Strigoi Redemption

by Hall, K R

  ~ ~ ~

  The stillness of the garden settled around Victor like a blanket of anxiety and filled him with doubt and worry as he held the amulet and reread the paper with the spell that the old woman had given him. As he began to read the spell, committing it to memory, an invisible hand grabbed him around the neck, tightening to choke off his airway. In the distance, he heard somebody calling him.

  “Victor, help me! I need you,” Alana shouted.

  Victor could hear the fear in her voice and feel her distress. Using his strigoi speed, Victor ran toward the house, he reached the door in only minutes to see his worst fears realized. A man was towering over Alana, choking her. As he got closer to the man, he recognized him as Halberd.

  Victor grabbed Halberd with ease and threw him across the room. Victor risked taking a glance at Alana to see that she was okay. She leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath and rubbing at her throat, trying to soothe the pain away.

  “Where the hell did you come from?” asked Halberd. “You were supposed to have been at work today.”

  “You do not need to know. Right now, your only concern should be ‘how is he planning to kill me’.”

  “Fool, I am stronger, to battle me is suicide. I did not come here to leave without her,” Halberd said.

  “I’m afraid that is where you are the fool. You will not be leaving here at all. I will kill you before I let you take my mate. Do not underestimate me, Halberd.”

  Halberd lunged at Victor, but he was quicker. Victor continued to dodge his advances and focused internally on stealing Halberd’s strength. With each passing fist, he wavered slightly more.

  Halberd stopped as suddenly as he had attacked. His eyes darted from Victor to Alana. With one swift move, he swung around Victor and snatched Alana. Victor turned to follow, but they had vanished. Victor quickly used his mind to search for Alana through their partial mate bond. No trace of Alana or Halberd could be detected anywhere.

  My God, what has happened? Where could he have taken her? How the hell did Halberd get in? Magnus said that nobody would be able to get through his wards.

  Victor ran outside and began frantically searching for them. He hoped to pick up a trace of their scent. Or catch the footprints where the grass would’ve been disturbed. He called in his family to help with the search. After searching through the rest of the night, he had no luck. He felt discouraged and exhausted. He had not the slightest idea of where to go from here.

  He met up with his family at the house to develop some sort of a plan. Going off half-cocked would not get her back or serve anyone any purpose. The house felt empty and lonely without Alana’s presence. The day weighed heavily on Victor. He felt like such a fool.

  Chapter 21

  Halberd rushed into the basement to find Alana lying on the floor. He ran to the bars and began calling her name. The sound of his voice brought her out of her dream. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

  “Why are you sleeping on the floor?” Halberd asked.

  “I collapsed here last night out of loneliness. Eventually, I fell asleep here. Please, help me up,” Alana said.

  Halberd opened the door and came into the cell. As he helped Alana up off the floor, she smiled at him.

  “Thank you. I’m klutzy sometimes.”

  He looked puzzled by her sincerity and she focused on him as he searched her face for any sign of lies.

  “You are very welcome. I am sorry that you are distressed. I do not wish for things to be this way between us.”

  With that, he turned and started out the door.

  “Thank you for your kindness,” Alana said.

  “I thought you would try to toy with me. I only must keep you. I do not need a friend. Do you expect me to believe your lies?”

  Alana shrank back from the anger in his voice.

  “I thought maybe I could join you for dinner,” Alana said, praying he would let her out of the cold basement.

  He led her out of the cell and walked up the stairs. Alana looked around to see if she could recognize where they were. Unfortunately, because Alana had never left Carver, she had no idea where they could be.

  “How many floors does this house have?” she asked.

  “You are observant, I see. The house has two floors and a basement. It’s a special place. It’s full of history— some pleasant and some full of strife. Nevertheless, I frequent here from time to time,” Halberd said.

  “So, are we still in Carver?” Alana asked.

  “No, we are not in Carver. Nor are we in the United States still. We are in Romania. I felt that it was a suitable location.”

  “Really? And why is it that you think this will be a suitable location?” Alana questioned.

  “Together, Chloe and I can change the way the future will be written. We can achieve something that no one else can. I have seen it in my dreams.”

  “I see,” began Alana. “Kidnapping me is not the best way to keep Victor away. I can’t see Chloe loving you. She loves no one except herself. She seems the type that uses people until she can no longer get anything from them.”

  “I find Chloe very attractive,” Halberd smiled. “You are too young and inexperienced in the physical expression of love. With experience will come the confidence to express feelings gently, passionately. Chloe knows that the most delicate of touches is enough to stir juices deep within. I can bring much ecstasy to her body, more than perhaps you could tolerate.

  “There is something so seductive in the paradox of a woman’s strength and vulnerability— for example, the very way you look at me now, with your lips slightly parted, as if beckoning me to spread them with my tongue and tenderly caress them. Your eyes now look at me with visions of romance and the excitement of wanting something so wrong for you. Your heartbeat is slightly faster. As your hungry eyes drink in my physique when my glance is distracted. There’s a sigh in your breath when your mind’s eye envisions us tangled in orgasmic experience.”

