by Amy Miles
Sadie blew out a breath. “Man this just gets better and better. So Rose is married?”
Nicolae nodded, ignoring Gabriel’s pitiful wail. “Yes.”
“And she really is Dracula’s wife?” William asked, struggling to wrap his mind around the conversation. None of this made any sense. It couldn’t be real…and yet everything that’d happened told him that it was.
“I’m afraid so,” Nicolae spoke softly.
Sadie shook her head. “No. I can’t believe it. She doesn’t hold up to any of the myths,” she muttered, wrapping her arms around her knees. “She comes out during the day, she’s not afraid to go inside a church, and she doesn’t seem particularly afraid of sticks. Plus she eats normal food and her teeth are perfect. I haven’t seen any sign of fangs!”
Nicolae agreed. “You’re right. Her family does seem to defy all of the normal vampire laws. I’ve questioned my uncle on that very thing but he just tells me to mind my own business and get back to training.”
“So you could be wrong then,” William said, turning his back on the window. “Maybe she’s not a vampire after all.”
“No. She has to be. Roseline is over 300 years old. That’s not human.”
Gabriel thought it over; desperately trying to find something that would prove Rose wasn’t evil. “Tell them how your parents were killed,” Gabriel said, wanting his friend’s to hear the gruesome story so they could help him fight against the lies about Roseline.
Sadie winced. “Oh come on Gabriel. I’m sure that’s not something Nicolae wants to talk about.”
“No. It’s okay,” Nicolae said, smiling warmly over at Sadie before turning to look at Gabriel. “As I told you before, they had been attending a masquerade ball for Halloween.”
“I thought vampires didn’t go out on Halloween,” Sadie said.
Nicolae laughed bitterly. “That must be Hollywood’s version of vampire fiction. Here in Romania, Halloween is the Devil’s night. Anyone who has any sense stays home.”
“So what happened?” Gabriel pressed.
“They were slaughtered, along with every other living soul in the room. Over two hundred people were murdered that night.”
“And they found…teeth marks?” Gabriel said, grimacing on the last bit. He simply couldn’t imagine Rose sinking her teeth into anyone’s neck, or himself for that matter.
Nicolae shifted uncomfortably. “Well….no. My uncle said they didn’t have much luck finding any evidence.”
“Why not?” Sadie asked, burying her chin into her knees. She would never admit that she was afraid, but she was. Very much so!
“There wasn’t much left.” Nicolae’s voice sounded monotone, as if he were reading a very boring report instead of speaking of his parents deaths.
“Is that normal?” William asked, gulping as he gripped his sister’s hand.
“No. Not normally. Most vampires just drain their victim and leave. They don’t like any publicity. They don’t want the rest of the world knowing they exist.”
Gabriel tapped his temple, feeling like he was missing something. Suddenly the light bulb went on. “Has Rose ever acted in a normal vampire fashion? Has anyone ever seen her bite a person?”
Once again, Nicolae looked deeply uncomfortable. “Not to my knowledge.”
“So you’re just assuming that she’s a vampire then,” Gabriel grinned, sure that he was getting close to vindicating his beloved Roseline.
“I don’t know Gabriel. It sounds pretty gruesome to me,” Sadie said softly, her eyes rounded with fear.
“Not you too,” Gabriel groaned. “So now you think she’s a blood sucker?”
Sadie shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. The only thing we do know is that Rose’s family is dangerous and we’re headed straight for them.”
A heavy silence fell over the small space. No one dared to verbalize their fears. Even if Rose wasn’t a vampire, her family, Gabriel’s biological father, obviously got off on sadistic mass murders. Gabriel couldn’t help but wonder what they were getting themselves into.
“My uncle will know what to do,” Nicolae finally said, breaking the silence.
Gabriel glanced up, shocked to see that they’d arrived outside two towering wrought iron gates. Just beyond, down a winding lane, stood a large stone estate covered with ivy. Gabriel shivered. “We’re here already?” He wasn’t sure he was quite ready to face what lay beyond.
“Time flies by when you’re scared to death,” William muttered darkly.
