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

by L. D. Goffigan

  “Promise me that we’ll still be in each other’s lives. Write to me. Call on me. Please,” I whispered.

  “Of course,” Jonathan replied, reaching out to touch the side of my face with tenderness. “And I shall never forget that I have a life because of you.”

  I closed my eyes and leaned in to his touch, and we stood quietly for a moment before he withdrew. And then he was gone, descending the stairs and heading down the street with his hands shoved into his pockets, his head lowered, trailed by two large men who I recognized from our group––his vampire guards. I remained on my doorstep, my heart filled with a maelstrom of conflicting emotions—love, sadness, resolve, excitement. I watched him until he disappeared into a cab at the end of the street.

  Now, Clara listened intently as I finished recounting what had occurred. She gave me a sympathetic smile, her eyes dropping to my now ringless hand.

  “I noticed when you came in yesterday . . . wanted you ta tell me when you were ready. He was not t’man for you, my bairn.”

  “I thought you liked Jonathan,” I said, surprised. “You never raised any objection to our courtship.”

  “I do. He’s a good man. I could tell he loved you ‘n you seemed happy. I t’ought by marryin’ him you’d stay away from Transylvania ‘n out of danger,” she said, her eyes twinkling at the irony. “Anyone wit’ eyes can see who you should be wit’,” she added mischievously.

  “Clara—”

  “T’at’s all I’m going ta say,” Clara said, raising up her hands. “Let’s get you packed.”

  “You’re not going to try to stop me?” I asked in disbelief. I had braced myself for her protest to my departure.

  “You wouldn’t listen if I did . . . ‘n you have your brother. I like him, even if he is . . . you know,” she added hastily.

  “I know,” I said, giving her an amused smile.

  I washed and dressed in a comfortable lavender walking suit, and she helped me pack my trunk before we ate breakfast together. To my surprise, she asked me for details about my journey to Transylvania. I began with Lucy directing us to Transylvania under hypnosis, the attack on the Demeter, Arthur’s death, the villagers in Holland who helped us, Greta’s experiments in Amsterdam, the train derailment, the discovery of Gabriel, meeting Radu and Anara, and the revelations from Szabina about my mother. When I was finished, it took me a moment to realize that my eyes glistened with tears, and Clara reached out to cover my hand with hers.

  “My brave bairn,” she murmured, her eyes also shimmering with tears.

  We sat in silence for a long moment before I told her I needed to make two stops before I left, and she urged me to go, insisting that she would finish the last of my packing.

  My first stop was the school. I surprised the teacher who had taken my place, a woman my age with frizzy blonde hair, gentle brown eyes and an amiable nature. She graciously paused her lesson to allow me to bid my students farewell.

  Their faces fell at the news of my departure, but one student boldly asked for a final adventure story. I hesitated before glancing at the teacher, who gave me an encouraging nod.

  The students listened with wide-eyed attention as I told them an amended version of the tale I told Clara—replacing vampires with wolves, omitting the more violent moments, and changing the names of all involved. When I finished, the silence was deafening.

  “Did that really ‘appen, Missus?” asked young Isaac Morris, his eyes round.

  “Of course it did,” I said, giving him a conspiratorial wink. I turned to look at the teacher, who was looking at me with mild disconcertion.

  “Take care of them,” I said. She blinked and nodded, giving me an assuring smile.

  As I left the classroom and headed down the corridor towards the exit, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

  “Miss Murray.”

  I stilled, turning to find Horace waddling towards me with his trademark scowl.

  “I overheard you telling the children another one of—”

  “There is no need to scold me, Mister Welling. I’m leaving my post.”

  I initially had no intention of telling him of my resignation in person, and I’d written a letter that was to be sent to him after I departed London. I felt no desire to see the look of pleasure on his face when I resigned, and I was irritated that I would now to be forced to do so.

  But Horace stiffened, actually looking disappointed by my news. He must have had the hope of sacking me himself.

