THE CHALLENGE

Without announcement and without even knocking, the cardinal stormed into the private chambers of the Pope. The two Swiss Guard men called after him indignantly but did not dare to stop him.

Pius IX. was exhausted. He had spent the whole day receiving groups of pilgrims, listening to their troubles, but also to their enthusiasm, which he actually enjoyed, but now he was tired and longed for rest. And what he least wanted now was to receive the cardinal and speak with him. Indeed, just his sight was tormenting. Nevertheless, he pushed himself up from his worn-out favorite armchair and went to the door to assure the Swiss Guards that everything was in order. He even managed to force a reassuring smile, although nothing was in order at all. That was clear to him after a glance at the cardinal's expression. Something had angered him, and he wouldn't try to hide that fact. Cardinal Angelo was only waiting for the Pope to close the door, not to have any involuntary witnesses to what the Holy Father was about to hear. This wouldn't be pleasant.

For a brief moment, Pius IX. considered leaving the cardinal standing. But he was no longer the boy Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, who could run away from difficulties and hide in the garden. He was the head of Christendom, and he now had to hear what his cardinal had to say. Pius IX. nodded once more to the guards and gently closed the door.

"Now, what brings you so unexpectedly to me?" 

"Please, Your Holiness, take a seat," said the cardinal curtly.

Oh dear, how unpleasant! Pius IX. felt as old as he hadn't in a long time as he shuffled back to his seat. No, perhaps he should rather sit at the secretary's desk. The uncomfortable chair at least forced him into an upright posture and didn't make him appear as small and submissive as the soft cushions of his armchair. The Pope folded his hands on the tabletop.

"Now? Has something happened?" he asked as kindly as possible.

The cardinal declined the chair offered by His Holiness and instead paced back and forth in front of the secretary with his hands crossed on his back.

"Indeed, something has happened because you did not follow my instructions! Or is it not true that you promised your support for Signor de Rossi's insane excavation idea and even sent him to the king and the government to give him money and men?!"

Anger rose in Pius IX. He had thought he was above such feelings, but in this moment, it was all he felt!

"Instructions? Your instructions? I'm not aware that the Holy Father must follow instructions from his cardinal!"

Cardinal Angelo probably realized that he had gone too far in his excitement. He forced himself to sit down in the offered chair.

"Forgive me, Your Holiness, that was reckless of me to speak so thoughtlessly in the heat of the moment. Of course, you make your decisions yourself. It is only up to me to give you good advice and hope that you recognize their merits."

Well spoken, thought Pius IX. He was well aware of the compelling effect of the personality in the red robe. He was a seducer, with words and gestures.

"And which of your well-intended advice have I failed to obey?" asked the Pope a bit sharper than he had intended.

"What's wrong with Signor de Rossi's plan?" He expected the cardinal to start talking about Nero's wicked character, his profligacy, and above all, his cruelty, which had cost many good Christians their lives. His counterarguments were already carefully prepared. To his surprise, however, the cardinal said:

"Do you not remember what the excavation at the Colosseum caused? It awakened unholy shadows, demons of hell, which brought many good Christians to ruin. Do you want to risk that again just to dig up a few old ruins?"

"Cardinal," said Pius IX., astonished, "I wouldn't have thought that you believe in this superstition of the common people."

The cardinal leaned on the desk with both hands and leaned forward so much that the Pope recoiled before him. "The people are wiser than we can sometimes imagine. There is something unholy in those ruins, and it would be unwise to provoke it."

"If there really are demons of the devil there, then it is our duty as representatives of the Holy Church to confront them and fight them!"

The cardinal resumed his pacing through the room. "Yes, that's true, but not now. It's too early. Trust me! This is not the right time." He stopped and looked intently at the Pope. "Trust me! Call de Rossi back before something terrible happens to him or his men, something you wouldn't want to answer for before the Lord in heaven."

For a moment, Pius IX. considered whether he should resist the cardinal this one time and oppose his demands. But was it so important to excavate Nero's palace right now? The cardinal's visions had lost none of their seductive power. A united Italy under the leadership of the Holy Mother Church... Was an old, Roman imperial palace worth risking that vision?

Pius IX. forced himself to smile. "Well, if you think so, then we'll postpone the excavation of the Domus Aurea."

