Realm of Night (Mina Murray Book 3)

by L. D. Goffigan

  “Who were you?” I whispered, holding his eyes with mine. “When you were human, who—“

  A wooden stake suddenly jutted through his neck from behind, and the feral slumped forward, dead. Abe shoved him off of me, pulling me to my feet. His neck was bleeding; he looked shaken.

  “Are you all right?” he whispered, cupping my face.

  Reeling, I nodded, looking down at the still body of the feral. I’d seen a small glimpse of the humanity that remained in the feral, I was certain of it. If Abe hadn’t killed him, would I have been able to speak with him? To remind him of who he truly was?

  Seward approached, his revolver and a bloody stake in his hands. We all stayed close together as we moved through the fog towards our vampire companions.

  They were already approaching us. Behind them, the bodies of the remaining feral vampires were strewn haphazardly about.

  “Where did they come from?” I asked. “What if there are more?”

  “We shouldn’t stand here conversing. These ferals carried Vlad’s scent—they were his children. Mina—you should ride with Abe or Gabriel,” Anara replied.

  We moved forward to gather our scattered belongings. I had to pull a cloak from my bag and put it on over my dress, which was stained with the feral’s blood. Both Seward and Abe changed their blood-stained jackets, and we were once again on our way.

  I glanced back at the bodies of the ferals as we galloped away, recalling the brief glimpse of humanity I’d seen in the one who attacked me. Was it possible to somehow reach the humanity that still lingered in them?

  The question remained on my mind during our journey towards the town of Thatcham, where we would take the train out of England. We were on high alert as we rode, but we arrived at the station in Thatcham without further incident.

  “How did the ferals avoid detection?” I whispered to Gabriel, as the train pulled away from the station.

  “They must have left for the night and returned,” Gabriel replied, his jaw clenching with frustration. “We need to be more mindful of our surroundings. We should always assume we’re being watched.”

  “Why didn’t they attack sooner?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “Feral vampires aren’t the most rational…they are driven by rage and bloodlust. Perhaps they thought it would be easier to attack when we were on the move, and you were somewhat on your own.”

  “I was able to reach one of the ferals,” I said, turning to Abe, who sat at my side. “After I saw into his mind…he looked human again. Do you think it’s possible to reach them? To somehow restore their humanity?” I asked.

  “No,” Anara replied. “If they’ve recently been turned, it’s possible to cure them if you kill their maker. But we already know that. If it was as simple as convincing newborn vampires of their humanity, we would not be on the verge of an invasion.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting that,” I returned, scowling. “I want to know if it’s possible to prevent ferals from mindlessly following the whims of their makers.”

  “No,” Anara repeated.

  “It…may be possible,” Szabina interjected, ignoring Anara’s look of irritation. “If they are young vampires, only recently made, their humanity is still close to the surface…then it may be possible to reach them.”

  “But if your life is in danger, do not hesitate to kill,” Abe said.

  “Of course,” I replied, though I was intrigued at the possibility of being able to reach the humanity of a feral vampire.

  We changed trains at Charing Cross in London, boarding the train that took us across the Channel to France. We remained watchful, concerned that we were still being followed. It wasn’t until our train pulled away from the station in Calais towards our final destination of Berlin that I began to calm.

  Yet as the train later chugged through the darkened German countryside, the same countryside where my mother had met her end, my calm was replaced by that persistent sense of foreboding.

  4

  ROSALIND

  Anara had arranged for carriages to collect us at the train station in Berlin. They whisked us out of the noisy and crowded streets of the city to the small town of Tremen, just outside of Berlin, where Rosalind's home was located. With its narrow cobblestoned streets and medieval buildings, the town seemed to belong to another age.

  Our carriages continued on to the outskirts of town. I nearly gasped as we approached a massive estate. It was in the same medieval style as many of the town’s buildings. The estate could have easily belonged to a member of royalty; it was grand in size, with ornate architecture, surrounded by lush gardens.