  “Good,” he said. “I would have gladly released you from your post myself. You still violated our agreement by plying the children with another of those nonsensical stories. Therefore, I will have to begin discussions about funding for the class.”

  “What?” I breathed, horrified.

  “You heard me,” he said, looking quite pleased by my reaction. “I—”

  But he faltered, his eyes straying to something behind me, and I turned.

  Nikolaus and Kudret had entered the corridor behind me. Though they were dressed like London gentlemen, there was no denying their otherworldly nature, and they looked like dark avenging angels as they loomed at the end of the corridor. Abe was right; I had almost forgotten that they were shadowing me.

  I turned back to face Horace, whose focus remained on the two vampires, looking absolutely terrified.

  “Mina,” Kudret said from behind me. “Are you all right?”

  “What were you saying, Horace?” I asked coolly, struggling to suppress a smile of relief.

  “I . . . ah—” he faltered, his eyes still on the vampires behind me. “I wish you the best. Thank . . . thank you for your work here.”

  “And I thank you,” I returned. “I hope not to hear of anything happening to this class or the students. Otherwise, my friends will be quite upset.”

  “Of . . . of course not,” Horace said, taking a faltering step backwards as Nikolaus and Kudret stepped forward to flank me, never taking their eyes from his pale face.

  I thanked them once we left the school, smiling as I recalled the look on Horace’s face.

  We took the Underground back to Highgate, and I made my way to Highgate Cemetery. Nikolaus and Kudret lingered behind as I walked ahead of them, taking the familiar path to my parents’ graves.

  I kneeled down in front of their headstones. It was odd visiting here, now that I knew their many secrets. But I no longer felt any bitterness towards them, only a calm acceptance. I understood why they wouldn’t want me to know of the hidden world of vampires; it was a world filled with evil and constant danger. But now that I was well aware of it, there would be no going back, and I had been foolish to think otherwise.

  I have avenged your deaths, I said silently, reaching out to touch their engraved names. I understand that you wanted to protect me, but I must prevent more deaths.

  When I returned home, my trunk was completely packed. Clara’s eyes brimmed with a fresh wave of tears as we embraced farewell.

  “What did you say to Abe when we left the first time?” I asked when I pulled away from her, struck by the memory from weeks ago.

  “I told him I know how much he loves you, and ta keep you safe,” Clara replied, with a knowing smile.

  During the brief train journey to Thatcham, my thoughts drifted to Abe. Abe, who had never been far from my thoughts, even during the years of our separation. Abe, whose voice had brought me back from the brink of death. Abe, whom I loved—whom I had always loved.

  When I arrived at Gabriel’s home, a sprawling brick farmhouse on the outskirts of Thatcham, Nikolaus and Kudret trailed me inside the unlocked front door. As soon as we entered, I heard the rise of familiar voices from the drawing room at the end of the entrance hall.

  “He only wants to go to Amsterdam because his bloody lab is there,” Seward was protesting. “We’re surrounded by vampires. We don’t need any more experiments, Abe. What we need is to find these—”

  “That is not why I want to go back,” Abe interjected. “Greta has done exte
nsive research in the library, and she has more—”

  “She can wire us any information she has,” Seward said. “Going back to Amsterdam isn’t needed when—”

  He fell silent, blinking at me in astonishment as I entered the large drawing room that was filled with familiar faces. Abe, Seward, Gabriel, Anara, and Szabina. They were all seated in chairs or standing around the unlit fireplace.

  At the sight of them, I was filled with warmth. I hadn’t realized how much I missed this group of humans and vampires.

  The silence stretched as they all took me in, agape. Szabina and Seward slowly broke into broad smiles. Anara remained stoic, though I glimpsed a flicker of pleasure in her eyes. Gabriel frowned with concern, while Abe looked bewildered.

  “I suggest we go to Matford,” I said calmly. “My father’s family has a country home there that was left to him. Do you remember it, Abe? He only used it when he needed time away from London to work on his publications.”

  My words seemed to tear Abe from his shock, and he lurched to his feet, his eyes straying accusingly towards my guards.

