Realm of Night (Mina Murray Book 3)

by L. D. Goffigan

  I'd just told them what I saw in Francois’ mind—the hunting lodge in Transylvania. When I mentioned the wall of human heads I’d seen in his memory, Abe and Seward recoiled; even Anara had paled.

  "We don't know exactly where in Transylvania," I said, frustrated. "There are dozens of hunting manors in the region. How are we—"

  "Wait," Abe interrupted, sitting up so quickly that his tea sloshed over the side of his mug. "I recall something from one of Robert's journals. He spoke with a group of villagers in the Britz region about a vampire who lured humans to his hunting lodge…where he would hunt them for sport. I assumed they were referring to Vlad Draculesti. Mina…you mentioned a wall of human heads in Francois’ memory. What if they were indeed referring to Bathory?"

  We looked at each other, chilled. Seward swiftly retreated from the room, returning moments later with our well-worn map of the Transylvania region. He spread it out on the center table, and we gathered round.

  "The markers here indicate two manors in the Britz region,” Seward said, pointing to two specific areas of the map.

  I studied them. One was nestled at the base of the Carpathains, while the other bordered a massive forest.

  "It was this one," I said, pointing to the marker that bordered the forest. "There was a forest right outside the windows."

  “If she’s still there,” Seward said. “She could be anywhere by now. She must know we're after her. Once she receives word of Francois' death…”

  “Then we must make haste," I said. "At the moment, this is our strongest indication of where she is. We should depart tomorrow."

  THE NEXT MORNING, I awoke just as the sun rose above the horizon. I wrapped a cloak around my nightdress and padded down the hall to Gabriel’s guest room…but he wasn’t there. Worried, I raced down to the dining room, where Seward and Anara sat closely together, in quiet discussion.

  “Have you seen Gabriel?” I asked. “He’s not in his room."

  “He’s out back taking a walk. I warn you—he’s damned grumpy,” Seward replied, with an irritated scowl. “You should remind him we saved his life last night.”

  I hurried outside, finding Gabriel walking amongst the hedges. He looked completely restored; his skin flushed and vibrant, his silver eyes bright. There was no indication he'd been on the edge of death the night before. He paused mid stride when he saw me.

  “I want to be alone," he said shortly.

  “What is the matter?” I asked, frowning. “Gabriel…please. Talk to me.”

  He hesitated, his expression filling with both anguish and disgust.

  “Last night…I would have killed Abe had Anara not stopped me,” he bit out. “You do not understand…I vowed to myself that I would never drink human blood…that I would never become like the ferals we’ve seen. I hate what I am! I always have. You were right to try to kill me when you first met me,” he added bitterly. “Now please…leave me be.”

  Disbelief swirled through me at his words. I deliberately moved in front of him to block his path.

  “Mina—“

  “How many times have you saved my life and the lives of others? The character of a man is defined by his actions," I said, repeating the words I’d once spoken to Szabina. “You insult those of us who love you by insisting you're a monster. When I first met you, I thought all vampires were evil—but I was a fool to think so. You were the one who convinced me otherwise. I will save your life a thousand times over if need be.”

  Gabriel was looking at some point past my shoulder as I spoke, but his eyes filled with emotion at my words. I reached up to touch the side of his face, making him look down at me.

  “I didn't know how lonely I was until you came into my life. Yes, I had Jonathan and Clara...and now I have Abe. But you are my brother, my family, and I love you.”

  "I love you as well, sister,” he replied, giving me a halting smile. “I…I wish we had known each other as children. My life would have been less lonely."

  "As would mine," I agreed. "But we know each other now. There will be no more talk of how monstrous you are. I will not have you insulting my family." I reached out to link my arm with his. “Now…please come back inside.”

  We made our way back to the house in companionable silence. Gabriel was more relaxed now, the strain in his shoulders gone, and a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

  Abe was now in the dining room with the others, including Emma. She looked relieved at the sight of me and Gabriel, rushing forward to enfold us both in a warm embrace.

  Over breakfast, I informed her of the previous night’s events. Her eyes widened as I spoke, and she paled when I told her of Gabriel’s brush with death, reaching across the table to grip his arm.

  “We succeeded in killing Francois and determining Bathory’s possible location,” Anara said, once I’d finished my tale. “But I regret that we were unable to kill Matyas.”

  Anger ricocheted through me at the thought of Matyas. I had been so consumed with Gabriel’s near death in the aftermath of our confrontation that I’d nearly forgotten about him.

  “He’s likely fled to Bathory’s side,” I said bitterly.

  “If he’s with her, we can still kill him,” Gabriel said.

  “Matyas is not who we are after,” Seward reminded us. “We need to remain on task. Francois’ surviving followers may be searching for us in Paris. We can’t stay here for much longer—we’re too close to the city. Tonight, we should depart from Calais instead of Paris.”

  “And we should send Noelle a wire before we depart, letting them know we escaped safely and our next destination,” Abe said to Anara. “Perhaps they will join us when they can…perhaps not. They did lose one of their own.”

  Anara nodded her agreement. I turned to Emma as a troublesome thought occurred to me.

