They paused by the entrance to the corridor, noticing us as we approached. Gabriel tensed at the sight of us with the vampire, but neither he nor the others said a word as we passed them and entered the corridor. I gave them a subtle nod to let them know we were all right, and to proceed with the plan.
We made our way down the corridor, passing multiple chambers filled with vampires and humans who were drinking blood and making love. Yet I didn’t see Francois or Hugo in any of the rooms. Where were they?
I made myself focus as the vampire led us into a chamber that looked like a miniature salon; it was mercifully empty.
He closed the door behind us.
“Now,” he purred. “Undress. I shall take you…then I shall feast from you. It has been decades since I’ve lain with a human woman. Your husband will watch…and then I shall take him.”
Abe’s eyes were hot with fury. I was grateful that he wore a mask, his expression would give us away. I smiled at the vampire, taking a few steps back. I lifted my hair with one hand, exposing my neck.
“Please…will you sample me first?” I asked, trying to sound eager and hopeful. “No one has drunk from me tonight.”
The vampire’s eyes turned completely black with bloodlust. He was on me at once, his arms holding me close as he sank his fangs into my skin. I cried out in spite of myself, but forced myself to then moan in pleasure, pushing away the memory of Skala’s fangs in my skin.
This did not last for long; the vampire suddenly stiffened, and he crumpled to the floor. Abe had staked him from behind. Now, he leaned down to stake the dying vampire in his throat.
I stumbled back, my hand straying to my bleeding throat. Abe stood up, his breathing still ragged as he looked down at the dead vampire.
“We must get to the others and Francois,” I said urgently.
Abe nodded, shoving the bloody stake into his suit pocket. We hurried out of the room, nearly colliding with Gabriel as soon as we opened the door. He stood just outside the room, pretending to enjoy a glass of wine.
“What—“ he began, spotting the dead vampire behind us. Abe hastily closed the door.
“He intercepted us—we had no choice,” I whispered. “We must make haste…where are the others? Do you know where Francois took Hugo?”
“Anara scented them in that chamber,” Gabriel said, gesturing towards a lone chamber at the far end of the corridor. “Come.”
We hurried after him. But we all froze when we heard a ferocious roar and the sound of shattering glass.
19
MY QUEEN
We raced into the chamber to find utter chaos.
Anara was in the midst of fighting Clement, their movements so rapid I could barely track them. Just outside the shattered window, Hugo fought Francois on his own, with similar speedy moves. Francois’ vampire guards lay dead in the center of the floor; there was a stake embedded in the chest of one, while the other’s throat had been torn out.
In the midst of the fighting, Seward sat huddled on the floor next to the door, deathly pale as he clutched his bleeding throat. Abe and I rushed to his side while Gabriel moved past us to join the fight.
“I’m—I’m all right,” Seward rasped, as Abe inspected his wound.
Two masked vampires suddenly dashed into the room, and I shot to my feet, my kukri out, ready to strike. They removed their masks, and relief coursed through me.
It was Noelle and Marceau, the other members of the Order. Noelle turned towards us as Marceau darted forward, fangs bared, to join the fight.
“We need to keep this door guarded and closed,” Noelle ordered. “The corridor is noisy and no one has sensed anything amiss. If other vampires come to Francois’ aid—we will not be able to fight all of them.”
I nodded in agreement, glancing behind me, where our vampire companions continued to spar with superhuman speed. If Abe and I attempted to join the fray, we'd only impede the others and get in the way.
Abe and Noelle hoisted Seward up and led him out of the room. Outside the door stood Sebastien, the human member of the Order. He still wore his mask and held a glass of wine, a strained smile on his face as he attempted to appear relaxed and at ease.
I turned to glance down the long corridor that led to the ballroom. Fortunately, we were at the far end, and the corridor was indeed filled with noise—music that drifted in from the ballroom, conversation and laughter from the guests, moans of pleasure from the chambers that lined the corridor. It was hard to believe that a miniature battle was taking place in the chamber behind us.
