Aleron: Book One of Strigoi Series (Stringoi Series)

by Kane

  “For all others who witnessed his death as a mortal met with gruesome untimely deaths of their own by an unknown beast. It was conjectured and later believed to be the doing of some type of wolf. I know it to be my beast,” Pandora smirked.

  “During the day, my prince continued growing his wealth by making strategic land deals.”

  During the day, I repeated to myself.

  “Yes, Aleron, our lord slumbers by choice, not necessity as his children must; though he somewhat resembles the walking dead during the hours of daylight. None of us can escape the effects of the sun. It simply deters his hunger, and lack of fresh blood weakens him and leaves him less luminous. Even though he is weaker, his powers of persuasion are heightened by a force or will unknown to me. This is how he continued to amass a fortune that rivaled the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. He could easily persuade aristocrats to sign over their deeds of land. There were some humans who weren’t affected by his mind control, but they soon became his meal. Then he would simply forge the necessary documents. The signatures, of course, were a perfect match.

  “Vlad soon commanded the armies of Northern Europe and all of Eastern Europe. Bucharest became a sovereign destination where kings and royal families would gather to pledge their allegiance to his growing empire. Christ was no longer the motivation. Greed and wealth replaced God in the eyes of man. Vlad knew this and used man’s lack of faith and understanding against him. His influence corrupted the Islamic as well as the Christian movement.

  “Decades would pass, and Vlad would withdraw more and more into his quest for power and dominion. There would be weeks and sometimes months before I would see him. I was forced to hunt alone. Confined to loneliness within the Carpathians, my longing for him became an unbearable cross to carry. When Vlad finally came to me, I could tell his focus was elsewhere. He was distracted. I enjoyed the company of his body, but his mind drifted. His eyes no longer looked upon mine with love and lust. They were withdrawn. This I couldn’t understand. Then, one night, an unfamiliar scent planted itself onto Vlad’s cloak. It was the unmistakable scent of a mortal. A female.

  “Vlad hunted and killed men in the most grotesque and animalistic manner, but he refused to dine on women. I often wondered why this discrimination existed within him, but I decided it would be wise not to inquire. As a result, I felt powerless and infused with anger.”

  Pandora’s voice grew sharp, her eyes looking keenly into the distance as her heart began to echo louder within the tiny frame holding her lungs. Her pace grew more rapid. I stood, thinking my movement would somehow calm her. It didn’t.

  “My prince had taken a fancy to a mortal woman. I couldn’t bring myself to ask, for the answer was known. Even before I could inquire, he would quickly sink his ferocious teeth into my bosom, and he would drink. All feelings of anger subsided. Again, I was lost in his spell. I couldn’t feel my body once in his grasp. His hold on me far exceeded my own. My body was his. My immortality his. My thoughts, visions, senses all belonged to him. I was simply helpless.

  “When I would awake, Vlad would be gone, and the anger would return. Who was this mortal? Where was she now? Was she filling the bed of one of his many castles? Peles? Sighisoara Citadel? Rasnov? Or his beloved Bran Castle? Was he visiting her as he visited me before my rebirth? Why was he drawn to her?

  “I began to search my memories from our last blood kiss for a trace of her. I needed to see her. I needed to see him with her. I didn’t want to. I needed to!

  “There was nothing. From that moment, I knew my prince could mask his thoughts from me. He could choose what visions I would see when we shared blood. I myself have learned to use this ability to a lesser extent. Vlad would see all. And I would gain nothing from my journey through his thoughts—nothing more than the scent he left of her essence in the room we shared. I left the room at once, wanting no more of her within me.

  “I dashed down the narrow corridor and knocked one of our mortal servants against the stone wall. The manservant gave a cry and slid to the ground below in agonizing pain. How fragile he was. He could be easily broken in two, his bones brittle like the branches of a dead and withering tree. I turned around to see him cowering in my presence. In his eyes resided fear, desperation, and death.

  “As vampires, we’re invulnerable to disease. We’ll never fall victim to aging ailments, viruses, or any other sickness one could imagine. But we share a common frailness with our human prey. Our hearts are fragile—even more fragile than that of a mortal’s. With the intense love we have for one another, we can also have great sorrow.

