And What I Found There - Book Two

29. Faster Than You Could Say Sabotage

I suddenly hear something creak behind me; I whirl around in time to see a figure hobbling into the room. I swallow my scream and force myself to remain calm. The person, or thing whatever it is, is hunched over and wears a long brown cloak and has the hood flipped up. They have a really tall staff in their hand and they stand perfectly still for a moment, head angled towards me.

"Girlie?" A raspy voice croaks from under the hood.

That's me, I guess. "Um...hi?"

"You're...alive? Alive!" The person tosses their hood back and I realize that it's a little old man, human for the most part with long wispy gray hair and a ratty beard. The top of his head is bald and molted with dark brown liver dots. He hobbles over to me in a crooked gate. He's missing an eye.

I flinch and press myself against the door, desperately trying not to stare at the rotten looking mound of flesh in his eye socket.

"I-I haven't seen a living person in so long!" He stops a couple of steps away from me though it's quite too close for me. I nearly gag at the rancid stench that calls to mind a dead body and the buzzing sound of the flies and gnats around him is making me so nauseous, I struggle to keep from throwing up.

I suddenly register his staff. I saw that in my vision. Is this the person I saw too? It must be! But what the hell was my vision trying to tell me about this old man? Am I supposed to learn something here? From him? "Who are you?" I demand.

"My name is Cruor," he rasps. "What do they call you, little one?"

"Um..." I gulp, my eyes bounce around the church for any other possible exit but I can't find any! "Adara," I say quickly, anxious to keep talking. I don't know what will happen if I don't.

"Adara, pretty name." He smiles again as he looks me over. I gulp. "You wouldn't happened to...know anything about Vampires, would you, girlie?"

"Vampires?" I furrow my brow, my heart racing. "What do you mean?"

"There's no need to play coy, dearie. I know what you are!" He hobbles closer. I frantically try the door handle behind my back again but it doesn't budge. "You're a Blood Betrothed," he hisses.

I widen my eyes with alarm. "How do you know that?"

He chuckles as he steps back. Finally. "I'm an old priest, I have seen plenty in my time. And I can see the darkness on you from where a Vampire has touched you. Its vile touch stains your sweet flesh like black blood," he softly hisses.

I panic as I look myself over.

"Oh, don't worry," Cruor shakes his head. "Don't worry... Only I can see it. Did you come here looking a cure, dearie?"

Another quaking roar from outside suddenly pierces through the walls and rattles the entire church again. I stagger off to the side and fall down onto one of the benches. "What was that!" I wildly demand, looking around with terror. Where is Vyndren?! What is going on outside?!

"Oh, every now n' again the ol' church wakes up," he rasps. "Don't fear that though..."

Impossible! It sounds like a hurricane and a volcano are colliding beyond these trembling walls. Dust falls from the rafters and all of the pews are rattling back and forth. I can barely talk, that's so badly my teeth are clattering. "Y-You can cure Blood Betrotheds?" I'm stunned. "I-I-I never read of...of a c-cure before!"

"There be a good deal of things you'll never find anywhere else except for the Hills, girlie," he grabs my hand and I yelp at the cold, boney grasp. "Come, I shall show you..."