The Tale of the Vampire Bride (41 page)

“Very well, madam, I stand corrected,” he said with a small bow.

“And I am not a madam. I am a lady. And a master of my own fate.”

“Are you? For I fear if you are the Master of your own fate, you shall not last long rushing headlong into the presence of hunters,” he observed.

I scoffed at him, turning my nose up at him. “They are merely mortal men.”

“Who know how to wield weapons against us that render us helpless before them if we are not careful,” he answered me calmly.

I frowned, then slightly nodded, realizing the truth of his words. I felt my defenses slip for a moment. I was drawn to the vampire. As I stood near him, I could feel his presence wrapping around me and it made me feel foolish and weak. When I gazed upon him, all I could think of was my desire to once more feel the strength of his embrace.

“You were foolish,” he said firmly, but with his bemused smile. “You had best think before rushing into a situation like that again.”

I turned sharply on my heel toward him and pointed a finger at him. “You, sir, do not know a thing about me. I am very strong and clever. I was about to escape their clutches when you interfered.”

I am not truly certain I would have escaped had he not come to my rescue, but I was not about to admit to such a thing. I do have my pride, as misplaced as it can be at times, and I was loathe to admit weakness.

“I am sure you are correct, my lady. It was my error to think otherwise,” he said in such a way I was not sure if he was mocking me or not. “Now, who is your Master?”

“I am certainly not telling you. It is none of your business. Besides, maybe I have no Master. Maybe the vampire hunters killed him.” I sniffed, adjusting my cloak. “Maybe I am my own Master.”

He shook his head. “Very well, I shall not pursue this question further.” He glanced skywards, then back toward me. “The sun shall rise in a few hours. I suggest you feed and return to your haven.” He hesitated, then said with charming sarcasm. “You can, of course, return home without alerting every hunter in the city of your presence?”

I gave him a sharp look and stomped my foot. “I can assure you that I am quite capable in protecting myself and returning home safely.”

He tucked his hands behind his back and regarded me somberly. “You do realize the seriousness of the hunters knowing of your existence.”

“Of course, I do. I am, despite my feminine nature, a creature of some intelligence.”

To my surprise, he reached out and lay one hand gently against my flushed cheek. His fine fingers slid over my flesh, tantalizing and cool. I felt mesmerized by his touch and raised my chin to gaze into his eyes.

“I am sure you are quite cunning and used to using your feminine wiles to fine effect, but you must be safe. I can see by your nature, that you are not a creature of caution.”

Gazing up at him through my lashes, I smiled slightly. “No, perhaps not, but I can assure you, I shall never burn in the sun or meet an untimely death at the hands of a hunter.” I was doing my best to be beguiling and defiant. I was very attracted to this vampire and being so near to him made me want touch him.

To my surprise, his gaze darkened at my words and he said quite softly, “One so young should never promise something so foolish.” His hand caressed my cheek gently and the sadness that I had awakened in his eyes drew me in and made me shiver.

Drawing his hand from my cheek, I held it against my breast and looked upon him with a chastised and sorrowful expression. “Forgive me, sir. I did not mean to upset you.”

And that is when he kissed me.

The world beyond us ceased to exist. In that intense passionate instant, I felt overcome with a power so great I could scarcely stand. It was as if the sun had exploded, engulfing us in liquid fire, and fusing us together.

He drew back and looked down at me with an expression I dare not attempt to describe. Turning his back on me, he said, “You will get home safely?”

“Well, yes,” I answered, feeling very confused. “Yes, of course.”

“Very well,” the vampire said. He began to walk away over the tall peaks of the rooftops; his long coat fluttering around him as his hair flowed on the wind.

“Wait, wait!” I stumbled after him. “My name is Lady Glynis Wright. Who are you?”

He turned back to gaze upon me. I could feel his desire to return to me, but he fought it, a bitter sweetness tingeing his features.

“Lady Glynis, it does not matter,” he answered, then the night seemed to enfold him and he was gone.

“No, you cannot merely leave and not let me know your name. You kissed me, sir! I deserve to know your name.”

But there was no response.

He was gone.

Needless to say, I was quite upset. Never had I been kissed in such a fashion that I forgot the entire world around me save the man holding me close. Never had I felt such intense passion. Had he not felt the intense emotional surge that had encompassed us when he had kissed me? Did he not know that in those few short moments he had made me love him?

Oh, how I yearned to see him again! To touch him again! To feel his kiss once more!

My girlish infatuation with Lord Byron dimmed in comparison to what I now felt.

And I did not even know his name.

Hungry, weary, and furious, I stomped across the peaked roof, feeling quite put out. How could he kiss me then leave?

Tugging my hood over my head, I stormed across the rooftops of the houses of Pesth. Finally, I dropped into the street and walked toward the caleche. It was just where it was supposed to be. The driver appeared to be asleep, fallen over in his seat.

“Let us go now,” I said.

He did not stir.

Frustrated, I shook him and he fell over. His eyes were wide and staring. His throat was slit from ear to ear.

I felt my skin began to prickle. I whirled about, sensing the swirl of power nearby. This was no ordinary murder. No criminal had taken the driver’s life to steal his money.

My teeth slid downward as I felt my eyes burn as my gaze sharpened. Someone or something was nearby and it was watching me.

I sank back from the carriage, pushing up the shadows around me, drawing my powers up around me as protection. Instinctively, I knew that whatever was watching me, was now aware that I knew it was there.

Before me, the shadows gave birth to a tall, wiry man. His countenance was very, very pale, albino apparently, with white hair and eyes as pale as frozen water. Dressed all in black, he was an imposing figure. His gaunt face seemed to hover in the darkness around him. He felt like great power, but not quite vampire, not quite mortal.

