VROLOK (61 page)

MY LATEST AND TRUEST THOUGHT WILL ALWAYS BE FOR HIM 

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Nicolae and Isabella attended the funerals of Arthur Holmwood‘s wife and child. Nicolae stayed out of everyone’s view, but Isabella knew he was close. Quincy was holding Isabella’s hand, and after the funeral Isabella went over to face Nicolae alone.

“Holmwood will probably just kill himself, you realise that,” Nicolae said.

“He hasn’t the courage to kill himself,” Isabella replied.

“I think courage is the wrong word.”

“Whatever you may call it. What I read in his heart is that whatever this world has to throw at him…he fears what the next world holds for him even more. He will live in misery for the rest of his days.” Nicolae sighed and there was a pause in the conversation.

“One last time, Isabella.”

“One last time what?”

“I am going to beg you to abandon this plan.”

“I will not,” Isabella said.

“I will not ask you again.”

“However many times you ask, my answer will still be the same.”

“You realise you are going to die here.”

“I do.”

“You cannot rely on me on any longer.”

“I never relied on you, Nicolae. I have never relied on anyone!” Isabella answered.

“That is a vicious and malicious thing to say—all these years and you say you have never relied on me?” Nicolae questioned.

“Never.”

“All right. If that is the way you want it…you cannot trust me to stay quiet. I may warn them.”

“Do what your conscience dictates.” Nicolae left Isabella and this time he had every intention of never going back to her.

Isabella had lied to Nicolae when she told him she had never relied upon him. During the twenty years since they had had been reunited he had been her only constant. Reliance and trust had become very important to her. She had never had this with Vlad. Nicolae’s leaving was devastating to her, but Isabella was too stubborn to ask him to stay and in a way she was glad. Olya’s prophecy still haunted her. Blackness was chasing and for the first time she could feel it biting at her heels. As she watched Nicolae walk away she felt he was walking towards the light. Nicolae had freed himself from the fate that Isabella was inevitably going to face, or so she thought.

The next day when Isabella went to the Harkers she found the mood and spirit very sombre, but Quincy still greeted her with a smile.

“Arthur, I take it, is inconsolable?” Isabella asked.

“Of course, but my parents have more bad news today.”

“What has happened?”

“News from America. My father’s oldest friend Van Helsing is dead.”

“I am so sorry,” Isabella lied.

“I am afraid the house is not in the mood to entertain tonight, but I will walk you back to your lodgings.”

“Thank you.” The couple started to walk through the nearly dark streets back to the inn where Isabella was staying.

“My parents are frightened; I don’t understand it. I have never seen them like this.”

“What are they frightened of?”

“I don’t know.”

“Your family has been touched by such tragedy of late, it is only natural they would be frightened.”

“It’s more than that. I have a strong sense that this is far from over, that there is more tragedy to come.”

“Don’t be silly, Quincy, what else could possibly happen?” Quincy took Isabella in his arms. Isabella wanted to shrink back from his touch not because he was a Dhampir but because she was afraid that she was starting to feel something and that would make the next few weeks harder than they were already going to be.

“Isabella, I love you, do you love me?” Isabella hesitated before she answered. It was too late—she did feel something; she did not want to answer him. She didn’t want to lie to him.

“Of course I do,” Isabella answered. She was ashamed of herself. She had not felt this much regret since she had seen the mother of one of her victims outside Erzsébet’s castle. “Go home and be with your family. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Will you marry me soon? Who do I ask for your hand?” Isabella shrugged off Quincy’s grip.

“My parents are long dead.”

“I will ask your brother, then.”

“He has gone back….” In Quincy’s excitement he was not really listening to what Isabella was saying and was unaware of the sudden coldness she was displaying.

“I will ask your brother. He is coming to visit my sister tomorrow.”

“Cole is visiting your sister?”

“I am sure you have noticed they have struck up a relationship.” Isabella eyes hardened and her lips stiffened. Had Nicolae been betraying her all this time? Had she been so blind?

“Isabella you look different, somehow.” Isabella looked back at Quincy, restoring her façade with the purest of smiles.

“Sorry, I did not realise Cole and your sister were so close, I have been blind,” she said.

“It is those blue tinted glasses you wear now; they do not let me see your pretty eyes…you are not upset?”

“Of course not. I could not be happier for us all.”

“I will see you tomorrow, then.”

“You certainly will.” Isabella watched as Quincy walked away with an added spring in his step. He was a boy in love. Isabella decided at that moment to end this as soon as she could.

When Quincy got home his parents called him into the drawing room. They wanted to speak to him.

“We have to tell you what is happening, you and Lucy.”

“I have something to tell you, too,” Quincy said with a gleeful smile, for he was happy. “I am to be married.”

“That is wonderful Quincy!” Mina said. She was truly happy for her son, but there was sadness behind her smile.

“I am happy for you, too,” Lucy agreed. “Although I do not know what you see in that pale excuse for a girl.”

“Well, I do not know what you see in her brother.” Mina stopped her children’s playful bickering and said.

