by Amy Miles
Sadie doesn’t even bat an eye. “Yeah, and I meant it. But he’s obviously risking a lot for Rose…so I gotta appreciate that.” She glances back at Nicolae, surprised to find him staring frankly at her. Gone is the meek, pimply-faced boy that dogged her every step, annoying her like a younger brother that refused take a hint. “He’s changed.”
“Yeah,” Gabriel growls. “He’s real good at acting, isn’t he?”
Sadie begins to protest but Nicolae cuts her off. “You’re right, Gabriel. I was acting. It’s what I’ve been trained to do.”
“By your uncle?” William asks.
Nicolae leans back in his seat and rubs his thumb against the palm of his right hand with enough force to bruise the skin. “My uncle made it his mission to hunt down vampires after my parents died. Most kids went to a normal school to learn normal things. Not me. I had to learn kill shots and master weapons training.”
“I didn’t have friends growing up. I had sparring partners. Instead of a summer break, I was sent on vampire raids all over the continent. My uncle was brutal, working me from dawn until long after dusk. Always preparing me.”
“For what?” Sadie asks with eyes widened in awe.
“To take down a vampire.”
“So you’re a real vampire slayer? Like that old TV show with Sarah Michelle Geller?” William laughs. “At least she was hot!”
Nicolae shrugs. “If she killed vampires, then yes. I guess that’s what I am.”
Sadie leans forward, engrossed in the tale. For the first time since meeting him, she finds him completely irresistible. There is a new strength to his words, a confidence that calls to her wild side. “That’s actually kinda cool…if you believe in this sort of thing, I mean. And I most certainly do not.”
“Are you even listening to yourself, Sadie?” Gabriel growls, pulling her back. “He is hunting Rose, your best friend, remember?”
Sadie’s sappy grin instantly vanishes and a new wariness takes its place. “You’re right.” She glares at Nicolae once more. “Why didn’t you kill her when you had the chance?”
Nicolae scratches the back of his head, embarrassed. “Well, I’ve never…um…I’ve never actually killed one before.”
Gabriel snickers, rolling his eyes. “Typical. You claim to be this badass vampire killer and it’s all a joke.”
Nicolae’s eyes darken as his fists clench against his thighs. “It’s not a joke. People are dead because of her!”
“No,” Gabriel snarls. “She isn’t a killer. Her husband and my father are.”
William has to pick his jaw up off the floor. “I’m sorry. Did you just say your father?”
Gabriel nods, grimly. “Yeah, sorry. I forgot you didn’t know. Rose’s brother-in-law is my biological father.” He hates to speak of the man, if he can even be considered a man. Gabriel highly doubts it. Surely, Lucien is more monster than anything, but no matter how hard he tries, Gabriel can’t put his precious Rose in the same category.
Sadie blows out a breath. “Man, this just gets better and better. So Rose is actually married?”
Nicolae nods, ignoring Gabriel’s groan. “Yes.”
“And she really is Dracula’s wife?” William asks, struggling to wrap his mind around the conversation.
“I’m afraid so,” Nicolae speaks softly.
Sadie shakes her head. “No. I can’t believe it. She doesn’t hold up to any of the myths. 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 agrees. “You’re right. Her family does seem to defy all of the normal vampire laws. I’ve questioned my uncle on this very thing but he just tells me to mind my own business and get back to training.”
“So, you could be wrong then,” William says, turning his back on the window. “Maybe she’s not a vampire after all.”
“No. She has to be. Roseline is over three hundred years old. That’s not human.”
Gabriel is desperate to find something that will prove Rose isn’t evil. “Tell them how your parents were killed.” Maybe if his friends hear the gruesome tale they can help him fight against the lies.
Sadie winces. “Oh, come on. I’m sure that’s not something Nicolae wants to talk about.”
“No. It’s okay.” He smiles wanly at Sadie. “I want you to know.”
He clears his throat and eyes the blacked-out privacy window. Judging by the earlier intervention of their driver, it isn’t completely private. Nicolae leans close but keeps his voice low. “As I told Gabriel before, they attended a masquerade ball on Halloween night.”
“I thought vampires didn’t go out on Halloween,” Sadie says.
Nicolae laughs 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 presses.
“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 can’t imagine Rose sinking her teeth into anyone’s neck.
Nicolae shifts uncomfortably. “Well….no. My uncle said they didn’t have much luck finding any evidence.”
“Why not?” Sadie buries her chin into her knees. She would never admit that she is afraid, but she is. Very much so.
“There wasn’t much left.” Nicolae’s voice sounds almost monotone, as if he were reading a very boring report instead of speaking of his parent’s deaths.
“Is that normal?” William asks, gulping as he grips his sister’s hand.
“No. Not normally. Most vampires just drain their victim and leave. They do not like any publicity. They don’t want the rest of the world knowing they exist.”
Gabriel taps his temple, feeling like he is missing something. Suddenly the light bulb flickers on. “Has Rose ever acted in a normal vampire fashion? Has anyone ever seen her bite a person?”
