Bathory's Secret: When All The Time In The World Is Not Enough (Affliction Vampires Book 1) (26 page)

“I understand.”

Vienna April 24
th
1604

The witch woman’s allegiance was easy to secure. She has furnished me with invaluable information about her mistress down to the finest detail. From the time she wakes in the morning to the time she goes to bed at night, her dress habits, her eating schedule and her mannerisms. We sit in my rooms by night and practice both speech and countenance and she even gave me hidden access to the Countess’s apartments one evening so that I could observe her for myself. The witch has also told me about her ample properties including one away from prying eyes which I might be able to use to my advantage…In regards to our appearance we have the same height and build as well as similar hair color and I am quickly learning to imitate her mannerisms and posture. The only barrier is the color of our eyes. Mine are green while hers are a dark brown, almost black, and then there’s the matter with the language once again…

I’ve had my assistant follow her during daylight hours and tell me exactly what she does when she’s in Vienna. I’ve been spending all my hours learning Hungarian and at night I watch her closely. It is fortunate that she speaks Latin and German fluently so acquaintances won’t be hard to fool. It is only the closest members of her staff and family that will need the most persuading… The centuries have been good to my skill of adaptation.

Last evening I went into a cloth merchant’s she frequents in the city center to test the quality of my transformation. I have concentrated a lot of my energy into expanding my pupil to overtake the iris so that my eyes look as black as hers and I believe I have succeeded. The process requires tremendous amounts of concentration and causes terrible headaches but the witch gives me herbs for them. The only problem with this effect is that it makes me even more sensitive to light. At first I was apprehensive but in testament to my brilliant transformation the merchant was completely fooled and even offered to send the material to Csejthe Castle for me. Eventually I told him to do whatever we had agreed at our previous meeting, so he was none the wiser. Also the intermediate quality of my German didn't seem to concern him…

My final attempt at integration in Vienna will be at the Emperor’s ball this coming week. I’ve brushed up as much as I could on my German and Hungarian. I won’t say it’s been easy, but I’ve been exposed to a lot of languages in my life, and grasping the basics of one has become a necessary tool for my survival. The help of the witch of course has been imperative in all this. My plan could not have been completed without her assistance and once again I am grateful for humanity’s greed. Thankfully she is a deranged occultist who has jumped at the chance to become Afflicted if she helps me with my work in prolonging the condition.

Vienna May 23
rd
1604

The night of the Emperor’s ball I was let into Báthory’s apartments by the witch.

“She is by the mirror dressing herself, my lady.”

“You may go.”

“As you wish,” she did a little curtsy and left the room.

“Darvulia, where is my pearl headpiece? I need it now!” Her voice cascaded from the other room.

“
Darvulia, where is my pearl headpiece? I need it now
…” I repeated in a final attempt to imitate her pitch. She was in a black silk dress, sewn just for the occasion to denote both sorrow at the recent loss of her husband but also to highlight her wealth and status. Somewhat ostentatious for my taste but such were the ways of true nobility. I quietly approached her from the back and said nothing. Noticing my form in the mirror she continued to speak.

“Darvulia, are you deaf, woman? Where is my headpiece?”

“I have given Darvulia leave for the evening, what can
I
do for you?”

“You did what? Who are you to give
my
staff leave?” She turned sharply around with a face like thunder.

“I am a great admirer of yours. I have come to assist you in your preparations.”

On seeing my appearance her face dropped. I’d done my hair up like she’d planned for the evening and wore a dress I’d stolen the night I was in her room. My pupils were fully dilated and I had powdered my complexion to be a little darker. The transformation was uncanny if I say so myself.

“What is the meaning of this, impostor? I have guards outside and all I need to do is call them.” I could sense alarm begin to simmer in her voice.

“The guards have also been given the night off, in fact they were given the rest of their lives off, I hope you don’t mind,” I said as I slowly approached her.

“What on earth is going on here? If this is someone’s idea of a jest then it’s in poor taste. Reveal your intentions at once."

“This is no jest Erzsébet, I assure you. Sadly for you, you have what I need to save my son’s life and I have come to appropriate it.” I spoke calmly but I could feel her panic rising all the same. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, her breath quickened and I could hear her heartbeats getting louder with each passing moment, her poor heart was ready to jump out of her chest.

“What do you want from me? I will give you all the money you want, there is no need for all this drama,” she said as she backed away from my approach. Drool was beginning to form at the edges of my fangs and pool behind my closed lips.

“I need your life, Countess. How do you like my transformation into you?” I asked, doing a little twirl.

“You are nothing but a cheap imitation. I don’t know what the cause of this is, but I assure you they will all see through your feeble disguise in a moment! You cannot pretend to be noble, nobility flows in the blood!”

“And that is why I intend to drink yours right away madam!”

She pulled a knife from inside the folds of her skirt and held out her arm in order to threaten me with it. Her hand was trembling. I approached some more as she waved the knife around amateurishly, slightly cutting the top of my arm.

