DESERVED PUNISHMENT

It got even worse than Alisa had imagined. She had never been locked up for three nights before! Already in the second night, she believed she couldn't bear the bloodlust anymore. Although she knew it was futile, she pressed her shoulder against the stone slab. Then she drummed with fists and feet against it, but the coffin lid didn't budge. Never in her thirteen-year existence had she felt so miserable! At times, her pride prevailed, and she gritted her teeth, then again she groaned and curled up like a wounded animal. Did the others feel the same? How gladly would she have traded places with Ivy now and instead taken care of Seymour! She suffered not only from hunger, which tore her body until it clouded her senses, but also from loneliness. Ivy had her wolf, whose soft fur under her fingers would surely have been comforting.

In the third night, not even her pride could help her anymore. Alisa whimpered. Her fingernails scraped against the inside of the stone lid. This night, she would have been willing to do anything if only someone would release her from her prison and give her some blood. But there was no one she could plead to. No one who would bring a word of comfort.

That's not true, I am here. You are not alone!

Alisa suppressed the groan and listened. She still couldn't hear anything, but she felt it very clearly. "Ivy?" Alisa pressed her palms against the coffin lid. Yes, she was there.

Share your pain and loneliness with me. Give me your despair so that I can alleviate it.

Her thoughts flowed through the stone. It was as if a cloud gently enveloped Alisa. For a moment, Alisa was tempted to pretend everything was fine and that her friend didn't need to worry about her, but the pain was too strong.

Yes, let it flow. Don't hold it back. Only then can I share it with you and make it more bearable for you.

How could that be possible?, thought Alisa, yet she already felt better. The loneliness had vanished, and even the bloodlust no longer seemed so agonizing. She felt Ivy's hands resting directly above hers. Apparently, the stone slab couldn't stop the flow of energy.

Try to relax. Yes, stretch out and lie back on your back. Morning is not far off and will bring you forgetfulness. And when you wake up again, it will be over.

It wasn't that hard to obey the voice in her head.

Yes, that's good. I will now check on the others.

Alisa felt Ivy detach from her and move away, but the comforting feeling lingered.

Ivy went from coffin to coffin. With each step, her pace became heavier, her expression tenser. It wasn't easy to carry a part of the burden from each one, but she was determined to do her part and alleviate the others' fate as far as she could - even that of the Dracas!

Ivy approached Franz Leopold's sarcophagus. Like with Alisa, she placed her palms on the stone and called out to him in her mind. Franz Leopold responded to her in the same manner.

What do you want?

Ivy knew it was the torment that made him so abrupt. I also want to help you. Open your mind and share the pain with me, then it will become easier.

Instead of following her request, she felt him trying to shut himself off from her.

It's not a question of weakness, Leo. Don't I deserve to share the pain with all of you too? Please, let me feel with you and alleviate your suffering.

The defense in his mind remained. No! I don't need that. I am perfectly capable of enduring this night as well. Take care of the others if you feel like pain and burning hunger!

I cannot force you, Ivy conceded. If you don't mind, I'll stay with you for a while anyway.

No, there's nothing wrong with that. For a moment, Ivy felt his relief and gratitude flow through her like a warm stream, before he closed off his feelings from her again.

On the fourth night, the ordeal of the runaways ended, and they returned to their classes. Everyone except Ivy, who continued to lock herself in the chamber with Seymour and only emerged in the evening and early morning to fetch a jug of blood, warm water, and fresh towels. First, they had two hours of Italian with Signora Valeria, then Professor Ruguccio entered the classroom with an armful of crucifixes, with which they were supposed to train their powers in church defense. Karl Philipp and Anna Christina were less arrogant than usual that night, but still avoided the company of others. To Alisa's delight, Malcolm invited her to perform a partner exercise with him twice.

"Franz Leopold saw her," Alisa whispered to Malcolm when the professor turned his back to them.

"Who?"

"The girl the mask belonged to. The vampire hunter!"

Malcolm stared at her in disbelief. "What? Are you sure? Did she wear the mask?"

"No, but how many girls do you think there are in Rome who hunt vampires with silver blades and burn them in well shafts?"

Malcolm fell silent.

"You should have told the Conte," Alisa said.

"Oh yeah? And do you think that would have prevented anything?"

