Daughters of Dracula (The Stoker Sisters #1) (4 page)

He circled past her and continued his slow, steady stride amongst the roses and hydrangeas.

“Please don’t disregard me in such a fashion.”

“It is not my intention to disregard you, simply to protect you.”

“Protect me?” She brought her prim fists to her hips. “Protect me from what?”

He turned to face her, his eyes pained under the dark veil that had descended upon them. When he reached up to grip her shoulders, she was surprised by the gentleness of his touch.

“From me.”

**********

A light yet endless drizzle of cool rain had fallen as Delilah prepared for art class in the back foyer. She was joined by a figure, all too happy to help her set up.

“I’m not as easily charmed as the Stoker girls,
Ashwin
.” Delilah’s voice was a soft purr that was quickly followed by
Ashwin’s
amused chuckle.

“I wouldn’t assume a woman of your experience would be the slightest charmed by my gauche attempts, Delilah. I have far too much respect for you. As for the Stokers, it is I who has been charmed. They are a delight and I’ve no doubt the artistry you bring to them is partly responsible.”

“I know you far more than you realize. Your innocence doesn’t quite fool me.”

“Innocence?”
He walked up close to Delilah, close enough to use his body to guide her up against the table.

“The boyish charm you display. The playful way you have with both Sadie and Alexis, though I’ve noticed how your play can be a tad more passionate with Alexis.”

“Jealous, are we?”
Ashwin
had cornered Delilah, his lips a few inches away from her neck.

“Hardly,” Delilah said, pushing
Ashwin
lightly away and stepping out around him. “I enjoy spending time with you, idly chatting about nothing in particular and watching you try your charms on me, but I must warn you,
Ashwin
.”

“I’m tingling to know more.”

Delilah chuckled, a sound that was devoid of amusement.

They stood close to one another;
Ashwin
smirking with a trace of arrogance; Delilah frowning and determined to get through to him.

“It may not be wise to play one sister against the other,” she finally said.

“Do I sense your desire to steer this conversation in another direction?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Stoker have expressed their concern over your interest in the girls.”

“We’re more alike than you want to admit, aren’t we?”

“They are of the belief that Sadie would be better suited to the title you could bring to her, Lord
Ashwin
.”

“My fondness for the sweet young woman runs deep, but I can’t deny the strong attraction I feel for the heated passion of the eldest sister. And what is your interest in these girls, Delilah?”

“I have a love for the girls that runs far deeper than that of tutor/student,
Ashwin
. Family ties and obligations extend far back, perhaps as early as your time.” She turned away from him, her eyes filled with pain and aching. “I won’t sit by and watch you ruin them. I won’t let you turn them.”

“I’ve no intention…”

“What you intend and what occurs are of two minds.” She whirled around to face him again. Her smile had disappeared and the friendly discussion was set to become grim and sinister. “I know of your lineage, of our lineage.”

Ashwin
cocked a brow and smiled, but his unease was apparent in the subtle shifting of his weight from one leg to another.

“When it comes to love and passion, many men of our lineage lose their wits.
Women, too.
We are ruled by the thirst.”

“I know of what you speak of, Delilah. I assure you I have no intent of giving in to the thirst with the girls. I do not wish them the same fate as ours.”

“I’m watching you,
Ashwin
. Be aware of that. I don’t know what game you are playing, but I have taken a stance, that of
Dracule’s
. I’m sure you are aware these girls are the last remaining human descendant of
Vlad
Dracule
himself. His human bloodline runs through their veins. Even their adoptive parents, the Stokers, do not know of it. I’ll not allow you to ruin the bright future both these girls have.”

Ashwin
surveyed Delilah from head to toe, taking her petite, but womanly frame in. He licked his lips seductively, his eyes never leaving Delilah’s eyes. “I do not wish to challenge you, Delilah. It has been a while, hasn’t it, since we’ve been acquainted. Much too long, yet I remember it as clear as yesterday.” He traced his finger along Delilah’s shoulder. “You’ve taught me much,” he said wistfully. Delilah stepped back.
Ashwin
straightened. “
Dracule
himself cannot have chosen a lovelier guardian for his girls.”

Delilah’s eyes widen before her pupils turned amber, revealing her passion. “
Dracule
is not a
Strigoi
,
Ashwin
. Remember that. He is not what the Romanians call the evil undead. My tutelage under him has taught me to control my thirst, to control the dark rage within.” Delilah’s hand shot up to
Ashwin’s
neck in a firm grip, before loosening it to gently touch his face. “You will find, contrary to popular legend,
Dracule
loved humans. And more than anything, despite his curse as an undead, he loved his family.” Delilah dropped her hand. “Do not make me regret my kindness towards you,
Ashwin
.”

