The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (39 page)

Rising, Percy moved to Laura’s side.
Taking her hand, he held it to his chest. His blue eyes were full
of tears. “I only heard the news tonight when I arrived. I am
grateful the snowstorm weakened long enough for me to return. I
would not want Laura to leave this world without seeing her one
last time.”

I covered my face with my hands,
struggling to restrain my tears.

Percy came to me immediately and
enfolded me in his arms. “Glynis, I’m so sorry! I did not mean to
make you cry!” He held me as I wept piteously. I knew my face was
streaked with blood, but could not contain myself. After a few long
minutes, he tucked his fingers under my chin and raised my face. I
tried to pull away, but he saw the blood tears staining my cheeks.
Shocked, he released his grip and staggered back from
me.

“Do not look at me!” I cried
out.

“You’re ill,” he gasped.

He gripped my shoulder and spun me
about. Seizing my arms he gazed down into my face with an
expression I could not fathom. Then, to my surprise, he clutched me
close to him, his fingers tangled in my hair. He held me against
his chest as though he were attempting to protect me from all the
ills in the world. My fingers gripped his coat as I collapsed into
his embrace.

“Oh, Glynis. Darling, Glynis,” he
murmured. He set his cheek upon my head and held me with a father’s
gentleness.

At last we dried our tears. Together we
returned to Laura’s beside, sitting across from each other, each
taking hold of her hands.

“I knew you suffered a condition,”
Percy said in a low voice. “The aversion to sunlight, the pale
complexion, the difficulty eating...”

I lifted my eyes to gaze upon him. I
felt a pang of fear. Percy had been far more observant than I had
realized.

Gently rubbing Laura’s fingers, he met
my gaze. “You hide it well. I do not believe that anyone else even
noted the symptoms of your condition. I am just an observant man.
It is an asset in business.”

“I don’t wish to discuss my condition,”
I said. “Laura’s is much direr than my own.”

“I know this. But I am your friend and
I shall endeavor to be your supporter through all
adversity.”

Though he had alarmed me by sharing his
observations, I was also comforted by his words. I would not
correct him. It was best if he believed I was suffering a blood
malady then suspect the truth of my nature. I had no wish to bring
him under my power and tamper with his memories. It was preferable
that he believe that I was ill than remove the memory of my
bloodied tears. “I appreciate your friendship. I am so relieved you
are here tonight. It has been difficult.”

“Sir Stephan was quite inebriated when
I arrived. Maria was courteous and urged me to come up, but Sir
Stephan was incoherent. In his ramblings, it seemed he was blaming
your husband for Laura’s condition.”

I shook my head sadly, attempting to
hide my frustration. “He seems quite intent to blame my husband for
all the ills in his life. They do not always get along very well. I
believe he thought my husband could somehow find a
remedy.”

“During his travels?”

“I suppose. Does grief ever make men
sensible?”

Percy acknowledged my point with a
sigh. “True words.”

“I just don’t understand how she could
have been so healthy just a short time ago and is now so horribly
ill. How can this be?”

“Maria explained that previous
illnesses have compromised her health.”

“It’s pneumonia.” My voice quivered.
“It’s an illness that kills young and old. Laura’s brother
succumbed to it as well.”

Pressing his lips to Laura’s knuckles,
Percy gazed at her face solemnly. “During my travels I pondered
returning and asking for Laura’s hand in marriage.”

“Percy!” I was shocked by this
announcement and gaped at him in astonishment. “I never imagined
you had such feelings.”

“I don’t,” Percy said with a sorrowful
smile. “I merely thought that perhaps we could enter into a
marriage of convenience for both of us. She could live her life as
she saw fit and be my companion when I returned from traveling. I
am often quite lonely in my flat. I thought I could buy a house for
her to fill with whatever she desired. I would not expect a
consummation of the marriage, of course, but merely provide a safe
haven for both of us to live our lives as we saw fit.”

“Percy, that is so kind.”

“Or perhaps selfish. Laura is a dear
girl and I enjoy her friendship. I know she does not love me. She
doesn’t love any man. She loves you.”

“And I love her! She is my dearest
friend. But I know she does love you, Percy. Not as a lover, but as
a true a noble friend. She has always said as much.” I reached
across the bed to rest my fingers over his.

His beautiful blue eyes regarded me
with infinite sadness.

Words failed us and we lapsed into
silence. We tended to Laura as she thrashed about, the fever
ravaging her body. We held snow against her face and held her as
she was seized with terrible coughing fits. She was never truly
lucid and it was nearly impossible to have her drink her tea or
take the medicine the doctor had left for her.

It was well past midnight when Percy
finally wearily rose to leave. I walked him to the door as the
maids came in to change Laura’s bedding and watch over her until I
returned. The house was eerily devoid of sound. I suspected Maria
had fallen asleep while tending to her husband. The candles were
burning low and cast grim shadows along the walls.

“I shall return tomorrow as soon as I
can,” Percy vowed as he donned his coat.

“Thank you for your kindness, Percy. It
means so much to all of us.”

Wrapping his scarf about his neck and
setting his hat upon his blond hair, he appeared lost in his
thoughts. He pressed a long, firm kiss against my cheek, his warm
hand pressed to my neck. “Laura is blessed to have you with her. I
know you shall do all you can to bring her back from death’s
door.”

“Pray for us,” I whispered.

With a nod, he turned, stepped out into
the snow, and was gone.

As the door closed behind him, I felt
my barely beating heart lurch within my chest. I was certain it was
breaking.

With a heavy heart, I returned to
Laura’s room to sit at her side until the hour before sunrise.
Adem, my constant shadow, watched as I neared the room from where
he sat on a chair near the door. I faltered in my step and leaned
heavily against the wall.

