Sacrum - 36. Chapter 36: What's In A Name

“I thought you had things under control, Arani?” the impeccably dressed vampire said, with the unmistakable hint of irritation permeating his voice.

“I do. Everything IS under control,” she replied, staring back at him in defiance, her dark eyes ablaze with indignity.

“Really?” he replied, his tone now dripping with sarcasm. “Awakened Carandini’s running rampant among us, an intrusion into the PL headquarters right under your nose, and a missing Special riddled with silver bullets… that’s your definition of under control?”

Deadnus seemed to shrink a few inches into the floor.

“It will all be dealt with accordingly, Gold, stop panicking,” she hissed back. He stared her down for a long moment, then slowly readjusted his tie.

“I trust that it will,” he finally replied, before walking out the door.

***

Vinicius’ office - located in the South wing of the Victorian-era building which served as the quarters for the Valentini Academy - looked just as I had remembered it.

There were the two worn in vintage Persian carpets layered over a dark wooden floor. But the room never felt dark, thanks to the glass wall that was entirely green on the other side, as it looked out at the professor’s lush indoor garden.

The wall adjacent to it served as a top to bottom bookshelf, and against it sat a comfortable forest green velvet couch. In front of it was a long rectangular glass table. Next to it was a perfectly worn-in buttery toffee-toned Italian-leather one-armed chaise lounge with an extra plush seat cushion, over which an old black lamp hovered, providing light for any nighttime reading. The space was currently occupied by Neo, who made himself more than comfortable, as he chewed on one of his paws.

I felt nostalgia spread through me as I looked over the room. This was as close to home as I’d ever be. This was where I grew up, and where I felt the safest.

Demetrius stood behind me in silence, paying the room – and Vinicius - the type of reverence it deserved.

Suddenly his phone rang. It was Vincent.

“What did he say?” I asked, when he got off, feeling an endless pit in my stomach. In the midst of our escape from the League, Vincent didn’t have time to learn that we had just tried to off his beloved uncle full on execution style. But surely Ciprian must have filled him in by now. And if logic followed, Vincent would be furious.

“He said they will use Luciana for the Gambit. And that I should stay with you to ensure your safety.”

Interesting, I thought. Was this Vincent’s way of attempting to stay in control of my whereabouts? Or was it his genuine care for my wellbeing. There were still so many unanswered questions.

“Was Ciprian right about us all having biological parents? I thought we were created in a lab and named after famous vampires?” I asked Demetrius. Once again, I felt frustrated with Vinicius for withholding what seemed to be vital information.

“We all have biological parents, yes,” Demetrius confirmed Ciprian’s words. “That fact has mostly been kept under wraps from the general population. In part to make us more of a mystery, and in part to keep us from seeking them out. Every mentor picked out their Special’s egg and sperm donor. And we all do have famous parents, technically, so Vinicius didn’t lie to you. But, they were just supposed to be genetic donations, we were never meant to get to know them on a personal level.”

“But, the Special manual said something about our names… how we were named after famous vampires. Are those… our parents?”

He hesitated with his answer. “Well, for four of us, yes.”

“What does that mean?”

“I checked around and I confirmed that Antoine is named after Felix Debesse, one of the most well-known vampire Historians, who also happens to be his biological father. Maurizia is named after Monica Tocci, a famous archeologist, and her biological mother,” he explained, as I listened astounded.

“Luciana Elise’s name has both her mother and father – Lucian Fox, a famous painter, and Elise Debrowy, a Polish writer. I’m named after Aleksander Algano, a retired army general.”

“And your biological father?” I asked and he nodded.

“And me?” He looked apologetic.

“Well, you’re a bit of a mystery,” he replied.

“No famous Marchesi?” I asked, hopefully.

“Nobody I could find. If they were famous, it must have been a long time ago,” he explained.

“Who would know?”

“The one who created you. Whether he told anyone else about it, I’m not sure. Your parents would know as well, of course, but they’re not supposed to contact us.”

Great, I thought, another mystery. Exactly what I needed.

