Bound By Blood - 14. Chapter Fourteen

I clapped and cheered when Austin’s team scored another touchdown, giving them plenty of advantage over their rival team, and it was only the second quarter. The girls sat together, wearing their unique combination of stripes and polka dots that covered them appropriately for the cool night air.

Anthony was getting food and drinks for me and the girls which was taking a while because of the long line leading to the concession stands. The bleachers were crowded as well, being the first football game of the season. With the cheerleaders dancing in unison and the marching band playing a rocking tune, I was getting very hyped, and was looking forward to Austin and his team winning this game. I knew I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, but I was fairly confident they were going to win.

As the quarterback from Austin’s team was sprinting towards the rival team’s goal post, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

“Hello?” I said, my eyes still glued to the game.

“Damien?” Alexandra said.

“Hey, Alexandra! Are you here?”

“Yeah, I can see you from near the sidelines. Damien…is this really the right time for me to meet your family? Do they even know I exist?”

“Hold on, Alexandra. They’re your family too, and I told them that you were coming here to meet them. The girls especially are looking forward to seeing you.”

“Well…if you’re sure.” Alexandra ended the call.

I looked around the bleachers and soon saw Annabella’s sister walking up towards us. I waved at her, and she gave a small smile in return. She was wearing a black, double-breasted coat with a thick, fur collar with a pleated skirt and knee-high boots of the same color. Her hair was styled in a single braid that rested over her left shoulder and gave her a warmer, more welcoming façade versus the one she wore back during our first meeting.

“Hello…”

I stood up from my seat and approached her, offering her a light hug, which she returned. “I’m very happy that you’re here!”

“Yeah, me too… I’m a bit overdressed for this event, aren’t I?” Alexandra said, looking around.

“Don’t worry about it. Just come sit down and meet the girls,” I insisted.

I motioned my hand and Alexandra followed me to our seats. “Hey, girls. Look who came to meet you both for the first time.” Sitting down, I then said, “Meet your Aunt Alexandra.”

Giving a small wave to the girls, they in return waved back with their small, gloved hands.

“Hey, Isabela and Joann,” Alexandra greeted.

I leaned towards Alexandra and said, “Oh, it’s actually Isabel and Joanna.”

Alexandra winced and then called the girls by their appropriate names, and they offered her big smiles.

“You’re very pretty,” Joanna said.

“Oh, thank you,” Alexandra gushed.

“So…are you Mom’s sister?” Isabel asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“You look just like her,” Joanna noted.

“Well, we were twins. Just like you two are.”

“Does that mean when I get pregnant, I’m going to have twins as well?” Isabel said with a frown.

Both Alexandra and I chuckled at that statement.

“Only when you’re married and are financially ready to have children,” I stated which earned me eye rolls from both girls.

“I’d rather adopt,” Joanna said.

I turned to Alexandra who was smiling with amusement, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hey, guys! I finally got dinner!” Anthony announced, both hands holding an order of chili cheese fries.

The girls cheered and thanked my friend as they accepted their food and started chowing down. He then offered me my soda before sitting down between the girls.

“Oh, Anthony! I’d like you to meet Alexandra, Annabella’s sister,” I said.

“Hey there!” Anthony greeted and waved. “It’s very nice to meet you, especially since your Annabella’s sister… How did you two find each other?”

“Oh, we actually met at the museum,” I answered. “She’s the museum’s director and is the one responsible for funding the Jesus Christ exhibit.”

“Oh... Interesting.”

“Yeah…and Alexandra, this is Anthony. We used to work together when I was a bounty hunter.”

“Very nice to meet you too,” Alexandra, extending her hand, which Anthony accepted and shook.

I tried to think of something else to say that would continue the conversation when the crowd around us started cheering. I looked at the football field and saw that Austin’s team made their third touchdown. I, along with the rest of the family, started cheering and clapping as well. Both teams then went to their respective benches as the band started marching towards the field. I thought this was a good time to talk to Austin and introduce him to Alexandra.

Standing up, I said to Anthony, “Can you watch the girls, while I talk to Austin?”

“Sure thing,” Anthony said, snagging a fry from Isabel who laughed in response.

Turning to Alexandra, I then said, “Do you want to meet my son, the star of the football team?”

“Of course!” Alexandra said, standing up and taking her purse with her.

