Enid stepped down the stairs from their plane. She was wearing her Superhero Sarah O’Connor face. She had a white turtleneck sweater and what appeared to be a pair of black leggings, in actuality it was her Atlantean armor. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Maria, Eyre and Violet followed behind her. There was a Black Vatican SUV waiting for them and they piled in, Violet was positively bouncing.

“I’ve never been to Rome.”

Enid smiled at Violet.

“I know, that is why I came a few days early. So, you could see it before…”

“Thank you so much mom three. I wish Mitena could have come.”

Enid sighed.

“It’s too dangerous.”

Eyre looked at her mom.

“Really Mom, leaving her at home with your abusive father was better?”

“Eyre, it is not like I had a choice. We needed Violet here to watch the house. This is stressful enough as it is without you questioning my every decision.”

“I’m sorry mom.”

Enid looked away and started watching the city pass by her face a mask of calm. Eyre reached out squeezed her mother’s hand. Maria had her seat belt on and was stroking her crucifix. The driver looked back.

“His Holiness requested to see you as soon as you arrived.”

Enid nodded. She looked ahead and behind. They had two escorts one ahead, one behind as if they were foreign dignitaries with a security team.

“Is there concern for our safety?”

Their driver, a member of the Swiss Guard glanced back towards her again.

“The Italian Government insisted on it.

Enid let a bemused smile cross her lips. Finding something that could threaten the four of them after dark was amusing. The lead car pulled up against the sidewalk and the rear one followed suit and their SUV pulled into the Vatican’s gates and dropped them off at one of the many entranceways. They were all searched for weapons and then allowed through. Eyre was trying to find a way to make her own outfit which would be considered not proper for a visit with the pope, less so.

“I thought we’d see him tomorrow.”

“He wants us right away he gets us like we are.”

“Mom, it’s the pope.”

“And you’ve lived through how many of them, daughter?”

Eyre tugged the collar of her t-shirt and nodded. They were led through the sleeping Vatican to the Pope’s meeting office. He was dressed in a night robe and looked as though he was wakened from a fitful sleep. Enid spoke.

“Holiness this could have waited until morning surely, so we did not disturb your rest.”

“No, no, I had to the apprentice to his avenging angel. Is that the right term? I understand a day meeting would not be possible.”

He was looking to Violet who if she were mortal would have fainted by now.

“You are correct.”

“Violet is…effectively my daughter. She is young.”

The pope stood up and shook Violet’s hand firmly. Violet fanned herself afterwards giving Eyre a look that screamed, the pope just touched my hand. He then came to Enid herself putting his hands on her shoulders.

“You hide your true face.”

“My true face will be revealed to the world in three days, holiness. When I draw the sword from the marble floor of St. Peters. After that we will no longer be hiding and we will be in open war with the Black Son, the betrayer.”

“The arrangements have been made as requested. We have had press flying in and asking for places for the last week.”

“Thank you, Holiness.”

“You seem more at peace.”

“I have come to understand some things I have been lying to myself about. It is hard to forgive yourself when you do not realize how much you need to forgive yourself for.”

“Wiser words were never spoken, child.”

Enid nodded.

“Holiness, you should get some rest, we will return in three days. Is it alright, I should say, do we have your permission to very quietly view the Vatican this evening? Violet has never been.”

“You do.”

He motioned to his exhausted looking assistant and spoke to him quietly. He nodded and afterwards Enid took them on a tour of the Vatican in a way few outsiders saw it. In the dead of night. Enid spent the whole journey explaining the art to Violet, when it was painted, or sculpted. Explaining what the various areas were for. By the time they had finished and arrived at the house Eyre had bought ahead of time and had prepared for the vampires Violet hadn’t stopped talking about the Vatican. Enid glanced at the window at the lightning sky and breathed a sigh of relief. Violet retired to the secure cellar for her days rest leaving Maria, Eyre and Enid alone.

“Violet feels like a granddaughter and I love her like she is, but the girl will not shut up sometimes.”

Eyre laughed. Maria smiled her fingers touching her crucifix as she watched the sun slowly rising.

“She could definitely talk someone to death given enough time.”

Enid went into the kitchen which had already been pre-stocked by Eyre’s folks and started pulling out the makings for breakfast and flipped on the coffee maker.

“You’re in for a treat, breakfast by Enid.”

“Mom, can we fight the Black Son before breakfast?”

“Oh, very funny. I took a cooking class last semester. You know when I got to pick my classes.”

“I know, but still, I have flashbacks from before when I was a kid. When the cooks would chase you out of the kitchen.”

Enid shrugged.

“No accounting for some people’s tastes.”

