The Bathory Curse (6 page)

“When you were four I got sick and you made cook
teach you to make soup and tea to bring me, she and I had to swear
secret oaths to you not to say a word, you were so afraid if your
father found out he would be mad. You told me ‘mama, boys don’t
cook.’” There was a hitch in Nea’s voice as she recited the
tale.

Silence filled the bed chamber as Mihail looked at
his mother. Dropping the sword he moved closer to her, peering at
her. It could still be some sort of trap, by the devil himself from
what Mihail had seen of life.

“You have not aged a day since I saw you last.”

“I know, and I have many things to tell you and
explain, but it has to wait, you are in danger here and must come
with me.” Nea held out a hand. Feeling like a small child again
Mihail took it and embraced his mother, eyes burning but refusing
to cry. She smelled the same, like a mixture of dog rose and
Transylvania sage. He had often watched her make her own soaps and
perfumes. The feel of her skin and smell of her fragrance quelled
any doubts in his mind. If this was an illusion or some jade
trickery then please, bring it on, it was worth it.

“I have missed you Mihail, I love you.” Nea told
him, holding him close, he smelled like sage.

“Did you keep my oil recipes?” Nea teased gently,
feeling him nod into her shoulder.

“I love you too.” he murmured against her cloak,
praying this was real and not a dream.

“Come, we haven’t much time, pack your things.” She
loathed pulling away from him.

“Why do I have to leave? Is Mihnea coming?” Mihail
hated that he sounded like a little boy.

“No, Mihnea is not coming,” his mother was sad, “I
love your brother, but he has a life here now, a wife and from what
I heard they want more children.”

“Smaranda is horrible.” Mihail commented.

“Yes, horrible enough that she wants Mihnea to kill
you, if you leave then he won’t have to and she will be happy.” Nea
explained. Mihail wasn’t surprised, Smaranda had it out for him the
moment he had turned her down for sex.

“I don’t own much though.” Mihail went and began to
gather his things into a trunk at the foot of his bed.

“You don’t need clothes, I will provide for you.”
Nea said.

“I don’t want to have to depend on you for
everything, mother.” Mihail frowned, feeling useless.

“How have you been providing for yourself here? Do
you not live off the family money?” Nea asked.

“Father left everything to Mihnea, it wasn’t a lot.
I sell paintings on the side. Father and Mihnea hate my art but I
make enough money so I don’t have to take anything from
Mihnea.”

“I am so sorry life has been difficult since I went
away. I am proud you are painting. My father painted, did you know
that?” Nea helped him pack his trunk.

“I didn’t, but I am happy to hear it.” It was so odd
for him to be having this conversation with her, like no time had
passed.

“You will have plenty to do at my home, there is
much to discuss but not now, you will earn your keep.” Nea gave him
a piercing stare, registering some of his words.

“Your father left Mihnea almost nothing? How is that
possible? The Draculs are a wealthy family!”

“He purchased Bran Castle shortly before his
disappearance,” Mihail said. He was removing her painting from the
wall, with loving hands. Nea didn’t comment out loud how odd it was
Vlad would want a castle where he had been held prisoner.

“Disappeared, your father died,” Nea said quietly,
wondering if Mihail did not know.

“That is what Mihnea and I were told. We didn’t see
him buried, but if he really is dead then why do people say they
see him at Bran Castle, Snagov Monastery and Poenari Castle? Last
year when the Turks raided from Bulgaria, Wallachia began to rally
troops, Mihnea was prepared to go to battle, but we didn’t need
to,” Mihail was speaking softly.

“I heard that, I was prepared to join in battle.”
Nea grinned at the expression on her son’s face.

“You, in battle?”

“It’s a long story.”

“So you keep telling me. Nevertheless, the invaders
never made it past Comana Monastery, they were slaughtered in the
night and impaled in the way father favored.” Mihail looked at his
mother, confused as to why she didn’t seem more surprised.

“I was afraid of this; I, too, have heard disturbing
rumors about your father. I hope he hasn’t done something we will
all regret.” Nea lowered her head and gave a silent prayer to
Bendis that her family be safe.

