“If she hates him, how can you be certain she knows Skala’s location?” I asked.
“Children of vampires can detect their makers,” Szabina replied. “They are linked by blood. Remember when you underwent the transformation back in Budapest? You were able to hear Vlad in your mind.”
Only weeks ago I’d voluntarily undergone the Change to lure Vlad to us, so that we could kill him. Now, I recalled with a shudder the sensation of Vlad’s voice in my mind.
“There have been quite a few vampire attacks in Berlin,” Szabina continued. “It is likely that Skala or Bathory have unleashed their vampires in the city…which may mean they are nearby.”
“If they are,” Anara said, her eyes glittering with the promise of violence. “We will kill them there.”
“It is the best plan we have,” Abe said. “We must make haste. I suggest we take the first train that departs tomorrow for Berlin.”
Szabina left to go to a nearby post town to collect additional weapons that Abe had ordered from Amsterdam, and to arrange for our train tickets. Once she was gone, Abe, Seward and I sat down to eat breakfast, though I barely had an appetite. Now that a potential confrontation with Skala loomed ahead of us in Berlin, Vlad’s ghostly words from my nightmare swirled through my mind. After nibbling on a muffin, I pushed away my plate. I knew that I couldn’t dissuade Abe from continuing on this perilous journey, but perhaps I could deter Seward.
"Are you quite certain you want to come with us, Seward?" I asked. "Scotland Yard may need your assistance with any—“
“Have you gone mad?” Seward asked, looking at me with disbelief. “Of course I do. I finish what I start. And,” he added, giving me a sly smile, “perhaps ridding Europe of evil vampires will help me get a bloody promotion.”
I forced myself to return his smile, taking a sip of my tea. Abe’s perceptive gaze was intent; he knew exactly what I was trying to do.
“We all know how dangerous this is, my heart. The only way to stop these monsters is to find and kill them. We have no choice,” he said.
“I know,” I said, not meeting his eyes. “What do we know about Bathory or Skala?”
“Akin to the Draculesti family, the Skalas and Bathorys were ancient families of powerful vampires whose power declined over time,” Abe replied. “Szabina informed me that Elizabeth Bathory is quite old—older than Vlad Draculesti or Aurel Skala—and she has more loyal followers. Though she must be quite powerful, she has a tendency to avoid physical conflict and has her followers do much of her work for her—they even bring her victims to feed upon. I suspect it will be more difficult to track her down. Skala, however, is younger and more impulsive. Much like Vlad.”
“Yet Skala is more vicious than Vlad,” Anara said, entering the dining room with Gabriel. “My father told me tales of his savagery. He takes great pleasure in causing others pain—human or vampire. He does not kill for sustenance; he draws out the deaths of his victims for enjoyment. From what I’ve heard, he teaches his followers to do the same.”
"We heard similar tales of Vlad and Ilona’s cruelty,” I said, attempting to keep my voice steady in spite of my fear. “We were still able to kill them.”
“Yes,” Anara conceded, taking a seat at the far end of the table. “But Skala is not Vlad. Vlad sought power; Skala seeks…” she trailed off, searching for the right word, “destruction.”
THE REST of the day passed swiftly as we made arrangements for our departure, packing our few belongings along with the weapons Szabina had picked up in town—knives, stakes, and capsules of aconite to douse them with.
During lunch, we discussed the precautions we’d take during the journey. Both Gabriel and Abe insisted that if we were to come under attack by vampires, I should stand back and allow everyone else to fight and get myself to safety.
“I know it isn’t in your nature to let others fight for you,” Gabriel said, when I started to protest. “But you became a target the moment you sliced Vlad Draculesti’s head from his body.”
By the time evening fell, I was exhausted from the discussions and preparations for our journey. Craving some quiet and solitude, I headed into the library with a mug of tea.
Szabina was in the library, her petite body perched on an armchair as she gazed out the window at the darkening countryside. She started to rise when I entered, but I gestured for her to remain seated.
