“You did what? That is a breach of a woman’s boundaries, vampire!” Dana was incensed.
“Mark. My name is Mark, or rather, Marku Andrei Angehelscu.”
“I don’t care!” she said.
“Wait.” Adina stopped her granddaughter. “You said you have the psychic link with her?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. She called out to me. She’s at Petrescu’s home. He has her tied up in his basement. Apparently, he’s in a confessing mood, thinks I’m about to die as soon as the sun comes up. I’m sure that was his plan.”
“We may still let it happen. Don’t get too comfortable,” Cosmin added.
“So what has he confessed?” Adina spoke.
Mark looked up at her, weariness as old as time on his face, and rage in his eyes. “He is the reason I am a vampire. When he killed Mihaela, he made a bargain with some old gypsy witch named Magdalena to give him long life and ensure he would find her again. He also cursed me to this living hell.”
Adina gasped. “Did you say Magdalena?”
“Yes, that’s what Meghan said. I met her once, on that first night as I was transforming. I tried to kill her. She very nearly killed me.” He half-smiled without a hint of humor.
Adina grabbed Dana’s hand. “The ring. She gave him the ring!”
“The one you mentioned earlier?” Dana grasped her pendant.
“Yes.” The old woman stepped closer to Mark, mere inches from the cage. “What does it look like?”
“I haven’t seen it. I don’t know.”
“Ask her now. Ask Meghan.” She waited.
Mark closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few minutes, he opened them again. “She said it’s gold and has a ruby inset, that it’s a woman’s ring. She also confirmed what you said about the witch giving it to him.”
Adina closed the gap between herself and the wagon. She reached up and wrapped her thin, bony fingers around the cage.
Mark watched her, unmoving, with the eyes of a predator waiting to strike.
“How would you like to be human again, Strigoi?” she whispered softly.
Her words struck him dumb. His attention shifted as shock filled him. “What are you saying, old woman?”
“I am saying that the ring is the key. It was cursed. Any longevity Magdalena gave to Petrescu, any curse upon yourself, all of it is connected. The ring was her power, and when she gave it up, it became his. Anything he did with it after the transfer of the ring, any act of violence or attempt to curse you came from him. If he thinks Magdalena created the curse, it was a ruse, one to serve her own purpose.”
“Meghan said the old witch wanted to die so she absorbed Petrescu’s soul.”
“Yes, but she could not die by her own hands. It needed to be by his and his alone. Otherwise, she still lives. Did he kill her?”
“She was still alive when I went into the camp that night. Petrescu was gone. I don’t know.”
“Humph. If the pact was not complete, then Magdalena still lives, and it can be undone. The ring must be destroyed. Doing so will reverse all. Petrescu’s soul will be returned. You will be healed of your vampirism. You can be human again…if you wish it.”
Mark felt something move in his chest. It had been so long since he’d felt his own heart beat that the emotion simulating the effect startled him. Human? Is this possible? Joy filled him. The idea that he could once again walk in daylight as a man, at Meghan’s side, thrilled him. All he needed to do was get the ring, but for that to happen, they needed to get him out of this cage.
“And what if the pact was completed and we still destroy the ring? What then?” He asked.
Adina shrugged. “Then nothing,…for you. But it will be death for Petrescu.”
That’s good enough for me, he thought. “You will have to let me out. The sun will be up soon, and I cannot function in daylight. I can help, but only by tonight. You need to lure Petrescu out of the house, rescue Meghan. I will do the rest.”
Adina stared at him as did they all. Distrust was written all over their faces.
“You can trust me. I won’t hurt you. Don’t you know what you’ve just offered me? My life back! Even if that were not the case, rescuing Meghan is the priority. I cannot live with myself if something happens to her again. Please!”
Sorin nudged his sister. “Does he tell the truth?”
Dana held the pendant, standing quietly. She waited for a signal, some kind of sign, but all she received was a steady energy. The quartz stone was calm. The vampire’s words had not set off any alarms. “He does.” She looked at Cosmin and Stefan. “Release him.”
