The Rest Falls Away

Chapter Two In Which a Piercing Commitment Is Made

"It was merely a precaution, my dear," Eustacia said as she lowered her creaking joints and aching muscles into her favorite chair. Favorite, indeed, because of the well-padded seat and generous cushioning on the arms, and because of the small piecrust table next to it where she kept her spectacles, her cross, and a polished white hawthorn stake.

Old habits died hard.

Kritanu was putting Victoria through her paces here in the kalari, the well-curtained ballroom of the Gardella home, which had been outfitted as a practice arena. Some of her dark curls had fallen from their moorings, just as Eustacia's had done when she had trained for her hunting activities… oh, decades ago. Victoria wore skirts during these training sessions, since, due to society's dictates, that would most often be her attire. Eustacia knew that trousers made it much easier to spin and kick, but that would come later when she began to learn the Chinese martial-arts technique of qinggong, in which she would fairly glide through the air, seeming to fly.

Victoria's porcelain skin was flushed dark pink, and her forehead and neck were damp with sweat, but the murderous expression on her face spoke volumes. Eustacia couldn't blame her for being annoyed. Maximilian had chosen the worst possible way to notify her of his presence; but then, that was nothing more than Max's character. Everything was perfectly black or white to Max, whereas most people, including Eustacia, were able to find different shades of gray. It made life more tolerable when one could recognize charcoal or a light mist color.

Victoria had shown excellent promise with Kritanu in her education and training, or kalaripayattu, in the month before her coming-out; but as she'd never faced down a real vampire, Eustacia had felt the need to have plans for contingency purposes at Victoria's debut. It turned out those precautions had been needless; and indeed, perhaps had served to confuse the issue at the ball last night. But Eustacia would have done it again had she the chance.

The pride of a new Venator was a poor price to pay for the safety of her guests.

Kritanu watched with his sharp, dark eyes as Victoria took an offensive stance, then as she flew into action, pivoting, kicking, and whipping her foot into a stack of cushions next to Eustacia's chair. The cushions went flying, and Victoria stopped whirling, hands on hips, right in front of her chair. "Aunt Eustacia, I nearly staked him! Though it would have served him right."

"Now, Victoria, that's over and done with. You'll need to learn to move on, to put your anger and frustration aside if you are going to be a fierce Venator. Focus and strength, quick thinking and bravery… these are all characteristics you possess, but you must refine them. Learn to use them."

As a Venator directly descended from the first Gardella, Victoria had been born with the innate fighting skills she would need to be a formidable vampire hunter. Agility, strength, and speed were already inherent in her; the purpose of Kritanu's training her in various martial-arts forms was to refine and hone those skills… draw them forth and teach her how to use them. And the vis bulla she would receive would provide her with additional protection and strength.

Victoria ducked and spun about to meet a rear attack from Kritanu, mumbling something like, "I'd like to refine him," but of course Eustacia wasn't about to acknowledge that kind of talk.

Instead, she allowed herself the pleasure of watching her lover and companion propel himself into smooth, lethal action as he dodged Victoria's defense and sent her tumbling to the floor. Kritanu, a wiry, muscular Calcuttan nearing seventy-five years old, was a daunting opponent even at his age. He wore an amulet that differed from the vis bullae given to Venators, but which gave him additional strength; but even without that, he was still quick and strong.

Nearly sixty years ago, he'd been sent to Eustacia to train her in kalaripayattu, the Indian martial-arts form favored by Venators who fought the inhumanly strong vampires, and the Chinese qinggong. He'd remained at her side as her companion ever since. The fact that he also shared her bed was an item that they kept discreet; although Eustacia sensed that Max suspected the depth of their relationship. Kritanu's nephew, Briyani, had been Max's assistant for three years, and the trio of men spent much training time together.

Eustacia looked at Victoria, who was pulling herself to her feet. Her hair straggled over her shoulders, but her face was set with determination. "Kritanu, I think she's had enough for the day. Thank you."

He gave a gentle bow, his dark eyes soft and warm. "I will excuse myself, then."

Eustacia turned to her niece. "Set your pride aside for one moment, Victoria, dear. Max was there as a support to you and for safety in the event that something went wrong. You performed well, even after he revealed himself to you. You will make a fine Venator, cam" she said. "And together we will put an end to Lilith the Dark."