“Death is a part of life,
Countess.”

“I know this.”

“To defy death is to curse her to the
fate you and I share.”

I ran my hand over my tangled hair.
“For all the pain I endure, there is a measure of love and comfort
that I enjoy.”

“Yet, if you could choose to be what
you are now, or the young woman you once were?”

I could feel his dark eyes upon me as I
shook my head. “I do not know.” I opened the door and entered the
room. The maids hurried out once I arrived, leaving me alone with
my dearest friend gasping for breath as she lay on a mound of fresh
pillows. The clean blankets covered her seizing body to her chin.
Mucous and blood flecked her dry lips and I hurried to the wash
basin to dampen a cloth to clean her.

“Glynis,” she whispered.

Shocked, I turned to see her eyes were
open.

“Laura!” Rushing to her side, I fell
across her bed and clutched her hand. “Laura!” My elation was short
lived for I saw that the light of life was a distant spark in her
eyes. I unleashed my power, thrusting it into her. I could feel her
life slipping away like water through a sieve. “Laura,
no!”

“Glynis.” Her voice was barely audible
and her breath was shallow. I could barely hear it. My power filled
the room as I willed her to live. Yet, I knew she was drifting away
to a world where I could not follow.

“Adem, summon her parents!” I screamed,
then returned my attention to Laura. My hands slid over her face,
trying to warm it. The fever was gone and a deep cold was taking
its place. “Please, Laura, do not leave me.” My tears dotted her
nightgown and face with blood as I pulled her into my arms. Her
breath was barely a whisper against the skin of my neck. Cradling
her in my arms, I tried to will life into her. Instead, she
released a low, terrible rattling breath and her body sank deeper
into mine. “Laura!”

To my relief, she drew in a short,
shallow breath, but her heartbeat was fading.

In my desperation, I did a rash
thing.

I bit into her throat.

I am lost in grief. Laura
is dead. My bite did nothing but hasten the stilling of her heart.
I can still taste her cool blood in my mouth. It was nearly devoid
of life when I took the three sips I had irrationally hoped would
grant her immortality.

Instead, she is
dead.

My darling sweet Laura is
dead.

Chapter 26

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

November 27,
1820

The Dosza Palace,
Buda

Percy attended Laura’s
funeral. Of course, I was absent due to the funeral mass being held
during the hours of the day and in a church. I had considered
swathing myself in dark garments and veils to attempt to venture
out into the dim winter sunlight to watch her be laid to rest, but
Adem would not allow it. We argued heatedly, but at last I
relented. It was far too dangerous to even attempt. Despite my
fervent desire to be at Laura’s funeral, I did not truly want to
risk bursting into flames.

Instead, I fell asleep
weeping for my lost friend.

When evening fell, Percy
came to visit and share his recollections of the mass and the
funeral. He described it all so beautifully, I felt as though I had
witnessed it myself. Lost in the emotions of my bereavement, I wept
openly in Percy’s arms as he gently wiped away my tears of
blood.

Understanding my desire to
pay my respects, Percy was kind enough to offer to join me. We
ventured into a world filled with snow, grief, and the endless
night sky. Clad in mourning clothes, we traveled by sleigh with
Adem and Enre as our escorts to the mausoleum where Laura had been
laid to rest.

The mausoleum belonged to
Maria’s family and sat upon the edge of their property. It was an
ornate structure of dark stone with an arched doorway between
weeping angels. It stood in stark contrast against the drifts of
snow that sparkled under the crescent moon. The snow began to fall
again as we stood in silence before Laura’s final resting
place.

“I wish I could have somehow saved
her,” I sighed at last.

“We all did what we could. We gave her
all our love and support to the very end.” Percy patted my hand
gently as I gripped his arm. Though I had fed, I felt weak with
grief and leaned against him for support.

“It wasn’t enough.” My
bitterness and anger seeped out in my tone. “I desperately wanted
to save her. I tried so hard to will her to stay alive and she
still died in my arms.” The memory overwhelmed me and I covered my
face with one hand. Feeling Laura’s last breath leave her body had
devastated me completely. I had collapsed with her in my arms and
Adem had to pry her from my grasp so her parents could hold
her.

“There, there, Glynis,”
Percy whispered, sounding so much like my father. He held me in his
arms as I clutched his coat tightly with my fingers, burying my
face against the scratchy wool fabric.

The cold wind buffeted us as it swirled
around the family crypt and sent the boughs of the trees creaking.
Snowflakes fell wetly against my cheeks and dotted our clothing. I
could hear the snow crunching beneath Adem’s boots as he shifted on
his feet behind me. The small clearing amongst the pine trees felt
far away from the rest of the world.

As Percy and I stood in silence, I
began to feel uneasy. The isolation should have felt peaceful, but
instead it was oppressive. I slowly drew away from Percy as I
became aware of a slowly swelling power. It pricked along my skin
and set me on edge. I glanced toward Adem and saw that he too was
alert to the growing presence. Enre drew his sword as I searched
the darkness dwelling in the trees that ringed the small
graveyard.

“Glynis, what is it?” Percy asked, his
voice no more than a whisper.

The tension in his form and in his face
revealed that he felt it, too.

“Do not move,” Adem ordered, his
daggers flashing as he scanned our surroundings. His rugged,
scarred face frightened me with its ferocity.

“Ghouls?” I asked as quietly as I
could. The power felt hungry, full of desire and pain. Despite my
supernatural nature, it frightened me.

“Perhaps,” was his simple
reply.

To my surprise, Percy drew a pistol
from within his coat. His cool blue eyes met mine for a moment,
then he swept his gaze away to look over the clearing. “We should
go.”