by Renee Lake
“She is too angry at mom to allow Daniela out of her sight for long, and once a month is not enough.”
“That’s why I am here. I think Daniela is finally being affected by the curse, I saw her tonight…” Nea was cut off by her son’s cursing.
“You saw her! If Bendis finds out you are cheating she will punish us further, how dare you put us in that position, do you think of nothing but yourself?!” Mihail exclaimed taking a few steps forward. It made Nea furious, she wished he was still a little boy and could be spanked for bad behavior
“ENOUGH! You are still her son, you will show your mother respect, now be quiet and listen!” Vlad roared, holding out a hand and freezing his son where he stood, red flashing in his eyes.
“It’s alright, Vlad, calm down. Mihail,” Nea took a deep breath, “I watched Ella sneak out after Stasi was asleep and get drunk and kiss a boy.”
“What?” Mihail was taken a back.
“You need to tell Stasi, since she will not speak to me, you are the best bet to have her keep a more diligent eye on your daughter. I will speak to Bendis and find out how bad we should expect this to get.” Nea squeezed Vlad a bit closer, then let go and stepped away, “I love you both, but I better go.”
“Mom- wait…”
“No, Mihail, I will not take any more abuse from my children. I have always done what I thought was right, what I had to for our family. I stand by my decision to take Ella to see my mother that day. We learned valuable information, I am sorry it ended the way it had….I have to go.” Nea ran out the door, before Vlad or Mihail could stop her.
“Ungrateful boy,” Vlad glared at his son.
“I am a grown man. I don’t need your approval of how I handle my affairs.”
“No, just my home to hide out in. If you are a man, start acting like it. In my day, I would have been beaten for abandoning my mother, think on that, I am going to feed.” Vlad vanished in a swish of his cape, putting out the fire and the lamps at the same time, leaving Mihail to consider his words and actions, in the dark.
Chapter 23
English Countryside of Erewash near the City of Derby
August- 1911
Stasi stood in the courtyard of the large manor house that had been her home for eight years and the weight on her chest was as heavy as the day they arrived. As the cold English wind beat against her face, she remembered helping Daniela unpack, both silent and grieving. Daniela and Stasi had both prayed to Bendis, begging for the exile to be rescinded. All Bendis had told Stasi was that she could leave at any time, but Daniela had to stay until she was 18.
Daniela blamed herself for breaking the rules; Stasi blamed her mother for taking her and blamed herself for not putting her foot down. She had known going to Purgatory was a bad idea and now they had been punished for it.
They had made the most of it, shopping, eating, trying to laugh and learn to love their new cold and wet environment. Stasi still fed, she was compelled to and had to seek out other Stregas to give the excess magic, since she had refused to see her own mother.
In the beginning, Sabine had stopped in, but when Daniela was 15 she asked Sabine why her grandmother never wrote, Sabine had looked crossly and darkly at Stasi and told Daniela, “Strega rule number 13; everything in good time.” It was the last time Sabine came to visit.
Stasi couldn’t bear to be away from her daughter for long so she had only seen her husband once a month for eight years, sometimes less if Vlad Dracul had something for Mihail to do. There had been three months at the beginning where she had even refused to see Mihail, after he had come to tell her that their little girl would have to summon and poison Bendis. Stasi couldn’t tell her that. It was something too dark and horrible to lay on the shoulders of a ten year-old.
Stasi had known from the start that her daughter would have a grand role to play in stopping the Bathory curse, she just hadn’t thought it would be something like murdering a Goddess. So every year on her birthday she contemplated telling Daniela, and every year she decided against it, one more year wouldn’t hurt.
Stasi received dozens of letters from her mother, some addressed to her and others addressed to Daniela. Her mother sent apologies, love, promises, funny anecdotes and tales of where she had been and what she was doing. She sent a long detailed account of finding the golden flowers, and her time in China. She also sent gifts, some simple and some lavish. Stasi’s anger at her mother had prompted her to horde those letters and refuse to give them or the gifts to Daniela.
