"Catalina," I say, trying to figure out how to tell her it might not be her they're after, but me.
"Whose skin is this?" Assisi asks as she gets a closer look. "Is it hers?" She points to the nun.
"Probably not," I say and grimace at my own words. It's simply how this person works.
She frowns.
"How are you so sure?"
"Because whoever did this," I start and take a deep breath, turning to look at Catalina, "is not targeting you."
"What do you mean?" She asks, her voice a mere whisper.
"This," Vlad brandishes his knife towards the nun's face and the C marring her features "is the mark of a serial killer. The C by itself could have pointed out to you," he turns to Catalina, "but the teeth confirm it's a serial killer we've been looking for."
"What...?" Assisi asks, tilting her head, as if in disbelief.
"Let me get this," she starts, and I'm once again amazed by her composure throughout all of this, "you are saying that the person who killed our Sister is a serial killer? Then what about Father Guerra? I don't believe it's a coincidence these things happened almost within a week of each other." Her hand goes to massage her forehead, smearing some blood from her hands on her skin.
Vlad's eyes are glued to Assisi's face, specifically to the tiny trail of blood on her forehead. He looks like he's in a trance as he moves, and in two steps he's in front of Assisi.
"Vlad!" I bark out, knowing this isn't good. Is he going to lose control? Is he going to hurt her?
Vlad doesn't reply. He is fixated on the red spots on Assisi's face.
"Don't move!" I mouth to Assisi, worried that any sudden movement might make Vlad snap. The last time I'd seen him in one of his episodes... it hadn't been pretty.
Her eyes widen in surprise, but she gives a slow nod.
Vlad's eyes are blank at he tilts his head to study my sister's face.
"Vlad!" I call out again, hoping to wake him from whatever trance he's in.
His arm moves up and I'm already in motion, ready to pull him off Assisi.
To my surprise, his hand goes to her forehead, almost tenderly, and he swipes some blood with his fingers. He stares at it for a second before bringing it to his lips. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, enjoying the taste of the blood.
"What...?" Assisi looks stunned as she frowns at Vlad.
"Assisi, come here, but slowly. He might be dangerous."
She looks unconvinced, but does as asked, moving herself out of Vlad's grasp. He's still locked away somewhere, his face blank.
"What's wrong with him?" Assisi asks when she reaches my side.
"He's not... normal" I say because that's the only thing that can accurately describe this situation.
"Not... normal?" Assisi repeats, continuing to study Vlad's rigid form.
"Stay here, both of you." I slowly make my way in front of Vlad and snap my fingers in front of him.
"Vlad! Snap out of it!"
He raises his eyes to regard me, narrowing his eyes at me. He twirls his finger in the air, little specks of blood still on its surface.
"More..." He whispers, and I let out a groan. He won't snap out of it, will he?
Knowing what might happen if he lets himself go, I prepare myself to act. I need to knock him out before he becomes too dangerous. Keeping my eyes on his face, I fold the sleeve on my right hand, already dreading the idea of skin contact.
"Marcello, what are you...?" Assisi takes a step forward and I turn sharply to stop her. Catalina's hand also shoots out to deter Assisi, but she brushes it off.
Fuck!
"Assisi, stay back!" I yell, and I am momentarily distracted by Assisi's movements. In a split of a second, Vlad leaves my side.
Shit!
His hand is around Assisi's throat, pushing her body into the wall and lifting her off the ground.
"Sisi!" Catalina whimpers, and I'm suddenly afraid.
"Lina, stay back," I tell her, putting myself in front of her.
"But..." She starts.
"No sudden movements. We need to snap him out of it!" I tell her.
"Assisi, are you ok?" I ask her, and I notice that she doesn't seem afraid.
"I'm ok... he's not hurting me." She replies, and I have to frown. He has her up in the air by the throat and he's not hurting her?
"Vlad, I need you to focus, ok? You're hurting my sister right now." I enunciate each word, hoping to break through the haze clouding his mind. He tilts his head to the side, almost as if he hears me.
"Yes, that's my sister you're holding." I drawl. In the past, it had been imperative to speak to him in the simplest terms. I don't know exactly what happens to him when he loses his mind like this, but it's like he regresses close to a non-verbal state.
He pauses for a second.
"Sister?" A guttural sound escapes his lips.
That's it! He's close.
"Yes, she is my sister. And you are hurting her right now."
He moves his head again to the side, his eyes focusing on Assisi.
"Sister?" He says again on a breathy note. "Sister..."
He lowers Assisi to the ground, and both Catalina and I sigh in relief.
He removes his hand from her throat, and I'm about to go get her out of his proximity. But suddenly, Vlad collapses to his knees, his hands going around Assisi's middle.
He's... hugging her?
"Sister," He repeats, almost in awe.
Assisi looks at me questioningly, and I can only shake my head, signaling her to stay put.
Vlad's arms tighten around her, and he keeps repeating the same thing.
"Sister," the word sounds more urgent each time.
Assisi's hand goes down slowly, and she pats his back comfortingly.
Vlad's breathing quickens, and he releases some sounds low in his throat.
"It's ok. You're safe here," Assisi coos, and her words have an immediate effect on him, as he closes his eyes.
"I think he's sleeping." Assisi says after a while, slowly disentangling herself from his grasp. Vlad collapses onto the floor, out cold.
"What was that?" Assisi asks, but I just shake my head.
How can I explain Vlad without making the currently disemboweled nun seem like child's play?
I'm just relieved things didn't get out of control. I've witnessed Vlad in the throes of his rage before, and all of those episodes had ended with at least a couple of corpses. Whatever clicked in his brain when I'd mentioned that Assisi was my sister must have stopped him from going all berserker on us.
"He..." I try to come up with a plausible explanation, "has some trauma. This must have triggered him." I mean, it's technically true.
Both Assisi and Catalina nod, and I change the subject. Because them finding out more about Vlad would mean finding out more about me...
"Before we leave, I want to ask you something." I tell my sister.
"What?"
"Do you really want to take your vows? If you feel in any way that this life isn't for you, you can tell me. I'm worried about your safety here, and Mother Superior won't let me hire a guard for you."