  “And when the essence of a mortal woman filled the air in my home, my heart fell. It cowered in agonizing pain. Our hearts are fragile. Though immortal in nearly every sense of the meaning, love can, too, drive us to an emotional death—a place that’s darker than even Vlad’s beastly eyes. In this place I felt a ferocious hunger, which matched my first. It wasn’t the hunger to feed, but the hunger to destroy. To kill!”

  In the moonlight I could see her teeth, glowing in their splendor. Pandora’s mouth was open with her tongue slightly exposed, almost as if she meant to taste the air or savor the recounting of her memories.

  “I persuaded one of Vlad’s lieutenants to disclose his location. Of course, he knew nothing of the true nature of his commander, and as any man, he was within my power before he knew it. Constantinople would be my destination. I left swiftly on foot.

  “I arrived in Byzantium, the capital, just after midnight. It didn’t take long for me to read the minds of men to find my beloved Vlad. Many here had come to know him through his business dealings and land ownership. The townspeople envied him. The women were drawn to him, but there was one woman he was drawn to.

  “Her name was Mynea Ardelean. She was of noble birth, her parents Count and Countess Ardelean of Constantinople, aristocrats and descendants of bloodlines that reached long before the birth of Christ. I knew of her family when I was a mortal woman. Wealth beyond wealth.

  “Count Ardelean lived in the Rumeli fortresses north of the city. Built by the Ottomans, Rumeli was erected to give the Ottoman Empire complete control of the ships passing through the Bosphorus River. After the conquest, it was turned into a prison for war criminals, housing mainly the officers. Count Ardelean purchased it for the countess once it was damaged in a failed siege and rebuilt it with the modern luxuries of our time, marble columns and statues with the likeness of the Ardelean lineage. Though the location was well known by all, penetrating it would be an altogether different task. With its menacing appearance and natural moat borders complete with cannons atop thirteen towers, it was truly a difficult feat for a mortal army. However, it was simply a minor delay for an enraged vampiress!

  “As a young vampire female, I developed the ability to seemingly disappear and reappear. This, however, is quite impossible. I simply move with such speed that even an immortal’s eyes cannot follow. The dark gifts are different within all of us. I used my stealth and unnatural speed to enter the well-guarded fortress my prince obviously so freely frequented while my bed remained empty. My purpose wasn’t to draw unnecessary attention to myself, though I felt a slight urge to drink.

  “Once inside, it took no time for me to pick up Mynea’s scent. She was in the higher levels of the enormous home. I passed many servants who knew nothing of my passing, save the wind they felt after I was well out of their eye and ear range. Though there were no windows to produce such a wind, the sentiment was to add it to the growing mystical sensation that became the very basis for supernatural rumors within this town. No doubt most were rumors about the comings and goings of my prince.

  “As the scent became stronger and stronger, I quickened my already devilishly fast pace. The anticipation numbed everything else. I was a cheetah on the trail of its prey. I was going to look upon the mortal woman who had stolen Vlad’s heart from me. I would anticipate our confrontation. What I would do with her, however, I didn’t know.

  “Finally, I was looki
ng directly at the door to her bedchamber. There was a man standing there half asleep. His duty to guard the door was prompted by Mynea’s father to guarantee her chastity. My frenzy took hold of me as I snatched the man from his half slumber into my bloodthirsty and vengeful grasp. Before he could utter a sound, I ripped out his throat with my mouth and drained him. I accomplished this without the slightest sound or detection.

  “I opened the door swiftly and threw his body in. I closed it and turned to my nemesis. She lay fast asleep. I had to see Mynea. I had to see what drew him to her. What did she possess that I didn’t?

  “Her quarters were lush with floral arrangements, gorgeous and vibrant. Dutch amaryllis accented by anthuriums. Purple lilacs and lilies highlighted a bed of pinkish-red roses. The arrangements numbered eleven, all situated in magnificent vases, her furniture simple and impressive, a vitrine and cabinet housing a tortoiseshell jewelry box. I stepped over the white animal fur lying on the ground and quietly examined the jewelry box. As soon as I opened it, my heart fell. A necklace identical to the one my beloved had given me lay gleaming within the confines of the tiny box. The once soft candlelight burst into an inferno as my fury climbed. I turned my attention back to Mynea.