  “When you live as long as we do, you become quite wealthy,” Anara said, bemused by my clear astonishment.

  After we stepped out of the carriages, I watched Szabina speak quietly to our drivers, who drove away without a word.

  “What did you say to them?” I asked, as we all approached the two large front doors of the estate.

  “We placed them into a thrall. They won’t remember collecting us from the station or dropping us here,” Szabina replied. “If we are still being followed and anyone inquires after us, they will know nothing.”

  “Szabina.”

  I turned at the sound of a warm voice. A woman had stepped out of the now-opened front doors of the estate, flanked by several servants. She had long ash blonde hair, which she wore loose about her shoulders, pale delicate features, and blood red lips that were curved into a gentle smile. From her stark beauty and the frost of her gaze, I could tell that she was vampire.

  Szabina returned her smile, hurrying forward to embrace her. They exchanged quiet words in German before turning to face us.

  “These are my friends,” Szabina said in English.

  The woman’s coffee brown eyes settled on me, and something indiscernible flickered in their depths before she approached, taking my hands.

  “Wilhelmina Ghyslaine?” she asked.

  I blinked. No one had directly addressed me by my mother’s true last name before—other than the multiple vampires who’d tried to kill me over the past few weeks—and it was rather jarring to hear.

  “It’s…Mina Murray,” I replied, unnerved by the intensity of her gaze.

  “I want to thank you,” she said, and a sheen of blood tears formed in her eyes before she continued. “For killing the monster who called himself Dracula. He destroyed many lives. Many of our kind are happy he is dead.”

  She held my hands until I gave her an affirming nod. She turned to introduce herself to the rest of the group before gesturing us inside.

  We entered a cavernous entrance hall, its fine walls filled with paintings of various night landscapes—the hulking shadow of a mountain at night, stars shining over a dark sea, a forest clearing bathed in moonlight.

  Several servants approached, their eyes dutifully lowered as they took our bags, my cloak, and the men’s coats. Rosalind led us down the hall to a dining room that was surprisingly intimate in size given the enormity of the estate, furnished only with a simple wooden table and chairs. Vampires don’t have much need for a dining room, I thought with a mild chill.

  A meal of chicken and roasted vegetables had already been set out for us. My stomach grumbled in appreciation as we took our seats.

  “You all must be hungry after your journey,” Rosalind said, appraising me, Abe, and Seward. “And for the vampires—“

  She clapped her hands. Several young men and women entered, their eyes lowered to the floor.

  I stiffened. Though I knew Anara fed from humans, I had no desire to see if for myself.

  “I do not drink human blood,” Gabriel said sharply.

  “I have animal blood for you and Szabina,” Rosalind said, gesturing for one of the young men to step towards Anara. He lowered the collar of his shirt and swallowed, keeping his gaze on the floor. “For Anara— “

  “I can dine later,” Anara interjected. “I insist.”

  Rosalind raised her eyebrows, surprised, but
she waved the humans out of the room. I relaxed once they were gone, and as we sat down at the table, a maid entered with wine for the vampires.

  “We are searching for Elizabeth Bathory and Aurel Skala,” Szabina said, as soon as the maid left the room. “They were allies of Vlad Draculesti; they desire to complete what he started and unleash their ferals on the masses. They must be stopped.”

  “I agree,” Rosalind said, expelling a sigh. “I am afraid I cannot help you with Elizabeth… I have never met her and I know none of her followers. I can assist you with Skala. There was a recent rash of attacks in Berlin. By the way they were carried out, I could tell the perpetrators were newborn vampires. I had one of my children capture one and hold him in thrall. He told us that Aurel Skala is his maker. He may be in Berlin or somewhere nearby—but I do not know for certain. I do know one way of possibly drawing him here,” Rosalind continued, her eyes straying to Abe. “Abraham Van Helsing. You are the one who killed Ilona, yes?”