Alisa shrugged. "I don't know. But this way, I feel like I bear some guilt for Raphaela's destruction."

Deep sadness filled Malcolm's blue eyes. "No, not you, if anyone, then I have loaded this guilt onto myself. I'm sorry! I only thought of myself and the academy."

"Now the Conte knows about the man and the girl who pursued us," said Alisa, suddenly feeling the need to comfort him.

Malcolm nodded. "Yes, and I hope he catches them quickly." But his voice sounded more bitter than hopeful.

"Come, let's do the exercise again." His gaze was hard, indicating clearly that he didn't want to talk about the subject anymore.

Reluctantly, Alisa nodded.

Towards morning, Signor Ruguccio produced a host, at which some students singed nails and fingertips. A pungent smell filled the classroom.

After class, Alisa and a rather disgruntled Luciano returned to the hall with the golden ceiling. Luciano had had to train with Franz Leopold several times that night and had also severely burned his fingers on one of the crosses. His expression only brightened when he spotted Ivy next to Signora Zita. Immediately, he hurried to her side with Alisa.

"How is Seymour?" Luciano asked.

Ivy sighed. "Unchanged bad. I don't know what else to do. The librarian couldn't help me either, although he picked out two books on herbal medicine and magical diseases. And how was it with you? Did I miss anything important?"

"Burnt nails and black fingers," Alisa replied.

Ivy laughed. "I'm sorry I missed that!" She turned away, but Luciano reached for her arm.

"May we see him? We'll come with you and keep you company."

"We certainly won't disturb him," Alisa added.

Ivy stepped back. "That's very kind of you, but I don't want to take any risks. Please don't push me anymore. You won't get any other answer. And don't follow me!"

"I don't understand," murmured Alisa.

"Yes, how is a wolf supposed to regain strength without meat," Luciano replied, misunderstanding Alisa. "I should tell her that."

Alisa linked arms with him. "Don't bother. She doesn't want to see us."

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Luciano's expression darkened again. They strolled into the common room and sat down a bit apart from the others in two worn-out armchairs with formerly gilded feet. The light of a single oil lamp made the shadows dance. Silently, the two of them pondered their thoughts.

"Do you know what surprises me?" Alisa suddenly broke the silence. "That the Conte doesn't want to speak with us at all."

"I'm not opposed to that," Luciano retorted. "I gladly forego further sermons."

"That's not what I mean!" Alisa grew impatient. "He must do something about these vampire hunters!"

"Surely he is," Luciano replied boredly, sucking on his blackened fingertips. "He sent a few impures to investigate the matter, and also prohibited anyone from going out alone. And, of course, all students are forbidden from even sticking their noses out of the Domus Aurea during torture and hanging!'' He grimaced.

Alisa waved it off. "Yes, the usual measures he took when the other elders and servients disappeared. Just without success, which doesn't surprise me much!"

Luciano sat up straight in his chair. "What are you implying? What are you insinuating about Conte Claudio?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering why he lacks enthusiasm and doesn't even ask us about the location of the shaft where we found the charred ones. That's all. You don't have to give me a bloody nose in defense of your family head!"

"No? That would be the culmination of tonight!" The two turned around. Once again, Franz Leopold had managed to sneak up unnoticed.

"Disappear, Leo, or you'll get a bloody nose!" Luciano hissed angrily.

Franz Leopold's blasé smile remained unchanged. "Leo," he repeated thoughtfully. "No, I don't like it the way you say it. She says it so melodically and softly!" The two vampires locked eyes until Luciano was forced to give in.

"By the way, to alleviate your painful ignorance a bit, the Conte didn't ask you because he already spoke with me," Franz Leopold said.

Alisa's mouth dropped open. "He asked you about the dungeon? But you weren't even trapped in it!"

"Yes, that's correct. I wasn't so stupid to fall into that trap. Instead, I freed those who were!" His arrogance was unbearable, but unfortunately, there was nothing they could retort. Alisa felt like she was choking on her rising anger, and she could see from the glitter in his eyes that he was amusedly watching this inner struggle. She took three deep breaths.

"What did the Conte want to know? And what did you tell him?" she finally asked calmly. "And now sit down finally and stop staring at us with that arrogant expression as if we were vermin at your feet!" To her surprise, he did just that and refrained from making one of his usual snide remarks.

