"Wait! We need to make sure they've withdrawn their guards from the cave entrance first," Tonka reminded.
"It's almost day. Look, the sky in the east is already reddening," Piero urged.
"We are well aware of that," growled Danilo. "We would have hidden in the cave at a favorable location long ago if we didn't have to take your weakness into account!"
What could he say to that? So Piero remained silent, trying to maintain a composed demeanor in the face of his siblings' anger. Although Tonka hid it better, he knew she was also close to losing her patience. Jovan and Vesna, on the other hand, remained quiet and deferred to the leadership of the siblings. They were finally very close to their objective, but the Lycana had apparently become suspicious. How had they been found out? Piero hadn't been in the cave yet, precisely to avoid leaving a trace that could alert the Lycana to their presence, but apparently Tonka and Danilo hadn't been as cautious as they had assumed.
They should direct their anger at themselves, not at me, Piero thought. Now it would be much more difficult. They didn't know what the vampires had done overnight to protect themselves from the danger they at least suspected. Tonka had flown into the cave as a bat once, but out of fear of being discovered, she hadn't ventured close enough. So they only knew that the Lycana had searched the cave passages and moved their quarters to another part of the labyrinth.
"If they're smart, they'll barricade the entrance," Piero said grimly.
"Any barricade can be removed," Danilo claimed.
"Yes, if you have time, and that's exactly what we don't have. How long can we resist our natural urge once the sun has risen and driven them into their coffins? Time is exactly what we don't have!"
"Don't worry. We didn't bring our two Unreines for nothing," Tonka said, grinning. "They can stay awake longer than other vampires!"
Piero remained silent. He thought of the white wolf and hoped it wouldn't greet them properly when they entered the cave. Not that he was afraid of a wolf - at night, when he was in possession of all his powers - but the timing was unfavorable. Piero suppressed a yawn.
"They're gone!" Tonka reported, having scurried to the entrance as a mouse and looked around. She transformed into a wolf and dashed ahead. Her brother followed suit. Their servants followed them.
Did one not feel the leaden fatigue as strongly in animal form? Piero wondered, struggling to keep up.
They passed by the large cave where the mists of the extinguished peat fire still lingered heavily in the air. However, the coffins that had been there the previous night were gone. But since the trail of numerous footprints was unmistakable, they made rapid progress.
When they reached the new retreat of the Lycana, they felt the sun rising outside. Piero had to blink as the surroundings blurred before his eyes more and more, although Tonka had transformed back and lit a lamp from the large hall. There was no sound coming from the cave where the wanted ones had barricaded themselves. Surely they were all now lying in their coffins, slumbering until the next evening. He looked at Danilo, who had also returned to his human form and was grinning maliciously. It would be a rude awakening for the Lycana!
"The cave had two entrances," Tonka said a little sluggishly. She was still surprisingly well. "They used heavy blocks for the larger one here. That takes too long. We don't have time for that. But we can break through over there. Jovan, Vesna, get to work! And then..." She didn't finish the sentence and instead tapped the hilt of her sword hanging at her side. All four of them carried such blades. Only Piero didn't. He had never learned to fight with a sword.
Tonka went unusually slowly into the narrow cleft where there must have been an entrance to the cave behind it just a few hours ago. Piero entered last. Struggling to blink, he examined the dark line on the ceiling. What was that? He leaned back to see better.
"Tonka, bring the lamp here. You should see this," he said.
"What is it? You'd better help us!" Danilo snapped at him, but his words were drowned out by a clatter of falling rocks. The five threw themselves to the ground, arms shielding their heads. When the dust finally settled, they got up. A few rocks had hit them, causing bloody wounds, but it was nothing that couldn't heal in a few quiet nights. However, they wouldn't be granted those. They were trapped!
Danilo was the first to speak. He cursed and ranted in a language Piero didn't understand, but he didn't need to know the words to understand their meaning. In their fatigue, they hadn't concentrated enough and had fallen into the Lycana's trap. Soon, they would fall into their deathlike slumber. A brief respite until the Irish vampires received them in the evening. Danilo vented his anger on the servants, whom he believed were to blame for this debacle.
"Stop cursing," Tonka said brusquely, and to Piero's surprise, Danilo fell silent. "Let's see if we can find a gap to crawl through."
Piero took a few steps through their prison and shook his head. "There's nothing. We can only try to remove the stones." He couldn't imagine how he would manage to lift even one of those blocks. He could barely muster the strength to keep his eyes open and formulate words! How merciful it would be to just let himself fall into the darkness. The thought of what awaited him at the other end didn't touch him in that moment.