Suddenly, we were interrupted by the school’s new headmaster, Arcadius Nomad, who marched into the office and didn’t hide his surprise upon seeing us.

“Well, hello Dani and Demetrius. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He inquired and I realized I didn’t think this far ahead. Why would the new headmaster allow me to crash here and put his students in danger. However, I had to try. There was no other option.

“Excuse the intrusion, Mr. Nomad. But we’re going to need to stay here for a bit,” I replied, and he arched his eyebrow.

“Stay… here?” He questioned.

“Yes, just for a while.” He looked confused.

“Dani, we’re not accepting any new students at the moment. You must finish your semester at Baritone High School.”

“You’re misunderstanding me, we’re not looking to finish the semester. We are looking for a place to stay,” I explained, however that apparently didn’t make things any more clear from his perspective.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Dani. That would put the school in an uncomfortable position with the Protection League, who I believe are looking for you at the moment.”

I remained silent. This was my only plan, there was no option B. If we couldn’t stay here, where would we go?

“I need to stay here and clear my head. I can’t go anywhere else. This is the place, the last place where Vinicius… I’d like to look over the documents he left behind,” I pleaded; however my request fell on deaf ears.

“As much as I sympathize Dani, it’s just not possible for you to stay here. You have to turn yourself in to the Protection League, they will take care of you. You will be well looked after there,” he tried to convince me. “Staying here is not an option for you.”

“It’s not a request, Arcadius,” said a familiar voice as he walked through the door of the office, which had been left open.

“Edward,” the headmaster replied, surprised to see the famous attorney, who gave me a small wink as he put his briefcase on the table. Immediately I felt that things would be alright. “What are you doing here?” Nomad inquired.

“Mr. Marchesi, my client, is going to stay here for as long as he wants. And so will Mr. Algano.”

“This is my school, Edward, and whether you like it or not, I make the rules. I cannot have a fugitive living under my roof.”

“I’m not a fugitive,” I replied, annoyed.

“It’s actually not your school, Arcadius. Dani is your employer, as stated in the will of Vinicius Valentini.” Nomad’s mouth opened and closed a few times in surprise, as he searched for the right words to respond.

“Don’t forget, he is still underage, Edward, therefore he can’t fire me,” he eventually hissed back.

“He can’t fire you, but by law - underage or not - the building belongs to Dani, therefore you can’t kick him out.”

“And what if I call the Protection League to have him removed?”

“You won’t,” Graham replied.

“And why not?”

“Because there’s some things Arcadius, that you wouldn’t want to get out there, and I have a feeling that they would, if I so much as see a Patrol car in the vicinity of this building.”

“Are you blackmailing me, Edward?” Nomad asked, outraged.

“No, never. I’m simply saying it’s in your best interest not to call the Protection League and let them know about Dani’s whereabouts.” Nomad looked furious, but finally nodded in agreement.

“Even if I don’t say anything, they are bound to come here sooner or later.”

“That will be our problem to handle. Now, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“But this is my office,” Nomad replied, once again outraged.

“There is plenty of office space, dear friend. This will be Dani’s for the time being. We appreciate your cooperation,” Graham stated with a smile as I tried to contain the smile spreading over my face.

“Fine,” Nomad huffed as he made his way out, slamming the door behind him. “Outrageous,” he heard his voice echo in the hallways.

But before I could thank Graham, he launched into a speech.

“Breaking into the Protection League headquarters to rescue a dog? Whose brilliant idea was that?” He didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “You could have died! You could have been captured, Dani. You cannot go around making insane moves like that, not anymore. And right after someone tried to assassinate you, what were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t, I just… couldn’t leave Neo behind,” I replied, feeling apologetic for some reason. I didn’t mean to worry Graham, who’d been so great at looking after me.

“Nomad is right, by the way, the League will come looking here eventually,” he said, and I nodded.

“I just need some time to get my head together,” I replied. “Look over some of Vinicius’ things. It may give me some clarity.”

“I spoke to Vincent, he told me you two were here. Since he didn’t sound murderous on the phone, I am assuming you guys abandoned the ‘Let’s assassinate Ciprian idea?’” he asked.

