I gave her an inquiring look, but she remained silent as we made our way outside, walking towards the central gardens that were situated in the grounds behind the estate, fragrant with the sweet smell of flowers. We paused opposite a blooming row of white lily of the valley flowers. Szabina closed her eyes as she inhaled their scent.
“I wanted to tell you that I am proud of you,” Szabina said, giving me a tremulous smile when she opened them again. “You are so like your mother, Mina. To have taken on something like this…to have killed Vlad when others have tried—and failed.”
“I had help,” I reminded her. “I wouldn’t have succeeded without you and the others. It’s still not over. As long as Skala and Bathory are out there—“
“You should be proud of what you have already accomplished,” Szabina interrupted. “Your mother was my dear friend…I feel protective of you. I want you to be safe. I know you are weary of hearing this—but Vlad had fiercely loyal followers. What your mother went through at the end of her life—“ she stopped, her skin paling. “It was horrific, and I have seen many terrible things in my long life. Torture was her punishment for attempting to kill Vlad. I can only imagine what they would do to the one who actually succeeded… and you are her daughter.”
“I will be careful, I assure you,” I said, though fear darted through my entire body at her words. I’d not allowed myself to dwell on the torture my mother had suffered before her death; the grief and rage that swelled in my heart at the thought of what she’d been through was too much to bear.
We continued our walk, meandering through colorful rows of begonias, marigolds, and violets.
“I enjoyed gardening when I was human,” Szabina said with a nostalgic sigh, taking in the array of flowers around us. “I would gather wildflowers in the forest whenever I could. One thing I have always liked about being vampire is my greater sense of smell. Flowers are sweeter than the most potent perfume.”
“Perhaps you can garden when this is over,” I said. “You can settle into a house in the countryside and plant the largest garden in Europe.”
Szabina’s countenance brightened at my words.
“This war has gone on for so long that I haven’t considered what I will do after it is over,” she mused.
“Now you have something to look forward to,” I said, smiling.
We left the garden to approach the estate. One of Rosalind's children, a severe-looking vampire named Endres, appeared at the back doors.
“Rosalind has news,” he said, his face stoic. “She has received confirmation. Skala has gotten the message that you are here. He is on his way to the estate.”
Szabina and I exchanged a startled look before hurrying inside. As we trailed Endres down the hall, nervousness and excitement dueled for dominance in my mind. The plan had worked after all.
The female servant who I’d tried to introduce myself to earlier was heading down the hall with a tray of tea, and as I started to pass her, she tripped, splashing scalding hot tea all over my dress. The pot and mugs fell to the carpeted floor.
“I’m—I’m sorry, my lady,” she said, in heavily accented English, bending down to pick up the scattered dishes.
“It is no bother,” I assured her.
“Madeline, this is not acceptable,” Endres practically snarled, the look in his eyes so dangerous that Szabina moved to stand in front of the servant.
“She apologized. Mina has accepted,” Szabina said.
“I help the lady change,” Madeline said, her eyes still on the floor as she straightened. She was shaking so badly that I feared she would again drop her tray.
“That won’t be necessary— “ I began.
“Bitte, my lady. Please,” Madeline said. She held my gaze for a long moment, and something in her eyes urged me to comply.
“Very well,” I said.
“Be quick about it,” Endres snapped at Madeline, before continuing down the hall with Szabina.
Madeline led me to my guest room, closing the door behind us.
“It is truly not a bother— “ I began, but fell silent when I saw the look on her face. Her skin was ashen, her breathing rapid.
“I spilled tea on purpose,” Madeline said, speaking in a whisper as she moved towards me. “Rosalind—she betray you. She loves her father and believes his cause. She means to kill you all. You must leave.”
6
Warning
I stared at Madeline in disbelief, my heart thundering in my chest. From her desperate expression, I knew that she spoke the truth. It explained the fear Rosalind's servants displayed, fear that went beyond the mere obeisance to class rules. Rosalind's kindness was an act; her servants knew her true nature.
