A Beauty Among Beasts

by Melanie Gabrell

  “Well, then, I will be back for her next visit to see how she is doing, maybe then she will consider it,” he said with a bow. “Have a good evening, Miss Klein.” He smiled eerily once more, holding his gaze just a second too long, before turning and leaving her standing alone in the doorway.

  Gwen couldn’t close the door fast enough. She wanted to vomit. What’s the problem with this country? And Anna, what of Anna? She may have been living away, but she was still there, still going to school, still in harm’s way. What was Walter Volk up to?

  She sank against the door and her father looked at her strangely as he returned to the room. Sighing, as she seemed to do a lot lately, she returned to the table and recounted the conversation to her father. Effie, of course, did not pick up on the meaning of the conversation, but her father knew all too well what it meant. Their exchanged glances shared the same sentiment—hopefully the officer bought Gwen’s ploy and would not return. They were all in jeopardy if he did.

  Chapter 27

  Anna

  Anna’s knees crackled as much as the fire did when she finally stretched them out after sitting in the armchair for so long. She had spent the whole afternoon reading, mostly about diabetes. She couldn’t move much, her hand was healed but her stomach was a much worse and fresh wound. Besides, she needed something to focus on and it seemed like a good option.

  There wasn't too much information on it, but she did find some weird facts. Diabetes was not a new disease, and she was happy to know that the medical field was making progress from the old days. It even went all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. One fact she couldn't get out of her head—to diagnose it people used to drink the urine of the patient to see if it was sweet. Disgusting.

  But she had found other, much more useful information. She learned that it was caused by her immune system attacking cells in her pancreas called beta cells. The beta cells produced something called insulin, which broke down the sugars in her blood. It was like her immune system was waging war on her pancreas.

  She was relieved to read that she could live with it. Chances were, her body still produced some beta cells, so they functioned a bit. She would just have to be careful to not eat too many sugars and carbohydrates and to watch her exercising. Too much sugar and carbohydrates would cause her blood sugar to rise and too much exercise without enough fuel would make it go low. It was all about moderation. Treatment would be needed, which came in the form of insulin injections to help keep the balance. She would also need to see a doctor. Eventually.

  Reading so much medical information was draining, so she sorted through the pile of books she had picked out looking for something else to read. One book stood out to her immediately because she didn't recall grabbing it.

  It must’ve been left on the table.

  There was a bookmark in the middle of the book and being the curious girl she was, she opened it to see what it was.

  Vampires are creatures of the night who feast on human blood to sustain their own body. The more blood is consumed, the more likely death will come for the victim. With each death, the Vampire desires more blood and loses a part of its soul. Blood can sustain and replenish the physical form but not the soul.

  A vampire need only feed once a month—just enough for blood to cycle through the body. However, the Vampire that feeds once a month will only maintain this by draining its victims and will therefore feed more, out of desire rather than need. The Vampire who does not kill will feed more frequently out of necessity, and not drain its victims. The line between need and want is a fine one.

  A week or two after feeding (depending on their habits) they will visibly change. Skin grows gray and decrepit, eyes grow red. Changes in temperament may also occur, causing impulsive and irrational outbursts.

  It is not known how long vampires live. Since their physical appearance does not change after transformation, it is assumed they will live on forever. All vampires known by man to die were killed by the hand of men, not of natural causes.

  They will not die from sun exposure, but they do not like it.

  They do not fear the cross, but have no attachment to it.

  It is almost impossible to identify a vampire who is at the beginning of a blood cycle. They appear just as a normal human. The only physical difference detectable is the growth of canine teeth immediately before feeding. Nails may grow as well. But once you see the identifying characteristics, it is too late, for they are faster than the average human.

  These creatures are born from a curse. It can be placed by a Mare—a devilish witch that takes the form of a human woman. These creatures are the ordination of the nightmare, in both dreams and reality. Vampirism can also be transferred from vampire to human by draining the victim and replenishing the blood stream with some of the Vampire’s blood, as it has the ability to heal. When it is the only source of circulation, the change occurs, though no one is sure of the exact mechanisms. Victims have been accidentally transformed. Others have been purposefully changed. All have occurred with varying degrees of success.

  It is said that to repel a vampire one must …

  Anna looked around the room to make sure she was alone. She was compelled to tear the page out of the book and put it in her pocket. The Book of Norse Folklore & Mythical Beasts was full of information on a variety of beasts, including both vampires and werewolves. Maybe Germany is overrun by beasts and that’s why everything is so screwed up, she thought and scoffed. The monsters were breeding in Germany.

  Now that she thought about it, maybe there was truth to what Joe had said. Maybe Leon was a monster. Her heart sank. If that was the case, she let her friend die defending a monster. Anna pushed that thought out of her mind.

  There had been blood under her pillow that night Joe showed up, and despite Joe’s accusations, Leon never did deny it. Then there were the marks …

  She reached her fingers up to her neck, feeling the hairs rising, her instincts knowing better than her head. But her head, her head was connecting the dots, almost literally. She felt the small wound, the one she had dismissed. Now it was taking on a much bigger meaning than she could have ever anticipated. She shook her head as if she could shake the thoughts from her mind.