The tension seemed to leave the body of the man in red. He bowed to his church superior. "As always, you have made a wise decision, Holy Father. I must take my leave for today."

"Did I make a decision?" said the Pope softly as the cardinal left the room. "Or did I just comply as always?"

"Look!" Ivy furrowed her brows in confusion and pointed to Zita, who had tied the baby to her back today. "Where is Raphaela?" she asked the plump servant, who, for the first time, did not exude the maternal kindness with which she usually greeted the young vampires.

"Not here," she replied curtly. She was not willing to discuss the matter further, instead distributing the full cups with a grim expression.

"There must have been trouble," Luciano speculated.

"I hope nothing has happened to her," Ivy said, concerned.

Alisa waved it off. "I can't imagine that. I saw her at the opera, and then she accompanied the venerable Marcello elsewhere. Perhaps she hasn't recovered from the revelries there yet?" she said mischievously.

Ivy nodded. "Let's hope so."

As they returned to the common room after class, they once again discussed Raphaela, but then the words drifting over from another seating area distracted them from the servant and her absence that evening.

"It is an indisputable fact that the Dracas are superior to the other families," Franz Leopold said, turning back to his reading. His bored tone indicated that it wasn't even meant to be a deliberate provocation, but that he actually believed it. Alisa felt anger rising within her again. Ivy seemed to sense it, as she reassuringly placed her slender, cool hand on Alisa's.

Her gaze shifted to Luciano, who pushed aside his quill and paper, squinting at the Viennese vampire.

Franz Leopold slowly raised his head and closed the book. There was something in his eyes that made Alisa and Ivy simultaneously hold their breath. "From the torrent of animalistic sounds and hateful diatribes, I gather that you are unable to follow the course of my thoughts."

Luciano trembled with anger, and Franz Leopold's affected formulation did nothing to calm him. He stepped closer, his hands opening and closing in a spasm.

"How blind, indeed blinded by your arrogance, are you? Every single night of instruction shows us all that you can do nothing but talk and indulge in your obsession with cleanliness. I cannot recall that any of you have even managed to touch a cross or withstand holy water without burns. Even Fernand and Joanne are better than you by now."

Franz Leopold waved dismissively. "Who speaks of this useless school stuff! Baron Maximilian agreed to this school business in a sentimental moment because he felt pity for you. Now we just have to endure your medieval decadence for a while - and the stupidity and rudeness of the others present here." He made a sweeping gesture. "I'm not sure if it's really worth it to preserve you and your families. The Vamalia, who eagerly admire human inventions and, as I've heard, dwell in the stinking mud of Hamburg. The Lycana, who probably still sleep with the wolves on their island. I need not say more about the Pyras. Just a look at Joanne's matted hair, which she surely hasn't washed in months, and Fernand, whose thoughts are once again solely focused on a brawl, which he apparently needs every night. Forget it, I'm neither brawling with rats nor with mangy street dogs - and therefore not with you! Oh, and then our hosts here in these damp dungeons, fitting for them, as I see the rat-eating Maurizio. By all demons! The only ones, besides us, who perhaps still have a right to existence, are the Vyrad. I don't want to question the Baron's decisions, but I don't know if he realizes what pitiful forms he is helping to preserve here!"

Alisa was sure that Luciano would now pounce on him and tear the clothes from his body with the remains of his claws. And with this conviction, she was not alone. Even Franz Leopold's shadow, Matthias, tensed his body and prepared to come to his master's aid. For this, Francesco stepped behind Luciano and cast a warning glance at the other servant.

To Alisa's surprise, Luciano approached Franz Leopold with a smile. "We now know that you Dracas are familiar with insults. How about showing us if you are still capable of anything else? I have yet to see a single action follow any of your grand speeches. Well, if you don't want to prove yourself in class, fine, that's fine by me. I always hear only your empty talk that you could be the first if it were worth your while."

"Get to the point! Your unrefined formulations are grating on my ears," Alisa felt that he was no longer as indifferent as he pretended to be. His tension was growing.

"I challenge your family to prove their superiority!" 

"What, you against me? Are you already tired of your existence?" 

