FAREWELL

The vampires walked silently through the night. Although the humans had a good head start, it was easy to follow their trail, and the increasingly distinct scent of blood and sweat indicated that they were quickly catching up.

"I know where they're going. They live near the cistern where we found the burned ones," Franz Leopold caught up with the clan leader of the Nosferas.

The Conte nodded. "No one else from our side will be destroyed there. That's been taken care of." He quickened his pace, but Franz Leopold had no trouble keeping up by his side. Like Luciano, the leader of the family was not a good runner. They reached the front door and entered the hall. A staircase led up to the two rooms where the vampire hunters resided. Respectfully, the companions let their leader take the lead. He opened the door and entered.

"You're planning to leave?" he asked the girl politely, who stared at him with wide-open eyes. Fear enveloped her like a cloud of sharp perfume. Then a defiant expression crossed her face.

"Yes, we're leaving Rome. We should have done so much earlier!" The Conte's gaze moved to the man on the bed, who at the moment did not look like the dangerous hunter who had claimed more than half a dozen of his clan members. "Yes, that would have been better for everyone, including both of you. And much more beneficial to his health!"

Latona looked from the small, stout vampire, who was obviously some sort of leader for them, to his companions, some of whom had entered the room with him. She recognized the ethereally beautiful, dark-haired boy who had attacked her along with the wolf. The other men she had never seen before. All stern, unfamiliar faces. Some threatening, others more bored. But suddenly, there were a pair of blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. Malcolm! He was still standing on the landing, seemingly hiding behind a burly vampire, but his gaze was fixed on Latona. For the eternity of a blink, they looked at each other. The insane hope that he might burst into the room, sweep her up, and flee with her flooded Latona's mind, but then the leader of the vampires approached her and blocked her view of Malcolm. A wave of decay emanated from his mouth as he leaned towards her and seemed to inhale deeply. Then he tore off a part of her sleeve with a quick motion. Latona screamed in shock. Her hope that her uncle would come to her aid was also disappointed. Carmelo stared up at the vampires with glazed eyes. Did he even understand what was happening here?

Suddenly, his gaze cleared. He pushed himself up from the bed and straightened up. "So you've come for revenge. Well then, my sword is broken, my traps buried. I have nothing more to oppose you. I tried my luck once too often."

The vampire approached him. He curled his lip and bared his fangs. Latona collapsed into the chair. He grabbed Carmelo's arm and pulled him roughly to his chest. "Yes, both of you deserve death or a life in eternal damnation, but there have been too many suspicious corpses here. One more death could mean our own downfall. But don't rejoice too soon!" With a jerk, he tore Carmelo's sleeve and held the two pieces of fabric under his nose. "We have picked up your scent and will not forget it again. Don't you dare set foot in this city again! For if you do, we will hunt you down and make you our slaves for all eternity. Get them out of here!"

Strong hands grabbed them and dragged them out of the house. For a moment, Latona felt Malcolm at her side. His hand rested on hers. "Don't resist," he whispered in her ear. There was regret in his gaze. He wouldn't help her. He couldn't help her!

"Where are you taking us?" Latona dared to ask. Quick-thinking, she grabbed her bag and pressed it to her chest.

"To the beginning of your long journey," said the leader of the vampires, signaling to his companions. "Be glad, you'll be traveling by train. As far away as the railway network reaches!" And turning to his men, he added, "Make sure they can't get off before they reach their destination!"

Latona turned her head to look at Malcolm one last time. He brought his fingers to his lips and inclined his head in farewell. Then Latona and her uncle were dragged away, and the young vampire disappeared from her sight.

The vampires made their way home. Outside the entrance to the Domus Aurea, they met again with the two faithful followers whom the Conte had sent after the Cardinal, but Franz Leopold couldn't spot any trace of the old man in his red robe. Had they drained him and turned him into a vampire as soon as they had him in their grasp? The possibility that they hadn't been able to catch up with him was not even worth considering. But why didn't they bring him here? He needed to be placed in a coffin until the painful transformation was complete. That could take several nights, and it wasn't good to leave the young creature of the night alone during this time - even if only to become a servant. Franz Leopold looked questioningly at Conte Claudio. He seemed anything but surprised not to see the Cardinal.

