Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (67 page)

“Are you okay? You're bleeding.” Benardo asked the obvious.

“I'll be alright. I may not have the same instant healing abilities as you do, but I can manage all the same. I'll live through this, don't worry. I promised your father that I would protect you and I meant that. Take this night as a testament to the edge of the depths I will go to keep you safe.” Malio declared to Benardo.

“Then can you teach me-” Benardo paused and looked at the bodies of the men Malio killed. “-That.”

Malio laughed heartily. “No. I can't.”

Benardo sighed.

“But I can teach you everything else.” Malio smiled.

* * * *

Two boys stood in pouring rain over the grave of a recently departed. The tombstone read 'Will Stableborn, a lifelong friend.'

Eighty five years had passed. Malio had taught Benardo the ways of war and personal glory. He guided him, and molded him into a man in boy's form. Through the massive consumption of blood, Malio was able to virtually stop even Benardo's aging process.

Over the years, Benardo developed the gift of flesh alteration. The ability to change the physical appearance of himself and others. A gift that Malio was able to turn into a profit with great success. By offering vampires the chance to change their looks after hundreds of years, he and Benardo made a vast fortune. Malio made many ties to several great vampires and their associates that he believed would aide him in his long term goals.

Not once in all the decades Benardo had been with Malio did Teresa find him. As part of Malio's design, he, Benardo, and Will roamed the many countries in the Mediterranean in search of vampires willing to pay for Benardo's services. In return they helped to hide their own presence and mask any trail leading to them until after they had already left.

The two boys walked away from the grave as a woman dressed in thick red robes approached. “Wait.” The unknown woman called out.

Benardo was the first to react. He had become bold over the years. No longer timid or afraid, he met the woman's request with guile and audacity in his stance. “What will you have with us woman? Speak, now.”

Benardo had brandished his steel long sword. It was straight and partially silvered along the edge. Malio had the modification put on so that they could hunt vampeals with ease. Little did he know that it would come in handy in other ways.

“Is your name Benardo? Benardo of the Three Vampire Kingdoms?” The woman said with an out stretched finger.

Malio knew her voice. “Teresa? Is that you?”

“Stay out of this. I want to talk to my son.” She uncovered her hood and revealed that she was in fact Teresa.

“Your son? You think I'm your son?” Benardo said with a flare to his words. The underlining tone of 'how dare you call me that' was well expressed. Benardo walked up to Teresa. His weapon was still out and ready to strike at her for simply making such an accusation. “Woman, Teresa, whatever your name is and whoever you are, my name is Benardo. My mother betrayed me and I was cast out of the only home I knew. I had to learn how to hunt, how to feed, how to live day by day thanks to her. An experience I am glad for, but I did not want. If you are her, if you are the mother that chose to abandon me with the last action I have remembered her for through all these years, I have a message. Words to tell her how I feel today and how I am doing.”

Malio stood back and watched. He had more faith in his training of Benardo than Teresa knew. He understood how Benardo felt. He had guided Benardo on what to do. He had let this encounter happen, he was now watching as the cultivation of years of leaking information came to fruition. Teresa had followed the clues leaked by Malio that Benardo would be at Will's funeral. That Malio would be there with him. Though he had planned that Teresa would have attacked him and then spoken to Benardo. He had been wrong of the order, but was satisfied none-the-less.

“Yes, Benardo. I am your mother.” Teresa said with a heavy heart. The loss of her child had changed her, and softened her coarse personality.

Malio doubted from seeing Teresa that she even met with her nightly companions anymore. She was a different person, longing for catharsis.

“I wish to tell her that I no longer consider her a mother. As in I do not and will not refer to her as family. She made a choice those many years ago. A choice that I had to live with. Repercussions that echoed into my life that changed me forever.” Benardo raised his sword within inches of Teresa's neckline. “I will never forgive her. And my name is Benardo Signante, heir to the First Vampire Kingdom Pennino. Do not disgrace me any further with your lies.” Benardo lowered his sword and sheathed it.