The mention of Eustacia's nemesis took the edge from Victoria's eyes, and her annoyance seemed to collapse. "You promised to tell me more about Lilith the Dark after I executed my first vampire. And about my vis bulla."

"Indeed, and we will begin that as soon as you've had a chance to clean up a bit. Why don't you—Ah, he is here already. Now, Victoria," Eustacia said with a warning look as Maximilian entered the room with a swish and an air of impatience. She hadn't expected him so soon, and certainly wouldn't have had him arrive while Victoria was in dishabille. She was going to have to speak to Charley—the cook and erstwhile butler when Kritanu was otherwise engaged—about that again. She suspected that would be a losing battle, as Charley couldn't comprehend denying Maximilian anything, including the freedom to walk into any area of the house without being announced.

"Signora," he said, squeezing her hand gently while he lifted it to his face and then released her fingers back into her lap. The sweetness of their homeland's language still flavored his words, and it sounded lovely to Eustacia. She missed Venice. "I apologize for my cursed punctuality." He turned to Victoria, and Eustacia watched in fascination as his aristocratic features froze into a mockery of a smile. "And Miss Grantworth. Our protege. I bid you good evening. Apparently I have interrupted some training?"

"Good evening," Victoria replied stiffly. She didn't bother to hold out her hand, and Max didn't appear to notice or care. "How does one address… the master of the vampire executioners? My lord? Your grace? Your Stakeness?"

Eustacia intervened before he could reply. "Max, please take a seat. Victoria was just about to change out of her training gown. Victoria, go ahead. Charley will be along shortly with tea, or brandy if you wish."

"Brandy? Much as I'd like to indulge, signora, you know that I do not partake when I am going on the hunt."

Eustacia waited until Victoria had gone before she asked, "Any news?"

He crossed his long legs and leaned back into the seat he'd chosen on the settee next to her favorite chair. "Lilith is here for something called the Book of Anwarth. She has apparently located it somewhere in England. London, to be precise. She's moved her entire entourage here."

"The Book of Anwarth," Eustacia repeated. A cold shiver curled at the base of her spine. "I knew there must be a reason for her to bring her court here. That alone frightens me, Max. For her to uproot herself and leave the safety of her haven in the mountains… I have never heard of such a book, but I will send for Wayren. If Lilith seeks it, it can bode no good for us. She'll send Guardians for it, I'm sure. Imperials, too, perhaps."

"I'll visit the Chalice. Perhaps I can learn more…"

"Yes, and Wayren will help." Eustacia gave him a warning look, effectively ending the conversation as Victoria walked in. "Ah, Victoria. That was quick. We were just about to begin reviewing the history of Lilith the Dark," Eustacia said briskly, rubbing her knobby hands together. "Max, I have told Victoria very little about her; I thought it would be best if you were here to assist in filling in the details from your vantage point."

"Indeed. Please, signora, you tell the tale. I will comment as necessary."

"Very well."

Victoria leaned forward expectantly, and for just a moment Eustacia hesitated. Looking at the beautiful, innocent face of her great-niece, she felt a wondrous sense of pride. She had staked a vampire on her first try. She had taken amazingly well to her training and had accepted all of the darkness and evil that lurked on this earth with a worldly attitude—one that even Eustacia hadn't initially had.

It would be a difficult life. She would give up many of the things other girls her age took for granted. She would be in danger more often than a young woman should be.

Yet, at the same time, Victoria would have a life of unparalleled excitement and adventure. She would face down the most evil creatures ever imagined, and know that she had the strength and cunning to best them. She would lose control of some part of her life, yet gain more freedom than a young woman even in this age could ever fathom.

And it was foretold: Only one descended directly from the first Gardella could destroy Lilith.

Max, as formidable and magnificent as he was, was one of the few Venators who did not carry Gardella blood; and that was a fact that made him perhaps even more effective, more determined a Venator.

"Lilith the Dark is the daughter of Judas Iscariot."

Eustacia began. She had told this tale only a dozen times in her lifetime. The first time had been to the pope.

Perhaps this would be the last.

"Judas Iscariot? The betrayer of Jesus Christ?"

Eustacia nodded. "Indeed. The man who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. He is known as the Betrayer; yet the Lord forgave him as he did all mankind. But Judas Iscariot did not accept the forgiveness, and he hanged himself, as you know. He was thus damned to eternal hell. The devil sold him back his corporeal being, and gave him the power to walk the earth in the body of an immortal, a type of demon, in a form we call undead. An undead is damned for eternity once he drinks the blood of a mortal. He cannot be saved.