“Stay,” I insisted. “I’ll go into the study.”
“No. Sit with me,” Szabina said, gesturing towards the armchair opposite her. “Please.”
I obliged her, sitting down and placing my tea on the side table.
“Are you nervous about going to Germany?” she asked, her vivid hazel eyes probing mine.
I knew what lurked beneath the surface of her question. I looked away from her discerning gaze. During our time in Transylvania, she’d revealed the true identity of my mother, whom I had known as Eva Murray. My mother’s true name was Isabel Ghyslaine, one of the last descendants of a family that had once been fierce vampire hunters before they’d changed their ways and became their allies instead. She’d been a member of the Order of the Dragon. Along with other members of the Order, she’d attempted to kill Vlad Draculesti. They had failed, and many were killed in retaliation, including my mother, who’d been tortured and killed in the German countryside by Vlad’s followers.
I had been to Germany before, on research trips with Father and Abe, but that was before I knew how my mother had truly died.
“Yes,” I admitted. “But it is necessary. We need to find the other vampire leaders. If you believe Rosalind can help, then we must try.”
“I do,” Szabina said. “She despises Skala for turning her. She used to hate being vampire and longed to be human again. I had to prevent her from taking her own life in the early days.”
I blinked at Szabina in disbelief. Besides Gabriel, I had yet to meet a vampire who seemed to hate what he was.
“What changed?” I asked.
“I do not know. She somehow found the will. The last time I corresponded with her, she seemed quite happy,” Szabina replied.
“When was that?”
“Fifty human years,” Szabina replied, and I stifled a gasp of surprise. Though I’d become used to both the presence and existence of vampires, their concept of time was still astonishing.
“I understand Rosalind’s feeling towards her maker. I was also changed against my will,” Szabina said, speaking so quietly that I had to strain to hear her.
“Oh, Szabina,” I whispered, my heart filling with sympathy. I only knew about snippets of Szabina’s long life—she had lived among her people the Romani when she was human, she had been friends with my mother, and she had been a member of the Order of the Dragon.
“It was a man whom I loved very much, but I was deceived. I did not know he was vampire when I fell in love with him. He enjoyed deceiving human women…it was a game to him, turning them vampire against their will. My people knew of vampires, but when I underwent the Change, my human family turned against me. I was left to fend for myself.”
“How?” I breathed. During the brief period of time when I was under transformation to vampire, disorientation had consumed my senses. But I had my friends—both human and vampire—to help me at the time. I couldn’t imagine being on my own as a full-fledged newborn vampire.
“I did not do so well on my own,” Szabina whispered, her face haunted. “I was…so hungry. I did not understand my hunger at first, how to control it. I had only been vampire for a few weeks when I stumbled upon a village. I found a cottage—there was a young woman who lived there alone. I had not eaten for days. I could not control myself. I fell on her, and—“ Szabina stopped, shutting her eyes, blood tears streaking down her face. “Since that day…nearly three hundred years ago, I have not taken blood from a human. I have never forgiven myself for taking a human life.”
“You were a newborn, you were alone. You didn’t know—“
“It does not
matter. I was filled with guilt and shame. Had I not stumbled upon a village of vampires, I would have let myself starve to death rather than kill another human. They took me in and I lived among them for quite some time. Eventually I came to know about the Order of the Dragon—I met Radu and other vampires who did not wish to harm humans. I vowed to live my life with kindness. Still…I hear that woman’s screams.”
Szabina began to weep, pressing her hand against her mouth. I stood and moved over to her, kneeling down to place my hand over her cold one until her tears subsided.
“I’ve only known you briefly, but you are one of the kindest creatures—human or vampire—that I’ve been acquainted with. It is the sum of our actions which define us, Szabina. Not single ones.”
She seemed grateful for my words, and we sat in companionable silence for several moments, watching the shadows of the countryside lengthen into complete darkness as night fell.
