Book Two, Chapter 131 to 140

The Vampire's Daughter
Book Two
The Beginning of Another
Chapters 131 to 140


Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005.
All rights reserved.
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131

"So you looked for the Father?" Sol asked, attempting to get more of the story, as John Paul had not spoken for a few minutes.

"Yes. I looked for and found the one our kind call the Father. It took many years and many lives, but I finally found him."

"And what did he tell you?" Sol asked.

"He told me to prepare the way for the chosen one. That it was my job to tell our kind that the souls we take will be redeemed and that we would be held accountable for what we have done.

"He told me that my name would be John Paul."

"Is that all he told you?" Sol asked.

"No."

"He told me that we were crucibles to be filled by evil souls. That long ago we sinned and rebelled against the Unspeakable. That it had a pact with God himself and that we had violated that pact.

"He said we would pay for that sin."

"How?"

"I don't know. And I have to admit, these last years my faith wavered. That is why I left the order to Paul. I had forgotten that God works in his time, not ours.

"The Father told me, that when the time came, I was to help the sun. I assumed he meant the Son of God, but now I believe he meant you."

"What?"

"He said that one would come to redeem the souls of our victims and hold them until they could be judged. Until we could be judged. He said the sun would pave the path through which we could be saved before the judgement.

"He said I must help the sun in his journey." With that John Paul knelt down in front of Sol, who still refused to sit, and kissed his hands. "I am your servant, I will do whatever you ask."


"John Paul, I am hardly the one that God would choose to deliver anything. Take out the dregs of society, perhaps, but I have no right to save souls or even trumpet the arrival of one who would."

Standing, John Paul asked, "Have you ever taken a soul that did not want or deserve to be taken?"

"With only myself as the judge, jury, and executioner, I do not believe I have."

"Think on what we have discussed tonight. We will talk again. I feel you are overwhelmed. I must let God's will unfold in his time.

"I have spoken too much, tell me Sol, why have you come to see me?"

"I actually came to see Paul to find out what the city was like."

"Ah, that is not my affair. I am here for the end. Let's go find Paul and you can ask him whatever you need to know."



132

As John Paul and Sol came down the stairs to the bell tower, John Paul began to yell out, "Paul, Paul, Sol needs to speak with you. Come help him as best you can. We are to be his guide, so it has been spoken to me by the Father as it was to him from above."

Paul came running up the isle, "Yes John Paul. I will help Sol as best I can. You must rest, though. You have only just come back to us after so long a slumber. Please, lie down in the tower and rest while I and the others help Sol, as you wish."

Paul looked at Sol after saying this, his eyes were pleading for Sol to help get John Paul to rest. Quickly Sol said, "He’s right JP, go rest. As you said, your affairs are of God. Mine, for now, are more worldly. Let Paul and the others help me in this. You go rest and pray so that you can help me in God's work."

"Yes, Sol, your advice is good. I can do little to help you with the matters of this city anyway." As he turned and walked away he said, "We will talk again."

Paul and Sol stood and watched as he went through the door to the bell tower. After watching it close, Paul said, "Come, we must talk," and took Sol's arm. Paul led him in silence to his office in the rectory.

"Sit Sol, sit. What did John Paul tell you?"

Sol recounted the general theme of his discussion with John Paul, watching as Paul's look went from worried to pity.

"I think you can see the problem we have," Paul said when Sol finished. "The elders and I, well, we believe John Paul has gone insane."

"Why do you say that?"

"He woke after a battle in the church. Thomas sent his Enforcers to crush us, thinking we would be easy pray. I believe he wanted to send a message to the city and rid himself of our clan. He’s always hated us.

"At first killing our clan was quite simple. Our laws don’t allow us to fight unless it is in defense of others. Well, one of our kind was killed over the altar. His blood got into the crypt below and it woke John Paul.

"He rose up and destroyed the Enforcers with great ease."

"I would expect as much from an ancient," Sol said.

"Yes, but two things happened. Word of the Enforcers' defeat spread and other clans began to rebel, and John Paul began to talk about the end of our kind. He never mentioned any of the stories he told you to anyone before that night.

"We are afraid the blood that woke him has driven him insane. That is what happens when one of our kind kills another. The blood drives them over the edge. I fear our beloved leader is lost and we don't know how to bring him back."

"What are the rest of your clan saying?"

"We have kept him separate from them. We don't want news of this to spread."

"The bible says that a profit is never accepted by his own people," Sol stated.

"You heard him. Are his words the words of a sane vampire?

