Satan's Gift

Chapter Sixteen: Weakness

It was almost midnight, soon to be 14th of November, 2017. I had parked the caravan in the middle of nowhere. Not literally but it was on the side of the road near a dense forest. I needed some quietness for the night. I had bought some things to eat on the way and had stored it in the freezer. While Xenette slept in bed like a koala bear, I sat on a chair with my legs on top of a little table, drinking coffee. Coffee somehow had an opposite effect on me. Helped me sleep well.
"You still awake?" A familiar, weary voice called out. I looked in its direction to find Xenette with her eyes squinted at me.
"Good morning, but it's just 11:57pm," I said sarcastically.
"Go back to sleep,"

"You should sleep as well. Come here," Xenette urged me as I put the cup down and managed some space on the left of the bed.
"Goodnight," I said to her and looked at her direction. Her eyes were closed so I closed mine as well and joined my hands on my chest. Xenette wrapped her left arm around my torso and pulled herself closer and snuggled onto me.
"Should I turn on the heater?" I suggested.
"... no," she replied after a little pause.
"You're not sleepy, aren't you?" Xenette questioned in a much awake voice this time. To be honest, I wasn't. The haunting starts when I close my eyes. Nightmares of death, torture and sorrow oppressed me each and every day since. I didn't want to worry Xennete.
"I'm extremely tired, will fall asleep in any minute now," I retorted.
"Goodnight," Xennete said after an agonizing pause. May she had her doubts that I'm hiding something. I didn't blame her, though. I was changing and it was evident; both of us had changed, but not all changes are good they say.
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The night sky disappeared and the first light of the new morning touched my face.
"Ugh! There just has to be a window onto everything!" I groaned and got up. I could hear the sound of passing vehicles. Slowly I got awareness of my surrounding. By the time I finished brushing my teeth, Xenette woke up and occupied the basin. I made coffee for both of us and put it on the table. Xenette joined me few minutes later and occupied her seat.
"So, we have a job in hand," Xenette stated after the first sip of her coffee.
"Job?" I repeated after her with a furrow.
"Yeah. Don't you wanna look for the thing that Hanks was afraid of?" she explained herself.
"Well, I wouldn't call it a job. Honestly, I don't know where to start," I admitted dishearteningly.
"In that case, we have to do this the hard way," Xennete exclaimed.
"Elaborate, please," I said, taking a sip of coffee and prepared to listen.
"Well, we have to research about all the museums and collectors who show interest in all of this stuff," Xennete started off with her explanation just to get interrupted by my confusion and lack of enthusiasm.
"probably dozens out there, how will we ever know where to look!? They're all over Europe!"

Xenette thought hard for a while.
"Leave that to me," she said with a smile.
"Wow, that's very reassuring," I retorted. Xenette rolled her eyes, disgusted at my attitude.
"Now, hear me out rather than behaving like a loser!" she hissed.
I nodded and took another sip.
"I know a guy; he's a professor at the University of Norfolk. He's actually family, somehow. And guess what? He is a historian and teaches archaeology!" Xennete exclaimed excitedly. I raised an eyebrow, indicating for her to express her point.
"Jesus, Ian! The point is, he may be able to help us. Most probably! And I'm gonna Skype him right away, regardless of what the time is there," she got up and opened her laptop which rested on a table at the back.
"Okay, you do that. I'm gonna warm up the engine," I said before entering the driver's cabin.

An hour later, Xennete joined me in the cabin, occupying the passenger's seat. There was good news written all over her face.
"Guess what!?" Xennete grinned with excitement.
"Just talk," I replied, not hoping for much.
"We're going to Romania!" she exclaimed. I stopped on the side and looked at her with my eyes squinted.
"He knows where it is. A man named Alexander Romanov bought it ages ago and kept it in his fortress in Romania. It is a dagger, actually. Vedra is a dagger!" she exclaimed all excited.
"No shit," I replied. Adrenaline was already running through my veins just by witnessing Xenette's enthusiasm.
"So, if we stab Hanks with the dagger, if he is alive, that is, then he will become vulnerable and just bleed to death?" I questioned, taking interest all of a sudden.
"He's a professor, Ian. A professor," Xenette's sarcasm was my answer.
"Sadly, we could only spend one night in this thing," I said with a frown.
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