"They are a group of magnificent limestone buildings and a round tower, which is the eldest construction," Dracula said. "There is Cormac's chapel, the cathedral and a graveyard. The entire plateau is walled in, so we shouldn't fret over trespassers. The high crosses are a bit of an eyesore, but we are all adults. We'll have room to expand our ranks, and in a place the superstitious would never suspect us to lurk. Before long, we will outgrow the rock. Are you familiar at all with the legend of this place?"
"No," Primul said. "I know nothing of Ireland or its fables."
"According to the myth, the Rock of Cashel was positioned in the Devil's Bit, which is a mountain thirty kilometers north of here," Dracula explained, motioning northward.
"Thirty kilometers? But how did it travel such a distance?" Primul asked.
"The tale states that when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave at the Devil's Bit, the force of his expulsion was so great that the Rock was hurled into the air and it landed here," Dracula replied. "This is also rumored to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century. There is a lot of rich history to this place. I paid your weight in gold to lease it from its current caretaker. I will cloud our landlord's mind when we meet, and he will forget we inhabit the cold stone. Better for us all, I think. When last I visited, there was a pleasant bunch of ghouls occupying the tombs. I hope they still dwell here."
"Nasty jaundiced buggers," Primul said. "Vermin personified."
"But family still, Primul," Dracula said.
"Yes, of course," Primul said. "I just wish they didn't smell like they do."
Dracula laughed. "Well, still, they are a ferociously loyal breed- if treated kindly. Why, once in…"
Dracula stopped suddenly. "Primul, we are not alone," he said calmly.
Primul began to look around the forest, and he heard shuffling in the wet grass and twigs breaking. A chorus of low growls surrounded them.
"Shifters," Primul realized. "Werewolves."
The red-eyed beasts stepped from the darkness and greeted them with snarls and fangs bared and eager to rend. The creatures were covered with dirty fur. They walked upright, on two legs; a perverted cross between man and animal. The head of the wolf rested on the shoulders of the cursed lycanthropes. Scraps of human clothing still clung to them in spots.
As Primul tensed for a battle, Dracula smiled and raised his hands. "We mean you no harm, you magnificent beasts," he said. "We are all brothers and sisters of the night. I bring my family to the abandoned holy place on the rock. You are welcome within our walls."
The shifters (nine of the bastards, Primul counted) cocked their heads at the vampire and their guttural threats ceased. The largest of the pack strode slowly to Dracula. The vampire extended his hand to the animal. The big shifter sniffed it, and then licked Dracula's cold flesh subserviently.
It tracked backwards and raised its head in a howl to the moon. The others joined. When their cries ended, they left quickly and quietly.
"How do you do that?" Primul asked in amazement.
"Honestly, I don't know. But it is further proof that I was meant to reign over all creatures of the night," Dracula said. "They seem to feel my thoughts. I am connected to all of them."
"All except me," Primul said enviously.
Dracula stepped over and cupped Primul's face. "My son, do you really need to hear my thoughts to know my affection and devotion toward you? You are unique, my confidant. More an equal, I think."
Primul nodded and his black lips smiled.
Dracula dropped his hands and looked back toward the rock. "Now come. Let us prepare for the children."
7.
Gary was stuffed with dread, but he was on time for his meeting with Johnny Stücke. He rode the elevator to the top penthouse. He hadn't slept after his ex-wife's haunting visit. And he hadn’t come up with a decent course of action. His tired and already chemically deprived brain thudded painfully in his skull. He wanted to tell Johnny what was happening and seek the monster's help, but the risk to Holly was too great. He decided to play it Dracula's way for now, in case red eyes were on him. He hoped the meeting would be brief.
When the elevator doors opened, Mike Cooke was seated in the greeting room. Johnny sat across from Mike in an expensive and very large leather chair that had been tailored for the beast.
"Am I late?" Gary said, checking a wrist that hadn't worn a watch in a decade.
"No," Johnny said, beckoning Gary forth. "I brought Mike in a little earlier than you to discuss some finances. Sit down."
As Gary sat, Mike gathered some folders and stood quickly. "Okay, well I will get the ball rolling on this business. I will call you on that other matter tomorrow," Mike said to Johnny.
Johnny nodded and lit a cigar.
Gary watched Mike trek nervously to the elevator. He stepped inside and pressed the lobby button without a word of greeting to Gary. And though Mike wore his shades, Gary could sense worried eyes burning behind them. That's when he knew he was fucked.
"So Mike told me things went well," Johnny said, ashing his cigar.
"Yeah, like clockwork," Gary said, trying to put a bag over his tension. "Did you know Zuzanna is a succubus?"
"Of course. She is an old world friend," Johnny said, ringing a bell for Victor. "Did you fuck her?"
"No, but I was tempted," Gary said with a chuckle that was a tad exaggerated.
"You okay?" Johnny asked, his black eyes curious. "You seem nervous about something."
