Canticles of the Prophet Zachariah:

The Gifts

Notes by Anthony

“After about minute, my sobs had subsided into sniffles. I sat up. Asa’s shirt was stained with my blood. One of the Giovanni entered and told Gwen her presence was requested at the estate. She left, and the rest of us discussed our current predicament. We were safe in D.C., so long as the Sabbat didn’t realize who exactly the Giovanni were hiding. Tala told us a bit about what she had learned of the Sabbat as a ‘Seth A’dar’ for the Camarilla.

“They didn’t recruit like the Camarilla, with a sire granted permission to Embrace. Instead, dozens of mortals were taken, drained, and fed from a single bowl filled with vitae from dozens of Sabbat vampires. The newly Embraced fought to the death, and survivors were granted membership in the Sabbat. Diablerie was common as the strongest struggled for power. Black lines stained souls that had consumed another, and few Sabbat were without it.

“Cedric studied Tala’s face closely and asked if the Tzimisce had changed her. Tala shook her head and said she had undergone something far better. Cedric studied her aura and confirmed there was something new about it. A faint white surrounding an aquamarine blue. Tala said she could now harness the spirits around us and attempted to summon one. It worked, I think, but the dog wheeled around and barked angrily at her before running out of sight. She looked heartbroken and left. Asa turned to Ben and asked if they could step outside to talk. Ben turned to me and I nodded. I trusted Asa. Then again, I had trusted George and Thaïs and Desirée, too.

“Once we were alone, I told Cedric that he didn’t owe Gwen a damn thing. He wasn’t trapped here. He could leave this whole city behind and go with Theodore to Chicago. I didn’t want to make anyone stay who didn’t want to. Cedric laughed drily. He would stay and help me.

“I asked him about Damien. Did he know why he had tried to summon Ruth? Cedric nodded. Damien believed that the world was unfair. He had watched a nature program when he was very young, just as he was losing his sight. A gazelle was eaten by a lion. The savage act had stuck with him. The last visual memory imprinted on his eyelids It was cruel for the lion to steal the gazelle’s energy. For the gazelle to take energy from the grass. Even flowers took energy from the sun. Energy transference was the root of all evil. Damien was obsessed with making it stop. If no energy was ever transferred in the universe, then nothing bad could ever happen.

“Ruth had been awakening for a while, maybe weeks before. She had been reaching out to Damien and other receptive minds. Camarilla and Sabbat Malkavians alike had fallen under her sway. Montbatton, the Malkavian I saw through Jordan’s hair tie, had pretended to be loyal to the Sabbat while secretly amassing followers. Ruth wanted them to bring her parts of something. Someone who had been torn to pieces a long time ago. Cedric had felt its alien mind as he attempted to interrupt the ritual. Then he locked eyes with Damien.

“Cedric trailed off, staring somewhere past my right ear. Damien had made him relive his worst memory. Over and over. I asked if Cedric wanted to talk about it, and he shook his head. I understood, listeners. I don’t always want to remember my nightmares either. I do it anyway, of course. If there’s even the slightest possibility that the apocalypses I’ve dreamt of can come true, then it is my duty to study every detail for clues and warn all those I can. But it hurts, too.

“I spent the rest of the night practicing Auspex and Obfuscate with Cedric. Gwen didn’t return, but the Giovanni didn’t seem concerned. Tala worked on her crystals, while Asa trained with the baseball bat. Ben and Asa seemed a weird around each other after their conversation. I didn’t pry. I worry that Ben will feel compelled to tell me if I ask him, even if he doesn’t want to. 

“Dawn approaches and marks the end of our broadcast. Long one, I know. Between sneaking out of the Giovanni estate in body bags and staying up way too late talking to Gwen yesterday morning, I haven’t had a chance to call in. It was nice, taking the whole night to relax. I feel like I’ve been on the run for the last month. Hope you can take it easy today, too, listeners.”

* * *

“Snow gently drifted down on the stadium below. I drifted above the crowd of laughing, cheering vampires.  A large group sat in the bleachers watching a play on the field below. I floated up to the makeshift box seats. The first I noticed was a person in a suit. Male, perhaps? He had dark skin and deep, black eyes. He sat next to an attractive woman. I jumped as a secondary, inner eyelid blinked sideways across her eyes. A large man sat on her other side, though it was hard to tell where his mass ended, and the twisting tendrils of shadow began.

“Someone screamed, and I turned to the sound. A human man was on the stage, dressed in brown robes. He looked confused and terrified. A tall, handsome vampire stood beside him, holding his arm. The human tried to pull away, but the vampire held fast. The vampire was shouting his lines as he hefted a large rock in his free hand. 

‘And my brother, beloved Abel said unto me, “Caine, you did not bring a sacrifice, a gift of the first part of your joy, to burn on the altar of the One Above.”/ ‘I cried tears of love as I, with a piece of earth, sacrificed that which was the first part of my joy — my brother.’

“I turned as he raised the rock above his head. I knew how the play would end. I didn’t need to watch. I woke with a pounding headache and Ben rushed over to wipe the blood from my eyes and nose. I hadn’t bled much, fortunately. Ben handed me a bracelet and a letter. One of the Giovanni had given it to him from Tala, asking us to open it when we awoke. I began to read aloud before I realized what it was, and by then it was too late to stop.”

“I will repeat in full what she wrote, though I never want to think about what she said ever again. But I have promised you a truthful accounting, listeners. I won’t break that promise now. The last paragraph had been crossed out, but I could still read it. I wish I couldn’t, listeners. 

