The Mina Murray Series Bundle, A Dracula Retelling: Books 1-3

by L. D. Goffigan

  My heart broke at the sight that greeted us. Jonathan sat on the scratched wooden floor of the barren cottage, his face buried in his hands, his shoulders drooped with misery. I turned, gesturing for Gabriel to leave us, and after a moment of hesitation, he obliged.

  “Stay away from me,” Jonathan said once we were alone, without looking up. “I fear I will hurt you again.”

  “I will do no such thing,” I said, taking a tentative step towards him. “We are husband and wife now. We’ll fight this together.”

  “I–I do not know what happened,” Jonathan said brokenly, finally looking up at me with anguished eyes. “I was fully myself, and so very happy. But the images she put in my mind of you and Van Helsing . . . I kept seeing them, and my hands—”

  “You must fight, Jonathan. Use that same strength you had in the fortress to hold on to your mind,” I urged, taking another step forward.

  He shot to his feet, backing away from me, holding out his hands to indicate that I should come no further.

  “I can sense everything now—even emotions. It is agony,” he said brokenly. “I can even sense your love for him.”

  “Have I not traveled across Europe to save you? Does that not prove the depth of my love for you?” I demanded, feeling the growing weight of despair in my chest. “Did I not marry you last night?”

  “I do not doubt your love for me,” Jonathan said, with a sad smile. “But I know you love him as well. I–I suspected it that night at the ball, but I can truly sense it now. Do you deny it?”

  I hesitated. I now knew that my love for Abe had never completely dissipated. Jonathan deserved my honesty.

  “No,” I said finally, and he blanched, but I boldly stepped forward until I was within reach of him, gripping his arms. “But our relationship has long been over. You are the one I married, Jonathan. You are the one I risked my life to save.”

  “I know,” Jonathan whispered, turning away from me and closing his eyes. He pressed his fingers to his lids, as if he wanted to physically suppress whatever he was seeing in his mind’s eye. “But I need you to stay away from me.”

  “Jonathan,” I pleaded, tears springing to my eyes. “This is not you. We vowed just last night to—”

  “I need you to stay away because I love you,” he said raggedly, still not looking at me. “I am not the same man I was. I will soon be a monster. I never should have made you marry me.”

  “You did not make me marry you!” I cried. “We were already engaged. I wanted to marry you! Don’t let what that monster has done to your mind control you. I will kill her, you will be healed, and we will live as husband and wife—as we intended before any of this happened.”

  “I need time,” Jonathan said, after a long pause, taking another step away from me. “Until—and if—you kill Ilona, and my mind returns to me, it is best that we remain apart. And . . . and I need Van Helsing to stay away from me as well.”

  I stared at him in disbelief, but by the rigidity of his body and the set of his jaw, I could tell that he meant every word. I tried to move closer to him, but he took several steps back until he was against the wall, holding up his hands to impede my approach.

  “Am I to be punished for having a past before you? For loving him before you?” I demanded incredulously. “We have just wed. I will not allow you to give up on us.”

  “You have no choice,” Jonathan said, meeting my eyes with a coldness that I had never seen in him before. “This is not a punishment. It is for your safety, Mina.”

  He abruptly moved past me, keeping his distance as he moved to the door to swing it open. I looked at him, pleading with my eyes, but his expression was rigid.

  Furious, I stalked past him to leave the cottage. I kept walking until I found another nearby empty cottage, entering and closing the door behind me.

  I slid to the floor, wrapping my arms around my body as I allowed my despair to take hold, and I began to weep.

  When we departed two hours later, I had managed to compose myself, and my face was a stoic mask as I rode out of the village alongside Gabriel, Abe, and Seward. Jonathan rode ahead with Nikolaus and Kudret, not sparing me a glance, and a stab of pain pierced me at his blatant disregard.

  After my row with Jonathan, Abe, Gabriel and Seward’s curious gazes followed me when I returned to the cottage to change and pack my bag; but I said nothing to them. Jonathan and I were married now, and I was determined to keep our discord between us. I could only hope that he would come to his senses during the journey back to London.

