The Bathory Curse (24 page)

“Then you should have brought one of your current
brides.”

“They didn’t want to come, too stuck in the past. I
would prefer you, but you have stayed as far away from me as
possible these past 200 years.” He sounded hurt.

“You know why.”

“No, I do not.” He pulled Lucy against him, her
mouth formed a perfect O.

“Why are you even here, Vlad? Go home, don’t make me
kill you.” Nea begged.

“You, kill me?” He laughed, coldly, “if you must
know, there is a relic here I need to acquire.” His grip on Lucy
tightened, she was starting to wake up from her trance.

“What relic?”

“It’s a Thracian weapon, called a Rhomphaia, This
particular one was used in the Dacian Wars, the battles in
Wallachia, it was later dipped in Dacian Gold. I have located
records that it was on display at Carfax before it fell into ruin,
I am hoping it is still there in the catacombs of the church.” He
looked frustrated.

“Why would you care about this ancient weapon?”

“My grandfather’s journal says that not only was it
a family heirloom that never should have been given away, but it
has the power to help the owner calm his blood lust in battle.”

“Oh, Vlad, you are trying to control your blood
lust?” Nea was sympathetic, he became a vampire to help his people,
they long since did not need his brand of help.

“Yes, now go and let me finish here.”

“I cannot. You are killing her, she’s already
addicted to your thrall, let her go” Nea commanded.

“Then take her place. It’s really you I want, you I
wanted to pin up against the wall at that ridiculous party, no one
else…But I am lonely.” He admitted, eyes sparking with passion.

“I can’t come with you now.” She checked behind her
making sure that she couldn’t be overheard.

“Now?” He strode over to her, leaving Lucy standing
like a sleep walker, behind him.

“Mihail explained about my family?” She asked
quickly.

“Of course, we keep few secrets.”

“I will come back to you, once I break the curse.”
It was a weight off her chest, something she had been considering
for years. Vlad’s eyes widened and he closed the distance between
them, resting his hands on her shoulders, stroking her through the
silk.

“You will?” His voice soft.

“Yes, you will have to free your brides, but I will
be yours again.  You must leave Lucy alone and release
Jonathan Harker.” Nea hoped with Jonathan’s release Mina might be a
happier person. She also hoped that agreeing to be with Vlad again
might put an end to some of his more murderous habits, like
enthralling young virgins and slaughtering ship crews. She knew
that Bendis would never allow it, but she had often wondered; would
she be happier with her love by her side? No matter what he had
done the answer was yes and had always been yes.

“Your word.”

“When have you ever needed my word before?”

“You are a Strega, tied to an ancient Goddess, who
knows how that has changed you.” His hand ran down the side of her
robe, touching her in a way she hadn’t let anyone in years,
caressing the side of her breast.

“I am still the woman you love, the one you married,
that hasn’t changed.” Nea’s voice hitched as her nipple hardened
under his fingers.

“You are and you are not. I love you still, but I
must have your word if I am to do as you say.”

“You have my word.” Nea stood on tiptoe and pressed
a kiss to his mouth, not even flinching at the taste of the girl’s
blood that lingered on his lips.

“ I will give my brides freedom and leave the girl
alone, as for Jonathan Harker, I released him some time ago, he was
a foolish man, prone to hysteria and the girls had a bit of fun
with him against my wishes.” Vlad scowled, “last I heard he was
being tended by some nuns in Budapest.”

“Thank you.”

“How long am I supposed to wait for you?” he asked,
hands wandering down to grab her bottom and pull her against him.
He was hard against her skin and she resisted the urge to
tremble.

“I do not know.”

“Then I shall wait until you break this curse to
free the girls. I do not like to be alone. I shall also hunt here
as I choose, but I shall stay away from this girl.” There was a
look in his eyes Nea didn’t like, but she had to concede, who knew
if she would ever break the spell, she couldn’t ask him to give up
everything on something that may never happen.

“I understand.”

“Come home with me tonight Nea, let me inside you,
be with me,” he commanded.

“I cannot, but I wish I could,” she whispered,
reaching up and touching his face, his eyes seemed to pierce her
soul.

“I do not enjoy this.”