Nicolae spoke to the man guarding the entrance then pulled his head back inside as the limo slowly moved through the groaning gate. The sound reverberated through Gabriel with a sense of evil foreboding. The tires crunched on the gravel path as they crept along at a snails pace.
Gabriel felt like pulling out his hair or screaming at the driver to speed up, but another part of him feared leaving the safety of the car. Once the limo had come to a complete stop, a man got out of the drivers seat. He was enormous with a broad chest and short cropped hair. A jagged scar ran from his temple to his throat, disappearing inside his black uniform.
“Well that’s not creepy,” Sadie muttered as Nicolae emerged, pausing to offer her a hand.
Gabriel had to agree. He tried not to stare at the man’s scar as the chauffer turned and led them up the steep steps which ended at the base of an enormous door.
“Who lives here? Giants?” William joked weakly, leaning way back to stare at the top of the door that towered fifteen feet above them.
“It’s just for show,” Nicolae chuckled, grasping a nearly invisible door handle. A normal sized door opened inward, revealing a dark hall.
“I can’t believe you live here” Sadie gasped, unconsciously clinging to Nicolae.
He smiled down at her, squeezing her hand tightly. “Pretty depressing huh?
“No kidding,” William muttered, following closely behind his sister.
Gabriel brought up the rear, nearly jumping out of his skin as the door slammed behind him without anyone there to push it closed. “Ok now that’s creepy!”
Footsteps echoed on the hall. Nicolae went rigid, ducking out of Sadie’s grasp, standing to attention as if he were a soldier in the military. “Uncle,” he bowed low as the imposing figure emerged from the shadows.
The man was tall, though not nearly as tall as their driver had been. His face was rugged, lined with scratches that Gabriel guessed to be fingernail marks. His black hair was slicked back and a trim goatee hung from his broad chin. He wore a tight fitting black uniform under a heavy cloak, identical to the chauffeur’s. The man walked with rigid determination.
“Nicolae. You’re back so soon,” the man called, his booming voice echoing in the vast hall. He didn’t sound the least bit pleased to see his nephew.
“Yes, uncle. She has returned as I informed you.”
Gabriel glanced at Nicolae. It was so unusual to hear such a strong voice coming from the nerdy boy he’d grown to dislike over the past couple months. The transformation was now complete. Nicolae was no longer the guy he’d known.
“You have brought guests.” This announcement was tinged with anger.
“Yes Uncle. They are…friends.”
Nicolae’s uncle eyed each of them, sniffing the air. His beady eyes drilled into Gabriel. The man hissed, pulling back. At the same moment, two guards melted out from behind tall marble pillars on either side of the room, guns aimed at Gabriel’s heart. “You’ve brought him here?”
Gabriel warily glanced at Sadie and William; sure that they’d just made a big mistake.
“He has come looking for Roseline, Uncle.” Nicolae stepped forward, dropping his voice so low Gabriel could barely make out his words. “He is unaware of the prophecy.” Gabriel didn’t like the sudden gleam in the man’s eye as he regarded Gabriel with new interest.
Nicolae’s uncle didn’t relax his stance as he spoke, as if Nicolae hadn’t said a word to him. “You know what she is?” he questioned.
Nicolae stared at Gabriel in amazement. Never in a million years would he have spoken so boldly to his uncle. But then again Gabriel didn’t know what his uncle was capable of.
The older man stroked his goatee, staring at Gabriel with a hint of admiration. “And yet you still come?”
“Yes sir,” Gabriel nodded. “I love her.”
Nicolae’s uncle roared with laughter. Sadie bristled, annoyed with the rude man. “You can’t help who you fall in love with,” she retorted.
The man’s laughter faded as he glanced at Sadie for the first time. “Spunky,” he muttered, noting how his nephew stiffened. “I can see why you like her.” Sadie blushed but didn’t look away. “You’re right my dear. When it comes to vampires, Gabriel never stood a chance. He will love her until the day she sucks him dry.”
Gabriel wasn’t sure if he said the words so bluntly to scare them or because he believed it to be true. Either way it had quite an effect on everyone in the room. “My name is Sorin Funar,” his voice boomed through the great hall. “You are welcome here.”