Demetrius and I shared a glance.

“Not exactly,” I replied. After we told him what happened he had to take a seat.

“Lovely. So now not only do we have to worry about the Protection League. We also have a murdering Carandini psychopath on our trail. That’s just perfect. You two really outdid yourselves today,” he stated in a sarcastic tone.

“I mean, maybe he got over it. He hasn’t even told Vincent,” I replied, realizing just as soon as the words left my mouth how stupid they sounded. Graham shook his head in disbelief.

“Got over it? Does Ciprian strike you as someone who gets over anything, let alone someone trying to kill him? Did you miss the part where he spent 18 years asleep just to be awakened so he could exact his revenge on those who tried to kill him then? You don’t think you’re going to go right on top of that list now?”

“What is the story between you and him anyway?” I asked, trying to divert Graham’s anger away.

“That’s not important, Dani. What is important is that him not telling Vincent isn’t out of the goodness of his heart or to spare you. It’s strategic.”

I sighed. He was right. The botched assassination attempt was a disastrous idea. And I had previously witnessed what Ciprian did to those he deemed to be unloyal. If Deadnus wasn’t going to finish me off, Ciprian would happily do the job.

“What’s the plan here, Dani?” Graham asked, as both him and Demetrius looked at me, expecting an answer of some sort. I had none. It was a spur of the moment idea, but I felt that I needed to be here. I knew it.

“I’m not sure, but I need some time,” I explained. Graham and Demetrius exchanged tense glances. “What’s that about blackmailing Nomad by the way?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Let’s just say the headmaster enjoys the taste of human blood straight from the source…multiple sources. Very beautiful sources,” he replied pointedly, adding, “and if his wife were to find out, she wouldn’t be thrilled. He also doesn’t want that stain on his otherwise sparkling reputation,” Graham explained.

“Anyway, I’m off to court, I have some things to tie up and it will be best not to arise any suspicion with my absence. But I will have my phone on me at all times, so call me for anything, do you hear me?”

I nodded, grateful I had Graham on my side.

“Things are going to get very sticky if Vincent goes through with his plan tonight,’” he added. “Take care of him,” he said to Demetrius, who simply gave a nod. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

The lawyer then pulled me into a tight hug, which I happily returned. I was glad he was no longer mad at me. For some reason, I didn’t like disappointing Graham.

After he was gone, I sat at Vinicius’ desk and tried to think. What was the next move? What would Vinicius want me to do?

“You think Ciprian is going to come after us?” I asked Demetrius, trying to gain some insight into what he thought about it all.

“I think Ciprian will do whatever is in his best interest,” he stated plainly, taking a seat next to Neo, who obediently scooted over for his master.

“Getting rid of us isn’t in his best interest at the moment, is it,” I mused.

“No, it’s not. But like Graham said, he will come and collect, when the time is right. Let’s just see what happens today. If they manage to pull it off and take out Deadnus in one night, we might have one less problem to worry about.”

“It’s so barbaric… all of it,” I replied. I hated Deadnus, but killing her for the sake of reinstating the monarchy didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

I started to go through Vinicius’ drawer, maybe I could find some clues. Maybe something would inspire me. Even though Nomad had taken over the office, there were still plenty of documents that belonged to Vinicius. I started reading through them all. Notes, letters, speeches.

But my brain was reeling from all the events that took place, and nothing seemed to stand out. I nervously glanced at the clock every few minutes or so, worried about what was going on with Vincent. Would his plan work?

Demetrius woke me up from my thoughts as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

“Really?” I questioned.

“If there’s big news about something happening, we want to know right away, don’t we?” he replied, switching the channel over to the major Vampire News Network.

That made me even more anxious. We continued to watch, and wait, and wait and watch.

More time went by, and Graham returned, just as he promised, and brought us all some blood juices to drink and replenish our strength.

“I stopped by Baritone, spoke with Boeriella. She’s not happy about you being gone, but understands,” he filled us in. “Any news?” he asked, glancing over at the TV with apprehension.

Demetrius shook his head. The three of us then sat – Graham on the green couch, Demetrius on the chaise lounge with Neo, and me behind the desk – staring at the television for what felt like forever.