“Thank you for telling me,” I whispered, when I was finally able to speak. I needed to somehow warn the others—but how? Vampires were deeply perceptive; Rosalind would know something was amiss if I acted with even the slightest trace of anxiety. “I need to change my gown, or they’ll know something’s wrong,” I continued, forcing myself to think. “You should leave. They’ll know it was you who told me.”
Madeline was trembling as she shook her head.
“I—I can’t,” she whispered, as I quickly changed out of my dress and into another. “My family—imprisoned. If I escape, she will kill. Most of us—we not here willing. Those who are here—she done something to their minds. Their minds…no longer their own.”
Horror gripped me at her words. Rosalind had fooled us all with her mask of kindness. How was I going to get my friends out of here without her suspecting that something was amiss?
I moved to the door, turning back to look at Madeline. She stood rooted to the spot, her body frozen with fear.
“Why are you helping us?” I whispered.
“You and your friends good people, I can see. Not like the other guests she brings…they cruel. Kill us for pleasure. You do not deserve this.”
“My God,” I whispered. “I will get you all out of here,” I promised.
“Too late for us,” Madeline replied, blinking back tears. “Gehen. Leave this place.”
I hurried from the room, taking deep breaths as I made my way down the hall. I needed to feign calm.
I descended the stairs, trying to keep my expression serene, even as frantic thoughts raced through my mind. I had no time to formulate a plan as I made my way to the antechamber; I couldn’t delay my entry for fear of arousing suspicion.
I stopped a young male servant right before I reached the antechamber, placing my hand on his arm. He jerked back, his eyes wide as he met my face.
“Leave here. Now,” I whispered in German. “Madeline told me what is happening here. Take as many as you can and leave.”
I didn’t wait for his reply as I continued down the hall, my hands shaking with dread.
When I entered the antechamber, I prayed that my face was neutral as Rosalind, Endres, and my companions all looked up. Rosalind smiled, only now I saw her smile for what it truly was—a veil to conceal the monster that lay beneath her beauty.
“I apologize for my maid,” she said, taking in my changed gown. “Madeline can be clumsy. I will have a talk with her later.”
“There is no need,” I said swiftly, too swiftly, and Rosalind's eyes lingered on mine before she turned her focus to the others. I glanced over at Abe, who was studying me. He’d already discerned something was wrong.
“I was telling your friends that Skala will be here presently,” Rosalind said, as I made myself look away from Abe. “We were discussing ways to disguise your scents while we wait.”
“Rosalind, do you mind if I talk to my friends alone?” I asked. I forced a polite smile, keeping my voice even. “There is a private matter I wish to discuss with them.”
“Of course,” Rosalind said, with such patience and kindness that for a brief moment I wondered if Madeline had been wrong about her nature.
Rosalind stood and moved to the door, nodding at Endres. I waited anxiously for them to leave.<
br />
But they did not leave. Instead, she waited by the door as two large male vampires whom I didn’t recognize entered the room. They closed the door behind them and stood in front of it, their dark eyes cold as they swept over us.
She knows, I thought. I wanted to reach into my bodice and hurl my kukri right into her treacherous heart, but I knew I’d be dead before the kukri even landed, and Abe or Gabriel would die trying to save my life.
Fear rendered my body still as the others looked at Rosalind and the two vampires with confusion. Szabina rose from the armchair she’d been sitting in with a frown.
“Rosalind?” Szabina asked, but Rosalind's focus was entirely on me. This time when she smiled, it was with pure malevolence. She ignored Szabina, keeping her focus trained on me, and I was instantly airborne, slammed hard against the back wall by an invisible force, unable to move. She was holding me in thrall.
The others immediately moved into fighting stances, and Gabriel let out a ferocious snarl. Endres and Rosalind's two vampire henchmen moved into fighting stances of their own.
“Rosalind, what is this?” Szabina cried.