Enid started cooking up the eggs and bacon. Smiling at her daughter who sat on a stool across from the stove top. Maria was still staring out at the sunrise. Enid lowered her voice.

“I am worried about your Aunt Maria.”

“Why mom?”

“Since the ritual she’s been very quiet.”

“She came very close to death mom.”

“Its something more. Like she remembered something else. She has this haunted look in her eyes when she looks at me. Has she been quiet with you?”

Eyre shook her head.

“No mom, she’s been her normal self. Maybe you should ask her about it?”

Enid blinked at Eyre.

“No way, I’ve had enough emotional growth to last me another thousand years.”

“Have you learned nothing about open communication since you’ve been going to therapy?”

Enid shrugged.

“Avoidance is not a valid response to interpersonal conflicts between family. But I think it is a perfectly valid response when I’m about to poke the big bad.”

Eyre blinked at her mother.

“Have you been watching TV again?”

Enid shrugged.

“I might have streamed some old shows with Allison that Maria told me her friend compared me too.”

Eyre laughed loudly.

“My mom, watching television instead of reading. Are you sure we shouldn’t be getting an exorcism for you?”

Eyre’s laughter drew Maria’s attention and she smiled at the pair and moved closer and hopped up on one of the stools.

“What did my sister do this time?”

“Mom was just telling me she was watching some old television shows.”

Maria folded her hands and looked at Enid. Enid noticed that haunted and look of guilt in them again. She smiled at her sister and shrugged.

“You told me that Ethel said ‘I went all Willow’ on someone and I wanted to know what that meant. I don’t recall flaying anyone with telekinesis, it also has never occurred to me.”

Eyre frowned slightly.

“Disgusting, we’re about to eat. Maybe we shouldn’t let you watch movies and television; Don’t want you getting any ideas.”

Maria nodded in agreement. Enid shook her head and started dishing out food. She placed a mug of coffee in front of Eyre and one for herself and a glass of Milk for Maria wrinkling her nose.

“Mom, why do you hate milk so much?”

Enid laughed.

“If me talking about flaying someone with telekinesis ruined your appetite you really don’t want me telling you that story.”

Enid sat down on her own stool with ease. This form was over half a foot taller than her true form. The trio ate silently each lost in their own thoughts. Eyre finished her food first and made herself another coffee. She sat back down and looked at her mother, then her aunt.

“I feel like we should be doing more, preparing.”

Enid shrugged.

“We have sent out the messages. Most of the Seers have gathered. Those that haven’t I have long suspected are dead. The werewolves have been warned. We have the dimensional energy destroyer. Violet is asleep so we cannot train her. This is why everyone says the real battle is surviving the waiting for it to start.”

*****

Enid was tapping her fingers along her knees. She had her earbuds in and was listening to a playlist by a Scottish artist she felt a great kinship too. The sun was low in the sky and it felt like this would be her last day on the earth. The song wasn’t helping, the chorus was we will go home, we will go home, we will go home, across the mountains. Was she about to go home? Tears filled her eyes as she thought of her last night with Lucius. A part of her knew she was going to have to slay his body to end this. The memory of his kind blue eyes and the betrayal she imagined she would find there as she dealt the killing blow. What if Lilith is wrong, what if he is still in there? She felt fingers weave themselves into hers. She felt Maria’s scar against her palm. She looked to her sister and saw that haunted look in them as she had for days. She leaned towards her, and their foreheads met like they used to when they were children. Eyre sat ahead of them and looked back at the pair. Tears moistening her own eyes as she remembered her long dead twin and wishing he was there. She felt like she would sorely miss his strength in the days to come.

The car stopped by the Vatican. Enid held up her hand.

“Just a few minutes please.”

Enid pulled out her phone and dialed home. She heard it pick up.

“Hi mom.”

“How are you doing Mitena?”

“I miss you mom.”

“I know hon. I’ll be home soon.”

“I’m watching on TV mom.”

“Is Sister Willow there with you?”

“Yes mom.”

“Good. Look hon. I’m going to say some stuff tonight. You might not know all of it yet. Its not because I didn’t want to tell you its because I just didn’t think to say anything okay?”

“You’ll be great mom.”

“I love you Mitena.”

“Go save the world mom.”

“I’ll see you soon sweetie.”

Enid wiped her tears away and put her phone back into her pack. She got out of the car and pulled her hood up. She had selected one of her most regal dresses and cloaks from her time as Saint Sarah for tonight’s performance. She was about to do something no one had been allowed to do in centuries. Carry an open weapon into St. Peters. Eyre and Maria were led to the front row of observers and stood on either side of the pope. After tonight there would be no more hiding their existence from the world. Enid was led down a side passage. She paused and motioned the others back. She reached into her pack and pressed a contact’s number.

