Drew D'Amato:Bloodlines:02 (14 page)

“That’s a lot of holy water,” Jericho said, when Pacami unscrewed the top of the silver thermos.

“We’re gonna need that much for a baptism.”

“Baptism,” Vlad said as he made his way to the bed.  “I thought this was going to an exorcism.”

“Actually a baptism has a little bit of an exorcism to it.”

“And that was the best the Templars came up with?  I thought this was a specific exorcism.”

“The church’s official rite of exorcism wasn’t composed until 1614.  Before then it was different sacraments, blessings and excerpts from the Pontificals and the Book of Hours.  Specific handbooks were written, but still nothing formal.  A priest performing an exorcism in Rome, might perform an entirely different ritual than what a priest might use in France.  The Templars were in their glory during the 13
th
century, way before the ritual was made uniform.  What they found that worked was a simplified baptism.”

“But isn’t a baptism for babies?” Malachi asked.

“Baptisms are usually performed on babies, but that’s only because they are newly born.  The sacrament itself remits all sins, and allows a soul into the life of the church.  Basically one is born again, which if you think about, is just what Vlad needs to remove the vampirism.”

“But all these holy relics, I’m concerned it will hurt him,” Jericho said.

“Oh yes,” Pacami looked down at Vlad.  “There will be pain.”

“I’m ready for that,” Vlad said and then lied down on the bed.

“And you have to have faith.” Pacami took out a piece of paper from under his vestment.  “There will be times when you will have to respond to my questions.  This is what you say.  You will experience a lot of pain then.” 

Vlad looked at the paper.  There were a few words on each line.

“I will nod to you when you must respond.  Most times it will be questions that you have to answer, so listen.  The next response will be the next line.  Just follow accordingly,” Pacami told him.  “It is a testing of your faith, but you must respond.”

“I will.”

“Okay then, let’s get started.”

Pacami opened a window in the room.

“Are you hot Father?” Vlad asked.

“No, we need a way to allow the demon to get out.  In old churches the door on the north side of the building was called the Devil’s Door.  They left it open during baptisms for a spirit to exit.  Now men focus,” Pacami exhaled.  “Let’s begin.”

Pacami moved to the foot of the bed in front of Vlad.  He got on one knee, said a quick prayer and made the sign of the cross on himself.  Then he stood up.  The vampires braced themselves.  Pacami picked up the translated Dark Bible and asked Vlad, “What do you ask of the Church of God?” 

Pacami nodded at Vlad and he got the hint.  He looked at the paper in his hand.  “Faith.”

“What does faith offer you?”

“Life everlasting.”

Vlad looked over at Pacami to make sure he said it right.  Pacami smiled and walked over to Vlad.  He breathed on his forehead, then on his stomach and one last time across his arms finishing the sign of the cross.

Nothing dramatic occurred. 

“
Go forth from him
, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
”

Vlad’s arms started to shake.  He felt a tightening inside his stomach.  Pacami took a pinch of the blessed salt off the nightstand and put it inside Vlad’s mouth.  The salt burned his lips like acid.  He started to sweat.  It had started to get painful.

“
Receive the salt of wisdom; let it be to thee a token of mercy unto everlasting life. May it mak
e your way easy to eternal life,” Pacami said.  Pacami nodded to Vlad waiting for his response.  Vlad’s hand shook and the paper fell from him.  Pacami quickly picked up the paper and gave it back to him.  He pointed at the line they had left off at.  Vlad managed to nod in understanding.

“AMEN,” Vlad screamed like he had been holding his breath.  Pacami went back toward the bed and continued.

“Peace be with you,” Pacami said.

Vlad struggled to turn to look at the paper.  Pacami took it out of his hand and held it in front of Vlad’s face.

“AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT,” Vlad screamed.  He was now breathing rapidly.

Pacami started up again.  “
I exorcise thee, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father
.”  Pacami made the sign of the cross over Vlad’s body and Vlad responded like he had been punched in face.
“And of the Son.”  He made the sign again, this time Vlad curled in a ball like
he was hit in the stomach.  “And of the Holy
Spirit
.”  Vlad let out a blood-curling scream.  There was silence cast over the room.  Pacami straightened himself and then continued to read.

“T
hat thou goest out and de
part from this servant of God
.
For He commands Thee, accursed one, Who walked upon the sea, and stretched out His right hand to Peter about to sink. Therefore, accursed devil, acknowledge thy sentence, and give honor to the living and true God: give honor to Jesus Christ His Son, and to the Holy Spirit; and depa
rt from this servant of God,
because God and our Lord Jesus Christ ha
th vouchsafed to call him
to His holy grace and benediction and to the font of Baptism.
”

Pacami made another sign of the cross, this time just over Vlad’s forehead.  Pacami felt the film of sweat on Vlad’s brow.  The exorcism was getting more intense.  Vlad was moaning in pain.  Pacami screamed over him.

“AND THIS SIGN OF THE HOLY CROSS, WHICH WE MAKE UPON HIS FOREHEAD, DO THOU, ACCURSED DEVIL, NEVER DARE TO VIOLATE.”

Vlad was breathing again like he was having the worst labor pains imaginable.  Pacami soldiered on. 

“
I EXORCISE THEE
, every unclean spirit,
in the name of God the Father
A
lmighty, in the name of Jesus
Christ, His Son, our Lord and Judge,
and in the power of the Holy
Spirit, that thou be de
part from this creature of God
, which our Lord hath deigned to call unto His holy temple, that it may be made the temple of the living God, and that the Holy Spirit may dwell therein. Through the same Christ our Lord, who shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire
.”

