The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (12 page)

“Why Countess Dracula, are you not a
vision of absolute beauty and sophistication?” he exclaimed
striding toward me on long legs.

“I could say the same of you, Lord
Astir,” I responded, holding out my hand.

With a twisted smile full of mirth, he
took my hand and kissed it. “Lovely as always to see
you.”

“And whatever have I done to have you
honor me with your presence?” I asked, my gaze sharp, my heart
seizing.

“I missed you,” Astir said with a pout.
He tucked my hand into the crook of his arm and guided me down the
hall.

Tilting my chin to regard him, I arched
a brow. “Truly?”

“Yes, yes,” Astir said enthusiastically
as he walked. “I said to myself, ‘Astir, Buda is such a bore
without that lovely little redheaded spitfire rushing about causing
all sorts of trouble. Let’s go see her!’ And here I am.”

“Do you speak to yourself often? I hear
it is a sign of madness,” I said tartly, miffed at his assertion
that I had caused any amount of trouble whatsoever.

His warm finger plucked at my bottom
lip as he leaned over me. “And there it is. That darling little
spark of mischief.”

I tilted my head away from him as I
pulled free of his grasp. Stepping into the parlor, I glanced back
to see Adem and Magda following us, both wearing expressions I
could not decipher. Astir entered the parlor, studying his
surroundings with contempt.

“Dreary, plebeian, and dull, but it
will do.”

“I am a married woman. I should not be
alone with a man who is not my husband,” I remarked, signaling for
Adem to join us, not wishing to be alone with Astir.

Astir widened his eyes at my comment.
“Yes, that would be a scandal, wouldn’t it?” With a flourish, he
slammed the door just as Adem was about to enter.

“You’re in a mood,” I decided, my
flippancy hiding my fear.

“I am always in a mood. The question is
just what sort of mood am I in?” Astir tossed off his traveling
coat and straightened his waistcoat. Fluffing up his collar, he
turned to regard me intently. “Shall we talk?”

“If you insist, I suppose. I was
busy-”

“Where is your husband?”

I stuttered to a halt at his
interruption. “He is occupied with affairs at the castle. The
situation is difficult, and he asked that I remain
here.”

“Did he?” Astir bestowed me with an
amused smile.

“Yes.” Not wishing to answer any more
questions, I asked quickly, “Is Buda safe? May I
return?”

Astir shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“Has Ignatius returned? Have you heard
from him?”

“Father Ignatius is not in Buda, and I
have corresponded with him on occasion.”

Despite my apprehension, I stepped
toward Astir, desperate for information. “Is he all right? Where is
he?”

“Like Satan himself, he’s wandering to
and fro across the face of the earth,” Astir glibly responded,
waving his hand dramatically.

“Has he asked after me?”

“Has he asked about Countess Dracula?”
Astir made a great show of pondering the question. “No, he has
not.”

Narrowing my eyes, I said, “Did he ask
about Lady Glynis Wright?”

With a wide grin and a spark in his
eye, Astir answered, “Why, yes he did.”

“You are a foul, forked
tongue-“

“Now, now! No need for name calling. He
did ask after you and I said you were with your husband. How was I
to know that your circumstances had changed since you had not
informed me of your husband’s unfortunate
convalescence?”

I gasped as Astir’s eyes turned to
flames and his words resonated within me. “I...I...I...”

“I...I....I....what? ‘I entombed my
husband after stealing his power’?” Astir seemed to glide across
the room on invisible wings to gaze down at me.

I abruptly sat on the couch, my
trembling hands in my lap. I was at a loss as to what to say. Tears
stung my eyes as I realized that Adem must have witnessed Vlad’s
fate and neither he, nor Magda, had spoken a word of it to
me.

“You took his power. I feel it rippling
off of you. You struck him down,” Astir said in a mocking voice.
“How did you do it, little vampire? Vlad Dracula is no fool. At
least, not until he deigned to love you.”