Stefan took a step back, fear on his face. Cosmin glared at Mark.
“I will not harm you. You have my word as a gentleman.”
“Know if you do, I will shoot you. And if that doesn’t work, she,” he pointed at Dana, “now has the power to destroy you. You understand?”
Mark sighed. “Yes, I understand.” He moved to the back of the cage to allow them to feel safer while Cosmin stepped forward with a key. Stefan kept his eyes on him the entire time as he pulled the door open standing behind it. They all looked like they were setting a wild animal free, one that might run off, or might turn on them at any moment.
Mark crawled out, careful to avoid the bars. When he cleared the cage, he hopped down off the wagon. Everyone around him jumped back. He tried not to chuckle. “I’ll need my horse. Please bring Dracula to me.”
“You named your horse Dracula?” Sorin asked, laughing in astonishment.
“Yes, I know. It’s ironic.” Mark smirked.
Stefan went to the back and led the black stallion out of the corral. “The saddle is there.” He pointed to the far wall where it hung over a saw horse.
Mark went to pick it up, and quickly hooked the saddle and reigns. He’d never done so with an audience before, but they stayed, watching his every move. When he was finished, he swung himself up onto the beast’s back. Dracula snorted and stamped his hooves, ready to run.
“No funny business, vampire. Remember, if you wish to be human again, you will show up as soon as night falls. We will be ready.” Adina dressed him down without fear. Mark smiled feeling more human already as memories of similar admonishments from his old nanny bubbled up. He liked this old witch…even if she didn’t trust him, and would as soon kill him.
“I won’t let you down, dear lady. You’ve given me a precious gift, something I haven’t known for centuries. Hope. Oh, and please get used to calling me Mark. Vampire is so derogatory.” Before he left, he rattled off Petrescu’s address, and he relayed what he knew of the lay of the man’s house to Cosmin and Sorin. Then, creature of the night and impatient beast rode off. The sky was already growing lighter, but they flew like the wind. Mark grinned. This might be the very last time he fell away dead to the world as soon as the sun came up. His joy was immense, but he knew it all hinged on the gypsies rescuing Meghan and hopefully capturing Petrescu. Even if they didn’t get him and all they had was Meghan, the gypsy dog would come for her, and Mark knew he would kill the man with great pleasure. It would be over soon either way.
“Fly, Dracula, fly!” he whipped the stallion’s haunches.
###
Meghan was in hell. Petrescu had returned with a glass of water, and had stayed. Worse, she had to endure the unmitigated humiliation of him walking her up the stairs to the bathroom while she was still tied. He held the end of the rope like a leash, and would not even allow her any privacy. He both undressed and redressed her after she relieved her bladder. Then it was a march back down the stairs where he secured her to the cot once again.
“I will need to leave you for a few hours, just to prepare for our wedding, my love.” He’d come back from the kitchen with toast and some juice that he tried to feed her. Meghan was having none of it.
“I am not marrying you, Petre. I don’t love you.” She said it for what felt like the millionth time, and as with each time before, her words fell
on deaf ears.
“But of course you will. We are meant to be.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ve waited so long for this,” he whispered. “Behave while I am gone, Mihaela. Remember you cannot get out of here. Even if by some miracle you escaped these knots, the basement will be locked. Just rest up. Tonight is our honeymoon and I expect you to participate fully.” He stood and left her there, mouth agape.
It was very quiet once she was alone. Meghan tried to reach Mark in her head, but he wasn’t answering. She wondered if perhaps Dana’s family had killed him after all. If that was the case, she would be next because there was no way she was going to let Petrescu touch her anymore. He’d already violated her being enough. If the worst case presented itself, she’d go down fighting, even die, before going along with his sick plans.