It was a struggle walking down the bleachers, but we managed to squeeze through and walked to the benches where the team was cooling off. I stopped by the wire fence and called out Austin’s name. He was talking with a couple of cheerleaders before seeing me and jogging towards my location.

“Hey, Dad!” Austin said, stopping at the other side of the fence.

“You were great out there, son! Keep up the great work!” I said and patted my son’s shoulder pad.

“Thanks! I’m glad that you’re here.” My son then eyed Alexandra who gave him a small wave.

“Son, this is Alexandra…your mother’s twin sister.”

“Oh… Oh!” Austin quickly extended his hand out and shook his aunt’s hand. “I never thought I would…you look just like her. Well, obviously because you’re her twin and all.”

Alexandra smiled. “And it’s good to meet you too, Austin.”

Austin smiled and that was when a cheerleader, a male cheerleader called out to him. “Well, I got to go. Nice meeting you, Alexandra… Oh, and Dad. Do you mind if Anthony drives me to a diner where my teammates are hanging out after the game?”

“As long as it’s not actually that club where I caught you two week ago, then sure,” I replied.

“Thanks, Dad.” Austin waved at both Alexandra and I before jogging to the male cheerleader.

“He’s a nice kid, all your kids are nice,” Alexandra complimented.

“Yeah, they can be very stubborn sometimes, but I love them regardless.”

“Does Austin want to be a professional football player at a university?”

“Actually, no. Football is more of a way for him to stay in shape and possibly get a full-ride scholarship… He actually applied to a top-notched university only thirty minutes from here. Unfortunately, he didn’t get accepted. Hopefully, he’ll apply to other universities, which I’m sure will accept him.”

“What’s the name of this university?” I told Alexandra the name, and she said, “Oh! My museum actually helps with the museum studies graduate program at the university’s College of History… I can call some of my contacts there and maybe help the university change its mind on accepting your son.”

“Would you really do that for him? Is that legal?”

“It’s not a one-hundred percent guarantee, but it’s worth a shot. And don’t worry. Aside from the incident at the museum, I’m very discreet when it comes to using my position to help my friends…and especially my family.”

My face broke out in a huge smile, and I said, “Thank you, Alexandra.”

“And thank you, Damien.”

After we watched the marching band perform at the halftime show, we returned to our seats and watched the rest of the game. We all cheered every time Austin’s team scored, and after the third quarter, the scoreboard was very clear that his team was going to win the game. And their fate was sealed when the star player from the rival team got injured with a sprained ankle and had to be taken away in an ambulance. Though I felt sorry for the guy who most likely won’t be returning to the football field any time soon, I was also glad that my son’s team had a one-hundred percent chance at winning.

Throughout the game, I was checking my phone frequently to see if Will was coming to watch. I already sent him several text and voice messages, asking whether he was arriving to watch my son’s team win the game. This was very strange since Will had always responded to my messages and calls within a minute, which I did frequently after our date at the museum. I just wanted to hear his voice and know that he was doing all right. However, I wasn’t getting any responses from him. I kept telling myself that there was a simple reason, like that his phone’s battery was dead or that he was on his way. I didn’t want to act like a teenager getting a tantrum from not getting a response right away from their boyfriend or girlfriend. So, I just distracted myself with the game and hoped that nothing was wrong.

“Are you expecting a call?” Alexandra asked me.

“Oh, well…you can say that. Someone else was supposed to arrive and watch the football game with us,” I said, checking my phone again.

“Is the person you’re talking about named Will?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“I see… He came to visit me at my museum earlier this evening. He wanted to make sure that I was okay and to assure me that my safety is his highest priority.”

“That’s good to know.”

“He also wanted to know more about the Holy Grail.”

“Yeah, he told me you have some important information about the actual location of the Holy Grail… Is that really true?”

Alexandra sighed and looked at the game before saying, “It’s true. After almost two decades of traveling and research, my team and I have discovered the most probable location of the Holy Grail. However…even if the Holy Grail was found and recovered, the relic by itself is utterly useless and won’t be able to grant who possesses it any significant powers.”

“So…you’re saying the Holy Grail is only a piece to a puzzle?”

