“I say again,” Beck Almgren pushed. “The Pope must be told.”
“And he shall be, due to where this vampire has gone,” the Cardinal Seer said impatiently. “Our Eminence is willful, though, and sometimes it is our role to protect him—even from himself. If this vampire has designs to kill him, we must take all caution possible to prevent that. That means keeping him from knowing. Keeping them separate. If Our Eminence knows, he will confront this vampire directly. And we know not if that is exactly what the vampire wants.” The Seer paused. “The better question is, what is it hoping to discover in the library?”
Charles straightened. “That is what I intend to find out.”
“Captain Almgren, I have ordered the Swiss Guard to surround the room—and not to enter,” the guard said.
“You will have to wield your power with care, Heliwr,” Beck Almgren added, giving Charles a dark look. “The Secret Archives is a sealed area, holding some of the most precious parts of the Catholic Church’s history. Violence of any kind could damage that history.”
“Noted, Captain,” the knight said.
“We must speak, Charles,” Merle said, moving away from the others.
Charles frowned but followed the old wizard toward the burning hearth. The Churchmen let them go, although Captain Almgren stared after with daggers for eyes.
Merle turned his back on the others and stepped close.
“You must be careful, Charles,” he said.
“I know that, Merle.”
“You don’t understand,” the wizard said, his blue eyes intense. “You are to be a father. With that comes a responsibility just as great as that which brought you to Rome. Do not underestimate this vampire. It is imperative you survive this day and many afterward. I know I criticized you when you wedded, even more so when I learned of the conception. But that is past. The future holds more than you know.”
“If I didn’t know better,” Charles said, grinning. “I’d think you are apologizing and now happy I am having a child.”
“The future calls upon that scion, Charles,” Merle said seriously.
Charles became just as serious. Merle always knew more than he let on. The wizard had been alive since the fifth century, his demon ancestry slowing his aging but his early baptism making him an instrument of good. With his unique lineage came the ability to see aspects of the future. He described it as seeing probability, with some future lines more prevalent in his sight—and therefore more likely to occur. The lines were rarely certain, leaving Merle cautious and the portal knights nervous more often than not.
For Merle to suddenly warn Charles meant the once confidante of Arthur the Eld was not entirely sure of the outcome this hunt would have.
Uncertainty filled him like ice.
“I will remain here, for a time anyway,” Merle said, eyeing the knight on the bed. “Bruno needs his arm set. Best to do that now before he wakes from the draught I gave him. That kind of pain is not pleasant while awake.”
Charles nodded soberly. Merle turned to the fairy.
“Keep him safe, Berrytrill. That is your task.”
“I will, Myrddin,” the guide said earnestly.
Unsure of what had just happened and not having the time to mull on it yet, Charles turned back to the Seer and captain. “With the portal knight bedridden, I think it best the Captain of the Vatican Swiss Guard watch the entrance into Annwn and ensure nothing else comes through.”
“Sound reasoning,” Cardinal Ramirez admitted.
“I will return,” Charles said simply.
The others nodded. Charles and Berrytrill left the room, knowing the eyes of the Vigilo watched him leave. Such meetings, though rare, always left him annoyed. Add what Merle had shared, and anger seethed just below the surface. At least none of the other Vigilo members were in Rome. Throw in the confusion of having a child on the way, and Charles now questioned whether or not he had made the right choice in accepting his knighthood.
“I am still amazed by the friendship you have built with the Seer,” Berrytrill cut through the knight’s dark thoughts, flying slightly ahead as they made their way quickly through the catacombs. “Given the hatred the Church has for your kind, especially.”
“My kind?” Charles grunted. “Well, sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend. And once you look past the ideology that separates us, we want the same thing. It helps that he is a bit more…philosophical…about life and God. He is not as extremist as most in the Vigilo. Probably stems from being forced to view all sides.”
“He would never do anything to harm you?” the fairy asked.
“He wouldn’t,” the Heliwr said. “Now, the Captain of the Swiss Guard, I don’t trust.”