A modern tragedy

“NO, I bear NO love for him. I hate him with my entire being.” The girl almost seemed to spit out the words.
This was interesting. Catharina could see straight into people’s souls, which was one of the many gifts she had been blessed with. The words the girl said came from a place very deep within her, expressing a sentiment that had been with her for a very long time. The hate she said to feel for him was real, or she felt like it was anyway. But it seemed to come from something else, from a certain helplessness, the feeling of being powerless.
Almost Catharina felt as if she had the girl in a place where she could be useful.
“But I am no traitor… I will NOT betray the friend of the man who did stand by my side the entire time,” the girl hissed.
Catharina sighed. The forces of evil were surely strong. Nothing ever came easy, all was a struggle. But that was okay. She knew she would eventually triumph.
“I did not ask you anything of the sort,” Catharina said. “Pay attention, little girl.” She thought about her options. She had put a couple of her people on guard, in case he would show up, but she didn’t know if he would be sufficiently delayed by that. She could try to get the girl by force, but that would be a delay. It would be better to keep her in the dark about her true intentions.
“You say you hate him, and I can relate,” she said. “He tried to kill me once.” She opened her dress to show the hideous scar on her chest. “But he is still one of mine, even if he left me for dead. I cannot help…” She inhaled sharply and deeply, as if her breath pained her. “I cannot help but love him still.” She lifted her eyes toward the girl. “You don’t have to help me to find him, to be able to talk to him. Honestly, I’m still not sure if I will try to kill him or forgive him…” Catharina chuckled. “… but I need to see him. Help me, or hate me for being his sire, trust me or don’t: it’s your choice. You decide.”
 
Dante thought he saw something in the distance. Was it her? He couldn’t see clearly yet, but he was rapidly coming closer.  Were there two people standing there?
Suddenly another person showed up in front of him and charged him. Dante couldn’t stop. A moment later they were sprawled out on the rooftop.

Again? He thought, before plunging into the fight.

The woman let out a sigh, as if her life was hard! Come on, give me a break, Dianne thought a tiny bit irritated.
“I did not ask you anything of the sort,” the woman said. Well that’s not how I interpreted it, Dianne thought, though she kept her mouth wisely shut tight.
“Pay attention, little girl.” The woman started, obviously thinking about something. Although Dianne wasn’t quite sure what it was. Why was that woman so very interested in Dante? What the hell had that idiot done to make his own sire hate him? Or at least something like that. the woman was probably just delusional, Dianne thought, putting her arms crossed it front of her chest as she looked at the woman with defiance in her eyes.
“You say you hate him, and I can relate,” she said. “He tried to kill me once.” She was informed. Not that it came as a real shocker, somehow she had expected something like that. what she hadn’t expected was that she woman started to half undress herself. Unwillingly, Dianne’s mouth opened a little at the sight of a hideous scar on the woman’s chest. “Perhaps he had a reason.” Dianne muttered softly, though she was intrigued.
“But he is still one of mine, even if he left me for dead. I cannot help…” She inhaled sharply, “I cannot help but love him still.” She lifted her eyes toward her and Dianne couldn’t look away. It was again that stare that seemed to paralyze her.
“Then you have a very strange version of love, Madam.” Dianne said, trying to find, again, a way out of this strange situation she was in. somewhere in the distance she could hear somebody fighting and there was a pang of hope in her heart. Maybe it was Matt, coming for her. It was a little pathetic of course, to hope that someone would come to save her, but she really really wanted to be saved now.
“You don’t have to help me to find him, to be able to talk to him. Honestly, I’m still not sure if I will try to kill him or forgive him…” the stranger chuckled. “… but I need to see him. Help me, or hate me for being his sire, trust me or don’t: it’s your choice. You decide.”

And that open choice was the worst mistake the woman could have given her. Because even though she hated Dante for what he had done. Even though she wanted to murder him over and over again for leaving her, for not being at her side when she had needed him the most, was she able to betray him in this way? For yes, getting along with this strange woman felt like she was betraying him. Some of her blood was his and because of that she felt so very uncomfortable at this point, talking to her... not running or doing anything about the woman.
“You can die again for all I care.” Dianne said softly, she had been looking away while she had been thinking about the two options. “Yes, I despise him and yes I would really like to harm him very very much. But he must have had a reason to act against his own sire in that way.” She added. Now she, again, looked at the woman with the same defiance in her eyes. “Just put your dress back on and go.” She growled softly.
The fighting behind her was still going on and within a second Dianne had vanished, running straight towards the sound of fighting vampires.

