by Lana Melyan
23
YEAR 1852, July
Gabriella was sitting on a bench in her garden, in front of a small pool with a bronze, wide garden urn in the middle. She was reading.
Around the low, white wall of the pool grew dandelions. They broke out through compacted earth and happily swayed their little yellow heads under the warm breeze. It was quiet. The only sound came from bees buzzing over blooming shrubs of pink azaleas and white camellias.
The high sun bit Gabriella’s bare shoulders. She stood up and headed toward the castle. As she crossed the little bridge leading to the green pathway between the big old oaks, Eleanor’s and Hanna’s coins on her bracelet shone with green lights.
The door to Samson’s study was open, but he wasn’t there. Just in case, Gabriella checked their bedroom, too, and then went back downstairs.
“Lucy,” she called.
The dwarf Lucy, and her husband Henry, along with a middle-aged woman named Sophie, worked and lived in the castle.
“Yes, Ma’am?” Shuffling her feet, Lucy came out from the kitchen.
“Have you seen Samson?” Gabriella asked.
“He said that if you asked, then,” said Lucy slowly, “I should tell you that he’s in the stable.”
“You could just say that he’s in the stable.” Gabriella shook her head.
“He is in the stable, Ma’am,” said Lucy after Gabriella, who was already walking out the front door.
“Samson,” called Gabriella, walking into the stable.
A bundle of hay moved toward her, and only the tip of Henry’s head sticking from behind it proved it didn’t move by itself.
“I’m here,” said Samson, rising between the horses Gray and Grace.
Gray was Craig’s black Frisian steed, and Grace was Eleanor’s, an Arabian horse with a dark chestnut coat and black tail and mane. Craig bought her in Egypt as a present after Eleanor’s transition.
“She needs new shoes,” said Samson, patting Grace.
“I have news,” said Gabriella, stepping aside from Henry’s path. “The girls are coming back.”
“The boys, too,” said Samson. “All three of them.”
“I supposed so.” Gabriella smiled delightfully. “Ruben is probably just a victim of circumstance, but Craig and Edmond wouldn’t part from their ladies.” Then she added, “I hope they’ll keep it that way forever.”
Samson approached her.
“Just like us,” he said. “Doesn’t matter how many years pass, I will never be parted from you.”
He kissed her forehead, and they walked out from the stable.
“Maybe I should light the fireplaces in their rooms?” Henry asked, catching up with them. “It’s not cold, but it’ll make it cozy.”
“Thank you, Henry,” said Gabriella. “That would be nice.”
“Did you send a message to Riley?” asked Gabriella when they returned to the castle.
“No need for that. He’s not far. He said he’ll be back before dinner,” said Samson and went up the stairs.
Gabriella started towards the kitchen but then stopped again.
“Samson.”
Samson looked back.
“What is it, my love?”
Gabriella hesitated.
“Have you heard from Fray lately?” she finally asked.
Samson shook his head. She looked down and walked away.
Sophie and Lucy were sitting at the kitchen table and having tea with biscuits.
“Sophie, would you please change the bed sheets in Hanna’s, Eleanor’s and Ruben’s bedrooms?” Gabriella said.
“Of course, Ma’am.” Sophie stood up.
“No, no, finish your tea first.” Gabriella turned to Lucy. “They’re coming home, and since you have to cook for the whole family, it would be better if you started earlier.”
“Don’t worry, Ma’am, dinner will be on time,” said Lucy, dipping her biscuit in the tea.
“I’ll help her, Ma’am.” Sophie smiled.
“Thank you.”
“Ma’am,” Lucy called when Gabriella was already on her way out, “you said the whole family. Does that mean I need to count Mr. Wald, too?”
“No. Fray is not coming,” Gabriella answered without looking back.
