The Tale of the Vampire Bride (62 page)

The expression on the faces of the mortals was one of absolute shock and terror.

“Count Dracula,” Sir Stephen said in a tremulous voice. “I am at your service! I will do as you say. Have I not done all you requested?”

Vlad stood up and reached out to touch my cheek. “Yes, you have. But your services are no longer required.”

My anger was pulsating inside of me. I could have slain all of them right then and there. Vlad took my hand to calm me. As we left the room together, he turned and said, “Do with them as you please. But with discretion.”

“You cannot do this!”

I turned to look at the Baroness. Her expression was desperate. She was moving toward us, one hand outstretched.

“Vlad, please,” she whispered.

He slapped her hand away, then slapped her cheek. She fell to the floor weeping.

I stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes. I wanted to kill them all in that very moment, but Vlad was drawing me away.

Sir Stephen held his wife tightly in his arms as she wept in desperate fear. I could feel no pity for any of them. I felt cold, raw anger pulsating through me. Because of them my family was dead and I was a vampire. Now that Vlad had released them, I could feel my blood lust rising.

“Not now,” Vlad said firmly, guiding me away from the parlor.

As we walked toward the front doors, Brice appeared, pacing us. He did not utter a word, but opened the door for us, bowing slightly. As I passed him, he looked up at me and I gave him a slight nod.

Slipping into our cloaks, Vlad and I exited the palace toward our waiting carriage.

“They are yours now. Do as you please. Not tonight, but another.”

As he lifted me into the carriage, I reached out to touch his face. “Why, Vlad?”

He lowered me back to the ground to take me in his arms. “To keep you from trying to kill me,” he said with a smirk. “Or maybe because you deserve revenge.”

I gazed up at him and then slowly blinked. “This does not assuage my anger toward you.”

“I would expect nothing less,” he answered me. His green eyes glimmered with deep emotion that I could not fathom nor discern. Pressing his full lips against my forehead, he held me to him for a moment.

“You are an odd man,” I decided, pulling away from him. Climbing into the carriage, I turned back to give him a fierce look.

“And you are a contrary woman,” he answered, joining me in the carriage.

Settling into the seat, I drew my cloak around me and forced myself to focus. My eyes were hot and unblinking. I could feel the blood lust raging in my veins. I wanted desperately to enter the palace and slaughter them all. Then I could set Brice free and perhaps find some measure of peace.

But Vlad stayed my hand and that aggravated me.

“Revenge should be savored,” Vlad said after a long moment of silence.

I snorted at this, but he had a point. Fluffing my skirt, I looked out the window as the carriage rolled down the drive and down toward the heart of Buda.

“It is time for a new beginning and to dispatch the past. It is time for us both to embrace our new existence. We shall be free in England. We shall be powerful together,” Vlad continued in a low voice. His hand slid under mine and he held it loosely. “Can you not see that?”

I slowly looked at him, my gaze quite steady. “Perhaps.” My thoughts were of revenge. I would kill his mortal servants he had so kindly released to me. After that, I would then find a way to kill him. Then, at last, I would be free to be with Ignatius.

“I shall give you all you desire,” Vlad promised.

Ignoring him, I watched as the carriage turned down a narrow lane. We passed an overturned cart that had cut off our passage home. Two men were attempting to right it.

“You shall see that I can make amends for what happened to your family. I will grant you the life they desired for you,” his voice droned on.

The squalid housing of the poor rose up around us. The stench of the streets assailed my senses.

“I realize you do not understand fully all that you are, but I shall correct this,” Vlad’s voice continued in his native tongue.

Keeping my back to him, I watched the dismal dwellings slip past the window. I heard something and turned my head slightly trying to concentrate on the sound.

It sounded like a man speaking in English.

“I shall return you to the life you deserve,” Vlad vowed, then kissed my hand.

“You mean the life you stole,” I said sharply, turning toward him.

Then fire enveloped the carriage.

Chapter 33

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright - Continued

Glass shattered, then flames roared up and engulfed me. I screamed in pain as my dress caught fire. Vlad ripped me from the seat and tossed me onto the floor. Using his cloak, he tried to put out my dress as I continued to shriek in pain. Flames licked the interior of the carriage, the ceiling setting afire.

The horses screamed as the carriage crazily rolled about. We slammed into a building when the carriage lurched to one side. Vlad hooked one hand under my arm and with his other hand ripped the burning door off its hinges and hurled it away. Flinging me out of the carriage before him, we fell into the street.

The horses fought with the reins, making the small carriage careen wildly from side to side. The driver was pitched headlong into the street. The carriage began to shatter apart into burning wreckage. The terrified horses raced away into the misty night with the remains of the carriage trailing in fiery debris behind them.

Vlad rose to his feet and staggered to the driver. The man was quite dead, his neck broken.

Again, there was the shatter of glass and flames sprang up around me. I screamed in terror and Vlad was instantly at my side. Grabbing me tightly, he sprang into the night air. The loud cracks of rifles filled the night and sharp, terrible stabs pierced my torso. I choked as blood flowed from my lips.

Looking down, I saw the vampire hunters on the rooftops of the homes of the poor wielding torches and rifles. We had been ambushed.

Vlad swung low over the rooftops and onto the shingles of a large building. I vomited blood all over him as I staggered, unable to stand. With horror, I realized my dress was burned to tatters and that my arm and chest were blackened. The pain was immense. Wounds were seeping blood and I realized I had been shot more than once. Vlad, too, was injured, but not nearly as badly as I.

“Vlad,” I gasped, falling to my knees.

It was not Vlad who caught me, but Ignatius. His arms came about me and he gently lowered me to the roof. His dark blue eyes were full of fear. I almost uttered his name before I realized what folly that would be.

“Vlad, you must feed her at once,” Ignatius said urgently.

