The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (45 page)

Adem was waiting for us in the foyer
when we returned. He bowed to Ignatius. “I see that all is
well.”

“We have sanctuary in the city. The
treaty stands. For now we are safe.” I lightly squeezed his forearm
as I strolled past the guard.

Laura trailed in my wake. “The other
vampires were absolutely frightening. I have quite a lot to learn
apparently.”

“You are young. You will learn,”
Ignatius promised her as he fell into step with her.

Adem walked behind us as we descended
on the parlor where we commonly entertained guests. I flung myself
onto the couch and collapsed against the pillows. Ignatius leaned
over to kiss me before sinking down beside me. Laura studied our
interaction from her perch on a nearby chair.

“Then it appears that we have avoided
any potential fallout from Laura’s resurrection,” Adem noted from
where he stood near the door. “The mortal authorities are satisfied
as well.”

“Thank goodness! I cannot bear any more
drama!” I stroked Ignatius’s long hair as he reclined against me.
“Now that Ignatius is welcomed into the city, we can at last enjoy
our lives.”

“Nothing is ever quite as simple as you
would like,” Ignatius reminded me. “I am very glad to have returned
to find you safe. I thank you for that, Adem.”

“I beg your pardon.” I frowned at
Ignatius.

“It is not so difficult as you may
think,” Adem responded wryly.

I cast a pout in Adem’s direction. “Is
this a conspiracy against me? I do believe I have done well for
myself despite a few missteps.”

Ignatius gestured toward Laura with the
tilt of his head. “Misstep is a simplified description of what has
occurred.”

“Have you considered how difficult it
has been to exist in this world with very little instruction? I
have done the very best I can.” I stomped my foot despite being
seated.

Adem smiled with amusement at my
action, the scar on his lip making an odd crease along its
fullness.

“Despite all that has happened, we are
all safe and sound. Is that not enough?” I glowered at both men
pointedly.

The sudden pounding of hard notes on
the piano in the corner startled us. I looked over to see Astir
seated at the instrument. Observing that his audience was now
paying attention, he began to play a little melody. His long
fingers lightly tapped along the black keys, his face unusually
somber.

“Oh, my little darlings. Lady Glynis
may not be regarded as an enemy of the House of Gavril, but how
much longer before they truly began to wonder as to the exact
location of a certain Count Vlad Dracula?” He punctuated his words
with firm, harsh notes.

“Must you always steal away my
happiness?” I frowned at the fallen angel with disdain.

Ignatius rested his hand upon my knee.
“He speaks the truth. For now Gavril is satisfied that you are not
conspiring against him, but he is quite certain that Vlad is.
Vlad’s absence is a cause for great concern. All of Vlad’s actions
are performed in accordance to his grandiose plans. He has been
known to set events in motion years before he actually attacks. His
absence can only be regarded as a ploy in some grand
plot.”

As Ignatius spoke, Astir accompanied
his words with a slightly off key melody. “Exactly right. How long
before Gavril and Ilinca began to regard you with suspicion
again?”

I almost protested that I had nothing
to hide, but realized this was not the truth at all. I had much to
hide. I felt the corner of my lips turn downward as I pondered the
possible consequences for the entombment of Vlad. What would Gavril
and Ilinca do to me? Would they side with Vlad against me and
punish me?

“May I ask why Vlad Dracula is a cause
for such concern? He is a bit terrifying to behold, yes, but is he
as powerful as Gavril and Ilinca?” Laura asked timidly.

Ignatius arched one eyebrow as he
folded his arms over his chest. His face wore a somber expression
as he regarded Laura. “May I speak freely before her,
Glynis?”

“She knows some of what has happened,
but not all.”

“Your mistress struck down Vlad Dracula
and imprisoned him within his own coffin. He is alive, but drained
of life and power. What she has done has caused complications. My
own Mistress would judge her harshly if she knew what Glynis has
done.”

“Gavril and Ilinca are his sworn
allies, so this would cause difficulties as well,” Astir added, his
hands still drifting over the keys of the piano as he
played.

“I did what I had to do to escape. I
will not feel regret for my actions despite the
ramifications.”

Adem inclined his head in concurrence,
but said, “Yes, but now we wait for the truth to be
revealed.”

“Will it be?” Laura
wondered.

“Oh, yes. A vampire such as Vlad
Dracula has made a notable impression among many powerful
creatures. His lack of presence in the city of Buda has already
been noted.” Astir pounded away on the piano dramatically. “It is
only a matter of time before someone discovers what has
happened.”

“No one can find the castle,” I said
confidently. “I have kept it hidden.”

“But for how long?” Astir arched his
brows high on his forehead, the notes he was playing becoming
ominous.

I shifted uncomfortably. Ignatius
lightly stroked the back of my neck with his fingers to soothe
me.

“The reality is,” my love started in a
somber tone, “that Vlad will find a way to rise if we do not kill
him. And we cannot kill him.”

“Why ever not?” Laura demanded. “We
should go and slay him immediately so none may find out what Glynis
did!”

Astir slammed his hands down on the
keys of the piano and stood up. “Because should he die, he will
return. Dracula can never truly die.”

I gaped at the fallen angel in
disbelief. “You lie!”

“No. He does not. Dracula is no mere
vampire.” Ignatius glanced toward Adem. “Should we divulge
all?”

“Too much has been kept from her in the
past. Speak the truth of it,” Adem answered tersely.

Astir snorted with contempt.

Ignatius ignored him. “There is a
school of the black arts known as the Scholomance hidden away in
the wilds of Transylvania near a lake with no name. It is taught by
Lucifer himself.”

Laura’s eyes widened as I narrowed
mine.

“Surely you jest.” I scoffed at the
mere notion.