“Hello Enid!”

“Hi Allison.”

“Are you nervous? I’m watching it live.”

“No, I’m not. I’m ready for what is to come, I just wanted to tell you before I did this, how much I care about you and how much…I wanted to tell you the truth… You’re going to find out some things in a few minutes, that I have kept from you, it was… it was wrong but necessary. I hope you can forgive me for my lies.”

“What lies? Enid? Are you okay?”

“I will be fine. Thank you for the time we had.”

Enid hung up the phone and put it in her pack which she had hung behind her back. She stepped out and towards the sword as the setting sun shone behind her casting her in its last rays. Her shadow fell across the sword. The news crews and other invitees including several world leaders sat staring at her. She pulled down her hood revealing the youthful superhero Sarah’s face. She approached the silver sword. As the sun vanished, she closed her eyes and let her shape fall to her normal one. The crowd gasped.

“I am Enid Sextus Aurelius, Empress of the Court of Eternal Night. I was born in Scotland, one-hundred and fifteen years before I watched over the birth of my nephew Jesus Christ. I was a citizen of the Roman Empire. I am also Saint Sarah of Savia. I created the healing spring that still flows. I am also Sarah O’Connor. I am all these things, and I am also the first daughter of God.”

She reached out her hand and drew the blade from the marble. As she did so unbeknownst to her a light in the form of armored angel appeared behind her. The angel’s wings expanded as she raised the sword above her head. The crowd gasped. As she lifted the blade above her head in both hands a bolt of lightning ripped through one of the stained-glass windows behind her arcing to the blade and down her body leaving her unharmed.

“I call to you my brother, my husband, Lucius Aurelius to end this feud we have been fighting for the last two thousand years. Come to Edmonton, Alberta, and help me do battle with the first born of God, the Black Son, the Destroyer, the First Betrayer. Unlike the last time, together we can win. To the Black Son: Your end is here. I am in Edmonton, Alberta. Come if you dare. I doubt you will though, your cowardice is legendary as is your betraying tongue. To the rest of the world. I give you this one and only warning-”

She let her full vampiric aura loose across the crowd letting it expand to the limits, filling her enemies who watched with dread and those who bore her no ill will with a sense of peace. She floated upwards several feet.

“If you are not with me, you are against me. I am my father’s daughter, and I will bode no disobedience!”

She unleashed a controlled telekinetic wave shattering all of the windows in the Basilica. She held the sword at her side and flew out of the windows behind her. She looked down at the massive crowd that had gathered in the square to witness the drawing of the sword. As she flew over them many crossed themselves.

Content with her performance she pulled the shadows around herself and landed at their house eventually. She discarded the fake Bloodseeker in the foyer like it was junk and tossed her cloak aside. She smiled when saw Violet who walked up and slapped her hard across the face. Enid’s brow creased

“What the fuck was that for?”

“Why did you break the windows mom three? They were priceless works of art!”

“No, they weren’t they were fakes that cost me eight million dollars.”

“What?”

“The Vatican spent the last six months replacing them. Of course, the press release said maintenance.”

“How did you know?”

“I had no clue about the lightning that was God or something. I wanted a big show of force to prove I’m the same power mad idiot I have always been. Ever since I knew what we had to do with the sword I had it planned out and rehearsed. How do you not know this?”

“You never tell me anything!”

“I’m sorry. I guess I must have done most of it during the day. Look everything happened like it was supposed to, except the lightning.”

Violet reached down and picked up the fake bloodseeker.

“You can’t just toss this aside like trash it was a gift from god.”

“It’s a hunk of silver.”

“That an actual angel touched.”

“So, what, I sold fifteen million dollars’ worth of coins that Ezekiel tossed at me to pay for the whole window shattering thing. Angels can just make stuff with their minds and pull it out of the ether. That’s all he did. I mean if it was a better copy, I could use it to lure someone in or something but as it is, it’s too clean and it’s too big. So, melt it down, put it on your mantle, give it back to the church after we fight that Black Son, I don’t give a shit. It has served its purpose.”

Violet picked up Enid’s cloak shoved it at her.

“You’re worse than a teenager sometimes.”

“Maybe you should go hunting with Eyre when she gets back. You seem hangry.”

Enid stuffed the cloak in her pack. Violet walked off still holding the silver sword. Enid frowned and reached into her pack and pulled out her phone which started blowing up as soon as it established a signal. Her friends from school. Six voicemails from Allison. Enid sighed. She put her phone down on the kitchen counter where it continued to vibrate.

“I need blood.”

Enid reached in and pulled out several bags of blood and downed them one after another, by the fourth she was just eating her emotions. Eyre and Maria arrived shortly after her fifth bag, and she was engulfed by hugs.