Chapter 3

“Girls, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Franz.”

Alexis looked at her father then turned to the odd looking man. For a doctor, he was strangely dressed and had a demeanor that carried a touch of something evil and unpleasant.

“Pleased to meet you, Doctor.” She held her hand out to him and barely contained a grimace when he grasped it with his cold, clammy fingers and brought it to his wet, blubbering lips.

Sadie approached and received the same treatment, though her ability to tactfully hide her disdain was far superior.

Pinching his ill-fitting pants at the knee, the doctor sat down and reached for a few sheets of paper on the small table beside him.

“Dr. Franz would like to ask you a few questions. I do hope you’ll be able to help him.” Mr. Stoker gently patted Alexis on the shoulder before exiting.

Nodding, Alexis instinctively knew she had little intention of cooperating with this man. She stood waiting for him to carry on and could feel her sister’s eagerness to get the interview over with.

After perusing the pages in his hand a moment, the doctor pulled off his spectacles and glanced up at the girls. “I assume you’ve heard of what has been happening in town.”

The girls remained quiet and waited for him to go on.

“Mrs. Coolidge went missing several weeks ago. Her body was later found among an outcrop of rocks on a deserted cliff side.”
 
He glanced at his notes. “A few nights later, Mr.
Trisler
disappeared. His body floated up to the town pier the following day. Last week Mr. Barton was seen kissing his wife at the doorstep of his home just as he was leaving for his nightshift, but he never arrived at the bottling plant. Workers found him in a heap of rubbish.”

“While we’re privileged enough to be well-guarded from the goings on in the city, we’ve heard of a few of the cases you mention,” Sadie offered.

“The bodies all had common markings; a common cause of death.”

The girls patiently waited.

“Not a trace of blood remained in their lifeless bodies and they all had markings at the base of their necks; wounds that appear to have been caused by the fangs of an enraged beast.” He looked at them, his eyes skipping from one girl to the other. “A thin trail of blood has slowly been traced to Stoker Manor.”

Sadie gasped while Alexis stiffened.

“We know of the many guests who’ve resided with you over the course of the summer. I was hoping you’d spent enough time with some of them to perhaps enlighten me as to the conduct of some of these guests. Have you noticed anything peculiar? Have there been late outings with mysterious explanations?”

“Our parents don’t allow us to cavort with guests very much. Our interactions are purely of a business nature which does not include spying on guests or verifying their comings and goings.”

The man stood and approached the girls. “Yet you’ve both become rather familiar with a particular Lord
Ashwin
.”

Alexis saw the instant blush that came to her sister’s cheek and only hoped her own heated cheeks didn’t betray her relationship to
Ashwin
.

“The young Lord has been seen wandering the streets of Dorset at all hours of the night.”

“I sleep rather soundly, Mr. Franz. And as you can see, the Manor is designed in a way that allows guest complete freedom of movement. If he chose to leave in the late hours of the night, no one would be the wiser.”

Dr. Franz took in Alexis’ argument, but seemed dissatisfied.

“Lord
Ashwin
has been nothing but kind with both of us, sir. He is a fine gentleman of superb standing. He has no need for such morbid nighttime activities as you suggest. Hundreds of guests have passed through the doors of Stoker Manor. It could be…”

“Only Lord
Ashwin
has been a present in Dorset since the first disappearance to the most recent.”

“I hardly believe this makes a case against him. Perhaps your murderer simply sought temporary refuge at the Manor after his nightly rampage without residing here.”

**********

The doctor remained for dinner, and the dining hall felt the weight of his presence. With few guests in attendance, the family shared their table with Dr. Franz and Lord
Ashwin
.

Alexis watched
Ashwin
carefully. He seemed completely unperturbed by the doctor and even offered him a sincere welcome on seeing him enter the dining hall. But despite the great show
Ashwin
put on, Dr. Franz remained curt and professional.

The doctor said little over the course of the meal, but his eyes constantly scanned everyone and Alexis found herself deeply scrutinized by the awful man on several occasions. She disliked him, a feeling that only intensified over the course of the interminable meal, and she was eager to see him leave.

When he announced he’d be staying for the night, a knot filled her belly and a sense of foreboding enveloped her. She didn’t trust him and feared for
Ashwin’s
safety. With every fiber of her being, she ignored the possible underlying fear she had for her own safety.

Chapter 4