  “Yes, I remember, but we are not using it because you are not coming with us. What are you doing here? Where is your husband?”

  “He is in London, and I am coming with you,” I said. “We can’t stay here. It’s not safe. Matyas knows of Gabriel, and I have no doubt that he can find out where he lives. The home in Matford can accommodate us before we move on to our next destination. Father kept much of his research there. We know he was researching vampires. There may be something of use to us there.”

  “No,” Abe said. “It is far too dangerous for you to come with us, I have explained why. Vlad’s remaining followers will be hunting for you. Surely, your husband does not want you to put—”

  “Jonathan and I have ended our marriage,” I evenly replied. “He’s the one who told me of your plans.”

  Another silence fell over the group, and they all exchanged uncomfortable looks at my news. A flicker of some emotion I could not identify passed over Abe’s face before it was gone again, and he looked away.

  “You barely survived your encounter with Vlad and Ilona,” Gabriel spoke up, stepping forward. “It’s not safe for you to—”

  “It’s not safe for anyone until we find and kill Vlad’s allies,” I interrupted.

  “Haven’t either of you learned?” Seward asked, rising to his feet. “It’s best not to argue with Mina when she’s made up her mind.”

  “Thank you, Seward,” I said.

  “Mina Harker, the infamous killer of the Dracula,” Seward continued, giving me a wry smile. “Of course, she can join us.”

  “Mina Murray,” Abe corrected him, looking cross. “She just informed us she is no longer married.”

  “Murray, Harker—doesn’t matter. My sentiment still stands. Wouldn’t be a proper journey without you, Mina,” Seward said, looking at me with unwavering sincerity.

  “I wanted to tell you all along,” Szabina said, meeting my eyes. “Mina is a part of this,” she said, addressing the others. “She has always been a part of this.”

  “I agree,” Anara added, giving me an affirming nod.

  Abe and Gabriel were the only ones who still looked turbulent, but I turned my focus to Abe.

  “May I speak with you privately?” I asked.

  We left the room as everyone’s voices again rose in debate, as if I had not interrupted at all. We entered the kitchen directly across the hall, and once we were alone, I closed the gap between us, standing on tiptoe to press my lips against his.

  For a moment, he stiffened with surprise, then fervently returned my kiss, his arms encircling my body to hold me close. For the first time since he approached me on the street in the East End, I didn’t suppress the rush of love I felt for him, and allowed it to flow through every part of me, like a caged bird finally set free.

  When we broke apart, we were breathless, and I remained in the circle of his arms.

  “I’ve been hiding for so long,” I whispered. “I heard every word you said when I was coming out of my coma. I love you, Abraham Van Helsing. I’ve never stopped. Jonathan knew. I think he’s always known, even when I didn’t allow myself to.”

  “I thought I had lost you,” Abe tremulously replied. “I–I was prepared to live without you. To love you from afar.”

  “You don’t have to. Not anymore. We’ve lost so much time,” I said, with a sharp sting of regret. “I felt so guilty after Father died that I pushed you away.”

  “It is in the past. There is no need to dwell on regret,” he said. He straightened, intently searching my eyes. “Are you prepared to leave your life in London behind? Your students? Clara?” He hesitated, before adding, “Jonathan?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “My life has never truly been in London . . . I was just hiding there. You forced me out of hiding.”

  “Me—and vampires,” Abe added ruefully, his lips twitching with a smile.

  “And vampires,” I amended, with a small grin.

  His arms tightened around me, and I rested my head against his chest, grateful to share a brief moment of happiness before we returned to the perilous undertaking of saving the human world.

  The next morning, as the sun began its leisurely ascent above the horizon, we all mounted the horses in the back stables. The night before, we had finally agreed that my father’s home in Matford would indeed be our first destination. Matford was not far from Thatcham, and as there was no direct train connection, we had decided to travel there on horseback.

  I was the first to ride my horse out of the stables. The air was much clearer here than in London, and I breathed it in. It was damp with early morning dew, and a slight chill clung to it. My eyes swept over the distant green countryside, periodically dotted by lone farmhouses, illuminated by the slowly rising sun.

