The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (7 page)

With a burst of laughter, Adem
relented. “Well, done.”

“Perhaps I am learning after all,” I
said, experiencing a twinge of pride.

“I do believe you are.”

“But I do confess my skirts are a
disadvantage,” I murmured, gazing down at my torn hem.

“Perhaps we could have a good
seamstress create a way for you to pull them up quickly without
pausing in battle.”

“Perhaps little drawstrings?” I
considered this notion, pursing my lips. “Yes. I like the sound of
that. I do wish Magda was here. She would help me. Katya can barely
mend.”

Chuckling, Adem lowered himself to
recline on the grass. “Katya is completely enamored with
you.”

“She would be enamored by any vampire.
Vlad has twisted her and darkened her soul,” I responded with a
frown. My clothing was already mussed and dirty from our mock
battle, so I sank to the ground beside Adem, grateful to take a
moment to rest. I gazed at our surroundings, drinking in the rich
beauty of the night. The darkened valley spread out before us with
the Arges appearing as a silver serpent winding through the forest.
TheCarpathian Mountains enclosed the valley like imposing sentinels
and I could see the castle perched high above, illuminated by the
full moon hovering low in the sky.

A pang of loneliness swept over me. I
felt the yearning for Vlad once more rise inside of me, the false
love created in me by his blood, and I hated him. I thought of my
vampire sisters and my throat tightened with the pain of their
betrayal. I had lost not only my human family, but my vampire
family as well. If not for Adem, I would be terribly
alone.

“It is beautiful here,” Adem
decided.

“Yes, it is,” I conceded, my heart
heavy, “but it is my hell.” My gaze strayed to the glittering
ribbon of the Arges River. I remembered far too well how I had
tried to plunge myself into its depths to escape Vlad
Dracula.

“I am sorry for the loss of your
family. I miss mine very much and it has been centuries.” Adem’s
brow furrowed over his dark eyes, the scars on his face appearing
deeper and darker, almost as if they were fresh wounds.

I plucked at the grass with my fingers.
“I miss my sister’s ridiculously delicate composition. I miss my
father’s completely calm, rational mind. I miss my mother’s fiery
temper and undying faith.” I felt tears well in my eyes, my vision
distorting as I returned my gaze to the castle. “Strange. In life I
considered myself closest to my father. He was my confidant, my
fervent supporter, and constant defender. But in death, it’s my
mother I think of most often.” I could not bring myself to confess
that it was I who had taken her life when Vlad had trapped me in
her prison cell, ravenous with hunger and desperate to feed. My
mother had given herself willingly to me. It had been a sacred act,
her blood a sacrifice to give life to her daughter. I missed her
and my heart stuttered as a tear fell down my cheek.

“Are they buried there?” Adem gestured
toward the distant shape of the castle rising above the
mountains.

“No.” I shook my head, miserable in my
mourning. “I desire to bury them in Buda if possible. I wish I
could return them to England, but...” I shrugged. “Their bodies are
secured in a chest in the hotel’s storage. The gypsies gave me
their bodies when I left the castle.”

“Vlad allowed you to do this?” Adem
tilted his head, his eyebrow arched.

I bit my bottom lip. I wanted
dreadfully to confess to Adem all that had happened, but I did not
dare. I was certain that I should keep my terrible act against Vlad
a secret. Vlad had never instructed me in the ways of vampire
society and Adem had a distinct advantage over me in that regard. I
could not be certain that what I had perpetrated against Vlad was
acceptable. I suspected it was not. Additionally, I was a wife, a
bride, a woman. I could not believe that vampires would be any more
lenient toward my sex than humans were toward women.

“You keep much from him, do you
not?”

“A woman always has her secrets,” I
answered coyly.

Adem laughed heartily. “So you do. So
you do.” Looking toward the castle, he tilted his head slightly.
“Shall we go visit your husband?”

