The Bathory Curse

by Renee Lake

  “Yes, I am Ella, are you?” Nea asked, using her pet name for the girl.

  “Uh huh, but let’s be sure to be back in time for cake.” She glanced behind her and Nea saw three adults, Mihail, Stasi and Marina standing in the foyer. Marina was in an apron wiping flour from her hands.

  “You better be back for cake, I have been making it all morning and the eggs for it were not cheap.” Marina sounded harsh but there was a smile in her eyes. She was at home today so she was wearing a shirt with the words Tears for Fears written across the top, she said it was a band from her time, Nea just shook her head.

  “Did the Evanson’s have their baby?”

  “Early this morning like I predicted, healthy and large,” Marina grinned, “Any orders while you are gone?”

  “None. Keep up the good work, let me know if the clinic needs anything.” Nea had helped Marina open up a sort of underground women’s clinic in their basement two years prior. Marina did everything the term “women’s healthcare” could cover, without giving away her magical powers or the fact she was from the future. Nea had been surprised by how many women sought out illegal abortions and birth control, especially non-married ones. Nea was happy to lend her finances and magic to the cause.

  “Now Stasi, don’t fret, we will be back soon. You made this trip around the same age. We are going straight to my mother’s rooms.”

  “Okay, just, be back soon…” Stasi was worried, she didn’t like the thought of her daughter travelling through dimensions, or being in the house with all their insane relatives.

  “Eventually she has to go see the others, she needs to know what she’s facing.” Mihail murmured to Stasi, who turned on him, fire in her eyes.

  “I know, stop bringing them up. Just not now!” She snapped.

  “Stop it, you know I’m not invisible, right?” Daniela had gone to stand between her parents, in the past five days things had been wound tightly in their household, she had watched her very loving family bite and snap at each other and she wasn’t happy about it. The only person not grumpy was her Grandfather, but in truth Daniela hadn’t seen him in a few months. He had sent a lovely doll house for her birthday, though.

  “Oh, I’m sorry Princess.” Stasi leaned down and gathered her daughter in a hug.

  “Yes, sorry Sweet pea, things will be better after this trip.” Mihail kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around his wife.

  “I want to go with Grandma, I’m looking forward to it, don’t ruin it.”

  Nea began to laugh, startling her children into their own chuckles, “she is your daughter, attitude and all, calm down Ella, let’s be off.” Nea took her hand, “Do you remember the rules?”

  “Yes, do not speak to Mariska directly and do not leave Grandma Jenica’s rooms.”

  “Good girl,” and with a thought whisked them away into Jenica and Mariska’s private rooms in Limbo. When they arrived Daniela wavered and had to be steadied, she placed a hand to her mouth and barely had time to mumble, “sick” before she threw up all over Jenica’s buttercup yellow carpet.

  “I know, the first time is always the worse.” Nea asked. “Mama?”

  “Already on it.” Jenica’s cheerful voice was laced with a bit of concern as she shoved a cup of tea into Daniela’s hands. The heated smell of ginger did much to soothe the little girl’s stomach, Jenica led her to the sofa while Nea cleaned up the mess.

  “So you’re,” Daniela slurped some tea, taking a big calming breath, “Grandma Jenica.”

  “Yes, and I am quite happy to finally meet you. My daughter has spoken of you the last few times she was here.” Jenica couldn’t help but love the child, she was everything a Bathory daughter was meant to be, minus the crazy.

  “I thought you two might like each other,” Nea said, sitting on the other side of Daniela, “where is Mariska? We brought her a present.”

  “A present? For me?” The sing-song voice came from behind the kitchen counter, Mariska’s pale, hollow face peered from around the corner, she was sitting on the floor, playing with a curl of red hair.

  “Yes, a new doll.” Nea gave Daniela a package. The child stood up and slowly made her way to her relative, hands shaking she held out the brown paper wrapped gift. Mariska grabbed and and ripped it open, cooing like a small child at the porcelain head and beautiful lace dress of the new doll.

  “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you.” She stood up and danced around.