“Ah, no, he does not, dear Glynis,”
Astir sniffed. He abandoned the piano and slumped into a chair, his
long legs askew. “Lucifer does indeed teach the darkest of magicks
to his students there. Ten students are selected, but only nine
depart at the end of a decade. He always keeps one as
payment.”

“And you are saying Vlad was one of
these students?” I was astonished.

“He studied with the devil?” Laura
paled a bit more as she gazed at Astir. I had told her all about
his true nature and she had been a bit unnerved by his status as a
former angel. “Count Vlad Dracula studied with the devil? Satan
himself?”

“Lucifer,” Astir corrected.
“It was within a century of Vlad becoming a vampire. He was not
satisfied with the powers that were bestowed upon him by his
vampire nature. He wanted more power and was determined that he
would not die again. Therefore, he sought out the Scholomance and
found it.”

“He vanished for a decade,”
Ignatius continued. “He left Erzsébet and Cneajna drained and
entombed until he returned. And when he did reappear, he had gained
the knowledge that would allow him to live on forever. That is why
the Immortal Beloved has ordered an edict that none may slay him.
For should he die, he will return.”

“But what he shall be, we do not know,”
Astir added.

“Is that why she keeps him bound to his
land?” I thought of the boxes of earth he carried with him. “Is
that why he wants to escape her so terribly?”

“Of course. He gained power to seize
control of all vampires only to have her thwart him because she
created him.” Ignatius’s face was the picture of sorrow. “He
attempted to strike her down and was swiftly defeated. She banished
him to his land. He remained there until he found a way to move
about with limitations. That was when I was sent to watch
him.”

“Who is the Immortal Beloved?” Laura
dared to ask.

“One of the first of us,” Ignatius
explained. “She is the one who created Vlad and me. We are her rare
progeny. She is loath to create progeny after the corruption of
Vlad. But all vampires who are aware of her existence revere
her.”

“Not all vampires are aware of their
origins or of the old great vampire houses.” Astir sighed
dramatically. “There are plenty of ignorant vampires running about
in this day and age.”

“Vlad told me there is no true order to
vampire society.” I felt perturbed by my lack of
knowledge.

Ignatius slightly shrugged. “There
really has never been. A few vampires have tried to mold their
lives after their mortal ones. Like Gavril and Ilinca, they have
created vampire families and abide by their own strict rules. But
there is no true set order. In this area of Europe the vampires
have shaped their society to resemble the mortal royal houses and
acknowledge the Immortal Beloved. Yet, in France and Germany, the
vampires do as they please and rarely congregate.”

“The point of the matter is that Vlad
is a power to be reckoned with,” Astir interrupted, obviously in a
foul mood. “We cannot kill him. Therefore, at some point, we will
have to deal with him.”

“And we have seen how he can influence
people even from beyond his imprisonment,” Adem stated. “He was
attacking you as a spectral creature.”

“And he has been haunting the dreams of
Csilla.” I felt disturbed by this thought. “I do not think he has
tried to summon Magda.”

“He cannot. She is bound to your
blood,” Adem comforted me. “But Katya could be
susceptible.”

“How can we be certain?” I was aghast
with the possibilities.

“Why don’t you ask her? She’s lingering
outside the door.” Ignatius gestured toward the hall.

Adem lunged swiftly through the doorway
and dragged Katya into view. Her vivid blue eyes were wide, but her
sultry smile was the same as ever.

“Tell us, Katya, do you hear Vlad
Dracula in your dreams?” Adem shook her roughly.

Fluttering her dark lashes, her smile
broadened slightly. “Perhaps.”

“What does he tell you?” Ignatius rose
sharply to his feet.

“To bring her to him,” she answered,
pointing at me. “And he promises to reward me.”

“In what manner?” Adem shoved her
deeper into the room to stand before me and Ignatius.

“To make me his Bride.”

Studying her closely, I wondered if I
should kill her. “Does this appeal to you?”

Laughing, she vehemently shook her
head, her blond hair flying about her face. “Oh, no! I laugh when
he offers! I should never want to be a vampire! Then I would not be
able to go outside in the day. I love the sunlight.”

“So what do you want?” Ignatius looked
upon her with great curiosity.

“To drink from Countess Dracula so I
may be like Magda. I wish to live a long life in servitude to the
vampires. I like it when they give me their kisses.” Katya’s gaze
shifted to my lips, her expression full of longing. “I love the
kisses she gives me. I want them upon my flesh. I have no desire to
become a vampire and lose that exquisite joy.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Astir
decided, sounding a bit surprised.

“How can we know that?” Laura demanded.
“What if she’s plotting against us?”

Ignatius tapped his chin thoughtfully.
“She speaks the truth. She’s addicted to the vampire bite and her
mind is so completely warped by Vlad’s interference, it is
difficult to even try to control her.”

The fallen angel let out a loud,
boisterous guffaw. “Oh, you have no idea how difficult.”

Katya smirked at him, before returning
her eyes to me. The hunger lingering in their depths was disturbing
in its ferocity.

Laura rushed to my side and glowered at
the girl. “You are not to upset my Mistress!”

Katya frowned slightly. “I have no
intention of disturbing anyone. I merely wish to serve.”

Unfolding his long form
from the chair, Astir stepped between the two young women. “Now,
now, we have much more important things to concern ourselves with
other than Katya’s desire to be fed upon. We have won a great
victory tonight. The powers that be are now at peace with all
gathered here. We are safe from their interference for the time
being. But the day will come when Vlad Dracula returns and we
should be prepared.”

“How?” I asked.

“We should leave the city,” Laura
decided. “We should take my inheritance and move far from
here.”

“He will find her,” Ignatius
stated.