The girl was stronger than she had imagined. Catharina thought giving her a choice might have given her a sense of agency, of dignity even. But whether she had seen through her, or that she was simply too attached to her sire or to someone else – the man she had been talking about earlier – the girl was not biting. Catharina was a bit disappointed in the girl’s reaction. On the other hand, she saw there was something happening rather close by and she guessed it was him. It was not her intent to see him this soon.
Not yet, not now.
She pulled up her dress and disappeared so quickly, it was as if she dissolved in the air.
 
This one was tougher than the other. Dante gave his all, but his opponent was always there when he tried to strike, matched his every move and even brought him in an undesirable position at the edge of the roof, before Dante could jump aside and slip past the other. They were too evenly matched. The vampire snarled, baring her teeth. Instinctively he hissed back and lunged at her throat. She sidestepped and lashed out. He could barely deflect it.
The fight took all his attention, so he had no idea what was going on around him. He felt very uncomfortable thinking about the two people he had seen in the distance. The two vampires that attacked him were definitely the Saint’s, and were probably meant as a distraction. What was the she up to?
Dante almost missed the sharp nails coming at his face, and ducked only at last notice. The vampire kicked him in the groin, sending him flying into - and breaking - a chimney. For a moment, Dante was dazed. He tried to get up, almost failed, and got knocked over by the other again at his moment of imbalance.
He tried to get hold of her foot when she kicked him again, but failed. He rolled away, trying to buy some time.

He know had the disadvantage. And with someone just as strong and fast as himself, that meant he was in serious trouble…

Dianne saw how he was flying through the air. Yes, she admitted that she was liking this a little bit. She just stood there now, about two minutes already. The strange woman had disappeared and Dante was fighting somebody else. Why was everybody fighting? Not that she was talking about this moral crap but still... was it the night for it or something? She wondered.
When eventually it seemed like this might prove to be harder on Dante than he had expected himself, she engaged the fight. Dianne jumped up from her current position and ran towards the woman, who was so intent on hurting Dante that she didn’t even notice Dianne until it was too late.
Dianne wrapped her legs around the neck of the woman and pulled her down with one hell of a smack. That was when she stood and kicked the woman, and again. The next time she was too fast for Dianne and she knew that she had to get out of her. The only thing she could hope for was that the distraction had been enough for Dante to finish it off.

She wasn’t planning on staying and waiting. She turned around and walked away, it seemed like that was going to be her new thing now, walking away from her sire. She shivered as she remembered how she had, in a weird way, protected him by not going with the strange woman. But there had been something about her that gave Dianne the creeps and so that was why she had decided not to do this after all. She hated him, but she wanted him to feel that hate himself while she made him feel the pain. She wasn’t planning on letting somebody else do the hurt!
She entered the house through the front door and saw Matt sitting. He rose and looked at her with this strange look in his eyes. “You’ve met her, haven’t you?” he whispered. She looked down for a second but nodded and she walked with him to the living room and sat down. He brought her a glass of whatever and she took a sip. “Yes, you’ve got some explaining to do. Besides why was He fighting random vampires?” she asked him.
“He’s going to explain when he gets back. Promise.” Matt growled softly, she could see he was getting pissed and kept her mouth shut.

