your hands. You have to be a monster to destroy a monster. You have to save the human race.”
Gualtiero kept making more gestures of refusal. He could feel the grief and hopelessness creeping in. “I am not that strong, Iosif. You have always been the strong one.”
“No, you are,” Iosif corrected. “I have destroyed many vampires like you all these years, Gualtiero. Everyone is too far gone and cannot be redeemed – except you. Maybe your heart is too pure to be completely overtaken by darkness. I will forever be grateful to you if you would do the right thing.”
Gualtiero fell to the ground, overwhelmed by sadness. Everything was too much for him to bear.
“My heart weeps for both of you,” Andreea said. “But do not despair, vampire. I am sure the vampire hunters will never forget Iosif’s sacrifice and your bravery.”
“Gualtiero, I know you will not remember me after this, but I have faith in you. You will succeed and you will keep me in your heart. The heart always remembers what the mind forgets,” Iosif added. Gualtiero did not say anything. He remained motionless and inconsolable. Why did God allow this to happen? Why did He let Lilith roam the earth to cause so much death and destruction?
“You are very brave, Iosif Michea. I am sure your daughter Theodosia will keep your legacy alive,” Andreea said.
“Daughter?” Gualtiero asked, for that certainly caught his attention.
“He has a family,” Andreea explained. “A wife, sons, and a daughter. In exchange for this spell, sweet Theodosia would become a witch. But you have nothing to worry about. The existence of witches never hurt anyone. Our primary mission on earth is to keep the peace and balance.”
“How will the hunters know what is about to happen?” Iosif asked.
“I will appear in their dreams to let them know what you want them to know,” Andreea responded.
“They cannot know Gualtiero’s involvement in killing me. Or they would never trust him. You need to tell them I died in the battle and that Gualtiero finished the task,” Iosif suggested, looking at Gualtiero with pride and sadness.
Gualtiero looked back at him with sorrow in his eyes, but bravely spoke eventually.
“I would do it. I would destroy Lilith the monster for you.”
Iosif flashed him a pained smile.
“There’s something else you need to know,” Andreea interrupted, facing Iosif. “Tomislav promised to be my mate when he is old enough.”
“Tomislav, Filippo’s boy?” asked Iosif, surprised. Filippo was one of his most treasured hunters. Tomislav was Filippo’s eleven-years old son.
“The very same. We are destined for each other. He traveled with me here. Perhaps he had foreseen the future and wants to celebrate the vampire hunters’ victory where it is destined to happen,” Andreea said with the hint of amusement on her voice.
If Iosif or Gualtiero found the love affair strange, they were respectful enough not to say anything against it. It was uncommon for a boy to be in a relationship with someone twice his age.
“Maybe one of the witches or the hunters of the generations to come would find you a cure, Gualtiero. As long as you live, there will always be hope for you. But none for the others of your kind. My vampire hunters will abolish each and every one of them,” Iosif told him.
“No. Not everyone. The Malkavians, they’re – ” Gualtiero protested, but Iosif’s image in the mirror vanished.
“It’s time. Be strong, Gualtiero. Everyone is relying on you,” Andreea said. Before Gualtiero could react, Andreea vanished from his sight.
Gualtiero once again fell to the ground feeling all the weight of the world upon his shoulders…