  Why did I read that book? I’m getting in my own head.

  Anna felt woozy. If Joe was right, then she was in danger. It meant she had been in danger the whole time—a victim to a killer. She felt her heart beating against her chest and sweat on her palms. She took a deep breath. There was no point in jumping to conclusions. If it was true, and she ran, surely Leon would come find her. He would have to, otherwise she might tell his secret.

  Except I forget everything important every time I leave here. So, honestly, she wasn’t a threat if she left. But she also didn’t want to forget, she might wind up coming right back on her own.

  She didn’t really want to run away, though. She wanted to confront him. She’d spent hours reading through the book in the library. Norse mythology was taboo, like every other interesting piece of literature in Nazi Germany, and it called to her, no longer out of desire, but necessity. Now, knowing that myth was true, she didn’t just want to know more, she felt she needed to know.

  “You look much healthier from when I arrived.” Anna said, settling into her chair for dinner with Leon. She was nervous but was trying not to let it show. Leon had asked her to join him for dinner every night lately; it had become a bit of a habit for them, like a makeshift family tradition—or a date. Now the thought made her cringe.

  She’d made the decision while dressing for dinner that she was going to question Leon. She didn’t have the courage to outright ask him if he was a vampire, but she now knew enough about the creatures that she could determine whether Joe had been right by observation and interrogation.

  Anna had spent the afternoon thinking over everything and connecting the pieces of this crazy puzzle. She never did see him during the day, a seemingly vampiric quality, and he would only meet her in the dining
room after dusk. She shifted restlessly in her seat and took a sip of the water in front of her.

  Since Leon’s ridiculous freak out, she’d worn his gifted clothing each evening. That night, it was a navy knee length dress. The last thing she wanted was for him to get angry again, and with her new suspicions, his anger was even more frightening.

  Leon didn’t respond when she said he looked well. He was too busy shoveling a juicy steak into his mouth, every other bite going to Luna, who was loyally perched at his side. The steak was juicy, almost rare, and the sight of him eating it made Anna swallow hard.

  “Can I ask you a question?” she asked and Leon looked up; his eyebrows raised and his mouth full. “Why did you ask for me to work here?”

  “I wanted some help and I wanted to meet you,” he said with a casual shrug.

  “Because my father stole from you?”

  “No, simply because I needed company and you were intriguing. I couldn’t understand why you would not request something of value. And yet,” he paused, “you were your father’s favorite. You seemed to be the humblest, something I could learn a bit about. You confused me, you still do, to be honest.” He stuffed a bite of steak into his mouth as if he was the dog.

  She opened her mouth, ready to speak, but the faint smell of blood reached her nose and she crinkled it and sniffled.

  “Leon, what are you drinking?” she asked innocently, only a slight hesitancy in her voice. It was barely detectable. She felt crazy asking such a thing, but something moved her to do it. Leon laid his head on his hand lazily and glanced up.

  “Surely you know I am of age to drink wine occasionally? I don’t think you would like this one much. It’s good for my health, though.” He quickly changed the subject. “Have you been reading anything good from the library? Even I have not gotten to every book. I’d like to hear your thoughts.” He sat back in his chair, arms folded. Luna channeled his energy, lying silently and dismissive on the floor.

  He’d dodged her question.

  “Well, I read a book today…” Her hand instinctively reached for the small piece of paper she had tucked away. It crinkled at her touch. “It was about mythology. Do you believe mythology could be real?”

  “Why would you think such a thing?” He laughed.

  “Well, I mean the castle is enchanted, isn’t it?” She paused. “Is it so hard to believe vampires and werewolves might be real?”

  “What did you say?” he asked, his eyes wide and his head cocked to the side—again dog-like. But somehow it seemed a little more ... animalistic.

  “Just wondering if you believe.” She shrugged and changed the subject back. She needed him to keep talking. It was the only way she could be sure… “Can I try that wine? I’ve never had it before. If you like it, I'm sure I would too.”

  “No.” His voice was stern. For just a moment, his eyes narrowed like a cat.

  “Well, why not?” She mustered up all the courage she could find.

  “You won’t like it.”

  “Fine.” She reached across the table to grab the glass but Leon was too quick. He grabbed her wrist with an incredible amount of strength and the glass tipped over. The smell of blood filled the air and Anna ripped her arm away, all her fears confirmed.

  Joe told her; he tried to warn her. She stood, the chair falling to the floor behind her, and ran as fast as she could.

  Leon is a vampire.

  There was no doubt in her mind as she sat in the gazebo of black rose bushes. Her chest was heaving from running and she clutched her hand to her heart, trying to catch her breath. Pain seared in her stomach with each inhale. It was only a matter of time before he caught up to her, she knew that. As illogical as running had been, her instinct drove her to do it. That’s what prey does. What he would do when he caught up, she didn’t know.