Then suddenly Dianne jumped in. Dante had been so busy fighting for his life that he hadn’t even noticed her. The other vampire fell down and Dianne kicked her a couple of times. This gave Dante the chance to get up. He leaned against the broken chimney and shook his head in an effort to clear it. Heat came from the inside of the chimney and smoke enveloped him. He took a step forward to be able to see Dianne still. She had had the element of surprise, but now the other vampire jumped up and lashed out, almost catching Dianne. Dianne took the cue and darted away, running back in the direction of home. Before the vampire could follow her, Dante sprang up and tackled her, sending them both flying. He hoped the Saint didn’t have any other henchmen that would attack Dianne on the way back. In case there were though, he had to finish this fight as fast as he could.
They were both wounded, though Dante a little bit more than the other. But he needed this fight to be over and doubled his effort. Slowly the female vampire was pushed back.
Just when Dante thought he had her, she suddenly created a diversion by moving to the right. Dante followed her, but quick as lightning she struck left instead.
Dante was hit, but managed to grab her. Slowly, laboriously, he started pushing her back. She struggled and fought, but he now had a strong hold. Her back touched the chimney, but still Dante used all his strength.
Her eyes widened as she understood was he was up too and she struggled twice as hard. Futile, because Dante, ignoring the hits on his legs, stomach and arms, lifted her and then threw her over the edge of black-stained bricks. He heard her scream as she fell into the fire.
Dante didn’t hang around to see how it played out. He had no intention whatsoever of finding out if she died and if there had been any people downstairs. Instead he ran as fast as he could, back to Matt’s house. There was no point in not-going there. His scent was all over it already and if the Saint had spoken to Dianne, her scent could also be followed. They could try to leave town, but Dante honestly didn’t believe it would help.
Dante rang three times. Matt opened the door. He did not look happy.
“What is going on?” he said. “I never heard of any Saint before and now Dianne said you had been fighting?”
“I will explain,” Dante said, pushing past him. “Don’t let anyone in, though that is only logical. I need to speak to Dianne.”
Matt closed the door and followed Dante into the living room.
“You can’t just do that to someone who is supposedly your friend. Dante!”

Ignoring him, Dante turned to Dianne: “You saw her, didn’t you? What did she tell you? What did she say?! And what the hell were you thinking going out alone like that after last night?”

She was still on the couch when she heard Matt walking to the door. It was some time after she had arrived back and she was just relaxing, taking a sip of damping hot coffee as she looked over her book. “Sure you’re going to open that?” she asked him, though she knew that he probably would.
When he opened the door she could hear them both speak clearly, still was some getting used too, she thought to herself.
“What is going on?” he said. “I never heard of any Saint before and now Dianne said you had been fighting?”
“I will explain,” Dante said, pushing past him. “Don’t let anyone in, though that is only logical. I need to speak to Dianne.”
Ow no… why now, she thought taken aback. She moved cautiously, trying not to stir anything into motion. She put her book away quietly, straightened herself and she started to walk towards the stairs. She was nealy there and she could already hear Matt saying something about a friend.

Both men walked into the living room and immediately Dante started to shout at her.
“You saw her, didn’t you?” he started, sounding a little threatening to her. She turned back around, since she was not going to get away that easily. Besides, I am not some child afraid of some guy, she said in order to make herself feel a little bit better... at least she tried.
“ What did she tell you? What did she say?! And what the hell were you thinking going out alone like that after last night?” he said, yelling at her.
“Don’t you dare act that way.” She hissed back, taking some steps back down the stair, so she could look him into the eyes.
“You’ve got no right whatsoever to act like that!” she said, feeling how she was getting angry again.
“You bailed on me! Not even knowing anything. And here you are, playing the hero, acting like someone who does care. NO you’re not going to do that, you’ve given up that right a long time ago!” she yelled now, lashing at him with her nails.
“And yes I did talk to her, she seems not to like you very much. But for some idiotic reason I did stood up for you. You leave me alone or I swear I will be gone by nightfall.” She growled at him, turning her back towards him as she run up the stair and almost broke her door, she hard she slammed it shut. She was feeling the way she had when she was still a newborn vampire. All on edge, angry, frustrated, unsecure... weak. She grabbed one of the chairs in her room and broke it be throwing it at the wall. The wall won of course.

She hadn’t had any sleep that whole day. She had been searching the net for things she could use, for ways to get out, to start a new life... maybe that woman wasn’t that bad? She thought, though a shiver made her take that thought back. No, that wasn’t an option either. Maybe, just maybe, she could go somewhere on her own and simply fall of the face of the earth... that would be great. Just disappearing from view for about a year or 50 at the least.
That thought triggered her more and she started to think ahead. She had allot of money saved on some account, she could use that too....
It was already night when she had finally reached the last step of her plan. She pushed the button, let the computer screen die and looked around. She was going to have to pack a bag, she thought, crossing her arms and a grin split her face. This was a plan.