They sat around the dining table, eating, drinking, talking, and laughing. They discussed the upcoming wedding, then the hunt, and then Hanna and Eleanor told about Madame de Lécuyer, about how nice she and her husband were, about their invitations to dinners and the ball. Craig joked about Ruben’s dance with Monsieur de Lécuyer’s sister, which made Riley laugh until he choked. Edmond, who had become part of the family only a few months ago and had never been in Paris before, was absolutely fascinated by the city. He talked about how much he learned during the trip, about meeting a witch for the first time, and the way he learned to track vampires. Hanna noticed that Samson was carefully listening and nodding approvingly.
When they started talking about stores and presents, the ladies quickly thanked Sophie and Lucy for dinner and disappeared.
In Gabriella’s bedroom, Hanna and Eleanor unpacked, one after another, presents they had bought for her. Gabriella’s bed was covered with gowns, fabrics, hats, shoes, and little jewelry boxes.
She picked up the dark blue silky gown.
“This is gorgeous.”
She walked to the big rectangular mirror and held the dress to her body.
“Put it on,” said Hanna. “I want to be sure it fits.” She and Eleanor helped Gabriella change.
“Marvelous,” said Eleanor, adjusting the folds.
“It looks perfect,” said Hanna, excited.
“Thank you, my dears. Samson and I are planning a trip to New Orleans. I’ll wear this gown to the theater.”
“It’s getting dark,” said Eleanor, after they helped Gabriella change back into her purple satin dress. “Time to go. I can’t wait to see Margaret. The weather is nice, and I hope they’re having tea in the backyard. That would be the best view I could get.”
“I’ll come with you,” said Hanna. “I haven’t seen Margaret in ages.”
“Your daughter is getting married,” said Gabriella, sitting down on the ottoman in front of her dresser. “How do you feel about that?”
Eleanor pushed aside the skein of fabric from the corner of Gabriella’s bed and sat down.
“A little weird. We look the same age,” she said.
“You know you’re a bit older than you look.” Gabriella smiled.
“I just want to be sure they love each other.”
“They do. I’ve seen them together.” Gabriella glanced at Eleanor. “There’s something else. Something bothers you.”
“It’s just . . .” Eleanor looked down at her lap. “I just wish I could be with her,” she said in a low voice. “It’s a very important day of her life, and I can’t even congratulate her. If only I could hug her once.”
Hanna knelt before her, took her hand, and kissed it. Gabriella sighed.
All three of them went to the smallest living room, where the men with glasses of the brandy Ruben had bought in Paris gathered around the fireplace. Gabriella joined their company, but Hanna and Eleanor headed to the stable, saying they’d be back soon.
A hundred yards away, at the edge of the woods, Fray stood and looked at the castle.
“What the hell are they doing here?” he hissed, staring at Eleanor and Hanna coming out the front door. “They should be in England. Damn it! It means they’re all back.
“Hmm. So, what do we do now?” asked Gregor, standing beside him.
He was looking in the same direction, but because of the enchantment around the castle, he could see nothing but but trees on the hill.
Fray knew that every evening after dinner Samson checked the Map. By that time, Fray arranged a witch to do a summoning spell showing a great danger. Since Fray expected only Samson, Gabriella, and Riley to be in the castle, he was sure all three of them would have to go hunt down the monster
s. Now, he didn’t know what to expect.
He kept his eyes on Eleanor and Hanna as they galloped away, and by the turn they took, he assumed that they must be going to Eleanor’s parent’s house. It would be at least two hours before they came back. So, now there were two less Hunters in the castle.
“It doesn’t change anything. Just stick to the plan,” said Fray darkly, still deep in his thoughts. “If the witch spills enough blood, they’ll all go.”
“Oh, she will. Joanne will make sure of that.”
Twenty miles away, in the forest beside a small village, Joanne stood above the witch sitting on the ground.
“It’s time. Do it,” she said roughly.
The witch, a dark-skinned woman with a kerchief around her curly black hair, looked up with a gaze full of hate.