Distraught, Teresa said nothing at first. She turned to Malio in tears and then back to Benardo as he walked away from her and towards Malio. “Molly, what have you done to him!? What have you told him? He was just a boy! Why did you lie to him like that? I'm his mother! Why did you do this!? Don't you have any sense of family? Didn't you ever have kids, Molly? Why do this to my son? Why?”

Malio said nothing. His smug expression was doing all the talking for him.

“WHY GODDAMMIT!?” Teresa screamed at Malio as the pouring rain continued to soak them all.

“Why you ask?” Malio spoke up finally. “Well, let me answer all your pointless questions. I have not vitiated him.” Malio smiled. “I've raised him. I've told him you were a whore.” Malio tilted his head and rolled his eyes, then smiled and grinned playfully. “That wasn't a far stretch. But believe me, trying to tell a ten year old what a whore was, now that was difficult.” Malio took a few steps away from Benardo and in the direction of the grave stone. “You may have been his mother once. That was more than eighty years ago. Things change Teresa. As to why I do this? That's simple. I don't have any sense of family, I don't have any kids. I don't have a father because of you. You took my father's life and in return I took your son. You ask me why? Really? You would have the gall to ask me that? After all this time?” Malio paced back and forth with something on his mind. “Well, actually. I might just tell you. But only if you asked once more. Just once more, so that I can hear it again. Will you do me that at least?”

“Yes, yes, of course. Anything for my son. Why? Why did you do this?” Teresa asked, pleading to Malio.

Malio stopped his act. He turned to Teresa with a serious look of hatred. “Because you called me Molly.”

A swell of anger budded in Teresa's eyes. She was expecting something solid, a meaningful answer to her honest question. What Malio said was the farthest thing from what she wanted to hear. She had expected an apology. Something tempered by time that would be sincere. It was as if Malio had pissed on her feelings as a mother. She felt that he had no right to do such a thing. No right to keep her son from her all those years. Certainly no right to keep him now. Teresa was furious. Her anger for Malio had come to a melting point. She was breaking down and it was showing in her eyes. She wanted retaliation. Teresa wanted Malio dead.

Teresa attacked Malio, closing the gap so fast that Malio didn't seem to react. Teresa's hands closed tightly around Malio's neck. A second passed as she began to squeeze. The pleasure was welling up inside her. The moment of Malio's death was before her. The person that stole her son away was about to die. The knowledge that his passing would bring her son back. It was palatable. Teresa shouted with passion in her voice. “NOW YOU-”

“-die.” Benardo said quietly as he swung his sword with full force along Teresa's back. Painting a long trail of blood thirty feet across the ground. The red robe was quickly filling with her liquid life.

Malio used his gift of telekinesis to uncurl Teresa's finger from his throat. Malio held her firmly in place, his gift was more than adequate to force her into submission physically. Malio pushed Teresa to her knees. With a smile, he snapped her right forearm, breaking the limb that once held him at her mercy.

“Why?” Teresa said to Benardo. “Why did you do that? You knew I hated him, that if I killed Malio, you would return with me.”

Benardo flicked his sword to whip the blood off, cleaning it before re-sheathing it. “What you say is not false, mother. I knew that you would act to kill Malio, that you would move to attack him. I knew that his death would spell my return with you. I knew all too well what that could mean. A life with a mother that had selfishly cast me aside with her vile ways.” Benardo sighed with a stern face. “So yes, I knew. And in that knowledge I understood exactly where you'd be before you did. All I had to do was wait until you disappeared before my eyes. Then I simply struck near Malio, and my strike wounded you. My knowledge beat out your speed. Your hatred fell to my cunning. You have lost.”

“Why? Why did you become like him? When did you lose sight of your dreams Benardo? You were once a bright child that enjoyed painting and running through the fields. What happened to turn your nature into his?” Teresa begged for an answer from Benardo.