“Mom that was awesome! I have no idea how you pulled off the lightning or the angel but oh wow. You’re world famous now you’re all over the internet. Top news story everywhere. Wow. I can’t believe you did the whole Lucius thing. You think he’s going to fall for it?”

Enid shrugged and started on her sixth bag of blood.

“Did it really use up that much blood?”

Enid shrugged and started shredding the bags. She reached out for the seventh bag which Eyre snagged instead.

“You are wasting it if you don’t need it.”

“I want it.”

“So what? You should answer your phone.”

Eyre bit the bag with her fangs and sucked it back. Staring at her mother.

“Brat.”

Enid picked up her phone and stormed off towards the house’s balcony. She leaned on the railing and started scrolling through her messages. Most she had expected. Her friends were freaking out and asking her if she was the same person who pulled the sword out. She flipped over to her SMS messages and sighed when she saw Allison had sent another text saying: ‘Please talk to me.’ Enid closed her eyes and played the first voicemail that seemed to have come in before she had shown her true face based on the time.

“Enid! Please call me back. Don’t do anything foolish, please!”

“Enid? Who are you. I…I” *click*

The next few were just hang ups. Allison had spoken again on the last message. It was shortly after Enid arrived at the house.

“Enid, or whatever you want me to call you, I don’t care. I know who you are no matter what you look like. You’re the woman I’m in love with. Please call me back.”

Enid looked down at her phone as if it may bite her. She tried to delay the inevitable talk with Allison by calling Mitena first.

“Mom! That was awesome.”

“Hey hon. Are you okay with what happened?”

“I knew you were old mom.”

“I just wanted to check in. I need to call Allison.”

“Oh yes, you have…to talk to her. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“As soon as nightfall hits, we’re flying out. I love you hon.”

“Good luck mom.”

Enid disconnected the call and closed her eyes and tapped on Allison’s name. She put the phone to her ear and waited for her to pick up.

“Enid!”

“Hi Allison.”

“I…I wasn’t expecting you to call.”

“Allison, I love you. I just…I didn’t want to lie to you as long as I did.”

“It is alright. I understand now. I understand what you’ve been trying to tell me all along. You… you don’t need to hide yourself from me anymore.”

“Allison, I can’t see you anymore. I just called out the most powerful being in creation. He will come after you to get to me if he thinks it will give him an edge. I will not put you in danger. After its over… if we win. I promise we will be together like you want. If you can handle that my ID says I’m seventeen.”

“I…I don’t care. Let him come. I want to be at your side.”

“You are very brave Allison, but I already lost my husband and sister to this monster. I will not lose you.”

“But…”

“Its complicated. I will explain after this is all over.”

“Okay. You promise after its over we will be together?”

“I promise if I survive this mess, I will move in with you as soon as my ID says I’m legally eighteen under my real name. Don’t want you to get arrested.”

She laughed.

“Your ID really says you’re seventeen?”

“Yep, says I was born on December 5, 2010.”

“Were you really born before Jesus?”

“I was a hundred and fifteen when he was born.”

“What’s your real birthday?”

“I honestly have no idea. Sometime in the fall.”

“How can you not know?”

“We didn’t exactly have calendars in the Highlands in 115 BCE.”

“Wow, what…do you say your birthday is?”

“November 8th”

“I’ll remember that. So…do you have any other kids besides Mitena?”

“One, her name is Eyre. She’s seven hundred years old, so we don’t have to worry about babysitting. The rest…are long dead.”

“Really? If we get married, I’ll be a stepmom to a seven-hundred-year-old woman?”

“I suppose, yes you would be. I’m sure she’d love that.”

“What is she like?”

Enid lifted her left calf up flexing her ankle as she smiled. It felt good to be truthful with Allison finally. Her finger reached up and twisted one of her red curls around it. Eyre watched her through the window a smile spreading across her face.

“She is amazing. She’s brilliant, talented and you’ve heard her sing. We went to her club for a concert.”

“Wait…she’s Ophelia.”

“Yes.”

“Oh wow, that’s how you got me the autograph!”

“Yes. That is how.”

“Does she really have black hair?”

Enid laughed.

“No, she has red hair, green eyes. Some silver streaks.”

“Like…your real face?”

“I don’t have any gray hair, but yes basically. She’s much prettier than me though.”

“I don’t know, you looked pretty me.”

“That was just me using…mojo. She is naturally beautiful.”

“Does she know about us?”

“Yes, she does, she did my make-up for the first few dates. I used to be shit at it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. It wasn’t a priority in my life.”

“Enid. Can we video call?”

“I’d love to, I miss your face."