by Lana Melyan
But that wasn’t the reason he pushed all those terrifying thoughts away. Eleanor couldn’t die. She was going to be a mother, and her child needed her. She had to live.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, one hour or more, when he saw Luisa running toward the woods, her eyes searching between the trees. He showed himself, and she stopped before him.
“She said that you would be here,” said Luisa. “She sent me to tell you that she loves you very much.” She gave a weak smile, her lips trembling. “The baby is fine. It’s a girl.” She paused.
Craig’s heart stopped beating. He could feel that she had something else to say and it wasn’t good, but he was afraid to ask.
“The doctor can’t stop the bleeding,” she said, and tears dropped from her eyes, “Sir, she is dying.”
“No, no. No.” Craig tried to speak, but no words would come.
“She knows, and she says that she is very sorry.”
“This is not happening,” whispered Craig. His eyes started to burn, and everything blurred in front of them.
“They sent for a priest,” Luisa sobbed. “I have to go, sir,” and she ran back.
“No. I have to do something,” he muttered, holding his head in his hands. He was confused, lost. He made a step back, then forward, and then back again. Then he looked at the bracelet. . . . But at that moment the air shifted behind him. He turned around and saw five horses standing ten feet away from him. Their owners were dressed in black and wore black masks. One of them held a big wooden case.
“You didn’t think that I would let her die, did you?” said Gabriella.
Craig gulped the air. His mouth was open, and his lips shook.
“How? How did you. . . ?”
“We were in the lodge. We came after your number shone three times. Samson was listening and told us what’s going on.”
“It was Gabriella’s idea,” said Samson.
“You never know what can happen. We had to be prepared,” said Gabriella, and Samson tapped the case.
“You unclasped the Book,” said Craig, coming back to life and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. “But how are we going to do it?”
“We have a plan,” said Samson and handed him the case. “You hold this and wait here. Tonight, Riley will be a vampire.”
“What?” Craig looked at Riley and noticed him wearing a priest’s clothes.
Riley smiled, showing big fangs sticking out of his mouth.
“How did you do that?”
“All questions later,” said Samson, “Riley—go.”
Riley put the hood on.
“Pull it down, I can see your mask,” said Ruben.
Riley pulled it to the tip of his nose, dismounted, and went to the front yard.
“When Riley comes out from the window, it’ll mean that his job is done.”
“What is his job?” asked Craig.
“He has to scare everybody away from Eleanor’s room. Then we all, except you, will go down there.”
“Oh, God,” gasped Hanna, “What if she dies before that?”
Craig stared at Samson.
“Few minutes don’t change anything,” said Samson calmly. “Her blood will still be fresh.”
Craig took a deep breath.
“People might run outside. Gabriella and Hanna will keep them away from the backyard. When I call you, bring the Book through the window.”
They heard screams. Short moments later, Eleanor’s bedroom window swung open and Riley jumped down.
Samson, Gabriella, Ruben, and Hanna galloped to the front yard.
Riley stopped beside Craig. His mask and fangs were gone.
“How is she? Was she scared, too?” Craig asked.
“No. I immediately took the mask and fangs off. She smiled. She recognized me. She looks pretty bad. I told her that you’ll come in a minute. God, you should see them running.”
Craig heard the stirring in the front yard.
“What did you do?”
“I had to make them invite me in, because Samson said everything has to seem real in case some of them know how it works. When the old maid opened the door, she said ‘Come in, Father,’ before I even said anything. I took the hood off and growled and they saw my fangs. They started screaming, and when I jumped to the second floor, the servants ran, but the mother and father tried to come up, so I had to put extra effort to make them leave. Only the doctor was in Eleanor’s room, and he ran out after them.”
Riley sounded excited, but Craig felt sorry for Eleanor’s parents.
“Everybody, stay where you are. Don’t worry, we’ll deal with it.” Craig heard Samson’s loud voice coming through the open window. And straight away the same but now quiet voice said, “Craig, bring it.”
Craig ran and jumped. Holding the case in one hand, he grabbed the window sill with the other, and lunged into the room. He looked at Eleanor, and pain shot through his heart. She was very pale, like there was no life in her at all, with big dark shadows under her closed eyes.
“Eleanor,” he whispered, taking her hand and sitting beside her.
Eleanor opened her eyes. The moment she saw Craig, they began to fill up with tears.
“Craig,” she said, her voice scarcely audible, “I’m so sorry.”
Craig kissed her forehead.
“Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Step aside,” Samson said behind him.
He stood up, and Samson took his place.
“Eleanor, I’m Samson,” he said, taking off the mask.
“You,” Eleanor sobbed and smiled at the same time.
“Do it, don’t you see she’s dying?” said Craig impatiently.
“Craig, she is conscious,” said Samson. “That’s why I have to ask her first.”
“Then ask her.” Suddenly, he froze and stared at Samson, “You think—”
“No. But I have to ask.” He looked at Eleanor. “You know who we are, and you know that I can turn you. But, to do so, I’ll need your permission. Eleanor, do you want to become one of us?”
Craig stopped breathing. He looked at Eleanor in anticipation.
She smiled.
“I’d be honored. Please, do it.”