  We encountered nothing out of the ordinary during our short journey to Debrecen, but this made me feel unsettled. Since our violent departure from the fortress, there had been no new attacks, and I knew that Vlad had scores of followers in Transylvania. Where had they all gone?

  I set aside the disturbing thought as we arrived in Debrecen. With its colorful homes, baroque style buildings and medieval cobblestoned streets, it reminded me of a smaller and more intimate version of Budapest.

  We separated from the released humans once we were safely in the boundaries of the city. Some had family in Debrecen, while others were heading to Budapest and other nearby cities. Elisabeta gave me a warm embrace before departing with the others, and I urged her to be safe.

  The remaining group consisted of me, Gabriel, Abe, Seward, Jonathan, and four of our vampire allies—including Nikolaus and Kudret. We continued towards the stables near Debrecen’s central square, where we left our horses. Gabriel led us to Radu’s nearby home, which was a near replica of the one he owned in Budapest, with a yellow stucco façade and surrounded by tall iron gates.

  “Radu?” Gabriel called out as we entered, trailing him down the narrow entrance hall. “Anara?”

  He was met with silence, and dread stirred in the pit of my stomach. We followed Gabriel into the drawing room, where Anara, Szabina, and five more of our vampire allies that I recognized from Szabina’s village were gathered. The looks on their faces ranged from shock, to grief, to despair. Anara and Szabina were seated on two plush chairs opposite the fireplace, and they barely acknowledged us as we entered the room. My sense of dread increased when I noticed that Radu was not seated amongst them.

  “Anara?” Gabriel asked, his voice quivering. “Where . . . where is Radu?”

  When Anara looked up, I saw her eyes were filled with a sheen of blood tears. She did not need to speak for us to know of Radu’s fate.

  “No,” Gabriel whispered.

  Around me, the others gasped and let out strangled sobs of grief. Seward paled, and Abe leaned back heavily against the wall, burying his face in his hands.

  Though I had only known Radu briefly, my chest became heavy with my own grief for the creature who had displayed such kindness and empathy towards us. But beneath my grief, I felt a pang of guilt. If we had never come to him in Budapest, he would still be alive.

  “What happened?” I asked, dreading the answer.

  “We were surrounded by Vlad’s followers in the great hall,” Szabina replied. “Radu saved us. He led Vlad and his followers out to the courtyard. He knew he was the main focus. We tried to go after him, but a group of ferals attacked us.”

  “I almost made it to him,” Anara spoke up, her voice strained, blood tears streaking down her face. “I managed to get to the courtyard, where Radu and Vlad were fighting. But before I could approach, that traitor Matyas held me down. He made me watch Radu and Vlad fight. I thought Radu would be able to overpower his son, but I underestimated how deep Vlad’s hatred runs for his father. I was helpless. I could do nothing,” Anara faltered, pressing her hand to her mouth. Szabina reached out to place her hand on Anara’s shoulder.

  At the mention of Matyas’ name, Gabriel and I exchanged a dark look as we realized that the creature who had killed our mother was still alive.

  “Vlad tore out Radu’s throat,” Szabina whispered with great difficulty. Anara buried her face in her hands, as if she were trying to block out the images of Szabina’s w
ords. “Then he ripped out his heart while it still pumped.”

  “The pain in my father’s eyes,” Anara rasped, her voice heavy with tears. “As he looked at his own son . . . dying at his hands . . . I will never forget it. I screamed. I cannot recall what happened afterwards. I know Matyas released me, and Vlad fled the fortress, taking his remaining followers with him. We buried Radu at the fortress. After this is all over, and I kill his monstrous children, I will bury him next to his Ludmila. ”

  My own tears swelled, temporarily blurring my vision. I could tell that Radu had loved his son, even though he knew what a monster he was. What agony it must have been to die at his hands. He had not deserved such a death.

  “We captured several of his ferals to find out where Vlad went,” Szabina said. “But their minds are closed to us.”

  “We know where he is.”

  It was Jonathan who spoke up. He had been standing in the back of our group, hovering by the doorway, but he now moved to the front.