It was soon time to retire, and I left Szabina in the library after she insisted that she was fine.
But I was far too restless to sleep. I decided to seek out my brother to accompany me on a walk around the house before I retired for the night.
I didn’t find him anywhere inside, so I headed towards the back terrace, where I heard muffled voices. I opened the door to the terrace and froze.
Seward and Anara were in each other’s arms, locked in a passionate kiss. They hastily broke apart when I stepped out. Seward looked embarrassed, flushing a deep red, while Anara avoided my gaze.
“I—I wanted to take a walk,” I stammered. I was astonished. Seward and Anara had been bickering the entire time we were here, with no hint of romantic desire between them.
“I will accompany you,” Gabriel said, from behind me. Seward and Anara looked grateful for his interruption and hastily dispersed.
“Did you know about them?” I asked, as we made our way down the path that circled the house. “I thought they hated each other.”
“No, but it is hardly surprising. You and Abe bicker more than you realize, but you clearly belong together,” Gabriel said, his lips twitching with amusement.
“That’s not—“ I started to protest, but I fell silent. It was true.
“My adoptive parents often bickered,” Gabriel said. “It was never serious; I could tell how much they loved each other. Sometimes passionate feelings reveal themselves through conflict.”
“What about you?” I asked, giving him a teasing smile. “Have you bickered with someone you’ve cared for?”
Gabriel flushed but did not respond, tactfully avoiding my gaze. I immediately felt guilty for my probing question. Gabriel had not indicated any romantic partners in his past, though I’d wondered if there was anyone. I could tell my question had caused him discomfort, so I dropped my query.
Instead, I focused on our serene surroundings; the air was fragrant with the scent of roses from the front garden, the path in front of us was illuminated by moonlight, and the night sky was blanketed with stars.
A sharp frost suddenly pierced my skin, and I went still. I knew the feeling well; it was the sensation of vampiric eyes on me. It didn’t come from Gabriel, who was staring straight ahead, and I’d long become accustomed to the feel of his gaze.
Gabriel halted, reaching out to grab my arm as he sniffed the air. He had sensed the same thing.
Another vampire was near; watching from the shadows.
3
RAGE AND BLOODLUST
Gabriel gripped my arm, and in an instant we were back inside the house, standing in the back hall.
“Come quickly!” he shouted.
All at once, Abe and the others rushed into the hall, their faces taut with alarm.
“Take Mina to the attic,” Gabriel said to Abe, pushing me towards him. “There’s a vampire lurking out there. I do not recognize the scent.”
The vampires were out of the back door in a flash of movement. Seward hurried to the door, locking it behind them as he reached for both his revolver and the wooden stake he had secured in his back pocket.
“I’ll keep watch,” Seward said to Abe.
I wanted to fight alongside everyone else, but I knew better than to protest as Abe took me by the arm and led me to the attic. Once we were crouched inside its dusty interior, panic seized control of me. I didn’t realize I was shaking until Abe pulled me into his arms. Was one of Vlad’s surviving ferals lurking outside? A group of them—an army? There were only six of us. What if my friends were all slaughtered before we even departed from England?
It was the sharp knock at the door and Gabriel’s voice that pulled me from my fearful reverie.
“It is safe…you can come out.”
“No one—human or vampire—was out there. We searched thoroughly,” Gabriel said, as Abe and I joined the others in the back hall moments later. “We should take up post around the house as a precaution. Abe—I don’t want my sister to sleep alone tonight,” Gabriel added.
Another surge of irritation hit me; I was weary of everyone treating me like a delicate flower. But I kept silent as Abe pulled me close to his side.
“Of course,” he replied.
Later, as I lay awake in Abe’s arms, neither his presence nor the knowledge that the others were outside, calmed me. It was unlikely that the sensation of eyes on me had been nothing; Gabriel had also sensed something amiss. Who had been watching us?
I WAS STILL on edge the next morning as I packed my belongings into a small bag. Remnant worry over who had been watching us last night, paired with nervous anticipation of our journey dominated my thoughts.
