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66.66% World Of Monsters / Chapter 30: All Cards On The Table

Bab 30: All Cards On The Table

Alyssa and Gabriel were gone for only a few more days, but Alyssa was very happy to be back home after their long trip to the human cities on the east coast. She was relieved to be back home as the cities were far too crowded for her liking. It was nice to meet and interact with new people, but Alyssa was clearly happy to be back in her small little town. Since they had arrived in the middle of the night, Alyssa went to bed herself while Gabriel flew back to Nashville to take a break from humans in general. Alyssa packed away her new stuff, and left Max's new stuff on the floor before going to her own room and sleeping for at least ten hours. When she finally woke, up Alyssa was eager to see everyone and get an update on what had been happening since she and Gabriel had left. They had been away almost a week, so she was eager to hear how everyone was doing. As she walked into the living room, Pablo was in the kitchen, checking on some of the stuff she and Gabriel had brought back.

"You guys had a nice haul this week," He noted, "Max will be beside himself."

"It will keep him quiet for a while," Alyssa said, as she made herself a coffee. She quickly looked around. "Where's Diane?"

"She's at work," Pablo answered.

"Excuse me?" Alyssa asked, "Work?"

Pablo laughed as he remembered she didn't know. "Take a seat, and I'll explain."

Pablo told her everything that had gone on that day, and then explained that Mrs. Goldman had pretty much told Max that Diane was one of her people now and that she'd be working at the gardens. He knew better now to say no to her, and Diane had been at the garden every day after school.

"So that's where she is now?" Alyssa asked.

"Yes," Pablo answered, "She's taking a real liking to working in the garden. You said yourself that it was best she found something to do so she wouldn't be asked to do something more dangerous. Mrs. Goldman is watching her after school as well, which has allowed me to do more wall duties for Max."

"Wow," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "I had no idea she liked it so much. I'm happy she's found a place to work and be safe. I just wasn't ready for the change to come so suddenly."

"Change comes when we least expect it," Pablo reminded her, "Kids grow up whether we want them to or not."

Alyssa found it hard to believe, but after getting something to eat she decided to see it for herself. She left her apartment building and decided to take a walk to the garden and check up on her sister. When she arrived, Diane was in the middle of all the action, putting plants into fresh pots, and was earing gardening gloves and a hat to block the sun. Alyssa slowly approached, but as she got closer, there was a light growl. She looked around to see where the source was but she couldn't find where it came from. The noise has caught Diane's attention and she turned around to notice that her sister had arrived.

"Hey," She said, with a smile. "I know you came in last night, but decided to let you sleep in. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I appreciate it." Alyssa said, looking around at the work Diane had done already as there were over a dozen pots on the ground around her. "You seem to really like the work you're doing here."

"I do," Diane confirmed. "Did you know Mom used to work here sometimes whenever she wasn't busy with the kitchen?"

"I didn't," Alyssa said, pleasantly surprised.

"She did," Mrs. Goldman said, as she walked over to greet her guest. "Welcome back Alyssa. I take it your trip was bountiful?"

"It was," Alyssa said, "I even managed to get some new seeds for the garden."

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Goldman said, beaming with excitement. "Variety is often hard to come by so anything you can find will be put to good use."

"Mrs. Goldman," Alyssa said, "Gabriel and I are going to travel East for a few days next week, would you be up for watching Diane again while we're gone? She appears to really enjoy being here."

"It would be my pleasure," Mrs. Goldman said, "Having her here has been such a delight, but it would be easier if she stayed in my guest room while you are both out of town. Less walking and easier on my hips."

"Of course," Alyssa concurred, not wanting to bother her. "Are you okay with staying with Mrs. Goldman while I'm gone, Diane?"

"Sure," Diane said with a smile, "That would be cool."

"Just one more thing," Mrs. Goldman said, "Your friend Gabriel had a talk with my friend Oscar. He told me that Gabriel wanted to speak with me about something private about something important. Tell him I'd be okay with that but we can do it before or after you get back next week. There's no rush."

"Oh," Alyssa said, unaware of their talk. "I'll let him know."

"Thank you, dear." Mrs. Goldman replied, "And your day is done too, little one."

"It is?" Diane asked, almost looking disappointed.

"The garden will still be here when you return," the old lady reminded her, "Spend some time with your sister, and cherish it."

"Alright," Diane said as she stood up, "I'll see you Monday."

"Take care, dear." Mrs. Goldman said, watching them walk off.

Alyssa and Diane walked back to their apartment, and used some of the veggies and herb from the garden along with foods brought back from the city to make up a very nice meal for them and Pablo when he returned from the wall. It was dark when it was all ready so Gabriel came out to join them but he didn't eat anything. He just liked to hang out and talk with the others while they ate.