When a letter came for Stasi, Daniela would cry in her bed at night wondering what she had done wrong. This always made Stasi feel guilty, but she convinced herself each time she was doing the right thing.
A year or so back Stasi had decided that keeping the letters and presents was wrong, but by that time she had made a commitment to the act and was afraid Daniela would be angry if she found out what Stasi had done.
Daniela was stubborn; she wanted to see and speak to her grandmother. She knew she was destined for something big, but she still didn’t know what. As she grew older she told Stasi she knew how different she was, not just that she was born a Strigoi that fed off memories, but that there was something inside her waiting to be let out. When she asked her mother and got a simple, “I don’t know,” her resolve that she must speak to her grandmother grew. Over the years she had written hundreds of letters, each more desperate. Stasi had sent them all, she just had not given her the replies.
Something else, though, had stirred in Stasi, the need to tell the truth and end the curse immediately. She had begun to notice a darkness within her daughter, shadows in her eyes, a meanness to her comments, a sneer where there used to be a smile. After a conversation with Mihail they had both realized their daughter was falling under the Bathory curse. Stasi had wanted to reach out to her mother to confirm her fears, but there was too much between them now.
“You know the wind won’t make this decision any easier.” A deep female voice came from behind Stasi. It was Bendis’ daughter Anatolia. Stasi had found the name amusing until, bitterly, Anatolia told her, “My mother names all her daughters after people and places that worshipped her, apparently since we could one day take on her mantle and BE her, having a real name isn’t important.”
Anatolia looked just like Bendis in her young form, dark skinned with strong features and long black hair. The only difference was her eyes, they were bright green, apparently the same shade as Anatolia’s father.
“I know it won’t, but I still have to make it” Stasi said, irritation laced her words
“Don’t be angry with me, I didn’t do this to you.”
“My mother did.” Stasi was still irate.
“No, MY mother did. I wish you’d forgive yours and get over it,” Anatolia sighed, she put an arm around the smaller woman’s shoulders.
“I know…I wish I could. I want everything to go back the way it used to be. Mihail with me and Daniela and us with my mom.” Stasi kicked at the huge box at her feet, filled with the letters and gifts of eight years. Tomorrow was Daniela’s 18th birthday.
“I understand. I remember when I turned 21, I had lived with my father my whole life and then this old woman comes and tells me she is my mother, an ancient Goddess and it is my destiny to hang around, immortal and young until the time comes for me to take her place.” Anatolia was 65 years old and didn’t look a day past 25.
“You told me she also gave you a choice, but you never told me why you chose to say yes.”
“She showed me the lives of all my other sisters, there have been 12 of us; all through time. By the time 10 of them were my age they already had full lives, college, husbands, some had children. It was only me and Lagina who could take over her role, tie ourselves to her life and her fate.” Anatolia closed her eyes as the wind picked up, she put a hand down and a large blue Great Dane was suddenly there, sniffing her and nuzzling her side. She was never without Fulla, her faithful companion.
“Lagina was in
a mental institution in the year 2030. She was born a seer, but since no one believes in magic, her father had her locked up at an early age. I asked mother why she left her there, but I could see it for myself. Lagina couldn’t control her visions and her mind was childlike.” Anatolia pet the dog, calming herself down.
“She told me if I didn’t choose the path then she would have no choice but to force it on Lagina….I couldn’t do that, not even to a sister I didn’t know.” Anatolia looked at Stasi, hatred in her eyes. “Give her the box, don’t take away her choices.”
“I have told you what she will do if she read the letters,” Stasi warned, drunk one night on wine she had spilled to her friend about Bendis needing to die.
“I will summon mother myself if you need me to. She has ruined many lives with her anger, magic and selfishness, and I would rather be a Goddess now than stuck as I am any longer.” Which was true, Anatolia was frozen in time; she had money, power, youth and beauty, but she couldn’t have a spouse or children and her mother wouldn’t allow her to time travel yet.