  “I’m sorry, but what is wrong with you?” Daniela blurted out before she could stop herself. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and eyes wide in terror, Mariska froze as well, focusing on the child. Both Nea and Jenica scrambled up, Nea reaching for her granddaughter, terrified something horrible was about to happen, Jenica placed herself directly in-between Daniela and Mariska.

  “I’m so sorry, that was so rude, I didn’t mean to ask!” Daniela’s voice quivered.

  “Poor little child, I cannot answer thee, but if you want, you can see.” Mariska’s arm whipped out and she grabbed Daniela’s hand. Nea caught her granddaughter as the little girl sagged, fingers still tight around Mariska’s.

  “I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I am in love with someone else.” Mariska said, fear in every word. She stood outside her home, hidden from sight by the dark, she didn’t want anyone to call her out as a witch, and they would if they saw her talking to someone only she could see.

  “I gave you everything, how could you do this?” The voice was harsh and furious.

  “I know, and I am appreciative of it all, but I never promised…that is I never said…I love Peter, I always have….”Her fingers were so cold, she gripped her shawl tighter, “we’re to be married in the spring.”

  “I am why you can get married to your stupid male….your foul human mate.” The voice had pain in it now.

  “I know and I am thankful, you are my very best friend!” Mariska cried, wishing she could fix things, wishing things were different.

  “Your heart was so weakened by disease you would never have left that bed again if I hadn’t healed you.”

  “And I paid for it, you asked me to devote the next two years of my life to you and you alone…I have done so. I kept Peter at arm’s length, it’s a miracle he waited, that he still wants me…” She stomped her feet, trying to get the blood to flow. The woman standing before her frowned and reached out a hand, touching Mariska and warmth surged through her skin, she smiled, grateful.

  “Was that all these two years were to you, just duty?” The woman who touched her gave a easy smile, her voice softening.

  “No, we had so much fun, no one could have taken me where you did, showed me what you showed me.” They had done wonderful things, she had been to Rome, Cairo, ancient cities long since gone, she had even sat and had her portrait painted, none of which she could have afforded or been able to do on her own.

  “And the other things.” The voice filled with lingering heat and a blush came to Mariska’s cheeks.

  “Were caused by strange wines and strange spices….”

  “You didn’t enjoy yourself?”

  “You know I did….”

  “Peter will not pleasure you like I can.”

  “Don’t speak like that! It’s wrong….and while yes I liked it…I do not love you like I love Peter and you cannot give me the children I want…” Even to Mariska the excuses sounded weak.

  “So you are refusing me? A place by my side, in my court and my bed?” The other woman’s voice was now colder than the winds.

  “Yes, I am sorry… I also have to ask you not to come again…I can’t explain you to Peter, to my family….” Mariska felt tears fall and a hand wiped them away.

  “You are not as sorry as you will be, Mariska Bathory. After your first child is born you shall descend into madness, and each girl child of your line after shall follow you. No true joy shall your family ever know, before this night is through this curse will be iron clad.”

  Mariska gasped, reaching for the
woman, but her hands grasped nothing but air, “Oh no, Bendis…no.”

  Daniela woke up, laying in her grandmother’s lap, she released her white knuckled grip on Mariska, who smiled sadly and backed up, stroking her new doll and whispering nonsense words to it. Daniela opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She felt strong and powerful, but her voice wouldn’t come.

  “Oh Ella, you’re ok….You fed on Mariska’s memories… you are a memory feeder instead of an emotion feeder…Give it a second, the first feed it always the hardest.” Nea looked over her granddaughter’s head at her mother’s worried face.

  Catching her daughter’s eyes Jenica mouthed, “NOT GOOD.”

  Mariska wandered back over humming to herself.

  “It must be her…. But not her, older her by….” She counted on her fingers, “eight years.” She gave a half smile and danced off.

  Daniela struggled to sit up a little and took a deep breath, finally able to speak, “It was Bendis, Grandma….She cursed our family.”

  “She is coming. She can’t come here, she promised me I would never have to see her again.” Mariska squeaked from the corner.