"Nah," Gary said with a shrug. "I am just tired. I didn't sleep well."
Victor shambled into the room carrying a silver tray which balanced a coffee pot and two cups. He presented the tray to Gary, who took a cup of black and tried to keep it from spilling in his shaking hands.
"Can I ask you something, Gary?" Johnny said, arching forward and resting his arms on his knees.
"Sure. Anything," Gary encouraged, noting that Stücke's feral butler was standing so near that his panting breath was warming Gary's head.
"Do you take me for a complete and utter asshole?" Johnny said.
Victor shrieked angrily, tossing the tray aside and creating a mess on the expensive carpet that he would just have to clean up later. He grabbed Gary, pulling the shocked man up, spinning him around and wrapping a strong forearm around Gary's throat. Gary gasped and tried to pull away but Victor gave his throat a squeeze and Gary stopped struggling.
"You were picked up by the police yesterday," Johnny said, standing and walking over.
"It- it was nothing," Gary stammered. "Nothing to do with you, I swear."
"You know the policy for getting pinched. Call Mike, then have him call me," Johnny said. "Now tell me what the fuck is going on."
Gary's mind scrambled and scraped. "They want my dealer," Gary lied, Victor's breath now tickling the back of his neck. "They busted me for drugs and they want me to turn on my supplier."
"You know, I have a talent for smelling bullshit, and I don't even have to take a whiff in this instance," Johnny said. "You were questioned by a homicide detective. A homicide detective with a fucking night thing for a partner! I got eyes on the street!"
Johnny gripped Gary's right hand. "I took you in- hired you when every business associate I had told me you were just a worthless junkie. How many times have you and I sat in this room, just shooting the shit? You were my friend, because I had a soft spot for you and I admired your work. I put up with your antics but know this- I will be scratching my balls with this hand if you don't come straight with me. Now spill it, Gary Hack. And you better tell me the fucking truth."
"They brought me in for questioning because my ex-wife and her husband were killed," Gary confessed, his eyes watering. "They were killed by Night Things. They were killed and my daughter is missing. After I left the police station, I got a text and was picked up and taken to an abandoned subway platform under the city.
"There was an army of Night Things underground. And Dracula was presi
ding over them. He has my daughter and he threatened to kill her if I didn't agree to help him against you. He told me to spy on you and give him information when he asked for it. I wanted to come to you; I swear I did. But I was petrified for my little girl. I was afraid they were watching me. It's been tearing me up all night and I was trying to figure out what I should do."
Johnny released Gary's hand and his anger began to diminish. "Let him go, Victor."
The butler grunted an incomprehensible protest.
"It's okay. Let him go and give us some privacy."
Victor released Gary and preceded to pick up his mess.
"Later Victor," Johnny said. "Please."
The ginger hunchback sighed and trudged out of the room.
"You're lucky," Johnny said. "I am a father now and I understand your turmoil."
"I am not a father by any means," Gary said, massaging his neck. "But Holly is my daughter and I'd give you this right hand to get her out of this mess."
"I can't hurt you now. It'd make things obvious. But if you ever lie to me again, there will be consequences," Johnny promised. "You should have come here right away. Dracula is no fucking joke. He's a psycho vampire with a messiah complex and your daughter is as good as dead if we don't do something damned quick."
"Did you know he was around?" Gary asked.
"Yeah. There has been an increase in night thing crime in the city. And his crew hit the penthouse while you were filming in Jersey. I lost some good men in that melee."
"He told me the two of you were close once," Gary said.
"Shortly after my creation, I went as far north as you could go," Stücke said. "I was done with man. Done with being tormented and hunted for an existence I didn't ask for. Dracula had heard of me. He sought me out, and, I'll admit- I sipped his flavor aid for a long time. He didn't have a psychic connection with me. Maybe because I am a creature of dark science. So he used good old fashioned brain-washing. I was his right hand monster. We did a lot of carnage for many years. But when Dracula started talking all of this shit about destroying mankind, I knew he wasn't sane. He wanted a war against humanity. I didn't."
"Why not?" Gary said. "It sounds like you had a pretty big axe to grind."
"We can't win a battle against man. We may be stronger, but we have large weaknesses. So I decided to try and live a human life again. When the Night Things became too many to dismiss as legend and we were starting to mix into this world, I decided to step up and grab a piece of the good life for myself. I also decided not to let any monster out there fuck it up for the rest of us."
Johnny pulled out a fresh cigar and lit it. "I have been expecting this confrontation with Dracula for a long time. I am prepared. A plan has been in place for years."
"So what do we do?" Gary said, glad the situation was now in more capable hands.
"We play along for now. Make them think you are working me. Then we hit them before they hit us. Dracula thinks he's the unholy cloth we are all cut out of. But there are terrors older than him and I am going to dig one up," Johnny said. And then his eyes appraised Gary. "But for you to play your part, we need to get you sober. You're going to be no good strung out. I don't usually mind addiction because it makes subordinates easier to control. But we need you clear-headed for this."
