34. En Fin

Guthrie was ready.

Or, well…. that’s what she had thought for just the slightest, most relaxing moment. She had a plan. She had done her research.

She was ready to be done with the supernatural; and if it would take one last big strike to be done with it for the rest of her life, preferably, then so be it.

She had found an ally right on the inside.

She had found, with the help of Vered, who had been intensely studying the matter for what he admitted had been years, what in the books and journals was described as “the ultimate vampyre cure.”

So really, Guthrie was ready.

And so one faithful morning, she stopped by the Greene/Hoyt residence, her heart sounding in her throat. Told her father she had been wanting to visit him for a while.

Gave Vered a hug – which Remi couldn’t help but find just a little suspicious. After all, he had no idea the two even knew, let alone got along with each other.

Shot a very obviously displeased Tori a cheeky grin as she put up her perfect daughter act.

There was only one hole in her perfectly and carefully laid out plan.

Tori was way, way too strong for a human like her.

And so her plan was foiled – and Guthrie felt a rush of embarrassment course to her cheeks. Of course her father’s entire family had to witness her failing.

As Guthrie quickly slipped out, Remi – who had come out immediately when he heard the commotion – turned to shoot Tori a deathly glare.

***

Guthrie may have been beaten, but she wasn’t defeated. So she couldn’t physically defeat Tori; maybe, she admitted, she should have expected that. She had hoped that just the stench of that cure would’ve made Tori weak enough for a physically inferior Guthrie to handle her, but apparently, that wasn’t true.

That was alright.

It did not take long for her to think up a solid plan B.

***

There was a reason why Vered had been able to help Guthrie find the cure to help defeat his mother:

It was a topic he had been looking into for himself for years and years.

His research had started the moment he gained his vampiric powers.

He hated his powers. Hated the fact that there was a monster inside of him that he just couldn’t control no matter how hard he tried.

Vered was done being a monster.

According to his family, he was sure, he would’ve been a monster for helping Guthrie against Tori. It didn’t seem to matter to them that she had targeted and even ended the lives of the humans that stood in her path. It didn’t seem to matter that she misused and abused the powers none of them even really deserved in the first place.

But to Vered, it mattered.

It mattered for his mother, whom he really didn’t hate – he was entirely ensured of the fact that he was doing this for her own good. He was doing it out of his love for her; the more enemies she would make as a vampire (and she made many), the closer she got to a defeat that would be infinitely more final than to be turned into a human..

He thought it would do her good; to regain her humanity.

He thought she needed it.

No, in Vered’s eyes he was no monster for wishing this fate upon his mother. In fact, he wished it upon himself.

And with helping Guthrie to finally find what seemed to be a cure, he had found it for himself just as well.

And so there it stood, finally, before his very eyes. The thing he had been dreaming of for years.

The cure against that monster inside of him.

***

Calo, in the meantime, found himself deep into the vampire books and journals too. Sure, that whole Guthrie Incident had surprised him… but to him, the whole thing had only been laughable.

So some human thought that she could just defeat a vampire…. Calo let out a another cackle.

The stupidity of humans continued to astound him.

No, Calo was doing his own research; on a very, very different topic.

In fact, one may call Calo’s area of research the absolute, exact opposite of what Vered’s had been.

***

“You told me you’re ‘one of the good ones,'” Guthrie spoke, shooting Caleb a look.

A halfhearted smile formed on Caleb’s lips as he answered. “To the extent that you could call a vampire good, yes.”

“I need this, Caleb. I… I mean, you barely know me. I’m fully aware of that. But you’re the only – well – good vampire I know.”

“If you barely know me, how can you be sure I’m good?” Caleb commented. Tried for a daunting stare.

Guthrie shrugged carelessly. “I just figure that if you weren’t good, I’d have probably already laid bloodless on the ground right now.”

“That’s one hell of a risk to bet on.”

Another shrug. “Goes to show just how much I need it.”

“Fine, then,” Caleb finally admitted. “We’ll hear you out.”

***

“Caleb tried to convince you he was bad?” Lilith barely managed to speak between her bursts of laughter. “Oh, man. I couldn’t even begin to imagine that.”

“Look,” Guthrie started for the second time that day. “I’m sorry for bothering you two with it. It’s just you’re… well, honestly, you’re the only ones I know that could actually stand a chance against her. And, like I said, it’s not just about me. Not nearly. She needs to be stopped… in general. I’m not the first human she’s targeted, and there is no doubt about the fact that I won’t be the last. She is dangerous. I mean, isn’t it your duty as fellow vampires to ensure the, well, the rotten ones get picked out?”

Caleb and Lilith shot each other a look. Finally, Lilith opened her mouth to speak. She turned to her brother.