Once I’d packed my bag, I walked through the spacious rooms of the country home that had been our refuge for the past week. I’d only come here a few times as a child and then as a young woman with Father. I’d always found the home too grand for my tastes, with its expensive decor and oversized rooms. It never felt as warm and welcoming as our Highgate home in London.
The pull of nostalgia still tugged at me as I moved from room to room, lingering in the study where I made some of my first drawings for Father’s publications, the drawing room where we’d sit to read in companionable silence, the upstairs library where I’d bury myself in Father’s various books that he had shipped over from Cambridge. The memory of Father was like a ghost that haunted every room. I thought of his letter, and tears sprang to my eyes.
“Are you thinking of him too?”
I turned to find Abe standing by the doorway of the study, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat, his eyes heavy with sadness as they swept over the room.
I nodded, wiping away my tears. He approached, slipping his arm around my waist and pulling me close.
“I never came here…but I can feel your father’s presence,” he murmured.
“I miss him every day,” I whispered, leaning my head against his shoulder.
“I know. I miss him as well.”
We stood in silence for a few moments, until Gabriel came to fetch us to leave.
Szabina, Anara, and Gabriel rode around me in a protective flank as our horses galloped away from the house. The air outside was heavy with a dense fog, and I could taste the salty dew of the air. The fog seemed to thicken the further we got away from the house; soon I could barely see the countryside in front of me.
My horse suddenly became restless. I frowned, tightening my grip on the reins, when the chill of a vampire’s gaze pierced my skin. Only this time…I sensed multiple gazes.
Panicked, I looked at the others. They must have sensed the other vampires as well, because Szabina, Anara, and Gabriel drew their horses in closer to mine, shouting for Abe and Seward to fall back.
I stilled when I saw several figures racing towards us through the fog up ahead. They were on foot, and appeared like shadows, their forms mere silhouettes…until they became horrifyingly clear.
It was a group of six feral vampires. Their skin was white and pulled taut over their bones, their eyes ranging from shades of blood red to pitch b
lack. Their fangs were bared as they raced forward. All of their fierce gazes were trained on me.
“Get my sister away from here!” Gabriel cried, leaping from his horse. I wanted to fight alongside the others, but knew that I’d only distract them and get in the way. I turned to steer my horse away as Abe drew his horse alongside mine. He reached over to pull me from my horse and onto his own, while I yanked my kukri from my bodice. Seward pulled up next to us, clutching his revolver, his face pale with fear.
“I will follow you,” Seward shouted. “Go!”
Abe galloped away. I held on tightly to his waist as we dashed away from the fray behind us. Abe’s horse abruptly reared back with a neigh, tossing us from its saddle. Behind us, I heard Seward’s startled cry and the shots of his revolver.
My kukri flew from my hand as Abe and I landed in a heap on the ground. I sat up, my body aching from the fall, searching through the fog for my weapon. A feral landed on the ground in front of Abe, who still looked dazed, and I screamed as he yanked Abe up off the ground, sinking his teeth into his neck.
“Abe!” I cried, stumbling to my feet, but I was knocked flat on my back by another feral, his breath acrid and hot on my face as he glared down at me with wild red eyes, baring his fangs.
Ignoring my revulsion and fear, I reached up to grip the sides of his cold clammy face, peering into his soulless eyes, into the mind of the human that was trapped somewhere inside.
I stood on the rocky shores of a beach, watching curiously as a small empty boat drifted to shore. I moved closer, freezing when I saw that it wasn’t empty after all. A tall dark figure unfurled from the deck like a snake, leaping onto the shore. It was a man—or it appeared to be a man—and he lunged at me, pinning me to the ground, his mouth opening to reveal a row of animalistic fangs.
The feral stilled, the red eyes fading to a very human-looking brown. He loosened his grip on me, blinking in confusion.
Realm of Night (Mina Murray Book 3) Page 2