“Don’t you dare act that way,” Dianne hissed to him. She looked pretty upset. Well, he was upset too, so that made two of them. Three actually, as Matt seemed to have been in a permant state of being-upset ever since Dante arrived. “You’ve got no right whatsoever to act like that!”
“As I just fought two vampires for you, I’d say I do have a right!” Dante said, but she didn’t even seem to hear him.
“You bailed on me! Not even knowing anything. And here you are, playing the hero, acting like someone who does care. NO you’re not going to do that, you’ve given up that right a long time ago!” Dante stepped only a very tiny step back when she lashed out, just enough to make sure she didn’t actually touch him.
“And yes I did talk to her, she seems not to like you very much. But for some idiotic reason I did stood up for you. You leave me alone or I swear I will be gone by nightfall.”
“Shall I tell you why she doesn’t like me?” Dante yelled after her. But she had already reached her room and slammed the door shut with a very loud bang.
Dante was almost going after her, but someone grabbed hold of his arm.
“Wha-?” he started to say, turning to face Matt. But before he could finish, Matt had punched him in the face. “What the hell?” Dante was outraged, but he didn’t fight back. “What was that for?”
Matt looked dead-calm.
“If you don’t know what it was for, you deserve another one,” he said.
“Wha-,” Dante started again, but this time he stopped himself. He thought of everything that had happened. “Hmm, I guess you’re right.”
“Listen Dan,” Matt said. Dante was happily surprised to be called Dan again. Matt only called him Dante when he was angry. “I was always cool with you being all mysterious and not telling anything at all about your past life. But it is something else when that past is knocking on your door and trying to kill you and me and Dianne apparently and you’re still not talking!”
Dante suddenly felt very tired. Mostly because what Matt said was true.
“Fair enough,” he admitted. “Yes. I don’t… like to talk about it though.” He sighed. “I’ve never told anyone.” He rubbed his eyes, then looked at Matt.
“Can you give me until tomorrow?” he asked. “I just need to figure out how to tell you. And Dianne. I should probably tell her too. But I need to find the words. It’s just… so much and it’s buried so deep.”
Matt looked as if he was ready to argue. Then he suddenly slacked.
“Sure,” he said. “Tell me tomorrow. No more excuses.”

“No more excuses,” Dante agreed.

She had gone downstairs, right before Matt and Dante got down themselves, and took a quick bite. Then she raced upstairs, packed her bag in complete and utter silence while she hoped that nobody entered the room.
While she was doing all that she found things she had thought long lost, some had better memories attached to them than other but it didn’t matter. A few items she put in her bag before she closed it. One more check on her laptop and she was good to go. She had to go with the subway, but that was something she rather avoided. Instead she chose to leave earlier and walk toward the airport. She had a valid passport, or something that looked like it, so there should be no trouble. She had booked the first airport out of this place, towards Berlin or something. She had always wanted to go there so this seemed like a good start. Besides, as a vampire it might come in handy to know allot of languages. Of course she was not that much of an idiot that she would leave through the front door, she would leave the traditional sneaky way; the window....again. seriously, she thought, I have to get more original about leaving places. But that was a thought for another day and after she had scrabbled a quick and small letter to Matt, she left again, swallowed up by the night. It was still early and there were still traces of her smell from yesterday and the day before, so she would be safe if she followed her previous trail for a while.

Dear Matt,
I Cannot thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me. You where there all the time, even though I knew you’d rather not be stuck with me. This is not goodbye, just a short getaway. I hope I’ll see you again soon, with soon I mean over a few years of course. I just need a little time to figure things out for myself without others around me to do... well whatever.
I just need you to know that I loved having you around, but now that time has passed and I have to go on, so do you. If you ever want to see me before I come see you, first stop in Germany and then go towards Italy if I’m not there anymore.

Again, thank you.

Dianne.’

Yes, so it had been a shitty message, who cares, she was on her way and she was not going to come back here. Those were her thought while she stepped on the plane with a bright smile on her face. This was going to be awesome!

Dante had been up most of the day, sitting in a corner of his room and staring at the light that crept in through the shutters and at the corners of the curtains. It was fitting, he thought, to see the light again after a long time, just when he had to revisit his human past. It was hard to remember the things that were at the same time so far away and still so painful. He dozed off right before nightfall and only woke around 11. Still a little dazed, he went to the living room, where he found Matt.
“I am ready,” Dante said. “I think. It took me most of the day, but I can tell you now.”
Matt didn’t respond.
“Dianne’s still in bed?” Dante asked. Then, suspecting something, he added: “Don’t tell me she’s run away again.”
In response, Matt held out a note.
 