  “Quickly I appeared before her. I looked at her lying there, blissfully unaware of the fate before her. She was angelically beautiful, sleeping peacefully and completely unaware of my presence. I took in every breath she took. I felt every move she made. I read every thought and examined every image within her dreams. Her eyes danced under her eyelids, consumed by visions, thoughts, and dreams of my prince, now hers. She was as I, when I was mortal.

  “She was beautiful, as was I, her skin, an olive tone, as was mine, yet slightly darker. Height proportionate with weight, as was mine. We were twins. Mortal and immortal alike. I had to see her eyes.

  “I laid my back on the headrest of her large epicurean bed. Gently I situated myself behind her, carefully raising her into my arms. Her head rested on my breast. I spoke to her mind, Wake, and her eyes opened. She wasn’t startled, for her mind was being controlled by me long before I ever approached her. She looked directly into my vampire eyes, hers a golden brown with slight hints of orange that were imperceptible to the eyes of mortals but radiantly visible to me. She couldn’t speak, for I wouldn’t allow her to in my presence. I wanted to see what my prince saw.

  “The rage began to build again. Uncontrollable fury filled my thoughts. My body began to shake all over. This mortal woman had found fancy in the eyes of Vlad. And while my hatred was at its paramount, I sank my teeth deep into her neck, and I sucked rapidly. Her death would be the only solution. Vlad would look upon her no more. He’d return to me. My heart would be whole once more.

  “I continued to drink. Visions of Vlad from her memories filled my thoughts. I realized the extent of his love, his passion, and his desire for her. And at that moment, that passion again belonged to me. This drove away all remaining sanity. I wanted to drain every drop of blood from her. Memories of her childhood, her parents, her teachers, her family. They were all mine. I was becoming the mortal I once was. With her death, I would have my life again!

  “Being completely captivated by this bloodlust numbed the feeling of a powerful hand throwing me across the room and into the stone wall. Mynea’s body returned to her pillow with a soft thump. Her eyes nearly void of life remained open as her chin dropped to her chest.

  “I felt pain for the first time in decades. The act was much too powerful for a mortal. My arms and legs were completely useless for the moment. I could feel my lungs and heart begin to bleed inside. My vision was clouded by the blood that dripped from my eyes. It took tremendous strength for me to lift my head and see my assailant, though I already knew that there was only one who possessed such power.

  “I could smell the unmistakable scent of death incarnate. His breath was heavy, his mind sharp, and his fury beyond measure. He came into focus as he knelt over Mynea’s withering body. He then whipped his head around, faster than my eyes could see, and pierced through my soul.

  “I didn’t feel sorry for what I’d done. I didn’t feel fury for what was subsequently done to me. I felt devastated by the look of sorrow in the eyes of my master. It was the same look I had seen in his eyes on my last mortal night, when death was at my door. I knew then what he saw in Mynea that he didn’t have in me.

  “He saw me in Mynea. He saw me as that mortal girl I once was. He was drawn to her mortality. He was living through her life. I realized he had made me what I am only because he couldn’t bear the thought of being without me. He lived by watching her life. He wanted to see her eat. He wanted to see her love. He wanted to taste her warm flesh without condemning her to a life of eternal damnation. He truly fell in love with our humanity, the tale of Beauty and the Beast told in this distorted form.

  “My body began to heal rapidly. I could feel my bones realigning themselves. My internal bleeding came to a halt. The blood tears dried on my cheeks. Still dazed, I stood slowly to my feet. Vlad’s eyes had grown red with grief. ‘I have caused enough pain for this night,’ I thought. I vanished as quickly as I could. I left him there with Mynea. I robbed him of his attachment to the world of the living. For that, his forgiveness would take an eternity. So I thought.

  “I returned to the castle and retreated to my bedchamber. I was noticeably shaken, and the servants knew something was amiss, yet they dared not query.