"By the way," Alyssa said, almost forgetting. "Mrs. Goldman said you spoke to a friend of hers, someone named Oscar."

"I don't know anyone named Oscar," Gabriel said, confused.

At that moment, Diane softly giggled at the table, which caused everyone to turn around and look at her.

"What was that for?" Pablo asked.

"It's just nice," Diane said, "I know something you guys don't for a change."

"And what is that?" Gabriel asked.

"You talked to Oscar last week on the roof," Diane reminded him. "He's the black cat that has been following you guys around since he spoke to you at the wall after the incident with the undead herd."

"You know about the cat?" Gabriel said.

"Yes, I do." Diane said, "It's Mrs. Goldman's cat."

There was a long pause at the table as Diane clearly knew a lot more than everyone at the table did.

"Do you know what that means Diane?" Alyssa asked.

"Yes," Diane said, "She's the witch you guys suspected was living here."

"How did you confirm that?" Gabriel asked.

"She told me," Diane said, "Oscar passed along your message about wanting to speak with her. She told Alyssa today that she's willing to speak with you. Oscar said you wanted to discuss something with her that was rather important about the undead."

"That's right," Gabriel confirmed, "I did."

"Okay," Pablo said, raising his hands. "Before anyone freaks out, it's clear to see that even though she's a witch... Mrs. Goldman appears to be a pretty stand up lady. She's been a pillar to this community and helpful to us as well, especially the last few days with Diane. Let's not panic."

"And why not?" Alyssa asked, a tad unnerved that a witch had been watching her sister while she and Gabriel were gone.

"Because everyone here, especially him." Pablo said as he gestured to Gabriel, "Should know that not everyone lives up to their species' horrid reputations."

"He's right," Gabriel confessed, "Mrs. Goldman deserves the benefit of the doubt, especially considering all the work she's put into this town. She's worked hard to help the people here."

"She even saved my life." Diane added.

"Excuse me?" Alyssa said.

Diane went on to explain how Mrs. Goldman created a potion that saved her when she was very young, and quite ill.

"One question, Diane." Pablo started, "Do you happen to know how many witches are in this town?"

"Yes," Diane replied, "Just two."

"Well, that's a relief," Pablo said, sighing.

"What about the Guardians?" Gabriel asked. "How many?"

"I'm not sure." Diane answered, "They're rather good at hiding. Oscar is one of only a few that are brave enough to show themselves so openly. The rest prefer to hide and lurk in the shadows."

"What the hell is a guardian?" Pablo then asked.

"The cats," Diane asked. "He's asking me about the cats."

"How are they Guardians?" Alyssa asked.

"Should you tell them," Diane asked Gabriel, "Or should I?"

"Tell us what?" Alyssa asked.

"They're not cats," Gabriel said, "It's a form they take to hide in plain sight."

"That doesn't sound good," Pablo said, "Even creepy."

"They're Gargoyles," Diane added.

"Gargoyles?" Pablo repeated, looked at Gabriel. "Is she serious?"

"Gargoyles protect witches," Gabriel explained, "In exchange for longer life and more power. They feed off a witch's aura. It makes them very close."

"Okay," Alyssa said, trying to process what they've been told. "Maybe Diane needs to stay away from Mrs. Goldman until we find out who the other witch is."

"Why don't you just ask?" Diane offered, "I already know."

"Who is it?" Alyssa asked.

"It was Mom," Diane replied, "She and Mrs. Goldman came to the town together."

"Your mother was a witch?" Gabriel said, jumping up from the table.

"Hold on," Alyssa said, also standing up. "Are you alright?"

"She's a witch," Gabriel said, suddenly.

"What?" Alyssa said, "Diane?"

"Witches inherit their powers from their mother." Pablo explained, "It's passed down from mother to daughter."

"Kind of," Diane said, "You can learn to become one, but it's far easier if you just inherit the power from a parent."

"Diane?" Alyssa turning back to her sister. "Is this true?"

Before Alyssa could respond, three cats emerged from Diane's bedroom and slowly walked closer to the kitchen table. The one leading the way was gray, while the other two were brown and a black and white mix. One of them could be heard growling softly as they walked closer.

"Okay," Pablo said, as he now stood up. "Are those what I think they are?"

"Yes," Diane said, "They're my guardians."

"What did he say?" Pablo asked, assuming Gabriel heard him.

"He told Gabriel to keep his distance," Diane answered for him.

"She's right," Gabriel said, "That's exactly what he said."

