The Bathory Curse

by Renee Lake

  The Bathory Curse

  By Renee Lake

  Copyright © 2014 Renee Travis/ Renee Lake

  First Published November 2015 by Renee Lake and Smashwords and Createspace

  ISBN: 1517706955

  ISBN13: 9781310784392

  First Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication: to you, the darkness, the shadows, the ancient and old. To the great goddesses forgotten and the things that lurk outside our peripheral vision, hidden from this realm. To Bram Stoker, Vlad the Impaler, Elizabeth Bathory, Jack the Ripper and all the other people I have been fascinated with and loved my whole life. This one is for the grown up me.

  Disclaimer: this novel is historical fantasy. The life of Vlad the Impaler, his wives, and children are strewn with inconstancies and heresy, most of the facts known about them are the atrocities committed and the locations they took place. For the plot and characters of this novel I have done as much research as I can and fit the people and the times to the story line, they may not be historically accurate. I have tried to blend fantasy with history and actual events with Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the legend of Elizabeth Bathory. I hope you enjoy.

  Chapter 1

  1462

  Cneajna, lay half in and half out of the river. Her neck twisted in an awkward position, body broken along the rocks, but hidden from view of the castle by the deep forest of trees. Water sloshed over her cerulean chemise, drenching her form, as rivulets of her blood seeped into the murky water.

  The sounds of fighting could be heard in the night, swords clashing, horses screaming and men yelling. The stench of blood and death filled the air. No one noticed the beautiful woman, whose body lay dying and whose soul was fighting the urge to make it to the afterlife.

  Poenari Castle stretched tall in the background, unmoving against the onslaught. Set against a cliff in the Wallachia valley, the Fagaras Mountains making it a striking, albeit, scary sight.

  A tall beautiful woman stood near the woman. A braid of thick black hair wound around her head, covered by a hooded mantle held together with a glimmering brooch. Golden eyes shown from a face that could have been carved perfectly from terracotta. Her skin was dark and she was clothed in a short black chiton, covering snug silver under garments. Wrapped around her broad shoulders was a wolf’s skin against the biting night air, and nipping at her heels two small red and black foxes begging for her attention.

  “Gina, Petru, stop, I have work to do,” her voice was soft in the night and the foxes stilled, watching their mistresses every move.

  Bending down, she touched the matted black hair of the woman and breathed onto her. Within minutes, skin stitched itself together, leaving the smallest of scars, bones healed, organs repaired themselves, the girl’s heart began to beat, air forced its way, cold and unforgiving, into her lungs. Her eyes fluttered and then opened as, shivering, she took in a breath.

  “Cneajna, Princess of Transylvania, and wife of Vlad the Impaler, awaken and rise.” The woman commanded.

  Cneajna did, it took her a few moments, especially since she had to scramble a bit to get out of the water and up the embankment. Soaking, she trembled in front of the older woman. Her clothes were stained with watery blood and she could feel her hair matted and stuck to the side of her face.

  “Why am I not dead?” She asked, voice raspy, her throat still healing.

  “The better question should be how did you fall?” The woman pointed to the castle, and the window nearest them.

  “I didn’t… I was…pushed…” Cneajna stopped speaking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as memories came plunging back into her mind, “Radu…he pushed me.” Anger began to fill her, she had hated her brother-in-law, and things in their family had not been cordial; at least not all the time, but she never thought the man would try and kill her.

  “Yes, you were thrown to your death by your husband’s brother. People will think you committed suicide; this river will now be known as Raul Doamnei.” The Lady’s River.

  “But I am alive!” Cneajna exclaimed, “I will simply march back up to Poenari and tell my husband what has happened.” Panic began to fill her chest, she couldn’t be dead! She was standing, talking, breathing! She placed a hand to her heart and felt the beat.

  “And what has happened?” The woman questioned, “How will you explain that you survived the fall? Do you wish to be accused of witchcraft?”

  “It was a miracle, God has saved me.” Cneajna told her, pride in her dark blue, twilight eyes. Who was this woman? What the hell was going on?

  The woman barked a laugh that had the vixen and her mate backing up nervously, “God? Why would God save you?”

  “Because my husband is a crusader, he is fighting to stop the Turks from taking Wallachia.” Cneajna defended. She didn’t feel cold, why didn’t she feel cold? It was winter in the woods, she should be freezing.

  “Your Christian God cares no more for you than he does anything else. Besides your husband can be tyrannical and has committed some obscene atrocities. The Christian God does not appreciate you or Vlad Dracul.” The woman chuckled.

  “I admit over the years he has done some things I am not proud of, but the people love him.” she argued, thinking of all the time she had spent praying for guidance, for both of them. Her brain felt fuzzy, this had to all be a horrible dream, right?

  “He is a warlord, plain and simple. This land is ravished by men trying to keep a hold of something wild. These lands were once peaceful and now the soil is red with blood, caused by men like your husband and his family.” The woman took a deep breath, calming herself.

