The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (26 page)

Very good, little
one.

The power of the vampire
receded as she withdrew her presence from the carriage. I
understood I had been tested and had passed. Had I attempted to
fight her, I knew she would have crashed into the carriage and
killed us all. I was naive, but not feeble of mind. I had been an
unknown quantity and now she knew I would not stand against
her.

The carriage swung around yet another
curve in the road and I held out my hand to steady myself. Adem
immediately reached out to help me, but his head whipped to the
side as though he had been struck. Unconscious, he slumped over as
I gasped.

Looking up I saw the vampire hovering
just outside the carriage window. With a smile, she ripped open the
door and slid inside. As though she were swimming through the
night, she drifted over me. Her shawl floated around her like wings
as her small hand tipped in long nails lightly touched my face. Her
mesmerizing eyes gazed deeply into mine as I sat still and silent
before her.

Vlad had once terrified me with
violence and rage: she terrified me with the mere touch of her
hand.

The vampire’s face drew closer to mine,
her eyes sweeping over my face as though she was staring through me
and into the workings of my innermost being.

“Yes,” she said in her rich, low voice,
“I can see why he chose you.”

I opened my lips to speak, but she
pressed her thumb against them.

“Not now. Not yet. Soon. I know your
face now. I know the taste of your power. And I see that what your
husband and Astir said was true.”

The long sharp nail of her thumb slowly
cut my upper lip, blood welling in the wound. I gasped in pain,
then felt her lips close over mine in a firm kiss. Her soft, cold
tongue licked away my blood. I withdrew from her, flushing with
anger and fear.

“Interesting,” she murmured.

There was no great rush of wind, or any
other dramatic device to note her departure. She simply
disappeared.

Slowly, I became aware of the carriage
still trudging up the hill and Adem moaning at my feet. The door
was closed and I began to wonder if I had imagined the entire
event. Yet, I could still feel her mouth on mine and my lip ached
from the healing wound.

I was completely and utterly
afraid.

Chapter 17

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

September 4,
1820

The Dosza Palace

Astir, that foul fallen
angel, has refused to answer my letters other than to send me a
single message written upon a slip of paper.

It reads: “Continue to
follow my advice.”

What sort of ridiculous
assistance is that? I have been following his edict, but I still
fear I am in danger.

Every night since I saw the
other vampire I have been terrified that she will come to me again.
I am only now feeling recovered from my meeting with her. Vlad is
powerful, but the presence of this new vampire is utterly
overwhelming. For the first time in months, instead of dreaming of
Vlad attempting to seduce me into releasing him, I dream of
her.

The dream is always the
same.

I enter the blue parlor of
my family manor in England to find her taking tea with my parents.
The vampire greets me warmly, as though we are long lost friends.
Despite my misgivings in my dreams, I always sit and chat with her.
We laugh and sip tea while my parents discuss my future nuptials
and possible suitors. The vampire sits and listens with great
interest then always asks my parents how they know of Vlad Dracula.
At this point in the dream, I become very afraid and urge my family
to leave the room. She always laughs as they depart, leaving us
alone. The dream always ends in the same way: she grips my hand,
leans toward me, and whispers, “What is your secret, little
one?”

I always awaken in absolute
terror.

Does she know? Can she
know?

Did she taste Vlad
Dracula’s power in my blood when she kissed me?

I am frightfully
afraid and I wish that damned fallen angel would answer my
queries
.

“It always saddens me when the trees
began to turn color,” Laura said, her fingers gently plucking at a
bit of thread.

Much to Csilla’s disgust, we sat in a
parlor working on our embroidery. As a mortal, I hated learning the
skill. I had considered it torture until Laura began to visit and
it became a grand excuse to avoid the baroness and her wild
parties. The beautiful woman’s constant ploys to endear herself
aggravated me. Also, I have grown weary of her intruding on Laura’s
visits. It was Laura’s idea to work on our embroidery together. As
soon as Csilla announced she despised the craft, I embraced the
task wholeheartedly. As a vampire I do find I am much better with
the needle and thread. I am not certain why, but I find the task
calms my nerves.

“I prefer the spring, but the fall does
bring cooler weather.” I leaned over my embroidery hoop, stitching
away just as my dear mother used to do.

The doors to the patio were cast open
and a cool breeze freshened the room. Laura sighed with
contentment. “This is true, but I love the richness of the green
trees. Now the trees will go to sleep and be desolate until the
spring.”

“Fall is pretty. It’s as if the world
is aflame.” I adjusted the hoop attached to a stand. Laura had
brought it as a gift for me when she realized I didn’t have
one.

“Father says the farmers are warning of
a bad winter.”

“I suppose farmers are adept at reading
the signs of nature in that regard.” I lifted my head to see her
staring out at the garden with sadness in her eyes. “What is it,
Laura?”

“I just feel rather morose about the
advent of fall. Every year when the cold comes it feels like it
nests in my chest and I always have such terrible coughing fits.
Also, it reminds me of when my brother died.”

“My sister May also had a delicate
constitution. I always feared for her when she was sick during the
winter months. I am so sorry about your brother, Laura. I know how
terrible it is to lose a sibling.”

Laura was silent for a moment, then
said, “Sebastyén was always sickly as well. Ever since he was a
small child he suffered from breathing difficulties. The doctor
said he would grow stronger as he grew older, but he never truly
did. Yet, I never dreamed he would die. I still miss him terribly.
Sometimes, I believe I catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of
my eye as I walk through my home. But I turn to look and he’s not
there.” Gazing up at me through her lashes, she pursed her lips
nervously. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

I remembered the apparition of May
appearing just before I had died and joined the ranks of the
undead. She had been angelic and beautiful. “I believe so. I once
saw May after she had died. She was at peace.”

