The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (46 page)

I knew in my heart this was true.
“Should I not attempt to create a safe haven for myself here? If
Gavril and Ilinca trust me, will they not turn against
Vlad?”

Astir pulled Katya away from me and sat
her gruffly down in a chair. “I think that is a very wise
suggestion, my darling Countess. But how will you procure their
loyalty?”

Sighing, I sank into Ignatius’s arms.
“I am at a loss.”

“I must ask,” Laura said. “Why does
Count Vlad Dracula desire her?”

The men before me looked vastly
uncomfortable at her question and it occurred to me that Vlad may
want me for more than just his mere wife.

“What is it? What are you keeping from
me?”

Ignatius stroked my hair lovingly as he
moved to look into my eyes directly. “Vlad gave you his power when
you struck him down.”

“Yes,” I said, vividly remembering how
he wilted into a wizened husk in my arms. “I thought perhaps he did
it because he loved me, but I realize now that was a foolish
thought.”

“Not necessarily.” Astir sniffed with
disdain. “He does love you. And he does have confidence in your
abilities to survive among the most dangerous of immortals, but he
did it for another rather distasteful reason.”

“Enlighten me.” I was becoming
impatient and set my hands upon my hips.

“He needs your blood to revive him,”
Adem said at last.

“Can he not drink from one of the
sisters or a mortal?”

“He could, but he would be
significantly weaker.” Ignatius shifted on his feet, disturbed by
his own thoughts. “He would need to drink your blood to regain what
he has lost.”

“And not a mere drop or two,” Astir
continued.

“He will need to drain you as you did
him to restore him to full strength. He will reclaim his power from
your veins and rise.” Ignatius was wise enough not to touch me as I
stood before them, hands clutched at my sides, my anger burning
bright.

“He cannot!” Laura cried
out.

“But he would,” Katya said in her
lighthearted voice. “He would drain every last drop and punish her
for what she has done to him. I saw that in my dreams.”

I could not speak my rage was so
overpowering. I stomped my foot and let out a cry of
frustration.

“You cannot let him do this to her!”
Laura confronted Ignatius, her fists raised. “We must stop
him!”

“Why did none of you deign to tell me
this?” I nearly screamed, finding my voice.

Astir grabbed my arm and wrenched me
around. “Because, my dear little vampire, you are prone to action
without thought.”

“Astir has guided you through a
difficult time by giving you just enough information to keep you
out of harm’s way,” Adem pointed out. “Should he have told you all
that you know now, you would have reacted rashly out of fear and
desperation. You have now truly evolved into a powerful and wise
vampire.”

I covered my face with my hands as the
horror of my possible fate overwhelmed me. I knew in my heart that
all they said was true. Vlad would drain every lost drop from my
flesh and entomb me as punishment. When he finally allowed me to
rise, I would never be truly free again.

Ignatius gently touched my shoulder and
I went into his arms. He enfolded me lovingly.

Silence settled upon all in the room as
the enormity of our future battle against Vlad Dracula filled us
all with dread.

Chapter 30

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

December 2,
1820

The Dosza Palace,
Buda

The snowfall has not
lessened, but has increased in its intensity. We shall soon be
snowbound. Csilla has taken a turn for the worse as Vlad torments
her in her sleep. I sometimes almost feel pity for her. Then I
remember how coldly she sent my family to their deaths and it ebbs
away. Adem has posted a guard at her door to watch over her.
Another guard has been watching Katya, but she seems quite content
to offer her veins to Laura. She flirts even more outrageously with
Laura than she ever has with me. I am a little concerned that Laura
is susceptible to Katya’s manipulations.

If only life were not so
terribly complicated.

Meanwhile, I am terrified
of what Vlad may do next.

“Do you think we should
leave the bed tonight?” Ignatius asked soon after we
awakened

“No, I refuse.”

Buried under the covers in Ignatius’s
arms, I didn’t want to slide out of bed and face the evening
routine. I was content in the comfort of his embrace and did not
wish to break it. Despite the threat of Vlad’s vengeance, I was
happy with Ignatius. He is eerily adept at knowing exactly what to
do or say to make me smile and put aside my fears. His fingers slid
down over my bare back, a delicious touch that aroused
me.

“We should feed tonight,” he reminded
me. “We did not feed yesterday.”

“We were busy yesterday.” I brushed my
hand over his manhood and made him laugh. “You do remember
that?”

“Of course! It is difficult to forget
when you do that.” Tugging me onto his chest, he shoved the covers
back over my head so he could see me. Smiling, he pressed kisses to
my mouth.

A gentle knock on the bedroom door
distracted us. “Yes?”

“Shall I draw a bath?” Magda’s said,
sounding amused.

“Oh, I suppose, you horrible servant,”
I called out.

Through the door, I heard her laughing.
“I will return shortly.”

Straddling Ignatius’s waist, I sat up,
the covers pooling around my thighs. Pulling my hair over one
shoulder, I pouted.

Ignatius lightly rubbed the sides of my
legs as he bestowed a sweet smile upon me. “No fretting, Glynis. We
will rise, feed, and have a lovely evening. I would like to visit
with Laura and learn more about her.”

“She’s boring.” I was sulking, but I
could not help it. He had spoiled me with his lovemaking. All the
tension and fears of the last months were banished for a short
while and I had enjoyed the feeling of contentment.

“Now, now, Glynis. Enough of that,” he
chastised, though his tone was light.

“Is it so wrong for me to want to stay
here in this bed with you forever?”

“I share the sentiment, yet we both
know that is an impossibility.”