  “Then why am I alive?” Cneajna asked, for the first time really looking at the woman in front of her. She was slightly familiar, perhaps a saint of some kind or an angel, or maybe something much, much worse? As she took in the details of the woman and the woods, she rubbed her temples. It was pitch black, why could she see everything in crisp clarity? It was not day; but yet even with the darkness she noticed the detailed patterns on the fox’s fur.

  “Because I have use for you. I am Bendis, Goddess of Night, Magick and the Hunt. I have raised you from the dead and now you owe allegiance to me.” Bendis smiled, and it was kind. She didn’t want to frighten Cneajna, but the thought of being an angel was fairly humorous.

  “Bendis….it cannot be possible. Bendis is a pagan Goddess.” Cneajna shook her head, her wet blue black hair flying every which way. This could not be happening, she had been told ancient stories about the Goddess who supposedly used to roam these woods, but they were simply stories told by gypsies. Wrapping her arms around her chest her eyes kept darting up to the castle, none of this was real, it couldn’t be, she needed to go home, and if it
was real…a slow burn filled her chest, she would kill Radu herself.

  “It is possible and I am she. See with your eyes Cneajna, your real eyes.”

  Cneajna looked at the Goddess and knew she was right. There was nothing human about her, she was just too much; too beautiful, too powerful, too frightening.

  “What do you want from me?” She despaired. Too many beliefs were crashing down around her; there was too much information in such a short amount of time. She was having a hard time processing it.

  “First we must talk about what you are now and how you are to survive. Come, walk with me.” With a wave of her hand Cneajna was dry and in a thick fur coat, she even had boots.

  Bendis and Cneajna walked in silence for a while before the goddess spoke again, the foxes ran a head, yipping and playing together. Cneajna was filled with wonder, never before had she walked through these woods without fear, with such ease and with the ability to see so far and so clear. She sniffed and could smell more than she wanted to, again anxiety filled her to the brim, she needed to stop and think, this was too fast, she didn’t understand what was going on. However, it was as if she was compelled to keep walking.

  “You are now a Strega.” Bendis began.

  “A Strega.” The word left a sour taste in Cneajna’s mouth. A Strega was an immortal witch, usually blamed for sickness, death and evil. Looking at the Goddess she began to wonder, had she been kidnapped by something evil? Why would her God allow her to be punished so?

  “I am not evil; in fact your definitions of good and evil are limited to a mortal’s knowledge. I have not kidnapped you, let us save the dramatics for another time.” Bendis stated, a hint of annoyance in her tone. Bendis stopped; she placed cold hands on Cneajna’s shoulders and turned her.

  “It is important you listen Cneajna….” Bendis warned. Only after the girl had nodded did they continue walking.

  This was ridiculous and could not be happening; it had to be a dream. She was human and ignoring the tales of gypsies, Stregas and the like did not exist. Cneajna thought. In fact she couldn’t have fallen out the window; it was impossible to be brought back from the dead, only their Lord Jesus Christ could do such an amazing feat.

  “I know this takes some getting used to, and if you doubt it is at all real just listen with your new ears.” Bendis waved a hand at the castle looming in the distance. Cneajna winced as she still heard the sounds of battle coming from the castle. She wondered if Vlad had even found that she was missing.

  “No.” Cneajna came to a full stop, gripping a tree near her as her feet wanted to continue to walk with the woman.

  “No?” Bendis repeated, looking at her.

  “No, I am not dead, not a Strega….You are not a Goddess and I am not going with you. I am going home right now. If and only if I decide you have risen me from the dead, I will be thankful, but not before that.”

  “And how do you propose to figure it out?” Bendis asked, amused.

  “When Radu, the bastard, sees me it will confirm it. Then I will take one of my husband’s swords and run him through myself!” She exclaimed, fury filling her cheeks at the thought that a man she had welcomed into their home many times had stooped to such a low, as to get to his brother through her. Without waiting for a word from the other woman she fled, darting through the trees, dodging fallen branches with ease and leaping over stumps.

  She had never run so fast before, it was exhilarating, within seconds she was back by the river. She stood and gazed up at the cliffs feeling strength pouring through her limbs she wondered if she could climb up and enter through her bedroom window like nothing had happened.

  “I have let you run my Strega but now you will go no further,”

  Cneajna spun around, not even out of breath, but a little startled, “go away.”

  “I will not and you will come with me rather you like it or not.” Bendis voice was no longer pleasant.

  “You can’t make me.” She hated that she sounded like a petulant child.

  “Yes, I can, I am sorry but you cannot go home. In a few minutes Radu will tell Vlad he watched you jump from the window. He will find blood and pieces of your clothing and will assume your body washed away down river. He will grieve and remarry.” Bendis spoke the truth, even though it was harsh.

  Cneajna growled at the Goddess and turned prepared to dart across the river and up the jagged rocks, but her feet were stuck to the ground, she couldn’t move.

