The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (27 page)

“I’d rather sit and chat with something
beautiful,” Csilla retorted. She strode across the parlor and her
long, slim fingers lightly played with the curls around Laura’s
face. “Such a lovely little thing. One day you shall make a man
very happy.”

Laura did not draw away from Csilla,
but did frown.

“Oh, come now. One day some delicious
man shall come along and pry those delicate little thighs
open.”

“Csilla!” I rose sharply, my hoop
toppling over. “That is quite enough!”

“Yet, it is true.” Csilla slid away
from Laura in my direction. “Or is it that she has captured your
eye?” She glanced significantly at Laura’s throat, riling me
considerably.

I stomped my foot, glaring at her.
“That is enough.”

Inebriated, Csilla’s tongue was far too
loose. Laura gazed at me in confusion as Csilla tilted her head to
one side as she drew closer to me. “Is it a matter of taste? A
younger, headier vintage?”

My anger unfurled within me as I felt
my teeth growing sharp in my mouth. Laura had arrived soon after I
had risen and I had yet to feed. My anger and hunger flared to life
within me. I clenched my hands as I battled against the need for
blood.

Csilla’s dark eyes gazed into mine as
Laura squirmed around in her chair, clearly
uncomfortable.

“Adem!” My voice was sharp.

He appeared within seconds at the
doorway. “Yes, Countess?”

“Please escort Laura to her home. The
baroness is not well and I best tend to her.”

“As you wish,” he responded.

Laura hastily gathered her things and
cast a worried look in my direction as she departed.

“I will call on you later this week,” I
said to her, my gaze steadfastly on Csilla.

The baroness stood before me defiantly,
her eyes challenging me.

As the door closed behind Laura and
Adem, I gripped Csilla’s arm in such a harsh grip that I knew I was
bruising her. “How dare you?”

“Why do you drink from the guards and
that little girl instead of me?” Csilla’s voice was serpentine:
low, hissing, and dangerous.

I tossed her away and watched with
satisfaction as she fell into the chair across the room. Startled
at my abrupt violence, she clung to the armrest, gasping for
air.

“How dare you endanger me in this way!”
I was on her in a second, frightening her with my swiftness. “She
does not know what I am, and I do not wish for her to know. I am
her friend and she is mine.”

“I am more than your friend! I am
Vlad’s chosen Bride!” Csilla spat the words out. “Your attentions
should be directed at me! My blood should fill your veins, not
hers!”

“I do not feed from her!”

“Then feed from me!”
Csilla bared her slim white throat. “Take
my
blood then!”

I should have turned away.
I should have slapped her. I should have been so much wiser, but in
that moment, my hunger spoke. I seized her and drank furiously from
her neck. Her warm arms came about me, holding me as I swallowed
down her blood and life. The sound of her blood rushing through my
body and my heart flaring to life within my chest was as heady a
sensation as the blood filling my mouth.

It was only when I felt her arms
slacken about me that I remembered not to kill her and pulled my
teeth from her neck. She lay in a swoon in her chair. A narrow band
of blood streamed over her flesh and stained her bodice.
Reluctantly, I licked her wound and it began to heal.

As her blood continued to renew my
life, I fell to my knees. I shuddered with the pleasure of my
body’s renewal, but already I regretted giving into Csilla’s
wishes.

Magda heeded my silent call and entered
the room. One glance at her surroundings quickly revealed what had
happened and she hurried to my side.

“Have her taken to her room and put to
bed. Tell the servants that she drank too much and collapsed,” I
ordered, my voice ragged with emotion.

Magda nodded and made certain to remove
all traces of blood from the baroness’ flesh before hurrying out of
the room.

Dismayed at my lack of control, I
released my body into a blue mist and gave into the lovely
sensation of floating. I drifted out of the room and allowed the
night wind to carry me further away into the gardens. There I
returned to my solid form and lay down among the flowers. Feeling
like a foolish child, I gazed up at the night sky through bloodied
tears that tainted my world red.

Despite Astir’s warnings, I would have
to deal with the baroness. She was far more a danger to me than I
had realized and needed to be dealt with. I would never make her a
vampire, but to kill her outright would cause me untold troubles
and possibly endanger me further.

As I lay there amidst the gardenias and
jasmine, a terrible plot unfurled within my mind. It was so
terrible that I felt slightly sickened. I had no doubt that Vlad
Dracula would heartily agree with the clever and terrible plan that
solidified within my mind. I could have my revenge on Csilla and
secure a new level of freedom in such a way that no one would ever
suspect me

Sitting up, I wiped my eyes and gazed
at the Dosza Palace. A smile touched my lips.

Chapter 18

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

October 2, 1820

The Dosza Palace

October has come and I have
seen neither Astir nor the vampire. She has even ceased to haunt my
dreams and my vivid nightmares of Count Dracula have returned. I
always waken fearful, gasping, and burning with the dark lust he
created in me. How I loathe him. Only my memories of Ignatius
alleviate the terror of those dreams. I miss him so terribly and I
am afraid. The vampire has not reappeared, but that does not mean
she is not watching.

Meanwhile, Csilla was so
inebriated when I fed from her, she did not truly comprehend that I
attacked her out of anger, not blood-lust. I was relieved when she
recovered within a few short days and did not appear to think ill
of me or the incident. In fact, she seemed happy and enamored with
me once again.

Since I have now decided
her fate, I have made an effort to befriend her. This has made her
even more tiresome, but I must endure.

“I do love the night,”
Csilla sighed beside me.

