I kept my eyes tightly shut, listening intently for the whisper I’d heard when I first awoke. After several long moments, I heard it. It was faint at first, and gradually became clear.
The world will be ours, my children. Make your own progeny. Feast and multiply.
The words repeated themselves like a litany, and I had to set aside the revulsion that flared in my chest at the sound of his voice in my mind, at the horror of his words. Instead, I allowed his words to flow through me. And I spoke back.
I am the last Ghyslaine. One of the last members of the Order of the Dragon. I want to join you. I pledge my fealty to you.
I repeated the words over and over again, until I felt a strange pull, as if I was being beckoned. There was a presence in my mind; I felt it as clearly as if Vlad were seated next to me in the carriage.
I had his attention. He was listening to me.
It is I, Wilhelmina Ghyslaine. I have failed in my attempt against you. I have become vampire like my husband. I no longer belong in the human world. They are not worthy of my loyalty. I will wait for you at the Carfax estate in Purfleet. I can help you destroy the Order; I know where they hide.
I felt a sudden hatred, a surge of maleficence that clung to my mind. I did not know if it came from me, or Vlad, but I held firm to my words, repeating them in my mind.
My parents betrayed me. Humans were cruel to me. I never should have fought you. Let me help you destroy the Order. Let me help you win.
I thought of my mother. She could have left the fight against Vlad to the other members of the Order. She did not have to abandon me. My father could have told me what he was doing in Transylvania. They had chosen to put their pursuits above their daughter, whom they supposedly loved. They had left me, alone and isolated, to shoulder the burden of a dark legacy. Hot rage took hold of me as I continued speaking to him in my mind.
My parents were never worthy of my love. They left me alone. They abandoned me. Let me join you, Master.
“Mina!” Abe cried.
My eyes flew open. I had fallen to the floor of the compartment, and I was lying on my back. Abe was crouched behind me, and he helped me to my feet, his brow furrowed with concern. Anara stood right outside the compartment, her eyes wide with uncertainty.
“Why did you wake me?” I demanded, extricating myself from Abe’s grip. “I was speaking to Vlad. He was listening to me!”
“Your eyes went completely black, and you lost consciousness,” Anara said. “I called Abraham for help.”
“I–I’m quite all right,” I stammered, though I was alarmed at her description of my state. “Put me back under hypnosis. I need to keep talking to him.”
“No,” Anara and Abe said at once.
“You need to rest and eat,” Abe said, silencing me before I could protest.
“Then we need to practice separating your dark thoughts from your rational ones,” Anara added. “Especially when you are so close to becoming vampire.”
I reluctantly fell silent, surprised by the flare of rage I felt at their words. The darkness was still there, and it was strangely intoxicating. It was difficult to resist its pull, and I had to take several deep breaths to calm myself.
We headed to the dining carriage, where the others were already seated. Both Jonathan and Gabriel rose from their seats when I entered, worriedly searching my face. I gave them a small smile to indicate that I was all right, though I still felt unsettled.
We took the table opposite them, and Jonathan confirmed that he had been able to connect with Ilona. He had also lost consciousness, and it had been very difficult for him to return to himself again. But he had vaguely been able to make out where she was—a large home in London with an interior he recognized.
“I handled the sale last year. It is located in Mayfair and currently vacant. It is one of the houses I told them about during my capture. There were many of those creatures gathered, including Vlad.”
“Bloody hell,” Seward whispered, closing his eyes. “So they are in London.”
After I recounted my own experience of connecting with Vlad in my mind, Szabina frowned.
“This worries me,” she murmured. “We cannot risk you both losing hold of your sanity and actually joining Vlad—or revealing your deception.”
“I will never forget that they are responsible for the deaths of my parents and many other innocents,” I said hotly, offended by the suggestion. “I’ll do whatever training is necessary to ensure that I don’t lose myself; but we must keep connecting with them. This proves that my plan is working. They’re listening to us, and now we know for certain that they’re in London. We must continue to lure them to us in Purfleet.”