"The Conte was looking for you after class, but you were gone so quickly. He took me to his chambers, where the venerable Giuseppe and Leandro were already waiting. The Conte asked where the cistern was and how you got in there. He also wanted to hear everything about the vampire hunters. Unfortunately, I could tell him very little. Only that one of them was a girl and they were armed with silver blades. And then he also wanted to know how the wolf got injured." Franz Leopold shrugged.

"That's it. I asked if I should look for you and bring you there, but he said it wasn't necessary anymore. The venerable Giuseppe ordered Leandro to take care of the matter, the Conte agreed, and the librarian said he would go out with a few impures, solve the problem, and bring back the remains of the charred ones."

"How did you manage to drive away the vampire hunters after they injured Seymour? You didn't bite them, did you?"

"No, we didn't, Alisa." A strange expression crossed his face. Was he considering how much of the truth he wanted to entrust to them? "I would have," he said softly after a while, "but it didn't come to that. There was something else out there that night. A foreign aura, powerful, oh yes, very powerful. Ivy felt it too, but she won't talk about it. Not to me, and not to you."

Luciano protested, but Alisa interrupted him with a hand gesture. "What was it? A human?" Franz Leopold shook his head. "Then what? A foreign vampire?"

The Dracas quickly rose and returned to his usual aloofness. "Enough chitchat," he said casually and sauntered off. Alisa watched him go.

"I'll bring him back and beat the answer out of him," Luciano called out.

Alisa ignored his empty threat. "Do you think it was a foreign vampire?"

Luciano shrugged. "If he belonged to one of the six Clans, he would have recognized him by scent."

"A vampire who doesn't belong to any Clan?" Alisa suggested, thinking back to the night at the Colosseum when Ivy had pushed her back, full of unrest. "Does such a thing even exist today?" Luciano replied skeptically. "I've never heard of a vampire without a clan!"

"Neither have I," Alisa admitted but resolved to search for an answer in the library.

Ivy didn't show up in class for the entire next week. Not only did Alisa sorely miss her, but Luciano's mood swung between apathetic and aggressive. His quarrels were mostly directed at Franz Leopold, and a few times, he had to endure painful blows because Karl Philipp happened to be nearby.

Alisa managed to rescue him from a precarious situation twice, but she wasn't always there in time. Thus, the nights passed. To keep Luciano from completely losing his balance, she trained with him in class instead of Malcolm, who repeatedly asked her to do so and eventually went to Chiara one night to enlist her as his partner for the exercises. Chiara nodded happily. Alisa looked away, suppressing a sigh. She couldn't blame Malcolm.

"Let's get started," she said to Luciano, more gruffly than she had intended.

The professors took turns, Signora Enrica and Signor Ruguccio, Signora Valeria, and unfortunately, the siblings Letizia and Umberto, who behaved decently for their standards. Perhaps the Conte had called them to order.

"I hope he made them feel the sting of their own cane," Luciano remarked after they had once again survived a night in the company of the two with minor injuries.

"They would deserve it!" Alisa retorted, packing her belongings into her bag. Today, she also felt unbalanced and irritable. No wonder! She hadn't enjoyed fresh night air in over a week. She increasingly felt the Domus Aurea as a prison. She listened for any snippets of conversation but learned nothing indicating that the two vampire hunters had been neutralized. However, no family members disappeared anymore, which was at least a small comfort.

"And what do we do now?" Luciano asked listlessly.

"I'll go to the library again."

"And what's the point of that?"

"Maybe I'll find something about free vampires who don't belong to any Clan. Unfortunately, Leandro couldn't help me."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Luciano pondered.

Alisa chewed on her lower lip. "You're right. How about you distract him for as long as possible, and I'll look around the shelves he's kept me away from so far?"

Luciano groaned. "I shouldn't have said anything!" Nevertheless, he followed Alisa to try his luck. He did a really good job, but Alisa couldn't find anything that helped her. She was just resignedly putting the last book back on the shelf when Vincent, humming to himself, rounded the corner.

"Ah, Alisa, you seem to be a lover of books as well," he said in his bright childlike voice, which didn't quite match his chosen manner of speaking with the British accent. His eyes also spoke of the long time he had spent among the undead. "You won't find anything interesting here. What are you looking for anyway?"

