EVEN MORE VISITORS

Franz Leopold was bored. He had passed by Alisa's chamber several times, but there was always another young vampire sitting at Alisa's sarcophagus. Not that he wished to join the visitors. He found it completely unnecessary that she made such a drama out of it, now holding court like a dying empress at her bedside! Irritated, he passed by her chamber for the fifth time. He ran into Karl Philipp and his shadow, Tibor.

The cousin suggested taking advantage of the opportunity while the dreadful brat was tied to her coffin. "We can ambush Luciano again and finish the beating he deserves."

Franz Leopold waved him off and continued. Then he saw Ivy turning the corner with Seymour, heading in the direction of the chambers of the impure. He had just decided to follow her when a voice reached his ear, a voice he had thought was hundreds of kilometers away. Could it be?

"Stay here!" he ordered Matthias, who, as his shadow, followed him as always with a few paces of distance, his face expressionless, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Franz Leopold hurried through the nearly deserted common room and turned into the next corridor, where an elaborately decorated hoop skirt disappeared around the corner. Only one person wore such expansive crinolines: Baroness Antonia! What was she doing in Rome again? Or had she not returned to Vienna at all?

Curiously, Franz Leopold approached until he could understand her words. "Conte Claudio," she called out sharply. "I demand to speak with you! I want to know exactly what happened and why you did not deem it necessary to inform us!"

"You found out anyway," the Conte replied dismissively.

"Yes, because my brother was so cautious and asked me to stay nearby."

"Secretly stay nearby!" Conte Claudio corrected her. "We would have gladly provided you with suitable quarters!"

She ignored him. "I demand to know how Franz Leopold is doing."

"He's doing wonderfully," the Conte shouted. "I've already told you! Nothing happened to him. Alisa of the Vamalia broke through the ceiling and fell a floor deep into the catacombs. Nothing tragic! She was only unconscious because she lost her amulet in the fall."

The Baroness waved him off. "I'm not interested in the Vamalia. What seems much more important to me, however, is that you don't have this situation under control. I have inquired. It is shocking how many Nosferas have disappeared within the past few months. And I'm not talking about the elders who have decided to end their existence themselves! Do you want to see the list?"

"I know it."

But the Viennese Baroness was not deterred. "Two elders, one impure, and three clan members! Our children could be next. And you're doing nothing about it!"

"I am indeed doing something about it, but that, esteemed Baroness, I do not have to discuss with you. The young vampires are not in danger! They leave the Domus Aurea only under the supervision of experienced family members and servitors!"

The Baroness hissed angrily. "Perhaps you don't miss some members of the Nosferas at all? There are rumors of disputes and resistance. Your throne is shaking! In any case, I know what I have to report. And I tell you, the children of the Dracas will not stay here in Rome much longer, we will ensure that! They belong in Vienna."

Would the Conte bow to her demand? Franz Leopold slid a bit closer, tense with anticipation.

Silk skirts rustled. "Who is out there? Come out of your hiding place!" Her voice became even shriller.

Franz Leopold darted around the next corner and ran down the hallway. The Baroness was in one of her dangerous moods, and it didn't seem advisable to him to be caught eavesdropping by her. Perhaps it was a good idea to leave the Domus Aurea for a few hours. Franz Leopold hurried to the hidden gate and slipped out.

"I said I don't need you at the moment!" he snapped at Matthias, who stepped outside behind him. "Go back, and don't you dare follow me secretly!" 

"It is my duty to be your shadow. For that purpose, I was bitten and robbed of my life," said Matthias emotionlessly. It was quite a lengthy speech for the otherwise taciturn impure.

"Maybe so, but I still don't want to take you with me. As my personal shadow, you must obey me unconditionally."

The vampire shrugged his broad shoulders. "If you say so. But how will I then protect you when you break the rules and put yourself in danger out there? It will also cost me my head if anything happens to you."

"That won't be my problem anymore," Franz Leopold replied coldly and walked away. He knew Matthias wouldn't disobey his direct order. And although he actually liked him with his stoic demeanor, it pleased him to have unsettled the former Viennese coachman.

The young vampire strolled down to the Colosseum at night, circled it, and looked at the Arch of Constantine on the other side. Between the amphitheater and the arch were the remains of a large, round fountain with a conical centerpiece. However, Franz Leopold's thoughts were still in the Domus Aurea, with the Baroness and the Conte. Baroness Antonia, despite her vanity and her almost obsessive passion for trinkets and decorations, was a dangerous vampire who knew what she wanted and relentlessly pursued her goals. Even her brother, as clan leader, sometimes had difficulty reining her in. So the likelihood of her prevailing over Conte Claudio was not so low.