"If word got out about what he's been saying, our coven would crumble."

"I'm his friend, I won't abandon him," Sol said.

"No, Sol, you misunderstand me. That's not what I want. I want you to keep visiting him. Keep listening. Maybe it will work out of his system, maybe he'll tell you something we can use to help him. God, I hope we can help him," Paul said, looking up toward the ceiling.

"I will come back and talk with him," Sol responded.

"Thank you," Paul said, with a sigh of relief.

"There is no need to thank me, he has been a very good friend to me. Your entire clan has been good to me. It's the least that I can do.

"However, I came here to ask for your help."

"Yes, yes. What is that you need to know?"



133

"I want to know what is going on in the city," Sol told Paul.

"Well, I've already told you a little. But, from what I understand, that issue with Sabastian and the human girl erupted into a feud amongst the strongest clans. Hearing of his protege's failure at keeping the Tribunal together, Thomas reemerged and destroyed the Smithsons. They had been the largest and strongest dissenters for years.

"No one seems to know exactly what happened to Sabastian or the girl, and, until you showed up here tonight, you. We feared you had been killed in the battle."

"As you see, I was not destroyed. In fact, I played no part in the actual battle," Sol replied.

"Yes, and I thank God for your safety."

"Thank you. But how were you involved, your clan is peaceful?" Sol asked.

"Yes, that's why it was such a shock to be attacked. Our code dictates that we only fight to defend others. At one point that meant defending humans from our own kind, but we've not done that for hundreds of years. Now we simply take the lives of those who deserve or desire death. And even then, we only feed enough to live and no more."

"Yes," said Sol, "but you are not truly a clan. You are more a collection of other clans. Perhaps that interconnection is what worried him."

"Perhaps. Whatever the reason, he sent Enforcers to destroy us. We were, as you might suspect, being cut down in our paths. Some fought, others just tried to shield the hurt from the attack. Most just stood their ground and died.

"Michael fought. He fought harder than any of us."

"You fought?" Sol asked, interrupting.

"Yes."

"You should be proud."

"I'm not proud, but neither am I ashamed."

"I'm sorry I interrupted, please continue."

"Well, the fighting moved to the altar. Michael jumped onto the top of it just as the moon came from behind a cloud. It was so large and bright that a beam of light came through the stained glass window above the church's entrance, casting a red light across the alter. He was struck down and fell, leaving blood over the altar.

"From what we can tell, the blood seeped through the cracks in the floor and into John Paul's coffin. I don't know how or why, but it woke him. And just in time, too.

"The altar shifted and he came out of the crypt like Lazarus from the tomb. We all fell prostrate, praising God for John Paul's return.

"The Enforcers were shocked for a bit, but then resumed their attack. When John Paul retaliated, they didn't stand a chance. He killed about half of the Enforcers before the rest fled."

"Only a fool would take on an ancient as powerful and old as John Paul," Sol replied.



134

"Since John Paul dispatched the Enforcers," Paul continued, "they have not tried to attack us again."

"That’s good," Sol interjected.

"Yes, but I believe it is because Thomas has other issues to worry about. As I said before, hearing how we, a peaceful clan, defeated Thomas' great Enforcers, other covens resisted his rule.

"We are in the middle of a civil war. Everyone who is fighting is against Thomas, but no one is unified in the fight. It is chaos."

"And what role are you playing in this?" Sol asked.

"At this point we are not playing any role. We are defending our church and taking in any that come to look for refuge."

"And you are trying to keep JP quiet."

"Yes, the remaining elders are spending a great deal of time on that. What of you Sol, what is your involvement?" Paul asked.

"I was tricked into helping Thomas destroy the Smithson clan. I stood by and watched the destruction. It was horrific.

"After the battle, I left the Enforcers and Thomas."

"You were allowed to leave?" Paul asked with great surprise.

"Yes, but only because I left with Sabastian."

"You have formed a coven with Sabastian?"

"I guess you could say that."

"My God," Paul said, putting his hand to his chin in thought. "Did you tell this to John Paul?"

"No."

"Good, good. It would only upset him more. Has the information I've shared helped you?"

"Yes, Paul, it has. I thank you."

"Well, I should get back to John Paul and try to calm him. Perhaps it would be best if you didn't see him for a while."

"I guess," Sol answered, a little confused since Paul had earlier asked him to spend more time with John Paul.

"I'll walk you to the door," Paul said calmly, but Sol could sense his nervousness.

"Thank you," Sol replied.