Zachary; Benjamin, 

This bracelet has selenite set into it, while yes, it's pretty, there's also a more practical use for this gift. Selenite is symbolic to intuition and divination, so, I can empower it as a focus for both Auspex and your visions. 

Another note, which I know may frustrate you, but also has to be said. The dead and their ghouls can never be equal, if not strictly due to power imbalance, there’s also the blood bond… which I suspect has deepened more recently. I can smell your blood in him… and his… feelings towards you. 

I don't mean to meddle too much, but as a sort of olive branch for maiming your (boy?)friend, I'd like to offer something that can fix your situation. 

This isn't a guarantee, but my Sisters were able to perform a ritual that ripped a lingering spirit from me, so there may be a chance my Nana can break this bond. 

If this fails… my best suggestion is to embrace him, and drink of his blood till your bond is equal, as that would be the only equitable relationship with a blood bond. 

Warm Regards, 

Rose

“I made it about halfway through before my voice failed me. Ben picked up where I left off, his voice growing louder and angrier with every word. He stormed out of the room. I followed, feeling my blood do summersaults in what used to be my stomach. Ben yelled at Tala, telling her she had no idea about what she was talking about. Tala was unnaturally calm, flatly restating the arguments she made in her letter. Her logic was impossible to ignore. Asa tried to calm Ben down, but I could tell from the way he was looking at Ben and I that he agreed with Tala. 

“The voices grew louder, but they couldn’t drown out my racing thoughts. Tala was right. My blood had changed him. Corrupted him. He was my best friend, sure, but Ben used to have a girlfriend. He had other friends. Without my blood coursing in his veins, would Ben have stayed to fight an army of vampires? Comforted me through nightmare after bloody nightmare? Swum across the Potomac in the middle of winter? Yelled in the face of the very woman who had ripped his arm off? Tell me he loved me? 

“I felt the ground tremble beneath me. The air was too hot and thick in my throat. I began sobbing for the second time in as many days. Through blurry red tears I watched as Ben reached out to me. Asa pushed him back. There was something in Ben’s eyes I didn’t understand, but I could read Asa’s expression. Asa was protecting me. He was afraid of what Ben would do. 

“Ben threw up his hands and stomped away from us, slamming the door to our bedroom closed. Asa gave Tala a look and she left as well. I washed my face in the kitchen sink. The metal basin ran red with my poisonous, treacherous blood. My voice muffled in a towel; I told Asa that it was all my fault. He put a hand on my shoulder and said it wasn’t, but I wasn’t finished. Ben knew I was a vampire because I was too afraid to face it alone. Ben was a ghoul because I gave him my blood. Ben nearly died because he followed me to Roosevelt Island. 

“I could tell Asa disagreed, but he knew that wasn’t a fight I was ready to have right now. He gave me a hug just as Ben walked back into the kitchen. His face was still flushed, but he didn’t look angry anymore. Asa gave us the room and Ben apologized, saying he was sorry he got angry. 

“I felt the emotions welling up in my throat, but I stopped myself from crying. I told Ben it was okay to be angry! Ben said he didn’t understand what I was saying. Did I want him to be angry? I told him I wanted him to feel…whatever way he wants to feel. I wanted Ben to be himself. He was my rock. He kept me stable and sane. The most important thing was for Ben to be Ben.

“Asa walked in and asked to see Ben in the bathroom for a few minutes. When they came out, both looked deeply uncomfortable, and Asa walked in the opposite direction. I think Asa was trying to use his healing magic or nurse practitioner mojo make Ben acknowledge the effect my blood has on him. I don’t think it worked very well, though. 

“Gwen came back later that Thursday evening, and the next night we left the safety of her Adam’s Morgan apartment to shop for clothes. No dreams, remarkably. I felt more well-rested than I had in weeks. The city was quiet. Asa and Tala later told us they saw a group of Cainite hunting as we drove. Asa and Gwen decided on something formal, he in a black suit and tie, she in a conservative black pantsuit. Tala was striking in a bright red dress with black leather jacket, tights, and a pair of combat boots.

“I went with something a little different, listeners. My goal wasn’t to look intimidating or professional or sexy. I was going to be a crazy, excitable Malkavian ready to party. Big jeans jacket with an open red flannel button down and band tee underneath. I had to hunt through that thrift store for half an hour until I found a Depeche Mode shirt. From the Music for the Masses tour. Seemed a fitting album to reference for my half-baked plan. Ripped jeans, comfortable sneakers, and a handful of band and phrase pins completed the ensemble. 

“As we returned to Adams Morgan, I felt something watching us from the shadows. They seemed to flicker just in the corner of my vision. I could tell Asa and Tala saw the same thing. Tala tried to warn Gwen, but she didn’t want to discuss it. We were guests of the Sabbat, she reminded us. There was no reason to fear our new neighbors.

“I guess I should be careful what I tell you listeners. Though, I can’t imagine they put much stock into what a crazed Malkavian whispers into his audio recorder just before dawn. Still, better to be cautious. I won’t tell you about my plans, not yet. It’s more fun when it’s a surprise, right?

“It’s Saturday morning now, just before dawn. Ben and I spent the rest of the night ‘artfully’ tearing and burning the jeans jacket and putting in the pins. Can’t rock up to a party wearing brand new clothes looking like my mom dressed me, right? DJ Zachariah will be back on the airwaves tonight at the old Il Gran Ballo for one night only. You won’t want to miss this broadcast.”