Alisa hesitated. Why not? If anyone knew about books on vampires, it was Vincent. She scolded herself for not having thought of it earlier. But how much should she tell him? "I'm looking for something about vampires. Extraordinary vampires!" she began cautiously.

Vincent looked assessingly along the rows of books. "You won't have any luck here with that. But I own a few fascinating works. They're in my coffins. If you like, I can show them to you. They are stories about manifestations of our species that, in their opulent embellishment, probably do not correspond to the truth, but contain a true core. The stories date back to the fifteenth century."

Alisa waved it off. "No, that's not what I mean. I'm interested in reports from more recent times. Are there vampires nowadays who don't belong to one of the families or don't live with them?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes. "How did you come up with such an idea? Is this another essay topic?"

"No," she said, immediately regretting not picking up on the excuse. "No, we were just talking about it, and now I've become curious."

"We?" Vincent inquired.

"Luciano, Ivy, and I."

Vincent nodded slowly. "Ivy, the girl with the silver hair and the white wolf. In any case, you won't find anything here. Leandro stashed away the interesting volumes weeks ago and who knows where he hid them."

"What? Are you sure?" Alisa looked at him astonished, but before Vincent could reply, the towering figure of the librarian appeared around the shelf.

"What are you doing here? I've already said these books are not for you," he grumbled.

"Alright, then that's it for today," Vincent conceded, leading Alisa out. Leandro locked the door behind them, sliding the bolt shut with a bang.

"From the sound of it, we shouldn't show our faces here for a while," Luciano remarked, who had been waiting outside for them. Together, they strolled back to the main courtyard, where the last night owls were returning to their coffins. A few elders limped back to their chambers. It was time to visit the coffins. 

As the three approached the octagonal hall, Vincent suddenly stopped. "A human woman!" he exclaimed.

"You've lost your mind!" Luciano laughed. "How could a human woman enter the Domus Aurea?"

"But I can feel her," Vincent insisted.

Alisa closed her eyes and focused on the different scents. There was something that didn't match the many vampire smells. Something warmer, sweeter. "I think he's right," she stuttered, stumbling behind him into the hall, where the scent grew stronger. And then they saw her: a small old woman, with two gray wolves crouching at her feet.

"Tara, the Druid," Vincent whispered in awe.

At that moment, Ivy rushed into the hall from the other side and threw herself into the arms of the old woman. "Tara! My intuition told me, but I couldn't believe it."

The woman returned the embrace. "How bad is it for him?"

"Come quickly! I'll take you to him." Ivy grabbed her hand and pulled the old woman along. "Everything will be alright now," they heard Ivy say. Alisa and Luciano looked at each other bewilderedly.

Latona glanced up from the letter she was writing. It took only a moment for her to read Carmelo's expression. "Still no news?"

He nodded, slumping into a chair and kicking off his muddy boots. "No, this is the second meeting that's fallen through."

"They'll be cautious for a while, but then everything will be back to normal," Latona tried to comfort her uncle.

"How long is a while? Don't you think vampires have a different sense of time than we do? They have infinite time, but we don't! Time slips through our fingers. The Cardinal is beside himself. He fears his plans might fail."

"Why should I care about the Cardinal's plans?" Latona retorted sharply.

Carmelo lunged at her, gripping her arms tightly. "You don't care? But you should care, because if the Cardinal loses control, he might do something very foolish, and then we might lose more than just a few bags of coins!"

Latona wriggled out of his grasp. "And what could that be?"

Carmelo put on a guarded expression and shrugged. "Who knows." But she suspected he had an idea.

"Perhaps we should be content with what we have now and break camp here," she suggested. "Who says we can't continue elsewhere and benefit from our experiences?"

"And what do you have in mind?" Carmelo asked, walking to the window and turning his back to her.

"Paris or London? I would like to return to London or explore Paris, and I bet they could use us there."

He remained silent for a long time, lighting his pipe and puffing smoke into the room in small clouds. "Maybe you're right. Let me wait for the next meeting of these masked men. If the Cardinal doesn't have another assignment for us, then we'll leave Rome the very next morning."

"And if he does?"

"Then we'll carry out the assignment, deliver the coveted ruby to the Cardinal, fill our coffers with his money one last time, and then leave."