Ethan looks at Jared, defiant, and Jared insists that his son repent or he'll send him to Hell. Before he can shoot, Rance comes in and says that someone is there to see Jared. Jared returns to the main house with Ethan, and Malcolm and Hecate join them. Rusk and Ostow are there, and Rusk informs Jared that under the joint authority of the Queen and the President, he puts them all under arrest.
In London, Sweet's familiars feed while Renfield informs Sweet that Malcolm is hunting in America. Ethan has also abandoned Vanessa, and she doesn't know where he is. Renfield hesitates and then says that Vanessa knows Sweet's true name of Dracula, and Sweet says that the time is upon them. He promises that soon Vanessa will come to him, and assures Renfield that he is his chosen one. Sweet gestures the vampires away from the corpse they are draining, and tells Renfield to feed. Eager, Renfield runs to the suspended corpse and suckles at the blood.
Later at the museum, Vanessa visits Lyle and finds him packing. He says that he is going on a jaunt to Cairo to visit the tomb of Imhotep, and Cairo is rumored to be more accepting of his way of life. Vanessa wonders what she'll do without Lyle, and he assures her that she'll be fine. Lyle wonders if something is wrong, but Vanessa says that she is well. However, she asks if there is someone she can call on with expertise similar to Lyle's. Lyle gives her a name and they tell each other to take care of themselves.
At Bedlam, Victor obtains a tranquilizer from Henry's retorts. Henry assures him that no being could withstand its potency, even Lily, and then she will be Victor's to do with as he will. He wonders if victor has the nerve to bring Lily there, and Victor warns that Henry is the one who will need the nerve.
Two prostitutes come to Dorian's townhouse and ring the bell. Justine answers the door and the prostitutes ask if that's where the Pale Lady who makes men bleed lives. Smiling, Justine ushers them in to the main room where other prostitutes have gathered. Lily uses Dorian demonstrates the ways to kill a man. She asks who wishes to try, and Justine takes the knife. Dorian warns that he won't go easy on her, and Justine tells him to treat her as he did the other women he paid for. She relives what men have done to her and holds the knife to Dorian's throat, but hesitates. Dorian warns that she's pushing her luck, and Justine asks Lily if she'd like to see Dorian drown in his own blood. As blood drips from Dorian's skin, Lily asks who the others would practice on and Justine draws back the knife.
Caliban watches as the sleeping Jack lies in his bed, gasping from his illness. Once he's sure that he's unseen, Caliban goes down and brings Jack a cup of water. Jack mumbles "father" in his sleep, and wonders if Caliban is an angel. The boy says that he heard his mother's friend say that angels would come for him soon, and Caliban holds the boy as he breaks into a fit of coughing. He says that he will bring him medicine and promises Jack that he will be well soon. Jack lies back and opens his eyes for the first time, and stares in horror at Caliban's face. He yells for help and Caliban runs out to the street. He walks into an alley and drops to his knees, sobbing.
The next day, Vanessa watches as two fencers fight in a competition. The smaller one cheats, winning, and the defeated man demands her name. The woman removes her fencing mask and says that her name is Catriona Hartdegen. Catriona says that it was creative improvisation, not cheating, and walks out. Vanessa follows her into the changing room and admits that she doesn't fence, and Catriona points out that it requires a clarity of the mind lacking in the rest of the world. When Vanessa says that Lyle sent her, Catriona asks what she can do for her. She says that she is a thantologist and studies death. Vanessa doesn't flinch and Catriona admits that most people find her field of study off-putting. In response, Vanessa says that she's not most people.