“Vlad and Ilona are powerful,” Gabriel said, addressing Szabina and Anara. “Are we certain that Mina and Jonathan can kill them on their own?”
“They won’t be alone,” Abe interjected. “The rest of us will hide on the grounds of the estate, ready to strike when necessary.”
“There is no certainty that we will get to them in time,” Szabina added. “Anara and I will do our best to ensure that Mina and Jonathan know exactly what to do when the time comes.”
“We’ll be ready,” I said. I looked forward to killing them both; I could feel my kukri knives rub eagerly against the skin beneath my sleeves. Jonathan did not share my confident look. His eyes were shadowed with trepidation, but he gave the others an affirmative nod.
Szabina and Anara led us to the empty smoking saloon, where we had slightly more space to move, and briefly trained us on the best way to dispatch Vlad and Ilona. While I was familiar with much of what they told us because of the training I had undergone prior to the fortress attack, I could see that Jonathan looked overwhelmed by all the information.
“You can do this,” I assured him. “Just remember all that those monsters have put you through.”
“I am unable to forget,” Jonathan replied darkly.
We were separated to connect with Vlad and Ilona once more. Anara cautioned me to hold on to my true intentions beneath the rage. When she again put me under hypnosis, I embraced the familiar sound of Vlad’s whisper in my mind.
But this time, his whispers were personal. He was speaking directly to me. Mina, his voice whispered. Mina.
It is I, Mina. Let me join you, I responded, pushing away my trepidation at hearing the monster use my name. I will wait for you at the Carfax estate in Purfleet, and I will help you.
As I silently spoke to him, I began to think of my mind as two separate entities. The dark and the light. Vampire and human. I held back my true thoughts as I whispered the lies.
Come to me so that I can kill you, you monster, my true thoughts raged. Come to me so that I can rip out your heart with my blade.
“When I first saw you,” Jonathan said reflectively. “You were sitting off to the side of the ballroom. You were wearing all black, which was quite scandalous to the women who sat near me. They thought it inappropriate to attend a ball when in mourning. You looked unhappy, but there was still something about you that drew me in.”
Jonathan and I were now seated on our beds in our compartment. After completing our training with Anara and Szabina, we had taken a brief meal in the dining carriage with the others. Unlike the day before, when fatigue had weighed me down, I now felt a pulsating energy, and I had no desire to rest. I only agreed to try at the urging of Jonathan and the others.
“I think I loved you before I even said a word to you,” Jonathan continued now. “But I was such a fool, Mina.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. With my newly heightened awareness, I could sense the conflicting emotions emanating from him—love, worry, confusion, resolve.
“To think that life as a member of London society would ever satisfy you, even if it were with me. Now that I have seen what you are capable of, I cannot see you happily living that life. I know this has been a perilous journey, and you have experienced much despair, but I have never seen such passion in you as I have
during this journey. It is as if you’ve come to life.”
“You think I want this?” I asked, incredulous, getting to my feet. “Vampires in our midst, on the verge of destroying everything? A possible war that—”
“No,” Jonathan said, fervently shaking his head as he also clamored to his feet. “Of course not. But you are a scientist and an adventurer. It is who you are, Mina. I see that now. Once this is over—Vlad and Ilona dead, the threat of vampires gone—do you see yourself happily living in London as if none of this ever happened?”
“Yes!” I cried. The dark rage that I had kept at bay seized me once more. “It is all I have wished for—to have things back to the way they were before your abduction!”
“Being the mother to our children? Hosting charity balls? Afternoon tea with my mother and other society wives?” Jonathan pressed, ignoring my outburst. “Think of it, Mina. That would be your life.”