Seward, who was now propped up by Abe and Sebastien, attempted to look merry, but his pain was palpable. Abe and Sebastien tensely studied the few guests who roamed the corridor, wandering in and out of the various chambers. Noelle looked as if she were ready to slaughter any creature that approached us.
I stilled when a blonde female vampire emerged from one of the chambers, making her way towards us. She wore a gown of midnight blue, the golden mask she wore resembled the shape of two stars.
“You all look quite dire,” she said with amusement, her voice carrying above the din of the corridor. “Surely you don’t need all these humans to yourself,” she added to Noelle, as she drew near, her gaze lingering on the dried blood on Seward’s throat.
She stopped just opposite us, her gaze straying towards the closed chamber door. Her eyes narrowed with sudden distrust.
“It smells of vampire blood in there…what is happening?” she demanded. “Where is Francois? This is his private—“
Noelle moved quickly. She reached out with one hand, snapping the vampire’s neck. The sound of cracking bone reverberated in my ears as she slumped forward in Noelle’s arms, dead.
“Bloody hell,” Seward whispered. “Was that necessary?”
“Yes,” Noelle curtly replied, as the chamber door swung open. Gabriel stood there, out of breath, blood splattered across his clothes and face. He didn't react to the sight of the dead female vampire in Noelle’s arms, merely stepping aside to let us enter.
The chamber was empty, with the exception of the dead vampires on the floor, which now included Clement, I noted with dark pleasure. Francois and the others were nowhere to be seen.
“Francois escaped into the forest—he is gravely injured,” Gabriel said, already moving towards the window. “The others have gone after him. You and the others should stay behind until we subdue him.”
“Gabriel—“ I began to protest, but he had already leapt out of the window.
“They may kill Francois—we need him alive. We need to get into his mind to find out where Bathory is located,” I said desperately. “If they kill him, this will all be for naught.”
“Then come,” Noelle said, dropping the dead female vampire onto the floor as she made her way to the window.
“I’ll be all right—go,” Seward insisted, when we hesitated to leave him behind. He braced himself against the wall. “I—I can stay behind and make sure no one comes inside.”
“He’s right…someone needs to guard the door. I will stay with him,” Sebastien added.
Abe and I tore off our masks and dashed towards the window, climbing out. I hiked up my skirts as we raced towards the forest that lined the edge of the chateau’s empty back grounds.
We reached the edge of the forest. From its depths, we heard the sounds of animalistic growls and snarls. Weapons in hand, we darted into the forest, freezing when we reached a small clearing.
It looked like the aftermath of a battle. Anara, Marceau, and Hugo were strewn on the ground like discarded puppets. Hugo was still and lifeless, his throat completely torn out. Anara and Marceau were alive but injured; both of Anara's legs were twisted at odd angles, and her face was tight with pain. Marceau bled copiously from a gaping wound that was slashed across his torso; it looked as if Francois had attempted to tear out his heart.
"Go. It is too late for Hugo. Marceau and I will heal," Anara rasped. "Gabriel and Noelle are fighting Francois on their o
wn…he is injured. Keep your distance and use your weapons."
We obliged her, moving cautiously as we ventured further into the forest.
“Anara is right. We keep our distance,” Abe whispered. “If several vampires cannot take him down…then we certainly cannot. We will take aim at him from afar.”
I nodded in agreement. I wanted to keep Francois alive to find Bathory, but I would do whatever it took to save Gabriel’s life.
We halted when we saw Francois, Noelle, and Gabriel in another clearing a dozen yards ahead. Though they moved swiftly, I could see that Francois was indeed injured and bleeding; his face and throat bore gaping wounds, his suit was soaked with blood.
From our vantage points, we'd have a clear shot at injuring Francois further if Gabriel or Noelle could subdue him for just a moment. We angled our weapons, waiting for our moment to strike.
Francois suddenly jerked his head in our direction, his eyes finding us in the darkness. Gabriel and Noelle used his temporary distraction to their advantage, charging towards him with their fangs bared, but Francois grabbed them both by the throat. He tossed Noelle across the clearing with such force that I could hear her bones break upon her impact on the ground. He then reared towards Gabriel’s throat with his fangs bared, and tore out a chunk of his flesh. Dark red blood seeped from Gabriel’s throat as his eyes widened in agony, and he slumped to the ground.
