The Bathory Curse

by Renee Lake

  “I told you many years ago Lizzy that unless you stopped, this would happen and that I could not save you.” Nea was miserable. Bendis’ words had come true, now when people spoke the Bathory name all they would think about was Elizabeth.

  “Please, with your magic you have to be able to do something.” Elizabeth pleaded. She looked no older than she had the last time Nea had seen her, even though she had another son Miklos in 1600. Nea couldn’t believe the blood had worked, she could only assume that like a vampire, Elizabeth had consumed the life force of those young women through the blood.

  “I have. You shall not be killed like all your poor servants and I shall protect your daughters as best I can.” Nea rubbed her eyes, she didn’t want to be here, she wanted to be home. Stasi had been spending all her time at the castle of late and Nea didn’t want to miss a moment.

  “You can’t protect them from our curse,” Elizabeth cried, curling into a ball, she wore nothing but a linen chemise, the guards refusing to give her finery except while she was on trial.

  “No, I cannot. But I can make sure their deaths are merciful and their lives as happy as possible.” Nea sat next to her and stroked her blonde hair.

  “Make sure they are not like me, you mean.” Lizzy whispered.

  “Yes. Of all your ancestors you are one of the worse and now the Bathory name with live on in infamy because of your horrid deeds. The men cannot hide this now.” Nea felt remorse, this is what her family line had come down to.

  “They say I have slaughtered more than 600 virgins; it isn’t true.”

  “I know, but truth won’t matter now.” Nea leaned back against the bed, still stroking her goddaughter’s hair.

  “Why did you go after the noble girl?” Nea wanted to know.

  “I was too distraught to think after Orsolya’s death last year. I only thought about how beautiful the girl was and how I wished I was 18 again,” Elizabeth sobbed. Nea had to pity her. Elizabeth had lost Andras in 1603; he had only been seven and hadn’t been able to fight off an illness. Then the past year Orsolya died in a horseback riding accident, she had been 20, and engaged to be married. Her curse had never come to fruition, but since she had reached puberty she now resided in Limbo.

  “I wish you had listened to me when Paul was born.” Was all Nea could say.

  “If I had I would be an ugly crone now.”

  Still vain as ever; Nea wondered if Elizabeth’s only regret was getting caught, and perhaps leaving behind her children.

  Anna was 25 now and though she had been at court, now she was being ostracized due to her mother’s crimes. Katalin was 17 and to be married within the year. Nea had used magic to ensure her fiancee would not leave her when Elizabeth was arrested. Paul was 13 and still at home with Miklos, 11, both boys being packed up and moved to live with Bathory’s who were farther away from the scandal.

  “I have to go now Lizzy, I won’t be coming back.” Nea stood, pain in her chest, she looked down at the older woman, crying on the floor, but all she could see was the scared girl she had been, delivering a baby and being told it had died.

  “Say something to me, anything before you go,” Lizzy whispered.

  “Anastasia lived,” Nea said.

  “What?!!! My mother lied? Of course she lied.” Light dawned in her eyes, “she has been with you all this time, hasn’t she?” Elizabeth sat up, rubbing her arms, staring incredulously at her Godmother, sickened with the news, furious and betrayed.

  “Yes, she has been cared for and loved and has grown into a beautiful woman.” Nea took a step towards the door, preparing to leave. She really wanted to get home she was a little worried about Stasi, she had seemed so tired of late and pale. She didn’t have the appetite she used to either.

  “You kept this from me? Maybe if I had been able to raise her I wouldn’t have turned out this way!” Elizabeth yelled.

  “Please continue your hysterics, the guards have no problems physically forcing you to be quiet.” Nea stated, eyes serious, sarcasm dripping from her words.

  “You won’t save me and you have kept my daughter from me, I can’t believe there was ever a time I adored you, thought of you like a mother.” Elizabeth couldn’t even cry, her eyes were hot and dry.

  “I did everything I could possibly do for you and your sisters, everything I could do for your children.”