Once again, Nicolae looks deeply uncomfortable. “Not to my knowledge.”
“So, you’re just assuming that she’s a vampire then,” Gabriel grins, sure that he is getting close to vindicating her.
“I don’t know, Gabriel. It sounds pretty gruesome to me.” Sadie’s eyes are rounded with fear. Her lower lip trembles. “What if we are wrong? Is it really possible that all of this is true?”
“Not you too,” Gabriel groans. “So, now you think she’s a blood sucker, too?”
Sadie buries her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to think. The only thing we know is that Rose’s family sounds really dangerous and we’re headed straight for them.”
A heavy silence falls over the small space. No one dares to verbalize his or her fears. Even if Rose is not a vampire, her family obviously gets off on sadistic mass murders. Gabriel can’t help but wonder what they are getting themselves into.
Forty
“My uncle will know what to do.” Nicolae finally breaks the silence. The dark undertone of his voice makes Gabriel glance up. The limo slows at it approaches a towering wrought-iron gate. Just beyond, down a winding lane, stands a large stone estate covered with snowy ivy.
Gabriel shivers. “We’re here already?” He isn’t sure he is quite ready to face what lies beyond.
“Time flies by when you’re scared to death,” William mutters, pressing his nose against the tinted glass to get a better look.
Nicolae pokes his head out of the window to speak to the man guarding the entrance. The gates groan as they shift open. The sound reverberates through Gabriel with a sense of evil foreboding. The tires crunch on the gravel path as they creep along at a snail’s pace.
Gabriel feels like pulling out his hair or screaming as the driver inches toward the mansion. The irrational need to escape is overwhelming but as the gates slam shut behind them,
Gabriel knows he is trapped.
Once the limo has come to a complete stop, the driver comes around to open the door. Each of them is met by his enormous, broad chest and short-cropped hair as they rise from the vehicle. A jagged scar runs from his temple to his throat, disappearing inside his black uniform.
“Well, that’s not creepy,” Sadie mutters as Nicolae shifts to offer her a hand out of the car.
Gabriel glowers back at the chauffer as he turns to lead them up the steps. They incline sharply and end at the base of an enormous door.
“Who lives here? Giants?” William jokes weakly as he leans back to stare at the top of the door that towers fifteen feet above them.
“It’s just for show,” Nicolae chuckles, grasping a nearly invisible door handle. A normal-sized door opens inward to reveal a dark hall beyond.
“I can’t believe you live here.” Sadie clings to Nicolae’s side.
He smiles down at her and squeezes her hand tightly. “Pretty depressing, huh?”
“No kidding,” William follows closely behind his sister.
Gabriel brings up the rear. He nearly jumps out of his skin as the door slams behind him without anyone there to push it closed. “Okay, now that’s creepy.”
Footsteps echo from up ahead. Nicolae goes rigid. He ducks out of Sadie’s grasp as he stands to attention like a soldier in the military. “Uncle.” He bows low as an imposing figure emerges from the shadows.
The man is tall, though not nearly as tall as their chauffer. His face is rugged, lined with scratches that Gabriel guesses to be fingernail marks. His black hair is slicked back and a trim goatee clings to his broad chin. He wears a tight-fitting black uniform under a heavy cloak, identical to the chauffeurs. The man walks with rigid determination.
“Nicolae.” His booming voice echoes around the vast hall as he formally greets his nephew in Romanian. He doesn’t sound the least bit pleased to see his kin.
“Yes, Uncle. She has returned, as I informed you,” Nicolae says in English.
Gabriel glances at Nicolae. It is disconcerting to hear such a strong voice coming from the nerdy boy he has grown to dislike over the past couple months. The transformation is now complete.
“You’ve brought unexpected guests.” This announcement is tinted with anger as his uncle concedes to the language change.
“Yes, Uncle. They are…friends.”
Nicolae’s uncle eyes each of them, sniffing the air. His beady eyes drill into Gabriel. Two guards, armed with heavy black guns, emerge from behind tall marble pillars on either side of the room. Gabriel’s heart is in the center of their targets. “You were not supposed to bring him here.”
That doesn’t sound good. He looks toward his friends and see the same thoughts mirrored on their faces—they made a big mistake coming here.
“He has come looking for Roseline, Uncle.” Nicolae steps forward. His voice drops so low Gabriel strains to hear him. “He is unaware of the prophecy.”
The sudden gleam in the imposing man’s gaze unsettles Gabriel as he is regarded with new interest. Nicolae’s uncle does not relax his tense stance as he speaks around Nicolae. “You know what she is?”
“I know what you think she is,” Gabriel corrects.
Nicolae stares at him in amazement. Never in a million years would he have spoken so boldly to his uncle, but then again Gabriel doesn’t know what his uncle is capable of.
The older man strokes his goatee, staring at Gabriel with a hint of admiration. “And yet you still come?”
“Yes, sir,” Gabriel nods. “I love her.”
Sadie bristles at the man’s boisterous laugh. “You can’t help who you fall in love with,” she retorts.