"You won't find a hole big enough for you! We might find something for ourselves," Tonka said, and although she was bleeding from a gaping head wound, she conjured the mist and transformed into a mouse. The two servants helped her. The animals moved a bit sluggishly, but eventually, Jovan found a tiny opening to the outside where two rocks had wedged against each other. They transformed back again.
"The hole doesn't lead back into the cave we came from, but into the narrow crevice. However, I felt a draft. There must be an opening to the outside. We can hide up there as bats during the day and fly out as soon as it gets dark," Jovan reported.
"And our plan has failed again," Danilo growled.
"Postponed," Tonka corrected. "What about you? Do you still have enough strength for the transition?"
"I guess I'll have to," he mumbled.
"Wait, what about me? Are you going to leave me here to face the Lycana and their wrath?" Piero interjected.
"No, we won't leave you to the Lycana," Tonka said, but before he could feel relief, she drew her sword with the silver blade from its sheath and plunged it into his heart. In his nearly paralyzed state from exhaustion, it didn't occur to him to resist. Piero fell to his knees. He didn't know if it was cold or fire consuming him. The pain was so overwhelming. Was that the silver? He stared at Tonka with eyes wide with astonishment. She showed no emotion.
"We don't need your help anymore, Piero, or whatever else you might be called," she said coldly as she withdrew the blade.
"My name is Leandro," he whispered.
Danilo transformed into a wolf and tore his throat.
"Stop. He's not worth your wrath. He was just a tool we no longer need," Danilo said, turning his bloody muzzle toward her and then stepping back. His sister finished the work of destruction by decapitating Leandro.
"Now let's go before our powers are completely depleted."
As mice, they crawled out of their prison and then transformed into bats to find a hidden niche high up in the crevice to safely endure the day.
Before Franz Leopold's mind was clear again and he was fully awake, he heard the voices. They sounded excited! The Dracas pushed aside the bloodlust that threatened to dominate his mind and pushed open the lid. He leaped out of the coffin and looked around. All around him, vampires were emerging from the crates with expressions of confusion. He saw Luciano picking himself up, yawning, his hair even more disheveled than usual. Ivy and Alisa, however, were already with the Lycana and some servants who were just clearing away the last rocks that had blocked the passage to their refuge over the day. Franz Leopold pushed back his hair and tied it into a loose ponytail as he hurried over to the two vampire women.
"What's going on? The wall held, didn't it?"
Both nodded. "Yes, but Niamh and Bridget reported that the trap was triggered!"
"Then we'll soon face our pursuers," said Alisa. "What will the Lycana do with them?"
Ivy shrugged and looked down at Seymour. "I don't know. It may depend on who they are and what they were up to."
"At any rate, this evening seems to be getting interesting!" Franz Leopold's eyes glittered dangerously. "Come on, let's not miss out!"
Meanwhile, Luciano had also joined them, so they followed the other Lycana out of the cave. The first thing they noticed was the scent of blood. It certainly wasn't human blood, and it wasn't animal blood either.
"This smell," Luciano muttered. "I recognize it. I thought I smelled it back at the hut near Dunluce, but that's impossible!"
Some of the servants immediately began to remove the rocks that had blocked the crevice. Franz Leopold tried to read the mood of the Lycana. They were surprisingly calm, no trembling restlessness, no bloodlust. Were they so composed, or had he forgotten how to read the thoughts of others? Nevertheless, he felt his fangs protruding and the trembling of the hunting fever seizing him.
Alisa and Ivy joined in, helping Hindrik to carry away stones. With a suppressed sigh, Franz Leopold grabbed a not-too-large rock and carried it to the pile the others had already stacked. When he returned, the hole was large enough to see into. He heard Hindrik whistle.
"Get a lamp!" Luciano grabbed a light from the sleeping cave, where it stood on a coffin, and handed it to Hindrik. Everyone crowded around the opening, trying to catch a glimpse.
"No one's in there," Alisa said in surprise, only able to see the front part. "But I smell blood! It reminds me of something - or someone. I just can't remember."
"No one in there?" Franz Leopold repeated. "At least no one who could still give us any information," he added as his view took in the entire cavity. Alisa pressed closer to him until she also spotted the mangled body.
"Someone was thorough." Alisa's breath quickened. The scent of blood stirred unease in her too. Ivy, however, seemed unaffected.
"We need to get closer to see what happened to him," Franz Leopold urged.
"At least he didn't kill himself," Luciano observed, preparing to crawl through the hole, but Donnchadh called him back and sent the young vampires away. They obeyed reluctantly.