  Alana was appalled as she listened to what Halberd had said. He was powerful. Something in his eyes was very sexual, yet dangerous, and exciting. Alana was confused. Halberd must have bewitched her.

  “You should eat. Perhaps you’d like a warm bath, fresh clothes, and a nice bed in which to rest.”

  “Will that bed be one that I have to share with you?” Alana asked. She would do anything to save herself, but she drew the line at sleeping with Halberd. Knowing that she was in Romania and that Victor was still in the United States searching for her, with no clue that she wasn’t even in the country, Alana could only rely on herself.

  “I’m afraid that as I still do not trust you, you will be tied to the bed while I sleep,” Halberd said. “Besides, Chloe would kill me if I let you escape.”

  Alana took notice of every detail of Halberd. He dressed in all black, his shirt unbuttoned. His black hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail. His eyes were sickly green and piercing. His olive skin highlighted the unusual color of his eyes. Alana sat down at the table, the aroma of the food penetrating her senses. The plate was piled high with fresh fruit, cheese, bread, and a bottle of water sat to the side. She only wished that she could tell if the food was laced with poison.

  “You need nourishment, especially protein while you are pregnant. Please eat and don’t mind me if I just keep you company. It’s not exactly my idea of fine dining,” he said.

  “You’re mistaken, I am not pregnant,” Alana tried to bluff as she was not showing yet.

  “I can hear the heartbeat of your unborn child.”

  “If I am pregnant, you must let me go back to Victor. You can’t rob him of the experience of watching me grow with his child. He will not be able to feel the first kick. Would you even keep him from the joy of his child being born?”

  “Enough! Chloe will decide your and your unborn child’s fate.”

  She concentrated on her food and tried to think of a way to escape as Halberd droned on and on. The man really liked to hear him
self talk.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Who have you brought with you, Magnus?” Victor eagerly inquired. There was something primal and very predatory about these men. The need to protect his home and preserve his survival to save what was left of all that ever mattered meant everything to Victor.

  “These are my clan brothers, but names are unimportant at this crucial stage. We have decided that, with your permission, we want to try a divination technique that is unusual to identify anything through you. Your having been with Alana recently might help us locate her. We believe that by touching you, we might be able to pick up a trace of her essence.”

  “If you think this could help find Alana, I am absolutely a willing participant,” Victor said.

  Turning, they all three walked into the kitchen and washed their hands before they approached Victor. There was something about their eyes that bothered Victor. They had a look about them that led him to believe that something was not quite right. He simply could not shake the feeling.

  “Victor, we are going to perform a locator spell. Close your eyes and concentrate. If you see a sort of gravel road or dark pavement, that means it’s working. Say Alana’s name, get a full image of her in your head. If an image of Alana appears, it worked, if not, we can try something else,” Magnus explained.

  “Victor, let’s begin by having you close your eyes and try to imagine as much of Alana as you can. We will clear our minds and circle around you,” Magnus said.

  Victor positioned himself in the middle of the parlor and closed his eyes. He tried to paint a picture of Alana in his mind. Her beautiful, long, blonde hair and those sapphire eyes. Her full, pouty, kissable lips. Her dainty hands and feet, as well as her luscious curves. He could sense the three men walking around him in a circle. Three times each way. Each took their position and put a hand on his shoulders with Magnus’ hand on his forehead.

  Magnus began to chant, “Oh, spirits, come! We seek to find Alana. Aid our endeavor. Show us the way. Come now— help us!”

  Victor felt their hands release from his body. He opened his eyes and could tell by their faces that nothing helpful had come through.

  “Thank you all for trying,” Victor said. “What else can we try?”

  “There is a dusting spell that we can do. We need a picture of you two together, two paperclips, glue, a red ribbon, and a red flannel cloth bag,” said one of Magnus’s companions.

  Victor gathered a photo of them and the needed items.

  “Fold the photo in half so that you are face to face. Glue the photo together, paperclip the edges, and tie it up with the ribbon— making three knots— stating your intentions loud and clear to the universe as you go,” the man said.

  Victor followed the instructions carefully.

  “Drop the photo into the bag. The bag needs to be burned and the ashes scattered to the wind— ensuring open communication through the element of air. If it works, you should see results instantly,” the man concluded.

  Victor started a fire. As the fire grew, Victor dropped the bag into the flames. As soon as they were nothing but ashes, Victor used the fireplace brush and dustpan to scoop out the ashes. He carried them out to the garden and tossed them in the air to let them float on the breeze.

  After five minutes, Victor went back inside.

  “Now what?” Victor grumbled losing hope.

  “We can also create a summoning powder and sprinkle it on a piece of clothing that belongs to Alana,” said the other companion.

  As Magnus got the ingredients together and began crushing them, Victor went upstairs and retrieved Alana’s favorite blouse. Magnus had just finished the grinding as Victor returned. He laid the blouse on the carpet in front of the fireplace.

  “You must be the one to sprinkle this onto her blouse,” Magnus said, handing him the powder.

  “Nothing seems to be working,” Victor grumbled.

  “If any these would have worked, it would have happened by now,” Magnus said.