"Well, what do you have to report?" he asked as they passed through the gate and entered the large courtyard. One of the servants bowed before answering the family head.

"We caught up with him quickly and then followed him so conspicuously that he couldn't overlook us. He ran down to the Tiber and then along the bank. We closed in on him a bit, then let ourselves fall back a little, but only so far that he felt further pursued."

"He wasn't very fast!" said the other. "Even for a man of his age!"

The first one continued. "At the height of Sant Angelo, he wanted to cross the Tiber. We pressured him a bit until he ran onto the bridge, and then we stopped between the first two statues. He stopped and looked around at us. Then he climbed surprisingly nimbly onto the railing."

"Yes, he was quite fast, but then he got caught with his foot in his long red robe."

"We didn't even need to approach closer to look him in the eyes. He needed no further convincing!"

"Then he fell more than he jumped?" asked the Conte.

The two servants shrugged. "Does it matter? He made his choice when he climbed onto the stone railing. In any case, the waters of the Tiber swept him away. The water is high and swift. His body won't resurface until his soul has long left him!"

Conte Claudio dismissed Franz Leopold and the others with a nod. He stood upright in the middle of the courtyard, waiting until everyone had disappeared into the corridors and chambers of the Domus Aurea. Then his shoulders slumped forward.

"So be it!" he said so softly that Franz Leopold, who had stopped behind a pillar, could barely understand him. "How could I have looked into that face every night without being overwhelmed by anger? - Franz Leopold! You too should return to your coffin now. I believe we've all had enough excitement for tonight!" The Conte didn't even look in his direction but left the courtyard on the other side.

Conte Claudio went to the chamber of the venerable Giuseppe and closed the door behind him. His servant had placed the remains in the sarcophagus and closed the lid of the richly decorated marble sarcophagus. Conte Claudio lifted the heavy slab and leaned it against the wall. With his hands resting on the edge, he stood silently and looked down at the velvet cushions between which lay the former clan leader, his grandfather, and mentor. The servant had done his best to hide the traces of destruction. He had dressed the venerable Giuseppe in a fresh shirt with ruffles on the chest and a high collar that concealed the wounds and made it look like the head was still on the shoulders. Nevertheless, decay had already set in and couldn't even be denied in this dim light. The skin was disintegrating and turning to dust. Conte Claudio knew that the same process was also happening from within. By the next morning, only the clothes and a pile of dust would remind anyone that there had once been a vampire of pure blood named Giuseppe di Nosferas.

Conte Claudio sighed. He was alone. In this moment, he didn't have to maintain his composure for anyone, not be the confident leader of the family. He could allow his grief and despair to flow freely for a few moments.

"Why? Why did you do this?" The words echoed in the stone chamber, which was one of the largest chambers in the Domus Aurea. Who would move in here after Giuseppe? Strange thoughts that passed through one's mind when trying to push away the pain.

"There is no excuse!" he cried, staring down at the tortured body. Some dust trickled onto the red cushions. "Why didn't you talk to me about this? Because you knew I would never agree to such a plan! There is nothing, absolutely nothing in this world that could justify your betrayal! How long did you manage to deceive yourself that it was for the good of the family? The blood of the Nosferas stains your hands! Not the Cardinal, and not the hunter, it was you! And for that, you had to pay now. Did you really trust them? Believe there could be a contract between us and the Church? Fool! Perhaps you really were just a senile fool whose time was over."

Conte Claudio rose and placed the lid back on the coffin. The sound spread like the tolling of a bell and only slowly faded away. "And I was a convenient fool who didn't want to know what was happening in his own house."

He left the chamber without looking back. Behind him, the door slammed shut with a thunderous noise.

When Alisa woke up again in the evening, she had to admit to herself that she didn't feel much better. A normal wound would probably have already fully closed. But in her case, it would take days, if not weeks! The Conte had three rubies placed in the coffin to better focus her powers and concentration on healing, and Signora Zita made sure she drank enough until she protested and energetically turned her head away.

Once a very surprised Zita had left the room, Ivy smiled sympathetically at her. "Still not feeling better? Be honest."

Alisa considered lying but then shook her head. "No, unfortunately not."