“NO! GABRIEL!” I screamed, ignoring Abe’s shout of warning as I charged forward, tears of grief and rage blurring my vision. I aimed my kukri at Francois as he lunged towards me. In that moment, I no longer cared about Bathory, only revenge. I was desperate to sink my blade into his flesh.
But Abe and I were instantly paralyzed as Francois trained his eyes on us. I flew through the air, my body slamming against a nearby tree. Francois was on me in an instant, his hand gripping my throat in a vise-like grip, and he began to squeeze the air from my lungs.
“You are the human woman who killed my brethren,” he seethed.
His grip tightened. It would be mere seconds before I ran out of air. I shuttered my panic away, focusing on the depths of his green eyes as I cleared my mind.
I was riding through the countryside. My horse suddenly grew restless and violent, rearing back and tossing me from its saddle. I landed on my back in a heap, looking up to find a beautiful woman with auburn hair and eyes as black as night gazing down at me. She told me her name was Elizabeth Bathory, and she wanted me for her own.
I was making love with Elizabeth, our bodies melding together. Her teeth sank into the flesh of my throat. I cried out in pain and pleasure, until there was nothing but swirling blackness.
A weeping servant girl was crouched before me in a large bedchamber. Elizabeth walked in a circle around her, giving me a seductive smile. She wrapped her hand around the girl’s braid, yanking her head back to reveal the ivory skin of her throat.
“Drink, my Francois,” she whispered, and I obediently leapt onto the servant girl, hunger driving me as my fangs sank into her soft skin. The girl began to scream; I took pleasure in the screams as I drank from her.
“They taste better when they are frightened,” Elizabeth said, her face alight with pleasure as she watched me. She kneeled down and latched her fangs into the other side of the girl’s throat.
I was in the grand hall of a hunting manor. Human heads were mounted on the walls like prized game. Outside the windows, a thick patch of forest surrounded the manor.
I knelt in front of Elizabeth, trying to hold back angry tears.
“Vlad and Ilona…they were murdered by humans…by a human woman,” I spat, fury scorching my insides. “They were our brethren.”
“It is no matter,” Elizabeth replied, tilting my head back to gaze into my eyes. “We will make more children. The world will still be ours.”
“The Order of the Dragon…they are looking for the leaders of the Old Families,” I said, a sudden fear filling me at the thought. “They will try to kill you, my queen. You are not safe!”
“They will not succeed. Transylvania has been my home for generations. It is safe here. It is where I shall remain until it is time,” Elizabeth said, gesturing around the grand hall. “The world will be ours, my love.”
“I still fear for you, my queen,” I whispered. “I fear for you.”
I was jerked back into the present as Francois released me. I gasped, taking in much needed air as he stumbled back, his body quaking with horror.
“How did you—“ he gasped.
I did not waste the moment. My kukri was lodged into his heart before he could complete his sentence. He sunk down to his knees, blood spilling from the sides of his mouth. Abe raced to my side, but I gave him a sharp look. Francois was mine to kill.
I kneeled down in front of Francois as he struggled to breathe, twisting the blade in his heart. Francois howled in agony, reaching out towards me, but he was too weak to do any harm.
I leaned forward, and whispered, “You were right to fear for your queen. I will kill her. She will die in agony. This I promise you.”
I yanked my knife out of his heart, and Francois’ eyes widened at my words, before the life seeped out of their green depths.
20
HUNTER
I held Gabriel's dying body in my lap as our carriage raced away from the forest that surrounded the chateau. My brother was trembling, his once vibrant skin pale, his silver eyes growing dim as he tried to focus on my face.
“Mina,” he whispered. “Sister. I am glad to have known you…I only wish I could have known you longer. My life…it has been a lonely one.”
“Gabriel,” I said, trying to keep my voice firm, in spite of the tears that streaked down my face and the grief that seized my heart. “Listen to me. You will not die. Do you understand me? You will not die!”