"In this damned state, caught between life and death, Judas lived in this world for centuries. While he was damned and walking this earth, he turned his daughter into a vampire. That daughter is known as Lilith the Dark. She feeds on human blood and human weakness. Lilith is now the queen of vampires, and she seeks revenge upon us. She lives on the blood of mortals."

"Because we—the world of Christendom—consider her father a betrayer?" asked Victoria.

"Indeed. There is no name in Christendom spoken with more malice than that of Judas Iscariot. Once a proud name, now it is spit upon, said with hatred and venom. Judas is gone, but Lilith roams the earth, and she builds her army of vampires. She intends to rule the world; her strength is always our weakness. It is our task, our legacy, to keep Lilith and her minions at bay."

"She and your great-aunt have been enemies for decades. Lilith knows that the only thing stopping her from taking over the world is Eustacia and her powers."

Max's face had deeper lines than usual, Eustacia thought. "When your aunt first came here from Venice, Lilith couldn't find her. She tore apart Venice, and then Rome and Florence… She sent her people to Paris and Madrid and Cairo, and here to London. It was nearly two decades before she found your aunt. Eustacia's people kept her well hidden, and well protected."

"You were the best of the lot, Max, young as you were." Young and determined, he'd been. Angry because he'd lost his beloved father and sister to a vampire; and bloodthirsty in his own way. He chose the path of Venator.

"What is Lilith doing now? Do you know her plan?" Victoria asked. Her hazel eyes were not worried or fearful, as Eustacia had feared. No, they were sharp and calculating. And intense. By God, the Legacy had chosen well.

For the first time in years, Eustacia felt a glimmer of hope. With Victoria as her protege, and, eventually, successor as the head of the Venators, perhaps Eustacia would soon be able to rest easy.

"In order to succeed, Lilith must destroy your aunt," Max said. "At the same time, she has sent hordes of vampires and demons throughout the world to turn as many to their way as possible. In order to feed on their blood, they bite the neck of their victim—not the chest, as is commonly believed—"

"But they leave a marking, don't they?" Victoria interrupted, comprehension dawning in her face. "Three Xs on the bosom of the victim, as found on the corpse of those men near the wharf. That was a vampire, wasn't it?"

"You are very well-informed for a young girl," Max commented.

Eustacia hastened to step in. "Indeed, you are correct, Victoria; although I can't imagine how you would know that. Three Xs representing the thirty pieces of silver Judas was paid for betraying Jesus."

"Which explains their fear of anything made from silver. That fool Quentworth was most definitely a victim of one of Lilith's vampires, and we have worked very diligently to keep any hint of vampirism from being attached to his death. It was fortuitous for him that he wasn't turned. As you likely are aware," Max said, looking down his long, straight nose at Victoria, "if a vampire feeds on a mortal, it is often deadly… but if he—or she—chooses, he may partake of the human's blood, and offer his own blood back to the human in a kind of mating ritual. If that occurs, the human is sired, or turned into a vampire. So a vampire bite may kill a mortal, or may turn one to an undead. And there are occasions when neither happens, when the bite is not deep enough to kill. Our job—"

Eustacia interrupted. "Our job is to destroy as many of them as possible while attempting to learn what Lilith is planning to do to seize power. We know that she has moved the bulk of her court to London; where she is hiding I do not know, and Max has not yet been able to ascertain. She is here not only because I am here, but because she seeks something called the Book of Anwarth, which we know nothing about as yet."

"We Venators have always stopped her in the past. Although in the past, we have not been forced to rely upon young girls newly out of strings," Max said with uncharacteristic nastiness. "I do hope you will find time betwixt filling your dance card and selecting your ball gowns to help us."

Her niece had risen from her seat and placed herself in front of Max, who'd refused to move from his lounging position on the settee. "Filling my dance cards? Lord Max, or whatever it is that I must call you, I'll have you know that I left my debut—I missed a waltz with the Marquess of Rockley!—in order to protect you from a vampire attack. The status of my dance card remained forgotten as I followed you and your companion out-of-doors—"

"Protect me? Yes, indeed, you were protecting me from my own sharp fangs, weren't you?"