“They are calling Mihnea, Cel Rau.” Mihail hefted
his chest and they left his room, quiet and careful. Cel Rau meant
the Wrongdoer.

“I know. Is he trying to outdo his father’s
reputation?” Nea wondered out loud.

“Sometimes I think so.” Mihail sighed.

“Well, now you will be one less thing for him to
worry about.” Taking his hand Nea used her magic to transport them
to her castle.

It took a moment for Mihail to regain his balance as
he tried to take in his new surroundings. Her easy use of such
magic almost made him reconsider coming with her.

She took him inside and showed him his new home
while explaining what she was and what she did for Bendis.

“But you’re not evil?” He asked after she was done.
He glanced out the windows at the snow and the forest, this might
be too good to be true.

“No, not really.” She placed an arm around her son
and put her head on his shoulder.

“Are you going to make me Strigoi?” His next
question was harder for her to answer.

“I would like to. Bendis has foreseen your future,
and within the next few years you will contract a disease that will
kill you. She cannot save you. She told me you will die a painful
death; I could not have that for you.”

“I would only have physical form at night? No chance
for a life, a relationship?” Mihail took a step back, he didn’t
know what to do.

“It depends; Stregas have been known to fall in love
with Strigoi, and you could love another Strigoi. All mine seem to
live fulfilling lives, they enjoy their work. You will meet them.”
Nea hated telling him. She wished he had been destined to live a
full life.

“Please don’t worry Mihail, everything is at it
seems, I too had many doubts when the Goddess called me to her
favor. Take this leap of faith for me. What have you to lose?” Nea
knew how he was feeling, mistrust and reluctance to believe.

“I would eat emotions and feed them to you, live
forever.” His voice sounded hollow, but she was right, what did he
have to lose?

“It’s not as bad as that. Our culture is rich, it is
not lonely. You can still paint, be a part of the world.” Nea
didn’t want him to think he would be some shadow, spending eternity
slinking through the darkness.

Her son gazed at her, pondering this new woman who
was his old mother. Taking a deep breath he nodded, “do it
now.”

“Mihail it does not have to be now, we can wait a
year or two.”

“No, now. Why delay, when we know it is coming? I
don’t want to get sick and die. Bendis is not a Goddess of fate,
who knows what could happen while we wait?”

“Alright,” She placed her hands on either side of
his head, frigid wind whipped around them, as she pushed her magic
into him.  Heightened emotions, bright colors looming and
zooming as she changed his cells, his genes, and every ounce of
what made him human. He became pliable in her hands, smoke and
shadows, yet still flesh and blood. She molded him, yet keeping him
the same, holding onto his personality and soul, deep within her
breast, until finally a Strigoi stood in front of her. Nothing
about him had changed on the outside, only on the inside did Mihail
feel different, stronger, powerful, better.

As she embraced her son, neither of them realized
they were being observed from down below, outside, in shade of the
trees, something hovered over frozen tundra…and watched.

Chapter 4

1555

It was like a ringing in her system, a warning sign
of things to come. Nea stopped what she was doing, cocked her head
to the side and just went silent.

“Ach, not another awful Bathory girl with her curse
triggering?” Sabine asked. She was lounging on a sofa not far from
where Nea sat reading. Mihail was painting Sabine, the two of them
got along well, she told him he reminded her of a brother she had
long ago.

Sabine had to give up another lover recently, and
like always was nursing her wounds while staying at Nea’s. Bendis
had brought her a dress from the year 2001, really just a scrap of
white fabric and deep blue lace. Sabine said that Bendis didn’t
play favorites, but Nea thought the Goddess had a soft spot for
Sabine. Every time Sabine suffered heartbreak the Goddess brought
her a dress and Sabine demanded her favorite painter do a new
portrait.

When the tradition had first started Nea had asked
her what the point was of Mihail doing paintings if no one could
see most of them for centuries. In true Sabine fashion she had
answered,

“Lesson 24, it’s the memories that keep you sane.
Write in a diary, have your son draw you, draw yourself….write a
song….does not matter, just keep the memories.” After that, Nea had
started sketching everything and writing little stories to go with
them.