She felt tired. Bone tired. The exhaustion of the past several hours, the uncertainty, the fear, all took its toll. A tear slipped past her lid and trickled down her cheek. She knew she should be trying to find a way out of her bindings, but her mind felt numb. All she wanted to do was close her eyes. She gave in.
A bang and a click warned her he was back. Meghan’s body went tense. She felt like she’d only just closed her eyes. Had she slept that long? She turned her head, straining to look up at the stairway. Footsteps came down slowly. A figure began to enter her field of vision, tall, strong, and handsome.
“Sorin?” Her voice squeaked.
“Meghan!” He ran to her, a shotgun in his hands as he sighted right and left.
“He’s not here. He left, but he’ll be back shortly.” She struggled to sit up.
“Here, let me…” Sorin pulled a hunting knife from his boot and cut through the ropes.
Meghan could finally move her arms. She threw them around Sorin and began to cry.
“Sssh, now. Don’t cry. We’re here. We’re all here.” He held her tight even as he helped lift her to her feet. “We have to get out of here.”
Cosmin, Stefan, and Dana all came down the stairs. “Did you find her?”
Meghan caught sight of her friend and ran to her. Dana wrapped her arms around her and at Cosmin’s urging, they headed up the stairs. Adina was at the top waiting.
“Come, child. We must get you to safety.” She grabbed Meghan’s hand and pulled her along. They left the house out the side door and ran down to the sidewalk where Stefan’s hippie van waited. Ilana was at the wheel.
Meghan climbed in and the tears fell. They’d come for her, all of them…except for Mark.
“Dana, what happened to Mark?”
Dana still had not let go of her hand. “Don’t worry, my friend. He is safe. He will be at the house tonight. Petrescu will come for you.” Her face grew serious. “This is not over.”
“I know, but where is he? Why can’t I reach him?”
“He is vampire, Meghan.” She pointed out the window. “It is daylight. He is dead to the world until the sun goes down.”
Meghan stopped. She hadn’t even thought of that. It still seemed unreal that all of the folklore she’d ever heard about vampires seemed to be true. It was then she noticed her friend. Reaching out, she picked up the white lock of hair spilling down Dana’s shoulder.
“What happened?”
Adina looked across at the girls. “She has come into her power. Meet the new shaman for the Veleru clan.” The old woman smiled with pride and patted her granddaughter on the shoulder.
“I seem to have missed a great deal.” Meghan was in awe. When she and Dana had gone to bed the night before, she was a sweet, rather naïve mathematics teacher. Now, her whole demeanor had changed. There was a maturity and wisdom to her that had not quite been present earlier.
“Much has happened, it is true. We will tell you everything once we get back to the house. For now, you look exhausted.” Dana put her arm around her friend. “Rest, Meghan. You will need all of your strength to finish this.”
Meghan wanted to argue, to ask more questions, but her eyes felt heavy. She felt safe for the moment. Funny, she thought. Hadn’t Petrescu basically said the same thing only a little while ago? “Okay, but you have to fill me in. And I have a lot to tell you too.”
“We know.” Dana patted her friend’s head.
The motion of the van on the bumpy roads, and the secure feeling of being surrounded by people who’d just risked their lives to rescue her caused Meghan to feel warm inside. The drowsiness set in, adding weight to her eyelids. They closed, and the ride back was peaceful. That ended all too soon.
“Meghan, wake up!” Dana shook her friend’s shoulder roughly.
“Wha…?” Meghan cracked her lids open and then immediately lifted her hand to shield her face from the mid-morning sun. It burned, and it felt like someone had thrown sand into her eyes. The van wasn’t moving. “What is it? Why are we stopped?”
She sat up, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. Ilana was as still as a statue behind the wheel. The motor still hummed, but they were not moving. Stefan sat next to her with his mouth hanging open. In front of her, Cosmin stared straight ahead muttering to himself and making the sign of the cross. Sorin was already sliding the side door open and stepping out with his shotgun raised. Dana edged closer to Meghan, but it was Adina’s face that caught her attention. The old woman looked stunned. She was staring straight ahead at the road. Meghan followed her line of sight and there, standing in front of the van was a very old woman. She was hunched at the shoulders with long, flowing white hair. Her stature was small, but the hand she held out in front of her glowed with a bright, red light.