I cast a dark look toward the heavily
covered window. “It’s still snowing, isn’t it?”

“I believe so.” Ignatius sat up,
holding me close to his chest. He cradled me against him and
compelled me to look at him with the touch of his fingers on my
cheek. “Glynis, despite our difficult situation remember that I am
here for you. I love you and nothing could have kept me away for
long. Though I never lied to my Mistress, I did have to persuade
her to allow me to come here to watch over you. She’s afraid, too,
of what Vlad may be plotting in his absence. All I do, I do for
you.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I
pressed my lips to his temple. His hands ran up my back to nestle
in my hair. “I know, my love. I just wish for a simple life with
you and Laura.”

“You do love her, don’t
you?”

“Desperately. She reminds me so much of
May at times, but has my spark. I do admit to misreading her a bit.
I had no idea she was a lover of other women and that was the
reason she was so adamantly opposed to being married. I thought she
was like me - a rebel against the suffocating rules of
society.”

“She is in her own way, my love. She
just had one more reason to fight.”

Nestled against his chest, I felt my
sour mood began to dissipate. There is an aura about Ignatius that
comforts me. Perhaps it is because he is so wise for having lived
for so long.

“How old you?” I asked, suddenly
realizing I had no idea how long he had walked the
earth.

“Close to a thousand years old,” he
admitted. “Horrified to be with such an old man?”

“It is rather shocking. I don’t know.
Our age difference is quite extreme.” I playfully pretended to mull
the situation over.

Chuckling, he kissed my throat. “I may
be old, but with age comes the wisdom that only time can grant. And
that wealth of knowledge tells me that I have never loved anyone
like I love you.”

“It is my fabulous fiery hair and
personality.”

“Perhaps. All I know is that when we
first spoke, I was captivated. As I observed you from afar I became
even more intrigued. And when we finally met, I was smitten. I do
believe that the more I learn about you, the more I love
you.”

With a wicked smile, I kissed him,
pressing him back down onto the bed. When Magda returned to prepare
my bath, we ignored her.

Later-

It was several more hours
before we ventured downstairs. Laura was sitting in the library
reading a book near the fire. Katya sat near her sloppily mending a
petticoat under Magda’s watchful eye. It was obvious from my
maidservant’s frustrated expression that Katya was not very adept
with the needle and thread.

“I was beginning to wonder if we would
ever see you again,” Laura said, her eyes sparkling with
delight.

Ignatius leaned against the back of her
chair and peered down at her work. “Very pretty. Your stitches are
quite neat.”

“You should see Glynis’s work.” Laura
giggled.

I frowned at her. I rush at times and
my stitching tends to be uneven.

Katya grumbled under her breath as she
shoved the needle through the fabric.

“Has Csilla been about?” I had yet to
feed and I supposed I should seek her out.

“She had some soup sent up to her room,
but has not come down tonight. I believe the weather is adversely
affecting her health,” Magda responded.

“Go feed. I will make do with one of
the guards,” Ignatius said.

“You can take from me!” Katya tossed
her sewing aside and stood up excitedly.

“No!” I snapped.

“Sit,” Magda ordered, shoving the girl
down by her shoulders. “Work on your mending. If we are forced to
tolerate you, you can at least attempt to be useful.”

“But I am!” Katya touched her throat
and smirked in Laura’s direction.

Laura tittered and bowed over her
embroidery, a deep flush washing over her face. I wondered if much
had developed between the two young women in my absence.

Leaving the warmth of the library, I
walked swiftly through the cold corridors to Csilla’s room. I found
Brice and a maid leaving as I arrived. The maid carried a full bowl
of soup upon a silver tray. She bowed her head and rushed past
me.

“Is she awake?”

“Does it matter, Countess?”
Brice’s voice was edged with a bitterness I found disquieting. “Why
are you taking so long to kill her? Did you not promise that one
day you would release us from her cruelty? Yet, you allow her to
live. Are you any different than her after all?

Shocked, I stared at him.
“I am doing what I should to protect all of us. Actions committed
in haste often do not have positive results. Trust me, that is a
lesson I am continually being forced to learn over and over again.
I am sometimes far too quick to action, but in this case, I must
take my time.”

“Even though she murdered
Laura?”

“What?”

Brice withdrew a small bottle from his
pocket. “I discovered this in the kitchen. The baroness asked the
cook to add it to the tea we were brewing for Laura when she was
ill. The poor woman thought it was medicine. But it’s not. It’s
belladonna.”

I reached for the bottle, but he
quickly hid it away in his pocket. “If you will not kill her,
Countess, I will.”

“You have been giving her the poison,
haven’t you?” I was shocked by his disclosure, but Laura’s rabid
fevers and quick demise made all the more sense now. Yes, she had
been ill with a lung ailment, but the belladonna had hastened her
death.

Brice’s face contorted with barely
contained fury. “I trusted that you would release us all from her
tyranny. You do not witness the things she does. You live in
opulence and do not see how she beats the maids or holds us here by
threats. She often tells us that if we leave, she will report us to
the authorities for thievery. You promised me you would help me
return to England. I have waited patiently, but now I believe you
to be a liar.”

“I am not! I will return you to
England, I swear it. But this is neither the time nor the place to
discuss such things.”

“If she dies, you inherit her wealth
and we will be free.”

“Do you not think it suspicious if she
dies so soon after the deaths of Sir Stephan and his
wife?”

“The city is full of illness. This
winter will be the death of many.” Brice’s tone was laced with
venom and his eyes were cruel. “Kill her and none will know the
difference.”