I looked up at Abe, Anara, and Seward, who sat across from us in the large carriage. Abe’s worried eyes were pinned on us, while blood tears streamed down Anara’s face. Still pale from his own injury, Seward’s face was stricken with grief.
Sebastien and Seward had bribed a carriage driver, who waited for us at the edge of the forest. To avoid detection, the carriage now dashed down a back country road instead of the main street to take us back to the countryside. Noelle and the other members of the Order had urged us to leave, insisting they'd be able to escape the chateau on their own.
“We are good at hiding,” Noelle assured us. "And…we want to bury Hugo in the forest before we leave," she added, her words laced with sorrow, before she sent us on our way.
“Gabriel needs blood to heal,” I said now, as I looked at the others, my words catching on a desperate sob. “I can’t give him my blood—I’m human and we’re of the same family line. Abe—it needs to be you or Seward—please—he doesn’t have much time—“
“No,” Gabriel protested. “No—I do not drink blood from humans— “
“You will!” I shouted, glaring down at his pale face. “Do you think this is what our mother wanted for you? Dying over some misplaced sense of honor? You will not die. Our family—we have already lost too much. You will live, Gabriel. Do you understand? You will live!”
Terror snaked through me as his eyes drifted shut, and I feared he would still refuse. But my fears were assuaged when he gave me a weak nod.
Abe moved over to our side of the carriage, kneeling down in front of Gabriel. He pulled back his sleeve, pressing his wrist to Gabriel’s mouth. Gabriel hesitated for just a moment before sinking his fangs into Abe’s flesh.
We watched with quiet anxiety as Gabriel ingested the flow of Abe’s blood. There was a time when revulsion would have flowed through me at such a sight, but now I only felt hope as I watched Gabriel drink.
The color gradually returned to Gabriel’s face; the ravaged skin of his throat began to heal. For the first time, I was relieved that he was half vampire. A human would not have survived such an injury.
Even after his color returned, and the skin of h
is throat had mostly healed, Gabriel continued to drink, his silver eyes turning black. Abe tried to remove his wrist, beginning to look faint.
“Gabriel,” I whispered. “Gabriel, that’s enough.”
But Gabriel tightened his grip, continuing to drink, and Abe grew increasingly pale.
“Gabriel, enough!” I shouted. Abe looked as if he were about to lose consciousness. I tried to wrench Abe’s wrist away, but Gabriel was far too strong.
Anara shot forward, forcefully removing Abe’s wrist from Gabriel’s mouth. Abe stumbled back to the opposite side of the carriage, woozy and pale. Gabriel let out an animalistic snarl as he sat up from my lap, but Anara gripped him by his shoulders, gazing into his eyes.
“You are tired now,” she whispered. “Sleep."
Gabriel’s eyes fluttered, their blackness slowly replaced by silver, and they drifted shut. Anara settled his sleeping form back against the plush seat.
“There is no need for concern. That was his first taste of human blood. It happens to most vampires when we get our first taste. He will learn to control his urges.”
I nodded, turning to look at Abe. He leaned back in his seat, clutching his wrist, his breathing ragged. He still looked far too pale.
“I will be fine,” he whispered. “But I will need a transfusion when we return to your cousin’s home.”
“Thank you, Abe,” I whispered, reaching out to touch the side of Gabriel’s face. I could not bear the loss of yet another family member. Besides Emma, Gabriel was the only family I had left. I didn't realize how much I loved him until he came so perilously close to death. A fresh wave of gratitude filled me. “Thank you.”
“TRANSYLVANIA,” Seward said with a groan, rubbing his now-bandaged throat. “I thought I’d never have to see that bloody place again.”
Hours later, we were gathered in the salon of Emma’s home. Under Abe’s direction, I’d given both him and Seward a small transfusion of my blood as soon as we arrived. Their color had returned, and Abe now sat resting on the couch with a mug of tea. Anara, whose broken legs had healed with astonishing vampiric speed, had settled the sleeping Gabriel in one of the guest rooms, and searched the grounds to make certain we hadn't been followed. We now had the home to ourselves; Emma was not to return until tomorrow.
Realm of Night (Mina Murray Book 3) Page 13