The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (33 page)

“Is it done?”

“It is done,” she answered a bit
smugly. I could not blame her for feeling satisfaction in
frightening a vampire. Holding out my ring, she tilted her chin
toward me and I wondered if she could somehow see despite her blind
eyes. “Would you like me to tell you your fortune now?”

“The curse is sufficient,” Adem said
curtly. He tossed a small purse of money onto the table.

I took my ring and slipped it onto my
finger. It felt heavier than before, but it was strangely
comforting against my skin.

“But she should know,” the
fortuneteller insisted. Her words were slightly slurred and her
expression was that of someone that is inebriated. Perhaps she was
drunk on her dark gypsy magick.

“Tell me what?”

“You are death, little vampire. Death
to even those you love. You cannot escape that truth no matter how
far you flee from the dragon.”

“That is enough!” Adem grabbed my arm
and forcibly guided me to the door.

“You cannot escape the dragon forever.
It will come to consume you and death will be your harbinger.” The
fortuneteller smirked with delight as Adem tugged me out of the
room.

Adem quickly escorted me down the
hallway, his hand tightly holding my elbow. I considered protesting
and returning, but I remembered the power in that room and did not
want it directed against me. Departing in a rush of activity, I
could see the fear in the faces of my hosts. I promised to see
Laura soon, then I was ushered into the night and hurrying toward
my carriage. Once seated inside, I pressed my hand against my
bosom, feeling the ring against my skin. I could only hope that the
gypsy’s magicks had worked.

Chapter 21

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

October 4, 1820

The Dosza
Palace

Tonight I stirred from my
slumber strangely refreshed. With delight I realized I had not been
tormented in my dreams. I had no nightmares of Vlad slipping into
my bed to violate me, nor had I been awakened by a fearsome attack
by his specter.

Instead of waking and
feeling a terrible sense of dread, I felt light and carefree. I had
not discerned how deeply Vlad’s presence had infected my life
through our bond. I lay upon my bed listening to the night
awakening beyond the covered windows, I felt the absence of a dark
and painful aspect that had resided within me. Lifting my hand, I
stared at the ring that had been a symbol of my enslavement to
Vlad. I had taken pains to use it as a key to open doorways in the
pursuit of a life free of him, but its true meaning had always
haunted me. But now it was a cursed object that kept the dark tide
of power that was Count Dracula from continuing its
infection.

Giggling with delight, I
stretched beneath the heavy silk and satin coverlets. I missed my
pale blue room, but the ivory and pale green of the new suite was
lovely. I lounged on my bed, relishing my new found liberation from
Vlad’s evil. I wished with all my heart that Ignatius was with me
to share in this glorious moment of freedom. I missed him even more
keenly now that I was free of Vlad’s lurking bond. Snuggling down
beneath my covers, I embraced the feeling of peace filling me. It
had been so long since I had felt like the girl I once was,
innocent and free. I knew this lovely moment of serenity would be
short-lived, but I savored it.

The curse had worked and I
felt wonderfully free.

As I suspected, my repose
did not last very long. There was a soft knock on the door and I
heard Csilla call out my name.

“Come in,” I replied,
plumping up my pillows and nestling against them. I detested
leaving my bed to face the world. I was content to lie upon the bed
and think of Ignatius. I knew now that he would soon be with me.
The tides of fate had obviously turned in my favor at
last.

Csilla entered and strode to my bed,
the silk of her dark green gown whispering against the thick
Persian rug. Drawing close to the bed, she lightly touched the
thick ivory lace edging the canopy drapery. “Are you pleased with
the new rooms?”

“They are lovely.” I was glad my covers
were drawn to my chin. There was something about Csilla that always
made me feel a bit exposed. Her keen dark eyes were always upon me
even when she appeared to be casting her attention
elsewhere.

“The blue suite was much more to your
liking though, wasn’t it? Vlad told me your favorite color is blue.
I shall have it repaired soon.” She smiled slightly as she sank
into the soft folds of the brocaded curtains at the end of the bed.
“May I ask you how the damage occurred?”

Sighing, I peered at her from my
cocoon, wishing adamantly that she had stayed away just a little
bit longer. “Vlad.” It was a truthful answer and I was keen to see
her response.

Her vivid dark eyes widened and,
pressing her hand to her bosom, she gasped. “He’s here?”

“He was here.” I was not truly lying,
but it was certainly not the entire truth.

Lips trembling, she stammered, “But he
did not come to see me.”

“I am his wife,” I said a bit tartly. I
can be cruel at times, I know.

“Yes, of course.” As if her strength
had left her, she slid onto the edge of the bed and perched there
like a bewildered child. “I just wish he would have come to speak
with me. I am at a loss as to what he expects from me. I have done
as he asked, taken you in and made this your home, but he has sent
me no further word.”

I was surprised at how lost she
sounded. I had not considered continuing a false correspondence
with her as I had with Vlad’s solicitor. Adem assisted me in the
delivery of fake letters to Sir Stephan from Vlad arranging for
transfers when I needed more money and arranging for the rubble of
our old home to be cleared away, but I had not really thought much
about Csilla beyond taking residence in her home.

“Well, we spoke of you.” Not quite a
lie. We had spoken about her in the past. Vlad had given her life
to me. He did not care if she lived or died anymore.

“Did you?” She raised her eyes, hope
filling them.

“Yes, we did.” I measured my words
carefully. I did not want to alarm her in any way, but it was time
to push her further into the trap I had laid for her. “He is
concerned about your loyalty.”

Gasping, she lashed out and gripped my
hand. “Certainly you told him that I have taken very good care of
you?”

“Of course, but you know how he can be.
He has grandiose plans in motion and does not want there to be any
question of any of his servants’ loyalty. He was quite adamant when
he visited that his plans be set in motion.” I was pleased with how
well I was twisting the truth.