On the way, the two discussed the vampires lost in the battle with the Enforcers.



135

Sol was happy to have the information that Paul provided. And, despite the timing, he was extremely happy to see John Paul. What seemed odd to him was the disconnect between John Paul and those he left to lead his clan.

"Paul wanted me to spend time with John Paul until I mentioned Sabastian. John Paul spoke of the sun coming to pave the way for another. Sol does mean sun, but surely that couldn't mean anything," Sol thought to himself, as he went back to Sabastian's brownstone.

When Sol arrived, he was stopped at the door by two Enforcers.

"Marcus, Sam, why are you stopping me?" he asked.

"Orders from Night," Sam replied.

"Night? I suppose she fits the mold better than I. And she's worked hard all these years. Still, you two know me, I've told you I'm not here to do anything. You can't think I'm a danger?"

"Sol, you were good to me, but you abandoned your post. Anyone else would have been killed for that. The only reason you're still alive is because of him," Marcus said gesturing toward the building. "You can't expect us to stick our necks out for you, you know what they'd do to us."

"Yes," Sol answered, "you're right. Can you at least tell Sabastian I'm here?"

The two guards looked at each other and Sam said, "Yeah, I guess we can." He went inside, leaving Marcus with Sol.

"So, why is Elizabeth being confined like this?" Sol asked.

"Well, she disobeyed Thomas in the middle of a fight. He's pretty angry. He damn near killed her that night. Now I think he's trying to cool off so he doesn't kill her. Hell, I'd be hard pressed to kill a babe like that. No offence intended, if you know what I mean."

"None taken, I'm well aware of my sire's physical beauty. Why did she disobey an order?"

"Honestly, I'm damn glad she did. I was in her command. Thomas sent two groups to take out those religious nut cases over at the church. At first it was an easy fight, but then, out from under the altar, this ancient pops up!

"He starts ripping through the Enforcers around him like they were humans. It wasn't even a fight. One of the men got word to her and she pulled us.

"When we got back to Thomas in Central Park, she went nuts. She was yelling at him for setting us up to be killed and setting her up to take the fall when the Tribunal collapsed. It was ugly.

"He let her rant for a bit, then said, 'enough' and hit her clear across the field we were in.

"But you know her, she's nuts. No offence intended."

"I know all too well how crazy my sire can be when she is heated."

"Yeah, well, she gets up, dusts herself off and goes back over to yell at him. We couldn't believe it, none of us would have had the balls to take Thomas on like that.

"She said about five words before he took her by the neck. He looked her right in the eyes and said, 'I gave you life and I can take it away.' She stopped yelling and he had her taken away.

"You should have seen the look in her eyes. She was hurt and scared."

"Interesting. Her tempers and mood swings have finally gotten her into more trouble than she can handle. I wonder if Thomas would really kill her?" Sol asked.

"From what I hear, he would. No one can figure out why she's still alive. He must really have a soft spot for her, or else he needs her for something. But he's killed for much less."



136

"So what about Night?" Sol asked the guard.

"Man is she a bitch. She just bawled us out for letting Sabastian in, like we could have stopped him.

"The real pisser is that she came to kick him out, but he's still in there. I don't know what happened, but she was good and upset when she left," Marcus explained.

"I imagine that Sabastian is a sore topic for her," Sol said.

"That's an understatement. Hell, the guy killed her sire. Lots of folks wouldn't care, but Night and Dana were close."

"If I remember correctly, Night was the last vampire Dana sired."

"Yeah," Marcus said, "they've been an item for seventy or eighty years. Man would I have loved to see those two in action, if you know what I mean."

Sol chuckled, then said, "But she would be no match for Sabastian and she knows it. Night is proud, but not stupid."

"Yeah, my guess is that she went to Thomas after getting a good look at Sabastian," Marcus said just before the second guard came back.

With his arrival the topic changed to more mundane goings on within the city, but Sol didn't learn anything new. Within a few minutes, Sabastian came out of the front door with Elizabeth.

"Hello Sol," she yelled past Sabastian and the guards.

Sol smiled and waved, as she gave Sabastian a hug and a kiss. He walked to Sol, and the pair headed down the street. They didn't say much until Sabastian announced, "Night is planning a surprise for us," as they turned onto Second Avenue.

Immediately in front of them stood Night and 10 Enforcers. "Hello traitor," she said to Sol, and looking at Sabastian she said, "I told you this wasn't over."

"Well, Little Bee, you have brought your friends to play with me. Do you believe eleven Enforcers are enough to kill me?"

