The Tale of the Vampire Bride (9 page)

My eyes settled on the quickly setting sun while I settled back in my place. Night moved swiftly to embrace the earth, and I felt a chill rush through my veins. An overwhelming terror filled me as the sun fell below the jagged, majestic lines of the mountain range. The night fell swiftly and the carriage rolled to a stop so the lanterns could be lit.

“We must hurry!” I tried to urge the men to work faster. My pulse began to throb in my neck and wrists. Despair spread through my soul as the fear that we would never escape rose up and filled me. The night was a tangible, sinister force surrounding the carriage, pressing in around us, trying to slow us down, and trying to stop us. I knew, instinctively, that we were in great danger. I could not explain my own emotions, but deep within me, I knew we were now being pursued.

Fearfully, I glanced back toward the distant black silhouette of the castle.

“Do not worry, Glynis. We will be in the village soon,” Father declared.

Ovidiu finished lighting the lanterns and climbed back up on the driver’s seat. We lurched onward, descending.

“Finally! I cannot wait to sink into a comfortable bed! This has certainly been the most tiring of days, Edric. This whole episode has been quite taxing on all of us.”

“Well, it is almost over, dear,” Father assured Mother.

“It will be such a comfort to finally be on our way to London. I have had quite enough of these foreign lands.” Mother was beginning to return to her regular prickly self, which, to my surprise, was an enormous relief. It meant that Mother was no longer afraid.

We fell into silence as May dozed off in our mother’s arms while Father watched the lights of the village growing stronger in the distance. The soft creaking and moaning of the carriage interlaced with the sighing of the night wind began to lull me to sleep despite my worries. I was still very frightened, but as the carriage found its way down toward the village and the castle drifted farther and farther away over the sea of the treetops, I began to finally relax.

The howling of wolves broke the quiet of the night. I bolted upright in my seat and peered out of the windows. I was not surprised to see three wolves race past the carriage, their eyes glowing as they caught the light from the lanterns. The beasts were without a doubt the same three wolves I had seen before. Two were dark, the third was white.

With amazing speed they darted in front of the carriage, disappearing into the darkness before us. I leaned so far out of the window the branches of the trees reaching over the pass caught my bonnet and wrenched it from my head.

“Father, those same three wolves just ran past us!”

Before my father could answer me, blue fire erupted into the darkness before the carriage. The horses screamed in horror and the carriage nearly toppled as the horses wrenched about to avoid the dancing blue flames. I was thrown back as it rolled about, seemingly out of control.

“What is happening?” Mother screamed.

The horses dragged the carriage completely about and began to race in absolute terror back up to the road. I managed to pull myself from the floor and to the window. A brilliant blue fire was pursuing the carriage. Its strange blue flames twisted in the wind as it rolled after us.

“Father, look!”

He leaned about beside me and I saw his face pale. “It cannot be! What is it?”

We could hear Ovidiu screaming that the horses were out of control and that the driver had lost the reins.

“We are going back,” I whispered, falling back into my seat in despair.

The carriage lurched upwards and around a dangerous curve, tossing us all onto the floor. We lay there in a heap, trying to hold on the best we could as the carriage bounced back up into the mountains.

May was screaming hysterically while Mother clutched her rosary tightly.

“Dear God in heaven, when will this end?” she cried out.

It ended in the courtyard of the castle of Prince Vlad Dracula. After a long, terrifying ride, the horses led the carriage straight up to the front door and finally came to a stop.

The carriage rocked gently as the horses anxiously neighed and pawed at the ground. An eerie silence filled the night, broken only by the harsh orders barked out by the terrified driver. The horses just tossed their heads, their eyes large with terror and did not move.

The blue fire that had pursued us up the mountain now rolled and swayed at the mouth of the courtyard. Its beautiful iridescent flames appeared to enshroud three figures.

“Ovidiu, move this carriage now!” Father shouted.

May cowered in Mother’s embrace as huge tears spilled down her pale cheeks. Mother looked furious, yet very frightened. Her long fingers were tightly grasping her rosary. I stared with fascination mixed with horror at the blue flames dancing so prettily in the night. I could not believe that we were at the castle and could not bear to even look at its ruined countenance.