“As sad as I am that you will be leaving my house, you two are sure not boring, everyone needs to follow their own path.” Anatolia leaned in and kissed Stasi’s cheek.
“I hope you still feel that way when you become a Goddess.”
“My mother has never been mortal. I think that affects her judgment more than she would care to admit.” Anatolia left, Fulla following close behind.
Stasi took a deep breath and called Daniela to her. Daniela came running outside, smiling, a beautiful young lady. She was forever tanned, her eyes night sky dark and framed with light lashes. Her hair was strawberry blonde and curling around the edges, she like to leave it loose and flowing around her shoulders when they were at home. She had a lovely, if not unique, face and was curvier than Stasi.
Daniela was a little out of breath and flushed, she had just come in from riding one of Anatolia’s horses.
“Did you need something Mama?” Daniela’s smile dimmed as she saw the serious expression on her mother’s face and the box at her feet.
“I have something I need to tell you.” Stasi took her daughter’s hands, she looked so grown up in her tan breeches and riding boots, a crisp white collared shirt tucked in and a matching cloche hat.
“Can it wait till I have a bath? I smell like the stables.” Daniela tried to laugh, but her mom’s face didn’t inspire much mirth.
“No. It can’t. I should have told you several years ago, but I was afraid and I was angry.” Stasi led her over an iron bench, picking up the box and setting it between them.
“You’re scaring me. What’s going on?” Daniela gripped her mother’s hand tighter, eyes darting down to the box, frowning as she realized she was seeing dozens of envelopes all with her name as well as several parcels.
“Your grandma and father found out that you have to kill Bendis yourself to end the Bathory curse. There is a tea to be made out of special flowers and you must hand her the ending cup.” There Stasi had said it, part of the weight on her chest lifted. Daniela was silent for a few minutes, she closed her eyes and then spoke.
“Alright then, I can do that.”
“You aren’t scared?”
“No. I have known for a long time that I had to do something, that I was the key to ending our family curse and it’s best I do it as soon as possible.” Daniela stood, she didn’t want her mother to worry, but Daniela had a feeling that she was subject to the same rules as the other women of their family. She had felt moments of intense hatred towards people and animals, even horses, which were her favorite. She had horrible thoughts that left her giddy with delight and the burning need to run off into the night and indulge in prostitution, opium and whiskey. So far she had suppressed these urges but she was becoming more and more terrified.
“Apparently your grandma thinks the year you turn 18 is our best bet for this to work.” Her mother’s words focused her attention.
“But tomorrow’s my birthday? Why wait so long to tell me?” Daniela narrowed her eyes as guilt filled her mother’s features, “wait, how long have you known?”
“Eight years.”
Daniela stood up and clenched her fists, biting her lip to keep awful words from forming, she took several deep breaths and met her mother’s eyes. “I can’t believe you kept this from me….Now I will have to go into this unprepared.”
“There is more.”
“How much more could there be?”
Stasi placed her hands on the rim of the box, “This box contains eight years’ worth of letters from your grandma to you; letters and gifts.” She could barely meet her daughter’s eyes and what she saw reflected in them made her flinch; resentment, and disbelief.
“You kept letters from me? And gifts? How could you?” Daniela hissed, the temper she struggled with desperately burning through her.
“I was angry with my mother. Her actions caused our banishment from your father.”
“You hateful cow,” Daniela’s words were like whips, “how dare you! I am the only one banished. It was for me to decide who to be mad at and I chose the horrid Goddess whose fault this all was!” She stepped forward and wrenched the box from her mother and clasped it greedily to her chest.
“I am still your mother and you will show me some respect.” Stasi told her, shocked. She knew Daniela would be angry, but the girl’s temperament was usually even natured.