"I've never seen anyone but an ancient take on this many. And that ancient only survived because of your sire's cowardice."

"Your insult is misplaced. I do not care what you say about Elizabeth. Would you like to try again? I am sure a creative mind like yours can come up with an insult that will goad me into a fight.

"That is what Thomas told you is it not? Do not attempt to kill Sabastian unless he attacks first," Sabastian said.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. You are an open book to me. Your rage is your biggest weakness, you hide nothing behind it."

"I'm going to kill you," Night answered, adding a string of expletives for impact.

"Perhaps," Sabastian said, "but not tonight." He and Sol walked past Night and her group.

"You enjoy pissing people off, don't you?" Sol asked, as they listened to Night throw threats behind them.

"No, but do I enjoy putting those who get too far out of line back in their proper place."


137

As they traveled up the East Side, Sabastian asked, "Did you find out anything of interest?"

"I went over to the Church. It seems that John Paul has come back to the Zionists."

"The vampire zealot returns, how interesting. Thomas was never fond of John Paul," Sabastian responded.

"No, he never was," Sol said. "And I imagine his hatred has grown recently."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he was the cause of the rift with Elizabeth and, to some extent, the strife within the city."

"Interesting."

"Yes," Sol said. He then went into the story of Thomas' failed attack on the Church.

"So that is what Night was talking about when she called Elizabeth a coward."

"Yes."

"Funny that Night should insult someone for backing down from a fight they could not win. It sounds like the pot is calling the kettle black.

"Did you learn anything else of interest?"

Sol thought for a little bit, and then said, "Not really." He didn't know why, but he felt that he shouldn't tell Sabastian about his discussion with John Paul. "What did you find out?" he asked Sabastian.

"That Elizabeth has stored just about everything I own and you can, if you would, have someone come get it at your earliest convenience."

"I'll have my man arrange for it to be picked up tomorrow if it is possible."

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet. When they arrived at the house, it was fully lit.

"It looks like we have furniture," Sol said, as they got out of the car.

"So it does," Sabastian replied.

When they walked into the house, Susan was already running toward the door. She leaped into Sabastian's arms just as he stepped through the door. "Come see my room! Come see my room!" she yelled gleefully.

"Certainly, my dear," he said to Susan. To Mary, who had been following behind Susan, and Sol he said, "If you will excuse me."

After they left, Mary said, "He hides all of his emotions but the one."

Sol answered, "I don't think he could hide the love he feels for the little girl even if he wanted to."

"Well, I'll give him the grand tour later, not that I think he'll care."

"He probably won't, but don't take it personally," Sol said as they walked into the living room. As they entered, Claudia turned to look at Sol. Her eyes went wide and she dropped to her knees praying.

"What on Earth is she doing?" Mary asked.

"Praying."

"I can see that," she shot at him, "but why?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, why don't you try asking her," Sol said sarcastically.



138

"Claudia," Mary started, "I hate to interrupt your religious fit, but why are you praying?"

Claudia looked at Mary and, pointing at Sol, asked, "Can you not see it?"

"See Sol? Yes I can see Sol."

"Not Sol, the aura on Sol."

Mary looked at Sol, who was looking at himself. "No," Mary answered, "Sol doesn't appear to have an aura to me. Perhaps if you describe this aura I'll be able to see what you are talking about. Is it a glow? Does it have a color?"

"You make fun of what you not understand. Sol has been touched by angel of God. His hands glow like beacons."

Sol and Mary looked down at his hands. Neither saw an aura or glow.

"You have a bit of dirt under you right index finger," Mary said, "but other than that I see nothing remarkable about your hands."

Sol looked at Mary, then knelt down in front of Claudia. "How do you know that I have been touched by an angel of God?"

"Don't goad her on," Mary said to him.

"I'm not," he said without turning. "She sees something and I want to know what it is."

"Well, I'll leave you two to your unearthly glowing. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready for the tour," Mary said, as she left the living room.

After she was gone, Claudia said to Sol, "You meet someone important tonight. Someone lost, but now found."

"Yes. Yes I did."

"He do this to your hands," she said, touching them.

"But I can't see anything. They're no different now then they were yesterday."

"They very different. You not see yet because you not believe. But you will. In time."

"Believe what?"

"What is before your very eyes."

"My hands?"

"Must you touch wound to believe?"

"What?"

"You are Doubting Thomas. But he believe and you will too."

Sol stood up with a bewildered look. "Perhaps someday I will understand," he said, as he walked to the kitchen.

