Florence was the new center of the Papacy since most of Rome and the Vatican were all underwater. After a quick flight, and a train through most of Tuscany, Gabriel and Carlos arrived at the quaint commune of Chiusi.

It was late at night, so late it was almost morning when they arrived, and Gabriel was baking inside the trunk. Carlos could have taken him out long ago but was paranoid someone would find his plus one and get torn to shreds.

The car stopped in front of a large monastery with a bell tower, the streets illuminated by gas lamps and lightning bugs. The moment the car stopped, kicks and shouts came from the trunk.

With a metallic squeak, Gabriel looked up to see Carlos. He was tired. Not physically, just emotionally. He already knew what Gabriel wanted, and with a sigh, he rolled up his black sleeve and adjusted his collar.

Gabriel made loud moans as he ate, and Carlos tried to tune them out, but it was impossible. In the town of elderly farmers, everyone was asleep at this time of the night. It was silent, and Carlos could hear every noise he made, echoing in the dark.

Gabriel didn’t stop, even as someone approached. He was still in the trunk, crouched over, eating and choking on his meal like a small, excited dog. Carlos tried to pull away, but Gabriel hung on, and he fell out of the trunk.

His pants snagged onto the bottom of the open trunk, pulling down his pants and boxers, exposing him to the world. Gabriel wouldn’t let go and started to scream for more.

"Carlos, I want more! I need it!"

Fiorino Barsotti was holding a lantern as he came upon them. The first thing he saw was a bleeding priest holding onto a half-naked young man that fell out of a trunk. Gabriel was asking for more, and he could never get enough, and Fiorino’s mind could only see one thing.

A crime being committed.

Fiorino was told to greet his guest that night, and that only one person would be arriving. He was told that this guest was special, and when he saw Gabriel’s nakedness, he thought it was a different kind of special.

"This is wrong," Fiorino whispered.

He made the sign of the cross, and Carlos tried to explain, but the more he spoke, the worse it sounded.

"We weren’t doing anything sexual, he was just falling out of the trunk," Carlos shouted.

Fiorino’s face now became panicked, and he got out his phone to call the police.

"Stop," Carlos shouted. "This was just an accident! He just wanted to drink me!"

"No one accidentally puts someone inside their trunk," Fiorino screamed. "Stop using your sexual euphemisms!"

Fiorino pressed one, one, but before he could press two, his phone exploded in his hands. He screamed in pain, his skin sizzling, and somehow cold at the same time. Gabriel had blown his phone up, with a single hot, white bullet.

"You brought one of those devils in here, Alvarez, didn’t you," Fiorino asked.

"Gabriel, how did you do that," Carlos asked. "You use light. Why aren’t you dead?"

Gabriel scrambled up and pulled his pants up, this time making sure his belt was secured. He mumbled a quick apology to Fiorino, but he didn’t want to hear it. A demon was on sacred ground, and he had to keep it away at all costs.

"You cannot bring that filth in here," Fiorino screamed.

His lantern shook as he screamed, and Fiorino had specks of blood on his shirt where he had rubbed his hands, trying to minimize the cold pain.

Gabriel stared at Fiorino intensely, and Carlos uttered a few simple words to avoid another disaster.

"Gabriel, don’t eat him."

" What, " Fiorino balked.

"Fine," Gabriel mumbled.

"How old is this boy," Fiorino screamed.

"I’m five months old, sir," Gabriel replied.

Fiorino was now sure that Gabriel was mentally afflicted, and that Carlos was taking advantage of him. Gabriel had given the age of how long he had been turned since he was used to giving that answer instead when he lived in the nest with all the others.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"Come with me, and I’ll take you away from him. He’ll never hurt you again," Fiorino said.

Carlos had no more patience left to give. His solid rock of patience was whittled down to a pebble by Gabriel, and now was a grain of sand thanks to Fiorino’s misunderstanding. He cried tears of frustration as he stared at the cobblestone pavement, and whispered a few words in a long-dead language, asking God to stop testing him any further.

The tests would continue.