We were trapped in a hideous nightmare.

“Father, we must leave,” I whispered. “Please, Father, we need to leave.”

“I know, Glynis. I know. Damn it all, Ovidiu, get this carriage moving!”

Ovidiu’s dark face appeared at the window, his eyes wide with fear. “The fire, Lord Edric, it is the devil’s fire. The horses will not go near it!”

Even though his face remained stoic, Father’s eyes clearly revealed how frightened he truly was. “Then we leave on foot!”

“Oh, Edric!”

“It is the only way, Antoinetta. Girls, gather only what you can carry and move swiftly.”

Father thrust open the carriage door and began to step down as we hurriedly grabbed up our things and prepared to flee.

The great door to the castle swung open. Dark gypsy men poured out, torches held high. They quickly encircled the carriage, their eyes menacing. The torches crackled and popped as they threw menacing shadows across the face of the castle.

“Edric,” Mother whispered, her hand grasping his arm.

Prince Vlad swept out of the castle, his long black coat flaring out about him. I could feel tendrils of dark power pulling on me as reluctantly my gaze was drawn to him. His long auburn hair fell down his back in thick curls and his mustache was longer, the ends pointed downward at the corners of his cruel mouth. His flesh seemed unearthly pale and his green eyes flickered with light as cat’s eyes do. He smiled a fiendish smile and I saw clearly two long teeth.

“Father!” I gripped his arm tightly.

“I see,” my father whispered.

“Welcome home, my bride,” Prince Vlad said throwing out his arms. He laughed low in his throat, enjoying the sight of us cowering in the carriage behind my father.

“You monster! What sorcery did you use to bring us here?” Mother was trembling with rage and fear. “We are Christian people!”

“We are citizens of the British Empire,” Father said in a low voice. “To treat us in this manner is barbaric. You are a monster, sir, a monster.”

Prince Vlad seemed amused by my parents’ outbursts. “I have been called a monster many a time before, Earl Wright, dear Countess. I find it to be a compliment to my power. I do not care if you are Christian people. I, too, once served the Church. I was once a defender of the faith.” As he spoke, his voice became lower, harsher. “But those days are long past. I do have every right to do with you as I please. This is my country. My land.” Vlad’s eyes flashed a deep red as they narrowed, his posture becoming threatening. He regarded my parents with disdain. “You were guests in my house. I offered you my hospitality, yet you denied me what I desire.”

Prince Vlad’s eyes flicked to me, and I shrank back from his potent gaze.

“You cannot coerce me to give you my daughter’s hand!”

Prince Vlad chuckled, stroking his mustache slowly. “Ah, Edric, your words mean nothing me. We are in my country. I rule here. I have the power of life and death in this land.” Vlad’s menacing laughter rang out. “And I will have what I desire. Come to me, Glynis.”

Trembling with fear, I looked upon him and began to weep. His voice had resounded within me, calling me to him. I could feel my body struggling to rise.

“No!” My mother screamed, clutching me to her. “You cannot have her! Never!”

Father pressed me back behind him as he blocked the carriage doorway.

I felt as if my breath was leaving me, and I could feel my body coiling to fight him. I covered my face with my hands as I felt his power continue to pull on me. I was doomed and knew it.

“I asked you before with proper respect for your rank for your daughter’s hand in marriage. I asked you to leave her here as my bride. You ungraciously refused me and denounced my position as lowly. But now you will see my power. I have brought you here with my will. It was my power that drew you. And now, Edric, you have damned your family, and you shall never leave alive.”

My father was stunned for a moment, then he shouted, “You cannot do this!”

We cowered behind him, in a heap of silk petticoats, crying and holding each other tightly. I embraced my sister and mother with all my strength, ignoring the sickening pull I felt ripping at me. If he called me again, I knew I would go to the Prince.

It was then that the driver and Ovidiu dashed away. They managed to avoid the gypsy guards and raced toward a path leading away from the castle. The gypsies began to pursue them, but Vlad lifted his hand and motioned them back.

“No! Let my Brides feast tonight!”