THE MITHREA OF THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS

"Good evening, Holy Father. There is news from the government and the king's palace!"

The cardinal stormed in with long strides. He was in a near-feverish state of excitement, a demeanor Pius IX. rarely witnessed.

"Take a seat and tell me what has happened," said the Pope, gesturing with a trembling hand to the chair in front of his secretary.

The cardinal leaned forward. "Did you sleep poorly?"

Pius IX. shook his head. "On the contrary. I haven't even woken up these past nights."

"But you look unwell, if you'll allow me to remark."

"I am old, and I feel it too! God the Lord has ordained this world as such, and it is good."

The cardinal jumped up, a look of alarm on his face. "Holy Father," he said urgently. "Did you take off the chain with the rubies that I gave you?"

The Pope nodded. "Yes, several days ago. Perhaps one becomes childish in old age, but it was repugnant to me!"

The cardinal sank back into his chair. "How could you? I implored you never to take it off. No wonder you're marked by the decay of age."

"Oh Angelo, what are you talking about? God alone is the one who gives us our lives and takes them away when it pleases Him. You don't seriously believe in magical amulets and stones? It's bad enough that these old wives' tales persist among the common folk."

"That's not heretical superstition, Holy Father. Dark and evil forces are at work here, forces that we can also use for our purposes!"

The Pope's countenance lost its serene composure. "Are you speaking of the demonic beings that, as you say, were awakened during the excavations at the Colosseum?"

"Yes!" exclaimed the cardinal. "I have found a way to combat evil with evil! Did you think all the deaths surrounding the king and the government were mere coincidence? That it was God's hand gradually destroying your enemies? Oh no! We are harnessing the evil demons of darkness to work for us until we achieve our holy goal. And then we will extinguish them to the pleasure of God."

He had worked himself up into fervent enthusiasm, while the Pope's cheeks had turned ashen. He crossed himself. "May the Lord have mercy on your poor soul and lead you back to the right path!"

"We are on the right path!" shouted the cardinal. He grabbed the Holy Father by the shoulder. "We are in the process of establishing the Kingdom of God in Italy. He will see it with favor!"

"Oh, you blinded souls," said the Pope full of sadness. "Repent, and do penance before it is too late."

The cardinal's gaze flickered to the standing clock in the corner. "Yes, it is late. I must go and give my instructions. Put the chain back on, I implore you! We will talk more about this tomorrow. I will explain it to you until you see clearly!"

With his cloak billowing behind him, the cardinal rushed out.

"I see clearly! At last, I see completely clearly," whispered the Pope. "More than I would like!"

"Fetch me my coat! I am running late."

Latona grimaced but complied, draping Carmelo in the voluminous coat with the two capes. It was old-fashioned but had the advantage of concealing the wearer down to the feet and could also hide a sword, which one might have been stopped for by a pattuglia di polizia in the nighttime streets of Rome nowadays. Having to answer curious police questions was the last thing Carmelo needed tonight!

"Where's that cursed mask again?" he grumbled.

"Here, Uncle Carmelo," said Latona, handing him the blood-red velvet mask. "Are we then traveling on to the carnival in Venice?"

He didn't answer and hastily stuffed the mask into his pocket. The church bell outside chimed. Carmelo threw the coat loosely over the scabbard and hurried to the door. "I don't know how late I'll be. Don't wait up for me."

"I'm not supposed to wait?" Latona exclaimed indignantly. "What else am I supposed to do? Sleep? I can't even think of it until you walk back through that door and tell me what happened!"

He paused, turned around, and took two steps back towards her. A softness crept onto his face. "Don't worry." He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I'd worry less if I could accompany you," she said.

His expression hardened. "That's out of the question! You will not leave this room until I return. I don't trust those masked men, especially not the cardinal! They make no secret of their disdain for a woman's interference, so don't even think about doing something foolish!"

"Something foolish?" she asked innocently. "Oh no! I would never do such a thing!"