“I have already thought of it,” I protested, though my voice wavered, and a familiar dread stirred in my stomach at the picture Jonathan painted of my future in London. “I agreed to marry you, did I not? I am married to you. Your life will be my life. As long as you are in it, I will be happy. This is the last thing we should be focused on when we are so close to confronting Vlad and Ilona. We need to be focused on the task that lies before us—not if I will hate having tea with your mother in the future.”
Jonathan’s conflicted expression remained as his eyes swept over my face. Unlike the day before, or in Transylvania, there was no coldness, anger or jealousy in his eyes—only an acceptance that made me nervous. He leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on my lips.
“You are right. We should rest,” he said quietly.
He turned from me, removing his coat and dropping it on the side table. I knew the matter was not settled, and my burgeoning rage swelled. Had I not risked my life to rescue him? Had I not married him?
My hands shot out to grip his arms, forcing him around to face me.
“How can you doubt me—us—after all that I have done for you? After we have been wed? Do you not know what I’ve gone through, all in the name of rescuing you?” I shouted, furious.
“Mina,” Jonathan’s voice was panicked. “Please. Come back to yourself.”
The genuine fear in his voice pierced my veil of fury. I released him at once, stumbling back. Jonathan looked down at his arms, rolling up his sleeves. There were red marks on his skin from where I had grabbed him. Shaking, I pressed my hand to my mouth.
“Oh, Jonathan. I–I am so sorry,” I breathed.
“That was not you. The whites of your eyes went completely black. This frightens me. I worry for you.”
“I’m all right,” I protested, more loudly than I intended, and Jonathan tensed. I took a breath to calm myself before speaking again. “I’ll contain my rage. This is almost over. We are so very close, Jonathan.”
Jonathan was silent for a long moment before giving me a grudging nod of agreement. When we lay down next to each other on one of the narrow beds to sleep, he pulled me in close to the warmth of his body. Despite our physical closeness, I could still sense a distance from him, though there was also the unmistakable sense of desire—a desire which he did not act upon—and his slow even breaths told me that he had fallen asleep.
But my increased awareness and renewed energy kept me awake, along with the lingering rage that flowed throughout my body. Soon, I could hear Vlad’s distant whisper in my mind, and I welcomed it.
Mina, he whispered. Mina.
I am here, Master. Let me join you. Let me help you destroy the Order, I replied, all the while my true thoughts swirled beneath the surface, like a raging inferno.
Let me kill you, monster.
14
Purfleet
The cliffs of Dover dominated the shore in the near distance, like a massive hand beckoning us home. Jonathan and I stood side by side on the deck of the ferry as it crossed the Channel from France towards Dover. We were finally arriving back in England, but I felt no sense of relief. I knew that Vlad and his followers were here, like creatures who had slithered out of a nightmare and into reality. The day was appropriately ominous—gray and cloudy, storm clouds hovering above, keeping quiet watch over us as we neared the English shore.
Though I was filled with dread over the looming confrontation with Vlad and Ilona, I knew that it was inevitable. It was the only way to stop Jonathan’s complete transformation into vampire, and to save the human world. There was no time for doubt or hesitation.
I turned to glance behind me, where the others from our group stood amongst the crowd on the deck. Abe’s gaze had been centered on me, but he averted his eyes. The others were somberly watching the approaching coast, their faces taut with anxiety.
During the final stretch of our journey, a heavy silence had fallen over our group. Unlike the attack at the fortress, there was a sense of finality to this confrontation. At the fortress, the lives of Jonathan and the other human prisoners had been at stake. Now it was the fate of the human world. I recalled Vlad’s words in my mind with a chill. Feast and multiply. If we failed today . . .
“Mina,” Jonathan said, pulling me from my dark thoughts as he turned me to face him. “I love you, so very much. After our discussion last night, I do not want you to doubt that. Especially with what we are about to face.”
“I know,” I said. His words from last night still stung, but there was no time to dwell on them now, and I gave him a forced smile.