“You have always wanted to play the hero, brother. I guess that now’s the time to prove yourself.”

She then turned back to Guthrie. “He’ll do it.”

Caleb protested – but the smile on his face said enough. “Hey, I haven’t said yes!”

***

And just like that, the pawns finally fell into place.

With the power of daylight adding to Caleb’s strength, Tori was finally defeated.

And the dangerous grand master Tori had to come to terms with the realization that she was now no more than just another lowly, ordinary human.

Remi, in the meantime, was not sure who he should be mad at, anymore. Left to pick up the pieces of a devastated Tori…

He couldn’t stop himself from lashing out at his daughter.

“What the hell were you thinking, Guthrie?!”

Guthrie, feeling colder and more defiant than she had ever felt before, simply shrugged – and lifted a finger at her father just like he had done at her.

“You know she deserves it. And so do you.”

With those words Guthrie left her father’s house, determined to finally leave all the supernatural behind her.

***

Vered sat in contemplation. He was going to drink the cure – for all his life, he had wanted nothing more. But then he saw his father, his head hanging dejectedly, and a rush of guilt racked his body.

Finally, he turned to Remi.

“Take it,” he said, gesturing to the cure in front of them.

Remi’s eyes widened. “No. It’s yours. I know how hard you’ve worked for it…”

“And I know how badly you have wanted to be a human too, especially now that Mom is one too. Please, dad. Take it. You deserve the happily ever after you’ve been dreaming of.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive. You deserve it. You deserve to be a human again.”

A chuckle escaped from Remi’s lips as the thought of being a human with Tori crossed his mind. Averting his eyes to the ground, he found a small smile tugging at his mouth.

He pulled his son into a long hug.

“Words cannot express my gratitude, son.”

And so Remi got to follow Tori into humanity.

***

Not everyone was as happy with this; the moment Calo found out, he raged at his brother.

“Wait wait wait,” Calo interrupted their moment. “What the hell did you just do?”

“You asshole. I knew it. You were also the one who got Mom slayed. I saw the looks you and that bitch were throwing each other. And now him too? You ruined our family. You and your weak, human-loving ass just–“

“Shut up, Calo,” Remi yelled from behind them – effectively shutting Calo up. Vered couldn’t suppress a complacent grin. “For once in your life, for the love of god, just shut up.”

And that’s how Calo finally lost it –

And with it, he lost the last bit of love and respect his family had left to give him.

***

***

But it didn’t matter to Calo – he didn’t need his family. Not anymore. He was grown and he was powerful and one day, the world would be his…

…Starting with Bella Goth. It didn’t matter that she didn’t like him… yet.

One day, she would be grateful for the gift he gave her.

***

***

One day, she would be his.

Maybe not today, but one day.

***

For Riley, everything finally fell into place too.

“It was you, wasn’t it? All of it. My mother. My… my father, speaking about vampires and basements during his last days. We thought it was his delirium, but it wasn’t, was it? Calo.” She spit out his name as though it were filth. “It was all you.”

Calo tried for a winsome smile. “Oh come on, baby…”

“Don’t,” Riley interrupted him. The anger in her voice made it sound foreign even to her. “Don’t ever call me that again. Not after what you’ve done. The way you played me for a fool… God, what a fool I’ve been. I can’t even fathom anymore how I could have ever fallen for someone the likes of you. You’re a monster. You’re disgusting.”

“Riley…” Calo tried once again.

But Riley wasn’t having it. Not anymore.

When he proceeded to sigh and change into his game face, Riley wasn’t fazed. She didn’t care anymore.

She wouldn’t give him the gratification of having her fear.

He didn’t.

He had nothing of hers. Not anymore.

One day, Riley vowed, as Calo drank from her, he will be mine.

One day I’ll defeat him.

That was, if Bella didn’t get to him first.

***

And for Chaya, who finally realized how she had been two-timed…

How she had been played…

How Calo had only ever been interested in her powers, and not in her…

…The puzzle ultimately came together just as well.

“Oh, Calo… screw the hell off.”

***

It wasn’t the easiest thing, to grow accustomed to being a human again after decades of living as something else entirely.

For a while there, Remi and Tori definitely had their struggles.

But with their family around them, things ultimately fell into place – life went on. Their family was still around them.

And even Tori found that with the life she was living, she really didn’t need her vampiric powers to be happy.

She had other things now.

She still had her family.

And she finally had the sun again.

***

Sure, Vered would have to hold out as a vampire just a little longer. But at least he wasn’t alone.

***

A/N: And that’s the end… for now! Let’s just say it’s the end of Pariah, at least. I hope you enjoyed it!