Dear Matt,
I Cannot thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me. You were there all the time, even though I knew you’d rather not be stuck with me. This is not goodbye, just a short getaway. I hope I’ll see you again soon, with soon I mean over a few years of course. I just need a little time to figure things out for myself without others around me to do... well whatever.
I just need you to know that I loved having you around, but now that time has passed and I have to go on, so do you. If you ever want to see me before I come see you, first stop in Germany and then go towards Italy if I’m not there anymore.
 
Again, thank you.
 
Dianne.
 
Dante stared.
“And you found this when?” he asked.
Matt shook his head. He looked… old, for some reason, even as he still had the face of a twenty-year old. But his energy was gone and he was slumped in his chair.
“When I came downstairs. I went to her room, but she wasn’t there anymore. And her scent was already old.”
“Well…” Dante tried to think of something nice to say. Unfortunately, he was not very nice himself.
“You know, I never wanted to have that responsibility,” Matt said. “I was horrified when she woke up. I don’t understand vampires that build little families and play father and mother.”
Dante thought of Catharina. “Yeah, me neither.”
“But… I couldn’t help feel sorry for her. She didn’t want this. And before I knew it, I was taking care of her, teaching her, arguing with her, but also laughing with her… I was playing her father. It was just that I wasn’t playing it, I genuinely felt worried about her and you know, connected to her.”
He looked at Dante.
“I was angry at you when you turned up. But not just because of what you had done, not just because I knew Dianne would hate it, but also because I was afraid I’d lose her.”
Short pause. “And I did.”
“She’s just in Germany,” Dante said. He didn’t add ‘hopefully’. If the Saint had her, they would probably already know. “And you live forever. It is not the end.”
“Isn’t it?” Matt said. “You know, maybe the only reason I have never sired another vampire is because I couldn’t bear losing someone again.”
Dante stared at the wall.
“All of us have lost something,” he said. “That’s what makes us vampires. We lost families, friends of course, innocence, the sunlight. But we’ve also lost the world of our time and every world that we grew attached to afterwards. We just keep on losing.” His lips curled. “You’d say we’d be better at it by now.”
“Yeah right,” Matt said. “As if we haven’t spent our time until now by actively avoiding any loss. The only way I can live this one damned life is by living every other life I can. And you… I don’t know what you’re running from, but honestly, Dante, you do your best to care as little as possible.”
Then they were both silent for a long while.
“I think…” Dante said. “I still owe you my story. Just so you know why things happened.”
Matt nodded.
“You go ahead. I’ll listen.”
“Right…” Dante searched for the right words. “I was born in 1423 in Milan. Well, you know I was from Milan of course. I was the second son and I was meant to be a clergyman.
“Let me guess,” Matt said, sounding a little bit amused. “You were more interested in warfare and playing Casanova.”
“That was after my time,” Dante said. “No, actually I wanted to become a man of the church. It was one of my biggest dreams. I… what was that?”
He was dead-quiet, listening to the sounds outside the house.
“They’re here,” he said.
Matt stood up.
“Well, they’re vampires,” he said. “They can’t come in.”
Dante stood up too. He was tense.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t like this.”
“Obviously. We can’t get out, we can’t feed…”
“No, there is something…” Suddenly Dante winced. “No! No, no no!”
He was outraged, confused and  afraid. “They’re burning the house! Matt!”
There was no need to shout, as Matt was right there next to him.

“I’m gonna kill that woman,” Dante grunted. “I’m gonna kill her.”

She had done it. it didn’t feel any different at this point but still, she was finally on her own again and it felt great.
Dianne had left the airport the moment she had her bags and other stuff collected again. But it wasn’t over yet, since she had to find some place to sleep for a moment. Tomorrow she would go and look for a place to stay. Quickly she ran into the fort hotel she came across, daylight was almost there, and she booked a room for the coming week, just in case that she didn’t succeed the next day or the day after that one.
The woman had the front desk had given her this weird look but nevertheless she had her room, she dumped her stuff in a corner and took a quick shower.
This was going to be great... she thought again right before she fell into a deep sleep.