When the ferry disembarked at Dover, we made our way to the train station. To avoid suspicion, and in case we were being watched when we arrived in Purfleet, Jonathan and I would travel separately to Purfleet by train, while the rest of our group would take the next train that departed fifteen minutes later. During a brief stop in Paris before we transferred trains, Jonathan had sent a wire to Vlad in Mayfair, providing him with the exact address of the Carfax estate in Purfleet. While I had no doubt that Vlad had heard my telepathic words, we wanted to make absolutely certain that he knew where to find us.
On the platform, we murmured our goodbyes to our vampire allies, and Anara and Szabina approached us, inspecting the weapons we were bringing with us. I had my kukri knives, and we both had wooden stakes doused with wolfsbane tucked securely into our clothes.
“You remember exactly what to do?” Szabina asked anxiously. At our nods, she continued, “We will hide on the outskirts of the estate. As soon as we can, we will join you.”
She gave us both a warm embrace. Anara stepped forward, taking both my hands in hers. I studied her warily. I knew Anara was not one for sentiment, and her words were characteristically blunt.
“When the time comes, do not miss, Mina. You miss, you die.”
“Anara,” Szabina and Gabriel protested, scowling at her.
“Such comforting words,” Seward added dryly, as he moved towards us.
“I will not miss,” I assured her, and she released my hands, though her eyes were still infused with anxiety.
“It’s been a journey, hasn’t it?” Seward asked when Anara stepped back, his countenance now serious. “I’m sorry for doubting you before.”
“There is no need for apologies. You have been a great ally. I hope this is not goodbye, no matter what the outcome. I would like for us to remain dear friends.”
Seward looked pleased at my request, and nodded his agreement. I stepped forward to give him an impulsive embrace.
“Kill those bloody monsters,” he whispered, before pulling away.
It was Gabriel’s turn to step forward. His eyes were stormy, his body tense.
“Gabriel,” I said, before he could speak. “Please do not try to dissuade me. It is not—”
“I–I wasn’t,” he stammered, looking genuinely surprised. “Believe me, I will never try to dissuade you again. I just . . . I wanted to say that our mother would be so very proud.”
I flushed, feeling guilty for my assumption.
“She would be prou
d of us both,” I whispered, before embracing him.
Abe was now the only one left. He hovered nervously behind the others, staring at some point past my shoulder. Instinctively, I glanced at Jonathan, and he gave me a reassuring nod.
I approached Abe, moving into his arms without a word. His arms encircled me, and I reeled from the emotions that emanated from him. There was overwhelming anxiety, tension . . . and love. The sense of his love was as potent as the sweetest smell, and tears sprang to my eyes. We just held each other for a moment, quietly reveling in the emotions that we both felt but did not speak aloud, even now. When we finally broke apart, Abe met my eyes.
“Mina,” he began. It seemed as if there was much he wanted to say, but he murmured just two words. “Stay alive.”
The same words I had whispered to him after the train derailment, but now they seemed to mean so much more, seemed to carry so much weight.
“You too,” I whispered.
Abe’s eyes shifted away from mine, shadowing briefly as they focused on something behind me.
“You should leave. Your husband is waiting.”
I turned. Jonathan was standing with the others, pointedly not looking at either of us. I gave Abe one last look, reaching out to clasp his hand, before stepping away to join Jonathan. Jonathan took my hand in his, and we approached the train bound for Purfleet.
When our train pulled away from the station, I turned to watch our group of humans and vampires, who stood on the platform watching us leave. Abe stood separately from the others, his eyes locking with mine and holding them until he faded completely from view, and his words still echoed in my mind. Stay alive.
When we arrived at the station in Purfleet, the carriage we had arranged for was waiting for us. Our driver, a man in his fifties with a thin mouth, craggy nose and permanently squinted eyes, took in the pallor of our skin and our worried expressions with so much suspicion that I feared he’d refuse to take us to our destination.
Fortress of Blood (Mina Murray Book 2) Page 12