Until finally, it happened. A “BREAKING NEWS” banner flashed across the bottom of the screen, making us all sit up in nervous anticipation.

The footage showed the outside of the Protection League Headquarters – or what was left of it. There was fire and smoke everywhere.

“We come to you now with breaking news,” a reporter said in a morose tone, as the three of us watched. “The Protection League Headquarters sustained a major arson attack tonight, in what some are calling one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism ever seen. There’s no exact number of casualties as of yet, but early estimates point to many eternally extinguished. According to the current information we have, nothing is known about who perpetrated the attack or why. We have also been told Commander Arani Deadnus was not present in the building, at the time of the attack,” he revealed, and the three of us shared a glance. All our enemies remained at large.

Suddenly the screen was static for a moment, before the image changed, causing my mouth to open in silent surprise. Instead of the reporter and the burning building, we were now looking at a vampire standing against a grey wall as he spoke to the camera in an even tone of voice.

“My name is Salvatore Vincenzo Romero Carandini. Some of you may know me as Vincent Carandini. Others may remember me as King Romero Carandini’s last remaining heir.”

“I speak to you tonight, my Vampire brothers and sisters, to say that I am responsible for tonight’s decimation of The Protection League Headquarters – a choice I did not make lightly. The decision to risk any Vampire life was not easy, but haven’t we watched these Fascist bureaucrats control every aspect of our lives with threats for too long now? Haven’t they instilled enough fear into our everyday life? And aren’t we tired of traitors and hypocrites like Arani Deadnus telling us all how to live our lives, who to love, whom to feed or not to feed on?”

“Our corrupt Vampire Democracy must come to an end, my fellow citizens,” Vincent said in a steadfast voice. “And those who murdered the great Vinicius Valentini must come to justice,” he added, as we continued to watch in complete shock.

“Yes, brothers and sisters, I said murdered. One of the greatest minds of our time, perhaps of all time even, was slain, all because he could see the corruption that steeped the very institution he was part of creating, and those in power did not want him to do anything that could take their corrupt control away from them.”

“I know how many of you held him in the highest of regards, and thus you will support the cause to avenge him. To avenge all of those who have been wronged by this foul democratic beast of a system.”

“I am going to rebuild our society, our government, in the format it was always intended for – a monarchy. And though I can understand that some of you may feel apprehensive about the idea, let me assure you, it will be different than the monarchy you may remember.”

“Yes, I will sit on the throne and take my place as the rightful King. But there will be a special counsel to guide me, to advise me, so that we may make decisions for the good of all, and not just few. I will reveal my counsel in due time. Right now, I simply want you to know that my cause is our freedom: our freedom of speech, and our freedom to live our lives without the fear that our neighbors might turn us in to this unjust system for a petty crime against the State, which may cause us our eternal life.”

“For now, I am here to tell you: choose which side you’re going to be on wisely. If you profess your allegiance to me, to our cause, you will be unharmed. However, if you choose to stick with the old government, or side with the likes of Arani Deadnus, I will do whatever is necessary…” he began to say, but was cut off by static, which was followed by yet another hijacking of the airwaves.

This time, it was Arani Deadnus in front of the camera. And even though she wasn’t in the room with me, I could feel the hate and anger radiating off her.

“Citizens, The State is under attack. Vincent Carandini is a domestic terrorist, working alongside three awakened family members,” she said, right before his photo flashed onscreen followed by shots of his cousins and uncle: “Katrina Carandini, Giovanni Carandini, and Ciprian Carandini,” she said, adding so much venom to the last name that I thought Ciprian’s photo – showing his demented yet handsome smiling mug - would simply burst into flames. “We believe his mother, Alessandra Letizia Carandini, is also involved.”

“Upon seeing any of these dangerous terrorists, we urge you to contact The Protection League at this emergency number,” she said, as a number flashed across the screen.

“Lastly, we believe Vincent Carandini was assisted by one wayward Special who has carried out this heinous act,” she added, as I waited for a photo of Luciana to flash across the screen. Instead, I was faced with my own photograph, taken from the Valentini school yearbook. I sat, stunned. There must have been some kind of a mistake.

