Into The Shadows, page 15
Aleera whirled around to find Hera, guilty and out of ideas.
The mortal noticed Anna's sword on the table beside her and she went to grab it, but the bride was much faster. She had the young woman by the throat before she could even reach her arm out and her back was up against a wall. A thought along the lines of "if I had a dollar for every time a vampire tried to choke me" humorously crossed Hera's mind, but it was gone within seconds.
"How dare you strike me!" Aleera growled venomously, her face contorting as the demon took over. "You shall pay for your foolishness!" and she threw Hera across the room and straight into the bar, the human's body colliding with the dozens of glass bottles of alcohols before she crashed onto the floor, smelling like a distillery.
Marishka took hold of the woman next and threw her across the room by her recently freed hair, laughing maniacally when Hera's body collided with a table. The mortal fell once more to the ground, thoroughly bruised and with a couple of ribs possibly broken. Marishka materialized over to Hera before Aleera could and she lifted the mortal up by her hair, the growl that reverberated in the back of her throat reminiscent of a lioness.
"What a pretty thing you are. You must be new," Marishka mused to herself. "Looks like you're not the only redhead around here anymore, Aleera."
Aleera snarled viciously at her sister and Marishka giggled in reply.
"I swear, I've seen your face before, though. What's your name?" the blonde then inquired. Hera cried out in pain when the vampire tugged at her hair to get her to speak. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that…"
Both vampires relished in the mortal's discomfort until something caught their attention – a faint scent that was coming from Hera and it made Marishka drop her immediately as both brides' faces contorted in jealousy and disbelief.
"Aleera, do you smell that?"
Aleera forced Hera to her feet, invading the young woman's personal space as she proceeded to sniff Hera's neck deeply, making her dreadfully uncomfortable. The bride recognized the smell and she snarled in a jealous rage, a look of death in her eyes.
"The master…" she hissed, forcing Hera against a wall, digging her talon like fingers into the flesh of the woman's upper arm. Hera winced and then cried out, but the brides were unmoved by her pain.
"She's the one," Marishka said. "It's been so long since the master had us watch her, I almost forgot what she looked like."
"Her hair is different, too."
"But I thought Verona said she'd be up at the manor? What is she doing here?"
Aleera's gaze held the look of promised death as she glared into Hera's bold, but pain-stricken eyes. She let her fangs lengthen.
"I don't care, but I will not be so easily replaced," the bride vowed and she went to bite the mortal and suck her dry when someone sent her flying across the room, a whirl of white and green moving too fast for Hera's mortal senses to pick up.
It was Verona.
Hera had never been so happy to see the eldest bride of the Count in all her life.
"Do not touch her!" Verona shouted.
Aleera stood up quickly from the rubble of her collision with a table and she sent her superior a deadly look, but Verona only growled, baring her fangs and earning immediate obedience from the youngest bride. When Aleera had finally backed down, Verona returned her attention to Hera, a cold expression on her face, but an apologetic look in her eyes.
"You must forgive my sister," she replied softly, her naturally deeper and sensuous voice reminding the mortal of dark chocolate. "She is a jealous and insecure child and is still learning the difference between the master's wishes and her own."
Verona then turned to Marishka and sent her a disapproving look.
"Marishka, I told you this was not a feeding journey, and the master said so as well. Must you be so gluttonous?"
"But I was hungry!" she whined.
Verona was all ice.
"The master might indulge your inability to obey orders, Marishka, but I will not!" she snapped and the blonde collected herself as Aleera joined her side. The vampires then simultaneously turned to Hera who looked at the three of them expectantly.
"Well, this a pleasure I certainly could have gone without," Hera replied as lightly as she could, trying to make her situation seem less… life threatening. "To what do I owe the great privilege and honor of a personal visit from not one bride of the Count's, but all three?"
"Technically you were only supposed to meet with Verona. Aleera and I were to draw out the princess by attacking the village," Marishka explained.
Aleera, meanwhile, made a face as she openly sized up the human, her scrutinizing discouraging to say the least. She looked genuinely disgusted.
"I don't see what the master wants with her," Aleera replied.
Hera felt something on her shoulder and she looked to see Marishka sniffing her skin, pulling the sleeve of her blouse to one side, exposing her entire shoulder and more of her neck. Awkward.
"His scent still lingers on her skin," Marishka informed the other two and she sent Hera a condemning look. "It's old, but it remains."
"What did he do with you, you minx?!" Aleera demanded, her insecurity very apparent.
