by Logan Keys
“Oh, we have some. Fairies and other magical creatures in Brittany, spirits of all kinds, some witches, vampires, succubi-”
“Yes, but don’t you have something more… specific? Something rarer? I have called a couple of friends around the world last night, people with knowledge and influence, and none of them has ever heard of anything similar to your case.”
“Well…” the inspector thought for a minute, then he frowned, “No… It can’t be.”
“What?” I asked, eager. I hated suspense.
“Do you know of the Keepers?”
“I have heard of them,” Lady Dracula said.
I was in the dark. “No idea what you’re talking about.”
“They are humans, or so we believe. They are born with the power to control elements. We don’t know where they come from or how they were born, but they do exist. I don’t see how they could be related to the case, though. They have a very strict code of honor and rules, some agreements they signed with mother nature. I’m not an expert, but I know they wouldn’t do that.”
“What if it happened, though?”
“Then they would get punished by nature in a very harsh way. A storm, a tornado, a tsunami, there are a lot of ways in which nature can punish such rebellion.”
“We’ll be ready for reprisals, because the killer is a Keeper,” Lady Dracula declared. Before I or the inspector could question her, she continued, “I think they mastered blood bending. Seventy percent of the human body is made of water and is most present in liquid form in blood. Why they took the blood, I have no idea, but they definitely did something so that their kind wouldn’t be targeted. They tried to disguise their crime as a vampire attack. They’re an insult and a threat to my kind.”
At the woman’s words, graphic images of what must have been the worst torture ever created by men flooded my mind. I got nauseous. With my heart in my throat, I couldn’t hold back my words, “This is disgusting.”
In front of me, Inspector Dumas was livid. White as marble, sweat pearled on his forehead and I knew his thoughts and mine were in the same place. We were silent, refusing to acknowledge what suddenly became a main lead. How could someone do something so horrible? What exactly could they do with such power? How far were they going to go? What was their goal, did they have any at all?
All these questions swirled in my mind, and I was sickened to the core, but apparently it wasn’t Lady Dracula’s case.
Composed, she stood. “The culprit isn’t a vampire, but I do not want my people to be associated with this repulsive being. I will help you as I can, but I must go home, meet with my husband and the Council. We will discuss a course of action.” Taking her bag with her, she walked to the door. “I will keep you updated.” Then she left the room.
And just like that, she was gone. Later, when I returned to the hotel, she’d already left. She could’ve said goodbye, at least. For some reason, I wasn’t surprised.
Dumas said I could go home, too. “It’s the French’s duty to take care of this now. Thank you for your precious help,” he added, but something wasn’t right.
I spent the afternoon thinking. Thinking about this mysterious, crazy, exasperating vampire Lady, but also about this little bit of adventure. Thinking about all these questions I had, about the horror of this fascinating case.
I could go home…
…or I could stay.
Yes, I could stay and find the answers to these questions myself. What were the Keepers? Why did one of them go rogue? What would be the price for their madness? What was the relationship between the Keepers and Nature?
I didn’t know, but I couldn’t wait to find out.
Published in the United States
by Le Chat Publishing
Copyright Le Chat Publishing - 2017
Mrs. Dracula and its stories are all works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons — living or dead — and any events or locals used is entirely coincidental.
With the exception of excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise transmitted without the express permission from the publisher.