"How was I to know you were a Venator? You did not see fit to divulge that information to me until you could crow with joy at my mistake. But the fact remains that I did what had to be done. And I will do what has to be done in the future."

"Victoria. Max. Please. We cannot allow ourselves to be divided at this time. Victoria, you must understand. Before you, there have been only three other female Venators in the last century of battle against Lilith. Two of them died hideous deaths shortly after they were inducted into the Legacy and received their vis bullae."

"And the third is sitting here with us as we speak." Max inclined his head toward Eustacia. "There are none who could or will hold a candle to you, signora—or, if I may say—a stake. You are truly the Chosen one, the Gardella who will unite us and lead us to Lilith's downfall."

Victoria turned to Eustacia in astonishment. "You are a vampire hunter? A Venator?"

Max snorted. "No, of course not. Lilith the Dark fears your aunt because she sits at home and has her hair dressed daily. Of course she is a Venator."

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 wiped 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."

"Are there any… repercussions for one who is Chosen and does not accept the Legacy?"

Eustacia took Victoria's hands in her frail, cool ones. "The only consequence is lost knowledge, and the fact that the powers and instincts will pass on to a descendent. And the powers passed on will be multiplied by the number of generations who have chosen to deny the Legacy. In your case, you are the third in a line of people who have not accepted the Legacy, so it is probable that you have great skill and instinct within you."

"The third generation? My mother and who else? Who ignored the Legacy and allowed it to be passed to Mother?"

"My brother. Your mother's father, Renald. I was already Chosen when Renald had the dreams. It was very unusual for two people so closely related to be called at the same time. But my brother chose not to accept the task, and then your mother did the same. And so now we are here. You and I, Victoria. The only Gardellas who are directly of the Gardella line. The rest are from far-flung branches of the family. Their powers are more diluted than ours. And there are even some Venators who are not blood-related to us and have chosen at their peril to be Venators.

"Those who are not Chosen by divine order, as we of the Gardella family are, but who choose, must complete great and dangerous tasks… and even then there is no certainty that they will be able to accept a vis bulla. But once they acquire their vis amulets, they are just as powerful as we are. It doesn't make them any less skilled than we are, but since we are of the original family, we carry the heaviest burden."

"Are we the only Venators?"

"Throughout the entire world, there are perhaps one hundred Venators, and at this time, you and I are the only living women Venators. And there are thousands upon thousands of undead, and their numbers grow every day, at will. We can never take our ease in this battle, for once we relax our guard, they will surge into strength and power. That is why I called Max here from Venice, for with London being Lilith's stronghold now, I knew we needed more support. The other Venator who had been here in England was killed three months ago."

"Is Max a Gardella? Is he a real Venator?"

Eustacia speared her with her eyes so sharp that Victoria nearly stepped backward. She had never seen such a fierce expression on her aunt's face. "Max is more of a Venator than you are, Victoria. He chose this path at great peril, and he is at this time the most powerful of the Venators… after myself. Yes, I am called Ilia Gardella, and you will be too someday when I am gone. But I… my arthritis and age keep me slow. It is only his lack of Gardella blood that keeps him from being the Chosen one, the head of the Venators—the most powerful one of us all. Someday it will fall to you, Victoria."

Her face gentled. "Now, my dear, if you have had enough of your curiosity assuaged, perhaps you would bring me the book from the cabinet." Her perpetually curling finger, the one part of her body that visibly betrayed its age, jabbed toward the mahogany cabinet standing against one wall in her private salon.

Victoria went to the slick breakfront and carefully fit in the tiny key that her aunt usually wore on a strong gold chain about her neck. Click, click, clunk… the key turned and the lock tumbled open.

She had never gone to the cabinet on her own before, and had certainly never been given the key to unlock it. She realized she was holding her breath when she pulled both doors open as if she were the butler, sweeping a clique of guests through a set of French doors into the dining room for dinner.

Inside the cabinet, on its gently inclining display, rested an old book. The Holy Bible.

It was heavy, with gilt-edged pages that shone stubbornly despite its age. The leather corners were creased and bumped, but the spine was true, and three faded silk bookmarks fell lifelessly from their places.

Victoria brought it to Aunt Eustacia and placed it on her lap so that the older woman could read it.

"If you fulfill your destiny, Victoria, you will be victorious for us all." She laughed softly. "You are aptly named, my dear. Perhaps that is yet another sign."