Franz Leopold listened, puzzled, to his inner thoughts. He should have been happy and triumphant at the prospect of this hated year in Rome possibly coming to an end soon and him being able to return to his Viennese home. Yet it felt more like disappointment. Had he really grown accustomed to these damp ruins so quickly? Strange.

A brief howl interrupted his thoughts. Franz Leopold turned around in search. Could that have been Seymour? Possible. Perhaps Ivy was somewhere out here. He looked up at the ruins of the Palatine Hill. Was she out alone with her wolf? It wouldn't hurt to find out! Franz Leopold hurried towards the hill, zigzagging through overgrown stairs and under archways that led him from one terrace to the next, always higher. Soon, Franz Leopold reached a garden that looked as if it had been laid over the Roman ruins like a carpet at some point later. At the edge of the garden, the red brick walls of antiquity broke through again, covering the entire Palatine Hill. Franz Leopold skillfully jumped from one remnant of a wall to the next, without dislodging even a single mortar fragment. Then he stopped and focused on picking up the scent. Wasn't that the trail of the wolf? He followed the faint trace between towering walls that turned into a kind of tunnel, which turned at a right angle. When the track led the young vampire back into the open air, he heard a sound to his right. In a quick run across a field of ruins, he finally came to an abrupt stop at a wall that framed a long, grass-covered rectangle deep below him, which must have once been a stadium.

A gust of wind rushed over the Palatine, bending the branches of the old pines. The moon illuminated the remnants of the walls, swept over the decaying structure opposite, from which perhaps the Roman emperor had viewed the competitions, and then glided over silver curls billowing in the night breeze. Franz Leopold leaned far over the wall. Ivy was over there, no doubt, even though she now pulled her dark hood back over her head and hid behind the protection of the walls. But there was something else. He stared at the shadow turning toward the girl. Yes, bending down to her, so tall was he. It was a man. The wolf was nowhere to be seen. Was Ivy in danger? Or did her violation of the rules go further than just wandering around unauthorized out here? Either way, he had to get over there! He cast one more glance at the man and then squinted. Didn't the figure have an aura surrounding it? It was just a slight shimmer in the air. He had to get closer!

Franz Leopold let his gaze slide down the wall thoughtfully. He could probably cross the height unscathed, but certainly not unnoticed! He looked around in all directions and then decided to skirt the stadium to the left. He hurried off crouched. The moon disappeared behind the clouds, yet he could already see the structure of the imperial box ahead. But where were Ivy and the mysterious stranger?

The young vampire stopped behind the last pine tree and peered around the thick trunk as Ivy stepped out of a niche. She pushed back her hood and shook her silver hair. Franz Leopold suppressed a groan that suddenly lurked in his throat. The only interesting thing was, where was her companion? In any case, she didn't seem to be in danger. Could he not see him anymore because his lifeless body was hidden in the shadows of the niche from his view? Franz Leopold listened to the night. If she had done that, then she was now in his hands! It was one thing to wander around the ruins on her own, but to suck a human dry before the initiation ceremony would be severely punished - if he reported it to the Elders. Franz Leopold grinned wickedly and pressed closer to the trunk as Seymour emerged from a bush to his left and ran to Ivy. She knelt beside him and rested her forehead on his. Then she straightened up, stood up straight, and walked directly towards the tree behind which Franz Leopold was hiding. Had the cursed wolf sensed him?

The young vampire didn't want to reveal himself by being discovered in his hiding spot. Therefore, he put on a superior expression and walked onto the clearing with his head held high. "Ah, what a pleasant surprise," he murmured with a fake smile. "You here too? No, it shouldn't surprise me. The night is too beautiful to stay within the walls our jailers have assigned to us - ah no, I mean our esteemed professors!"

There was so much warmth in Ivy's smile that it was almost sickening. "I wish you a good night too, Franz Leopold. It must not have been difficult for you to follow my trail. Should I learn from this to be more cautious in the future?"

He considered denying the implication but decided against it. "I apologize for disturbing you. That wasn't my intention. Where did your mysterious companion disappear to so quickly?"

For a moment, her turquoise eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on now, tell me. I saw you both from over there. He was tall and strong!" Franz Leopold tilted his nose slightly forward and sniffed the air. "It couldn't have been a human you deprived of their blood here in the solitude?"

Her amusement seemed genuine. She laughed brightly. And since he couldn't detect the scent of a human from her or from the ruins, this assumption was obviously wrong. Then it must have been a vampire! But what was that strange aura that surrounded the figure?