  “I hate you.” Elizabeth struggled off the floor, sat in a chair facing the mirrored vanity.

  “Goodbye Lizzy.” The last time Nea saw her she was bending over a bottle of plain face cream that Nea had brought. Nea watched in disgust as she pricked her finger and let her own blood drip into the cream and then sighed in pleasure as she stirred it and began to rub it into her skin.

  Nea appeared back at home to find Stasi, Mihail and Sabine waiting for her, there was an air of misery between them, Marina came over and took her coat. They all knew where she had been and what was happening with Elizabeth. At this point, Stasi pretended not to care that her mother was a murderer, she refused to speak about or even hear about her birth mother.

  Sabine and Mihail knew it tore Nea up inside, but they also knew this was her cross to bear and they couldn’t help her. So Nea was sure the dark emotions filling the room didn’t have to do with the Bathory Curse.

  “Nea, do you have time to look at the books?” a pleasant voice asked. Nea turned to see Renata standing behind Marina.

  Renata had only been in her household a few weeks. She kept out of the way and was her new accountant, Nea barely saw her. She was from 21st century France and had been a psychologist with their government. She had asked Bendis for help with a brutal serial killer who killed 38 women, and they couldn’t find him. His victims kept getting younger and younger. The last victim had been 12. Renata was paying off the debt of Bendis giving her the information she needed to solve the case before he killed number 39.

  “Not right now, but I promise later.” Nea smiled at the new girl, she really liked her and enjoyed conversations with her about the troubled people she arrested and helped. Nea had seriously questioned how she could be in charge of her household finances with her psychology background, but the girl was smart and good with numbers. Renata had turned out to be quite capable.

  Marina narrowed eyes at Renata as she left the room and leaned down next to Nea’s ear.

  “Prepare yourself.” Marina muttered, which for her was downright friendly. The woman had now worked within Nea’s household for 26 years and was a stubborn matron of 51, still going strong. Nea often caught her dancing around the house while doing her duties singing crazy songs from her era about eyes of tigers, sacrilegious rumors and how voices shouldn’t carry, whatever that meant. Bendis had offered her a permanent trip home about ten years before which she had denied, saying she was used to this time and the people and didn’t feel like uprooting herself again.

  “What’s happened?” Nea rushed forward, looking at her daughter. Stasi had aged well, though it hurt Nea’s heart to see her baby girl so much older than herself and know she would out live her. Stasi was tall with long platinum blonde hair and eyes brighter blue than the sky, she had just turned 37.

  So far the curse has not appeared to affect Stasi, aside from giving her a vicious temper when provoked.

  “I’m sick Mama.” Stasi’s words brought Nea’s whole world crashing down.

  “No.”

  “It’s true Nea, Marina checked her out, she thinks it’s a disease that in the future, it doesn’t matter…There isn’t a cure.” Sabine put her hands on her best friend’s shoulders, but Nea only had eyes for her daughter. She had thought something was wrong and chosen to ignore it, this was the punishment for Stasi being such a happy and good person. Nea watched as Stasi leaned a little on Mihail who seemed grief-stricken.

  “No.” She shook her head, “we’ll just heal you with magic.”

  “Some things magic cannot fix, Lesson 32.” Sabine touched her nose to Nea’s and then backed away.

  “T
his cannot be happening; it’s the curse isn’t it? So far you haven’t been touched so it must ruin your life in another way, you are not even married yet, haven’t had a family!” Nea cried.

  “I talked to Bendis, she does think it is the curse,” Sabine agreed.

  “Don’t worry Mama. I think I have a solution.” Stasi came forward and took her mother’s hands, leading her into the library.

  “As long as it doesn’t end with you dying and your portrait gracing my wall I am all ears,” Nea said, anxiety and panic beginning to build in her mind.

  “Mihail and I talked; we think you should make me a Strigoi.”

  “No!” Nea backed away, horrified.

  “You did it for Mihail and he enjoys his life,” Stasi gently reminded her. Nea sat down, heavily. Yes, she had turned Mihail and Ruxandra, they were good at it, the killing, the emotion eating, but, she looked up at her baby. She couldn’t see forcing her precious bright one to kill.