Carmelo gave her a suspicious glance, but time was running out, and he had to hurry to not be late for the secret meeting point of the circle. Therefore, he just turned around and ran down the stairs.

Latona didn't move until the door below slammed shut. Then, however, she moved with feverish haste. She snatched her coat from the hook, tucked her silver knife into her pocket, and ran after Carmelo.

"It all depends on what one considers something foolish," she said to herself. "I deem it quite prudent to keep an eye on you and this assembly."

"Someone's coming!" Franz Leopold hissed and ducked even lower behind the crumbling wall. The others followed suit.

"Mortals, judging by their noisy movements," Luciano remarked.

Ivy raised her head. "They've been here before. I recognize the scent the stones have absorbed."

They peeked around the corner and caught a glimpse of two men passing through the passage. They wore long, wide coats and red masks covering their faces. A faint squeaking sound reached them, then they disappeared through the door behind the column. Shortly after, another man in the same attire arrived and also entered the house. Since the empty window sockets remained dark, they must have descended into a cellar or an underground passage.

"More dungeons and shafts again," murmured Alisa.

"I hope not cisterns with trapdoors," Ivy added.

"Do you think they're all vampire hunters?" Luciano whispered as two more masked men sneaked into the courtyard.

"Are you getting scared?" Ivy looked sternly at Franz Leopold, who fell silent and lowered his gaze. "If all these men are out hunting vampires, it could be very unpleasant for us!"

"Yes, they were all men," Alisa said thoughtfully. "The girl wasn't among them. But what puzzles me is that the venerable one and the nun are hiding behind that wall. They also seem to be secretly observing the arrival of the men. Why?"

Another man arrived, panting and with his cloak billowing. He didn't bother to look around to see if anyone was watching him. He ran directly under the arch and then towards the door, yanking it open and letting it slam shut behind him.

"Did you recognize him?" Franz Leopold blurted out.

"It was the vampire hunter from that night," Alisa breathed.

"Now they're all gathered," the nun's voice drifted to them. She stood up and stepped out from behind the wall. The venerable Giuseppe followed her. He strode towards the door but paused when he noticed that the woman didn't follow him.

"Sister Nicola, aren't you coming?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I am not tolerated down there. I do not belong to the circle." She chuckled briefly. "I am a woman. Did you not notice? So, I bid you farewell here." She clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

The young vampires looked at each other in disbelief. What on earth had she told him that he willingly descended into this dungeon, like a lamb to the slaughter, to a gathering that had clearly declared war on the vampires!

The venerable one watched the young woman until she disappeared into the night. Then he opened the door.

"We must warn him! We cannot let him walk so unsuspectingly into his doom!" Luciano wanted to follow him, but Franz Leopold grabbed him by the jacket and held him back.

"We don't know if he's as clueless as we thought!" he said sharply.

"He did see the men go down there, after all," Alisa added.

"We should wait here until the guards from the Domus Aurea come," Ivy suggested. "Tammo must have reported the incident to them by now. It shouldn't take much longer."

"What? You want to wait here while who knows what could happen down there?" Her three companions were equally horrified.

Ivy raised her hands soothingly. "I'm just saying what we should do. What would be the most sensible thing to do. I didn't say I'm not burning with curiosity to find out what game is being played down there!"

She stood up. "Then let's listen in a bit!"

Ignoring Seymour, who clearly disagreed and would have preferred to drag all four of them away, she boldly stepped through the arch and into the courtyard towards the door.

"Leo, send your thoughts ahead. Try to sense the mood," Ivy whispered before silently opening the door. The vampires, followed by the white wolf, descended a staircase.

"This isn't just any cellar," Luciano whispered. "This is an ancient Mithraeum!"

"A fitting assembly place," Ivy whispered back.

They didn't need to fear being discovered. The supernaturally sharp senses of the venerable one were otherwise occupied, as they realized when they left the first turn of the staircase behind them. His voice sounded clear and distinct to them from below. The four paused to catch every word.