  A loud boom thundered through the room, Nea and Daniela were jerked from Limbo and slammed back down in their library, startling Mihail and Stasi. A young, limber and manic Bendis stood in the center of the room, her foxes giving off low warning growls around her.

  Nea began “Bendis, please-

  “No! I will not hear excuses!” Bendis yelled, her voice shaking the very walls of the house.

  “She’s only a child!” Nea pleaded.

  “Mama, what happened?” Stasi ran over, putting her arms around her daughter.

  “She broke the rules! I cannot abide by that and punishment must be issued!” Bendis exclaimed, the air electrified around her, she seemed to swell in size.

  “Punishment? What rule did she break?” Mihail put himself between the angry Goddess and his family.

  “I knew she shouldn’t have gone, you shouldn’t have taken her!” Stasi’s words were filled with blame as she looked at her mother.

  “She spoke directly to Mariska.” Nea too stepped in front of Stasi and Daniela. Daniela was crying, scared, in her mother’s arms.

  “Punish me Great Goddess, not my family, I am to blame.”

  “Mother, no!” Mihail grabbed her arm.

  “You warned the girl, you are not at fault.” Bendis glared, arms over her chest, she pointed a finger at Stasi and Daniela, “move away from the child Anastasia.”

  Nea had pleaded and offered herself, nothing else was working, she thrust herself into Bendis line of sight and gathered her power, it swirled around her centuries accrued, it filled her eyes, and her hands with golden light and the room with the warmth of ten fire places, “you will have to go through me Bendis.”

  “And me.” Sabine was suddenly at Nea’s side, she slipped a freckled covered hand into Nea’s and joined their magic, the gold became tinged with green and the smell of peat moss filled the room causing Bendis’ fox familiars to cough.

  Bendis stared at her Stregas, unbelieving and her anger died, her own magic settled back into her skin. She wasn’t willing to kill two of her best and favorite Stregas over this one point.

  “I have to punish her, if I do not, my word means nothing, and I am compelled to keep it,” Bendis said, her voice, taking on a more pleasing tone.

  “She is just a child, my granddaughter, Mariska’s blood.” Nea drove home the most compelling point. “It is your fault her family line is cursed, you can afford to be lenient.” Sabine’s hand tightened in Nea’s at this news. Stasi gasped in shock and Mihail groaned under his breath.

  “This is all your fault. You did this to our line and chose to keep it from me, you could have ended this curse yourself a hundred times over and chose not to. This is YOUR secret, you can’t blame my Ella!”

  “It matters not and if you value her life you will NOT speak to me that way. So this is my punishment and decree. For the next ten years, or until the curse is broken, Daniela is forbidden from being in the company of you or Mihail. She and Stasi will travel back to England and stay with one of my daughters, in her care and safe keeping. You and Mihail shall have no contact with Daniela until then.” At Bendis words there was a crack in the air. Sabine and Nea let go of their accumulated magic and the room went back to normal.

  “You have one hour to say your goodbyes.” Bendis nodded.

  “No!” Nea was trembling with betrayal and anger, “you kept me in the dark, you are selfish and cold. I had thought….I feared this was always the truth, but I convinced myself you care about my family and something was keeping you from talking. Now I know it was just you. You don’t want to die!”

  “I will not be spoken to as such and I will not discuss this any further.” With those words the Goddess was simply gone.

  “Hecate can be a real bitch,” Sabine growled.

  “Isn’t there anything we can do?” Stasi asked, pulling Daniela over to Nea.

  “I did what I could, I will just have to break the curse in record time.” Nea sniffed, holding back her tears. She enveloped both her girls in her arms, holding them tightly, memorizing their shape, feel and smell.

  “Grandma, I don’t want to go, I am so sorry!” Daniela wailed.

  “Hush, now Ella, we will all be together very soon. I love you both.” She motioned for Sabine to follow her out of the room, her last sight was of Mihail darting to his wife and child, Nea’s heart broke a little more as she gave them privacy.