  “I am in the process of transformation. I am linked to Ilona through her blood. You can use me to track her. They are in London, I am quite certain of it.”

  “Then we must make haste,” Anara said, wiping at her eyes and shooting to her feet in a rapid move. “We must leave at once.”

  “We cannot be rash, Anara,” Szabina said gently. “We planned for the attack on the fortress, and still lost our leader and many of our own. Vlad and his sister know that we are after them. They will have many more of their followers in London.”

  “Then we assemble various groups,” Anara swiftly rejoined. “We can send a wire to allies of Radu to help us—I know they are still out there. They will join us.”

  “We can’t just go to London,” Seward said, frowning. “A group of bloody vampires entering the city en masse for a battle will cause such panic that—”

  “I do not care about the human population!” Anara cried. “They will soon all be very aware of our existence if Vlad even partially succeeds. It was only a matter of time before our war bled into your world.”

  “We do not have the numbers, nor do we have time to organize and recruit more allies,” Abe added, rubbing his temples.

  “Then what do you propose?” Anara demanded. “The longer we wait to attack, the more difficult it will be to locate them. They may not even remain in London.”

  In the space of silence that followed, an idea took root in my mind. It was a relatively simple solution, but terrifying and dangerous. The best ideas are the dangerous ones, Father had once told me. Always. Mister Darwin did not release On the Origin of Species for years because he knew it contained the most dangerous ideas. And look at what happened when he published it. He changed the world.

  My idea, though risky, could possibly save the world. I moved forward until I was in the center of the room.

  “We need to set a trap,” I said. “I agree that we should not confront them in London—too many human lives would be at risk. We need to lure them away from London rather than pursue them like we did before. Jonathan, you pointed out vacant estates in and around London to Vlad. Is there an estate outside of London where we can meet them? Somewhere relatively isolated?”

  “There is a vacant estate in Purfleet, called Carfax,” Jonathan said hesitantly, his features taut with worry. “But, Mina—”

  “How do you propose we lure them?” Anara interrupted, looking at me with incredulity.

  “We give them what they want. I’m the daughter of one of the last human members of the Order of the Dragon. Jonathan and I will convince them that we want to join their side. I’ll swear allegiance to Vlad and vow to destroy the Order from within. When they come to us at the estate in Purfleet, we’ll kill them. Their followers will scatter and the newly infected will die with them.”

  “Mina,” Jonathan breathed, shaking his head. “That is not—”

  “It has to be us who set the trap, Jonathan. Ilona is obsessed with you. She’s already affected your mind once; it’s not without reason that you’ve fallen sway to her. And Vlad has to be obsessed with destroying the Order; they nearly succeeded in killing him once,” I said.

  “It will not work. You’ll never convince them of your defection,” Anara protested. “Vampires can sense deception. Vlad is responsible both directly and indirectly for the deaths of your parents. You won’t be able to conceal your hatred for him. The Order of the Dragon has disbanded. There has not been an organized meeting for years—it’s no longer a threat to Vlad.”

  “He thinks it is still a threat. When I confronted him in the fortress, he told me that the Order and I are too late to stop him. As . . . as for my deception,” I continued, bracing myself for the reaction to my next statement. “There’s a very simple way of convincing them I’m telling the truth.”

  “What is that?” Anara asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowed.

  “I undergo the transformation Jonathan is going through now,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “I become vampire.”

  11

  The Blood

  The room erupted into a chorus of protests.

  “Mina, this is madness!” Abe shouted. “You cannot be serious. You do not know what effect such a transformation will have on you.”

  “You cannot put your life at such risk,” Jonathan agreed. “We will find another way.”

  “No, Mina,” Gabriel said furiously. “How can you even suggest such a thing?”

  “You could die,” Szabina added. “Are you willing to take such a risk?”