  “You shouldn’t stay in this house,” I said. “They may track us here—only to find you. Until this is over and we know it's safe, you should find someplace safe to live.”

  “I have no intention of staying here,” she assured me. “I am coming with you.”

  The dining room fell silent. We all looked at her in astonishment.

  “No,” I protested. “You told us you want no part of this war, and you are right. It is far too dangerous for—“

  “I thought it over last night," Emma interrupted. “I couldn’t live with myself if I allow Isabel’s children to go after Elizabeth Bathory on their own. Now, I do not intend to fight,” she hastily added. “I am not a fighter. But I would like to remain with you and Gabriel. I can make myself useful in other ways.”

  “It's too dangerous,” I insisted. I thought of our friends and allies who'd already sacrificed their lives…even Gabriel had nearly died last night. How could I allow someone else to put herself in mortal danger—especially a newly discovered relative?

  I looked at the others for agreement, but they looked uncertain.

  “It would be helpful to have someone serve as a lookout, a messenger, a—“ Seward haltingly began.

  “No,” I repeated. “Are you mad, Seward? Our journey is even more perilous now. Did you not see the magnitude of Bathory's power last night? Now there are more vampires actively searching for us.”

  “Emma is half vampire,” Seward continued, unperturbed by my protest. “She could—“

  “She isn’t a fighter. Not all vampires are—“

  “Mina, I am certain of my decision,” Emma said, her tone firm. "I shall be coming with you.”

  “Emma—“

  “If you are finished eating, there's something I'd like to show you and Gabriel,” she said dismissively, getting to her feet.

  I watched her leave the room, desperate to dissuade her. I turned back to face the others. To my surprise and irritation, they were smiling with amusement.

  "What is so humorous?” I demanded. "Do you not see how dangerous it is for her to come with us?"

  "It is dangerous for all of us," Abe replied. "I think she wants to rem
ain with you both because you are family—she is without one. Surely you can relate? I can tell she will not be dissuaded. I am amused because it appears that stubbornness runs in the family."

  I scowled at him, though I knew he was right. Emma seemed intent on coming with us; it would be difficult to persuade her otherwise.

  I reluctantly got to my feet, trailing Gabriel out of the dining room to follow Emma.

  She led us up the winding stairs and into a room that was furnished only by a lone desk. She opened a drawer, unearthing a wooden box, which she placed into Gabriel's hands.

  “There are letters inside," she said. "Letters your mother and I exchanged over the years. I'm glad I kept them. I wanted to show them to you sooner…but with all of your preparations for the attack on Francois…”

  My desire to thwart Emma from coming with us subsided. It was replaced by an amalgamation of emotions as I looked down at the box; bittersweet joy, grief, and love.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, still gazing down at the box, one of the few mementos I had of my mother. Gabriel opened the box with quiet reverence, handing half of the letters inside to me.

  Emma gave us one last smile and left us alone, closing the door behind her. Gabriel and I were silent as we both sat down on the floor, beginning to read.

  It was akin to reading Father’s letter back in Matford. Though Mother’s letters were addressed to Emma, it seemed as if she were speaking directly to me from the grave. I read through dozens of their exchanged letters with tears in my eyes. From her letters, I could tell that my mother had been brimming with curiosity and intelligence, with a sense of humor and gaiety that matched my father’s. She wrote of her love for my father, Gabriel's father, me and Gabriel, how much she feared for us all with the looming threat of vampires.

  But it was the smaller details I focused on. She seemed to hate London society as much as I had, complaining of the insufferable snobbery of the women she encountered at balls during the Season. She wrote of the burden of keeping her true identity a secret, though she knew it was necessary. She wrote of missing Gabriel, how she longed to have him with her in London, and vowing to do so once the threat had passed. She wrote of her hopes for the future; the war over and leaders of the Old Families dead, the truth of her identity revealed and her family reunited. Imagine it, Emma, Mother wrote, in one of her final letters. All of us together. Me, Robert, Gabriel, little Mina. I think Gabriel and Mina will adore each other when they finally meet.

  She was right; but the exact future she'd hoped for would not come to pass. I had to set the letters down, fighting to prevent myself from breaking down into sobs. Gabriel was still reading, his eyes hungrily devouring the words on the page.

  Why didn’t you stay with us? Why did you go off to fight? I wondered, bitterness twisting my heart.

  Yet deep down, I did understand why she’d left us to fight. Hadn’t I risked my own life by going after Skala on my own, out of fear that Abe would be killed in a direct confrontation with him? If Abe and I had children, and I feared they were in danger, would I not do whatever it took to protect them? I knew without a doubt that I would.

  Now that I knew the full extent of my mother's sacrifice and her hopes for the future, I was even more determined to end the war and destroy Elizabeth Bathory.

  21

  FAMILY

  “May I sit with you?” I asked Emma.

  We had just boarded the Orient Express, and our group was situated in our own private carriage.

  Emma regarded me warily. Before we’d left the house, I’d again tried to dissuade her from coming with us, but she’d steadfastly refused to remain behind.

