The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride

The Vengeance of the Vampire
Bride

Rhiannon Frater

“
The Vengeance of the
Vampire Bride”

By Rhiannon
Frater

Smashwords Edition

Cover artwork by Philip R.
Rogers

Edited by Felicia
Sullivan

Copyright 2011 All Rights
Reserved

ISBN-13:

978-1441439888

ISBN-10:

1441439889

This book is a work of fiction. People,
places, events, and situation are the product of the author’s
imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead or
undead, or historical events, is purely coincidence.

Author’s Note

When I reflect back on how
long it took to bring the first book in the VAMPIRE BRIDE series to
publication, I am stunned at how quickly its sequel came into
fruition.

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE was
originally conceived over fifteen years ago but was set aside for a
great period of time while I attempted to get a “real career.”
Around 2005, I realized that I could not ignore my love of writing
and returned to the novel I loved dearly, but had yet to complete.
In 2009 the novel was finally released and I hoped it would find
its audience.

With the huge influx of urban fantasy
and paranormal romances into the vampire genre, the fearsome
vampire of days past faded into obscurity. I longed for a return to
tales with rich Gothic atmospheres and dangerous vampires, but I
wasn’t sure if the fans of vampire literature would embrace such a
novel. I was pleasantly surprised when THE TALE of the VAMPIRE
BRIDE found its way into the top 100 vampire books on Amazon.com
multiple times.

In the last year I have received
countless emails requesting the further adventures of Lady Glynis
Wright, now Countess Dracula. I always knew there was more to her
story, and I was very excited to return to her world. I began
writing the next chapter in her tale in the Summer of 2010 and
completed the novel in the Summer of 2011. During that time I was
dealing with multiple deadlines on my zombie series for Tor. At
times I wondered if I would ever finish this book. But my test
readers kept me focused and writing (thank you, Patrick, Zo, and
Janet) and I was happy to discover they loved this novel as much as
I did.

Will this be the last of the VAMPIRE
BRIDE books? The answer is most definitely
no.
When will
there be another book? Hopefully, there will be an all new
adventure in 2012.

I do appreciate all the
feedback, encouragement, and truly lovely emails from the fans of
this series.

Eternally,

Rhiannon Frater

August 31, 2011

Also by Rhiannon Frater

As the World Dies
Series

The First Days

Fighting to Survive (November 2011 from
Tor)

Siege (Spring 2012 from Tor)

As the World Dies: Untold Tales
v1

Pretty When She
…
Series

Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire
Novel

Vampire Bride
Series

The Tale of the Vampire
Bride

The Vengeance of the Vampire
Bride

The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie
Hunters

Dedicated with much love
and affection to Tony.

We miss you.

Prologue

Every night I dream of
Vlad Dracula. As I slumber in darkness waiting for the night to
come, he haunts me. I wish my dreams were filled with lovely
memories of my deceased family or my beloved vampire lover,
Ignatius. But, alas, my dreams are filled with Vlad’s green eyes,
his long, dark auburn hair, and his passions.

The dreams are so vivid; I
am always convinced they are a terrible reality until I awaken.
Only then do I remember he is trapped in his coffin, a mere husk of
the robust man he once was, tucked away in his crypt beneath his
crumbling castle. It was my hand that reduced him to such a state.
I drove the stake through his body and drained him of blood. I have
inherited his power. I have become the new Master, yet he still
lives. He created me; therefore, he is intrinsically linked to
me.

Will he forever haunt my
dreams?

Chapter 1

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

May 12, 1820

The Golden Krone Hotel,
Bistriţa

I am so utterly lonely. It
has only been a few days since I vanquished Vlad, but it feels as
though I have been in exile forever. The joy of my victory over
Vlad is still fresh, yet it is now tempered by my isolation. I miss
my mortal family, now long dead and sealed in a chest awaiting
proper burial. The owner of the hotel has been gracious enough to
store it in his cellar, though he does not know its
contents.

I despair at the loss of my
vampire sisters and their companionship, but recent events have
destroyed our familial bonds. I am saddened that Cneajna, my
vampire mother, now despises me. How can she blame me for Vlad’s
actions? It was never my desire to be his favored Bride, or to be
elevated above her. That Vlad should exalt me above the others
still baffles me. Yet, this does not matter to Cneajna. Her anger
burns against me and I am forlorn.

Oh, dearest little diary, I
miss my beloved Ignatius. If only I could be with him now, in his
arms, at peace and comforted by his love. I know so little of him,
yet I love him with all my heart.

Soon I will travel to Buda.
I shall find my own way in this new dark world. I am now Countess
Dracula and I fully intend to use my new station to create the life
I have always desired.

For now, I am so utterly
alone.

Oh, how I wish I could cast
off this growing malaise...

The knock on the door
startled me. I quickly closed my diary and hid it away under the
pillows heaped on the bed. Smoothing my gown and tucking my red
hair back from my face, I called out, “Yes?”