“The Special’s name is Daniele Aleksander Marchesi, and he is now officially a deserter, charged with crimes against the State, punishable by death. This individual is extremely dangerous. If you see him, do not attempt to stop him yourself, but contact The Protection League at this emergency number right away.”

The screen then went momentarily black, before returning to the burning video footage from before. I sat there dumbfounded, wondering what the hell just happened. Not only did Vincent use the name of my dead Mentor to garner up sympathy for his cause, he also poked the hornets’ nest and left me right in its path.

Graham appeared deep in thought while Demetrius sprang into action, getting to his feet right away.

“What should we do?” Demetrius asked him. “Move? We can’t stay here. And Alaska’s too obvious. Unless Deadnus doesn’t know about the will?”

“Even if she doesn’t know, she will search any properties belonging to Vinicius, she’ll find Alaska eventually,” Graham replied, as he fiddled with his eyeglasses.

“Where then?” Graham appeared to weigh some options, before finally deciding, as if against himself.

“There is one place she might not know about. Unfortunately, someone else might. Nevertheless, I think it’s our best shot for now,” he said, then swiftly stood up, telling Demetrius: “Go to the cafeteria and pack as many blood juices as possible, as well as Block D. Dani’s going to have to lay low for as long as possible. We’ll meet you in the garage.”

Demetrius nodded, and quickly left.

“Dani, grab your backpack and let’s go. It’s only a matter of time before Nomad calls Arani now,” Graham told me. I complied, still in total shock.

“How does she know about Ciprian?” I asked, wondering how Deadnus figured out that Vincent’s uncle was on the loose.

“Well, I heard in court today that two bodies of his former associates were apparently discovered, after they were staked and beheaded. Sounded like something he would have done,” Graham replied, as we made our way into the garage, thankfully avoiding all students who were still in class. “Plus, with his cousins being spotted, she added two and two together.”

“Why me? Why does she think I’m behind the attack?” I questioned.

“She doesn’t Dani, it’s just a ruse to get you captured. She wants you out of the way. She’s got it in her head that you’re going to carry out this ridiculous Rebirth theory, and she’ll never let that go. She’s fanatical like that,” he explained as I put Neo in the back on Demetrius’ truck.

“Buckle in, it’s going to be a long drive,” he told me.

Demetrius joined us soon after. It was a very long and mostly silent drive. All of us looking out the window and ruminating on the madness of it all in our heads.

After what seemed like eternity we arrived to a quaint yet beautiful home, located far from any neighbors. In the backyard there was a pond, and a picturesque weeping willow tree.

Graham took a deep and unsteady breath upon entering the place, which held the unmistakable aura of a woman.

From pale pink floral tapestry, opulent gold mirrors and pink ottomans – there was a gentle feminine touch to everything I laid my eyes on.

“Whose home are we in?” I asked.

“A friend,” he replied.

“Is your ‘friend’ going to be okay with us crashing here?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, as Graham continued to look around as if afraid that he might see a ghost at any minute. He nodded.

“Yes, yes. The place is yours, Dani, for as long as you need it.”

Suddenly his phone rang and he stepped away to take it, letting me and Demetrius look around.

“An ex girlfriend?” I asked the Russian, as his eyes met mine.

“That would be my guess,” he replied.

I sighed. “What the hell am I going to do?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Demetrius replied, making me feel guilty for involving him in it all.

“You really don’t have to stay, I realize how dangerous this all is,” I told him. He did his typical Demetrius snicker and put his bag down on the floor.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” he replied, giving Neo a pet on the head. “Can’t leave you without a guard dog,” he added jokingly.

Graham returned. “Maurizia and Antoine – they’d like to come see you. But I don’t think that’s a wise idea, we don’t know what side they’re on,” he told me.

“They’re my friends, I trust them,” I replied. Graham looked at Demetrius. However, before he could answer, we had an unannounced visitor suddenly appear in the doorway.

