Eustacia had to give Victoria credit: She did not give a flicker of indication that she had heard Max's derisive comments. "I didn't realize, Aunt. I believed you were a teacher of sorts, a guide. Like Kritanu. I did not know you hunted vampires. "
"Indeed. And you, my dear, are the next of my direct bloodline, that of the first Gardella Venator, who has been Chosen—and who has accepted the burden. "
"And that," Max said as he rose to his feet, "is the precise reason Lilith the Dark has been so determined to find this Book of Anwarth quickly, before you finish your training. " His tone suggested that he didn't understand why Lilith would find Victoria any great threat. "I must excuse myself now, signora. The moonlit streets await. "
"I'll get my stake," said Victoria.
Max drew himself to his imposing height and looked down his long, narrow nose. He truly was magnificent, Eustacia thought fondly. "Your offer of assistance is appreciated, Miss Grantworth, but I believe I will be able to handle three vampires without putting you at the risk of tearing your skirt or losing your bonnet. And, alas, it would be no virtue if you mistakenly staked a night watchman or a—what is the name—a Runner. " He drew on his cloak and from its depths pulled out a wicked-looking black stake. "When you've had a little more practice, and received your vis amulet, I am sure you will find yourself on your own patrols. "
With that, he gave a little bow and swept from the room.
Eustacia was almost dreading turning back to her niece—knowing exactly what she would see on her face and in her posture. What had gotten into Max? He wasn't one to mince words, true, and from the expression on his face, he was worried about more than three unexceptional vampires… yet he had been more acerbic than usual with Victoria.
It was almost as if he wanted to discourage her from pursuing the work.
Perhaps that was it. Perhaps he didn't feel she was prepared for her role.
Eustacia reached absently to stroke Victoria's shiny black hair. She felt the same hesitation about exposing her beloved niece to the evil in the world… but at this time, she didn't have any choice.
Victoria had been Chosen, and she'd accepted her fate.
Now they would have to trust that she would succeed.
Two days after Maximilian swept from the room, setting off to fight vampires, Victoria had contrived an excuse to miss an afternoon of making calls in favor of visiting her great-aunt.
Today was a most important day: She had passed her test by staking her first vampire, and she was to receive her vis bulla.
Now here she was, about to take the last step toward her destiny. Victoria and her aunt were in a small room on the first floor of the Gardella home. The windows were draped with heavy curtains, and the furnishings were spare and simple, except for a tall cupboard at one end of the room. It was as high as Victoria's forehead, bearing ornate carvings along the edges of the two doors that shuttered its contents.
Candles burned about the room, and small pots resting above the heat of the flames simmered herbs and water, releasing the scents of verbena and myrrh into the air. A large crucifix hung on one wall, simple yet commanding. It was made of two long pieces of wood fitted together, but with no other ornamentation. A long table held haphazard stacks of old books along with some jars and pots of herbs, oils, and other items Victoria could not identify.
"The vis bulla is the most critical tool to a Venator's success," Aunt Eustacia told her as she sat in her large, cushioned chair. It was the only piece of furniture that looked comfortable. "Today, as you accept yours, you also accept your destiny of belonging to the Gardella Legacy. You devote your life to the work of eliminating the evil of the undead from this earth, protecting mortals from the persistent creep of Satan and his followers. Upon your acceptance, Victoria, you must understand—there is no turning back. "
"What would happen if I decided not to accept the vis bulla?"
Eustacia stilled, looking at her with sudden, sharp eyes. "Is that what you wish?"
"No, Aunt. I have made my decision. I will accept the Legacy. But I wondered what would happen. "
Her aunt seemed to relax. "If you chose not to go further, you would undergo a ritual in which your mind would be w
iped clean of all knowledge you've received heretofore, and you would lose any and all innate skill or sensitivities you have for being a Venator—skills that you were born with, that merely remained dormant until the dreams came. Those skills and inherent sensations would be given to another. "
"Has anyone ever done such a thing?"
"Indeed, yes. Many times over the years a young man—and in a few cases, a young woman—chose to return to a life of ignorance. "
"And they know nothing about this? Nothing they would see or hear would trigger their mind and make them remember?"
"Nothing. It is to protect them as well as to protect us. "
"Is there… is there anyone I know who was Chosen, but did not accept the vis bulla?"
"Yes, Victoria. Your mother was one such person. And because she chose not to fulfill the Legacy, her powers were passed on to you. "
"My mother?"
Eustacia nodded. "Si. She had met your father and had fallen in love with him during her debut season when the dreams began to come. When the time came for her to make her choice, she chose your father. "