"I have warned you more than once, Cardinal!" His voice was demanding, devoid of the tremors of age and weakness that could be heard in some of the venerable ones.

"Yesterday, there were men again on the Oppius and at the Colosseum. No, don't say they were just harmless strollers, posing no threat and beyond your control. I will not tolerate you breaking your agreements. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that that excavation team from de Rossi showed up with wagons and crates full of equipment? The Pope promised support to the archaeologist without my knowledge and even sent him to the king with this idea. But we put an end to the nonsense as soon as we found out about it. And this time, there is nothing for you to fear. I will take care of it." A lurking tone crept into his voice. "Just tell us where the entrances to your clan's domicile are, and we will protect them especially."

The vampires exchanged worried glances. What was happening down there? What did the former clan leader have to do with these people?

The venerable Giuseppe laughed harshly. "That is your biggest mistake, Cardinal. You think I am foolish and simple-minded. Beware that this false assessment does not cause your grand plans to fail! So, who are these men again, and when will they be gone? Can you finally guarantee to me that the ruins between the Capitoline, Palatine, and Oppius belong to us alone?"

"I will make sure they withdraw. Just as I always have," the cardinal sounded irritated.

"You? Didn't we have to take care of making sure no one returned to that place ourselves during the excavation at the Colosseum? No, don't say we could do it again. Of course, we don't mind surprising a few late workers, taking their blood, and leaving their bodies in a theatrical pose to scare the people, but what is the price? It is high! Damned high! I know what I'm talking about, for I have walked on this earth long enough to have experienced it twice."

Ivy gently continued down the stairs, with the others following her. They moved completely silently, and although a torch burned in its iron holder at their side, they had no fear of shadows preceding them and betraying their presence. Ivy knelt down and peeked around the corner. She waved the others forward and then crawled into the antechamber, from where they could see into the stone chamber where the masked men held their assembly. Hidden behind hewn marble blocks, they could now also see the venerable one as he continued speaking.

"It starts with the fear creeping into people's eyes. Then comes the naked terror, and finally hysteria. First, they run to the churches and pray because they sense that something unnatural is happening. They send out exorcists. In the past, they burned a witch or two, and today the vampire hunters come. Butchers and scavengers, like this one here!" He whirled around. His arm shot forward, his index finger almost touching the man's chest, causing him to recoil slightly in shock. It was the man who had joined the circle last. The man who had nearly killed Seymour with his sword. Alisa saw the grip of the weapon outlined under his cloak. The man opened his mouth, but the venerable one had already turned away and continued speaking.

"It draws vampire hunters from all lands like fortune seekers and gold diggers once the rumor has spread." The old Giuseppe held himself very straight and paced up and down the row of tables of the masked men until he stood before the cardinal, who wore a bright red robe. As red as the masks they all wore. The old vampire leaned in toward him.

"Their motives may differ, but their combined actions are devastating! I cannot and will not allow our family to suffer such a fate again. That is why I made a pact with the devil - oh, forgive me, Your Eminence, that slipped out. It should be: the pact with the holy Church, shouldn't it? I have always kept to the agreement. Now it's up to you to finally ensure that we are left alone for good!"

Now the cardinal jumped up and stretched, but he still did not reach the height of the old vampire. "Oh, really? How long has it been since you delivered the last of your kind to us? We're waiting! You still owe us some, until the dozen rubies are full! You've missed three meetings."

Dismay surged in Alisa. As she turned to the others, she could see the feeling mirrored in their eyes.

"I have given you enough victims for your blades! The power of the rubies is enough to keep a person alive for eternity. What more do you want?"

"Don't act so aggrieved! It was a business deal, nothing more. What a show you're putting on now! Weren't you glad to be rid of those among you who didn't dance to your tune, or do you want to deny that?"

"So that's it," Franz Leopold whispered. Ivy shot him a warning glance.