"Go with Ainmire and Ciarán outside. Your servants will accompany you for protection."
"Are we going to practice again?" Luciano exclaimed in horror, clutching both hands to his chest. "I can't concentrate. I can't think of anything else but blood!" He looked defiantly around. Perhaps he expected the others to contradict him, but even Alisa had to admit that the night without blood had left them drained and just as eager for it.
Donnchadh gave them something like a smile. "Yes, you will train again tonight, because this incident clearly shows us how important it is to strengthen the heirs!" His hand gestured to the remains of the vampire, which were already beginning to crumble to dust. Luciano let out a protest.
"But first," Donnchadh interrupted any further objections, "first, they will take you to a pasture in the valley. Once you've been strengthened, we can continue the lesson. And in the meantime, we'll investigate what exactly happened here and make sure no one is in danger."
Luciano beamed. "That's the best thing I've heard in a long time!"
"And he only means the first part of Donnchadh's statement!" Franz Leopold emphasized, finding it difficult not to look just as relieved at the thought of fresh blood as the others.
Ivy excused herself and went a little way down the corridor with Seymour until they were no longer visible. Franz Leopold watched her go and was just considering whether he should follow her when Seymour returned alone. Odd. He stared at the wolf. Where had Ivy gone without him? Alisa at his side had the same question. They looked at each other. Suddenly, Alisa nudged him in the ribs. A mouse scurried up the rocks and disappeared into the crevice. The two leaned forward slightly to keep it in sight. Seymour bounded over to Donnchadh, apparently doing everything to distract the clan leader for a few moments. With bated breath, Alisa and Franz Leopold watched as the mouse sniffed at the bloodstain and then circled the dead body.
"Ivy-Máire!" Catriona's unusually harsh voice rang out. Alisa and Franz Leopold turned away, positioning themselves between the servant and the hole in the rubble. Franz Leopold felt the mouse dart out from behind him in the crevice. Just a few moments later, Ivy approached Catriona.
"You called for me?" Her expression was friendly but inscrutable.
Catriona also didn't reveal what she was thinking. So the two Lycana silently scrutinized each other until Catriona turned to the other heirs, who were now fully assembled:
"It's time for you to leave. In the meantime, we'll take care of this," she paused for a moment and then said, "unpleasantness."
So they had no choice but to follow Ainmire and Ciarán through the winding passages to the entrance of the cave.
"Feels good!" Alisa exclaimed as they ran down the limestone rocks into the valley. She took a deep breath of the night air and let it out with relish. "As much as I find such a labyrinth of caves fascinating, I quickly miss the scent of the night breeze."
Ivy agreed with her, while Luciano grumbled that he hadn't missed the night wind the most.
Franz Leopold caught up with Ivy, who leaped lightly over the worn fissures, and whispered, "What did you find out?"
"I don't know what you mean," she replied, quickening her pace, but he wouldn't shake her off.
"Alisa and I saw you, my little mouse!"
Ivy slowed down and let out a sigh. "I suppose that wasn't meant to be a term of endearment you plan to use for me now?"
"Not if you don't like it."
"No, I don't like it!" she retorted. "Let's not talk about it."
"Only if you tell me everything you smelled and saw."
"And me too!" Alisa chimed in, having caught up with the two. Only Luciano had fallen far behind once again. "I've got an idea swirling around in my head that's completely impossible."
They reached the gate to a sheep pasture and stopped to wait for the others.
"Leandro!" Ivy said simply.
Alisa and Franz Leopold exchanged glances. "So it is!" Alisa exclaimed. "I thought my senses must be deceiving me. But what does this mean? How does a former librarian from the Domus Aurea in Rome end up here in Ireland?"
"And who were the others?" Franz Leopold added. "Certainly not Nosferas."
Ivy shook her head. "No, that's for sure."
"And what do they want from us?" Alisa posed the most important question.
The three looked at each other puzzled.
"What else did you find out?" Franz Leopold pressed.
"I swear I'll tell you every detail I can remember, but not now, while the others are within earshot."
They couldn't even fend that off as the young vampires gathered around the two Lycana. The servants kept a little distance, forming a circle around the group and scanning attentively. Ainmire and Ciarán called the herd over, and the animals obediently trotted up.
"Finally, blood," Tammo sighed, voicing what others felt, even if not everyone would admit it.
After they had quenched their thirst, they released the animals from their spell and began the journey back to the cave. They weren't in a hurry, enjoying the night and chatting. Alisa, Franz Leopold, and Luciano crowded around Ivy to learn more, but to their annoyance, Tammo stuck to their heels and incessantly chattered about the vanquished and the progress he had made the previous night.