Franz Leopold laughed and looked at the chubby Roman with exaggerated pity. "Think it over before it's too late. There wouldn't be much left of you!"

"I have no intention of fighting you," Luciano said, mimicking the cold tone of the Dracas quite well. "That would be too easy. Besides, you have also insulted Ivy's and Alisa's families. No, you may attempt to prove your superiority, which you talk so much about but only exists in your imagination!"

Alisa glanced at Ivy. What was Luciano up to? This sounded like trouble. But Franz Leopold seemed intrigued. "And how will this contest look?"

Luciano grinned. "Tomorrow, after the last guests have departed, we set out after class at three o'clock. Whoever arrives first wins and thus proves the superiority of their clan. Three against three. You are welcome to bring two more of your illustrious relatives for support. Our goal is an angel. The angel on top of Castel Sant'Angelo!"

"The Pope's Castle of the Holy Angel," Alisa whispered incredulously. Ivy rose and approached Luciano, who was about to shake hands with Franz Leopold to seal the bet. Her expression was as inscrutable as ever.

"Luciano, I don't think I need to defend my family's honor. Nevertheless, I will not shy away if you are determined to carry out this...," she hesitated briefly, "...competition. However, I will not be able to go without Seymour. He would not obey my command otherwise."

"Can't you lock him up here so he won't follow us?" Luciano protested, pleadingly looking at her.

Ivy shook her head emphatically. "No, I can't do that. I'm sorry."

Franz Leopold made a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry about the wolf. We accept the challenge and are generous to you. Your pet may accompany you. When the bells of Santa Francesca Romana ring the third hour tomorrow, the race begins."

"Who will you take with you?" Ivy inquired.

"Karl Philipp, of course," Franz Leopold replied. His older cousin stepped up beside him and nodded curtly. "And then, hm, Anna Christina?"

His cousin snapped out of her thoughts. "What do you want me for?"

"To accompany us to the Castle of the Holy Angel," Franz Leopold informed her, as if it were just a matter of moving to another room in the Domus Aurea. "It's about our family honor!"

"I don't care!" she exclaimed, brushing carefully through her curls with a brush. "You don't seriously think I'm going to soil my skirts and possibly tear the new lace for such a crazy idea?"

Luciano turned away. "Sort it out among yourselves. I don't care who you take with you. The competition begins with the third toll of the bell!" He took Ivy and Alisa by the elbows and led them out. Seymour followed them. His tail whipped restlessly back and forth, and his ears twitched nervously. He seemed to have realized that it was a big deal. And he didn't like it at all!

"She must come with us," Karl Philipp insisted, snarling at his cousin. "You must come with us!"

"I don't have to do anything!" she retorted, bending over the swan feather fan she was painting with black lilies.

"Oh, so family honor means nothing to you? You don't believe that we finally need to prove our superiority to them?" 

She shrugged. "Does an eagle have to show a rat that he's above it? You shouldn't have even agreed to this competition in the first place. But if it's for your male pride, then go ahead and go together. You should be able to handle that pack with its wolf!"

"Yes, of course," Franz Leopold said, "but the condition is three against three. That's something that needs to be adhered to."

Suddenly, Malcolm strolled over. "I agree with you. In an honorable deal, both sides must adhere to the agreed-upon rules. You have not insulted our family. So, if you need a third competitor, I can offer myself. We also prefer to keep away from the others. Which, of course, doesn't mean that I support your statement! Even if I do believe that there are better and worse families, I wouldn't count yours among those deserving of a leadership role."

"And why are you offering us your support then?" Franz Leopold wanted to know.

"Oh, just for the sake of fair competition. Three against three, that's the rule. So, I would only be the substitute player, watching the outcome of the fight with interest but without passion."

"Thanks, but no thanks, we don't need you," Franz Leopold declined. "Our family will defeat the others alone!"

Karl Philipp nodded in agreement. He grabbed his cousin's arm roughly and shook her, causing the fan to fall to the ground. "You will come with us. Save your tantrums for later."

"All right, but now leave me alone!" She gave them a haughty look, stooped to pick up her fan, and swept out of the room. Karl Philipp pulled his cousin into a small stone chamber and retrieved three wooden cudgels from behind an old stone sarcophagus. He grinned maliciously as he let one of the smoothly polished cudgels slap into his palm.