"Gabriel," Diane said, using a very soft tone. "You asked me to trust you despite the fact that you were a vampire, and I have. Now I'm asking you to show to give me the same consideration even though I'm a witch. To be honest, I had no idea of this until this week. I'm still dealing with this reality myself, so a little understanding and support would be rather helpful during this transition."

Just then the gray cat meowed again, sounding rather annoyed.

"What was that?" Pablo asked.

"He said he's disappointed," Gabriel said, "In her."

Gabriel had motioned to Alyssa, who look rather surprised to hear that the cat wasn't happy with her.

"Why me?" Alyssa asked. "What did I do?"

"He's sad that you don't remember him," Diane answered, "This was Mom's cat."

Alyssa looked back at Diane with a surprised face. "This is smokey?"

"Yes," Diane confirmed, "He's been staying with Mrs. Goldman since Mom passed away because he needed to stay close to an active Aura."

"I'm sorry, this is crazy." Alyssa said, as she just couldn't believe it. "You're really a witch and Mom was too?"

Rather that try to convince her, she cupped her hands together and closed her eyes and whispered. "Nature flows like a river to the sea, through Salem and me."

As the light started to emanate from Diane's hands, Gabriel started to cover his eyes, and Pablo jumped in front of him to shield Gabe's body with his own. Seconds later the light was out.

"OWW!" Gabriel screamed as he could be seen holding his hand, as the fingers and the top of hand were scorched as if they were hit with a blowtorch.

"Damn!" Pablo said, impressed with what he saw. "Okay, I'm convinced. She's a witch!"

"What the hell was that?" Alyssa asked, "Gabe, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Gabe called back, "It will take a few hours, but I'll heal. Thankfully she wasn't concentrating that hard."

"That was artificial sunlight," Pablo said, looking back at Diane. "That is incredibly harmful to vampires."

"I'm sorry!" Diane called out, covering her mouth. "I didn't know that."

Diane ran off for her room, and Gabriel tried to follow her. While his intent was to assure the young girl that he was alright and that everything would okay, that was not the impression that the three cats were given. The gray cat suddenly transformed into a much larger, more menacing gray form. A tall muscular beast, with wings, and a long tail. The Gargoyle grabbed Gabriel by the neck, and dragged him to the other side of the room in less than a second, and slammed him up against the wall, snarling at him with fangs that were even bigger than his own.

"Let me make something perfectly clear," the Gargoyle said, in plain English that Alyssa and Pablo could hear and understand. "Witches do not kill vampires, we do."

"I wasn't going to harm her," Gabriel said.

"No, you weren't." the gargoyle agreed, "And to answer your question, blood sucker, there are over twenty guardians in this little town. That is actually the highest concentration outside of Salem. That number doubled in the last few days because many of them sensed a new aura. That number might double again in the next week or two. This Aura is the most powerful we have ever sensed in centuries, and we will all do anything to protect it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I understand." Gabriel said, "I've also been protecting her and the town for a while now. No harm will come to her while I stand as well."

The Gargoyle looked Gabriel in the eyes and could sense that what he was being told was the truth. Seconds later, the Gargoyle released Gabe from its grip and lowered him back to the floor.

"I believe you," The gargoyle said, "But we still have a job to do. The best way for you to protect her is to stay out of our way."

Before anyone else could say anything else, the Gargoyle vanished and seconds later the same gray cat they had seen earlier ran across the floor, scampered back into Diane's bedroom, and slammed the door behind him.

Pablo looked at Alyssa. "Did that just happen?"

Alyssa walked over to where Gabriel was standing, "Are you alright?"

"I'll heal," Gabriel replied, "But grab me a bag from the fridge, and that will speed things up."

Pablo tossed her a bag of blood from the fridge and she handed it to him. He also grabbed a bottle from the fridge and waved it at Alyssa. "Now that all the cards are on the table, I'm going to have a drink. Please tell me I'm not drinking alone."

"Oh, hell yes." Alyssa said, "I need a few shots after that."


Bab 31: Time Out Everyone!

Alyssa and Pablo sat at the table and traded a few shots while Gabriel drank from his bag, all not saying a single word for several minutes. After finishing his bag of blood, even Gabriel was feeling better as he strolled back into the kitchen and sat down at the table with the two humans, who were both looking at him. They both had that look your parents would give you when you're in trouble or just got home late past curfew, like they were very disappointed in you.

"What?" Gabriel asked, even though he had an idea and was just playing dumb.

"You haven't been up front with us, Gabe." Pablo replied. "There are more than a few things that need to be clarified tonight."

"What he said," Alyssa concurred, before taking another shot.