  Abe gave her an abrupt nod. I reached out to slip my hand in his. Right after I’d killed Vlad, his sister, Ilona, had nearly ripped out my heart. Had Abe not rushed in and killed her, she would have succeeded.

  “Skala loved Ilona,” Rosalind continued. “As much as that monster is capable of loving anyone. I think he turned me because I bear a passing resemblance to her," she added bitterly. "Ilona shared his predilection towards cruelty; they both enjoyed torturing humans…they reveled in it. He wanted her as his mate; but she was always devoted wholly to her brother and his plans. I heard he was devastated at the news of her death. If he knows we are harboring the one who killed her…perhaps I can draw him here.”

  “How do you know he won’t suspect you? Doesn’t he know you loathe him?” Anara asked, frowning.

  “We have not spoken for decades…he does not know where my loyalties lie. He will desire revenge above anything else. He is too arrogant to assume that any of his children would turn against him.”

  “You’re proposing we use Abe as bait?” I asked, uneasy. I had used myself as bait twice when attempting to rescue Jonathan, but I was terrified at the thought of Abe being used in the same way.

  “Yes,” Rosalind replied. “You want to kill him, yes? And many of his followers as well?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then it is the best way,” Rosalind said. She surveyed the others, who all nodded, including Abe. I was the only one who remained reticent.

  “Surely there has to be another—“ I began.

  “It is the best way, Mina,” Abe interrupted, giving me a firm look.

  “Then it is decided,” Rosalind said, rising from her chair. “There is plenty of room here for all of you…and there should be time for us to prepare for our attack. I will send my children into the city to spread the rumor and alert his ferals that we have the two killers of Vlad and Ilona Draculesti here.”

  “Are you certain you want him to come here, Rosalind?” Szabina asked, her brows furrowed with worry.

  “I have longed for my father’s death for centuries,” Rosalind replied, her expression growing dark. “It is fitting that he should die in my home. I have loyal children of my own. They will do as I command—and that includes taking on my maker and protecting all of you.”

  As we ate our meal, Rosalind told us she spent much of her human and vampire life in Germany; she had travelled all around Europe as a young vampire, but she continually returned here, to the home of her human and vampire birth. She had met Szabina during her brief tenure as a member of the Order of the Dragon, they had bonded over the shared tragedy of their forced transformations.

  “Szabina kept me alive in those early days,” she said, her eyes brimming as she looked at Szabina. “I am glad to have met you.”

  “And I you,” Szabina returned. “Thank you for helping us. I worried this would be too difficult for you.”

  “No. I want to help. Your human companions must be quite tired,” she added, glancing at us. “They should rest.”

  The estate was large enough for each of us to have our own room. As soon as I was led to my room by a maid, I left to seek out Abe.

  “I wish there was another way to lure him here…one that doesn’t include using you as bait,” I said, as soon as I entered his room.

  “Now do you understand how I feel when you continually place yourself in danger?” he asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

  “Yes, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” I admitted, with a grudging smile.

  “I am nervous as well,” Abe said. “But if we succeed, we will only have Bathory left to destroy. This will nearly be over.”

  I nodded. I did want this all to be over. I didn’t want anyone else I loved to be put in more danger. “Abe…do not take any unnecessary risks.”

  “I will not,” he promised. “Do not worry.”

  “How can I not worry? I love you,” I said, a sudden ache of regret over the years we’d spent apart searing my heart. I’d foolishly ended our relationship after Father’s murder, blinded by guilt and grief.

  His reply was a gentle kiss, which gradually grew more passionate. I boldly reached out to unbutton his shirt. He broke off the kiss, cupping my face, his cerulean eyes burning with desire.

  “Are you quite sure?” he rasped.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  Our encounter with the ferals made me realize just how tenuous our time together truly was. We’d already spent too much time apart, and I’d ached for him for days. My desire for him burned as fiercely as my love.