"I knew the day would come when these pretty things would come in handy. Come, take one. We'll ambush them and send them off to dreamland for a while! I look forward to knocking some sense into our little chubby friend. And the know-it-all Alisa could use a little trimming too!" He swung the cudgel through the air. "And then it's Silver Locks' turn!"

"If we touch Ivy, we'll have Seymour at our throats," Franz Leopold pointed out.

Karl Philipp shrugged. "Are you afraid of a wolf?"

"I fear nothing, but consider that he and his mistress are from Ireland, and he's certainly not one of those ordinary animals lurking in the woods around Vienna. We shouldn't make the mistake of underestimating him!"

"Then we must take him out first. I'll handle the beast, you take out Luciano, and Anna Christina deals with Alisa. Once I've dealt with the wolf, I'll grab Ivy. They'll sleep soundly! And when they wake up with pounding heads, we'll already be in the Angel's Castle."

Franz Leopold weighed the cudgel in his hand and then returned it behind the sarcophagus. He reached out demanding. "I don't agree with that."

"What? Are you afraid?" 

"It's not about that. I just don't approve of it!"

Karl Philipp looked at him puzzled. "Why not? It's the easiest way and absolutely safe. They won't bring any of their Unclean with them, as that would violate the rules of the competition!"

"Yes, that's true. But ambushing the opponent and beating them with cudgels also violates that rule."

A calculating smile parted Karl Philipp's lips. "Does it? Did either of you mention that?"

Franz Leopold shook his head. "No, but it's understood."

Karl Philipp still wasn't ready to give up his weapon. "If we don't do it, we'll be playing into their hands! They'll ambush us at a convenient spot to take us out."

Franz Leopold pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "No, they won't."

"And why not?" his cousin wanted to know. "How can you be so sure?"

"They think differently. There's something like honor, a kind of moral code that they adhere to if they don't want to lose face."

Karl Philipp stared at him. Franz Leopold could feel his astonishment and then a wave of disgust. "I think I'm getting sick. Did I read something like admiration in your thoughts?"

"Nonsense!" Franz Leopold snapped. "Put the cudgel away and come. We want to show everyone the superiority of our family so they give us the respect we deserve, and that's why we'll win this competition fairly!" He stomped out. He could feel his cousin wondering if he had lost his mind.

"Honestly win," Karl Philipp muttered. "As if that mattered. We must be stronger and faster and prevail. Then our family will stand above the others. The means by which we achieve that is entirely irrelevant!"

The next evening after class, Anna Christina hurried to her chamber and shortly thereafter met in an empty room with her two cousins. She now wore tight black pants, boots, and a black shirt with ruffles at the collar and sleeves. Only her demeanor was just as standoffish as yesterday.

Franz Leopold let his gaze wander over her and smiled at her. "That's better! Let's go and show them what Dracas are made of."

Anna Christina grimaced. "Yes, especially to that silly, conceited Ivy with her mangy wolf!"

Franz Leopold almost let a few retorts slip out, but he swallowed them just in time. Instead, he shot Karl Philipp a furious look, who had brought the cudgels and was now giving one to Anna Christina. Franz Leopold quickly turned away and stormed toward the concealed door leading them outside. Silently, they rushed toward the Colosseum. They had almost rounded it to the point where the path leading through the triumphal arch to the Forum lay ahead of them when a seductive scent wafted into Franz Leopold's nose. He stopped so abruptly that Anna Christina ran into him. She was about to unleash a tirade, but Franz Leopold roughly pressed his hand over her mouth.

"Quiet!" he whispered into her ear. "Don't you smell that?"

She freed herself from his grip and sniffed. "A human," she whispered.

"Yes, a woman," Franz Leopold confirmed.

Karl Philipp had also noticed her. His teeth gleamed in the starlight. "She's very close," he rasped hoarsely. His rising excitement enveloped him like a cloud. "Let's get closer!"