"Come, let's go back," Ivy suggested and started walking. Franz Leopold glanced once more at the ruins, then hurried after her. The wolf growled softly.

"You better tell me now, because I will find out anyway!"

"Why should I tell you then? Are you trying to threaten me? There's nothing to find out. You were mistaken. Except for Seymour and me, no one else was there!"

Franz Leopold fell silent. He focused entirely on her mind. Carefully, he extended his thoughts, then expanded his power lightning fast - and was surprised. He hadn't really expected success, but for a moment, he could penetrate her consciousness before the barrier closed again, and he was pushed out with a painful sting. Franz Leopold discreetly rubbed his forehead. He had been convinced he would find a lie, but the last sentence felt true. "Except for Seymour and me, no one else was there!"

"Let it be!" She smiled up at him. "Would you like to take a walk through the Farnese Gardens? They're beautiful. Cardinal Alessandro Farnese had them built here among the ruins in the sixteenth century. There's also a magnificent villa. It was apparently a popular trend during the Renaissance to adorn oneself with the splendor of antiquity."

"Save me from your lectures! Have you been appointed a professor now? You sound just as unbearable as Signora Letizia, the old torture witch! Besides, I passed through the gardens on the way here."

"Well then, let's not. Let's just go back." Her voice didn't betray whether he had offended her.

The young vampire followed Ivy and Seymour gloomily. He couldn't get close to her. How did she do it? Once again, she had outsmarted him. Could she control her thoughts so well that she turned lies into truth? Or had she merely pretended that he could penetrate her mind?

Suddenly, Ivy stopped and turned to him. They had already left the Arch of Constantine and the remains of the fountain behind them. "If you're looking for human traces that don't belong here, you have to go there." She pointed to an arch of the Colosseum. "The nun you scared away at night when you followed us was here again! And I swear, it hasn't been three hours since then."

"What does that mean, I scared her away? And what do you mean by accusing me of following you? I can go wherever I want!"

"As long as the professors and the Conte turn a blind eye," Ivy added and sighed. "It wasn't an accusation or an insinuation. Let's just agree: She ran away that night when you showed up."

"And?"

"Don't you find it strange? This isn't the place or time for a solitary nun. What is she doing here repeatedly?"

Ivy walked up to the arch and sniffed the air.

Franz Leopold followed her. "I can't smell anything."

"Yes, her scent is still in the air. Very faintly. She doesn't use any of the perfumed soaps or fragrances of the ladies. It's just the slightly tangy smell of her young body."

"Did you see her?"

"No, she was already gone by the time I passed through here. - You don't believe me? Seymour sensed her too!"

"Oh, and then he told you: 'There was the little nun again'?"

Ivy made a face. "Not in those words, of course, but I am perfectly capable of understanding his expressions." He believed her, and it annoyed Franz Leopold that he couldn't discern anything from the whimpering and howling of the wolf.

Both of them were slightly annoyed and walked the rest of the way in silence. With exaggerated politeness bordering on contempt, Franz Leopold held the hidden side door open for his companion. She thanked him sharply and rushed away, Seymour as always by her side.

Franz Leopold watched her go and sighed softly. A barely perceptible movement to his right reminded him that he was no longer alone. He clenched his fists. The young vampire didn't need to turn around to know that Matthias had been waiting for him here.

"As you can see, everything is still attached to me," he said gruffly and then, without dignifying the shadow with a glance, went to his chamber.

The next evening, Alisa insisted on leaving her sarcophagus and returning to class. "I feel fine," she lied when Hindrik scrutinized her critically. "What could possibly be wrong?"

"Are you wearing the ruby again that the Conte had you all wear?"

She nodded and pulled out the leather cord with the cut stone from under her shirt. "At first, I thought it was just a pretty trinket to boost our morale. But this stone does something. "Thoughtfully, she let it slide through her fingers. "What do you think? Is this the secret to their resistance against everything holy?"

Hindrik leaned forward and stroked the stone. "No, it's not that simple. The stone is just a tool to gather and store one's own powers until they are needed. And perhaps also to benefit from the energy that freely resonates in nature and to use a part of it for one's own purposes. But that requires a lot of experience and practice! And they have that. That's their secret."

Alisa swung her legs over the edge of the sarcophagus. "And that's why I have to go to class now. You don't want me to miss even more, do you?"

Hindrik smiled and handed her her clothes. "You win. But I will stay close to you and keep an eye on you."

"Don't you always do that?"

"Why yes, but usually I try to make you forget about it."