The two women go to a café and Vanessa asks Catriona if she knows of the name Dracula. Catriona has heard of the medieval warrior line, the Drakul, and Dracula was said to be the founder of the line. Dracula is said to have provoked a war between the Ottomans and the Holy Roman Empire so the world would be wet with blood. Peasants believed that Dracula fed on blood because he was a vampire. Catriona is intrigued that Vanessa doesn't dismiss it as a myth, and says that Dracula is said to be the first vampire. He changes his appearance and identity from century to century, and is said to corrupt and lead men astray. Vanessa says that she wishes to find Dracula now, and explains that he is hunting her to seek her submission. Catriona understands that submission to another is unacceptable, even if she has to cheat, and Vanessa asks for her help. The thanatologist agrees to look into it, but tells Vanessa that she must protect herself by surrounding her with people who would protect her. Vanessa says that most are gone but she might have one, and Catriona tells her to go to them.
That night, Victor goes to Dorian's townhouse and picks the lock on the door. The prostitutes have gathered in the main room and Lily is dancing with Justine. Dorian comes in and asks if he can cut in, and Lily tells him that he can have the next dance. Disappointed, Dorian stops the music and asks for a moment alone with Lily. Justine and the other prostitutes leave, and Dorian warns that Justine may not know her place. Lily tells him that Justine says the same of Dorian, and he insists that his place is at Lily's side. He insists that they are equals and partners as immortals, and Lily says that Justine has the heart and soul of who she was before her transformation. Lily admits that sometimes she is the hate and loss and anger that Justine has, and remembers every man that ever used her. She tells Dorian that it is something that he cannot know, and Dorian says that they should be someone else. Lily says that it's a fantasy, and she is committed to the prostitutes. They kiss and Lily wishes that it were true.
Justine comes in with two of the prostitutes, who are holding their knives to Victor's throat.
Vanessa has drinks with Seward and tells her that it was a blow to her when she lost Ethan and Malcolm. Seward says that her husband beat her after the honeymoon, and she killed him to save herself. She stood trial for it in New York City, and knows what it means to be alone. Vanessa wishes that her friends were there, and Seward suggests that Vanessa would be better off having drinks with Sweet. When Vanessa says that she won't endanger Sweet, Seward suggests that she give Sweet the choice. The doctor says that she has to trust people, and Vanessa will never know if she can unless she trusts.
At Dorian's townhouse, Justine asks Lily if she can kill Victor. When Dorian tells her no, she ignores him. Lily tells Justine not yet, and Victor says that he intended to heal Lily. When Lily insists that she isn't ill, Victor explains that he has developed a serum that will remove all of her anger and rage, making her human. Lily says that her sadness is her own and she won't give it up, and she has suffered long and hard to be who she is now. Victor says that they were happy, and Lily tells him that he was happy but she was just waiting for what she has become.
Justine prepares to cut Victor's throat, and when Dorian tries to stop her, she says that she doesn't take orders from any man. Dorian doesn't see the point in killing Victor because he loves Lily, and Justine insists that he has to die for being a man. Lily stares at Victor for a moment, and Dorian tells her not to. After a moment, Lily agrees and admits that she's sentimental about Victor... and they might yet need his unique services. She hugs Victor and tells him to mend his broken heart elsewhere, because she is done with him. Lily promises that if she sees him again, she'll cut his throat herself. As Dorian leads Victor out, he says that Victor is in his debt and will call upon it.
At the Talbot estate, Jared welcomes all of his guests to his table. The horses outside whinny and Jared sends a man to see what is wrong with them. Jared says that he wants Ethan to say grace, and when Malcolm offers the patriarch makes it clear he wants Ethan to do it. He says that Ethan is sitting in Paul's chair where Paul said grace, and Malcolm says that he used to speak to his son the same way. He tried to mold his son into the man he wanted him to be, and suggests that Jared learn from his mistakes. Malcolm says that Ethan is a good man, despite whatever he has done.
Jared wonders if Malcolm would say the same thing if Ethan has murdered his children, and realizes that Malcolm doesn't know. Rusk wonders how Ethan did it, and Hecate tells Ethan to tell her when. Jared describes how Ethan didn't have the courage to look his siblings in the face when he killed them, and Ethan finally yells at Jared to stop. He says grace, cursing God and ignoring Jared when he objects, and then eats as Hecate looks on, smiling.