"I'm sorry," Gabriel said, realizing he'd be caught. "I tend to keep my secrets close to my chest. Vampires cannot afford to be too loose with our vulnerabilities. It's not that I don't trust you, quite the opposite. I've told you guys far more than I have any other human I've ever interacted with before."

"But it appears some lies actually hold truth," Alyssa said, pointing to his hand. "It turns out sunlight is a little more harmful than you suggested."

"It can be," Gabe finally confirmed, "But it would take hours in the sun to cause this kind of damage. That light Diane projected was more intense because that specific spell was created to detect creatures and harm them. This prevented vampires from spying on witches whenever they met to discuss things. Once they knew we existed, they had taken great measures to make sure they were ready for us."

"Fair enough," Alyssa said, "But you need to be up front with everything."

"Shoot." Gabriel said, sitting back in his chair. "What do you want to know?"

"How about your age?" Alyssa started, "It appears you've been telling everyone different numbers. When were you born?"

"I was born in the year 473." Gabriel answered, "BC."

"BC?" Pablo repeated, his eyes as wide as saucers. "That means you're almost twenty-five hundred years old!"

"Why did you lie to us about that?" Alyssa asked.

"Everyone lies about their age," Gabriel said, "I just stopped saying BC a long time ago because I got rather tired of being asked questions about Jesus and the Roman Empire."

"Well I guess that would be annoying," Pablo admitted, "But that's quite a difference from what you were telling us."

"I also didn't want to intimidate you," Gabe replied, "I found over the years that shortening my alleged time on Earth make people less intimidated. I was just doing it to make you guys more comfortable, well, as comfortable as you can be with a vampire."

"Fair enough," Alyssa said, sitting back and folding her arms. "But you don't need to do that with us. We can handle anything."

"Even Gargoyles?" Gabriel asked.

"Okay, that was a tad freaky," Pablo admitted, "We could have used a heads up on that. I almost shot at one off the cats a few days ago. It would have been nice to know they were powerful, mythical creatures so I wouldn't mess with them."

"You can't harm them," Gabriel informed him. "Bullets would have no effect. You'd just piss them off, nothing more."

"Nice to know," Pablo said, sighing. "Any other creatures we should worry about?"

"Many," Gabriel admitted, "But none that we have to worry about in these parts."

"Let's get back to that black cat," Pablo started, "You asked him to ask this Goldman woman for a powwow about the undead. What the hell is that about?"

"She's been around for a while," Gabriel explained, "I wanted to speak to her about the undead because I'm curious about something."

"That can't be it," Alyssa said, "Don't hold back."

"Alright," Gabriel said, realizing he had to be honest. "I was asked to speak to some people on behalf of the council. Gather up specific Intel about the undead and when they started to appear."

"The council?" Pablo repeated, "You spoke to someone from the council?"

"Yes," Gabriel confirmed, "They sent someone to speak with us in New Lycan, when Alyssa and I were in separated interrogation rooms. They also sent that same person to question me about the incident with the Californians."

"Who would they send that fast?" Pablo asked.

"They sent the only vampire that's powerful enough to cross the ocean without resting." Gabriel answered.

Pablo's eyes widened "They sent Cornelius?"

"Yes," Gabriel confirmed, "He's looking rather well."

"Isn't that Gabe's brother?" Alyssa asked.

"Yes, it is." Pablo confirmed. "And what happened?"

"He said the council spoke with California," Gabriel said, "Informed them that they were wrong to attack Denver without letting them know first. For that I was let off the hook, and that's when Cornelius asked me for something in return."

"That sounds like the big bastard," Pablo replied, "He does something for you and then ask for something in return. Classic vamp manipulation."

"What did he want?" Alyssa asked.

"Information," Gabriel answered, "Cornelius and the council know that I communicate with humans and other monsters a lot more then they do. They want to take advantage of my contacts to ask questions and survey them about the undead and the history of them."

"This doesn't sound right," Pablo said, thinking about it. "What are they up to?"

"If I am to take Cornelius at face value," Gabriel replied, "The council appears to be ready to step in and bring this undead thing to an end."

"It's just self serving." Pablo added, "I guess they finally realize that no more humans means no more food. Not the best reason to get involved, but I'll take it. Humanity needs all the help they can get."

"That's for sure," Alyssa agreed.

"Cornelius in New Lycan," Pablo said, giving out a big sigh. "That had to be interesting around all those wolves."

"They knew who he was," Gabriel confirmed, "They were all seriously intimidated."

"I don't understand," Alyssa said, "Why are they intimidated?"

"Besides his scary size," Gabriel answered, "Cornelius is the most well know Vampire in the world. Most monsters know who he is and fear him. I think the only vampire more well known than him, well, that would be Dad."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Pablo agreed.

