by Jodie Pierce
“Do you know who bit your Mommy?” the Countess pressed.
“The ‘Others’ is all I know. Mommy wouldn’t talk about it. It made her sad,” Lizzy said.
“Ok. I’m going to be honest with you. Mommy isn’t going to come back,” the Countess said, and Lizzy wept. “If you like, I can be your Stepmommy, and we can do fun things together, but no more evil things. You have to promise,” the Countess explained.
“I didn’t want to be evil. I was just doing what Mommy told me to do,” Lizzy said.
“I know, Sweetie. What do you think about the plan?” she asked gently.
Lizzy thought about it for a moment, and then replied with her usual and nonchalant, “Ok,” before skipping off into the castle. The Jamaican woman was also left standing there.
“Did I not promise you a surprise?” the Countess asked.
“Dah ye did,” she said.
“Your bloodstone saved me, so I’d like to grant you one wish. Something of course you can’t do for yourself,” the Countess explained.
The woman thought and thought. Finally, she said, “Me maker loved me so much, he was ‘fraid other men like me, too. So, he made me like dis—old and ugly. He was later killed by duh ‘Others’ for not joinin’ dem. If ‘tis not too much trouble now, me wishin’ to be young and pretty foreva.” The Countess flipped through her spell book in her head, placed the tip of her index finger on the woman’s forehead, and she got her exact wish.
“Young lady, you are free to go,” the Countess said to her.
The German couple they met at the ball was not so pleasant, and it was probably a good thing the Countess didn’t speak German before they flew off.
Delores was there, and she said, “I will have no customers for my shop, now.”
“You don’t worry about that. If you have to close your doors, you come find me and be my personal dressmaker,” the Countess said. Delores hugged her and flew off as well.
“Alexos, I need three more things from you before you leave,” said the Countess.
“Geez, woman. You are demanding,” he joked. “What?”
“A remote for the chamber door that will work from any distance, all the windows and doors permanently sealed, and a small opening in the front door big enough only to tightly squeeze a wine bottle through. No questions. Chop chop, and get to work,” she smiled.
Kendra was the last one standing in the yard. The Countess slowly walked up to her, putting her guard up around her heart.
“Hello, Kendra,” she said coldly.
“Hi, Countess,” Kendra said, looking at the ground. “You look absolutely stunning in that dress,” she added.
“I’m sure Angelina would not have appreciated that if she were here,” the Countess countered.
“It was just an assignment at first, but I fell in love with you, Countess. Honestly and truly in love with you,” Kendra started to sob.
“Well, that’s good Kendra, because you are coming back into the castle,” the Countess said.
“I what?” Kendra said, amazed.
“That’s right. You’re going to live here, again,” the Countess said with a smile.
“Really? I can’t believe it. So, you have forgiven me?” Kendra asked.
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. See, you are going to live in the chamber, until the Count and I find somewhere else to live with Lizzy. Of course, we will take the two slaves with us, as well. Then, you will be let out to live in this castle alone, with all the memories and portraits of me. Sort of like a museum to me. Don’t even think about trying to escape, because all of that has been taken care of by an expert. There will be only one small opening for your wine to be delivered. You will live here alone, with your memories of us, for the rest of eternity.
“Alexos, please escort Kendra to the chamber, now,” the Countess instructed.
“But, I love you,” Kendra kept yelling, and the Countess kept walking toward the study, ignoring her wails and shouts.
She opened the door to find the Count sitting behind his desk.
“That took a lot of courage to do what you did with Kendra,” he said proudly.
“I don’t want to talk,” she said.
“What do you want to do?” he asked.
“Finish what we started earlier,” she replied.
Epilogue
Countess de Lourdes, her Count, and Lizzy lived blissfully in Portugal in an Oceanside villa for 85 years. The Countess had refused to go back underground and relearn everything, again. After all she had been through, the thought was horrifying to her. She had enjoyed the last 85 years. The three of them toured the world by night. They saw the Parthenon, the Sistine Chapel, the Greek Columns, the Gondolas of Venice, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Brazilian Rainforest, the Great Wall of China, and many more. There was so much to see, and they could fly in and out under the cover of night, undetected.
The Countess was starting to get restless. She longed for more. She knew she was meant for more than just playing house and worldly travels. The rage inside her at being forced to live this life had started to simmer in the pit of her stomach. Lizzy noticed it first.
“Are you going to leave us?” she asked the Countess.
“No, Sweetie,” the Countess said with a fake smile. “Why would you think that?” she asked.
“Just a feeling I got for a second. It’s gone now, though,” Lizzy said before skipping off.
A few weeks later, the Count noticed her distant stares and lack of involvement in activities.
“What’s going on with you?” he asked and patted her knee under the dinner table.
“I just want to do more. Something structured,” she replied. “I don’t know what, though. I need to get out alone more.”
The Count seemed shocked. “Aren’t you happy here with us?” he asked.
“Yes,” she lied, “but I want to feel my own independence, too. I found this group online that roleplays they are vampires. They are having a weekend convention, and I’d like to go. I think it would be fun,” she said.
“It’s too dangerous. We don’t know how many other real vampires will be there. You could give yourself away. They could hurt you. So many things could go wrong,” the Count said, exasperated and in a full panic.
“It’s something I want to do!” the Countess shouted back.
“Do you forget who you are?” he inquired loudly.
“Exactly. These online kids won’t have a clue who I am, and I should be able to do what I want as Queen. This is the same argument we have been having for almost 86 years. Like it or not, I’m going,” she said as she stomped away.
“Looks like you lost that one,” Lizzy said sympathetically to the Count.