“You wear your emotions quite plainly,” Rosalind continued to ignore Szabina as she addressed me. “What did my foolish Madeline tell you?”
“Release her at once!” Abe cried. Rosalind turned to look at him, and both he and Seward were paralyzed as well, their weapons clattering to the floor. Gabriel and Anara charged towards her, but her two henchmen were far stronger and faster. They were on them at once, throwing Gabriel and Anara bodily away from Rosalind; they landed with such force against the wall that it partially cracked upon impact. When they shot to their feet, lunging forward with hisses and snarls, the henchmen physically subdued them, pinning both Gabriel and Anara to the wall with firm hands.
“My beloved father taught me the art of deception. You have always been exceptionally naive, Szabina,” Rosalind said, finally turning her attention away from me to Szabina, who was shaking her head in disbelief, blood tears spilling from her eyes. “All I have to do is give you gentle smiles and speak in warm tones. You always wanted to believe the best of all creatures—human and vampire. Your downfall began the moment you allied with humans against your own kind.”
“You hate your father!” Szabina cried. “You hate everything he stands for! This is not who you are!”
“That was over a century ago, when I was a foolish newborn,” Rosalind spat. “Father taught me the error of my ways. Humans do not deserve to reign. They do not deserve to exist!”
“No,” Szabina whispered; heartbreak lacing her voice. “Rosalind, no.”
“My father is right. Vlad Draculesti was right. Elizabeth Bathory is right. The world should be ours. We should not have to live in the shadows,” Rosalind continued, unmoved by Szabina’s anguish as she moved towards her. “The war continues, and we shall win. Vampires who turn against their own deserve death. But I will be kind and give you a quick one.”
It happened in an instant. A terrible instant.
Rosalind grabbed Szabina by the throat, pinning her to the wall. Holding Szabina’s horrified gaze, Rosalind plunged her free hand into Szabina’s chest, tearing the fabric of her dress, and pulled out her still beating heart.
Paralyzed, I could only watch in grief-stricken terror as Szabina’s beautiful face withered and the life drained out of her eyes. Rosalind stepped back, still holding Szabina’s heart, as she slid lifelessly to the ground.
Anara screamed. It was the most desolate scream I had ever heard. I couldn’t scream if I tried; shock had seized all of my senses, it was like witnessing my father’s death all over again.
Rosalind lingered over Szabina’s still body for a moment, and I saw a brief flicker of regret in her eyes before she turned to face us.
“My father gave me special permission to kill Szabina. The rest of you are for him and his followers to enjoy. Wilhelmina and Abraham,” she continued, giving me and Abe a malevolent smile. “He desires special time with the both of you. I am afraid your deaths won’t be swift and painless.”
Rosalind and her vampires left the room in quick flashes of movement, the door shutting behind them. At once, we were released from our paralysis.
I sank down to the floor, trembling. I hadn’t warned my friends in time, and Szabina was dead because of it. I let out a strangled sob as my gaze fell on Szabina’s body. Her once youthful face was now shriveled with age, those vibrant eyes reduced to nothingness. Her death had been violent, senseless, and undeserved.
Anara stumbled over to Szabina’s body, quaking with grief. Gabriel looked down at Szabina with an amalgamation of shock, fury, and despair. Seward’s face was ashen, while Abe’s eyes were wet with tears. No one moved or spoke for several long moments, as if our shock and grief had momentarily stopped time.
Anara finally stood and moved to the door. The others followed, and I made myself stand as well.
Anara tried to open the door, shoving her body against it, but it didn’t budge. She let out a bellow of grief and anger as she stepped back.
“We walked right into a trap,” Seward muttered.
“One of the servants just warned me,” I whispered. “I wanted to tell you all. And now, Szabina—“ my voice broke, and I pressed my hand to my mouth.
“The only person responsible for Szabina’s death is Rosalind,” Anara spat. “I will kill her—slowly—with my bare hands.”