And succeeded she had. It was now about a year later and Dianne was the proud owner of a house just outside the city. There were some trees there, a little bit of nature was showing itself. She had chosen that place because it was cheap enough and because it gave her the feeling of peace. She was very close to the city, remember that she lived on the border, but still she sometimes had the feeling that she was in her own little world.
It had been hard for her the first few weeks. For one thing she couldn’t speak German, second she had no friends at all and third... how was she going to know any vampires around here? That last thing didn’t prove to be that hard and so her first and second problem also evaporated. She had gone to some place in town people rather avoided and that was where she found the vampires. They lived there, right in the open, not ashamed of who they were and not hiding. They were like a clan of a sort and she liked it.
When she had entered the building she had received some strange looks, one vampire in particular had been a little... upset... by her coming there and there had been a small fight, which she had won. From that point Miranda was one of her closest friends. She had helped her with her German and through her Dianne now had connections all across Germany, Austria and Swiss.

“So what are you going to do tonight? Celebrate? I mean not everyone is going to be 32 and still look like 22.” Miranda joked. Dianne grunted and shook her head. “No, don’t think so. I am not in the mood for celebrating.” She said, though a thin smile crossed her face. Miranda reminded her from Mia sometimes, but she tried never to think of that again. “Is there any gossip important enough for me to know?” Dianne asked instead. Miranda sat straight, carrying this serious look on her face. “Well now that you mention it. One of my contacts have told me that two other vampires showed up at the airport yesterday. They asked for you but nobody answered.”
“What did they look like?” Dianne asked immediately, sitting straight up.
“Jeez, calm down.”Miranda started and then she said. “The one was looking slightly younger than the other. The tallest one had blackish hair and the smaller guy called him Dan...” Miranda continued. When Dianne hold that she rose and gestured at Miranda. “Get your things. you know where they are?” she asked.
“Ah... yeah. What’s the rush DI?” she replied.
“Just take me there.”

It had been a year. A year of running, of hiding, without even knowing if he had been hunted. He had hurt the Saint, he knew that. That was the only reason he had gotten away that night. They had waited as long as possible, as the house started to burn. They actually called the fire department. Dante knew the Saint wouldn’t mind killing a few people if they stood in her way, but with lots and lots of humans around, they couldn’t do their usual vampire things. When the smoke became so thick they almost couldn’t see, Dante and Matt made their way to the top floor. They had talked about it, and though the vampires outside would probably have prepared for every escape option, the jumping out of the window upstairs would give them the most advantage.
“Are you ready?” Dante asked.
Matt nodded. He could barely see him.
“Let’s go!” Dante made ready to jump. Just as he wanted to burst out of the window, Matt yelled something. Dante turned to look at him, and saw him turn back.
“What?!” Dante yelled. “What are you doing?”
“The girl,” he heard Matt say. “She’s still downstairs.”
“Leave her!”
Matt shook his head.
“I’m not leaving anyone,” he said. “Go on ahead, clear the path already! I think I can already hear the fire department. Besides, the vampires don’t want me!”
He disappeared in the smoke, as Dante thought frantically about his options. Yes, Matt was right. They were after Dante. If he could make a run for it, or if he could even fight the vampires, Matt would probably be able to sneak out. The smoke should hide his smell for vampires that weren’t actively looking for him.
With that thought, he jumped. Shattered glass flew everywhere as he broke through the window and for a moment, Dante imagined himself to be in a bad Western. He landed on his feet, in the middle of a troupe vampires that had been waiting for him.
They weren’t all as good as the woman he had fought earlier. That was good, because otherwise he couldn’t have survived. As it was now, he managed to down most of them. Vampires in general were more individual and didn’t fight as well in groups. Everything went better than expected until he broke out of the group and encountered the Saint herself.
The fire shone on her face and in her eyes, giving her an aura of enlightenment and madness at the same time.
She spread her arms as if to embrace him or capture him.
“Dante,” she said. “My firstborn. My Judas. How can…”
He didn’t let her speak. That was what saved him. Instead he slammed his fist right in her pretty face and followed up with a kick to the groin. She doubled over. He grabbed her head and with a loud snap he broke her neck.
Without looking if that had been enough to kill her, he ran. He ran and ran and ran and it was only when he got in the vicinity of Manchester in the morning that he stopped and looked for a place to sleep.
That’s when he thought about Matt, too.
He realized he didn’t even know if he had made it out of the fire alright. Then he risked his life by using the remaining darkness to break into a house, use the computer and look for news about the fire.
Finally he found an item saying that no bodies had been found. Also, a suspect group of people had been seen, but they had all escaped. Police thought gang violence and criminal connections.
The item only reassured Dan a little. Matt and the girl had made it out of the house, apparently. But what had happened after that?
And he still didn’t know. He had been looking and running at the same time, but the one thing made the other a bit difficult. Now, finally, he was almost sure he wasn’t being followed anymore. He had hopped from England to France, to Turkey, to Russia, to Algeria to Switzerland to Sweden. Now he was finally in Germany. He hoped Matt had come here to find Dianne.
“Dan?” Annoyed, Dante had to abandon his line of thoughts to listen to Tony. Tony was a scrawny little vampire, also from Milan, who claimed to be a far-away relative of Dante. That was how they met initially. Dante didn’t like the thought of being related all that much, and if it was true, he blamed it on his uncle Adriano’s side. Uncle Adriano had always been a little weird.
Tony was useful though. He knew his way around in almost every country of the world, and seemed to have multiple stacks of cash, different kinds of passports that were always up to date, and multiple relations, human and vampire, everywhere.
“What is it?”
“I think someone’s coming our way.” Tony pointed. Dante turned in the direction. A red-headed woman was walking towards them, looking rather on edge. Dianne.
But no Matt.

