The Vampire Queen (2 page)

Through the whispers, the same first woman muttered, “She is shameless.”

“She doesn’t look well. Maybe she has become weak.” In an instant, the Countess had the second woman by the throat, and her lips were close to the other woman’s ear. She had her pinned up against the wall.

“Don’t even think for a
second
that I couldn’t kill you right here,” she hissed into the woman’s ear, with a bead of saliva rolling off her lip and rage in her voice. “Remember this as your one free pass, Angelina. You
won’t
get another.”

With that, she let go of the woman and walked out of the ballroom with total composure. After the Count had gotten into the carriage, and it started to move, she snapped back into reality. She started to scoot as far away from him as possible. Surely he would be mad at her. She had embarrassed him, had she not?

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. As he looked out the window, he mumbled, “People have learned to expect that from you.” She was dumbfounded and silent the rest of the ride home.

Chapter Three

He sat in the big, comfy chair next to her bed. He silently watched her from the shadows as she wrestled through her sleep. There was so much evil in this room. The air was still and smelled like an old, Egyptian tomb—opened for the first time in centuries since being sealed. Evil that, once unleashed, would be hard to control. It was the same evil that was awoken every 100 years or at the turn of the century, depending on if she got bored and took off early, and it could resurrect an entire race of people.
His
people.

Though, the Count was not thinking about that, tonight. No, the Count wondered how much longer he could keep this beautiful woman to himself. He knew they shared a bond and not just the “arrangement” they had, where he looked after her for everything from her finances all the way down to the protection of her life. An arrangement that had never been shared between two of their kind before. Just as he was pondering this, still asleep but as if she could sense him, the Countess moved over on the bed closer to him. She reached out an arm and placed her hand on his thigh. He checked her breathing, and she was definitely still asleep. This was his confirmation that their connection was stronger than he originally thought. Surely by now, the “Others” would start manipulating her dreams and attempt to steal her from him. They were very predictable to the Count, and he knew it was only a matter of time. They wanted her this time around so badly, they could taste it. They would stop at nothing to sway her and win her over to their side. The Count had been successful the last 800 years, so the “Others” feel they are due and their time is now. He had to keep her for himself, even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice.

Chapter Four

She thrashed through what seemed like an endless sleep. She would often cry out, but it would either be in a foreign language she didn’t know she could speak or just hysterical sobs. The help refused to go to her at night, stating she was bewitched. The old slave and Coletta quietly practiced their voodoo in their cottage to help the Countess, but nothing helped. That night, she felt the presence of someone in the room, but she was unable to wake up to find out whether or not anyone was there. Sleep was not her friend and would not relinquish her to the land of the awake just yet.

Her dreams were always the same themes. Rage, horror, destruction, death, or evil just to name a few. They played in no chronological order, specific time, or place. They were just a barrage of attacks. Her dreams were like watching a silent movie in black and white on an old reel-to-reel projector that would constantly jump. Often, she felt a wave of nausea upon waking from one of these dreams.

After sunset, the torment that held her would finally loosen its talons and release her. She sat up with a start, and the bed was soaked with her sweat. The sheet was pulled off the mattress, pillows were thrown about the room, and the light on the nightstand was smashed. She sat up, her chest heaving and throat rasping for air. She could never remember being more frightened in her life. Those images had been so awful.

“Where did they come from,” she asked aloud.

There was a stirring over in the corner. It was still very dark, but the corner had a darkness about it that was darker than dark. It was an evil, pitch black, and it had stirred in response to her question and then stopped. She was afraid to provoke it but needed answers. Surely, these horrible things had not been in her dreams because of her. Someone else must have put them there.

“Did you have anything to do with my dreams, last night?” she asked out loud. The dark corner shifted a bit.

“Those were horrible things. Why would you show me that?” she asked. Again, the corner moved, but no answer came from it.

“Why won’t you answer me?” This time, nothing came from the corner. “Show yourself!” she demanded.

It did as she demanded and jumped out from the corner and crouched low to the floor. It then leapt several times across the room like a frog. When it stopped, it half-turned and looked at her with a large eye before jumping from across the room onto the end of her bed. The Countess screamed a blood-curdling scream that woke up the whole house.

Chapter Five

The Count was the first one down the stairs, scooped it off her bed, and held it behind him. It struggled to get to her, grunting like a wild animal. Its arms and legs were flailing around him and reaching toward the Countess.

“I see you’ve met Lizzy,” he smiled.

“Lizzy?” she said confused. “
It
has a name?”

“Yes.
Lizzy
was here when we found this house. Instead of kicking her out, we decided to keep her here and acquaint her with the finer things in life. Which you see hasn’t worked out so well,” he mused.

The thing was actually an eight-year-old child, but she was so filthy and dressed in rags, she looked like an animal.

“Lordy, Lordy. Where is that child? I know it be her. Only she can cause a ruckus like this,” cried the older slave. Coletta followed her in with towels, a bottle of wine, and two glasses.

“Look at you!” she scolded. “I knew it! Come on, now. Bath time,” the old slave said and swatted Lizzy on the butt. Lizzy ran to the stairs but stopped at the bottom to turn and look at the Countess. She gave her an evil, knowing look then skipped up the steps as happy as a clam. That look sent chills up the spine of the Countess.

“Here. Drink some of this. You’ll feel better,” the Count was saying. She took the wine glass from him and gulped down the wine. He refilled her glass. This time, she sipped it.