Laura smiled slightly. “Was she? That
is lovely. I wish I would see Sebastyén. My mother is always
consulting with a fortuneteller in an attempt to make contact with
him. She is desperate to speak to him from beyond the grave. Father
despises the whole affair, but does not stop her. The fortuneteller
is quite impressive and a little frightening, and he does not like
her in the house, but my mother insists.”

“Does it give her solace?”

“If she could speak to Sebastyén,
perhaps it would. If you could speak to your family, would
you?”

I nodded adamantly. “Oh, yes. I would.
I would want them to know I am doing well.”

“Perhaps they already do.” Laura gave
me the sweetest smile as she lightly touched my hand. “Did I tell
you that Percy came to call on my family several nights
ago?”

“No, you did not. I did not realize he
had returned from his travels.” My hand hesitated over my task.
Percy traveled often and it had become his custom to visit me
shortly after he returned. I was surprised he had visited Laura
first.

“Mother was ecstatic. She is convinced
he desires to court me.” She giggled with amusement. “How foolish
is that?”

“Rather, I should think. He knows of
your vow to remain a spinster.” I carefully executed my next stitch
as I pondered Percy’s motivation behind his visit.

Her nimble fingers worked away, a small
leaf taking form in delicate stitches. “He actually spoke very
little to me, but spent quite a bit of time talking with my father
about business. I think Percy shall make my father his solicitor. I
did hear them both mention your husband.”

Tilting my head, I gazed past the
flickering candles to the girl who reminded me so much of myself.
Even though she slightly resembled my sister May, her spirit was
similar to my own. I felt quite comfortable speaking with her and
often had to watch my tongue. I often wished I could pour out the
truth from my lips so she would truly understand me, but Astir’s
warning kept me restrained.

I loathed being restrained.

“I wonder what they were speaking
about.”

“I believe Percy may wish to hire
father. I overheard them discussing how father has assisted your
husband with his financial dealings.”

It seemed very plausible that Percy was
seeking representation, but I felt a little leery. Hesitantly, I
said, “That is most likely the truth. Perhaps Percy shall visit me
soon.”

“He does admire you so. I overhead him
telling father that you are a very strong woman.” Laura sighed
wistfully. “I can only hope that someday people shall say the same
of me.”

“Of course they will! You are a strong,
intelligent young woman. Your only hindrance is the ignorance of
those around us who demand that we fit into their ill-conceived
notions of what men and women should and should not do! It’s all
rubbish!” I waved my hand for emphasis, ripping the thread from the
needle in my exuberance.

Laura giggled with delight, sounding
very much like May, and leaned forward to whisper. “Our hostess has
no fear of those rules, does she?”

I shook my head, smirking. “I dare say
she does not.”

“Is it true that...” Laura drew in a
breath and her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she touched my hand
lightly. “Is it true she beds both men and women?”

I gasped and Laura shirked away. I was
surprised that she should be so worldly. It had never occurred to
me that women would lay with women until I had witnessed the
affections Elina and Ariana shared in the castle. I was
discomforted by the memory and this was reflected in my expression.
Laura fastened her gaze on her embroidery and fell into
silence.

“No, no, Laura, do not be ashamed. Your
words startled me, that’s all.”

Her eyes did not waver from their
attention on her elegant embroidery. “I just overhead mother saying
I should not visit you because the baroness is a wanton woman who
beds both men and women at her whim.”

“I have seen her seduce many a man to
her bedchamber, but never a woman.” I shrugged slightly. “Not that
it concerns me. She can do as she wishes.”

“I wish I could do as I desire with no
concern of what others may say.”

Trimming away a few bits of thread and
studying the rose I had just finished, I readily agreed with a bob
of my head. “I wish the same.”

“Have you heard from your
husband?”

A simple question, but it made me
start. I quickly recovered, threading my needle with a new color of
thread. “Yes, of course. He is very, very busy, but sent me his
love.”

“I am sorry you do not love him,” she
said after a pause.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because you seem so very lonely. You
are confined to the night by your sensitivity to the sunlight and
spend far too much time with me on mundane pursuits such as
embroidery.” Laura set her hands in her lap and regarded me with
great sadness. “I cannot believe my wondrous personality keeps you
entertained. Perhaps you should have an affair with
Percy.”

I gasped, then burst out laughing. She
blushed and lowered her face. “Oh, no, dearest Laura. Never. I have
no interest in Percy in that regard.”

“Adem then?” Her eyes sparkled with
interest.

“No, no, my darling one. Never!” I
pressed one hand to my bosom. “I love someone that I cannot be with
at this time.”

“Truly?” She sat forward, keenly
interested. “Who is it?”

“I cannot say. But perhaps one day I
shall be united with my love.”

“Oh, I am certain Vlad Dracula shall be
here soon,” Csilla said from the doorway. Her face was flushed from
wine and her dark eyes scrutinized us with interest. Clad in a
rumpled red gown, she was a bit of a scandal with her tousled hair.
“Still embroidering, I see. Such a dull pastime. I don’t know how
you stand it.”

Laura peeked at the baroness through
her eyelashes.

“I find it nice to sit and chat while
making something beautiful,” I said at last.