  Victor sat on one of the chairs in the parlor as Magnus’ companions disappeared in the blink of an eye. “I don’t know what to do, Victor. I’ve exhausted every avenue that I know,” Magnus said.

  Victor felt terrible. He felt his strength draining from him and it was more than he could bear.

  “This is my fault entirely. I cannot even begin to conceive of a way to fix this all now,” Victor said, apologizing.

  “We will find a way. We will,” Magnus said. “It’s just a matter of finding the right spell. There is no reason we cannot find her unless she is dead.”

  Dead? He stood there, looking at Magnus as if the world was about to end. He felt vulnerable.

  “Wait! I just thought of something we have not tried yet,” Magnus said. “We could add blood from a blood relative to the powder and sprinkle it on Alana’s clothing.”

  Without wasting any more time, Magnus and Victor dashed to the car and sped to Alana’s family’s home. As they drove, Magnus mentioned that the best blood would either be from Alana’s mother or father. The blood from her siblings would not be as strong. There was no time to lose.

  Once in the car, Magnus explained to Victor about the research he had done in the archives in his magical realm.

  “Victor, there is an old prophecy leaves clear indications and specifications that a strigoi will mate a human woman and have the most magical of babies. The baby will have violet eyes and hair so black, even the darkness of night with no moon or stars will pale in comparison. She will be blessed with the blood of all nations, including those within magical realms. Her power will become so strong that nothing will be impossible for her. The line must not be broken so that true peace in the supernatural and shifter worlds can be achieved. This means the end of wars as she will be the queen of all.”

  Victor sat there stunned, it was the same prophecy that the old fortuneteller told him. He was studying Magnus, trying to understand that all was said to him. He and Alana were to be the parents of the future queen of paranormal and shifter kind throughout the world. It was impossible to believe.

  “Never doubt the spirits. They all work through your guides,” Magnus said. “Certain forces are now in motion and nobody can do anything to change what’s going to happen. Watch your back.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Victor and Magnus arrived at Walter and Edith’s home and were shown in quickly. Magnus explained that Alana had been taken by a demon and that, so far, everything they had tried to locate her failed.

  “We need a small amount of your blood to mix with the powder we have at home. We will sprinkle it on her clothing. If we are lucky, we will be able to find her,” Victor explained.

  “We will do what’s needed,” Walter said.

  “To make the mixture stronger, I will take a small amount of blood from both of you,” Magnus said as he pulled two syringes out of his small bag.

  “Is the rumor true? Is she pregnant?” Edith asked.

  “Yes, she is pregnant, a girl,” Victor said. “He will not kill her, not yet. We must begin planning. I’m sure he wants the child. If Halberd gets his hand on the child, may the goddess help us all!”

  Magnus finished drawing the blood and carefully placed them in his bag. Victor hugged Alana’s parents. They were out the door and driving back to Victor’s home. The ritual had to be done at the last place Alana had been.

  They quickly made their way to Alana’s room. Victor grabbed her nightgown as her scent was strongest on it. Magnus said the spell and sprinkled the blood. They waited.

  “How long is this supposed to take?” Victor asked.

  “It should have been almost instantly,” Magnus said. “I need to consult with Lord Sunat Kumara.”

  He quickly called Sunat.

  ~ ~ ~

  Victor’s brothers arrived to offer their help while Magnus made his supernatural call. Magnus joined them in the living room when he finished his call.

  “Sunat’s powers are stronger than mine. He was able to locate Alana in
an old abandoned house near Bran Castle in the village of Bran, Romania. He has her in the basement,” Magnus said.

  “If she’s in Romania, a rescue should be easy. Why would he make it so easy for us?” Dorin asked.

  “Nothing is ever easy,” replied Magnus. “Dorin raises a good question, though. Why would he take her to Romania?” Victor asked.

  “I am unsure of why he chose that location,” said Magnus said.

  “We will not be able just to arrive and casually walk up to the front door and take Alana,” said Ladinas.

  “What do you suggest, Magnus?” Victor asked.

  “We need to learn more about the place, stake out the building, and learn of any routines and the placement of rooms. We need to arm ourselves with much knowledge before we attempt to rescue Alana,” Magnus said.

  “Do you believe she is still okay? I feel responsible for this whole fiasco,” Victor said sadly.

  “Now, here’s what I propose. Grigore, Ladinas, and Simion, you will travel to Bran and spy on them to gather any information, regardless of how useful you believe it to be at the time. Dorin, Cristofor, and Garridan, you will need to do some research on how to undo demonic spells. We will do a video conference in two days to go over everything that has been learned,” Magnus said.

  “It’s too dangerous. I need to go to Bran with my brothers,” Victor said.

  “Victor, you and I cannot go to Romania. Either you are I would alert him to our presence through a tremor in his power. He has probably cast a spell that would alert him if we came near the abandoned home. As he has not seen your brothers, he most likely will not have created a spell to alert him. You can help me research the lore and ways of magical defense against black magic and demons,” Magnus said.

  “Be careful, Grigore, Ladinas, and Simion. We need you to come back in one piece,” Victor said.

  “We will do all we are able. We are all family,” Grigore said. The men gave brief hugs to each other and left to make their travel plans.