“She is much like you and I,” he explained. “She sleeps all day, rises at sunset, and gets bathed and dressed for the wealth this house holds. That’s where I’m afraid the similarities end. She then disappears all night, won’t attend our functions—like you saw the other night—and can’t be found or followed. She then shows up looking like a wild animal that’s been living in filth, smells like she’s been digging and rolling around in garbage, and is just a mess; however, she is a child at heart, is fickle, and likes to play. My guess is that she didn’t mean to scare you but was just playing with you.”

“Playing with me?” she screamed. “She scared the
hell
out of me! It didn’t help that I was having nightmares right before I woke up, but then I woke up to this animal jumping around. I think she
meant
to scare me,” she insisted.

“She’s just a child,” he cajoled.

“Then, why wouldn’t she answer me when I spoke to her and demanded a response from her?” she asked.

“Lizzy hasn’t said a word since I’ve met her,” he explained. “Don’t know why.” Now, she felt silly. There was still something about that child. Thinking about Lizzy sent a cold chill up her spine. She drank more wine and lay back on the pillows to think.

Chapter Six

The Count left, and she was alone with her thoughts. Had she imagined the evil coming from that child? The whole situation now seemed bizarre to her with the room completely lit up and an explanation for Lizzy given; however, something about her just did not feel right.

Coletta came running down the stairs.

“Hurry, Miss. Bath time. Master wants to take you out shopping, tonight!” she explained, almost breathless from running. The Countess was very excited as she hoped it was for some new dresses. She loved to shop for dresses. She threw the covers back and ran up the steps, following Coletta. She bathed and got ready as quickly as possible. She waited again in the parlor for the Count. When he arrived, he again bowed and kissed her hand. He truly was a sweet man. He also presented her with a box tied with a pretty, purple ribbon. She opened it, and in it was a long, hooded, purple cloak made of velvet.

“It sometimes gets chilly at night, so I thought you should have something pretty and warm,” he explained, looking slightly embarrassed.

“It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. “Thank you very much. I will cherish it.” She placed a gentle kiss on the Count’s cheek. Now, he
really
looked embarrassed.

“Shall we take our leave?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

They rode in the carriage for awhile until they were on a cobblestone street, signifying they had reached town. They got out and walked down the street, looking in many store windows, but most of them were closed. Finally, they came to a dress shop that was open.

“Ah. Here we are,” he said, and they entered the store. “Choose whatever you like. Money is of no object here,” he instructed and waved his arm across the entire store.

The Countess was delighted. There were so many beautiful things. For every dress, there was a matching handbag, shoes, hairpiece, and jewelry to go with it. She took a couple dresses and went into the dressing room. They all fit beautifully, and as she was admiring herself in the mirror in the last dressing room, she heard voices, whispers from behind the curtain in the dressing room.

The people whispering had an accent, so she couldn’t understand them fully. Finally, her curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked around the curtain.

“Come in, child. We been ‘spectin you,” said the voice with a Jamaican accent. The woman was old and plump and wore her hair in long dreadlocks. She had long, yellow, curving fingernails and many missing black teeth. She had dots across her cheeks and nose—the sign of a fortune teller—but she also had many warts and pustules all over her face. She was a rather scary sight at first.

“Me?” The Countess stammered.

“‘Tis fate that brought ye here. Would ye like ye fortune read?” the woman asked.

“I have no money,” she replied.

“‘Tis ok. Fate will pay for it since it brought ye to me,” she answered. “Let me see ye palms.”

She held out her palms to the woman, her hands shaking, and she hoped the Count wouldn’t miss her.

“Here. Hold this, and tell me what ye feel,” the woman said as she placed a piece of black stone in the center of the Countess’s right palm.

“It’s a weird feeling. Dizzy and pulsing,” she explained.

“Just as I thought. That stone is Jet, and what ye felt signifies that ye have an old soul. Been ‘round for awhile,” the woman said.

“What can I use to ward off evil,” she blurted out. The woman just stared at her as if she hadn’t heard her. Finally, when she was just about to ask again, the woman got up and went rummaging in the back. She came back and handed her another stone. The stone was red and green in color.

“Ward off evil, ya say? Well, dis be Bloodstone. It’s not actual blood in duh stone, but it can be used to banish evil and for mental clarity; however, I would not be showin’ it to ye Count. He does not believe in such tings. Also, take this pink stone. It is Rose Quartz, which can give ye positive energy, and this Black Obsidian can take or remove yer negative energy if ye let ‘em.”

“Thank you, but again, I cannot pay you for these things,” she explained.

“No need, child. I know ye, and ye been kind. Keep ‘em as gifts. Let me put ‘em in a velvet bag for ye. Go now, before ye are missed.” With that, the woman was gone.

She wandered back into the dressing room just in time to hear the store clerk ask if everything was all right.

“Everything is fine. I’ll take all five dresses with all the matching accessories. Please get them together for me,” she instructed. When she came out, the Count seemed very happy, and she tried to seem as excited on the way home as he was about her new purchases; however, all she could think about was the woman behind the curtain and the stones in her pocket.

Chapter Seven

Again, her resting time was one of torment, just as she knew it would be. She placed the small bag of stones in her pillowcase, under the pillow, hoping it would help, but the woman gave no instructions on how to use the stones, so she returned to the same night terrors. The same movie projector played the same scenes of death, destruction, and torture over and over in her dreams. She knew this would happen and was afraid to go to sleep. She fought off sleep for awhile, but it finally won out. Again, her bed was soaked with sweat, and pillows were thrown across the room. This time, when she woke up, she had to stifle an immediate urge to scream. Lizzy was sitting on the end of her bed in an Indian-style position, watching her. “Oh. Hi, Lizzy,” she said, trying to sound calm when all she wanted to do was run.