“No!” Before I could rein in my
emotions, I cast a look of utter horror toward Adem. “No. I
mean...I would rather not.” I floundered in my panicked state,
averting my face quickly, my heart thudding hard within my
chest.

“I see,” he said, and I feared he
did.

I fussed with my skirt and struggled to
find words to speak that would diffuse the tension that had risen
between us. None seemed sufficient to divert suspicion and I
remained silent.

“Well, let us return to the hotel. I
have a surprise for you there,” Adem said after several long,
painfully silent moments in which he had sat beside me in quiet
contemplation. He now seemed to have dismissed my outburst
altogether.

“Truly?” My interest was piqued and my
nervousness lessened. “What is it?”

“Would it be a surprise if I were to
divulge that information?” Adem laughed and climbed to his
feet.

“I would be surprised in this moment,”
I assured him. “Therefore it would not be ruined by telling me what
it is because you would reap the reward of seeing my
reaction.”

Leaning down, he took hold of my hands
and drew me to my feet. “Yes, perhaps. But I would much rather
leave you in suspense until you lay your beautiful blue eyes upon
my gift.”

I stomped my foot at him. “I want to
know now!”

Chuckling, Adem strode to the horses,
summoning them.

“Really, Adem. You are truly being most
cruel.” I rushed after him, holding my skirts up as I lamented the
condition of my torn petticoat.

“It will lift your spirits, I can
assure you,” Adem replied, helping me up onto my horse.

“My spirits are fine,” I said quickly.
“Truly. I have recovered from my maudlin repose.”

Shaking his head, Adem’s dark curls
bounced under his turban. “Ah, my Countess, I may not have known
you very long, but I can see that you are lonely. Otherwise, you
would not be so willing to befriend your guard and make slips with
your pretty pink tongue that you can ill afford to make in our
world.”

I clutched my reins tightly in my
gloved hands and swallowed my gasp. Adem’s dark gaze met my own and
the solemn set to his lips chilled me.

Without another word, Adem climbed onto
his horse and we were off.

As the horses' hooves
thundered toward Bistriţ
a far faster than
any natural creature could, I considered turning my horse about and
fleeing into the forest. I knew not where I could hide during the
day and quashed the impulsive idea. Despite my fear, I did believe
I could trust Adem. From our previous conversations it was clear
that Adem was in no way an admirer of Vlad Dracula, but I feared
that he would not be able to protect me if what I had done was
revealed.

When we reached the hotel, I once more
considered fleeing into the waning night, but knew that I dare not.
I dismounted and strode to the hotel, Adem falling into step behind
me. His hand gently touched my waist and I glanced up at
him.

Leaning toward me, he whispered, “Do
not fear me. I only wish to protect you.”

I felt tears spring to my eyes and was
about to answer when I heard a beloved voice.

“Mistress!”

My loyal maidservant rushed toward me,
her smile full of joy. To my shock and embarrassment, she fell to
her knees before me, gripped my hands and kissed them. I swiftly
pulled her to her feet.

“Magda! It is so good to see
you!”

“Oh, my dear Countess, I am so happy to
be with you once more. I have truly missed you. The Haven is
lovely, but I worried so for you.” Magda’s dark eyes glimmered with
tears.

“I thought it best you have proper help
to attend to your needs,” Adem said, a satisfied grin on his
lips.

“I cannot thank you enough!” My
maidservant had been a true ally when I had been in Buda with Vlad.
She had helped keep my affair with Ignatius a secret and her
loyalty was unwavering. When I had finally realized the depth of
her devotion, I had been truly touched. I cared for her as I never
had any other servant in my former household.

“Your hem!” Magda exclaimed as she
noticed the torn fabric trailing along the floor.

“I tore it when learning to fight,” I
explained.

“To fight?”

“
With a dagger!” I
boasted.

“Oh, my!” She looked horrified, yet
impressed. Though her appearance was that of a woman not much older
than I, Vlad’s blood had kept her young and strong for more years
than I could probably imagine. Though human, she sipped his blood
in a ritual that bound her to him.