The car wasn’t fast enough for her taste. From Miranda’s description, which was a little vague but still, she gathered... no hoped... that it was Matt at the airport. She hadn’t checked on any of them but she did check regularly if Matt or Dante got at the airport. Now that there was the faint hope that both of them were here, she had to find out for herself.
Miranda stopped at the airports parking lot with screaming tires and before the car came fully to a halt, Dianne already opened the door and got out, moving towards the entrance of the airport. “damn it, Di. Slow down a little. What’s the hurry for?” Miranda inquired again, but Dianne didn’t answer her. She could smell one of them though, that was Dante. But where was Matt.
She had entered the hall and pushed some people aside, the people that tried to yell at her she simply stared down and they left her alone for now at least. When they got into sight however, Dante and the tiny man, she was disappointed to see that it was not Matt with him but just someone she didn’t know.

She came to a halt in front of Dante and crossed her arms. “Where is Matt?” she asked. Of course she didn’t ask him how he was, or what brought him here, or anything like that. she was just plain and to the point. Next to her Miranda came to a stop as well and she looked from Dante to Dianne, her eyes squinting a little... “Ow shit... you’re not saying that this is... well is he?” Miranda asked, gaping at Dante. “Yes, he is.” Dianne growled softly. “I guess we should leave you two alone then?” Miranda asked, readying to leave. “NO, not at all. Ready the car, we’ll be there soon.” She said. After Miranda had left she looked at Dante again. “Well I am not going to let you of all people, stay in a hotel, be thankful that I’ve bought a good enough place. Come on.” She said, turning around as she went towards the exit. This was going to be a pain.

“Where is Matt?” Dianne asked. Straight to the point. Straight to the point Dante didn’t want to go. How could he explain what happened?
He cleared his throat, but before he could say anything another female vampire appeared next to Dianne.
“Ow shit... you’re not saying that this is... well is he?” she said.
Dante rolled his eyes. Great, he was famous.
“Yes, he is,” Dianne said.
“I guess we should leave you two alone then?” The girl seemed a little uncomfortable.
“NO, not at all. Ready the car, we’ll be there soon.” Typically Dianne.
Dante felt bad for having to tell her such awful news. Even so, he couldn’t postpone it. He opened his mouth, but she interrupted him.
“Well I am not going to let you of all people, stay in a hotel, be thankful that I’ve bought a good enough place. Come on.” She turned and walked towards the exit, all forceful and determined.
“Whew,” Tony said, next to him. “I wouldn’t want to be the one to break it to her.”
Dante shot him an irritated look.
“That friend of her is cute though,” Tony continued. Then he looked at Dante as if he was afraid he had said something wrong. “No offense, yours is also really good-looking, you know, just not my type. But not saying you made a wrong choice or anything. I once bit a girl that was so ugly that I couldn’t believe I actually wanted to make her a vampire. Still not sure if I did.”
Dante stopped listening.
“Dianne, wait up!” he said. “There’s something I need to tell you. It can’t wait.”
He increased his speed so that he was walking next to her and cleared his throat again.
“Don’t you want to… don’t you want to know what happened a year ago?” he said. Then he remembered she probably didn’t even know the Saint had attacked them. “The Saint… she came to the house, just after you left. She couldn’t come in, so she decided to burn the house. I…” Dante hesitated, not really sure how to continue. “Dianne… Have you heard anything from Matt in the last year?”