“He does not love,” I snapped, lifting
my eyes. “He does not love. He only causes pain.”

Throwing himself onto the sofa next to
me, Astir flung an arm about my shoulders. His body felt hot to my
touch, uncomfortably so. “Ah, so since he causes you pain, you
pierced him, stole his power, and entombed him in his castle with
his bitter, angry Brides?”

“He was going to kill Cneajna! I had no
choice! She was so angry that he had made me his wife and given me
his name! She tried to kill me and he came to my
defense!”

“So he defends you and you try to kill
him?”

“No! He was going to
kill
her
! Kill
them all! I could not let him murder them as he had my family!” I
wrenched away from Astir and stood, my hands clutched at my side.
“I did not know he would will his power to me, but he did. I told
the Brides to burn his blood so he would not rise, but he gave his
power to me!”

“Ah,” Astir simply said,
then shrugged. “Quite dramatic, I take it?”

Whirling about, I stomped my foot. “Do
not mock me!”

“Oh, my darling little vampire, I am
not mocking you. You ceaselessly entertain me with the ripples your
delicate self creates in this vast dark ocean.” Astir grinned. “I
do find it endlessly amusing that the one woman Vlad was desperate
to seduce and claim as his own has completely usurped him,
destroyed his plans, and has made him a prisoner in his own
home.”

Frowning, I pursed my lips, considering
his words. “He was cruel to me.”

“Of course, he was. It is his very
nature,” Astir agreed. “To him, being cruel is like breathing to a
mortal. He needs it to survive. It is his very life
essence.”

I threw myself into the chair that
Ignatius had inhabited the first night I had met him. I longed for
his comforting touch. “I did not wish for this to
happen.”

“What did you wish? For Ignatius to
denounce his mistress, kill Vlad, and rush away with you? To
abandon all he holds dear and upholds as his sacred
duty?”

My tears clouded my vision as I peered
at the horrible creature lounging so casually across from me. “I
love Ignatius. I love him with all my heart. Is it so wrong to want
to be with him?”

“Oh, yes. Very wrong,” Astir declared
with a chuckle. “And endlessly amusing.”

“I am so very glad that my tortured
existence amuses you so!”

“It certainly does,” Astir agreed, his
grin widening.

“You sent Magda and Adem to spy upon me
and learn my secrets so you can torment me! You’re a foul
beast!”

“I sent Adem to protect you and Magda
to take care of you. I only had your best interests at heart.”
Astir sniffed, insulted.

“You lie! How could you have my best
interests at heart if you come here to toy with my emotions and
mock me?”

Astir suddenly loomed over me. His
curls hung about his face, framing his flaming eyes. “I do not lie,
dear Countess. I sent them to do as I said. But I also instructed
Adem to discover why your husband was missing. Which he did. I only
did that to make certain that you are taken care of, my lovely
little vampire. You charm me. I find you infinitely compelling with
your passion and zest for freedom.”

Staring up at him, I could not move. My
fingers dug into the arms of the chair as I felt myself transfixed
by his fiery gaze.

Bending ever closer, Astir
angled his head, his golden curls aflame in the light from the fire
in the fireplace. “Let me tell you a story, my little
Cou
ntess Dracula. My guards sent word that
you alone left the castle and set up residence in Bistriţa. They
were uncertain as to why you left so swiftly alone when Count
Dracula had told them you would be traveling together to Vienna.
This turn of events imme
diately piqued my
curiosity. I found it odd that Vlad would allow you to travel alone
with the vampire hunters so ardently pursuing the undead. I was
worried for your safety and could not fathom what his newest scheme
could possibly be. I sent messengers to the castle, but they could
not locate its whereabouts. It was if it had vanished. Only Vlad
Dracula’s power could hide the castle from prying eyes. Therefore,
concerned at this turn of events, I sent Adem. He was immediately
enthralled with you, which is understandable. You are a little
spark of life.”