“I am completely loyal to him! Oh,
dearest Glynis, you must see this!” She bit her bottom lip,
fretting.

A thought occurred to
me and I took her hand gently. “He is concerned you are not loyal
to
me
. That you
are jealous that I am his countess and wife.” A little jab to hurt
her, but also to frighten her.

“I am completely loyal to
you as well! I admit that I was jealous at first, but I have grown
to love you. Certainly you must see how much I desire to be your
sister vampire.” She clutched my hand tightly with both of hers and
pressed her lips to them. “Oh, please do not let his anger turn
against me!” Dark eyes flashing with anger and despair, she
appeared on the verge of collapse. “Please, do not let me grow old
and die. Please, Glynis! Surely you must see that I do care for you
and I will be a loyal sister. Do not let Vlad doubt me. I have
loved him and been loyal for five long years.”

I felt a pang of sympathy for the woman
when I realized she was yet another of Vlad Dracula’s discarded
loves. But my pity for her only lasted a mere second. My anger rose
as I remembered her terrible betrayal of my family. It was she who
had selected me as Vlad’s perfect English bride and doomed us all.
“I suppose he will need evidence that you are loyal and will not
attempt to usurp me.”

Her voice catching, she whispered, “I
see.”

We sat in an uncomfortable silence as
she struggled to regain her composure. Though I attempted to keep
my countenance bland, I delighted in her fear and misery. I
remembered all too well my sister’s screams before she
died.

“You know how he can be.” My voice was
remarkably soft and soothing even to my own ear.

“I know he said you were different, but
I did not realize the full implication of his words. It is obvious
now that you are truly his wife and countess.” Tears dropped from
her eyelashes to sparkle on her cheeks. “And though it wounds me to
some degree for I longed for that honor myself, I would never
betray you or him. I would only hope that you would treat me as a
favored sister.”

I gently wiped a tear away, relishing
the thought that I had caused this pain, but it was still not
enough. “Do not cry. Vlad always discards the women he loves. Even
I will one day not be in his favor.”

“Are you so certain?” Her tone was a
little clipped, but she managed to not let the bitterness and hurt
in her eyes seep into her words.

Nodding, I answered, “Yes. I am quite
certain.”

“You are wrong. Of that I
am certain now. You are different and you hold the power to
persuade him to have mercy.” Surprising me, she threw herself onto
my lap, gripping my sides with her hands. “Please, I implore you!
Do not let him turn me away. Not now! I have done all he ever
desired. I helped him attain his wealth, I helped him find his
victims, I did everything he ever desired. I killed for him! I have
opened my veins, my heart, my soul to him. Do not let me fall from
his favor!”

I laid my hand upon her
dark hair as her body shuddered with her tears. “You must prove to
him that you will bow to my wishes as your mistress and obey
me.”

“How do I do that? What should I do?”
Her voice was thick and raw with emotion. “Tell me!”

“I do not know,” I lied.

Rising up, she clutched my hands.
“Please, tell me what I can do.”

Lightly touching her face, I stared
into her eyes. I sensed my triumph over her was near. “A grand
gesture of loyalty would pacify him, I’m certain.” I knew she had
married an older man who had granted her all his wealth upon his
death. Money, power and lust were all she truly held
dear.

She nodded her head, licking her lips,
her lashes fluttering as tears coursed down her flushed cheeks.
“Perhaps, I could...” she hesitated, her eyes sweeping over the
room.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to grow any older than I
am now. My beauty will fade.” She lightly touched her
face.

“I know.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, she held my
hand tightly. She was trembling. “Do you love me?”

I was a little taken aback, but I
answered, “As a sister.” I had not anticipated that she would
possibly try to seduce me.

She released my hand so she could
cradle my face in her hands. “I wish for nothing more than to be
your eternal sister and to be with you and Vlad forever. Nothing in
this world compares to that desire. I would give you anything, all
that I possess, to be with you.”

I gently took her hands and lowered
them to her lap. “I have a husband. I need no other lover.” A
blatant lie, but I did not wish for her seduction attempt to go any
farther.

Averting her eyes, I could see she was
surprised at my rebuff. Teardrops shimmered on her eyelashes as she
fell into silence. From the pursing of her lips and the nervous
movement of her eyes, I was certain she was slowly falling into my
trap.

“I will give you all my wealth as a
symbol of my loyalty to you,” she whispered.

I almost smiled, but resisted the urge.
“That is certainly generous.”

“I intend to serve you loyally beyond
the grave. I will give you control of my wealth as I give myself to
him as a dowry of sorts. I am certain that this gesture will please
him.” Now that her decision had been made, she began to regain her
composure. I could see that she was confident that her gesture
would be well-received. I was certain Vlad would have found it a
suitable display of her devotion if he had cared for her at all
anymore.

“I think you are correct. He is a man
who must have absolute loyalty.”

Pressing her lips firmly against my
cheek, she clung to me. I was startled by her sudden embrace, but
wrapped my arms around her.

“We shall speak to Sir Stephan,” she
whispered in my ear.

“Yes.” I smiled into her hair as I
rubbed her back, consoling her. The hollowness within me spoke, so
I tilted my head and bit into her neck to feed.

Chapter 22

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

October 13,
1820

The Dosza Palace

It has been nearly a week
since the ring was cursed and Vlad has not reappeared in my dreams,
or in my new rooms. I truly believe the curse has worked. It is a
tremendous relief considering how many times I dreamed of Vlad in
my bed defiling me. I am sorely tempted to return to the castle and
lop off his head. Yet, I do not want to face the sisters. I left
them behind to starve. I am as much a villain as Vlad. It wounds me
that I am such a coward that I dare not release them from their
prison. I cannot allow anyone to uncover what I have done to
Vlad.