The old vampire flared up. "Of course, I provided you with those who were expendable, those who were of no use to the family anymore or who conspired against our clan leader. Those were necessary sacrifices to protect the rest of the clan. What do you think?"

"But that wasn't all! May I refresh your apparently very short memory? We got rid of the members of the royal family and the government for you, whom you didn't dare touch. Swiftly, cleanly, and discreetly. We don't care whether Italy is ruled by a pope or a king, but stick to our contract and make sure we're not disturbed again, or else your bloodless body might be pulled out of the Tiber. Then your dreams of power would be over very quickly."

"You want to threaten me?" the cardinal hissed. "Be careful with that! Perhaps the Pope will soon want to make a statement and eradicate all that is unnatural and unholy in his realm once and for all. A great crusade against evil!"

They saw the venerable one stagger back a bit.

"He didn't just come up with that. The cardinal planned it from the beginning," Ivy whispered hoarsely.

Luciano kept shaking his head. "How could he do such a thing? Why did he believe him and enter into this dirty deal?"

"It seems he thought it was the only way to solidify his grandson's rule and protect the family - the rest of the family," Alisa added, the image of charred bodies rising in her mind. What should they do now? Run back to the Domus Aurea and expose Conte Claudio to his grandfather's betrayal?

Franz Leopold snorted contemptuously. "Do you think he would believe us?"

"Should we just stand idly by while the cardinal launches his grand crusade?" Alisa retorted.

"Hush!" Ivy hissed, but it was too late. Silence fell over the secret assembly room beneath the Circus Maximus, and all eyes turned to the entrance to the antechamber. The old Giuseppe groaned and contorted his face in agony.

The four hadn't decided whether to retreat when Seymour suddenly whimpered and perked up his ears in alarm. Upstairs, the door clicked. Light steps descended the stairs. They were trapped. Franz Leopold and the wolf reacted first and rushed toward the stairs.

For a moment, the girl stood frozen and blinked down at the wolf and the young vampire, then she drew her silver dagger.

Ivy screamed, "No! Seymour, back!"

One of the men in the assembly room shouted, "They're vampires! Destroy them, they're vampires!"

The venerable one howled, "No, they're the heirs! This goes against the treaty!"

The hunter drew his silver sword, and suddenly two other men also held blades. The vampire hunter was the fastest. He lunged at Ivy, whose attention was focused on Seymour. While Luciano only shouted a warning to her, Alisa didn't hesitate for a moment. With a huge leap, she threw herself in his path, which would inevitably have led to Ivy's back. With her momentum, Alisa deflected the sword blade to the side. The man couldn't stop anymore. He slammed the tip of the blade against a marble block, where it shattered with a loud clang. The vampire hunter howled in pain as the impact broke his wrist. The sword pieces fell to the ground. But the man was a fighter. With his left hand, he picked up the broken sword. He wasn't beaten yet!

Carried by the momentum of her leap, Alisa slammed hard into the wall. Her first glance was toward Ivy, who appeared unharmed. Only the horror in Ivy's turquoise eyes made Alisa look down at herself. Her jacket and white shirt were slashed from her left hip to her right shoulder. Dark blood ran down her chest and stomach. Alisa gasped for air. Then the pain hit her, and she collapsed. Ivy caught her before her knees hit the ground. She pulled at her arm.

"We need to get out of here! Come on, or we're lost!" A backward glance showed that Seymour and Franz Leopold had subdued the girl. Luciano kicked the hunter's arm, causing him to drop his weapon again. Then he helped Ivy drag Alisa toward the stairs.

"Don't let those bloodsuckers escape. Seize them! Stab them down!" the cardinal screamed. The hunter reached for his sword again, the other men still hesitated.

"Out of the way!" the cardinal barked at the venerable one, shoving him aside. "They belong to us!"