She opened the front cover and pointed to the words written in ink of varying shades of black, brown, and sepia. "These are the names of the Gardellas who have accepted the Legacy," she said, tracing across the lines with her curling fingers. "The original pages of this Bible were given to the family during the Middle Ages. Six hundred years ago." She looked up, her dark eyes sharp. "You understand, there have been Venators in the Gardella family since Judas Iscariot hanged himself and was brought back to earth by Satan. But we had no place to record our history until a Gardella monk scribed this book in the twelfth century. The pages have been bound and rebound, and we have added more pages as the decades have gone by."

As her aunt carefully turned the crisp brown sheets, they crackled like a gentle fire. Victoria saw images on some of them; and on others fading script, line after line. Ornate lettering, patterns, and illustrations in faded colors decorated the first letters of each book of the Bible. She saw the way hers and Aunt Eustacia's lines in the family tree fell directly beneath that of the first Gardella, and how other Venators appeared randomly throughout other branches.

"This book holds not only the word of God, but also the secrets of the Gardella family, including the prayers and incantations that will empower your vis bulla. So now, my dear, are you ready to begin?"

Victoria's heart pounded, but she nodded without hesitation.

"Good," Eustacia said. "I will call the others." At Victoria's look of surprise, she continued, "The power behind your vis is not one that can be conducted only through me. Others who know of this matter and who, though not Venators, are nevertheless skilled and knowledgeable, await in the parlor. Victoria, you must lie on that lounge there. You are already garbed appropriately. Come, lie down. I will call the others."

Victoria did as she was told, and settled herself on the long half chair that propped her back at a low angle and allowed her to extend her legs. She looked down at the training gown she wore. It was loose-fitting and buttoned from neckline to ankle.

After that, things happened both quickly and infinitesimally slowly. Aunt Eustacia moved about the room, which had suddenly become much dimmer; lit only by candlelight. The other participants stayed in the shadows, but Victoria recognized Kritanu and Maximilian, as well as Briyani, Kritanu's nephew, who also remained near the perimeter. Something sweet burned in the air, and Victoria felt relaxed and expectant.

"Now we will begin by calling to mind the purpose for which we gather." Eustacia began to speak in some language that it took Victoria a moment to identify. Latin. The others joined in and it continued. The smells in the room became stronger, and then Eustacia moved to stand next to Victoria.

Her stomach shrank back toward her spine when she felt Eustacia's warm, curling hands touch it. Then there was coolness as one, then another button was undone. The cloth of her gown was pulled apart just over her belly, and from her angle Victoria could see the oblong patch of skin that included part of her abdomen and exposed her navel.

"Forged from silver in the land of the most holy of places," said Eustacia, "this vis bulla will provide you uncommon strength and healing, Victoria Gardella. It will give you clarity and power when you need them the most, as you fight against the forces of evil that threaten our world."

Victoria watched as Kritanu pushed a small table next to her aunt, and she took a small jar filled with a clear liquid. Something glinted in the bottom of the jar. "This holy article, stored in holy water from the Vatican, taken from the Holy Land, will be your strength." Dipping her fingers in, she pulled out the small silver item: the vis bulla.

Though the light was low, Victoria could easily see the small silver cross that dangled from a thin silver hoop. The hoop was narrower than the size of a ring she might wear on her smallest finger.

As Victoria watched, Kritanu picked up a thin silver wand, perhaps the length of one's palm and as slender as a needle. It curved gently, making a semicircle. Kritanu's hands were warm on her abdomen, and Victoria felt her breath become more ragged. He was gentle and quick, and with one swift, neat movement, he dipped the needle into and through the top lip of skin at her navel. Eustacia handed him the vis bulla and, with a quick pinch, he slipped it into place.

The silver cross felt cold resting in her navel, but the pain from the piercing was already waning. Aunt Eustacia made the sign of the cross over Victoria's belly, and then she buttoned up her gown. The other participants said one more prayer, and then they filed out of the room, silent, leaving Eustacia and Victoria alone.

"There," her aunt said. "This gift is given you in recompense for your life of dedication and the sacrifices you will make. As long as this amulet of strength touches your skin, you will be physically strong and quick to heal. Your movements will be swift and powerful; your mind will be sharp and clear. It does not make you invincible, nor does it make you immortal."

She helped Victoria to sit up and drew her into her arms, embracing her with surprising strength. "Wear it well, Victoria, and go with God as you do this work."