"Wait a moment, your father?" Alyssa repeated, "So, your Dad is the most well know vampire by monsters?"

"No, by the world." Pablo replied, "Even humans are aware of how badass he was. For thousands of years, many monsters knew him as Tyrannius."

"But to humanity, he was known as Tyrannos." Gabriel continued for him, "The ancient Greek ruler whose name is the very standard for modern dictators. My father is the reason why oppressors are referred to as 'tyrants'."

"Then he went underground for over a thousand years," Pablo said, "He popped back up in Romania in the 1400s,

"Yet since it had been over a thousand years since his last appearance in history," Pablo added, "So this time out he was known as Vlad the Impaler."

"Wow, that's not creepy." Alyssa said, "How did he get that name?"

"He impaled a lot of people," Gabriel answered, "Tens of thousands."

"Why haven't I heard of him?" Alyssa asked.

"You have heard of him," Gabriel said, smiling. "The Impaler is his nickname, not his surname."

"What is it?" Alyssa asked.

"His name was Vlad Dracula." Pablo answered.

"Dracula?" Alyssa said, turning to face Gabriel again. "You lied again!"

"I did?" Gabriel asked.

"I remember you telling me that this book wasn't true!" Alyssa chided.

"It wasn't!" Gabriel said, "First of all, Dad's not dead."

"Wait, he's not?" Pablo said, "I thought the council replaced the monarchy?"

"They replaced nothing," Gabriel said, "When Dad wakes up from his nap, he'll expect to take his stop at the head of the table."

"Wait, how long has he been napping?" Alyssa asked.

"A very long time." Gabriel replied, "A few centuries, which means he doesn't even know about the undead. I don't even think any of the other elders really know what's going on up here on the surface."

"That's interesting," Pablo said, "Imagine a rancher goes on a trip and returns weeks or months later and the cattle on the ranch have been wiped out by a plague while you were gone. Imagine just how pissed off you would be if that happened to your food supply?"

"That explains the council's actions quite a bit," Gabriel said, "They're gathering Intel and trying to make it looking like they're doing something about it. So if the elders wake up and see this mess, they can at least claimed to have tried to stop the food supply from going extinct, save themselves all a brutal impaling."

"He still does that?" Alyssa asked.

"Not for a very long time," Gabriel said, "But he looking at this mess might make him want to impale the entire council if they have nothing to show him."

"Alright, we have the why," Pablo said, sitting back down. "So what are we going to do now that we know?"

"I made a promise," Gabriel said, "I promised Cornelius I'd at least try, and I have been. Speaking to some elders in the eastern cities. We need to speak to this witch and see what she knows. There's a possibility she's old enough to remember when it all started."

"Sounds like a plan," Alyssa said, "But we're all going."

"I agree," Pablo said, "I want to speak to hear as well."

"Alright," Gabriel said, as he realized there was no point fighting. "But don't do too much talking, I need to get the information for my brother."

"We'll go on Monday," Alyssa suggested, "After we take Diane to school. Let's all go to our corners and all cool down before talking to Mrs. Goldman. It will give me time to talk to Diane as well and resolve things with her too."

"Alright," Gabriel said, as he stood up to go. "Pablo and I will take off and give you some space."

Alyssa followed the men to the door and closed the door behind them after they walked out. Once the door was locked, she turned around and the grey cat was standing in the middle of the room. Alyssa wasn't scared because if Diane was telling the truth about his identity, the cat used to be her pet as well. They had history.

"Smokey," Alyssa said, as she couldn't believe she was talking to a cat. "Let Diane know that I'd like to speak with her, please."

The cat gave a short sound before scampering back into Diane's room to get her. Moments later Diane came out of the room but the cat was still following behind.

"Is he alright?" Diane asked, still upset she hurt Gabriel.

"He'll be fine," Alyssa said, as she walked over and hugged her sister. "Vampires heal very quickly and we gave him a bag to speed up the process. He's already much better and will be good as new tomorrow."

"I didn't mean to," Diane said, clearly remorseful.

"I believe you, and so does Gabriel." Alyssa said, "Take a seat and I'll make some tea."

"Alright," Diane said, as she sat down at the table. "You're not mad at me for keeping my power a secret?"

"I've kept secrets too," Alyssa said, smiling back. "We can get through this, and we will have a nice, calm and very civil discussion with Mrs. Goldman about it."

"That sounds good," Diane said, relieved to see everyone had calmed down.

Alyssa was pouring the tea into cups and she decided to change the subject so Diane wouldn't feel do bad.

"Listen to this," Alyssa called out, "You are never going to believe who Gabriel's dad is!"


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