  “I will not try to convince you to turn back,” I said with a smile, taking a seat when she gave me a hesitant nod. “I know that you’ve made up your mind. Abe thinks stubbornness runs in our family. I’m inclined to believe that he’s right.”

  Emma returned my smile, her gaze sliding towards Abe, who sat with the others in quiet discussion across from us. I noticed that our group looked calm now, we’d been tense during our journey from Emma’s house to the train station. I’d expected an army of Francois’ vampires to descend upon us at any moment, but we’d arrived safely.

  I studied Emma as she sipped her tea, her eyes returning to the passing countryside out the window. I wanted to get better acquainted with her. She’d been hungry to learn everything about me and Gabriel, yet she’d told us precious little about herself.

  “If it is not too difficult…may I ask about your husband?” I asked delicately. “You told us that you were married? That’s why you went to America.”

  Emma’s face shadowed; I instantly regretted my query.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I just wanted—“

  “No,” Emma shook her head. “I…I want tell you about him. My Steven was a professor of science…like your Abe. I met him when he was attending a conference in Paris. He was handsome and gay, it seemed as if he was always smiling. I was terrified to tell him what I was…though he seemed to know I was different. When I finally told him, he took it with great alacrity. The war was looming when we decided to get married; I insisted that we move to America to stay out of the fray. We were going to live a quiet and simple life. We…we were going to try for children before he fell ill. I wanted to turn him, but he refused. He had no desire to become vampire…even though I begged him to.”

  “Emma…I’m sorry,” I murmured.

  “The agony of his death made me want to end my own life,” she confessed, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. “It is the eternal burden of living a long life…to watch the mortals that we love die.”

  I glanced over at my brother, who was listening intently to Seward. Gabriel had told me that hybrid vampires were not immortal the way pureblood vampires were, but they did live exceptionally long lives, up to several centuries. It was unspoken between us, but we were aware that Gabriel would long outlive me.

  “You told us one of your parents chose to die,” I said, returning to the present, recalling what Emma told us when we first met her. “Was it out of grief?”

  “Yes,” Emma said, with difficulty. “My mother had already lived for three centuries, but my father was the only man she ever truly loved. She told me a life without my father was no life at all. She took her own life by simply choosing not to feed. She starved to death.”

  “My God,” I whispered, reaching out to briefly cover Emma’s hand with my own.

  “I was angry that she chose to leave behind her only daughter,” she said. “But after my husband died…I understood her devastation.”

  “You’re not going to do the same, are you?” I asked, my heart clenching with unease.

  “No. My parents made me vow to live for at least a century. I will honor my vow, though I came close to breaking it after Steven’s death,” she said. She fell silent for a moment, before continuing, “I know that you fear for my safety, Mina…but I am glad we are all together. Isabel would have been happy to know we found each other. The loneliness I have felt after Steven’s death…at times it was unbearable. It is wonderful to have a family again.”

  Despite my worry, I did feel the same. Besides Gabriel and Emma, both Abe and Seward as well as Anara had become like family to me. I was grateful for their introductions into my life…even if it had come about due to a dark cause.

  My gaze drifted to the newspaper that rested on the table in front of her. We had purchased the newspaper at the train station to search for any news of attacks on humans in Paris, but thankfully there were none. I prayed that Francois’ newborn vampires had died with him, and any remaining followers were focused on finding us rather than attacking innocent humans. There was no doubt in my mind that the news of Francois’ death had already reached Bathory. Anara had sent a wire from the train station in Calais to the members of the Order in Paris and Berlin, informing them of our destination, a small fortified village in Transylvania. Our plan was to join with them before attacking Bathory in her hun
ting manor.

  I excused myself to return to the private compartment I shared with Abe. He entered soon after me, his brow furrowed. I knew that look well; he was in deep thought.

  “What is it?” I asked, as he sat down next to me on the bed.

  “Did it strike you as odd that Bathory did not seem concerned with the deaths of Skala or Draculesti?” he asked.

  “She may have been putting on an act,” I said. “She was acting like she was the queen of vampires. She could hardly indicate that she was fearful over what happened to her allies.”

  “I considered that. Yet that masquerade…they were celebrating as if they have already won the war.”

  “They have had successes,” I admitted. “The Blood Plague has affected many cities.”

  “But they have not won…not yet. Humans still outnumber them. Something about the whole matter strikes me as odd.”

  “We must focus on what we can control rather than speculation. We are on our way to Transylvania to kill her. Once she’s destroyed, a great deal of the threat will be eliminated,” I said. Though I tried to sound calm, his words did concern me. I’d been wondering why the Parisian vampires seemed to be celebrating a victory. Did they know something we did not?

  Weary, I closed my eyes. For the moment, I wanted to put all thoughts of vampires and the war aside. Emma’s words about her husband made me even more grateful for Abe. I reached out to wrap my arms around him, and he pulled me into the circle of his arms. I breathed in the scent of him—the musk of sweat, the hint of ginger on his breath from his tea. Even after all the danger we’d faced together, Abe was safe, alive, and here with me now; I let that comforting thought push all the disquieting ones aside.