“Guards! Guards! Help me! There is an intruder in my room! Guaaaaaards!” Tears began to flow down her cheeks. Grabbing her arm I quickly disabled her and sank my teeth into her neck. Her noble blood filled my mouth and energized me in an instant. Oh how I loved to feed on the well-bred, they were such rich nourishment. I watched as life left her and her eyes deadened and I rejoiced in the fact that the first part of my plan had come together without difficulty, my primary obstacle overcome. After she was gone I carefully removed her dress and put it on myself. I also located the pearl headpiece that she was so fond of and secured it to my hair. It was truly a spectacular piece of ornamentation. I stood back and looked at myself in the mirror and I couldn't help but admire my immaculate transformation. I hoped now that the rest of the evening would go as smoothly and that I would not be found out. Her words rang repeatedly in my ears, “
they will all see through your feeble disguise in a moment.
”
If they do, that will be the end of me
. I wrapped her body in some spare bed sheets and hid it until I would have an opportunity to dispose of it. I did not trust anyone else to do this.

The ball promised to be a casual affair in order to gather support for another one of the Emperor’s causes and an excellent opportunity for me to publicly appear as the now deceased Countess Erzsébet Báthory
.
I let Darvulia back in the room and she ensured that I was dressed correctly in the Hungarian fashion. She gave me some last minute advice about how the Countess carried herself in these events, down to the smallest detail.

The Ballroom was brimming with members of the nobility when I arrived, all dressed in the finest damasks of silk, linen cloth and velvet bodices with fine gold and silver embroidery, bejeweled from head to toe and merrily chatting amongst themselves. I inhaled their noble smells mixed with the strong perfumes it was the fashion to use. I imagined drinking all their fine tasting blood in an attempt to help me deal with my small case of nerves. The music danced on the air and mingled with their chatter.

After some time the music stopped and all the revelers turned towards the entrance before quickly falling into formation as the Emperor made his appearance. He was resplendent in his silk silver doublet and matching breeches which stopped at the knees and showed off his toned calves. The pronounced lower jaw I had seen on countless reproduction images of his family over the years a true flag of his pedigree. Descending the stairs he approached the line we had dutifully formed to greet him. He exchanged pleasantries with everyone speaking briefly of their affairs before finally reaching me.

“Countess Báthory, how good to see you so soon after your husband’s untimely demise. Allow us to offer our condolences.”

“Thank you Your Majesty,” I replied with a curtsy.

“How go the campaigns against the Turks?”

“Quite well, Your Majesty, we are going from strength to strength!”

“Didn’t you suffer losses during that last skirmish this fall?”

“Indeed we did, Sire, but reports to the Crown were greatly exaggerated by our detractors. A house as large as ours always suffers from the ill tongues of sycophants. There are many who would like to see our demise but that will never be the case. The skirmish, as you so rightly called it, was so small that it barely even registered in my mind as a battle. The force that attacked my few unarmed men was so weak they were taken by the cold some days later. My scouts quickly found their remains. As you are well aware the attacks to our lands have become so frequent and our victories so many, that a small defeat does not even register anymore. Fear not, I consider it my sacred duty to protect the Crown and thus we shall always remain an insurmountable obstacle to the Turks reaching the Empire.”

“Well done, we are pleased to hear that. We thank you for your continued service. You really must visit Vienna more frequently, as your company gives us much pleasure, Countess.”

“You flatter me Your Majesty,” I said with another curtsy and like that he quickly moved on to the next person in the line.

My hands trembled after this exchange but I clung onto my fan and my skirts to stop them from showing. Being found out would mean instant arrest and execution as attacks on the nobility were the most severely punished crimes. I exhaled softly and continued to mingle with the other guests making a hasty exit only when the circumstances permitted and I believed I had spent sufficient time in there to be polite. With the Emperor's seal of approval and lack of suspicion, I was left feeling rejuvenated and inspired. I returned to Báthory’s apartments and disposed of her body by selling it to some anatomy students (minus the head) who were more than grateful for my contribution to the sciences and who by receiving it were breaking the law as much as I was. In the following days I wrapped up all of the Countess’s pending business in Vienna and prepared to travel back to Hungary. The old Countess had intended to stay for some weeks but I demanded that we head back as soon as possible as I supposedly had intelligence that the Turks were preparing another campaign against us.

Before leaving I visited the Sanatorium one last time and made a hefty payment towards the care of my boy. I told them I would be away for some time, but would visit as soon as I could and that I would send word in a few days. I left my assistant in charge of my Vienna operations and told him to keep me updated of any changes.

Kati closed the journal. She understood everything now; the Countess had come full circle and as time was passing she was being driven more insane by her despair. She recognized a lot of her actions as those of a prisoner awaiting his execution and seeing no redemption. She was clutching at straws for ways to give herself more time while the clock over her head ticked more loudly with each passing day. She had spent the majority of her life in a state of slavery and the remainder in a fruitless fight to find a cure for her child only to realize that it was not infinite and she would be out of time soon and would possibly die unsuccessful at having found a cure. The more Kati read about this woman’s life the more dumbstruck she became by her story that she almost felt compassion for her, but there was so much to assimilate. Wishing to read more but realizing her time was running out she worked hurriedly for the next two days and nights without a single break to try and bind the journals that were left before the Countess returned.

Seventeen

At the end of the summer the Countess returned from Vienna. It was about an hour past the six o’clock bell and the sun had almost set. Seeing the little lanterns that hung from the four corners of the carriage as it sped up the ramp, Kati now understood why the Countess only chose to travel and work at night.

A kind of awe enveloped Kati knowing that Erzsébet Báthory would soon be in the castle again. Having learned her story she couldn’t help seeing her in a whole new light. Yes she was dangerous, but for a reason. Kati was divided. She almost felt as if she couldn’t betray her now. She remembered the old man’s words to her.
Do as she says, and be indispensable to her. That will guarantee your survival.