“I know, now go; I need to tend to Lucy,” Nea said,
Vlad nodded and with a thought he was gone, into the night, a
shadow on the moon. Lucy slowly blinked her eyes and cried out,
almost crumbling to the ground. Nea caught her.

“Lucy, are you alright? You were sleepwalking!” She
had to try very hard to act like she was upset and shocked when
every molecule wanted to go into the night with Vlad.

“I feel so strange, was there a man here?” Lucy
asked, just as a cry sounded from the house.

“I’ve found her!” Nea called. She stripped off her
own robe and wrapped it around the girl; she was worried being
under a vampire’s thrall had permanently damaged Lucy. There was a
flurry of activity and then Mina and Sabine appeared, running up
the hill.

“I woke Mina the moment you told me you’d seen Lucy
sleepwalking,” Sabine fed Nea the lie.

“Of course. Here help me, she’s so cold.” Nea looked
up at Mina. All three women helped Lucy down the side of the hill
and tucked her back into bed, closing the doors from the chill of
the night air. Mina had the maids start a fire in her room, just to
try and warm the poor girl up.

“I am so glad you saw her, thanks for waking me,”
Mina whispered as they made their way out into the hall, closing
the door.

“You should call for her doctor. She seems even
sicker than before,” Sabine told her.

“Yes, I’m going to, at once.” Mina hurried off and
Nea filled Sabine in on most of what happened.

“So you convinced him to leave the girl alone?”

“I believe so, but he’s been feeding off her
steadily for almost two months, I think the damage is done, she and
her mother have weak hearts,” Nea said, gravely.

“So you think she’s going to die?”

“Possibly and if she does before she heals from his
touch she’ll become a revenant, not like a normal vampire.” Nea
glanced back at the door, thinking of the young woman who lay
inside, icy, insipid and fighting for air.

The physician spent the night tending to Lucy,
worried about her condition. He left explaining he couldn’t do
anything but allow her to rest and hopefully heal. The marks on her
neck were of great concern and the doctor was worried some
poisonous insect had bitten her.  Nea thought about bringing
Marina in, but didn’t want to tempt fate, it would look suspicious
if the girl suddenly just healed herself.

That afternoon while taking tea with Mrs. Westenra a
telegram arrived for Mina, it was a letter from Jonathan. The
excitement Mina displayed was quite possibly the first show of
genuine emotion Sabine or Nea had seen from her, aside from
occasional bouts of worry. Mina packed up and left within the hour,
just as Dr. Seward and Quincy Morris arrived to see Lucy.

Quincy Morris was a strong, able young man with dark
brown hair and a moustache. He had a thick accent and proudly told
anyone he came across that he was from Texas. Nea found him amusing
and thought the fact that Dr. Seward, Quincy and Arthur Holmwood
were best friends was interesting, especially since they had all
proposed to Lucy on the same day.

“I think I know a way to help your daughter,” Dr.
Seward stated, taking his hat off as he entered the room.

“And what would that be, Dr. Seward?” Nea asked,
curious.

“Please, it’s Jack to my friends. I think a blood
transfusion could cure her,” Jack said.

“Isn’t that risky?” Nea knew that in this time so
much was still unknown about blood, she knew people died from
transfusions.

“No riskier than doing nothing,” Quincy drawled.

“Rest and good food and nutrition might work,” Nea
offered the suggestion, but it was halfhearted.

“I understand your concerns, but Jack here has told
me all the risks; we think it’s her best option. We’ve already
messaged Arthur about it.” Quincy gave her a lopsided grin.

“Do it, please,” Mrs. Westenra said softly from her
seat on the sofa.

“Are you sure? It could kill her.” Sabine sat next
to the older woman, concerned.

“It’s obvious everyone thinks she will die anyway,
if this could help her then yes, I am sure.”

“Who will you take the blood from?” Nea asked.

“Quincy has offered to donate as did Arthur, he will
be here soon. I have also called my mentor Professor Van Helsing.
He knows quite a bit about this sort of thing, he was already in
London for a seminar and will be here by nightfall.” Jack was
searching through his medical kit.

“I think Sabine and I will leave you both to do your
work then.” Nea was trying to hide her dismay, she didn’t want to
use mind magic on all of them, and didn’t have enough clout to
persuade Mrs. Westenra against it.