Benardo swiftly drove his sword into Teresa's collarbone, piercing deep into her left lung. Benardo's face was inches form Teresa's. “I am nothing like him, Teresa. I have learned to take care of myself and the lives of those I cherish. I do not have the hatred both you and Malio have inside. I am my own person, devoid of Malio's perspective. In that destiny I have my truth. I have found what I am good at in life and I am happy to pursue it.”

Teresa gurgled. Her eyes were asking a question her voice couldn't convey.

“I am nothing like you mother. I am so different from you because my life was not as sheltered. I did not live in opulence, sleeping with every young thing that came in sight. My actions shock you because I am nothing like you.” Benardo withdrew his blade from Teresa's shoulder. He walked up to Malio. “Now friend, it comes to an end.”

“What will you do, Benardo? Travel? See the many fascinations of the world? Or settle down and raise a few children of your own?” Malio said to Benardo with a laugh.

Teresa couldn't move, Malio had her pinned as she slowly drowned in her own blood. She was thinking, realizing what had just happened. Benardo was saying his goodbyes to Malio. Teresa was wondering why he would do such a thing right then and there. What changed to make him part ways with Malio? They seemed happy enough together. Teresa asked herself why.

“No, Malio. No kids. Not yet. Not for a long time. I don't want to be in a position that I might let them down. I can't ensure their safety like I am now, not as a nomadic peddler of faces. When I do settle down, you'll know.” Benardo assured Malio.

“But how? You know how I live, I've gone for years without interacting with people. I don't see that trend changing any time soon. How will I know when you've decided?” Malio asked Benardo.

“I will know how to find you because I know you, Malio. That is all I've ever needed to know. That will tell me where and how to find you. To tell you when I am good and ready.” Benardo closed his eyes and tipped his head to Malio. “Now I go. Good hunting.”

Teresa understood. Benardo wasn't leaving for his own sake. He had remained with Malio under a certain condition. Now that it had come to pass, he was no longer needed. Benardo was leaving because there was nothing left to keep him in place. No more obstacles hindering his progress. Teresa thought hard as to what that condition could have been. The blood had almost completely filled her lung, it was pouring into the other. She was beginning to lose consciousness. She saw Benardo walk away from Malio.

“Thanks. One down, three to go.” Malio said daunted.

Teresa knew now. She was the condition. Her capture. Malio had led her by the one desire she could not let go of, the hope that she could one day be with her son again. Malio had planned on her bond, he had bet on it, literally. Now that Benardo had fulfilled his end of the bargain, he was free to do as he wished. He had chosen to help Malio, and chose to be the one that sprung the trap on her. Before Teresa closed her eyes, she realized it had worked.

Teresa awoke to a cold iron slab. She was naked. Thick leather bands were strapped to her waist, hips, chest, and neck. The gaping wound in her left shoulder was closed. She looked at her arms and legs, Malio had encased them in two foot thick metal shackles placed at the sides and foot of the slab she was on. Malio had forgotten to restrain her head. She was able to see how she was held down, but not able to wriggle free. The ceiling was packed dirt with beams bracing it. She was underground somewhere. Red clay and the smell of mud welcomed her senses back to the land of the living. Teresa thought it strange that he would leave her alone, unattended, without any sort of guard. She thought that she was worth more than that to Malio. That he would have wanted her to have no chance at escaping. Teresa heard a faint rustling sound coming from behind and above her. Laying on her back was disorientating. She couldn't tell who it was.

“Ah, you're awake.” It was Malio's voice. “How do you like it? Our new abode, is it nice?” Malio said gesturing around to the cave walls. “Get used to it Teresa, these walls will be the last you ever see.”

“What the hell are you talking about Molly?” Teresa barked at Malio.

Malio waved his hand. A large patch of Teresa's hair ripped away from her head and flew against the far wall. Teresa yelped in pain. “Don't say that word.”

“What? What will you do to me if I do?” Teresa was yelling at Malio. “Will you force yourself on me? Will you violate me Malio? Isn't that what you always wanted to do to me?”