  “Father said if you won’t, he is willing to turn her for me.” Mihail’s words were like ice water on her soul.

  “I forbid it.” She stood frantically. A vampire? They had no soul! Most were cold blooded killers and insane.

  “Is this really what you want Stasi?” Nea asked.

  “It’s the best option,” Sabine chimed in.

  “I don’t want to die,” Stasi said.

  “You will never be able to have children.” Nea warned, coming closer to her daughter, “you will have to do as Mihail and Ruxandra do, eat emotions and do my killing. I won’t be able to favor you.”

  “I have never been interested in children, at this point most call me a rich spinster.” Stasi sounded dejected and resigned, “Plus it sounds like a better adventure than death and Limbo.”

  “Alright,” Nea took a deep breath and gathered her daughter to her breast, “now?”

  “Yes, sooner the better. It hurts Mama,” Stasi cried.

  “Why did you hide this from me?”

  “I didn’t realize something was wrong until a few weeks ago. I have been so tired, I thought it was just my age getting to me.” Stasi rested her head on her mother’s shoulder, “I didn’t want to worry you until I knew…”

  “Just relax” Nea squeezed her tighter, tears falling from her own eyes.

  Her magic swept over them both, ripping Stasi’s soul from her and burying it in Nea’s chest, she held on tightly to her little girl as her magic swam through Stasi’s veins repairing damage that had been done and molding it into something else, something no longer human. Stasi shuddered in her mother’s arms, occasionally moaning with pain as magic nipped and tugged, caressed and shaped her into something else. Then, quietly Nea released her soul back into her body, her magic flowing back into her like a tired puppy as it greeted her own flesh.

  “It’s done.” Nea pet her daughter’s hair and looked down into a face that had less wrinkles than ten minutes before. Stasi was 25 again, her physical peak, but even with new youth she seemed tired.

  “You’re sure?” Mihail came over, worry creasing his brow.

  “Of course. I have taken people from death’s door way, this disease didn’t have a chance.” Nea helped her daughter to sit down.

  “I feel so strange.”

  “Yeah, it takes a bit to get used to,” Mihail laughed, strained.

  “You look beautiful,” Sabine praised, “I would love to stay but there is a Strigoi all fed up on lust waiting for me.” She kissed Stasi’s cheek, winked at Nea and was gone, like always…that was just Sabine.

  “She should probably feed.” Nea told her son, “go on, show her how.”

  “No one showed me how,” Mihail fake pouted. Stasi punched his arm, “okay, okay.” He stood and held out a hand, Stasi beamed up at him, took his hand and Nea was left alone in the library. There she cried like she hadn’t cried ever before, like her heart was dying and could never feel right again.

  “I am here Cneajna.”

  Nea gazed up into black eyes she had adored her whole life and just crumpled more, “how did you get in?” It was a weak question, but since vampires could not enter unless invited, a valid one.

  “Your housekeeper.” He swept her up and in seconds they were in her bed chamber.

  “We can’t,” she protested.

  “I need you,” was all he said as their clothes melted away. He placed her on the bed, quickly sliding between her legs, relishing in her soft pale skin, still warm with her own blood.

  “You’re warm,” she murmured as he kissed her mouth, then her chin, slowly making his way down her neck, his fingers sliding over her skin, causing her to tremble.

  “I fed; I would not come to you as a cold thing.” His breath was warm over her nipple and she arched, drawing in a gasp as he took one into his mouth, licking and sucking it, shooting pleasure down to her womanhood, she hadn’t felt like this in years.

  His hands moved down her hips, lightly brushing between her legs, she trembled beneath him, mouth open, moaning in pleasure, her hands buried in his hair, loving the feel of his soft beard against her tender flesh. She bucked beneath him as his fingers slipped between her folds and delved into her wet heat. His fingers moved in rhythm with his mouth and she could feel his hard shaft pressed up against her stomach.