“Why should I show you any respect when you’ve shown me none? For eight years you have kept letters from grandma from me, even when you knew I needed to talk to her! That I was writing her and not getting any response. I guess I should just be lucky you didn’t do that with my dad. I ought to take every memory of dad from you for the last eight years and see how you like it!” Daniela took a step forward.
“Daniela! Don’t threaten me, what’s wrong with you?” Stasi stood up, worried and afraid. Her daughter could feed on memories, and if she chose to could make it so her prey no longer had access to the memories she fed off of. Unlike other Strigoi, Daniela didn’t need to feed a Strega when she was done. She was the perfect blend of human and monster.
“What’s wrong with me? For years I have been stuck here with you, telling myself to fight all my anger and all my darkness, when really you deserved every hateful comment my brain could produce!” She was yelling now, her fingers denting the box.
“Daniela, control yourself!” Stasi exclaimed. “This is the curse speaking. I know you have every right to be mad at me and feel betrayed but I am still your mother and I love you.” Stasi grabbed her daughter and used her magic to leech the anger out of her daughter, to gobble it up, it gave her tummy a sick feeling since it wasn’t the emotion she normally fed off of.
After a few minutes the fever bright rage in Daniela’s eyes and flush in her skin disappeared, both mother and daughter stood looking at each other.
“I am sorry I said hateful things, but I am upset with you,” Daniela finally said, through parched lips, craving a sneak of her mother’s sherry.
“You have every right to be, just stay calm.”
“Can you leave me alone please?”
“Of course.” Stasi kissed her daughter’s brow and retreated to the house, lighting the lanterns on her way so Daniela wouldn’t be in the dark.
Daniela sank into the thick grass, not caring it was a bit damp and dug into the box, she started with the gifts. She had received several over the years from her aunts; Sabine, Marina and Ruxandra, dozens from her father and grandfather but not one from her grandma, and here they all were. One for every Christmas and birthday that had passed, 14 in all. There was a teddy bear with a pink bow tie, crayons, a chess set, a sewing kit, playing cards, fancy quill pens with ink jars, beautiful stationary with horses on it, a musical clock, books by Beatrix Potter and Frank L. Baum, lace gloves, a pot of rouge and blotting paper, a shell carved cameo on a velvet choker and finally a hand mirror, painted with blue forget me nots, Daniela’s favorite flowers.
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br /> Each gift had been lovingly chosen and wrapped and inscribed by her grandmother. A bit of Daniela’s rage came back as she realized the ink pots had long since dried up, the lace on the gloves was yellowed and the pot of rouge had a smell that meant the makeup had gone bad. She quickly put the choker on, tears filling her eyes as she imagined her grandma picking out her presents.
Then she started on the letters, there were at least two dozen. She opened the first letter and began to read, as she devoured each page, sentences stood out that made her cry even harder, the words becoming blurry.
1904
“I do not know why you keep asking me why I don’t answer your questions, I do dear one, are my letters getting lost? Is my hand writing that illegible?”
1906
“I have come to realize you may never see this, your mother is very angry with me and has probably not told you what she should have, but just in case she changed her mind I will keep writing and keep responding to your letters.”
1907
“You father told me Stasi is refusing to tell you about your destiny. Darling Ella you are the key, you must brew a tea made from special golden flowers and give it to Bendis, her death by your hand will end the curse. Enclosed are the dried flowers for safe keeping.” In the enveloped, pressed, were two dried flowers, still a shining gold color. Daniela sniffed at the nickname only her grandma used and tucked the important contents into her pocket.
1910
“Ella, I am writing this with much haste and even mentioned in my letter to your mother that it is important you read this particular letter. While you have many of the gifts of the Strigoi, like your parents, you already know you are mortal. What you may not know, but have already figured out, is that you will be affected by the curse. Your mother knows this, but I am worried she will not tell you. I could feel it when the curse claimed you and I worry for you every day. Stay steadfast and do not let the darkness tempt you. I shall see you soon and everything will be ok.”
1911- Dated only a few weeks earlier