Luciano, who had also come to keep Alisa company, looked sheepish. He was still tormented by feelings of guilt. But at least these feelings weren't burning like a fire consuming his body!

"Perhaps I can help you," Ivy said. "I still have some of the tincture that drew the silver poison out of Seymour's body. Tara is a great druid and a master of magic. I think her skills could also help you."

Alisa nodded. "Then let's try it."

Luciano turned away shyly as Ivy loosened the linen strips, applied the tincture, and then bandaged Alisa again. "You can turn back around now," she told Luciano. There was amusement in her voice. "If I'm not mistaken, the healing process should be completed in a few nights!"

"Let's hope so," Alisa murmured.

On the fourth evening after her injury, when Ivy had already gone to the hall with the golden ceiling with Seymour, and the others had left her alone, Franz Leopold entered her chamber. He wore again the expression that always infuriated Alisa. She sat in her long white underdress in her sarcophagus, leaning against some pillows, and had opened the newspaper that Hindrik had brought her. By now, she understood enough Italian to at least grasp the gist of the articles.

"What do you want?" she asked brusquely. It embarrassed her that he had once again had to rescue her from a dangerous situation - yes, once again held and carried her in his arms!

"I must know if it was worth it to save you again," he said casually, sauntering closer.

"Thank you," Alisa said reluctantly. "It won't happen again that you have to bother yourself about me."

He waved it off. "Don't say that. Who knows what challenges the next few years will bring us. You'll surely find one or two opportunities to get yourself into trouble."

He leaned forward a bit and peered into the mighty stone sarcophagus. Alisa awkwardly pulled the sheet up to her neck. "What's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I can't imagine that your injury justifies skipping lessons. But I understand," he added patronizingly. "It's a passable excuse to avoid our two favorite professors."

"I'm not avoiding the Torture Siblings!" Alisa snapped, even though Hindrik had exactly persuaded her with that argument to stay in the coffin for one more night. But Franz Leopold didn't know that, just as he didn't know that the Druid's tincture had worked wonders! Franz Leopold grinned knowingly at her.

"If only I could read his thoughts," Alisa thought angrily. She always felt so helpless and inferior when he looked at her like that and made her feel like she was transparent.

"Yes, I believe you'd like that very much. But I'm afraid even with a lot of practice, you won't succeed. You Vamalia have been too preoccupied with humans and their pointless inventions and neglected to perfect, or even maintain, the truly important skills of vampires. It's not easy for me to say this, but without us, your family would soon be doomed to extinction."

Alisa jumped up. Her arm shot forward. Her finger pointed to the door.

"Out! Disappear! And don't you dare enter this sleeping chamber again. Just the sight of you makes me sick. Yes, read my angry thoughts, because all I can feel and think in your presence is deep contempt!"

The arrogant smile had vanished from his face as he made a slight bow. "Well, I'm glad we've cleared that up. Farewell! I'll now do what we should actually be spending our time on here: attending classes to strengthen my powers!"

He left. Alisa watched him go. She couldn't concentrate on her newspaper anymore. She felt drained and empty, and incredibly sad.

The last two weeks flew by. Alisa resumed her lessons, practiced with the others handling crucifixes, holy water, and hosts, learned one final lesson in Italian, and endured more beatings with the cane from the siblings Umberto and Letizia. After this lesson, Tammo, Sören, and the Pyras were so wound up that they engaged in a juicy brawl in the common room.

Alisa and Ivy looked at each other, shaking their heads. "You'd think they'd be glad to escape the cane for the next few months, but instead, they seem to be developing a longing for beatings already!"

Then came the evening when they were supposed to travel back home. The travel chests and coffins were packed and carried into the large courtyard, where servants loaded them onto litters or carts. The first wagons rolled through the gate.

Alisa and Ivy hugged each other warmly. "I'm so looking forward to seeing you again soon in your homeland! If it were up to me, we could all travel to Ireland together right away!"

Luciano nodded in agreement. He bowed ceremoniously to them and then hugged them briefly. He stepped back a little, looking embarrassed, and lowered his gaze. "I'll miss you both. - You three!" he corrected himself, smiling at Seymour.

