302- The Old Blood and the Beasts of Tharnak
POV Seraphine Valerian:
“Sometimes… I wish I were a werewolf.”
My father’s weakened voice caught me by surprise, and I looked at him.
It was morning, and I had been keeping him company since we woke up. Camélia had gone home, and another woman had arrived to help. Her name was Zuleica, and she was in the kitchen preparing soup. I had helped care for him, give him his medicine, and take care of his hygiene.
He was resting quietly against the pillows, his hair combed to the side, while I sat in a nearby chair embroidering a handkerchief.
“Why?”
“They say they live for centuries.” He smiled despite his exhausted appearance. “At sixty-five, I would still be a baby.”
I ended up smiling too at the silly idea.
“Do you really believe that, Dad? Soon you’ll tell me that vampires and extraterrestrial beings exist among us.”
He didn’t laugh, and I shook my head.
“Seriously?”
“If the beasts exist, why not the other creatures? There is much more than we humans believe, Teo.”
His certainty was curious. Imagining that we had spent so much time apart because of this almost brought despair. Too unreal and crazy!
“Open the first drawer… there…” He pointed to a wooden dresser painted light blue.
I stood up, setting the embroidery aside. Inside were books, notebooks covered in old leather, some objects and talismans. Also two daggers with carved handles and bottles of pepper spray.
“Take the daggers. They are rupuno. Silver. The smaller one, keep it in your bag, always with you…” He took a deep breath, his voice lower. “The larger one, under your pillow with the little bundle of garlic, rosemary, and nutmeg. For your physical… spiritual protection. Keep… the pepper sprays as well.”
I swallowed hard at the meaning of that. He truly believed I would be attacked at some point. I picked up everything he mentioned and sat down again, the objects resting on my lap. Part of me felt shaken and frightened.
For a moment, we said nothing. Then he asked:
“Will you do it?”
“Yes, Dad. Don’t worry.”
“The spray is only to… gain time. They recover… very quickly. But silver… can kill if it hits a vital point… heart… throat… Use it and run.”
I nodded, a little nervous, rolling the handle of the smaller dagger in my hand.
“Your aunt told me you are strong, Teo.”
I looked at him and saw admiration in his expression. Smiling playfully, I said:
“People think I’m fragile, but I’ve never been sick. I’ve never even caught a cold. I run fast. And I like fighting. I practiced Krav Maga for three years.”
“I know. Defend yourself… however you can.”
“Dad, I’m fine. I know how to take care of myself and nothing will—”
“You still don’t believe what I say. They exist.”
“All right. But I’m safe here.”
He shook his head, tired of arguing. I placed all the objects on the bedside table and dragged my chair closer to him, my heart tight and aching. I fought not to cry because I could feel life slipping from his body. I held his warm hand, and he squeezed mine.
“Are you very tired? Do you want to sleep?”
“No. I want to talk with you more.” He smiled. “It’s been a long time since we did that.”
“Since my twenty-second birthday. Months!”
“Yes. Tell me about you. Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Every time, the same answer. What is the problem… with the Germans?”
I laughed.
“Nothing! I’ve dated several, but… it never lasts long.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
The truth was that I had never fallen in love. None of them made me feel the emotions he did.
Irritated, I tried to push that thought away. The dreams about the mysterious man. The times I vanished into his strong arms, him large and powerful. I felt him without seeing him fully. More solid than reality itself.
How was that possible?
Sometimes I feared him and ran from him. It was frightening. But at other times he pulled me closer… and then came the sensations of his lips on mine, of pure and desperate need. Those golden eyes in the middle of mist and darkness attacking my senses.
“Is there someone special?” My father was watching me.
“No,” I answered quickly. “I’m still too young.”
“True. Enjoy life.”
“Dad… how are you so sure these beasts exist? My aunt said what appeared here had a human appearance. But once you saw a wolf prowling around the house. With golden eyes.”
“Not a common wolf. Giant, frightening, completely black. Eyes like that.” He squeezed my hand more tightly, taking a breath. “They shone a lot. Your mother was pregnant with you. I had a vision of you… beside him… then he appeared.”
“He appeared for real?”
“Yes, in front of the house. Then he went back to the forest.”
“And in the vision, that wolf hurt me?”
“No.”
“Then why do you think—”
“There was a bonfire, many bodies around it, and a lot of blood. That’s what he did to Jasmina, my aunt. He seems… seductive… but he is fierce.”
It was very confusing and magical, beyond reality. But I didn’t argue, deeply impressed.
“You know, Teo… We are a very… ancient people.”
“You’re getting tired. Stop talking for a while.”
“Let me… while I still can.”
“All right, Dad.”
He adjusted himself better, thoughtful.
“People think gypsies are all the same. Nomads, vagabonds, fake magicians and palm readers, thieves. They don’t understand… that we are several peoples… that we have our cultures, but… we adapt to the cultures where we settle.”
“Yes, it’s a huge lack of information. I know our origin is in northern India. The gypsies migrated to the Middle East and to Europe more than a thousand years ago.”
“And we were never accepted. Here, we settled in Moldavia and Wallachia, we created roots. Today the largest… percentage of gypsies… in the world… lives in Romania.”
I read a lot about our history and followed the news. I knew the situation wasn’t good. Many tried to build a life in other countries, especially France. But they ended up being expelled and returning.
“We suffered a lot here, daughter… slavery for more than three hundred years… hostilities and prohibitions… persecution and death during Nazism… with treatment similar to what they gave the Jews. We ended up living… in ghettos and slums… also persecuted during the communist government. And now… trying to survive.”
“The fortune of your clan is having you. Here they have work, care, a dignified life.” I admired him even more, loving him so much it hurt.