He waited until Alisa had dressed and then accompanied her to the hall with the golden ceiling, where he insisted she have an extra cup of fresh blood.

Alisa felt a gaze on her back and turned around. Franz Leopold was looking at her over the rim of his pewter cup. Boldly, Alisa approached him. She had wanted to talk to him anyway. "Thank you!"

He lazily raised his eyebrows. "You're welcome? What do you want?"

"To thank you for getting me out of the catacombs."

He nodded haughtily. "Yes, the thanks are appropriate for that, let's say, heroic act. Fortunately, it was easy for me, although you are not exactly delicate."

Alisa felt anger rising within her. How did he always manage this in just a few moments? She tried to remain calm.

Meanwhile, Franz Leopold continued unperturbed. "Yes, most people underestimate me and then have to remorsefully correct that mistake. I hope you don't forget to apologize to me as well!"

"What?" Alisa exclaimed. "What should I apologize for? That the ground collapsed under my feet? That I fell into a tomb and passed out?"

"Your carelessness caused me inconvenience, and you prevented me from emerging victorious from this competition. Naturally, I would have caught up to my fox otherwise. So it's your fault that I had to admit defeat. And that's something I really dislike."

So many swear words came to Alisa's mind at once that she didn't know what to throw at him first.

He looked at her and grinned. "Shame on you, you know some expressions! You certainly won't become a lady. "She clenched her fists and stamped her foot. Then she turned around abruptly and stormed back to her table. She grabbed her bag from the bench and stormed out of the hall without another word.

Tonight brought them a new teacher who would instruct them in the Italian language.

"Why is that?" Tammo grumbled. "We can communicate just fine in the old language of the families."

"That's true, but soon you won't only be dealing with your own kind anymore. Once you're allowed to mingle among the people of Rome on your own, it's very advantageous to understand and be able to speak their language as well."

Murmurs ensued. "When are we allowed to leave the Domus Aurea on our own?" Karl Philipp wanted to know.

"Oh, that's not my decision," Signora Valeria deflected. "That's Conte Claudio's concern. I'm just here to teach you. Maurizio, Chiara, and Luciano, if you don't want to, you don't have to stay." Grinning, the three Roman students packed their bags and left the classroom.

"That's unfair," Tammo complained, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alisa winked at her brother. "Oh, I think justice will be served to you when the classes take place in Hamburg and everyone else struggles with German while we can stroll through the harbor district all night long. "At this thought, Tammo's expression brightened again, and he resigned himself calmly to his fate.

It started out quite simply. "The man - il uomo, the woman - la donna, the child - il bambino." The young vampires obediently wrote down the words. Feathers scratched over the paper. Tammo leaned his elbow on the desk and rested his cheek in his hand. He was the silent accusation of deadly boredom. Alisa could even see from her seat that he deliberately smeared the words. Signora Valeria stood in front of the desk and watched the youngest of her students for a while. Alisa tried to read her expression. Would a thunderstorm soon unleash over her brother's head? At least she didn't have a cane in her hand.

"It seems the words don't interest you very much," she said kindly. Tammo started and hid his scribbles under a blank sheet.

"Then let's add a few more words that should be useful for you. Once you have learned the basics, we will take a trip together through the alleys that only wake up at night and offer some pleasure. - Of course, this only applies to the students who have learned their lesson and are able to address a Roman night owl correctly. The others will unfortunately have to stay here." Now Signora had Tammo's undivided attention, and he made an effort to at least write his vocabulary legibly on paper.

"The scent - il profumo, the blood - il sangue, the throat - la gola, the taste - il gusto."

"You can do much more with those," Sören whispered to Alisa and grinned.

"I also like: il consumo - the enjoyment and la èstasi - the ecstasy," Malcolm added from a bench further ahead and glanced at Anna Christina, who was looking at him as if he were something disgusting. "Or in this case fitting: la capra - the goat, disgustoso e arrogante - disgusting and arrogant."

Anna Christina's eyes sparkled. Rowena and Sören burst into laughter. The Viennese girl opened her pink-painted mouth and showered her bench neighbor with a flood of Italian sentences.

Malcolm's mouth remained open. "What did she say?"

Signora Valeria had approached them, and Alisa felt like she could barely contain her laughter. "That was good - I mean, linguistically speaking. Do you really want to know what Anna Christina said to you?"

Malcolm hesitated. "Well, yes."

"Let me see if I can put this together. So, if I leave out the worst swear words, it roughly means that you are stupid and ugly like a pale toad, and she's not surprised because you come from a backward and uneducated family with no manners…" Malcolm raised his hands. "Enough. I think I don't need to know the rest. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she doesn't know any better."