“Yes, please call for us is you need anything,”
Sabine patted Mrs. Westenra’s hand.

“You girls are sure you won’t stay?” Quincy
asked.

“Sabine doesn’t like blood,” Nea lied.

“I faint dead away,” Sabine tittered, almost
overdoing it.

“Well then yes, you should go, we will let you know
how it turns out,” Jack said.

Sabine and Nea, gathered their things and left,
walking slowly back to the house they had bought.

“Van Helsing,” Sabine hissed.

“Yes, this won’t end well.”

“He’s killed several of my Strigoi over the last few
years, vampires too.”

“I haven’t had to worry about that with Costica
running around.”

“Do you think Jack knows that Van Helsing hunts the
undead in his spare time?” Sabine wondered out loud.

“I doubt it.” They walked into their little cottage,
all white, blue and quaint and Marina met them at the door with
mail and household news from the last 24 hours. The house was much
smaller than any of them were used to, but it was nice and
different.

“Marina, I need you to go to the Westenras, take
them a pie or something, but use your magic on Lucy and make sure
the blood transfusions work,” Nea explained what was going on.

“Fools, they are more likely to kill her than help
her, the first successful whole blood transfusion won’t happen
until the 1900’s. They barely know about blood typing right now.”
Marina undid her apron and hung it on a pole near the door, “I’ll
go now, cook made a delicious cake for tonight, but Mrs. Westenra
will appreciate it, her maid’s gossip says she enjoys sweets,” and
she hurried off.

“What should we do?’ Sabine asked.

“Nothing. This is a mortal problem and we don’t
interfere more than we already have, we have to allow this to play
out. Vlad has promised to leave the girl alone and now her family
and friends must deal with the fall out.” Nea hated saying it, but
it was true. Unless Vlad got back into the picture or something
else happened, Nea and Sabine were watchers only. Bendis didn’t
like her Stregas anymore involved in mortal affairs than they
needed to be. Lesson 28 was they tried not to mess in the affairs
of mortals if at all possible.

“Well, then what should we do? Are we actually going
to try and have a holiday?” Sabine laughed.

“Possibly, but what do young women do on
holiday?”

“What we have been, flirting and parties, sleeping
until noon, pamper ourselves.”

“We have also been doing a little recon, which has
kept us from being bored.” Nea chuckled, there was a knock on the
door and Nea went to answer it. Sabine heard a scuffle then a slap
and rushed to the door in time to see her best friend reel back a
little, she caught her, eyes wide as she saw Costica was standing
at the front door a maniacal grin on his face and a bouquet of dead
roses in his arms.

He dropped them on the ground and kicked them across
the threshold. Nea rubbed her face where he had slapped her,
relieved Sabine was there to steady her.

“I’m getting my sword.” Sabine made sure Nea was
standing on her own and darted away.

“You have some nerve showing up here like this
Costica, we can hunt you now, especially after recent physical
contact.” Nea was stunned that he was fully formed in the middle of
the day, must have been another side effect of the Fairy blood in
him.

“You were bound to find out about me anyway, mate,”
he said, sounding as gentle and educated as always.

“And how is that?”

“Well, when my fiancée Miss Lucy Westenra introduces
us.” He took pleasure in watching the color drain from her
face.

“You’re Arthur?” It couldn’t be.

“I am now, have been for a while now. His family
hadn’t seen him in years and then his father got sick and died. Now
I am Lord Godalming, with all the riches and entitlements that come
with it,” he bragged.

“I am going to kill you.” Nea took a step
forward.

“No, you won’t. You can’t risk it; people know I
came to see you. Lucy is expecting me, it will be suspicious and
draw attention to you.” He was right, by taking over Arthur
Holmwood’s life he have given himself extra protection.

“You are supposed to give Lucy blood how will you
manage it?” Nea asked, horrified.

“If you hadn’t noticed, I am not like your other
Strigoi,” he sniggered, “my blood may actually make her
better.”

“Why are you here Costica? It can’t be just to
torment me,” Nea heard Sabine behind her, she glanced and saw the
red head had a large sword. Sabine stopped and hid it behind her
back, as they looked past Costica, they could see a carriage and
that they were being watched by some of the Holmwood staff.