“Vlad never taught me to defend myself,
but Adem is now teaching me.”

“She is actually quite good when she
pays attention to my instructions,” Adem confided to
Magda.

“I pay attention to your every word!” I
declared.

“When it suits you,” Adem
countered.

“Well...” I pursed my lips, then lifted
my shoulders. “Yes, yes...when it suits me.”

Adem chuckled as I smiled
coyly.

Her dark eyes scanning my clothing,
Magda regarded their condition with scorn. “I must tend to your
skirt immediately. It isn’t proper for you to be seen like this.
You are a countess.”

Feeling content to have Magda at my
side, I pulled off my gloves and hat. “I quite agree. I am rather
bedraggled after our adventure tonight. A bath would also be
lovely. Let us retire to my room.”

“I shall escort you there.” Adem
offered his arm politely.

I set my hand on his forearm and
squeezed it lightly. “Your surprise is fabulous. I am grateful.” I
gathered up my petticoats with my other hand and we ascended the
stairs together.

Chapter 5

The Journal of Countess
Dracula

May 26, 1820

The Golden Krone Hotel,
Bistriţa

Magda’s arrival has
created a semblance of normalcy in my nightly routine that I
embrace with gratitude. Frustrated with the condition of my shabby
room, she admonished the proprietor and set things in the proper
order. She purchased a new bathing tub and washing basin, disgusted
with the chipped and stained versions with which I had made do
since my arrival. The new curtains and bedclothes in my favorite
color of blue are reminiscent of my old room in Buda. My wardrobe
is immaculate, having been properly mended and pressed.

Katya has been sulking
about since Magda will no longer allow her to tidy up my room,
therefore limiting her interaction with me. Magda handpicked
another hotel maid to take up Katya’s former duties. It has been a
relief not to endure the girl’s constant attempts to seduce me into
feeding from her throat.

Adem seems amused by
Magda’s determination to ensure I am as comfortable as possible.
Frankly, I find it endearing. She is my ever faithful companion and
sleeps on a small bed in the corner of my room. When the terrors of
my dreams befall my slumber, she comforts me. I could weep with
thankfulness when I awaken to find her at my side with her soothing
hand stroking my hair until I am calm.

Though I have not found
Erzsébet, Ignatius’s whereabouts continue to be a mystery, and I
fear Vlad entering my dreams, I have found some measure of solace
now that Magda is at my side.

As I rose to sit at my dressing table
to compose myself after feeding, Magda escorted the guard who had
served as my meal to the door. I glanced toward the departing guard
while I wrapped my robe about me and watched as Magda whispered a
few words of thanks to him.

When the door opened, I glimpsed Katya
lingering in the hallway, her golden hair a halo in the candlelight
and her eyes glittering with yearning as she regarded me with
despair. The guard bowed, departed, and cast a wondering look upon
the girl as he passed.

Magda regarded Katya for a long moment,
her shoulders set with determination. Katya buckled beneath her
scorching glower and hurried past the room with a sad little cry.
Satisfied, Magda shut the door and locked it.

“She is trouble,” Magda
declared.

“Yes, I know.”

“Perhaps we should do something to
contain her obsession with you,” Magda suggested as she drew
near.

“Vlad has made that extremely
difficult. He has tampered with her mind and I cannot influence
her. I attempted to do so and failed.” It had been quite
frustrating to try to bend Katya’s mind to my will only to find
that I could not.

Magda exhaled with frustration.
“Nothing is ever as simple as it should be.”

She began to untwist the ends of the
strips of paper entwined in my hair to create proper curls. Before
her arrival I had been fashioning my hair with a comb, using the
natural curl of my hair to form the ringlets around my face. Magda
quickly dismissed this as unsatisfactory. My long red hair was now
braided and rolled into a fine ornate fashion on the back of my
head and the curls fashioned with the strips of paper would be much
tighter and fashionable than my natural ones. I only wished
Ignatius could see me appearing elegant once more.