Without a sound, the two guards vanished into the shadows and Sorin headed back the way he’d come. Gabriel glanced at Nicolae who simply shrugged. Obviously he was just as surprised by his uncle’s reaction as Gabriel was.
***
“How much do you know about your girlfriend?” Sorin asked, snickering on the last word as he sank back into a black leather arm chair. A roaring fire cast an eerie halo around his head.
Gabriel and his friends were starting to get a feel for the house. Everywhere they looked floor to ceiling velvet curtains blocked out the sun. Only the glass windows in the vaulted ceiling above afforded any sunlight on the room. A room which desperately needed a good cheering up!
The carpet was a deep red, matching perfectly with the dress that Roseline had worn to the dance. Gabriel winced at the reminder and averted his gaze. He was met with towering book cases, filled with ancient looking leather bound books. There were medieval style swords hanging from the walls, with one in particular encased in glass. On its blade remained a dried blood stain. Gabriel wondered why it was the only thing highlighted in the room.
Gabriel struggled to pull his attention away as Sorin cleared his throat roughly. “I’m sorry sir. I was just admiring your décor,” he said, returning to the conversation at hand. “The only thing I know about Rose, apart from what Nicolae briefly told me, is from the times that I’ve spent with her at school.”
Sorin sat forward, his eyes intense, face rigid. “And did you spend any time alone with her?”
Gabriel frowned. “Of course I did.”
“And yet you’re still alive,” Sorin muttered, sitting back, stroking his goatee. “Interesting.”
“Not really,” Gabriel countered, sounding bored. “Not if she isn’t what you accuse her to be.”
No one anticipated Sorin’s booming laugh. Everyone jumped at the sound, unsettled by how loudly it echoed into the recesses of the room. “You’re feisty, I’ll give you that,” he smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was dark and sinister. “But you’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.”
Gabriel’s jaw clamped down hard, his fingers wrapped painfully around his knee caps as he bit his tongue against the abuse he wanted to sling back. But he was painfully aware of all of the weaponry scattered around the room and knew he’d be useless against this war hardened man. Strength or not, Sorin Funar was obviously a skilled killer.
“Now that I’ve got your attention,” Sorin’s voice rumbled as he stood to his feet. “I’d like to show you a bit of our history to convince the half whit about his poor Roseline.”
Sadie sat forward, aching to hear more, even if it did come from some menacing old fart. William looked sick, slinking further down into his chair while Nicolae remained rigid by the door.
“Have you ever heard of The Black Church?” Sorin asked, pointing to a picture on the wall. The stone building strangely looked tarnished, as if by soot or dirt.
“Of course not,” Sadie spat. “Why should we care about your stupid country?”
William hissed at her to be quiet but Sorin simply smiled. “Because my dear, your friend Roseline was born in that church.”
Sadie glanced at the picture again, confused. “In a church?”
Sorin returned to his seat, his fingers forming a steeple. “Not as a baby. As a seventeen year old girl.”
“You mean that’s where she was raised from the dead,” Gabriel said, rolling his eyes. Sorin’s indifferent shrug angered Gabriel. Why was Sorin so focused on Roseline? It wasn’t like they could prove she was the one that’d murdered Nicolae’s parents.
“The girl you know as Rose was born Roseline Dragomir, an English name given after her mother’s side of the family I believe. Her father, a man whose lust for wealth and prestige drove his lovely daughter into the arms of Vladimir Enescue. Poor Roseline knew the man was vile, but she had no idea he was a Vampire.” Sorin’s eyes gleamed with a fervor that scared Gabriel. He was obsessed.
“So then what happened?” Sadie asked, drawn into the story.
“Vladimir killed all of the wedding guests.” His voice was monotone, as if he were uninterested with the gruesome details. Of course he probably was. A tale like that had become legend in Romania, passed down from parent to child as a warning against speaking to strangers or breaking night time curfews.
Sadie scrunched up her nose. “How awful”
Sorin’s grin turned into a leer. “You haven’t heard the best part.” He motioned to a picture of a young girl with snowy skin and pale pink lips. Her white blond hair was a startling contrast with her sparkling baby blue eyes. “This is a likeness of Roseline’s younger sister, Adela Dragomir. She was the last to die.”