  “Listen to me, all of you,” I said, raising my voice above the continued protests and murmurs of incredulity. “If we use one of the captured feral vampires to . . . to drain me and feed me their blood, I’ll be connected to Vlad as they are. We have seen with Jonathan—and other humans—that it can take weeks or longer for the transformation to complete. I don’t need to be in the process of transformation for very long, only a day or two, until we confront and kill Vlad and Ilona. We can then kill the feral, and release us both from vampirism. I won’t be able to convince Vlad that I want to join them if I’m not in the process of becoming vampire.”

  “Mina,” Abe’s face was still pale with anxiety, “I acknowledge that your plan is a sound one, but there is no guarantee it will work. You heard Szabina. They have not yet been able to communicate with Vlad through the ferals. Why add even more risk to an already precarious enterprise?”

  “We have already tried ambushing them,” I replied. “They’re expecting us to do so again, and they’ll be prepared. They won’t expect us to join them. Luring them to us is our best chance of defeating them. Once Vlad and Ilona are dead, their followers will most likely scatter, and the ones who have been recently infected will be released from vampirism as well.”

  My words did not seem to reassure Jonathan, Abe, or Gabriel, who still looked worried. But Anara, Szabina, and even Seward, seemed slightly more convinced. The remaining vampires looked dubious.

  “The transformation gravely affects your mind,” Szabina said finally. “It affects everyone differently. There is no way to predict how it will affect you. Even if you are under the influence of the Blood for a brief period, you will have to fight for your sanity. You will have to welcome your own darkness without letting it consume you.”

  Icy fingers of dread crept up my spine at her words. I thought of what the transformation had done to Lucy and Jonathan. Its effect on me would indeed be unpredictable. But I held firm. I had to look past my fear if I was going to kill Vlad and Ilona.

  “I know this comes with great risk . . . and it may not work. But I worry that if we do not stop them in London, it’ll be too late.”

  “Mina’s plan is risky, but it may work,” Anara said, turning to address the others. “Our numbers are small, and time is against us, so we must all be in agreement. Are there any dissenters?”

  Again, I was surprised that Anara was helping me, even siding with me. It was hard to believe this was the same creature who had
nearly killed me on two separate occasions. I could only assume that it was desperation that propelled her—she fiercely wanted Vlad’s death.

  “Mina,” Jonathan spoke up, moving towards me, his hazel eyes shot with anxiety. “Szabina is quite right about the effect the transformation has on your mind. Look at what I am going through.”

  “It will be temporary,” I insisted, taking his hands. I was relieved that he was speaking to me, and he did not pull away my touch. “For both of us. Once Vlad and Ilona are dead, and we mercifully kill the feral who transformed me, we’ll both be released from vampirism. Many will be released. I believe this is the best way to end this nightmare.”

  Jonathan lifted my hands to his, kissing them, and I felt a soothing rush at the feel of his lips on my skin.

  “How could I have not known how very brave you are?” he whispered, his face infused with both worry and admiration. “Very well. I will go along with your plan.”

  The feral vampire lunged towards me, barely restrained by the shackles that chained her to the cellar wall. She was petite, with matted red hair and pitch black eyes that were hungrily trained on my throat. Despite her small size, she exuded great strength, and terror flooded me as I made myself stand stock-still.

  I was now standing in the cellar, protectively flanked by Szabina, Anara, Gabriel, Abe, and Seward. Though they were all silent, I could feel their tension.

  Before we had made our way down to the cellar, Jonathan approached and embraced me. I leaned in to him, relieved that he had not kept his distance from me as he’d vowed to in Transylvania. His eyes were wet with tears, and he confessed that it would be too difficult for him to watch the feral drink from me. Anara and Szabina had then pulled me aside to prepare me for what was to come.

  “I have the ability to control feral vampires. They are newly transformed and susceptible to hypnosis—not only from their maker, but from other vampires. Radu taught—” Anara’s voice caught as she spoke her maker’s name, and pain darted across her features before she continued. “Radu taught me how to do it years ago. It only works in our tongue. But the hypnosis does not always take. We were fortunate that it worked in the fortress,” she warned. “The feral will drain you of your blood. Under my guide, it will bite its wrist and press it to your lips. You will barely be conscious, and instinct will make you drink. You will then go into a deep sleep. When you awaken, the transformation will have already begun.”