“You flatter me,” I
muttered.

“Don’t interrupt! I am not done with my
story,” Astir chided, waving his long finger before my face. “Adem
reported that Vlad was nowhere to be seen and that you were on a
quest to find Erzsébet. Odd, I thought. I told him to discover the
fact of the matter. You were quite wily and he could not compel you
to impart the truth. It was not until I sent Magda upon Adem’s
request that he was finally able to persuade you to drop the ward
on the castle so he could find it and enter it.”

“I did not ward the castle! Are you
mad?” I exclaimed, daring to gaze up into his face. “I do not have
that power and you said yourself that only Vlad Dracula could hide
it from prying eyes!”

To my shock, Astir straddled my lap,
laid his hands on the back of the couch on either side of me, and
began to laugh.

“Remove yourself!” I attempted to shove
him off, but his body felt like a granite statue.

“Dear Countess Dracula, you now possess
his power. You admitted that he willed his power to you! It was you
who warded the castle so none could enter it, trapping the gypsies
inside along with the ravenous Brides.”

“No!” I gasped. “No!”

“The gypsies only escaped once you
lowered the ward so that Adem and Magda could enter. Adem did say
that the Brides feasted on a few of them, but most appeared to have
fled once they were able.”

I clutched my hands to my bosom, unable
to accept the veracity of his words.

“The Brides were hungry and Adem and
Magda barely escaped them. When Vlad gave you his power, he gave
you dominion over them as well. Admit it, dearest Countess Dracula,
you wanted your sin to remain hidden from the eyes of the
world.”

My eyes wide with horror and shock, I
nodded my head. I knew his words were the truth, but it was
difficult to accept that I could wield such power. Yet, I had
wanted no one to enter the castle and witness my terrible deed. I
had desired for the Brides to remain in the castle with Vlad. That
I had trapped the gypsies with the ravenous Brides filled me with
remorse.

“I see you believe me,” he said with
satisfaction.

“Yes, but I did not know…” I shoved at
his chest again, claustrophobic.

With a laugh, he tumbled to the floor
and lounged there. “Do you now see what a wondrous, fabulous
creature you are? How amazingly complicated you have made the lives
of everyone around you? I am now forced to decide where my
allegiance lies.”

“I do not understand,” I whispered in
fear.

“Do I go to the castle and rescue
Vlad?” Astir tilted his head as though considering the action. “Or
do I inform his Mistress so she may retrieve him?”

“Please, do not. He will kill the
Brides and attempt to enslave me once again! I cannot bear it!” I
covered my face with my trembling hands. “I cannot bear to be his
whore again!” I dared not weep. I had fed and blood would fill my
tears. I forced myself to regain my composure, my anger and terror
twisting within me. Lowering my hands, I said in a calmer tone,
“Astir, please do not free him. All I desire is to live my own
life, choose my own way, love who I choose to love, and share my
body with whom I wish. I do not wish to be Vlad’s slave. Even
though a dark part of me calls out for him, I do not wish to be in
his dominion.”

Astir reclined on his elbows as he
scrutinized my expression and words. With a light shrug, he said,
“Very well. I shall not. Therefore, I choose to side with you.
After all, you are a Mistress now. Your blood is powerful and you
are now a force to be reckoned with.”

“Oh, thank you, Astir!” I gasped with
joy. “Oh, thank you so very much!”

With inhumane grace, he lifted himself
from the floor and slid back onto the sofa. “Now let us speak
candidly.”

“Very well.”

“You may return to Buda now. The
vampire hunters have been satisfied that they have eradicated the
vampire scourge from the city and have departed. It is safe for you
to return if you promise you will not kill and will feed with
discretion. You will not seek out my haven, for you are not welcome
there.”

I gaped at him. “What?”

“You reek of power. I think it best
that you hide yourself from any other vampire or supernatural
creature that would wish to know how you have obtained such great
power in such a little time.”