He bowed deeply. “Good evening, madam. Let me introduce myself. I am Gregor. I am a dhamphir and it is my greatest pleasure to bring your Satanic existence to an end tonight.”

I raised my chin, my eyes widening as I gazed at him. “I do not know what you are, but I can assure you I am not Satanic.”

“Really? Are you not a vampire?” He smiled at me, flashing, to my surprise, sharp little fangs. “Your kind gave birth to my kind. I can smell you, feel you, like a pulse in my head.”

I drew myself up and tried to look as aristocratic and imposing as possible. “Be gone with you.”

He threw back his head and laughed, then cut the laughter off as he fastened his deadly gaze on me. “No.”

It was then that I saw the tiny silver daggers tucked into the sleeves of his long black coat. He raised one hand, his long fingers twitching over one.

“Come now, devil’s bride, the time of your salvation draws near,” Gregor said with a taunting smile.

I turned and ran.

“I do so enjoy it when your kind runs. It makes the hunt that much more exciting,” his voice taunted on the night wind.

I dashed down the road, my feet barely touching the ground. Frantic to escape, I tried to pull my power up, but found it waning. I had yet to feed and my power was diminished.

His feet were light on the road behind me and I could hear him easily pacing me. I reached the bridge that crossed the Danube to Buda and glanced back over my shoulder to see him drawing near.

Drawing his arm back, I saw the glint of silver. I ducked away as the dagger whistled through the air and impacted with the ground in front of me. He flung another dagger at me and I fell to the ground. Keeping my eyes on the assassin, I scrambled backwards like a spider. Drawing on my waning power, I drew the night around me like a cloak, rendering myself invisible to all that would gaze in my direction.

Gregor dropped onto the ground as I vanished from his sight. Crouching low, he began to slowly advance on where I had been. A dagger clutched in each hand, sweeping his arms about, his eyes sparkled with lethal intensity as he sought me out.

I backed away quickly, on my toes and fingertips. I could not seem to get enough distance between the dhamphir and myself. He seemed to instinctively follow in my wake. Suddenly, he jabbed out at me. I leaped back, flipped over, and landed in a flurry of skirts. He was right before me, crouched. I kicked him so hard, his head audibly snapped back.

Turning, I ran across the bridge, desperate, terrified, and calling forth every bit of power I had left. At last, I felt it filling me so I threw out my arms and soared upwards.

The wind embraced me, lifting me higher, my skirts fluttering about my feet. Feeling a great sense of relief, I drew my cloak around me and glided toward the estate where Vlad and I had made our new home.

“I know you are there,” came a mocking voice from behind me.

I twisted about to see the dhamphir hovering in the air, his long coat fluttering around him. Slowly he raked his gaze over the panoramic vista this high altitude afforded us.

He began to fly in wide swoops like some hellish demon, laughing malevolently. “I may not see you, but I can sense you, little vampire.”

I turned and flew as swiftly as I could.

“Come here, little vampire,” he sing-songed behind me as he flew in circles.

I panicked and twisted about, trying to find him. I slammed into the spire of a huge church and dug my long nails into the stone in desperation. Every attempt I made to elude the dangerous assassin had failed thus far. Gregor was cunning and he was merciless in his pursuit. His lean body sluiced through the night sky and swept around the church as his shrewd pale eyes sought me out.

I used my dwindling power to push up a barrier between the assassin and me. I could feel it rapidly fading and this frightened me. It would only be a matter of time before my attacker would see through my defenses and engage me in battle. I was a strong vampire, that I was sure of, but I was not well versed in physical combat. Also, I had not fed and was weakened. Gregor’s vicious determination terrified me.

Gregor flew about, orbiting around me. Laughing malevolently, he searched for me as I prayed silently to the God I was not sure could still hear my cries. I felt utterly alone and terrified, not sure what I should do.

Drawing back sharply as Gregor swung close by me, I gasped. Perhaps he heard the sharp intake of my breath, for he whirled about and threw a dagger straight at me.

With vampire swiftness, I plunged to one side, trying to avoid the knife that I saw streaking toward me. But my movements were not swift enough to avoid the knife. It embedded in my arm instead of my breast. I cried out as I fell forward, tumbling off the spire and into the cold night breeze.

Gregor heard me cry out and followed the sound, closing in on me as his body swooped toward me. Another knife streaked through the night and I caught it in my right thigh. My powers flickered, then I impacted with the ground.

With a shout of triumph, the assassin dropped down on the cobblestone road and began edging forward, leaning low, and clutching two wicked daggers in his pale white hands.

I pulled the knives out of my body and fought down a whimper of pain. Something in the metal was burning my flesh, scorching me from within. I sensed Gregor moving toward me and I pushed my powers up as fiercely as I could as I climbed to my feet.

“Little wicked bride of the devil, I can feel you,” he hissed, swaying back and forth as he approached me. His eyes flicked over the shadows as he searched for me.

I flung the knives at him as hard as I could.

Gregor simply reached up and plucked them out of the air. “Thank you for returning my children.”

I turned and ran, desperate to escape, overwhelmed by what was happening. How could such blissful happiness be followed by this hell?

Gregor pursued me, his hearing evidently keen enough to follow my footfalls. I had not the power to take flight again.

My body was burning with pain. I could not fight the agonizing fire welling up within me. The knives had to be some sort of evil magic to do this to me. Never had I felt such intense pain.

Behind me, Gregor’s laughter taunted me.

I ducked around a corner and tried to propel myself upwards. My powers did not respond. I felt my shields fading and knew that soon I would be exposed, visible to all. The pain, a fire, fierce and consuming, rippled through my body. I staggered and fell against the doorway of a mortal dwelling. Fear, stark, and malevolent overwhelmed me.