“Countess Dracula, your presence is
requested downstairs” came the voice of the hotel proprietor’s
daughter. I recalled her name was Katya. She had been one of Vlad’s
many willing blood mistresses.

Her simple words struck deep like a
silver dagger into my very soul. I could not fathom who would be
calling. Only yesterday I had sent out letters to prepare my return
to Buda. My hands trembled as my slowly beating heart seized within
my bosom. Crossing the room, I pulled open the door.

“Who is it, Katya?” I asked. “Who has
come to call?”

It could not be Vlad Dracula. I had
drained him, taken his blood, and left him a mere husk in his
coffin. Yet, I was seized in fear’s iron grip. What if he had
risen? What vengeance would he lay upon me?

The lovely young thing with golden hair
lifted her eyebrows slightly as she dropped a small curtsey. She
obviously had observed the note of fear in my voice. “Countess, it
is a man sent by Lord Astir of Buda.”

My eyes narrowed at the name of the
fallen angel. Though I was grateful that the fallen one had allowed
me some measure of peace in his haven with Ignatius, I did not
trust the foul beast. His prophetic words had brought ruin upon me
and my vampire mother.

“He just arrived and asked to see you
immediately,” she continued.

“Take me to him,” I said curtly as I
stepped out into the hall. I drew the door closed behind me and
waited for her to guide me to my unexpected guest.

Katya hesitated, her delicate hand
touching the lace of my sleeve. “Mistress, I miss his kisses. Could
you not kiss me as he did?” Her fingers lightly fluttered over the
faint scars on her throat left by the torrid, hungry bites of Vlad
Dracula.

The hunger had not fully risen within
me since my departure from the castle, but I knew I would soon have
to feed. I was annoyed by her request, yet she was willing and
delicious. I had tasted her once before and her willingness to
accommodate my need for blood would be convenient during my
stay.

Stepping close to her, I whispered,
“Later. Come to me later.”

Her eyes fluttered in a light swoon as
a languid smile spread onto her pink lips.

“Now,” I said, my tone sharpening,
“take me to my caller.”

Katya bowed her head slightly, then
hurried down the hall. I followed, my hands twisting my hair up
from my face and securing it in a loose knot. The red stone on my
ring glittered as I smoothed the wrinkles from my pale blue dress.
Vlad had placed the gold jeweled ring upon my hand to claim me as
his Bride. I still wore it as a symbol of my new title and station
in life. I am no fool. I know that doors will open to Countess
Dracula of Wallachia that would remain closed to Lady Glynis Wright
of England.

Casting adoring, yet nervous glances
over her shoulder, Katya guided me to a small parlor. It was the
same one where I had first met Ignatius on my journey to Buda
months before. He had kept his face shrouded in shadows during our
short talk. It was not until much later that I had realized my
brief conversation with the mysterious traveler was actually with
the vampire that would so utterly steal my heart. As I stepped into
the room, I felt a pang of loneliness so acute, it almost made me
gasp.

For a brief moment, I hoped the man
standing near the fireplace with his back to me was my beloved.
Sadly, I realized the dark hair falling around the man’s shoulders
was far too curly and his stature was shorter than
Ignatius’s.

“Sir, this is Countess Dracula,” Katya
said.

The man turned swiftly and bowed deeply
to me.

“My dearest Countess,” he said in a
voice that carried a thick accent though he spoke in
Magyar.

“You have me at a disadvantage, sir,” I
responded.

“I am Adem, the Captain of Lord Astir’s
Black Guard.” He remained bowed at the waist, his dark eyes gazing
into mine.

I gestured for him to rise and he
quickly obeyed. I was struck by his savage handsomeness. His eyes
were as black as night and his curly hair the color of dark,
burnished wood. His nose was hooked and slightly crooked, as though
it had been broken many times. Scars were slashed into both of his
cheeks and across his bottom lip. He had the appearance of a
warrior. I would have feared him if not for an unexpected
gentleness in his manner and voice.

“Katya, leave us,” I said to the young
woman lingering at my side.

With a secretive smile, she bowed her
head, then hurried out, closing the door behind her.

“Adem, this is unexpected. Do you bring
news from Astir?”

“Lord Astir sends news from Buda and
requests that you listen to what I say and not do anything...” he
hesitated.

“Yes?” I felt impatient and
unsettled.

“His exact words were ‘do not allow her
to do anything hasty,’” Adem confessed.

“I see.” I arched my eyebrow. “What is
his message?”

Adem reached into his coat and withdrew
a stack of letters. His garb was elegantly cut and resembled a
uniform. I wondered briefly what the blue symbols on his sleeves
represented. Taking the letters, I was first confused, then angered
to see they were my own mailed correspondence.

“These are my own letters!”

“Lord Astir, wishes for you to
understand that your plans to return to Buda are not advisable at
this time,” Adem said in his rich tones.

“Why ever not?” My temper was rising as
I clutched the letters to my breast.

In silence, Adem handed another letter
to me. It was fine parchment with a blue seal imprinted with the
same symbols as Adem’s uniform. Impatience gripping me, I broke the
seal and quickly unfurled the letter to read.