He didn't wait for the others' approval. Smooth as a shadow, he slipped through the rubble. The other two had no choice but to follow him. Now Franz Leopold also felt his blood stirring. And he recognized the sweet scent with a hint of bitter herbs. The nun! Ivy was right. She kept coming back to this spot near the Colosseum. Was it also the last time around three o'clock? Franz Leopold couldn't remember. But he knew that this behavior wasn't normal for a young human woman! And even less so for a nun, as Ivy claimed she was. Karl Philipp stood only an archer's shot away from the woman. Of course, she hadn't noticed the danger yet. Humans were remarkably dull - and apparently just as reckless! Franz Leopold closed his eyes for a moment and focused on her scent. Yes, no doubt about it. It was the same woman. It was a wonder that she hadn't been attacked by any of the inhabitants of the Domus Aurea so far. Perhaps the Nosferas deliberately refrained from sucking humans so close to their domicile. That would be an explanation.

"I'm going to get her," Karl Philipp whispered, licking his lips.

Franz Leopold jerked upright. "No! We have to go. Time is running out. The tower clock will chime any moment."

"I don't care about your stupid bet. Here is a human woman, all alone!"

Now Anna Christina also expressed her annoyance. She reached for the sleeve of his jacket. "Bet or not, you know it's forbidden for us, and for good reason. It's dangerous!"

Karl Philipp looked down coldly at her. She was two years older than him, but also half a head shorter. "I can decide for myself when it's time for me. If you haven't done it yet, it's your own fault, but I will now take what is rightfully mine. Can't you hear her heart beating? Feel the blood in her veins? The warmth? The pressure behind my teeth is almost unbearable, and I can't and won't restrain the greed any longer!" Anna Christina nodded as if in a trance. Her teeth protruded over her painted lips.

Franz Leopold swallowed dryly. His craving for human blood was the strongest because he had already succumbed to temptation. But only he had also glimpsed into the abyss of madness that lay beyond the short euphoria when the vampire was young and weak. It was too late for him to realize that the older members of the clan had not established this rule to punish the young vampires, but to protect them. He wouldn't allow the two of them to repeat that mistake!

Franz Leopold gripped their upper arms. He spoke earnestly to them. "Come, can't you hear the bell tolling? The harm it would bring us outweighs the pleasure. Leave the nun alone and follow me."

Anna Christina hesitated. She was susceptible to his hypnotic voice, but Karl Philipp broke free. He had already fallen into a rage that made him insensitive to any influence on his thoughts. Before Franz Leopold could prevent it, he was already beside the nun, greeting her in halting Italian. The other two groaned and looked at each other for help. What should they do? They heard his cooing voice with the deep undertone that stifled his victim's fears in the bud. It was so easy! And if she survived, she would have no memory of the handsome robber in the morning. Franz Leopold leaned forward to get a better look. Obviously, Karl Philipp didn't want to waste time with long speeches. He tilted the woman's head back, hastily pushed the veil aside, and tore open her white collar to expose the pulsing vein on her neck.

Anna Christina grabbed Franz Leopold's hand. "We have to get him away from there!"

"Yes, he's plunging himself and us into disaster."

"Someone is coming! Don't you feel it? It's one of the venerable Nosferas!"

Anna Christina's senses could be relied upon, and now Franz Leopold also caught the rancid smell of age, mixed with a sweet decay. No, if Karl Philipp were caught in this situation, it wouldn't bode well for him!

"Help me!" he ordered the girl at his side. With two giant leaps, he lunged forward and grabbed Karl Philipp by the neck with both hands, even before he could sink his teeth into the young nun's white skin. Anna Christina followed suit. With her help, Franz Leopold managed to drag his cousin away. He snarled and hissed. His sharp fingernails left bloody marks on the faces and arms of the others, but they managed to haul Karl Philipp to the ruin of the fountain house before the old vampire appeared, twirling his cane with an ivory handle around, heading directly toward the nun, who was slightly bewildered, adjusting her veil.

"I curse you," Karl Philipp muttered. At least he had calmed down enough to speak softly and no longer resisted their grip. "Now the old one gets the fresh blood."

"One could almost think he knew who he would encounter here."

They stared over to the arch where the venerable Nosferas was now bowing to the nun and offering her his arm. She took it and allowed herself to be led away across the field of ruins.

"Strange, very strange," murmured Franz Leopold.

At that moment, the bell on the tower of Santa Francesca Romana struck three o'clock.