"Did she known that I saw John Paul tonight?" he asked himself. "Did she know that he kissed my hands?"

"Sol," Mary yelled for the third time, finally shaking him out of his own thoughts. "Did you enjoy your talk with the old lady?"

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"Well, don't think too much about it. She is very nice, but mad as a hatter."

"I'm not so sure about that," he said. "Nonetheless, please take me on the grand tour."



139

After showing Sabastian all of her furniture, Susan proceeded to show him all the rooms in her new dollhouse.

While they were playing, she asked, "Did you see Sol's hands?"

"I did not."

"They were pretty."

"Were they? I had not noticed. How so?"

"They were shinny."

"What do you mean by that?" Sabastian asked.

"They were glowing."

"I did not see that. Why were his hands glowing?"

"Because an angel touched them."

"Really? Do you know which angel?"

"John Paul, silly."

"How do you know about John Paul?" Sabastian asked. There was no way Susan could have known about John Paul, let alone that Sol had met with him that night.

"I just do. He's gonna help Sol."

"How?"

"He's gonna make him believe."

"Believe in what?"

"God."

"John Paul is going to make Sol believe in God," Sabastian repeated.

"Yup."

"Do you believe in God?"

"Yeah, he's the one that brought us together," Susan answered.

"Do you know why Sol needs to believe in God?" Sabastian asked.

"Not yet. But you will too, eventually," she answered. "Let's go see if Mary will let us look at her room," Susan said, abruptly ending the conversation.

"I think that would be nice," Sabastian replied, picking Susan up and walking into the hall. Just getting to the top of the stairs was Mary, saying, "And now you have to see my room."

"May we join you?" Sabastian asked.

"I didn't think you'd care to bother."

"Susan wanted me to see it," he said, slightly bowing his head.

"The more the merrier," Sol announced.

The four of them went into Mary's room, which was full of deep red furniture. "I'm going to have the walls covered in red velvet, with black highlights."

"It sounds like it'll be very pretty," Sol responded.

"Won't it be pretty Sabastian?" Susan asked.

"Yes, very much so," he answred, though he really felt it was too typical a set up. Elizabeth had done a similar thing for many years. "But now it is time for you to go to bed."

"O.K.," she said, jumping down and leading Sabastian by the hand back to her room. "Did you see how pretty Sol's hands were?" she asked on the way to bed.

"I am sorry, but I did not."

"It's O.K., you will."



140

Around noon the next day Susan was up playing in the living room while Claudia was tidying up.

"Would you like eat something?" the old lady asked.

"Yeah! Let's have a picnic."

"A picnic? I guess we could do that. Where we go?"

"The park by the water."

"O.K. I go make us food."

"I'll help," Susan said, dropping what she was doing to run into the kitchen ahead of Claudia.

The prior night, while the furniture was being moved in, Claudia was sent to get groceries. She stocked the entire kitchen with food and bought some basic cooking utensils.

Despite a wide variety of options, Susan wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. After the food was set up, Claudia called a cab to drive them to the park Susan wanted to go to in the next town.

When they got into the cab and Claudia told the cab driver where to go, Susan said, "No, not that one. I want to go to the park with all the rides."

"The amusement park?" Claudia asked.

"Yes, the one by the water."

"O.K., we go to Playland Park."

Playland was actually much closer to where they lived, so much so that they could have walked. But, having already called a cab, Claudia didn't feel right sending it away.

When they got there, Claudia asked, "We go in?"

"No, I went to eat in the park over there," Susan said, pointing off to the side of Playland.

By this time Claudia realized that they were in this place for a reason, so she said, "I follow you."

Susan walked to a spot under a tree by an old stone wall that separated the park from the roadway. They sat and ate and, when they were done, Susan played with her dolls on the wall.

Shortly after she started to play the woman from the diner jogged by. Claudia, who was watching Susan, instantly recognized her as the little girl's grandmother.

As the woman passed, Susan waved and smiled. The woman stopped just past her and turned around.

"I remember you from the diner," Susan said to the lady.

Slightly out of breath, the woman said, "I remember you, too. What's your name?"

"Susan."

When the woman heard that her eyes went wide. "Is your mom here?" she asked.

"No, but my Claudia is," she answered pointing to the old lady sitting under the tree watching the conversation.

The woman waved and said, "Hello." To Susan she asked, "Is that your grandmother?"

"Kinda."

The woman chuckled, thinking that Susan was just playing and that her fantasy of finding her granddaughter alive was just that.



[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005. All rights reserved.]