He rose slightly, placed his hand over his chest, and gestured a bow. "Esteemed Anna Christina, it will be an honor for me to convince you otherwise once we are in London." The Dracas stared at him incredulously. Like Alisa, she was probably wondering if this was politeness or a veiled threat.

The Signora interrupted the two and spoke to Anna Christina in a few rapid sentences in Italian. The girl responded likewise. "Good, you may leave if you wish." A superior smile spread across her beautiful face, and she tossed back her long curls. "Well children, then learn diligently," she said and swept out with swaying skirts. "This can't be true," Tammo lamented. The room looked like a tornado had swept through it. "Where is that cursed mask!" Carmelo exclaimed angrily.

With large strides, he crossed the room, pulled open the drawers of the dresser, and began to scatter the contents haphazardly on the carpet. Latona crouched in a chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. She wished she could make herself even smaller.

Her uncle Carmelo was an impressive figure. Tall and muscular, with still thick black hair that was only beginning to gray at the temples. Although his belly pressed a little over his waistband for a few years now, he still looked athletic with his strong arms and large hands that knew how to wield a sword well. "It must be here somewhere!" he called out, continuing his search in the room next door. 

Latona slowly let out the breath she had been holding for far too long. However, her relief was short-lived. His voice thundered her name. Latona flinched. "Did you not see it?" The girl stared intently at his knees. "No, Uncle Carmelo, what would I do with your mask?" she asked, hoping he wouldn't notice the trembling in her voice. "Yes, what would you do with my mask," the uncle repeated conciliatoryly. "And yet you could help me look for it," he commanded her right after. "Perhaps you lost it somewhere outside? It might have slipped out of your pocket." Carmelo groaned. "God forbid! I don't even want to imagine what the Cardinal would do to me then." Latona looked at her uncle curiously. "Is he a real Cardinal?" Carmelo hesitated. "I don't know. I've only seen him with his mask so far. But he does wear the red robe of the Cardinals." "And he doesn't want to admit women to the circle," Latona added. "That also suggests he's a man of the church, doesn't it?" "Did I tell you that?" her uncle wondered. The girl nodded. "Yes, he doesn't have a very high opinion of women. He says a woman's mind suffers too much from the influence of her barely controllable emotions. She is not suited for cool, scientific thinking, and her actions are not guided by reason." Latona snorted disdainfully.

Her uncle patted her shoulders with a mild smile. "But he only says that because he doesn't know you and your clever little head." Latona ignored the patronizing tone and said eagerly, "Yes, and that's why you have to convince him that it's only good for the circle if he admits me too. I can be of great use to him!" Carmelo made a dismissive gesture. "Child, forget such fantasies." His gaze darkened again as he surveyed the mess in the room. "I have to go. I'll probably be gone all night, so don't wait up for me. Please tidy up here and continue to search for that cursed mask!" He took his silver sword from its hiding place and fastened the belt around his waist.

Latona jumped up from her chair. "Do we have a new assignment? A man or a woman? Can I be the decoy?"

"Yes, I have a new assignment, it's a young man, and no, you won't be the decoy. There are girls and women who earn their money with dubious services anyway." Latona pouted. "But I've been involved before, and I could help you without you having to pay."

His expression was stern. "Yes, that was a mistake, and I'm sorry you've already had to witness so much inhumanity. It won't happen again." "How will you proceed? The traditional method? Sword and stake?" she said with a slight tremor in her voice. He nodded. "Can't you lure him into the old cistern?" "That's much crueler," Carmelo said softly. "They don't just burn up in a flash when sunlight hits them. They waste away over hours until they finally turn to ash. A stake through the heart and a sword stroke to sever their head from their shoulders is a mercy in comparison!"

"Why do you keep doing this?" she asked softly. "Why?" Carmelo laughed. "Because vampires are evil, cursed beings who were not intended in God's creation." "Oh, come on," Latona exclaimed angrily. "Don't tell me fairy tales. You don't care about that at all. You do it solely for the money that this Cardinal or whatever he is pays you for it." "Yes, for the money. He pays well for every ruby pendant I deliver to him."

A strange smile lit up Carmelo's face. "And for the thrill in my stomach when I go out into the night and await my new victim." He leaned down and kissed her cheeks, then hurried away. Latona waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps on the stairs, then grabbed her coat from the hook and left the house as well. She walked across Piazza Venezia past the Capitoline Hill to the ruins. Even if the chance of finding the red mask was small, she had to at least try!