“Well, well, well…it’s a family reunion,” Ciprian exclaimed upon seeing us, smiling his frightening white tooth grin.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Graham barked out. Ciprian’s smile widened, and his brows shot up in mock surprise.

“I could ask you the same thing, Eddie.”

“You have no right to be here,” the attorney replied in a low warning tone. Ciprian chuckled.

“You know for a lawyer, you seem to be confused about how the inheritance of property works,” he replied, which served to further enrage Graham, who looked ready to pounce.

“You have no claim over this house, Ciprian,” he said in a whisper-like tone.

Vincent’s murderous uncle took a few steps forward, then slowly raised his left hand, wiggling his fingers in front of Graham’s face – with the gold wedding band glimmering on his ring finger.

“This ring on my finger would suggest otherwise, Eddie,” causing the attorney to suddenly lunge at him, surprising both me and Demetrius. We attempted to break them up, but it was like trying to herd cats, as they exchanged blows and nearly demolished the entire living room in the process.

The violent jabs and throws came so fast it was almost impossible to discern where one fist began and the other ended.

“Enough!” I yelled, but they weren’t listening. I had to do something. I focused, and felt the stirring in my belly, before releasing a transparent shield in the middle of the two quarreling vampires, preventing them from being able to get at each other. They stood surprised for a moment, their fists bouncing off the shield, before turning their eyes to me in a moment of shock.

“Are you both done?” I asked, annoyed. After a beat Graham nodded in defeat. I looked to Ciprian, who stood in defiance for a while longer, before giving me a small nod. I let down my shield and felt a trickle of blood down my nose.

“Take a seat Dani,” Graham said, taking me by the elbow and sitting me down on the pink ottoman as Ciprian watched.

“Does Deadnus know about this place? Do we need to move?” Graham asked Ciprian, without looking at him.

“I would tell you, but then you did try to have me killed not too long ago so… maybe I’ll just let you find out instead,” he replied nonchalantly, making Graham’s head snap back in irritation. I decided to try and make amends.

“That was my idea. I take full responsibility. It was stupid,” I stated.

“Yes, it was,” Ciprian nodded, as he studied my face, making me nervous. However, his serious façade then turned into a smile, “But I can’t begrudge you a good old assassination attempt, can I? Hell, I’m shocked you had the balls, kid. I’m feeling a sentimental type of stir in my stomach, almost like a proud father, you know?” he said, turning his inquisitive eyes to Graham, who was shooting daggers with his.

“You told me you knew who my parents were,” I suddenly remembered. “So, tell me.” I felt everyone in the room still. Would I finally find out? Would it even matter?

Ciprian smiled once again while looking at me for a long while.

“I think you’ll find out soon enough,” he replied. He then looked at Graham, “To answer your question, no, Deadnus doesn’t know about the house. Never did. You’re safe… for now,” he said with a dangerously playful glint in his eye, before departing.

“This home belonged to his wife?” I asked Graham, who took a while before finally nodding yes, as if in defeat. That, combined with his demeanor upon first entering the home, made me ponder whether the attorney and Vincent’s uncle had perhaps loved the same woman.

“She killed herself, right?” I asked, perhaps in a less than sensitive tone of voice, as I saw Graham flinch at the phrase. He took a while to answer, as if trying to think of the right words.

“She had a difficult life, Dani,” he finally struggled to get out, in an almost apologetic tone, as if he didn’t want me to judge her.

I could easily imagine that her life was indeed difficult. Anyone married to Ciprian would have a difficult life, I thought.

“Did she do it because she was married to that psycho?” I inquired, and Graham looked at me, then slowly shook his head.

“No, Dani,” he said gently, but was unable to give me anymore details.

“Why, are we here?” I couldn’t understand why Graham would think this was the best place for us to lay low.

“It’s complicated. The bottom line is, you’re safe here for the moment.”

“He’s not done, you know. He will come back,” Demetrius said.

“I know,” Graham replied. “We’ll have to deal with him at some point. But for now, he will prove to be a good distraction for Deadnus. As much as she wants you Dani, there is nothing she wants more in this world than Ciprian Carandini’s head on a spike.”