“I usually do, Lizzy,” he said in return.
The next evening, the Countess left the house. As soon as she stepped off the last stair, she muttered this spell:
Let he who tries to follow me
Be lost and unsuccessful.
Be it by land or by air,
Let my presence be known
Only to those of my choosing.
She took a couple steps and was off into the air. She knew the Count would know exactly where she was going, but he thought it would prove beyond her means to reopen everything, and she would return home to him. He knew there was no vampire convention. He knew she was going to see Kendra, but she had to make a side trip, first. The Countess breezed in through the dress shop and directly behind the curtain.
“No need to show yeself, Countess. I know it be ye,” said the now beautiful woman, sitting at the table as if she expected her. “I know why ye here. Let me get it fer ye.” The woman got up and went digging in the back.
“You always amaze me,” the Countess complimented her.
“Remember to use it only for its purpose. The bloodstone can be very dangerous, otherwise,” she warned.
“Of course,” the Countess promised.
“I knew ye be bored soon and visit me. Goin’ to stir up so
me adventure?” the woman asked.
“You know me so well,” the Countess giggled.
“By the way, tank ye for leaving me dots on me face when ye changed me. It’s what makes me who I be,” the woman said thankfully.
“Just who are you?” the Countess replied with a coy smile.
“A witch, don’t ye know,” the woman said with a smile and disappeared into the back.
The Countess flew out of the dress shop just as quickly as she flew in. When she arrived at the old castle, the grounds were terribly overgrown. It was obvious they had forgotten to pay someone to keep up with it. There was only one trodden down path from the front gate to the front door of the castle, where the hole had been placed in the front door for the wine delivery. The Countess walked around the porch, looking in the windows to find a terrible mess. All her portraits had been removed from the walls and smashed. Most of the statues of her had been smashed, as well. The Countess had expected Kendra to lash out this way, but she had hoped a few portraits would have survived. The Countess continued to walk around, until she saw something stir inside. She stood at the front door, which had iced glass, but the two side panels could be seen through. She crouched down so as not to be seen.
There was a filthy creature in green sitting in the middle of the grand staircase. Its head was down, and its hair was wild. Its skin was black with filth and dirt, but it was holding something in its hands. As the creature turned it over and appeared to be stroking its hair, the Countess could see that it was a small bust of herself. The creature leaned over and kissed it.
Oh, my poor Kendra. What have I done to you? The Countess thought surely this creature in green could only be the once beautiful and vibrant Kendra. The Countess walked around outside and tried the windows. When she came back, the creature was still in the same place. The Countess uttered the only spell she could think of:
That which has been sealed,
Let it now be undone.
Let only Kendra see me with loving eyes.
The front door opened wide, and the Countess walked in. Kendra looked up, startled.
“You are not really here. Just my imagination playing tricks, again,” Kendra mumbled to herself and started rocking in place. The Countess walked up the stairs and put her arm around Kendra.
“It really is me, Kendra. I’ve come back for you,” the Countess said.
“Don’t touch me,” Kendra jumped up and away from the Countess. “I hate you! Look at this place! Look at me! You did this to me!” Kendra yelled at the Countess.
“Had you not betrayed me from the beginning, we could have avoided all this and been together all this time,” the Countess reminded her. Kendra’s rage started to slowly soften. She had been so mad at the Countess for so long, she had pushed her betrayal to the back of her mind.
“I’m not sorry I ever agreed to spy on you, because then I would never have met you and fallen in love with you,” Kendra said shyly.
“And now? After all these years? All this hate? All my destroyed portraits? Do you still love me?” the Countess asked.
“Of course. My rage came, because I loved and still love you and was abandoned,” Kendra explained.
“I have unsealed the castle, so you are now free to do as you wish,” the Countess informed her.
“Won’t the Count object if I return with you?” Kendra asked.
“I’m not returning to the Count,” the Countess stated flatly. Kendra was shocked.
“Weren’t you with him and Lizzy all this time?” she asked.
“Yes. He will be fine. He has Lizzy to spoil and control now,” the Countess replied.
“I would like to go with you, no matter where you are going. I couldn’t stand to lose you, again,” Kendra replied with tears in her eyes.
“No matter where, huh?” the Countess asked with a cocked eyebrow and a crooked smile.
“Wherever my Queen wishes,” Kendra said with a bow and a giggle.
“Good. Let’s get you cleaned up. I don’t want to be seen with you out in public, looking like that. You know, that once was a beautiful green gown with rhinestone straps if I remember correctly. Now, it’s so filthy and raggedy, I think we should burn it,” the Countess giggled.
“So, where are we off to?” Kendra inquired, while scrubbing the many layers of dirt off her skin while in the tub.
“Well...I’ve been reading online there is a new group of pure blood vampires in Venice, and they are looking for a leader,” the Countess said, smiling her evil smile.
“You’re not...oh crap, you are,” Kendra said with a sigh.
About the Author:
Jodie Pierce is thirty-five years old and lives with her husband, John in Cleveland, Ohio and her four step-children.
She has had a fascination with vampires since she was a child and has been writing just as long. Halloween is and has always been her favorite holiday. She was an exchange student in Brazil in high school so you will find some of her experiences from there in her stories. Many of her stories have historical or researched facts as she also enjoys research.
Mrs. Pierce is inspired by music and enjoys all genres but something has to be playing in the background as she writes. She has a short novel and several short stories that she’s written and she’s always busy with the next great vampire story. In her spare time, Mrs. Pierce enjoys movies, music, Reiki, reading and spending time with family and friends.
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