Annoyed, Alisa sent her brother away. Now, however, he was offended and showered her with accusations. Alisa rolled her eyes in exasperation. Finally, Tammo left them alone and followed Fernand's call, who had discovered something that piqued his interest.
"Well?" Alisa urged. "Report!" She had stopped and blocked Ivy's path.
Ivy also paused and tilted her head back. "Do you see the eagle up there? I've been wondering what that means the whole time. It came when we were on the pasture and has been following us ever since."
"Don't change the subject," Franz Leopold ordered, but Alisa leaned back and watched the shadow in the sky, which darkened the stars. "I didn't know they flew at night."
"They don't," Ivy confirmed.
"Then we're not dealing with an ordinary griffin," Luciano concluded. "Could one of the Lycana have transformed into an eagle to observe us?"
Ivy shook her head. "It's possible, but highly unlikely. I have a strange feeling when I look at it. Some sort of premonition of great changes."
"Could you not call it to you?" Luciano suddenly suggested. "It's an animal, and you're a master at commanding even animals that are far away from us."
"An eagle is different from a bat," Alisa interjected. "Didn't Catriona say that on the first day? It's much harder to impose your will on a highly developed animal!"
"But Ivy can still do it," Luciano asserted, seeking approval from his friend. Instead of an answer, Ivy extended her arm.
The eagle made one more loop and then dove steeply toward the four vampires.
A sea eagle, Alisa noted, although it was the first living specimen she had ever seen. However, she had once infiltrated a villa on Elbchaussee with some other Vamalia and admired the collection of stuffed animals belonging to the master of the house, among which was a sea eagle.
Ivy regarded the proud bird, which must have weighed heavily on her arm. "Yes, it's a sea eagle - and a very special one. His name is Tapaidh, 'the one who flies as fast as the arrow.'"
"He has a name?" Alisa marveled.
"Yes, because he serves Tara and comes straight from Dunluce," Ivy explained.
"Tara, that's the Druid, right?" Luciano confirmed. "But what does her eagle want here in this area?"
But Franz Leopold had already understood. "This is no coincidence. He was sent to find us!"
"Yes, and luckily he finally found us. We must hurry. Follow me, quickly!"
Ivy extended her arm to facilitate the eagle's takeoff. As soon as he rose into the air, she began to run. The others ran after her but couldn't keep up. Only the eagle flew as swiftly as the Lycana through the air, landing on her shoulder as she paused at the entrance to the cave. Then they disappeared into the crevice.
Franz Leopold cursed. "It couldn't have been that urgent!"
"Yes, she could have waited for us for a moment. I hope we haven't missed anything important. Quickly, let's summon a bat to help us move quickly in the cave."
While running, they summoned their little helper, who indeed fluttered over and led them without incident to the main hall, where they found Ivy with Catriona. The eagle still perched on her shoulder. Seymour rushed to her, growling indignantly. Apparently, he didn't like being shaken off by her. As Alisa and Franz Leopold approached, the two Lycana fell silent.
"I'll go get Donnchadh," Catriona said, walking away.
"What did we miss?" Alisa asked, with a hint of reproach in her voice.
"It looks like I need to travel north. If possible, within this hour," Ivy replied, looking distressed.
"What?" exclaimed Alisa and Franz Leopold in unison. "To the north?"
"Where to?"
"Back to Dunluce?"
"It has nothing to do with you," Ivy brushed off. "You'll be safe here, and..."
"Safe?" Franz Leopold interjected. "Do you mean because the trap worked today? Leandro wasn't alone, we know that! Or are you suggesting he ripped his own throat out?"
Alisa joined in the accusations. "We're neither stupid nor blind, you should know. So why are you keeping so much from us?"
"Because it's not always advantageous to know everything. It doesn't concern you."
"Oh no?" Alisa retorted. "Then was Luciano's fear of being destroyed in our coffins during the day completely unfounded?" She pointed at the Nosferas hobbling into the cave.
"You are safe. The Lycana will ensure that nothing happens to you. My journey has nothing to do with the intruders. You don't need to be afraid."
"We're not afraid," Luciano exclaimed before the others could speak. "But I would like to know what I'm dealing with. It's better than fighting shadows!"
"And it's only fair if you tell us where we're going and why," Franz Leopold said unusually gently.
Alisa nodded vigorously. "But yes! You don't think we'd leave you behind. We're coming with you!"