  Cneajna closed her eyes and sat down heavily in the dirt, she began to sob in earnest. Despair welling up inside her, She thought about her husband and how they had married the year she turned 18. He had already been set in his ways, harsh and strict. She smiled thinking how handsome Vlad had been, a summer away from his 25th birthday. Her parents had thought it was a great honor that he asked for her hand. She had loved him passionately and felt he had returned the affection, even if he had not always shown it.

  Thoughts and memories of their life began to flash behind her eye lids, but she had to stop them, it was making her head hurt and there was so much more to remember.

  She couldn’t be dead, why did her brain feel so mixed up? It was like she was having a hard time thinking, remembering.

  “You died, Cneajna, I have been telling you that. The longer you are awake in this new life, the more of your old life will return, your mind will become clear, like nothing happened.” The Goddess smiled again and it seemed to brighten the darkness, just a tiny bit more.

  “Will I really be a witch now? Will I have magic powers?” Cneajna felt foolish asking it, like a child. She looked up, tears blurring her vision; there was something important she couldn’t quite grasp and she rubbed her temples, a headache forming, something vital that she needed to remember, little shadows that wouldn’t come into focus.

  “Yes, but it will take some time and effort to learn them.” Bendis explained, “And you must feed on emotions to use them, power does not simply appear out of nowhere. It is a part of what you are now.”

  “That doesn’t sound too horrible” Cneajna said. She was trying hard to push past the prejudices drilled into her since birth: Stregas were evil and those who practiced magic were in league with the devil…She didn’t feel wicked so maybe she wasn’t and Bendis didn’t act like Satan, though she guessed it could have been a clever disguise.

  If this was to be her life now, she should embrace it, though every cell in her body was screaming to turn and scuttle up the cliff, take revenge and then fall back into her old life.

  “I assure you not even Lucifer would dare take on my form. I will never directly lie to you. I have no interest in tricking you into my service. You are already there.”

  “Because you took me from death? How is that fair? I could be in heaven already.” Cneajna said, a little angry, she stood shakily and followed Bendis.

  “No, you wouldn’t, but I will explain that later.” More silence followed. Cneajna smiled as she heard the flutter of wings nearby and smelled the solid earth beneath her feet.

  “Walk with me, and do not think of running away, I will stop you. You can never go back to your old life again, and I have the power to control you, don’t make me use it.” Bendis speared her with a dark look.

  “How can I be happy? I am a murdered corpse with no home, family or money.” Cneajna placed a fist to her mouth to contain the sob.

  “This can be a joyful life. Once every 100 years I create a Strega, I will introduce you to others of your kind as your powers mature.” Bendis assured her. They stopped in front of a large dark cave.

  “But most importantly your main goal is to create Strigoi.” Bendis lifted her hand and floating light appeared, the foxes ran forward, disappearing into the cave. Bendis took Cneajna’s hand and led her inside. Cneajna was not paying attention, the word Strigoi was known to her, a hint of fear crawled up her spine. Strigoi were spirits of the damned that came back to earth to torment the living, feeding off their blood.

  “That’s sinful.”
She whispered in the cool confines of the cave.

  “I am glad you think that, balance must be maintained and so humans must believe darkness lingers in the corners of the world. My Stregas create Strigoi and they help maintain the balance between good and evil.”

  “So you want me to create beings to hurt people?” Cneajna asked, she ripped her hand from Bendis and stood, refusing to budge; now she knew this had to be trickery from a dark power. Strigoi were not creatures to be created and upheld, they were to be feared. If a family member became a Strigoi you destroyed them and prayed to God to save their soul.

  “Not exactly…Humans just need to think that.” Bendis beckoned her on, “They are immortal and eternally young, like you. They are just another bed time story to tell, a weapon that good may use against the wicked. In truth, Strigoi are normally harmless.” Bendis walked a few steps before realizing she was not being followed.

  “Come on, we haven’t got all night and I don’t have time to constantly placate your fears. I know you think some sort of evil is behind all of this, but truly it is not. Everything is as it seems and I am not a harbinger of doom come to lead you, little lamb, astray.”

  With the Goddess’ words Cneajna felt foolish, she was confused and a little lost, plucking at everything around her. Time she grew up and accepted her fate, nodding, she followed again.

  At some point the cavern changed, Cneajna realized it must have been a gateway because she was suddenly standing in a huge room. Paintings of animals and half naked nymphs coated the walls while fur covered the floors. Silver light danced through the room and there was a table full of food surrounded by chairs and lounges draped with the finest fabric Cneajna had ever seen.

  “Sit and eat.” Bendis offered, sliding into a chair and picking up a large mutton chop and taking a huge bite. Cneajna watched as Bendis chewed thoughtfully and then threw it on the floor for the foxes. She started forward and froze remembering a tale her nanny used to tell about fairies that lured people away and once you ate their food were forever damned to be kept in servitude. A strange noise jolted her out of her thoughts, eyes focused on Bendis, she realized the Goddess was laughing.