“Exactly. The Holy Grail is just one of three pieces of a puzzle that are required to grant true immortality and godhood. It makes sense when looking back at various mythologies and religions. The number twelve is emphasized a lot, like the twelve Olympian gods or the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. However, it’s the number three that should be held in higher regard. Like the three domains of the sky, the sea, and the underworld in Greek myth that were controlled by the three sons of Cronus and Rhea. Also the three roots of the world tree in Norse myth known as Yggdrasil, and the Egyptian triad composed of the gods Osiris, Isis, and their son Horus. We can also look at the Pyramids of Giza to know the significance of the number three. And finally and most importantly, the concept that is believed and studied by many Christians today: The Holy Trinity that consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

“So, if what you’re saying is true, where are the other two relics that are needed for vampires to achieve godhood status?”

“That’s the thing, Damien. I don’t know. It took me almost twenty years to find all the information on the Holy Grail’s existence and location…however, information on the other two relics are almost nonexistent. And it’s quite possible that these two parts aren’t even relics, but possibly locations or even people. The only remaining information I know is what I just told you, how the number three holds major significance to how the world was created and how the gods functioned before there inevitable fall from grace. However, I can’t allow whoever is searching for it to know that the Holy Grail is only the first piece of the puzzle.”

“And why are you doing that?”

“Because, Damien, as long as this person thinks he or she is just one step from acquiring powers the gods and goddesses once wielded, the longer I can prevent him or her from discovering the truth and using all resources to find the other two puzzle pieces. I’m just one person, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to maintain peace in this world.”

I looked at Alexandra with sadness and said, “That’s a huge burden you’re carrying on your shoulders there… Don’t you think it would be better if you informed Will, so he can devote his king’s resources into protecting the truth?”

“I’d rather not have to trust anyone with this truth, regardless of how burdensome it is. And I’m sorry to say this, but…Will is the last person I would ever trust with this secret.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I say that not because I don’t trust Will. His king is who I don’t trust. When we talked about the grail, he repeatedly mentioned his king, saying how he is indebted to him and that recovering the Holy Grail would be the ultimate gift for his creator. My creator died shortly after transforming me, so I never had that feeling of wanting to please my higherup but instead becoming my own leader. So, I’m afraid your friend’s devotion to the king might distract him from the need to keep the grail’s location a secret as well as the truth itself.”

Looking back at the girls and Anthony who were focused on the game, I turned back to Alexandra and said, “Why did you tell me all of this? Why do you trust me?”

Clutching her coat, Alexandra said, “I…I don’t know. Something about you makes me want to trust you. Or maybe it’s because you trust me to meet your family despite who I am, and you did it without hesitation. Why is that?”

“Because like I said before, your family, and my family always comes first in my eyes.”

“Do you consider Will family?” Alexandra asked suddenly.

I was a bit taken aback by the question. Did I consider Will as family? I mean, I hadn’t known Will for even a month even though I’ve invited into my life and onto my body. And on the other side, I viewed Alexandra immediately as family because she was my wife’s sister, and yet this was only the second time we were meeting. So, maybe my perception of who I constituted as part of my family was a bit blurred, but I also perceived family as not always having to be bound by blood, since I also viewed Anthony as family with the girls calling him their uncle.

After thinking about it for a moment, I was about to answer Alexandra’s question when I felt a buzz in my pocket. I quickly took my phone out, but I was disappointed that the caller wasn’t Will or even part of my contact list. I was going to end the call when I saw that the caller left a voice message behind. I thought this was just another robocall, but I pulled up the message and pressed the play button anyway before placing it near my ear. What I heard disturbed me immensely and caused shivers that reached all the way to my spine.

“If you’re listening to this voice message, then follow my instructions carefully if you want your friend Will to continue living.”

As I listened to the voice message, I felt everything and everyone around me fade away with only the voice from my phone being my focus. The message stated they had Will tied up in a van and that they are willing to release him if I offered Alexandra in return. If I don’t give her to them, Will would be killed by ultraviolet light exposure, which the altered voice said would be very, very painful. The voice then gave the coordinates of where they were located and that I had less than an hour before Will was killed.

The message then ended, and soon the rest of my senses returned with Alexandra calling out to me.

“Damien… Damien, are you okay? You look so pale right now. What happened?”

I felt a small hand grasp my fingers, and I turned to see Isabel looking at me with her big eyes filled with worry. Joanna and Anthony were also looking at me with concern, and all I could do was look back at the game just as the crowd around me sprang from their seats and started clapping for the winning team. I didn’t even register who exactly won as I looked at Alexandra and then back at my phone that now had an image of Will tied up and bloodied.

Who was more important?

Alexandra or Will?

Who would I save and who would I sacrifice…who was truly my family?