  It felt like ages that she waited, each second lasting an hour. She heard footsteps coming and impulsively bolted through the bushes, despite the thorns, and into the graveyard. The thorns tore at her dress and her flesh, leaving a fresh trail of blood. Now she knew what the sense of dread was when she first saw him; it was the instinct of prey, but she had since fallen victim to his tricks.

  The graveyard was small and surrounded by trees; it left her with nowhere to go. She spotted a large headstone adorned with an angel that made perfect cover, even if just for a moment. She knew he was coming but she ached for a moment to think. Luna appeared first, coming up from behind, sniffing around the stone before playfully poking her head around and licking the drops of blood that had fallen on the statue.

  Can I even trust the dog? A tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She was so confused.

  She felt around her for something to defend herself with but came up with nothing but roses—as if that would do anything to defend against a demon.

  She felt his presence. It wasn’t the dread she had felt in the beginning, but she wasn’t sure what it was now. It was simply ... there. He appeared beside her and embraced her. It was not threatening but he would not yield. It sent chills down her spine and she hopelessly tore at his arms to get away.

  “Turn around,” Leon whispered, and against her better judgement, she obeyed. Her breath came out in gasps as she turned to see the headstone she leaned against said: Leon Von Essen 1852-1871.

  That’s him.

  It was not an ancestor. Leon was the man in the portrait. The uniform did not belong to his grandfather—it belonged to him. He was the man from her dreams. The castle had been trying to warn her.

  With nothing else to defend herself, she grabbed a rose from the bush and pressed the thorn into Leon’s side.

  With a gasp Leon twisted to see what she had done, and the blood flowed steadily from beneath his ribcage.

  The moment allowed her to wiggle away from him and run once more, but when she turned the corner he was standing there again. In one swift motion, he spun her around and grabbed ahold of her neck, pinching so tightly that the world went black in front of her.

  Chapter 28

  Anna

  Anna woke the next morning to find Leon laying on the bed next to her. He smiled, but to her it appeared a cruel smile, and it made her flinch. It was not the same as the one from her dreams. There was something corrupt about his smile now, and she wondered if he was doing it on purpose.

  She sighed heavily, irritating her wound, letting the gravity of the situation hit her.

  What am I supposed to do?

  He sat up to look at her more directly and his shirt shifted, showing the tip of what looked to be a tattoo in the hollow of his neck. Neck.

  “Did you take my blood again?” She sat up straight on the end of the bed, as far away as she could get from him, and reached her hand up to her neck protectively. Her tone wasn’t angry or afraid, just melancholy.

  “Nien, I have not.” He looked at her with something that resembled remorse.

  “Somehow I don’t believe that.” She glared at him. “So, let me get this straight... You live forever, a monster, and I, I get to die? Is that how it goes?” She muttered, more to herself than to him. “Was your father even really in the military?”

  “He used to be, and so was I. It was the Franco-German War.”

  “Did you hurt Joe’s family?”

  “No.”

  “Well then, who did, Leon?”

  Is there another vampire?

  With that, Anna got up slowly and made her way to the door. She left him in the room and went to the library. She may be a caged animal, but it didn’t mean she had to sit there. “You can never change back either, can you?” She whispered from the hallway.

  Vampires were predators, and it didn’t seem likely based on the text, that they could have redeeming qualities. And as far as she was concerned, Leon was no different. He was lying to her and quite literally stealing life from her. She meant nothing to him, simply a means to maintain his state. A delicacy.

  Anna was diabetic, so did that make her like a dessert to him? Th
e thought gave her a chill. He didn’t care for her. Was she going to die early? Either he would kill her, or her body would give up on its own and she wasn’t even sure she could she do anything to stop it.

  How was she supposed to take care of herself? Sure, in some ways Leon had helped. He found her when she passed out that day in the woods. He’d told her she was a diabetic and helped her figure out how to take care of herself. He’d kissed her…

  She felt like a naive victim of Stockholm Syndrome—she’d been his captive and she hadn’t even realized it. Worse than that, she had grown fond of him, and she was defending him even now—even after she knew he’d betrayed her.

  There was so much swimming through her head, drowning her. She sank into her favorite chair of the library, curling up as small as possible. Making herself disappear … if only it was that easy.

  Chapter 29

  Leon

  How could I let myself become so careless that she figured it out?

  Leon sat alone in Anna’s bedroom. He didn't lie to her, he hadn’t had her blood that night, and he hadn’t hurt Joe’s family. He didn’t take her blood partially because he felt bad about it, and partially because Joseph Brodbeck’s death had put a lot in his stores. His mind briefly lingered on the possibility of another vampire, but he dismissed it quickly. It was easier to think about Anna.

  In a twisted sense, he felt he’d helped her. When he fed, he brought her sugars down to a normal range, he could taste it, and he could sense it. Whenever he was around her he knew.

  The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. Maybe she's just eating better, he thought, though he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Good, in the sense that she was healthier, bad in the sense that it was disappointing to his vampiric appetite.