  “Bunica!” Ruxandra and Marina were right outside the door, Ruxandra’s eyes held concern and Marina was angry.

  “You heard?”

  “Everything, stupid Goddess, mucking up the works,” Marina muttered, eyes darting around, hoping Bendis didn’t smite her.

  “I need you both to go and pack the essentials for the girls, we can send the rest later. Make sure Mihail doesn’t leave the house until I can speak with him again.” Nea ordered, both women bowed their heads in acknowledgment.

  “At least you know, Bunica, now all the pieces make sense. Why she didn’t want you speaking to Mariska, why she refused to answer your most basic questions. We will fix this,” Ruxandra grabbed Nea’s hand and gave it a good squeeze before leaving to do as she was bid.

  Nea turned then and just stared at Sabine.

  “I am sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” Sabine said, into the awkward silence.

  “Where have you been the last ten years? I missed you. I called out for you.” Nea was trying hard not to sound as pissed off as she was.

  “I was mad, for the first year or so…then as the time went by I was embarrassed, I caused such a scene and I didn’t think you would welcome me back.”

  “Your pride, you mean”

  “Yes, fine, my pride. I had been eavesdropping a bit lately, so when I caught the frantic feelings of your house and felt and all powerful furious Hecate I boogied right on over to help. Lesson 15; Stregas are true to each other first and foremost, Lesson 27; in this life you have to learn to forgive and move on, and Lesson 12: even though we are immortal everyone has to say sorry and eat a little crow now and then.”

  “So what you’re saying is…”

  “That I’m sorry, alright? I should have come much earlier and I wish I hadn’t waited so long…you gonna make me grovel anymore?” Sabine gave her a hopeful grin, her eyes mischievous. The two women hugged and Nea felt the tears come then and allowed herself to be held by Sabine for a few moments while she grieved and collected herself.

  “I was wondering when you would remember your own damn lessons,” Nea hiccupped, pulling away.

  “Well, I am more stubborn than you.”

  “What am I going to do now?” Nea pulled out a handkerchief and began dabbing her eyes; they stung with the Goddesses treachery. She had always known Bendis was using her, but the perks she received outweighed the negatives, until now.

  “We are going to Greece, we ar
e going to figure out this curse if it kills us, even if we have to kill old Hecate to do so.”

  Chapter 20

  Greece Two Month Later

  “I am sick of looking at old books.” Sabine slammed another tome down, causing dust to swirl in the air and make her cough.

  “Me too, but there is not much more we can do,” Nea said, gently using a piece of blue silk to mark her place and closing her own giant leather-bound manuscript.

  “Hey, be nice to my books, I have spent a lot of time and money gathering these up,” Renata frowned.

  “I just need to do something, anything,” Sabine growled, head plopping into her hands.

  “We are doing something, and we’re close I can feel it,” Nea smiled. They had arrived in Greece three weeks earlier, to Renata’s delight. She had stumbled upon a bit of a dead end and thought two new pairs of eyes would be a great advantage. She had moved to a small village outside of Thessaly in Greece because all her research had led her there, but that’s where it stopped she could not find anything more to locate the flowers.

  “At least it’s pretty here,” Sabine said, eyes lighting on a bronzed young man working in the garden.

  “Eyes on the prize,” Nea chuckled.

  “They are…” Sabine snickered back, she stood up and stretched, she was wearing a very gauzy white night gown and matching robe, stating it was too hot to wear anything like normal clothes.

  “You will scandalize the whole neighborhood,” Renata sighed, realizing they were done for the day, the sun was starting to set and they were about to lose the good light.

  “Like they aren’t already, with us living here, three women, alone.” Eyes wide Sabine faked shock, she was about to saunter from the room when a knocked sounded through the villa.

  “Were you expecting someone?” Nea asked.

  “Not today anyway.” Renata responded, all three women turned as a tired housekeeper bustled in, staring at the floor.

  “There is a man here to see you, Kyria.”

  “Thank you, please show him in.”

  “You know they call you the equivalent of Missus right?” Nea raised her eyebrows.