“We are very pleased for both of you but we must tell you something,” Mina said.

“Do you remember the night Jack died…?”

“Speaking of Jack, there has been something I have meant to ask you about him.”

“Quincy, whatever it is, it can wait,” Mina said, but the words had already left Quincy’s lips before his mother had a chance to silence him.

“What is a Dhampir?”

Mina stepped forward, taking her husband’s arm; anxiety was making her squeeze him tight.

“Where did you hear that word?” Mina asked, a sense of urgency resonating through her voice.

“We all heard it,” Quincy said.

“When?” Jonathon asked his son. He, too, was desperate.

“The night he died he pointed at me and yelled the word ‘Dhampir’.”

“’Dhampir’! How could it be true?” Mina gasped.

“What is a Dhampir?” Quincy asked.

“It is true; he was the only one who heard Jack use that word. He is resistant to the Vampire’s power.”

“He is a Dhampir!”

Quincy was now afraid at the gravity of his parents’ mood. “You are talking nonsense about Vampires. Have you both gone mad?”

“I wish we were. It appears you are a Dhampir.”

“What does that mean, mother?”

“You are a Vampire hunter, Quincy. Vampires cannot enter your mind. You are impenetrable to them. That is why you could hear Jack’s words and all of us could not.”

“Jack tried to warn us but we would not listen.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Then Arthur’s wife and child were killed by a Vampire and we knew Jack was telling us the truth. A Vampire is among us again and you may be the only one that can kill it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are a Dhampir. Your blood is poison to them. Van Helsing was a Dhampir too.”

“How can I be a Dhampir?”

“Who knows? Some quirk of fate, Van Helsing did not know why he was what he was,” Mina said. “He met a woman when he was very young and this woman told him he was a Dhampir.”

“How do you know Van Helsing is dead?” Quincy asked.

“We sent a wire to the last hotel where he had written to us. He had gone weeks before and left a forwarding address. We then contacted that hotel and the one after that and the one after that. We ultimately received a letter saying that he had killed himself.”

A frantic knock on the door interrupted their grim tale. Lucy, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, got up to answer the door. Nicolae was at the door. He was out of breath, and when Lucy opened the door he fell towards her. She stumbled back, unable to support his weight. The Harkers, hearing the commotion, came running into the hall fearing for their daughter. They saw a weak and tired Nicolae lying on the floor, gasping for air.

“Shut the door,” Nicolae whispered. “Shut the door,” he said again, gathering up his energy, his voice becoming louder and more determined to scream: “For the dead travel fast.” With this Nicolae shut his eyes and did not say another word.

“He has passed out,” Lucy said.

“Check his neck for punctures,” Mina said. Sure enough when Lucy loosened his collar to reveal his neck there were two puncture marks. An hour passed by and Mina came into the living room. Nicolae was now lying on the couch, Lucy sitting beside him, holding his hand.

“Is he awake yet?” Mina asked her daughter.

“No,” Lucy answered. Mina placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Lucy. The doctor said there has been no blood loss. Whatever attacked him, he was strong enough to see it off.”

“I know, Mother. Is Quincy back from checking on Isabella yet?”

“No, but I am sure she will be all right,” Mina said.

“I hope so mother. I know I have not made her completely welcome, but I would never wish her any ill.”

“Of course not, Lucy, your brother knows that.” Lucy’s dauntless exterior melted away and she began to sob. Mina was distressed to see her daughter cry; she had not seen Lucy cry since she was about six years old.

“Oh, mother, why is this happening to us? What have we done to deserve it?”

“Nothing, child. It will pass and you will be happy again. I promise you that.” As Mina said these words she knew she was incapable of keeping this promise to her daughter. Nicolae opened his eyes and looked at Lucy.

“Lucy,” he whispered.

“Cole, you are awake. Thank goodness!” Mina left the young couple to comfort each other. When Mina went out into the hall she sat and watched the door waiting for her son and husband to come back, praying they would be unharmed. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity but was only a few hours, the door opened and Jonathon came in, and behind him to Mina’s obvious relief was Quincy carrying Isabella, who, like Nicolae, looked as if she had been through an ordeal.

“She’s unconscious as well,” Quincy said “we found her near Arthur’s home.”

“Near Arthur’s?”

“Don’t worry. We checked in on him; he is fine. Well, as fine as he can be.”

“Are there any marks on her?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Thank God,” Mina said. “Cole is awake.”

“That’s good; we need to ask him what happened,” Jonathon said. He knocked on the door of the living room, and entered, Quincy following closely behind him.

“Come in,” Lucy said.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we have to know what happened tonight.”

“Of course,” Nicolae answered. “It’s all a bit of a blur. When I went back to the inn it was after dark. I had walked because it was a pleasant night. I could hear someone walking behind me but I did not think anything of it at the time. I thought it was someone just going the same way I was. The next thing I know something grabbed me. It seemed to bite into my neck. I kicked and struggled and somehow I got loose, although its grip seemed like a vise on me. And then as soon as I was free I ran as fast I could; I ran to Lucy.”