Nea put her book down and focused on her best
friend, trying not to feel annoyed at being interrupted by her
quest. A quest she still wasn’t 100% sure about. So far she knew
that if a Bathory female reached puberty the curse activated,
eventually, and drove her insane. She didn’t know who had cast it
or why. She just knew she had to stop it.

“Anna, yes, she turned 16 this year, so far she has
been normal, when I check up on her she seems thoughtful and happy,
though I know her parents were talking about having her betrothed
to one of the Voivodes of Transylvania” Nea stood up, it was time.
Anna’s parents had not made this easy on Nea, Anna had already
outlived three sisters, two of which had died, and one fell prey to
the curse.

“Ugh, use plain language, just call them what they
really are, a glorified warlord…I miss Scotia.” Sabine sneered.

“It’s a respected title. More revered than Hospodar,
Voivode is more of a …Prince.” Mihail defended, since most of the
men in his family had held one or both titles.

“Again, fancy word for War Lord.” Sabine snickered,
“at least one thing never changes, in Scotia, Warlords come and
go…you can be leader of a clan one minute and thrown over the
next.”

“This is very true, Vlad ruled more than once; I
hope the future does not hold quite as much blood shed.” Nea
sighed.

“Back to the subject on hand.” Mihail said, he
didn’t like to think of his father and didn’t like the sad gaze it
brought to his mother’s eyes.

“Yes, Anna…hopefully this time will be
different.”

“So you’ll be going again then?” Sabine rolled her
eyes.

“You know it is my task. Will you stay and keep an
eye on Mihail and the house until I can get back?”

“I do not need a baby sitter, I am a grown man.”
Mihail sniffed. Nea looked at him and couldn’t help but laugh. He
had paint in his hair and on his clothes.  He was never gone
from her longer than a week or two and she had grown accustomed to
having him at the castle.

“Sometimes I forget my darling. Something has been
slinking around the house these past few years, always outside my
vision, but I worry when I leave it will take up residence.”

“It did not dare when I left for Beth.” Sabine
pointed out. Elizabeth, or Beth, Bathory had been born in 1520; her
painting now resided in the gallery. After poisoning half of her
friends at a birthday party she had committed suicide at the age of
twenty; leaving behind Anna to be raised alone by their
parents.

“It didn’t dare because you, Mihail and your current
lover were here tending to things.” Nea laughed, “I wish I had been
able to save Beth but it is difficult enough to deal with a normal
girl who has been habitually raped by her father, let alone one of
our line.”

The girl’s father was one of the many Transylvanian
Dukes, Nea wanted to kill him but it wasn’t allowed. Instead she
had given him a mental command that any time he thought about
touching any woman he got a sharp pain in his genitals. His wife
and mistress had been happy about that.  Nea had been
masquerading as an older countess at the time and became a close
friend of the family and had been privy to some gossip about what a
bad lover The Duchy of Nyirbator actually was.

“There has to be something mentally wrong with them,
mother, why does Bendis think you came save them if they are all
just crazy?” Mihail asked.

“Something makes her think so, my mother and I are
normal, she believes love and kindness might be the answer.
Thankfully I can be young forever, so Anna has befriended me.” Nea
left the room to pack so that she could go to the home she owned in
Nyirbator, Hungary.  

She had been to that area of Hungary too many times
in the passing years. Once in 1535 because of Clara Bathory who had
been caught killing one of her children and eating their flesh.
When questioned by her family as to why she had done it, her answer
had simply been, “to see what it was like.”  Nea had sent a
Strigoi to kill her immediately afterwards. Her portrait was now in
the gallery, and Beth’s had followed within five years.

She visited there every year to watch Anna and she
was able to integrate herself into the local society as her own
daughter. In the last two years she and Anna had become best
friends. Nea didn’t look much older than twenty and passed easily
for younger when dressed properly.

Nea was well known in courts all through Wallachia,
Transylvania, Moldavia and Hungary. If people got suspicious she
simply disappeared and showed back up as her own sister, aunt,
daughter, granddaughter etc… It was easy enough with paid servants,
so much distance and an active rumor mill. Being part of each
social scene helped her gather information and keep up the illusion
of being a wealthy woman of society.