We were seated on the lawn in
comfortable chairs gazing down the sloping lawn toward the Danube.
The air held a slight but refreshing chill. Autumn was making its
presence known and the leaves illuminated by the candles set around
us were bright yellows, oranges and reds. Soon many of the trees
would have bare limbs and the snow would come. It was difficult to
believe that so much time had passed since I had sealed Dracula
away in his tomb. A pang of guilt tore at me as I thought of the
starving sisters trapped in the castle.

“I miss rainy afternoons,” I answered,
feeling a bit contrary. “I miss England.”

“He will take you there,”
she assured me. “He shall take all of us there and you shall show
me around London.” Her smile was wide and beautiful, her dark eyes
sparkling with merriment. The dark lashes fringing her eyes threw
lacy shadows over her cheeks creating an aura of mystery about her.
I noted she always seemed to know how to place herself in the light
to illuminate her features in the most pleasing way. Even her body
was carefully posed to the best effect.

“I've only been to London a
few times.” I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders and swept my
gaze over the darkened world. Through the trees I could see lights
in the windows of our neighbors’ abodes upon Castle Hill. The sky
was clear and I could see the Buda Palace aglow in the night in the
far distance. “I think it is much lovelier here.”

“Buda has stolen your heart,” Csilla
decided.

Had it? I realized that yes it had. It
was such a lovely city and full of life. It suited my new nature
and I felt my spirit was tethered to the city in some way. But yet
again, this is where I had found Ignatius and later, my
freedom.

“London was just so overwhelming. And
gray. This city is much more colorful.”

Csilla’s smile widened. “I will miss it
while we are gone. But you are immortal and I am destined to be and
we can come here when we desire. I suppose we shall see all the
world at some point. Every city, every country. Grand adventures
await us far from here.”

My immortality frightened me, but I did
not dare share those fears with her. I envied her untainted belief
that to be a vampire was a gift, not a curse. I had yet to feel
anything but cursed. I was accepting of my nature, yet I was
constantly aware of my limitations.

The Baroness continued: “Besides, I am
looking forward to shopping somewhere other than Váci
Street.”

I rather liked Váci Street. It was a
lovely shopping center filled with boutiques and cafes that I
enjoyed visiting with Laura and Percy. A very short distance from
the Danube, it was always busy and exciting.

“I liked Rome and Venice when we
visited. There were beautiful shops there.” I plucked at my skirt
and tried to not flee from the Baroness. I was trying so very hard
to be companionable, but I found her absolutely abhorrent despite
her best efforts to be my friend.

“We shall go to them all, you and I. I
suppose we will have to educate his other Brides to be more
modern.” Her hand rested on mine and her smile was conspiratorial.
“Or maybe we can convince him to leave them behind.”

“What leads you to believe he would
abandon them?” I regarded her curiously. “He is there with them now
and I have not seen him for months. Maybe he prefers their
company.”

Csilla threw back her head and her
silvery laugh filled the night. “Oh, come now. Do you really
believe he is at the castle? I know him far too well. He is most
likely traveling and tending to his many plots. A man such as he
can never be still for too long. This land is always rife with
political intrigues even beyond the grave.”

I smiled slightly and shrugged. “He is
doing as he wishes,” I lied. “I shall wait here.”

“And it is a joy to have you here.”
Shifting her weight so she was leaning over the armrest of her
chair, she whispered, “If you are hungry, we can go
inside.”

As part of my plot against her, I was
feeding from her every night. Just little sips, but they made her
happy. Soon I would begin taking much longer draughts.

Her warm fingers gripped mine tightly
and her eyes were full of yearning. I thought of Laura’s question
about Csilla’s seduction of men and women. I wondered if she was
attempting to seduce me.

“Countess Dracula! Baroness Dosza! Here
you are!”

I leaped to my feet at the sound of
Percy’s voice and clapped my hands joyously. He strode down the
lawn toward us, hat in hand, grinning. The moonlight glinted off
his gold hair and he looked quite dashing.

“Percy! You’re have returned!” I rushed
up to greet him.

“It was a marvelous trip! A success. I
gave a bolt of the most beautiful blue silk I have ever seen to
Magda. It will make you a lovely dress.”

I kissed his cheek and clung to his arm
as we walked back to where the Baroness was waiting. Despite my
hatred of the woman, I had to admit she was a striking creature
with her creamy white skin and dark hair. She had ceased in her
attempt to seduce Percy, believing him to be my lover, but she
still greeted him with a seductive smile and lingering kiss on the
cheek.

“Where did you go? What did you see?”
Taking our seats, I felt relieved at his presence. With Percy I
felt mortal and alive. It was a wonderful feeling.

“I actually traveled to Vienna to
broker a new trading contract.”

“I was there once! It’s lovely!” Csilla
sipped some red wine and grinned. “Full of mad musicians and
desperate poets.”

“It is most definitely a city of music.
I have had the honor of hearing some beautiful music while
visiting. I rather enjoy Ludwig Van Beethoven’s works. I was once
invited to hear him play at the home of a business associate. It
was breathtaking.” Percy poured himself a bit of wine and slouched
down in his chair to relax.

I had fallen silent while they spoke.
Vienna was the home of the Mistress of both Vlad and Ignatius. I
felt a pain deep within me at the thought of Ignatius being so far
from me.

Csilla and Percy chatted back and
forth, discussing various composers. I listened, but did not really
pay attention to their words. I dread concerts, not being fond of
music as a whole. I rarely hear anything I truly like. I once took
voice lessons, but my voice is not remarkable. My piano lessons
were a catastrophe that often ended in my teacher shouting at me
while I banged away on the wrong keys. I do enjoy operas if they
are filled with costumes and lovely sets and are not about Vlad
Dracula.

“…
so I was quite pleased,”
Percy was saying to Csilla, “to seal such a lucrative contract
while listening to such lovely music. If only I could have sealed
the music in a box so I could play it for you now.”