  Abe and the others trotted out of the stables on their horses, bringing them to a stop alongside mine. I turned to regard our makeshift family of humans and vampires. My gaze lingered on Abe, who gave me an encouraging nod and a loving smile. It was time to leave.

  I turned back to face the countryside. Gripping the reins of my horse, I leaned forward to ride away from the farmhouse, with Abe at my side and the others trailing behind us, towards whatever lay ahead.

  THE END

  of

  FORTRESS OF BLOOD

  “The bright day is done, and we are for the dark.”

  — William Shakespeare

  1

  Blood Plague

  I stepped out onto the terrace, breathing in the damp night air. Darkness hovered over the surrounding countryside like a heavy and ominous cloud; even the distant trees appeared menacing. The dark had never bothered me before, but after the events of the past few weeks, it now seemed foreboding.

  Sensing a presence behind me, my body instinctively tensed, my hand reaching for the handle of my ever-present kukri knife, which was stuffed securely into my bodice. I whirled, but it was only Abraham Van Helsing, an apologetic smile tugging at the corners of his generous mouth.

  “I seem to always frighten you, my heart,” he said.

  I relaxed, returning his smile. He was referring to an incident weeks ago, when he had stealthily followed me through the streets of London’s East End to warn me of the looming vampire threat in the city.

  Abe approached, leaning down to press a loving kiss to my lips before enfolding me in his arms. I rested my head on his chest, expelling an anxious sigh.

  “I fear I will always be on edge,” I whispered. I still had nightmares about my confrontation with Vlad and Ilona Draculesti, the creatures who had abducted my former fiancé, Jonathan Harker. The violent encounter had nearly left me dead.

  “I understand,” Abe said, his voice soft with compassion. “But that will not always be the case.”

  Before I could respond, heated voices rose from inside the house.

  “They are still bickering,” he said, with an irritated glance at the back doo
r. “I do not blame you for needing to step out.”

  Our small group of allies had been gathered at my late father’s country home for a week now; where to go next had become a topic of much debate. Vlad Draculesti had come close to unleashing his army of newborn vampires on London. We had successfully killed him and his sister, Ilona, the last members of the Draculesti family. But in the weeks that followed, vampire attacks all over Europe had continued. We’d discovered there were other vampire leaders who remained—Aurel Skala and Elizabeth Bathory, who had legions of their own followers. As long as Skala and Bathory were alive, the vampire threat against the human world remained.

  “We need to make a decision—and soon,” I said, with a worried frown. The morning newspaper had mentioned two outbreaks of a strange illness in multiple cities—Warsaw, Bucharest, Sofia, and Prague. The article referred to it as a ‘blood plague’, but we knew what was truly happening. Vampires were attacking and transforming humans—likely at the behest of Skala and Bathory.

  “I agree,” Abe replied. He turned, leading me back to the house. “Come back inside…you should not be out here alone. It is not safe,” he added, glancing at the surrounding countryside with unease.

  “I’m only steps away from the door,” I protested.

  “You came close to drawing your weapon just now,” Abe pointed out, closing the door behind us as we entered the back hall. “Please—do not fight me on this. Vlad still has loyal followers out there…they will want revenge on the human woman who killed him.”

  I fell silent as we made our way down the hallway towards the drawing room; he was right about Vlad’s followers. Abe drew me close to his side, and a surge of both love and desire flowed through me at his proximity. Abe and I had been lovers years ago, but after my father’s tragic death, we parted ways. After I became engaged to Jonathan, I thought I’d never see him again. It was only during our journey to Transylvania that I realized my love for Abe had never dissipated. Though I’d loved Jonathan, my feelings for Abe had been a constant magnetic pull back towards him. Jonathan had sensed the depth of my feelings for Abe and ended our engagement. Abe and I had only tentatively begun a new relationship, but it seemed as if no time had passed at all, and we were still those same lovers from years ago.