A Vampire Named Rose

Chapter Eight

When you have been out at sea for extended periods of time, setting foot on land is a wonderful feeling.

"Who do we speak to about our situation?"

Svetlana smiled. "Follow us, we know where to go and we will be given a place to stay."

I had to rely on Svetlana and Pavel for translation because I did not know one ounce of Italian. I do know some Latin thanks to growing up Catholic and attending Parochial School growing up.

We were dropped in front of a tiny church. "This is where we are to go. Maybe Gabriel trying to force find you in Rome is a good thing because death is not always the answer. He does need to be dealt with but make him face what he has done since he has become a vampire."

Inside the small church, it looked so old and plain. I suppose it's to not to draw too much attention to the humans.

Pavel and Svetlana spoke in Italian to the priest. "Rose, he is going to get Sister Agatha since she does speak English. Don't worry, he believes us about the Gabriel threat."

I felt like I was going to jump through the roof with how nervous I am. Pavel placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down Rose, if you were still human I would think you have had too much coffee."

"Sorry Pavel"

The nun who came out looked very young but she tilted her head. "Rose?"

"Aggy?"

Agatha Klein, former classmate of mine and former slave driver when it comes to field hockey. She graduated two years ahead of me.

"The last I heard was you were murdered on your way from a celebration for Emma on the way home from a club. I write Emma frequently. She said they never found who killed you."

"Please don't tell Emma, Aggy. This would cause her to have a breakdown."

"Don't worry, I am bound by secrecy. I need to know what happened. Rose, the one who turned you is a master."

Well Pavel and Svetlana are right. We have help and they have information that will help in dealing with Gabriel.

"Do you want me to start from the beginning?"

"Yes, from the beginning Rose."

"It was December 23, 1943. Emma had just gotten engaged and I was home on leave. I was in the Navy. When it came time to leave, I went to walk home since where my parents lived was not too far from the club.

I was stalked and the vampire knew who my name and knew my rank.  He bit me and shoved his wrist down my throat. The last thing I remember him is kissing me on the lips and saying his name is Gabriel.

When I woke up, I wanted to get away from LA. I hid in a cargo ship headed for Anchorage. I have been on the run since then, only staying each place for a few years.

Gabriel has been hunting me and he has help. He almost had me when I was in New York City. A friend of his, Ophelia and her mate kidnapped me on the way home from my job as a nurse.

I still work as a nurse and the thought of drinking blood of any type makes me sick. It's even more nauseating than the crap that the Navy claimed was food at sea.

Erik and Ophelia claimed that I can be cured of having my a soul. They said I would become sick without Gabriel because I am his mate.

I was able to escape courtesy of 10 cc of holy water to the neck."

I didn't get too far after that because Agatha was howling with laughter.

"That's good Rose. That is original and I imagine the poor monster will be incapacitated for a long time. Here is what you do need to know since you are very young, an infant in the vampire world.

Because your sire is soulless, it can make you very sick. It will make the demon within you become insane with bloodlust. You will feel like you have body aches worse than the flu. That's what it says in the archives.

I am sure you have been spying on him through your sire connection. You may have a soul, it's still there no matter what. The soulless can't remove a soul. God ensured it would never happen after St. Vera showed selflessness, compassion, and rebellion against Satan.

If a vampire steps foot in Rome or any other holy place in the world, their soul will be restored. It is how God makes them answer for their actions while preventing them to leave the physical world, so they cannot take the coward's way out."

I looked over to Svetlana. "Torment on Earth sounds quite appealing for your sire. I know we are to forgive, but turning a human is one of the most grievous crimes."

Agatha was smiling even though there is nothing to be happy about.

"Rose, your services are needed. One of our orphanages needs a nurse. The children who are there are handicapped that were found abandoned around the city. They need constant medical attention and they will need it for life."

To be free of Gabriel, I said I would do whatever they want and taking care of the sick and injured is something I said.

"Will there be a problem with me being a vampire and what about the language barrier?"

"Many of the children can't hear or speak. The woman who runs it, Mother Maria would not have a problem since she has dealt with many of the vampires who seek shelter here in Rome. She used to live in a convent in Canada. Now let's go the archives together. It is going to take the four of us to find as much information on Gabriel. The more we have, the better."

Svetlana, Pavel, and I followed Agatha through several tunnels to the "Archives". The room was huge. It could fill several football fields. It was elaborately decorated. Agatha went to a closet and pulled out a box of notebooks and pens.

"Rose, tell me everything you know about Gabriel. Leave no detail out including a physical description. Also, tell me what you know about Erik and Ophelia."

"Gabriel is at least one hundred sixty-five years old. He did say I have been alone since 1786.

Physical description is he looks like he is in his late 20s, early 30s. He looks like he is 6'3. We will discount the pale skin since three out of the four of us are technically dead.

His hair is dirty blonde and from when I checked in in him, he looks like a Greaser. From what I remembered right before he killed me, he wore glasses but that would be a prop.

Erik and Ophelia said he returns to Philadelphia every thirty years because he grew up there.

I know he began his obsession with me when I was in Pearl Harbor. Somehow he found out I was going to be home for Christmas of 1943 and that I am from LA.

Erik looks like he is in his early 30s and about 6'4. I saw some tattoos on his hand and he has a scar above his right eye. His hair is whitish-blonde. Erik styles his hair like a jarhead except he only trims it underneath. He speaks with a thin Swedish accent. He only mentioned a hundred years but I think he is far older.

Ophelia looks like she is in her early twenties. I wouldn't be surprised if she was a teenager when she was turned. She has long red hair that is curly. She is about five feet tall.The one thing that stands out with Ophelia is she could get into my head and read my thoughts."

Agatha gasped. "That's not good. It means she was raised as a dark witch and most likely is from England or Ireland. It can take years and years to make an accent go away.

While I say we make Gabriel suffer in torment, Ophelia needs to be taken out. Dark witches and wizards are responsible for the greatest acts of evil. They will put thoughts of grandeur and evil. Every dictator, every brutal leader of the world are their instruments. Hitler was one who was influenced by one. Darius, his "advisor" was one. The Vatican found him and took him out. It was Darius who put the idea into Hitler's head to cleanse the world of the Jewish people."

Pavel had a book out that looks ancient. He turned the book to face me. "Rose, is this Erik?"

I looked at the sketch. The clothes look like they come from the age of the Viking. The face, the hair, the scar, and the tattoo are the same.

"That's him. That is Erik."

Erik has history and it is not good.