  I continued to unbutton his shirt, placing gentle kisses along the broad plane of his chest as it was revealed to me for the first time in years. His breath hitched in his throat, and he stopped me, taking my hand and leading me to the bed.

  He took his time undressing me, and lovingly kissed my exposed skin. He removed the remainder of his clothes, and we were instantly entwined, traversing each other’s bodies with our mouths and hands, like explorers returning to a land we had not visited in some time, and the process of rediscovery was exquisite.

  “My heart,” he whispered, against my mouth. “My Mina. I love you so. Always.”

  “I love you,” I whispered, repeating it like a litany, like our own private song, running my hands through his hair and down his strong jaw. It was freeing to say the words aloud, to no longer deny the powerful feelings that swept through me at his nearness, his touch, him. All of him.

  “This may sound petty of me,” Abe asked later, as we lay entwined, still flushed in the aftermath of our lovemaking. “I confess I am not immune to male pride…” he trailed off, an embarrassed flush spreading over his face. “Did…did you and Jonathan ever…”

  “What?” I asked, unable to resist teasing him. “Play cricket? Go bicycling together?”

  Abe’s flush deepened. I smiled, leaning in to kiss him.

  “No,” I whispered. “Jonathan and I never made love. He wanted to wait until after we were wed; he insisted on doing everything properly. You remain my only lover.”

  A satisfied smile curved Abe’s lips, and I laughed. But my amusement faded as a jealous thought crossed my mind.

  “And you?” I asked. “Did you court anyone while we were apart?”

  “No,” Abe replied. Relief chased away my jealousy, though I knew I had no right to be jealous of him when we were apart. “No one I met was quite like you, my heart. I focused on my work, my research into vampires. I do confess…I hoped my research would force us to cross paths again.”

  “I truly regret those years apart,” I murmured. “I cared for and loved Jonathan…but he was my own distraction in a way. I felt much guilt after Father died. I thought…if I hadn’t been so preoccupied with our love, I would have noticed how focused he was on vampires and stopped him from going to Transylvania. I now realize how foolish that was. We could have comforted each other in our grief. ”

  “We have come back to each other,” he said, reaching out to stroke my hair. “That is all that mat
ters now.”

  But as Abe drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t ignore my growing sense of unease. Now that we’d finally found our way back to each other, I feared the looming danger we faced would somehow tear us apart.

  5

  THE TRAP

  When Abe and I entered the dining room the next morning, a lavish breakfast of bacon, mutton, cold meats, muffins, and fruit awaited us, and our friends were already gathered around the table. As we took our seats, Szabina studied us, a delighted smile spreading across her face. Anara stared at us as well, her eyes dancing with sly amusement, while Gabriel avoided looking at us.

  I frowned, wondering why the vampires were behaving so oddly. A hot blush spread over my face as I realized that with their sense of smell, they knew Abe and I made love last night.

  Abe must have realized this as well; he flushed as he took a sip of his tea. Seward was the only one oblivious to it all. He looked back and forth between us and the vampires with confusion.

  “What the devil is going on?” he asked.

  “We are just happy to see Mina and Abraham,” Anara replied, giving me a mischievous look.

  “Did you sleep well?” Rosalind asked as she entered the dining room, giving off an aristocratic air in her emerald green gown of fine silk. She took a seat at the head of the table, her eyebrows raised in polite inquiry.

  “I think Abe and Mina slept quite well,” Anara answered, a smile still twitching at her lips.

  If Rosalind understood the innuendo, she did not show it, giving us a kind smile.

  “I am glad. I want you all to feel welcome here. I sent my children to Berlin and out to the countryside last night,” she continued. “I will send them out again today and later tonight. I want to be certain that word gets to my father that you have taken up temporary refuge here. If he heeds the rumors and comes here, I will greet him like a long lost daughter. I will take him into the antechamber of the rear salon, where there are no windows for an easy escape. That is where we can surround and kill him. I only make one request.”