Ivy looked surprised from one to the other. Even Luciano's face bore such determination that there was no room for doubt. He too would give his eternal existence on Earth for them.
"It really has nothing to do with you," she repeated weakly. "I know you're curious and want to experience something, but this is about more..."
Franz Leopold cut her off. "Of course, we seek adventure, but that has nothing to do with it. We will accompany you and protect you because we are friends!"
His words were spoken with such seriousness that even Alisa gasped for air. Franz Leopold promised aid to a vampire who didn't belong to his own clan, even making an oath of loyalty? Ivy, too, was speechless for a few moments, and perhaps quite relieved that Donnchadh was now approaching her, asking her to follow him. The eagle on her shoulder began to show the first signs of restlessness, shifting from one foot to the other. Was he waiting for a decision, to set off again to deliver the message - yes, to whom? Tara, the Druid?
Alisa looked at the two vampires with sparkling eyes. "Let's make sure we hear what they discuss."
"Too bad we can't transform into mice or some insect," Luciano grumbled, and for once, Franz Leopold didn't dwell on the fact that the Roman couldn't even transform into a wolf.
There was now no reason why Áine had to avoid the company of the other vampires. No one was waiting for her. No one greeted her with almost childlike enthusiasm to romp with her in the moor in the form of a wolf, to tease her, or simply to run with her through the night. Tracking down game, licking its fur, making love to it in her human body under the starry sky.
Áine hadn't known that a vampire could feel so lonely and miserable. And she began to sense that this would now be her fate for all eternity.
As soon as it was dark, Áine left the castle, crossed the river, and set out. Although she didn't pay attention to the direction she was heading, she knew her legs would take her past the mine to the place in the moor where Peregrine had died. Or should she say, her longing? Or her despair? Or her anger? Áine knew what it meant to lose a beloved. To have to accept helplessly that his life had been violently extinguished. Too soon extinguished. She had experienced it when she was still a human, when her name was still Anne Devlin. The English had arrested and hanged Robert Emmet. He had only been twenty-five years old. Her uncle Michael Dwyer, who had led the partisan fights in the Wicklow Mountains, had only been deported to Australia by his accusers. Anne had never seen him again either. And they had prevented her from being present at Robert's execution, to comfort him in his difficult last hour. She had still been imprisoned in a dungeon. Tortured, weakened, close to death because she had refused to reveal Robert's hiding place. Even today, Áine wondered how they had still managed to find him. Had chance led them to his trail, or had one of his comrades betrayed him? One whose love wasn't as great, who couldn't endure captivity and torture for him?
So the features of her lovers mixed in her thoughts as her feet flew over marsh grass and pink blooming heather. Only a few of her senses were focused on the nocturnal land, to warn her of dangers in time. But she was alone. Completely alone.
The other residents of Aughnanure didn't care that she secluded herself. They hadn't asked before, and they didn't want to know now where she was going or what she was doing. They didn't care. Or did they? Was their displayed indifference just a façade?
Áine stared at the spot where Peregrine had found death. It felt as if the ground still exhaled the scent of his struggle for life.
Oh Peregrine, why did you have to die? Was it my fault, or were you just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
And who had killed him? There were too many tracks around this place. Werewolves, humans and their dogs - and vampires. Had they followed him and killed him after they had bid each other farewell?
The two venerable ones at Aughnanure claimed that Áthair Faolchu knew very well that the young ones from his own clan had killed the werewolf, out of jealousy, envy, or revenge, or some other reason that didn't concern the vampires, and that they were now using this death as a pretext to stir up old hostilities.
Áine looked down at the earth that had soaked up his blood. She didn't care which side was right and which intrigues and power games they were abusing his death for. Regardless of what they would now say or do, they couldn't bring Peregrine back. He was gone forever, and she would have to spend eternity without him. Áine knew that there was nothing left for her that could bring joy to her existence. The nights ahead would be the same. She would awaken and quench her thirst for blood, she would roam through the moor until the night waned and it was time to return to her coffin. An eternal cycle of pain. Perhaps it would have been better if Tara hadn't hidden her in the barn on that night and instead left her to the fire of the sun. It was said to be a long, agonizing death, yet it didn't last forever. Then the pain would be behind her now, and she would be just a bit of ash in the wind, a wisp of memory: like the rebels and sympathizers, the children and women who had helped their men, hidden them, tended their wounds, and worried about them when they went off to battle. But also their traitors and the pursuers who tirelessly hunted them down and brought them to the gallows to solidify English rule. They were all dust. Like Robert Emmet, the Irish patriot and hero, and Peregrine, the werewolf from the bogs of Connemara.