Gabriel stared at the portrait, drawn in by the doe eyes that held him captive. Although her coloring greatly differed from Roseline, she had the same warmth radiating out of her. There was no doubting her connection to the girl he loved.
“I’m sure you’re telling us this for a reason,” Gabriel pressed, his heart thudding in his chest. “Get on with it.”
Sorin nodded, returning his gaze to the three friends seated precariously on his leather couch. “Adela’s blood was the tool used to damn her sister.” Gabriel snorted with disgust. Sorin’s bushy eye brow rose. “You don’t believe me?”
“Why should I? You have no proof! And apart from a picture hanging in some art gallery, Nicolae doesn’t have any real proof either. How do you even know she’s the same girl? Rose could be a descendant,” Gabriel roared, his chest heaving with exertion. He was getting annoyed. All he wanted to do was speak to Rose. She would clear this up.
Nicolae flinched, unsure of how his uncle would react to Gabriel’s blatant disregard. His rigid stance nearly faltered completely when Sorin settled back into his chair instead of smacking the smirk from Gabriel’s face.
“Did you happen to notice the soot on the church?” Gabriel’s eyes flickered to the picture over Sorin’s head. “This church dates all the way back to 1477 but its name, The Black Church, wasn’t chosen until after a fire in 1689 that left the church blackened from smoke.”
“Great history lesson,” Sadie grumbled. “But what’s this got to do with our friend?”
“The fire occurred on the night of dear Roseline’s wedding…and her rebirth.” Sorin fixed his eyes on Gabriel, weighing out his reaction.
“Wait a second,” William gasped, speaking for the first time since he’d entered the gloomy room. “You’re saying Rose is…322 years old?”
Sorin nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” He stood and moved towards the far wall. Placing his hand on one of the dark wooden panels, a hidden chamber appeared. He motioned for them to follow him. “Come…if you seek further proof.”
Gabriel hung back with William and Sadie as Nicolae followed directly behind Sorin. “I’ve got a bad feeling abo
ut this,” he muttered under his breath. Nicolae darted a glance over his shoulder but said nothing. Gabriel would have bet his brand new Range Rover on the fact that Nicolae looked worried.
“Stick close to me,” Nicolae whispered as he ducked inside the hidden passage.
Sadie wedged herself between Gabriel and William as they descended a drafty spiral staircase. They walked on and on, burrowing deeper into the heart of Sorin’s lair. Flickering torch light struggled to illuminate the narrow space.
“How much further?” Gabriel asked Nicolae. But there was no response. This worried Gabriel even more. Surely they were miles underground by now. If things went bad for them, their screams would never be heard.
“Ah. Here we are,” Sorin’s voice wafted up past Nicolae. By the stiffness of Nicolae’s shoulders, Gabriel prepared for the worst.
When his foot finally reached solid ground, Gabriel wasn’t the least bit surprised to find himself standing in a medieval torture chamber. Somehow it felt very cliché. Sadie’s gasp wrenched at his heart as he reached back, clenching her hand tightly in his. “Why have you brought us here?”
Sorin whirled around, his black cloak billowing around him. “Why to give you the proof you need of course.”
Gabriel’s skin crawled. His terror was mounting but he held it in check for Sadie’s sake.
“Put the other two in the cell,” Sorin ordered, not even looking in Nicolae’s direction. His nephew’s hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. “Now!” he roared, furious with Nicolae’s incompetence.
“I don’t think so,” Gabriel roared, charging Sorin. Despite appearing to be well into his fifties, Sorin moved as gracefully as a cat, easily side stepping Gabriel’s charge. With the flick of his wrist, a small dagger appeared, slicing cleanly through Gabriel’s upper arm.
Gabriel gasped, clenching his hand over the stinging wound. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be boy. I don’t want to hurt you,” Sorin said as he flipped the dagger over into his right hand.
“Somehow I don’t believe you,” Gabriel snarled, charging again. His newfound strength and agility were little help against Sorin. Gabriel saw the glint of metal a second before pain slashed through his chest.