"I’m never leaving him! He’s my soulmate, " Gabriel declared.

Carlos tried to stop Fiorino, but his mind was already set. It was his moral duty to save Gabriel from a predator.

"No. Please. Don’t-"

Fiorino pledged to never hurt a soul in his life, but now he was considering making an exception. He left the metal lantern on the cold bumpy pavement, and grabbed Carlos, shaking him hard.

"You’re going to pay for this," Fiorino shouted. "People like you sully the church!"

Carlos was surprised by how strong the middle-aged man was, and Fiorino was surprised by his bloody tears. He reasoned that the real demon is Father Alvarez, and sought to protect Gabriel from damnation.

Their screams and fighting had called attention to the others inside the monastery, and Gio Placido came out to see what the commotion was. He was younger, a new priest at only twenty-eight years old, and just like his namesake, Placido, was calm when he came to the entrance, and saw the scene.

Fiorino looked like he was assaulting another priest in front of a scared young man, and blood was pouring out of Carlos’ eyes. Gio pulled Fiorino off and hauled him inside, saying the words, remember your vows, brother in Christ.

Carlos was just happy that Fiorino was gone and they could come inside without any new disturbances, but that would just be the beginning of their trials. Happy to help, Gabriel took two suitcases and followed Carlos inside the monastery, just as the sun was rising.

After Gio had gotten Fiorino to calm down, things were a lot quieter, but Fiorino was still suspicious of Carlos. Why would someone willingly be inside a trunk, pants lowered, and blood on their face?

Fiorino was too focused on the bizarre event to realize what his guests were, and had ordered them a simple breakfast from the monastery’s kitchen. Gabriel and Carlos were in the residential area of the monastery when they received their food, a kind gesture that would do them no good.

They sat at an old wooden blue table and stared with their reptilian gaze at their breakfast of poached eggs, toast, and English tea. Carlos hadn’t eaten physical food in so long that he forgot how to hold a fork, and Gabriel found the gesture rude.

"He’s mocking us," Gabriel said.

"I think he just doesn’t know, Gabriel."

"How could he not? Sometimes I forget to blink, and earlier you forgot to pretend to breathe as well."

"Just… be nice…"

Gabriel didn’t want to eat trash, but he didn’t want to look like a rude guest. He left the food on the table and went off to explore the monastery, much to the relief of Carlos, who wanted to be alone.

It was more modern compared to the rest of the main building, to make more room for those that wanted to join the monastery. It was made of stone, and the insides were lit by gas lamps, with few windows in the long and skinny hallways.

Gabriel wondered where everyone was. He called out for anyone, but no one answered. His voice echoed down the dark corridors, and soon he just started to shout for the fun of hearing his own voice bounce off the walls.

The residential area was empty due to a lack of fresh blood in the church, and Gabriel was disappointed he couldn’t meet anyone new but told himself it was fine as long as I have Carlos.

Carlos shivered, still sitting at the table, hoping that Gio would return soon with his request. After talking to Gio, who was told about their arrival, he promised Carlos that he would find a way to break Gabriel free from Carlos.

He had a cure.

At least, Gio hoped what he had was a cure.

Gio wouldn’t just give it to him, of course. He wanted to make sure Carlos was serious about his commitment to joining the Discepoli di Amorth . Carlos wanted to join before he learned of a cure, but Gio was paranoid that Carlos was there to steal their secrets.

Gio opened the door and exited his study when he heard loud shouting.

Gabriel stopped shouting, and stood in the hallway, feeling embarrassed. He had lost a lot of restraint ever since he turned, and he constantly found himself in strange situations.

Gio looked at Gabriel and knew how he could get Carlos to stay.

"So I heard you and Father Alvarez are soulmates. Is that true," Gio asked.

"Not in the sense the meat-, I mean, people, think of it," Gabriel replied.

"Tell me more. I want to know everything about you and all the children of Santos Dominus."

Gabriel was too happy to have someone new to talk to that he never noticed that something was wrong.

He never noticed that Gio knew the name of the man who had turned him when they had just met.