“What are you staring at?” Joanne shouted. “Isn’t it your job? We are vampires, and you’re a witch. So call them, call the Hunters. Do what you have to do.”
The woman grabbed a twig and scratched a circle around her, then lit the candle and put it in the middle. She unfolded the piece of cloth in her hand and took from it a pinch of black powder. Sprinkling the earth with the powder, she closed her eyes and whispered:
Guardian Hunters, fast and strong,
Come to the place where we belong,
No harm to come or death to befall,
Guardian Hunters, save us all.
She took the knife lying next to her and cut her palm. Dripping the blood into the middle of the circle, she continued:
I summon you to stop the evil on these grounds,
I am entrusted to your care.
“That blood is not enough.” Joanne bent to the witch. She sank her fangs into the woman’s throat, and then pushed her head down, letting the blood stream into the circle.
Gabriella lit more candles and sat on the sofa.
“So.” Samson, turned to her. “Did you like your presents?”
“Oh, I hope you did,” said Edmond. “After what I went through.”
“You?” Gabriella looked at him with surprise.
Ruben chuckled and looked at Riley.
“He actually decided to go with Hanna and Eleanor when they went shopping.”
Riley and Gabriella laughed.
“I didn’t know,” said Edmond, pushing his blond curls back from his forehead. “I’ve never shopped with a woman before. It was a new experience.”
“It wasn’t just an experience, brother.” Ruben took a sip from his brandy. “It was a lesson.”
“Once I joined them, too. In Vienna,” said Craig, beaming. “When, half an hour later, they were still standing beside a table of ribbons, I said that I urgently needed a newspaper and disappeared.”
“All right,” said Samson, smiling. He stood up. “Duty calls.”
“So, you are not drinking anymore?” Ruben added more brandy to his own glass. “Good. More for me.”
“Don’t get too happy.” Samson put his glass on the small rectangular table beside Ruben. “Fill it up. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Craig’s and Riley’s glasses landed with a thud beside Samson’s. Ruben chuckled and pulled out another bottle from behind his chair.
Samson went to his study and unfolded the Map lying on the chest. The Map looked like a thin but large book. Continents were divided into parts, and each part had its own page.
He looked at Africa, then he checked the European countries. America was on the next page. When he opened it, he grabbed the Map and hurried to the living room.
“I’m afraid the party’s over, boys,” he said, walking in.
Everybody put down their glasses and stood up at the seriousness in his voice. Samson headed to the round table beside the window, and the others cleared it up, removing the book lying on it, the candelabrum and the vase of flowers. When Samson put the Map down and opened it at the right page, they all looked at the red stain, which grew right before their eyes.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Riley.
“Me either,” said Samson.
“Oh, God,” gasped Gabriella. “This looks like a massacre.”
“To create that kind of stain takes a lot of blood,” said Samson. “One witch can’t do it.”
“So you think there’s a few of them?” Craig asked.
“Very likely. But instead of guessing, we better go and see what’s going on.” He pointed at the stain again. “This is beside that Cold Stone village. Let’s go get those vampires.”
“How do you know they’re vampires?” said Edmond. Everybody looked at him. “Sorry, I just wanted to ask.”
“And we’re listening. Ask away,” said Samson.
“Can the Map show that, too?”
“No. But the sky can. There’s no full moon tonight. And since there are no trolls in America, most likely, it’s vampires. There are other kinds of monsters, of course, but we haven’t seen them for centuries. Let’s hope it stays that way.” Samson looked at Riley, Ruben, and Craig. “The situation is unusual. So get your weapons, you’re all coming. Edmond, come with me.” He said and headed back to his study.
As they entered the room, Samson stepped to the large glass doors. Behind them, attached to the wall and placed on the stands in spatial order, were weapons of different kinds and shapes which had been collected for centuries—knives, swords, axes, bows and arrows.
Samson picked the seventeenth-century single-edged Chinese Dao sword and handed it to Edmond.