Jared notices Ostow glaring at him and tells him to say what he has to say. Ostow says that the men Jared had murdered aboard the train were his men, and he promises that there will be a reckoning before the night ends. Jared nods and says it's fair enough, then draws a gun and shoots Ostow dead. Jared's men draw on Rusk and Malcolm, and Ethan continues eating.
Vanessa goes to the museum as it closes and finds Sweet working on his stuffed animals. She says that he must know how dangerous it is for him to be with her, and she tells him that a creature has been hunting her since the dawn of time and wants to feed on her blood and make her his bride. Sweet asks what the creature's name is, and Vanessa says its name. She asks if Sweet can believe her, and he takes her to an exhibit that they're preparing on nocturnal animals. He shows her a vampire bat and says that he believes Vanessa because he knows such creatures exist. There are creatures that have been cast into darkness, and the vampire bat feeds on blood because it has no other choice.
Vanessa wonders if she should feel sympathy for Dracula, and Sweet says that he has loved all of the night creatures because they are shunned and alone. However, he insists that he has no sympathy for any creature that means Vanessa harm, and will stand at her side. Vanessa says that there was another who swore to protect her but he left, and Sweet tells her that he knows what it is to be heartbroken and rejected. He assures her that nothing Vanessa has said has scared him away, and promises that he won't leave her side. They kiss for a moment, and Vanessa warns that every time she has given her heart, it has led to catastrophe. Sweet says that he loves her for who she is, not who the world wants her to be, and Vanessa kisses him. They drop to the floor, Vanessa on top, and make love. Once they're done, Vanessa smiles as she cries and then kisses Sweet.
At the Talbot estate, Jared invites Malcolm and Rusk to eat. Rusk asks if it was Ethan or Hecate who summoned the snakes. When Jared asks what he means, Rusk says that Ethan and Hecate know more about the ways of mayhem that even Jared knows. Ethan smiles and offers to show them, and Hecate transforms into her witch form and kills one of Jared's men. Rusk stabs his guard, Malcolm grabs his, and Ethan cuts the throat of the man behind him. Rance gets Jared out, firing at Ethan, and Ethan uses his dead man as a shield. Rusk aims at Ethan, and Hecate leaps up on the table and prepares to attack him. Meanwhile, Malcolm's man tries to aim his gun, and Malcolm knocks him to the floor. The man shoots at Malcolm, who takes cover.
Rusk aims his gun at Ethan and threatens to shoot him if Hecate attacks. The inspector wonders what they are, and Hecate says that they are the end of days.
Jared's man gets the drop on Malcolm, but someone shoots him. Hecate leaps at the distracted Rusk, but he manages to shoot her just as Ethan shoots him. Kaetenay stumbles in, having shot Malcolm's attacker, and then gets a rifle from Jared's cabinet. Meanwhile, Ethan goes to Hecate and with her dying breath she tells him that Hell awaits them both.
Jared takes his remaining men to the chapel and yells to Ethan to come get him. He says that if he dies, he'll die where his family died.
As Ethan reloads his gun, he tells Malcolm and Kaetenay how Jared will deploy his men. He says that Kaetenay knows what to do because he's attacked the chapel before, and he and Malcolm go to the chapel door. Kaetenay shoots through a side wall, taking out one man, and Malcolm and Ethan run in firing. The trio kill Jared's men one by one, and then Ethan charges forward as Malcolm covers him. He shoots the gun out of Jared's hand and prepares to shoot him in the head, and Jared says that Ethan is truly his son. He tells Ethan to do it if he wants to be the Devil, and do the Devil's work. Jared invites Ethan to gun down his father in a house of God, but after a moment Ethan lowers his revolver.
Ethan walks off, and Jared accuses him of running away just like he's run all of his life. He promises to send more men to find him, and when he dies he'll haunt Ethan from the grave. Malcolm shoots him dead and Ethan stares at him in shock.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 6, 2016