"No! You will not harm our children! They are the only hope left to us," he suddenly didn't look old anymore. His teeth broke out sharp and white between his lips. He roared like a wounded beast. Then he reached for the first man. His long fingers clawed into the man's chest and neck. The dagger fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, the young vampires had reached the foot of the stairs. "Come on, get them up!" Franz Leopold shouted. "We'll hold off these butchers!"

It wasn't the right time to argue. Ivy and Luciano jumped onto the first step, dragging the swaying Alisa with them - and collided with a body shooting down the stairs. They were thrown against the wall. Alisa blinked. She felt dizzy. Everything suddenly seemed so distant and unreal. The body was large, broad, and cold. She knew this vampire. Alisa squinted her eyes and tried to make out the features through the swirling mists. Then she heard the old Giuseppe call out, "Leandro, quickly, get the children to safety. They need to get out of here!" Was it just her pounding head that made it seem like the bulky librarian was defiantly shaking his head?

"Leandro!"

"No! No one said they should interfere. Those who venture into danger can be destroyed. It's as simple as that."

"Save them! They are our heirs!"

"Luciano is our heir! The others are none of my concern," the librarian contradicted. Alisa felt Luciano being torn away from her side. She faltered and stumbled back into the antechamber with Ivy. Luciano protested, lashing out and sinking his teeth into Leandro's shoulder, but it was futile. Faster than the three friends could see, the librarian disappeared with Luciano around the bend of the stairs. The door above slammed shut with a bang.

"Get out of here! Run!" commanded the venerable one, biting down on the second man. Franz Leopold left the fallen girl to the wolf and rushed to Alisa. "Let go," he called to Ivy. "I'll take her."

Alisa couldn't resist. Her body simply collapsed in on itself, seeming to willingly surrender to Franz Leopold's strong, yet surprisingly gentle grip. They stopped on the upper landing, unable to tear themselves away from the horrific scene below.

"I'll get you!" the vampire hunter bellowed. Holding the sword stump like a battering ram in front of him, he charged at the three. The old Giuseppe followed him. Seymour howled, leaping off the girl's chest and attacking. He dodged the lethal blade and sank his teeth into the man's calf. The man screamed and tried to stab the wolf, but the venerable one pulled his arm back. Seymour's jaws snapped shut again, disarming him. But the hunter still didn't give up. He drew a hidden dagger and lunged at the vampire. The old one skillfully sidestepped, leaping forward again and sinking his teeth into the hunter's neck. A gurgling scream echoed through the vault. The cardinal and the three remaining men of the circle stood frozen, silently watching the struggle. Apparently none of them were skilled in handling weapons, so they didn't think to take the fallen men's blades and join the fight. Only the girl, who had risen again, seemed unwilling to stand idly by as the wolf and the old vampire killed the hunter. She reached for her silver dagger, which had slid into a corner, and threw herself onto the venerable one's back. The silver blade pierced his heart. With a scream that shook the vault, he released his victim. 

"Go to the heirs, and make sure they return safely," Giuseppe whispered to the wolf. "It was a mistake," he said before the light faded from his eyes. 

Seymour leaped over the two vampire hunters and ran up the stairs. The wolf didn't look back. He couldn't bring the old vampire's body to the Domus Aurea, where he might have awakened again. The story of the venerable Giuseppe ended at this place and in this hour.

Seymour took two steps at a time and reached Ivy, who was waiting for him unharmed. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked into her eyes. Then they turned to the other two.

Alisa leaned heavily against the wall. Franz Leopold still had his arm around her waist, supporting her. By now, the nausea had subsided a bit, and the fog in her mind had cleared enough for her to perceive her surroundings again. She would have liked to say that she was perfectly capable of standing upright without his help, but she didn't know if it was true. And she certainly didn't want to risk falling in front of him. So she pretended not to notice the arm around her waist as he helped her out now.

Ivy wedged a board from nearby into the door frame. "Let's go," she said solemnly. "There's nothing more we can do here."