  She craved him inside her after all these years, he bit down a little, his fingers moving faster as a building pressure yearned to tear through her. She felt his teeth graze her breast and didn’t even think to stop him when his fangs slid into her skin like butter. He drank her blood, groaning against her, the feelings were so intense, his mouth sucking her, fingers stroking her that she came, screaming his name, writhing below him.

  He lifted his mouth, stained with her blood and licked the two tiny pin pricks he had left, healing them at once.

  “Mine, Cneajna, no matter what you think.” He flipped her over onto her stomach and brought her knees up, with a powerful thrust that had her crying out he was inside her, stretching her and filling her. It also hurt, she bit her own lip struggling against him for an instant, the pleasure pain barrier making it hard to breathe. He waited for a moment for her to get used to him and then he began to move, slowly at first. He pushed himself into her again and again, his hands gripping her hips, urging her on.

  “You will come again for me,” he demanded, his voice harsh with the intensity of his own pleasure. He was close, but he wanted his woman to come before him. She was almost there, her orgasm just out of reach, placing her head on her pillow she gasped as the angle became deeper, he slid further into her, harder and faster. This time when she climaxed it was a powerful almost painful thing that racked her from head to toe. He called her name as his seed spilled inside of her, his cock jerking, still heavy within her womb. As he collapsed his arms tightened around her quivering body and rolled her to his chest.

  She clutched him, smiling through the aches she knew would turn into sore muscles in the morning, “I love you.”

  “And I you, as always it is the best between us,” he said, curling a strand of her hair around his hand.

  “How did you know I needed you?”

  “I always know.”

  “Did you enjoy my blood?” She knew it should bother her, but it didn’t.

  “I will not need to feed for several weeks.” He rumbled a hint of laughter, “You will come home with me now.” There was silence and Vlad frowned, he moved and sat up, looking down at his well-loved wife.

  “No, Vlad, I won’t.” She said, pulling blankets around her.

  “Yes.”

  “No,” she sighed, “we talked about this before. I can’t, you know that.” He studied her face for a moment, anger flickering in his features. He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her roughly.

  When he broke off the kiss he could see the strength and the resolve in her eyes, he’d always liked that, “this is not over.”

  Then he was mist, floating over the ground and out the window, causing the temperature in the room to drop.
/>   “Like always.” She leaned back against the pillows. She felt better, though very tired.

  “I hope you got that out of your system.”

  Nea straightened up gasping as Bendis appeared, sitting on the edge of her bed, middle aged and still beautiful.

  “Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s impolite to enter someone’s room without asking?”

  “I am a Goddess, I come and go where and when I please.”

  “That’s annoying.” Nea grasped a quilt and pulled it over her.

  “I understand you are having a moment of doubt so I am allowing this, but hopefully you have gotten it out of your system.” Bendis repeated, disapprovingly.

  “Yes, not that it’s any of your business.”

  “It is my business Nea as he is a vampire and I do not tolerate them. He and a few other Vampire Kings have been spreading their blood seed all over the world; I have had many of my Stregas and their Strigoi out hunting them. I have left Vlad Dracul alone, only out of fondness for you.” The Goddess was very serious.

  “Why are you here?” Nea pulled the blankets farther around her.

  “You are broken Strega, you need a break. I want you to close up your house here and in Hungary and move someplace with fewer memories.”

  “What about Anna and Katalin, and Borbala?” she asked mentioning Elizabeth and Zsofia’s daughters, “or Elizabeth’s sons?”

  “It is time for you to let them go. The boys will be fine; I can see into their future and know they will be well. It is only three Bathory daughters, they will be affected by the curse and there is nothing you can do about that now. You need a clear head and perspective if you hope to break the curse before the entire line dies out and your ancestors spend eternity in Limbo,” Bendis said.

  “The line will die out?”

  “This I have foreseen. By 1987, the line will die out and the curse will become unbreakable. Those women in Limbo will suffer for eternity.” It was a doomed prophecy.

  “So I have 376 years.” It seemed like a lot and not enough time, all at once.