"Yes, I'll miss you too," Alisa said. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around the furry neck of the wolf. "Take good care of our Ivy-Máire. She is dear to us!"

He looked at her seriously with his wise yellow eyes. Alisa felt paralyzed. It was as if he had cast a spell over her that she couldn't break. A shiver ran down her spine. Finally, the wolf looked away, and Alisa rose unsteadily. "He is a good friend and protector," she said, slightly out of breath.

"Ivy-Máire! Finally, get into your coffin. We must leave. The tide won't wait for us!" Mervyn waved impatiently for her to come.

"Yes, I'm coming! So until September - and always practice with crosses and holy water!" She looked at her friends once more, then whirled around, her silver gown billowing and her curls flying, and hurried after Mervyn, closely followed by Seymour. Ivy lay down in her travel chest with the wolf. The lid was closed and nailed shut. Then two servants lifted the chest onto the wagon that would take them to the Tiber port. At the coast, the coffins would be loaded onto a schooner, a fast sailing ship that served as a mail and courier vessel to the British Isles.

The horses started moving, the cart began to sway and rattle over the uneven pavement. Ivy lay on her back, one hand buried in Seymour's fur. She felt his ears twitch.

"Did you hear him?" she whispered. "I can smell him. He's on the cart, even though I can't imagine what on earth he's up to!"

Ivy listened and wasn't surprised when the first nails were pulled from the coffin lid. Then the lid flipped open, and she saw Matthias's unmoving face. That, however, surprised her a little. In his stoic manner, he silently placed his hand over his chest and bowed, then stepped back and let his master step forward.

"I don't need you anymore," Franz Leopold said. "You can return to the Domus Aurea and make sure everything is prepared." The servant jumped off the moving wagon.

Franz Leopold looked down at her seriously. Ivy sat up and pulled her dress down to her ankles, leaving only her bare feet visible. "What is it?" she asked, as if it were perfectly normal for him to be on this cart, swaying towards the Tiber port to ship its cargo to Ireland. "This isn't the train to Vienna, in case you missed that."

"Thank you for the reminder, but I'm well aware of that. Our train doesn't depart for a few hours," a hint of a smile crossed his lips, spreading across his entire face and giving his brown eyes a golden sheen. "Sometimes I wish I knew what you were thinking."

"I believe you, but I'll make sure to prevent that!" she replied, almost a little harshly. "Why did you come?" Ivy wrapped her arms around her knees, looking at the young Dracas attentively, but he lowered his gaze to his shiny polished shoes.

"I thought it proper to bid you farewell when we won't see each other for a few months. No one can say we didn't enjoy an excellent upbringing in Vienna!" Ivy laughed brightly. "Yes, that's true. I'm glad you don't simply disregard social niceties."

He gave her a suspicious glance. "Are you mocking me?"

She shook her head. "No, I just wonder if it didn't occur to you to say goodbye to me in the courtyard of the Domus Aurea."

"It did occur to me, yes, but the place didn't seem suitable to me."

Ivy understood. "Because I wasn't alone there?"

"I can very well do without Luciano's hatred and Alisa's contempt at such a moment!" he said, probably more vehemently than intended.

Ivy sighed. "I see, we'll have many misunderstandings to clear up in Ireland!" She gave him a warm smile. "But I'm confident we can do that. We have many months ahead of us. - But now time is running out for us. I can already hear the calls of the dock workers." She reached out her hands to him. "We'll see each other again soon. I wish you a good return to Vienna and a safe journey to Ireland in the fall."

Franz Leopold clasped her delicate fingers as if they were extremely fragile. He trembled slightly. "I look forward to getting to know your homeland."

"Oh really? Have you changed your opinion about us being a primitive farming folk fit only for herding sheep?" The mischief glinted in her turquoise eyes.

Franz Leopold smiled back. "But no, nonetheless, it can't hurt to occasionally consider peoples who haven't crossed the threshold to civilization yet. Call it an interesting study subject." His words sounded as usual, but his tone was akin to a declaration of love.

Ivy nudged him in the arm. "Leo, you're still an arrogant monster!"

The young vampire made a mock bow. "Sometimes I've let myself go a bit, but I'll work on my upright posture and pride over the summer. I wouldn't want to deprive the others of their object of dislike!"