Vlad fell to his knees beside me, his hand sliding over my hair. He gave Ignatius a sharp look, and said in a demanding voice, “What are you doing here?”

“I happened to be in the area when I saw what remained of your carriage go rushing past,” Ignatius answered. “I immediately hurried to find and assist you.” His dark blue eyes were eerily bright and he looked fierce.

Vlad growled, “Such consideration, brother, for the safety of one you despise.”

Gripping my unburned hand tightly, Ignatius glared at Vlad. “I despise you no more than I do myself. Now, feed her and let us be off before the dhamphir comes.”

Vlad slashed his neck. “Drink, Glynis, and heal.”

Weakly, I wrapped my arm about Vlad’s shoulders and pressed my lips to his throat. His blood filled my mouth and soon I was gulping down great draughts of the rich, thick vitae.

“Do not let her drink too much, Vlad,” Ignatius urged. “You must be strong enough to fight.”

I could feel Ignatius’ hand holding mine tenderly as I drank. Vlad growled at Ignatius angrily, and I felt my secret lover reluctantly withdraw his hand.

After a moment, Vlad pulled me away from his throat. Cradling me against him, Vlad gently stroked my face. “Heal, Glynis.”

Closing my eyes, I pushed back the pain and concentrated on the fresh blood inside of me. I willed it to heal my body and salve the agony. Slowly, I felt the savage pain begin to fade away.

Opening my eyes, I saw great flakes of blackened skin fall from my arm and chest to reveal fresh, new white skin. The wounds from the bullets were closing and the tiny metal bits fell from my flesh onto the roof.

Ignatius reached down and plucked a misshapen bullet from the roof. “Blessed and inscribed with crosses,” he said in a low voice as his fingers began to smolder. He tossed away the pellet and turned to look upon me. I could see the torment in his eyes. He wanted so badly to console me, but Vlad was there, watching us. I could sense my Master’s suspicion.

Vlad slid out of his cloak and wrapped it about me. He was clearly anxious to cover my nakedness.

“Who is this man?” I asked him. It seemed the correct thing to ask now that I was healed.

“My vampire brother,” he answered curtly.

His tone frightened me.

Ignatius rose to his feet and moved to the edge of the roof to survey the area around us. His long hair rippled on the night wind and his eyes glowed as he squatted down. “The hunters are on the move.”

Vlad helped me to my feet. He ran his hand over my cheek, brushing away the charred flesh. “I am taking my wife home immediately.”

Ignatius turned, looking at Vlad sharply. The animosity between the two was palatable. “That is most likely best considering that a dhamphir has been spotted in the city. She is still too weak to fight for herself,” he agreed.

My hair fell around my face and I dared to look toward Ignatius through the tangle of my red curls. I wanted to flee into his arms, but I dared not. Tears filled my eyes as I looked upon the man I loved. He turned away as though in pain.

Vlad gripped me by the arm and pulled me along after him. I stumbled a little and grabbed hold of my Master to steady myself. Glancing back at Ignatius, I saw that he was following us. His long face was stricken with emotion. When he saw me look back upon him, he slightly nodded. My limbs trembled as I nodded back. We both were in agreement. This was not our time to move against Vlad.

The voices of the hunters drifted up to us as they spread through the streets attempting to track us. I could hear one man’s voice raised above the others. Svend was once more leading his vampire hunters into battle.

“Move along, Glynis,” Vlad ordered me. He jerked hard on my hand and I stumbled, crashing to the rooftop.

“I am weak,” I hissed at him.

“Very well,” he answered.

Sweeping me up into his arms, Vlad leaped from roof to another. I clung to him as we soared into the night wind, then fell back onto another rooftop. Ignatius followed us easily, then darted ahead to make sure the way was clear.

“This way,” Ignatius ordered.

Vlad once more leaped and a few shots rang out as the hunters below fired at us. One shot ripped through Vlad's arm and he nearly dropped me. Ignatius immediately took flight, gripped Vlad tightly by the arm, and flung us onto another rooftop. I fell on the slanted roof, and grabbed hold of the shingles, gasping with fright. Vlad moved to quickly fish the pellet out of his arm with his fingers, gritting his teeth at the pain. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as he struggled. Ignatius dared to help me to my feet as Vlad tossed away the bullet with an angry grunt.

I held tightly to Ignatius arms, finding solace in his touch. “Thank you,” I managed before Vlad’s strong arm came about my waist and heaved me up against him. Again, he leaped into the air and sailed over the heads of the vampire hunters. For a moment, I saw the young Irish hunter gazing up at me then we landed atop an office building.

“We should fly,” Ignatius decided when he landed behind us. “The dhamphir be damned. Glynis barely evaded him before, but the three of us should be a match for him.”

Vlad turned, looking at Ignatius fiercely. I trembled in Vlad’s grip, my eyes wide with fright.

Ignatius turned slowly toward us as he realized what he had said. “You told me your wife barely evaded a dhamphir, Vlad. Is that not so?”

Vlad looked confused, obviously trying to remember if he had mentioned such a thing to his vampire brother. “Yes, she barely evaded him.” He gripped me so tightly, I felt him crushing my bones. I whimpered in pain. He struggled internally with some disturbing thought, then finally said, “Help me with her.”

Ignatius strode back to us and took hold of my other hand. At Vlad’s lead, we all leaped into the night air. I felt both of the men pushing their power outward, hiding us from the eyes below. The wind whistled in my ears as I clung to both of them. I was still weak despite my wounds being healed. I had lost far too much blood to be sated with one short feeding.

Swooping over the city, Vlad lead us toward our estate. He lessened his hold on my hand and I managed to heal my shattered bones. I felt dizzy from the exertion. Feeling rather lightheaded, I foolishly lamented my tattered dress as it flapped around me.