“With joy,” said Samson. He stood up and punched the statuesque Craig in the shoulder.
Craig heard banging and crashing from behind the wall.
“What is that?”
“It’s Ruben, fighting the vampire,” said Samson. “Let’s do this before he destroys the whole house.”
Samson pushed everything from the nightstand to the floor.
“Wait,” said Craig before Samson put the case on it. He opened the drawer, took out the velvet box, and put it in his pocket. “Now she’ll be able to wear it.”
Samson placed the case on the nightstand and unlocked it. The Book had already been opened on the essential page. Beside it lay a knife with a long narrow blade. Samson took the knife, then Eleanor’s hand and pierced her index finger. Eleanor blinked.
“Sorry, my love,” said Craig, “but he needs a few drops of your blood.”
Eleanor, who in the last minutes became even paler, just smiled weakly.
Samson, holding the knife beneath the wound, gently pushed it. Blood dripped onto the blade. Keeping the knife upright above the Book, he dripped the blood into the pentacle. Ripples emerged from the center of the symbol. The blood was gone, and, on the other page, the golden text began to sparkle, changing the text.
Craig looked at Eleanor, but she didn’t look back. Her eyes were closed. The last weak smile was frozen on her face.
“Eleanor” Craig rushed toward her.
Samson shoved him away, sending Craig flying several feet to bang against the wall. He put one hand on the page with the pentacle and peacock feather and another one on Eleanor’s chest. Two rays of light—one red and one blue—came out from the Book. Those glittering rays, denser than steam but much lighter than water, slowly stretched up into the air. Then, with full sp
eed, they flew down to Eleanor’s chest and dove inside her.
Craig moved forward, but Samson stopped him again.
“Wait, I’m not done yet.” He took the knife. “Everything has to look real, believable.” He stuck the narrow, pointed blade into Eleanor’s neck.
“What are you doing?” yelled Craig, “Are you mad?”
“They must think she was bitten by the vampire,” he said and stuck the knife in a second time, doing it quickly even though Eleanor couldn’t feel anything. “Now she has two punctures on her neck, as it is supposed to be. Think for yourself. Her wounds will start healing, she will look better with every hour. It has to have some explanation.”
“We’re leaving her here?” asked Craig, confused.
“Yes. She can’t just disappear. These people have a right to say goodbye to their beloved daughter.”
“Of course they do. But, Samson, they’ll bury her,” said Craig with horror.
“And we’ll dig her out,” said Samson, closing the knife in the case.
“But… But, how long will that take? What if she wakes up in the grave?”
“She will not, trust me.” Samson patted Craig on the shoulder.
Craig did trust him. He was sure Samson knew what he was doing. He had a plan, a plan which didn’t look like something that was made up at the last minute.
“When did you come up with this plan?”
“Two hundred years ago when I turned Gabriella, except that she was only pretending to be dying,” beamed Samson. “And Riley’s fangs, which I made out of ivory, are the same fangs he had on him then.” He went toward the door and put on his mask. “Take the case and go.”
But Craig didn’t leave. He wanted to hear what Samson was going to say to Eleanor’s family.
“You can come in now; the vampire is gone,” he said. Craig heard Ruben going downstairs and everybody else coming inside. “He came to the smell of blood,” continued Samson. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but we were too late; the woman was already bitten.”
Craig heard gasps.
“Oh no, my poor Eleanor,” cried Eleanor’s mother.
“What is going to happen now?” Richard asked. “Is it true that she might become one of them?”
“Yes. And if she does—you will all be in grave danger.”
The last voice was unfamiliar. Craig looked through the gap in the door and saw the real priest standing beside Richard.
“That’s why you must do everything exactly as I say,” said Samson. “Check on her every hour. If you see that the bite mark is disappearing and she’s getting better, it means she is turning. You have to keep her face covered and bury her tomorrow evening. Till then, she’ll not be perilous, and you can all say goodbye to her. Father.” He turned to the priest. “Please take care of her soul. We’ll take care of her body after you bury her, take some precautions, make sure she doesn’t wake up as a vampire.”
Eleanor’s mother sobbed, and Luisa was crying.
“How do you know these things?” The priest furrowed his bushy eyebrows. “Who are you?”
“We are hunters,” said Samson in a certain and cold voice. “And I know this and many other things from experience.”
“Then why are you wearing masks?”
“For protection. We have families. What do you think the vampires will do to them if they find out who we are?” lied Samson, then stepped to Richard and asked, “Is she your wife?”
“Yes, she was my wife,” said Richard with a trembling voice.
“Bury her properly,” said Samson in very serious tone. “What happened to her is not her fault.” He walked to Eleanor’s sobbing mother and father and said, much softer, “Don’t be afraid of her, she is still your daughter. She is harmless until tomorrow night.” He looked at everybody and added, “We will catch that monster.”
Samson walked to the front door, followed by Ruben.
“I advise you to keep in secret what happened to her.” Samson looked at the baby in the old maid’s arms. “For her and for this child’s sake,” he said and left the house.
Craig knew Samson was trying to protect Eleanor, make them remember her as she was, not let the fear replace their love, and he was very grateful to him for that.