She could hear the tiny person talking about her. Who he was and what the hell he was doing her was a mystery to her. Where was Matt? Perhaps he was still on his way or maybe something happened. Her stomach clenched at the idea of Matt being in danger, but she tried not to think about it. That was what she had done mostly the past year anyway.
“Dianne, wait up!” Dante shouted to her, but she wasn’t going to. She simply wanted them out of here, so that nothing would happen while they were here... her good fortune had somewhat abandoned her. “There’s something I need to tell you. It can’t wait.” He added, though she still kept on walking, what else would the man expect? She thought.
He rejoined her soon, as she had expected, and started to walk beside her. He cleared his throat and she was getting a little bit edgy. Why didn’t the man just spill it already? She thought, while anger started to boil up inside of her. The sooner they got to the house the better.
“Don’t you want to… don’t you want to know what happened a year ago?” he then said. As if she was interested in what happened a year ago. “What do you mean, what happened a year ago. Sorry but when I left I wasn’t planning on keeping track of you.” She snorted and she shook her head. He was annoying already.
“The Saint… she came to the house, just after you left. She couldn’t come in, so she decided to burn the house. I…” he said, hesitantly. That did make her stop though and she looked at him with a bit of horror in her eyes. If Matt was dead she would kill him right here, she thought.
“Dianne… Have you heard anything from Matt in the last year?” he then asked.
“No, I have not.” She replied, a little too quickly for her taste.
“I was hoping that he was the one who came with you. Who is the tiny prick anyway?” she asked him, gesturing towards the guy who had accompanied Dante.

“Come on, Di. Let’s go!” Miranda shouted from the car and Dianne nodded. “let’s talk of that when we get home. Get in. Now.” She said and she all but ran to the passenger door, pulled it open and stepped into the car. “Get going Mir... this is going to be on hell of a night.” She said, already feeling the headache in the back of her head. Great.

“No, I have not.” Dianne said. “I was hoping that he was the one who came with you. Who is the tiny prick anyway?”
She gestured to Tony. Dante looked at him with distaste, which only deepened when Tony winked at Dianne. He turned quickly away.
“That’s Tony,” he said. “A…” Dante hesitated. “…an acquaintance.”
The girl that had accompanied Dianne called out from the car.
“Let’s talk of that when we get home,” Dianne said to Dante. “Get in. Now.”
Dante raised his eyebrows when Dianne got in the car so fast that she almost moved at vampire speed. Looked like someone wanted to avoid him as long as she possible could. Well, Dante didn’t complain. He didn’t want to tell her and he didn’t know how to tell her. Still, he knew that the longer he would wait, the harder it would get.
“A BMW,” Tony said, coming out of nowhere. “Do you think they’d be interested to know I was one of the first to buy the BMW 303 in 1933? The first BMW automobile to have a straight-six engine?”
“I very much doubt it,” Dante said.
“Yeah… it’s not a very good one is it?” Tony said. “Let me think up something else…”
“Think up something along the way,” Dante. “Better still, don’t think up anything.”
He opened the backdoor and got in the car. He probably should tell her now, but her friend was there too. He didn’t know her.
They raced through the streets of Berlin. Dante almost had no time to see the city and to compare it to the one he had left in 1920, when he’d decided to visit Paris again.
“I like your car,” Tony said. “Did you know that I was a driver for BMW in the 30’s? I have won some important races. Of course it was much more dangerous then than it is now. People died. A lot. Not all of them on the tracks, with me around, if you get my meaning.” He winked again. Dante wanted to smack him in the face.
“So, how have you been?” he asked Dianne, in order to postpone the Talk. “Is everything okay?”