“You don’t have much experience yet, and if you get attacked by many of them at once, it will be easier to just chop their heads off. Think you can do that?”
“Yes, sir,” said Edmond, taking the sword. “I decapitated a goat once.”
Samson smiled.
“You never take your dagger with you. Why?” Edmond asked when Samson took a sword, too. “It can easily kill anything.”
“For security reasons. We move fast and anything can happen. One unexpected move, and it can as easily kill one of you.”
“I didn’t think about that.”
“Go get your stakes, you’ll need them too,” said Samson, closing the glass doors.
Gabriella wished them good luck. As they one by one walked out of the door, she stepped to Samson and kissed him.
“I am the luckiest woman in the world, who doesn’t have to worry even if she sends her husband to war.”
Samson looked at her tenderly.
“But you still do,” he said.
“You notice everything, don’t you?” She smiled.
“I love you,” whispered Samson.
“I love you more,” said Gabriella, and she kissed him again.
“What’s taking them so long?” said Fray, irritated after waiting almost an hour. “The other two are probably on their way back already.”
But then he saw figures coming out the front door. It was very dark now, and he couldn’t discern who was who.
“One, two,” Fray counted the silhouettes moving toward the stable. “Four. One is missing.” A minute later, the fifth silhouette came out the door. Fray said with satisfaction, “It worked. They’re all leaving.”
Fray couldn’t take Gregor with him; Samson was the only one who could open an arch in the veil. He waited another ten minutes to make sure that Samson was far enough, then stepped forward and disappeared. Gregor wondered what would happen if he tried to cross the invisible wall. He took a step, and then a few more. Nothing stopped him. But suddenly, he realized he was facing the woods. He turned to face the hill again and went towards it, but seconds later he was looking at the trees. And it didn’t matter how many times he tried, every time he found himself moving in wrong direction.
The castle’s front door slammed loudly.
Gabriella, who was having tea with Sophie, Lucy, and Henry in the kitchen, put her cup down.
“Who could that be?” Sophie asked.
“I have no idea,” said Gabriella. “None of them could have returned so early.�
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“I’ll go check,” said Henry.
He jumped down from his chair and hurried to the hall. When he saw Fray at the top of the stairs, he opened his mouth to welcome him home, but Fray moved too fast and disappeared. Henry squeezed his lips together and went back to the kitchen
“It’s Fray,” he said.
“Fray is here?” Gabriella stood up, but then suddenly froze. “Where did he go?”
“He’s upstairs.”
There was a flash, and Gabriella was gone. Henry, Sophie and Lucy ran to the hall.
Gabriella stopped at the second floor corridor and listened. She heard a stir, and the sound of it was coming from the open door of Samson’s study. She moved forward and stopped at the doorway.
Fray stood with his back to her. He was opening the wooden case on Samson’s desk, the one Samson used when he needed to take the Book with him. Fray didn’t turn around.
“Go away,” he said.
“Just in case you forgot—this is not your room,” said Gabriella coldly.
Fray looked back abruptly. His mouth was slightly open.
“It’s you. I thought it was Sophie.” He stared at her. “What are you doing here?”
Gabriella raised her eyebrow.
“I mean . . .” Fray glanced at the case, then again at Gabriella. “I saw you leave.”
“You saw me? Are you sure it wasn’t Hanna or Eleanor?”
“No. Not them.” Fray’s tone changed, became more irritated. “After. Ten minutes ago.”
Gabriella’s eyes narrowed.
“Were you watching us? Why?”
“Who was it? Did he turn someone?”
Fray didn’t visit the castle often, and he had no idea that Samson’s family had a new member. The last time he had showed up, Edmond had been in Paris. Fray came to ask Samson to turn the man he brought with him, but the moment Samson put his hand on the man’s chest, he knew he would have to stop the transition. He knew what Fray’s reaction would be, and telling him that he just turned somebody for Hanna wouldn’t make it better.