His laughter fades as he glances at Sadie for the first time. “Spunky,” he mutters, noting how his nephew stiffens. “I can see why you like her.”
Sadie blushes but does not look away. “You are right though, my dear. When it comes to vampires, your friend never stood a chance. He will love her until the day she sucks him dry.”
Gabriel isn’t sure if he said the words so bluntly to scare them or because he believes it to be true. Either way, it has quite an effect on everyone in the darkened entry room.
“I supposed I should introduce myself. My name is Sorin Funar. I welcome you to my home.”
Without a sound, the two guards vanish into the shadows and Sorin heads back down the hall without another word.
“Well, that was odd,” Sadie mutters under her breath.
“You have no idea,” Nicolae says as he moves to follow his uncle’s lead.
Forty-One
Gabriel is beginning to get a distinct feeling about this house. Everywhere they look, floor-to-ceiling velvet curtains block out the sun. The only sunlight they have seen since entering comes from glass windows lining the vaulted ceilings above. The cheery glow does little to ease the somber mood of Sorin’s study.
“How much do you know about your girlfriend?” Sorin asks, snickering on the last word as he sinks into a black leather armchair. A roaring fire casts an eerie halo around his head.
Towering bookcases, filled with ancient leather bound books, run the perimeter of the room. Medieval-style swords hang from the walls. One in particular is encased in glass. Light from above highlights a dried bloodstain on the tip of the sword.
Gabriel struggles to pull his attention away as Sorin clears his throat impatiently. “I’m sorry. I was just admiring your décor.” He returns to the conversation at hand. “The only thing I know about Rose, apart from what Nicolae has briefly told me, is from the times that I’ve spent with her at school.”
Sorin sits forward, his gaze is intense, face rigid. “And did you spend any time alone with her?”
Gabriel frowns. “Of course I did.”
“And yet you’re still alive,” Sorin mutters, stroking his goatee. “Interesting.”
“Not really,” he counters. “Not if she isn’t what you accuse her to be.”
Sorin’s booming laughter echoes into the recesses of the room. “You’re feisty, I’ll give you that.” He smiles. It is not a nice smile. It is dark and sinister and makes Gabriel’s skin crawl. “But you’re the biggest idiot that I’ve ever met.”
Gabriel’s jaw clamps down hard. His fingers wrap painfully around his kneecaps as he bites his tongue against the abuse he wants to sling back. However, he is painfully aware of all of the weaponry scattered around the room and knows he would be useless against this war-hardened man. Strength or not, Sorin Funar is obviously a skilled killer.
“Now that I’ve got your attention,” Sorin’s voice rumbles as he rises to his feet, “I’d like to show you a bit of our history to convince the halfwit about his precious Roseline.”
Sadie sits forward, aching to hear more, even if it does come from a creepy, old man. William looks sick as he slinks farther down into his chair while Nicolae remains rigid by the door.
“Have you ever heard of The Black Church?” he asks, pointing to a picture hanging over the fireplace. The stone building looks tarnished, as if by soot or dirt.
“Of course not,” Sadie rolls her eyes. “They don’t exactly teach Romanian history in our country.”
William hisses at her to be quiet but Sorin simply smiles. “Well, my dear, your friend Roseline was born in that church.”
Sadie glances at the picture again, confused. “In a church?”
Sorin returns to his seat. His fingers form a steeple before his eyes. “Not as a baby. As a seventeen-year-old girl.”
“You mean that’s where she was raised from the dead?” Gabriel snorts. Sorin’s indifferent shrug angers him. Why is he so focused on Roseline? It’s not as if he can prove she is the one that 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 was 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 gleam with a fervor that makes Gabriel’s skin prickle with alarm. This man is obsessed.
“So, then what happened?” Sadie asks, drawn into the story.
“Vladimir killed all of the wedding guests.” His voice is monotone, uninterested with the gruesome details. Of course he probably is. A tale like this has become legend in Romania, passed down from parent to child as a warning against speaking to strangers or breaking nighttime curfews.
Sadie scrunches up her nose. “How awful!”
Sorin’s grin shifts into a leer. “You haven’t heard the best part.” He motions to another picture, this one of a young girl with snowy skin and pale pink lips. Her blonde hair is 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 stares at the portrait, drawn in by the doe eyes that hold him captive. Although her coloring greatly differs from Roseline, she has the same warmth radiating out of her. There is no doubting her connection to the girl he loves.
“I’m sure you’re telling us this for a reason.” Gabriel’s heart thunders in his chest. “Just get on with it.”
Sorin nods, 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 snorts with disgust. Sorin’s bushy eyebrow 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 is the same girl? Rose could be a descendant,” Gabriel roars, his chest heaving with exertion. He is getting annoyed. All he wants to do is speak to Rose. She will clear this up.
Nicolae flinches, unsure of how his uncle will react to Gabriel’s blatant disregard. His rigid stance nearly falters completely when Sorin settles 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 flickers 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.”