Two days later, Eleanor woke up in the castle.
12
TODAY
After everything that had happened the previous evening, the last thing Amanda wanted to do was to go to Alec’s party. But she also didn’t want to break her promise. Besides, if Amanda didn’t go, Hanna wouldn’t go, and there would be no point for Kimberly and Ruben to go, either. And Kimberly was so excited about it. When she called this morning, all she talked about was Ruben said this and Ruben did that, and how much she liked him. Amanda didn’t want to ruin it for her. She knew exactly how Kimberly felt, because now that Craig had finally noticed her, she wished she, too, could tell everybody how happy it made her.
But she couldn’t. Not yet. She wasn’t sure if he did what he did because he liked her or because he was just worried about her.
The doorbell rang. Amanda checked in the mirror one more time before going downstairs. She ran her hands over her hips, making sure that her dark-blue, fitted dress didn’t have wrinkles. Then she pulled back her hair.
“You look stunning,” said Hanna’s voice behind her. “Alec will faint.”
“That’s the plan,” said Amanda, turning around. “And after I disable him, maybe you’ll relax and have some fun.”
“There is no ‘relax’ for me. It’ll be one down, three to go.”
“Three? What do you mean?”
“Nothing, it was a stupid joke. Let’s go,” said Hanna and stepped out of the door.
“Hanna, wait. You don’t think that those guys will show up there, do you? And when did they become three?”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
“Listen, I know that you’re guarding me.” Amanda rolled her eyes. “God, that sounds funny. But what can you do against three men? I don’t remember you taking karate lessons. If you are going to pull their hair out, then I’m in.” She grinned.
“You think this is funny,” said Hanna, stepping back into the room. “If you see those guys, you better run in the opposite direction and take Kimberly with you.”
“What if they hurt you? You want me to just leave you there alone?
“They can’t hurt me, and I’m not alone. That’s why Ruben is here.”
“What does that mean, they can’t hurt you? Why? Because you’re so tough?” Amanda said. “Why didn’t you tell me about these things? You’re my best friend. I thought that we didn’t keep secrets from each other.”
“I thought so, too,” said Hanna with a cryptic smile.
“What are you talking about?” Amanda blinked.
“Craig can’t come to the party, but he’ll be around. If something goes wrong, we’ll let him know. Let’s go, Ruben and Kimberly are waiting.” She left the room before Amanda could speak again.
Amanda spotted Alec as she got out of the car, standing on the porch with a few guys from his football team. He walked to her with a bright smile across his face.
“Hi. I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, then said hello to her friends.
“This is my date,” said Kimberly, proudly taking Ruben’s arm.
“I’m Alec.” Alec reached out his hand.
“Ruben,” said Ruben, taking it.
“Come on in, guys.” Alec took Amanda by her waist and led her inside. “You look gorgeous,” he said, leaning to her ear.
Hanna gritted her teeth. As they stepped in, their voices drowned in the bass of the loud music, and she was glad that she couldn’t hear him anymore.
The party was already in full swing. The furniture in the large living room had been dragged aside, opening a big dance floor. It was crowded with people, mostly seniors from school.
“Let’s sit there,” said Hanna, nodding to the empty couch under the staircase.
Hanna, Kimberly, and Ruben passed the table loaded with snacks and plastic cups and dropped onto the couch.
Hanna looked away from Alec and Amanda as they talked on the other side of the dance floor. She gazed around the flickering sound lights, searching for unfamiliar faces.
“Who is that, in the gray jacket?” she asked Kimberly, looking suspiciously at the guy leaning on the wall apart from everybody, a blue plastic cup in his hand.
“That’s Nicole’s boyfriend,” said Kimberly.
“Are you sure? I’ve never seen him before,” said Hanna.
“That’s because he’s new. They started dating only a week ago, and he’s not from our school,” explained Kimberly.
“A-ha.” Hanna and Ruben exchanged a glance.
“Why? Do you like him?” asked Kimberly with a teasing smile.
“Kimberly, believe me, I can do better than that,” said Hanna. “And, as you know, I am spoken for.”
“If I could meet the one you're spoken for at least once, it would help me remember.” Alec and Amanda moved toward them.
“Would you like a drink?” Alec shouted over the music. “Ricky is making mojitos in the kitchen.”
“Thank you, that would be nice,” said Amanda.
“Just friends, hmm?” said Hanna to Amanda after Alec left.
“Sorry, my plan didn’t work,” said Amanda, sitting next to her.
“Oh, it worked, all right.”
“I don’t understand why you hate Alec so much,” said Kimberly angrily. “He’s a very handsome and nice guy.”
Ruben took Kimberly’s hand and stood up.
“Kimberly, let’s have some fun,” he said and dragged her into the dancing crowd.
“I am sorry,” Hanna sighed. “It’s really not my business. He’s not who I have to protect you from.” She cracked a smile. “I’m sure you can deal with this one yourself.”
Amanda watched Kimberly and Ruben dance.
“Kimberly likes him. She’s so fascinated,” she said.
“Yes, that’s what scares me.”
“Why? What now?” said Amanda, a little irritated. “Why can’t you just be happy for her?”