The carriage jerked to a halt. Franz Leopold leaned forward and touched her fingertips with his cold lips. Ivy flinched and pulled her hands back. "It seems our time has run out. Take care of your heart and your neck, Ivy-Máire, until we meet again - and of your wolf. He is truly an exceptional - I almost said animal, but 'being' is probably more fitting!" Ivy just looked at him silently.

Franz Leopold closed the lid and hammered the nails back in. He just managed to slip out from under the tarp as the dock workers approached from the other side to unload the coffins. He retreated to a stack of wine barrels and watched them.

"We should return if you don't want to miss the train to Vienna," Franz Leopold suppressed the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue. Hadn't he ordered his servant to go ahead?

"I must obey you and I must protect you. Sometimes you can't do both," Matthias said.

Franz Leopold quickly closed off his mind because what he was currently contemplating in his thoughts was not something even Matthias should know. "Then let's go," he replied abruptly.

Silent and swift as leaves in a storm, they ran back to the Domus Aurea, where their carriage to the train station was already waiting for them.

The train rattled through the night. Alisa lay in her crate and felt the rhythm of the tracks like waves flowing through her body. They had been traveling northward through the Kingdom of Italy all day, crossing the great river that meandered lazily through the Po Valley. Since nightfall, the train had been moving slower, struggling between the towering peaks to ascend the pass. Alisa hummed along with the rhythm of the wheels, perhaps because she felt so alone and melancholic. She should have been happy to be going home to her family!

Suddenly, she paused. A noise rose above the noise of the train, and then she could sense someone. A vampire, yes, definitely a Vamalia.

Hindrik? She blinked in surprise as the lid was suddenly lifted, and the servant grinned down at her.

"What? You're still lying in your transport crate even though the sun probably set two hours ago?"

"Where else should I be?" Alisa demanded to know, without moving. "I thought we received instructions from Dame Elina herself not to move during the journey!"

Hindrik's eyes widened. "Since when do you care about instructions that go against your desires? Did your little adventure scare you that much?"

Alisa sat up in her crate and smiled at him. "And since when do you tempt us to disobedience? I always thought your task was to keep us in line!"

"Yes, maybe tomorrow again, back home in Hamburg under the stern gaze of Dame Elina and her trusted ones. But tonight we are free - no longer in the land of the Nosferas and not yet in Dame Elina's realm. We are free, somewhere between heaven and earth."

"Between gorges and snow-covered mountains," Alisa continued and jumped out of her crate. "Shall we climb onto the roof?"

Hindrik attempted a dignified expression, which failed miserably. "But of course! That's what I was just about to suggest. But quietly!" he cautioned, pointing to the two crates in which Tammo and Sören were traveling.

Alisa covered her mouth and suppressed a giggle. Then she slipped out through the slightly ajar door onto the platform between the carriages and skillfully hoisted herself onto the roof of the carriage. Hindrik followed her.

"What a wonderful night!" sighed Alisa. She tilted her head back and spun around on the spot. The stars above her blurred into circles of light. The intoxicating scent of spring flowers enveloped her. An animal burst through the forest and raced over a rocky slope. A whole herd followed it. Alisa paused. "Are those chamois?"

Hindrik nodded and sat down cross-legged on the roof. The wind blew his long hair into his face, but he didn't seem to mind. He watched Alisa, who was still moving from side to side to get a glimpse into every gorge and abyss. When she turned to him next, she froze briefly, then a broad smile spread across her face.

"Hindrik, get down!" She lunged next to him and pressed him flat onto the roof of the carriage with her arm. The whistle of the locomotive pierced the night as they entered the tunnel. Hand in hand, they lay there until they had passed the last high ridge and the tracks inclined northward into the valley. Only then did they sit up again. Almost simultaneously, they pulled out their handkerchiefs to offer it to the other. They wiped their faces and then stared down at the soot-stained fabric. Alisa began to laugh.

Hindrik joined in her laughter. "I'm afraid I look just as bad as you. What kind of picture will we, the returning heroes from distant Rome, present when we step out of our crates in Hamburg before the grand reception committee?"

"A dignified one," Alisa said dryly, "all in black!"