“If we can find a way out of here,” Gabriel said. “This door is made to withstand our strength.”
Desperate, I looked around the room. There was no other way out except through the impenetrable front door.
“Seward,” I said, as a sudden thought occurred to me. “Do you have your revolver?”
Seward straightened, reaching into his pocket.
“They didn’t take it from me,” he said, with surprise and relief.
“It would have seemed suspicious to remove our weapons—she wanted to keep us at ease,” Abe said bitterly.
Seward started to point the revolver at the door to fire, but I stopped him.
“Wait,” I said. “We should say goodbye first. We can’t take Szabina with us.”
I moved towards Szabina’s body, trailed by the others. I kneeled down, touching her withered face.
“Szabina,” I whispered. “I am grateful that I had you in my life…even if it was for a brief time.”
We will win this war. Your death will not be in vain, I silently added, repeating the same words I’d once promised to Arthur Holmwood, who’d been killed by feral vampires during our initial journey to Transylvania.
The others spoke brief words of their own. After a solemn silence, we again moved back to the door.
“Stand behind us,” Anara said to me and Abe. We obliged as she moved to the door, inhaling. She turned back and whispered, “It’s just Endres. Rosalind is not out there.”
She gave Seward a nod, and he stepped forward to aim his revolver, firing. The door partially shattered. Anara and Gabriel kicked at it, and it fell back with a thud.
Endres was indeed standing outside the door. At the sight of us, he charged towards us with his fangs bared. With brutal efficiency Anara stopped him, placing her hands on the side of his head and twisting. With a sickening crack, she broke his neck, and he slumped to the floor.
Anara gestured for us to follow. We cautiously stepped out of the room and over Endres’ body. The hallway was empty.
“The back door,” Gabriel whispered. As we crept down the hall, I gripped my kukri knife, anticipating an army of Rosalind and her ferals at any moment.
We were halfway down the hall when I heard the first snarls. I whirled to see a dozen ferals practically fly towards us from the opposite end of the hall.
They were on us at once. I cried out as I was slammed against the wall by a wiry-thin feral, her eyes black and teeth bared as she lunged for my throat. I moved quickly, staking her through the heart with my kukri, and she crumpled into a heap at
my feet. Abe and Seward warded off several ferals who leapt onto them, while Gabriel and Anara killed even more ferals as they approached. I froze when I saw Rosalind's two vampire henchmen race towards us from further down the hall, their faces infused with fury.
“Mina, Jack, Abraham—go upstairs! Find another exit—leap from the windows if you must—I will hold them off!” Anara shouted, turning to face the henchmen. “Gabriel—go with them! Get them out of here!”
“You can’t fight them on your own!” Seward shouted. “Anara, this is madness!”
“Go or I will kill you myself!” she shouted, charging towards the two henchmen.
Abe had to grab Seward by the arm and drag him with us as we obliged her, turning to race down the hall and up the winding staircase. The estate seemed suspiciously empty; I prayed that Madeline and the other servants had fled.
We raced up the stairs, a half-dozen ferals on our tail. We raced into the first open room on the top floor, which appeared to be a study.
Gabriel slammed the door behind him once we were inside. He dragged a bookcase in front of it as Abe, Seward, and I darted to the balcony.
It was a long way down, and the ferals began to slam their bodies against the door. It was only a matter of time before they forced their way inside. We were trapped.
7
Berlin
“We need to jump!” I cried. “We have no choice.”
“We won’t survive the bloody fall!” Seward shouted.
“I can hold two of you and break the fall,” Gabriel said, moving over to the balcony. “But we must—“
His sentence was interrupted by the bookcase tipping over from the force of the ferals crashing into the door. The door would not hold for much longer.
“Take Jack and Mina,” Abe said to Gabriel, hurrying past him to open the balcony doors. There was no ledge; it was a sheer drop to the ground.
The Mina Murray Series Bundle, A Dracula Retelling: Books 1-3 Page 37