"Rehab doesn't work," Gary informed his boss. "And it is time intensive."
"Don't worry," Johnny said, pulling out his cell phone. "I'll get my doctor to pay us a visit. He'll have a work through for this. And while we wait for him, you're going to give me every detail of what went down yesterday."
***
Holly Hack felt like a canary in a cage. That is what the circular prison that surrounded her resembled; a birdcage. A clamp light overhead gave her a little piece of visibility in the darkness. Just enough to see her white knuckled hands that gripped the iron bars. Suddenly, zombie faces pierced her light, rushing in at her quickly like snakes from a can. They hissed and cursed at her.
Holly released the bars, shrieked, and bounced fearfully around the enclosure. The monstrous faces bobbed at her and then quickly shrank and she realized they were teasing her.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Her small voice echoed in the dark.
They stopped for a moment and Ella's cruel face came slowly into the light.
"They are torturing you because you are Gary Hack's daughter," she said, feigning sympathy. "Haven't you ever heard of ancestral sin, my dear?"
Holly's eyes began to mist. "They killed my mother and my stepfather, David. They tore them apart in front of me. They had nothing to do with my father and neither do I."
"That was a pretty traumatic scene, wasn't it? Seeing your parents killed like that? You're eleven, correct?" Ella said, and her demeanor didn't feel like a theatrical act this time.
Holly nodded, struggling through tears.
"Now, you see, I would have enjoyed that display at my home when I was your age," Ella said, grinning at the mental image. She settled into the light. "My parents hardly spoke to me. And when they did, it was harsh. Always. They knew I was different. When I was seventeen my father beat the shit out of me because I was a fag. And then he threw me out of the house. I had to do terrible things to survive, dear. I did things I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."
"I'm sorry," Holly whispered, wiping at her face.
Ella tugged at the cage, changing the subject. "You know what this is?"
Holly shook her head.
"This was a dance cage from an old go-go bar," Ella explained. "They call them strip clubs now. Those places are just whorehouses for drug addicts. But back in the fifties and sixties, there was a lot more showmanship in the burlesque trade. It was more about the tease. But now, there is nothing left to the imagination."
"Why do they want to kill my father so badly?" Holly asked.
"Your father is a terrible man, Holly," Ella said. "He has hurt many of my kind. He has hurt you too, hasn't he?"
Holly thought about it, but gave no answer.
"You worked with my father. Why don't they hate you?" Holly asked.
Ella stared thoughtfully at Holly. It made the child nervous. The transvestite vampire finally gave a reply. "You don't understand the cycle of abuse, girl. I was hurt by monsters my entire life. When the real ones showed up, I had no empathy for them. Though maybe I should have. But now that I see things through their eyes, I get it. Your father was a user and he made it seem like we weren't doing anything foul. But we were, dear heart. We were the worst monsters of all. And now that Dracula is back, we all must pay for our sins, Holly Hack."
"I hate the name Holly Hack," Holly confessed. "It sounds like the name of a serial killer in a bad horror movie."
Ella chuckled.
"My stepfather was going to adopt me and my name would have been Holly Spencer," Holly elaborated. "Because I hate my father. I hate him so much. But I still don't want him to die."
"You should. And you will," Ella said. "You can't be saved as long as he lives, sweetie."
Ella studied the girl's face and frowned at the smudged make-up she had applied earlier. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and motioned for Holly to come near. Holly did as Ella said, but she approached cautiously. Ella reached between the bars and began to clean the girl's face.
"When Gary Hack is dead, you will be an orphan. Just like me," Ella said softly. "But you shouldn't worry, Holly. You can be a part of our family. Dracula forgives you. When your father fails you, yet again, you will be given a choice. I know you will make the right one. And then I can be your mommy. Forever and ever. We'll call you Holly Howes."
Ella's hands withdrew and disappeared into the darkness.
"I know you must be hungry. I brought you strawberry shortbread cookies and water. And a neat little surprise."
Holly heard Ella's hands rustle around. The vampire pulled a fancy blue dress into the light and beamed.
"A new outfit for my living doll. Mommy loves you, Holly Howes."
8.
Galway, Ireland
September 7, 1894
"Primul, we are bored!" Lucian whined.
"And hungry!" Edwina chimed in.
Dracula's children were lying about in Cormac's chapel. They had fashioned three luxurious bedrooms in the space. One housed their father, the other Primul and the largest room was dedicated to the children. They sprawled out on two large and expensive mattresses. It was nighttime, and their heavily draped window was exposed. Night air and moonlight seeped in, encouraging wanderlust in them all.
Primul took in the children, trying to determine the exact reason for their inclusion in Dracula's ranks. Father had not divulged what had caught his eye with this bunch. Dracula's chosen were an even number of men and women, for the vampire lord was all about balance and he found both genders equally appealing on all levels.
Night Things: The Monster Collection Page 8