“What the hell is that?”
“I don’t know, my friend.” Dana gripped her hand.
“She just stepped out in front of us, and then…the van stopped.” Cosmin whispered, his voice hushed and sounding spooked.
“It is her.” Adina’s voice shook.
“Who her?” Meghan asked.
“Magdalena,” she croaked, her voice hoarse.
“What? The Magdalena? As in, the witch Petrescu bargained with?” Meghan sat forward, staring. She turned suddenly to Dana. “He told me he made a deal with her to bring Mihaela back, but when she couldn’t, the bargain was re-struck with him being granted some boon of meeting back up with her again, er…with me. Anyhow, she gave him a ring that supposedly holds the power of immortality, and in return, he gave up his soul. I can’t believe I’m saying this. It sounds ridiculous, I know.”
“Yes, yes. We already know this. Your vampire shared the story.” Dana turned to her grandmother. “What does she want? Why is she here now? How is she even here now?”
Adina looked past Dana to Meghan. “She is here for you.”
“Me? I don’t even know her!” This was so far beyond sane that Meghan just couldn’t comprehend it anymore, and she was sick of it.
“It does not matter that you don’t know her and do not fully believe.” She turned her focus to Dana. “Remember, child, when I said that the deal between them was never completed? He failed. Petrescu failed, and now,” she looked back out at the road, “she is here to make sure the deal is done. She will use Meghan to get what she wants.”
“And what the hell does she want?” Meghan had lost all patience.
“Death!” The reply came from the old woman on the road.
Everyone gasped.
“Dear sweet Virgin, she can hear us!” Stefan, who’d sat frozen, squeaked.
“Send her out!” She pointed a gnarled finger at Meghan.
“We can’t just let her go, grandmother. We can fight!” Dana clutched her stone. It was glowing red.
“Do not try it, shaman. I am more powerful than you and your elder put together, and I have no desire this day to kill my descendants.” Her voice was strong despite her obvious age.
Meghan looked around at each of them. In a very short time, she’d grown fond of these people, and in that same amount of time, she’d put them in danger. It was time to face this on her own. It seemed no one could help her but her
self. Somehow, this whole situation was tied into her personal destiny. Only the original players could finish it.
“Move aside.” She began climbing over Dana.
“Meghan, no!” Dana tried to hold onto her hand, but she shook it off gently.
“It’s going to be okay, Dana. I don’t think she wants to kill me.”
“No, she does not, but Petrescu does.” Adina answered.
Meghan got passed Dana and stepped over Adina, stopping to give her a quick, tight hug. “Thank you for trying to help me. It means everything to me that you accepted me into your family.”
The serious look in Adina’s eyes melted away to sorrow and compassion. “I only wish I could have done more, child.” She suddenly wrapped her arms around Meghan and whispered in her ear, “Your vampire can be saved. He can be human again, all can be reversed, but only if the ring is destroyed. Do not let her complete the pact if you can stop it.”
Meghan pulled back and stared, her eyes wide with shock.
“I do not have all day!” The ancient woman barked.
Sorin helped Meghan out and onto the road. He’d been nothing but kind and brave. She reached up and pushed his dark hair out of his eyes. “Thank you, Sorin. Keep them safe.” She kissed his cheek, and then with one last wave at Stefan, Ilana, and Cosmin, she walked forward to Magdalena.
A wrinkled hand snatched at her own, and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared from sight leaving behind the passengers in the VW van rolling forward once again, stunned by what they’d just witnessed.
Chapter Thirteen
THE CURTAINS OPENED, but Mark was already bounding out of bed. Night had fallen and he was eager to discover if the gypsies had been successful. He reached out in his mind to Meghan.
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