The Devil's Daughter by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 2

That night, as part of the celebration, the children of the village were gathered around a blazing fire as one of the elders told them the story of Vlad Dracula. In Romania, he is held up as a hero, a great prince who, time and time again, led his armies into battle against encroaching Turkish forces. They were told of glorious battles, and Vlad's immense courage in the face of overwhelming odds, only to be struck down by the sword of a Janissary, a knight of the Ottoman Empire. The children were held in rapt attention, as they clung to every word, every gesture, and dramatic pause. But the story came to an end, as the fire began to die, and soon, the children were hurried off by their mothers and tucked into bed.

Candles were blown out, doors were locked, and the village of Gura Haith was deemed safe for another night. But, there was one window still illuminated, one person kept awake by a feeling that could not be explained. Sitting at a small table was Ileana, her bible opened in front of her. At the age of 94, she was the oldest person in the village. She knew its history and folklore and occasionally saw fit to warn others about the dangers of going into the woods at night. Children seemed to require more sternness than adults. But because of her age and thin, haggard appearance, she was seen by a few as being somewhat mad. Yet, for the last few weeks, Ileana had been consumed with something – a feeling, perhaps an instinct. She, however, would call it a premonition. Now, sitting in front of her bible, she studied the book of Revelations, paying particular attention to the coming of the anti-Christ. Although the feeling she'd been struck with was vague, Ileana had interpreted it as a warning. Something dark was on its way, something evil. Perhaps, it was already among them, waiting in the forest or watching from a rocky outcropping, jutting out from a nearby mountain like a sentinel, keeping watch over the village.

There were times when Ileana became overwhelmed with what she came to think of as a message from God and sought the counsel of the villages' priest. Father James was an especially patient man, and always made time for her, as he would for any of his parishioners. As he listened, he could hear the fear rising in her voice, and took her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

“Ileana,” he began. “God will always comfort you, even when things seemed bleak. You will always have his blessing.”

Putting a hand on the top of her head, he offered a prayer for her peace of mind. Yet, in his thoughts, he believed that age had left her mind clouded with confusion and unwarranted fear. But he was not someone given to the idea of miracles and had come to see the world as a vile place, filled with violence and corruption. He did not believe that God would heal her, or anyone else, and that people were largely left to their own devices. However, what he did believe was that people need both structure and guidance, and above all, compassion. This was how he exercised his priesthood, pointing the people of Gura Haith down the road of salvation through humility. He followed the rituals, as all Catholics would expect but these he saw as meaningless compared to the needs of his flock and he was, indeed, a good shepherd to the people of Gura Haith.