Pacami could have sworn he felt a draft
exit
the opened window.  The sun was down when they started, but now the sky appeared a lot darker.  Pacami licked his index finger and
put it on Vlad’s lips and said, “Ephpheta, that is to say, b
e opened, for an
odo
r of sweetness. Be thou, devil, begone; for the judgment of God shall draw near.
”

“
AAAAAAAAARGGGHHHHH,”
came from Vlad.

“Do you renounce Satan?” Pacami asked and shoved the paper in front of Vlad’s face.

Vlad screamed, “I DO RENOUCE HIM.”

“
And all of his works?
” Pacami continued.

Vlad’s hands had started to flail around.  He struck Pacami’s hand and knocked the paper out of his hand onto the bed.  Jericho and Malachi started to panic but did not dare to get involved.  Pacami repeated, hoping Vlad would get the point.

“
AND ALL OF HIS WORKS.”
 

“I DO RENOUNCE HIM!”

“
And all his pomps?
”

“I DO RENOUNCE HIM.”

Pacami took the chrism and made a sign of the cross over Vlad’s chest.  The chrism burned through the white rope and melted his skin.  Vlad screamed in pain.

“I annoint you
with the oil of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord, that you may have everlasting life
.”

Vlad had to respond.  Pacami did not want to risk saying anything not according to the script.  The paper was somewhere on the bed.  Jericho caught the hint and searched the bed amidst Vlad’s contortions.  He found the paper, and held Vlad’s face forcing him to look at it.

“Amen,” Vlad managed without screaming.

Pacami put his hand on Vlad’s shoulder.  “Will you be baptized?”

“I will,” Vlad said looking at Jericho, and thanking him with his eyes.  He appeared a little better, like the worst was over, but Pacami knew the worst was yet to come.

Jericho looked at the paper and saw there was nothing left written on it.  He backed away from the bed.  Pacami unscrewed the top of the thermos, and held it over Vlad’s head.

“I
baptize you in the name of the Father
.” Pacami poured the holy water on Vlad’s forehead.  Vlad screamed in agony as the water burned his skin when it made contact.  “A
nd of the Son
,” he poured again.  The water burned deeper and his scream was louder.  “And of the Holy
Spirit.
”

Pacami poured the water for the third and last time.  Vlad sat up in the bed, screamed at a high pitch that shattered the mirror and all the windows in the room.  The crucifix fell off the wall.  Pacami, Jericho, and Malachi covered their face with their arms to protect themselves.  With a loud thud Vlad fell back on the bed, his head rolled over and thick purplish blood pooled from his mouth.  His eyes were open but he was zoned out.

The room felt empty, like they had all lost a bit of themselves in there.

Jericho rushed over to Vlad and looked at him.  “What happened?” he asked Pacami.

“Turn his head, don’t let him choke on that blood,” Pacami said.

“Is that his blood?”

“No, it is that unholy blood coming out, the demon.”

“What should I do with it?”

“Nothing, it should…”

Then the blood evaporated before their eyes.  A breeze of cool air swept through the room.

“It has been cast out,” Pacami said.  “According to what the Templars wrote this is what normally occurred.  In a few minutes he should be back to us.  Let’s clean up all this broken glass.  Glass cuts humans, remember.”

“I’ll get it,” Malachi said and left to get a dust pan and broom. 

Jericho and Pacami both sat on the bed next to Vlad. 

“Do you think it happened?” Jericho asked.

“Something happened.  We just have to wait.”

Malachi returned.  Jericho and Pacami heard the sound of the broom sweeping as they kept their eyes on Vlad.  Then the sweeping stopped.

“What’s wrong, Malachi?” Jericho asked.

Malachi had his back toward them.  He turned around holding a piece of the broken mirror.

“I can see myself in this,” he said.  He turned the glass to Jericho.  Jericho saw himself in it, along with Vlad lying on the bed behind him.

“It worked,” Pacami said.

Then they heard Vlad choking.  He sat up in the bed.  He looked confused.  Malachi brought the broken piece of glass to him.  Vlad looked and for the first time in six hundred years, saw himself in a mirror.  He smiled wide and at the same time started to tear up.

“Thank you, Father,” he said as he put his arms around Pacami.

“No son, thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving mankind.”

7

J
ericho, Malachi, and Pacami waited downstairs for Vlad.  He had called Jasmine a few minutes after the exorcism and told her he was finally home.  She was happy, but it was Sunday night and her father needed some extra help at the bar for Sunday Night Football.  It had become bigger than Monday Night Football in recent years.  She told him if he wanted to, she would be out a little after twelve and could come by, but he declined the offer.  As long as she promised him she would be with him tomorrow that would be fine.  He told her he was jet lagged and had some unpacking to do.  As passionately as he wanted to see her, he wanted to make it right the next time he saw her, not just some late night rendezvous.  She told him yes, she had no classess on Mondays and was free all day.  He was fine with that, exhilarated that this was all happening, and asked Jericho, Malachi, and Pacami if he could treat them all to dinner.

Vlad came downstairs dressed in a navy suit and purple tie.  The men were impressed.

“Now that I can look in a mirror I can actually tie a tie,” Vlad said.  He had a million-dollar smile on his face.

“Nice, so where do you want to go eat?” Jericho asked.

“Let’s let my hero decide.” Vlad turned to Pacami.

“Well I’ve always liked a nice steak,” Pacami said.

“Good, maybe this time I’ll have it
medium-
rare,” said Malachi.

8

T
he four of them went to the steakhouse
Cut
in Beverly Hills.  The place had a wooden décor, and lots of windows in the white walls that showed off the clear night outside.  Pacami was in
awe of the place.  However, the vampires have eaten in many comparable places all over the world.  Pacami took one look at the menu, and was amazed at the prices.