  “Night transformed into day, and the vampire paralysis took its hold on me. Slumber was inevitable, and my eyes found the darkness they had sought since the night began.”

  CHAPTER 17

  efore I opened me eyes I realized I wasn’t alone. When I opened them, I saw Vlad. He was sitting in a chair staring at the flame of a candle. Without turning to me he began to speak, slowly, as if chewing and tasting each syllable: ‘I am regretful, my love.’ His voice was filled with pain and affliction.

  “I lay motionless in my bed, silent. And he began again. ‘To hurt you is to hurt me. The betrayal you think you committed is not a betrayal at all. No doubt by now you have come to realize the meaning of it all and my desperation for mortal companionship.’

  “He turned toward me and seemingly floated to my bedside, his open cloak flowing behind him. Remembering his gentle manner, he lay down with me and pulled my head to his chest.

  “‘My love for you grew out of desire and necessity,’ he continued as I listened to his heartbeat. ‘Immortality is a death. To be immortal means to die slowly every day and every night. You witness the passing of your family and loved ones. You cling to them desperately as you watch their bodies deteriorate with the victimization of time. All you’ve known comes to a slow and painful end. When I became what I am, I tried to live among the living. I tried to be like I once was. I hated the curse of bloodlust and the need to steal human souls to live on. I failed and became a beast. I fed on man and animal alike, without prejudice or regard. All of my humanity was lost. I vowed never to condemn another to this eternal death sentence. Then I saw, in the memories of one of my victims, an angelic face that demanded my attention. Once I looked upon this face in the flesh, I was captivated by its aura. A new desire was born within. A desire to live again. To thrive again. To love again. It was you, Pandora, who gave me back my way. Through our courtship, I came to regain what was stolen from me. My soul. My love for you has never changed. I love you now as I loved you then.’

  “I looked into his eyes and knew this to be true. Not because I wanted it to be true or because I needed it to be. It just was. It just is. He never stopped loving me. He hates his endless existence. Only after living for centuries have I come to fully understand this notion. We all begin to question our immortality and begin to discover an alternative to life—living through the lives of mortals. For over two weeks it was just as it was before. For the first time in decades, we hunted together, four, sometimes five victims a night. We were again happy in our bloodlust, yet he still was distant at times. I tr
ied to probe his mind, but it was completely blocked. Whatever it was, he didn’t want me to know. It didn’t matter much, for I knew whatever it was it would be discovered as an eventuality of time. That time came exactly twenty nights from the night I killed her.

  “I awoke to a strange and unfamiliar scent within the walls of Castle Bran. It wasn’t of a mortal, and it wasn’t of Vlad. Though he was in the castle, he wasn’t in my bedchamber. I left the room in search of this strange scent and came to the door of another room where Vlad would often allow traveling aristocratic members of society to slumber. The door was slightly open, and I heard his voice. I opened the door and walked in. Vlad was kneeling at the bedside. There was another lying in the bed. Another immortal.

  “I came closer, and in a moment of surreal reality, I saw my mortal twin, once slain by my hatred, in the body of a vampire. I tried to move forward, but something was holding me perfectly still. It was Vlad. This was a power I’d not witnessed until that moment. He had complete control of my body, without even looking at me. He continued talking to Mynea, while I struggled to free myself from his paralyzing hold. It was futile. I couldn’t break his grasp.”

  The sharpness of diction that accompanies rage returned to Pandora’s voice. I could see the anger in her eyes. Clearly she was reliving the moments she spoke of.

  “Vlad stood and turned to me. ‘Be still, my love,’ he tenderly commanded. ‘Calm yourself. You have no enemy in me or in Mynea. She’s your immortal sister, same as you are hers. You’ll bring no harm to her as she’ll bring no harm to you. In time your anger will subside as you’ll find necessary companionship in her as she will in you. You’ll come to rely on her as she’ll rely on you, as I now rely on you both.’ His chest rose before he continued in a commanding tone, ‘I’m the master of this home and everywhere your travels will take you. You will do as I command, lest you suffer my ire. This has been explained to her as well. She won’t try to harm you, for I forbid it.’