"Silence, both of you!" Verona ordered. "The master does as he pleases and neither of you have the right to question him, or do you not remember the philosophies you so readily bestowed on me just a few weeks ago?"
"I just don't understand why he's so interested in a mere mortal when he has us," Aleera replied stubbornly. "Do we not please him enough?"
"Umm, excuse me?" Hera replied, getting the women's attention once more. "Yeah, hi. Uh… as fascinating as I'm sure the topic may be, I actually have no desire to hear about you three and your marital problems with Dracula. I just want to know what the hell he wants from me so we can just get that out of the way and move on with our very separate lives."
Marishka chuckled.
"She's bold, this one. Not even princess Anna is so audacious."
"Or stupid," Aleera added under her breath.
Verona smiled almost approvingly at Marishka's compliment.
"Miss Garret is not intimidated by the master, nor does she fear us and our kind. She is neither for us nor against us."
Aleera, unlike her sisters, however, was not impressed with the human. In fact, she remained fixed in her spot, arms folded condescendingly.
"Then what good is she?"
The eldest bride rolled her eyes and looked over at the younger.
"Aleera, for the sake of my patience and your face, you shall desist this instant or I will sew your mouth shut!" she snapped and the bride's lips pressed into a thin line. Verona then sighed heavily as she took hold of Hera's injured arm and healed it with just her touch, the blood retracing back to the wound, the skin and muscle stitching itself together. "I apologize again for how you've been treated," Verona replied nobly as she then ran her fingers over the damaged ribs below the mortal's right breast, healing the minor fractures as well.
"It's alright," Hera managed. "I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from a first meeting with any of you vampires," she added, rubbing the ache out of her arm as Verona finished mending the cut on the woman's head, licking the blood off her fingertips with a hint of pure sensuality as the plasma swirled in her mouth. "What do you three want?"
"We come with a message from the master," Verona answered.
"A message that he wanted delivered to you directly," Marishka chimed in. "But he doesn't want you to tell anyone else about it."
"Why not?"
"He did not say. But considering the nature of the request he wishes to make of you, one can only assume."
"What does the Count want?" Hera inquired, suddenly wary.
"He desires to meet with you, at Castle Frankenstein the night after next. You're to come alone," Verona explained.
Hera made a face.
Dracula wanted to what? Where? Why? What could have possibly possessed him to…?
"As Marishka explained, she and Aleera were to draw the princess out so I could deliver his message to you in private in order to avoid any suspicions, but as you are here…"
"Makes sense, although I'm not quite sure why he'd want to meet with me in the first place. I have nothing he could possibly want and you can assure him I haven't told the Valerious family anything regarding his secret, nor have I any intention of doing so."
"He assumed you'd respond thus. The master also instructed me to tell you that his last meeting with you has given birth to several questions he desires to put before you personally. He also said he finds the extent of your knowledge and insight stimulating and hopes to create some terms with you on a regular correspondence."
"A regular correspondence?" Hera repeated with evident disbelief. "What, like letter writing?"
"No – in person. Most likely on a weekly basis. Since you insist on staying neutral, he believes that the best way to ensure you keep your word is to divide at least a portion of your time between the Valerious' and himself."
"So my word's not enough for him, then?"
"Evidently," Aleera muttered under her breath.
Hera grew quiet for several extended moments, weighing her options, not to mention grappling with the revelation that Dracula wanted to see her again. It was almost too much to swallow, and the most glaring question in the forefront of her mind at that moment was a resounding why? Why in God's name did he want to see her? Her of all people?
She knew very well that this "he wants to make sure you stay neutral" business was a front for something far more sinister. To make matters even more precarious, Hera also didn't care for the idea of being alone with Dracula again, especially after what happened last time.
She didn't want to endure being mercilessly seduced and left alone and aching again. No way was she going to willingly be his plaything. Over her dead body.
"What is your response?" Verona asked dutifully as all three brides observed the mortal closely, waiting for her answer. Hera managed to straighten up a bit as she regained her composure, the picture of utter poise and serenity, despite the nature of her situation.
"Inform your master that I wouldn't meet with him in private even if he offered me every assurance in world," Hera replied confidently, blatantly refusing his request to the astonishment of all three, yet to the secret pleasure of Aleera who knew her master's temper well enough to know that he wouldn't take to this refusal with grace and kindness… oh no. Her master was not that patient, and especially when it came to insolent mortals.
"Would you also let him know that I think he is a disgusting, chauvinistic, womanizing prick, and I've met my share of pricks before, but that man is a fucking cactus. Oh! And another thing – If he ever, ever tries to seduce me again, I will kick his godforsaken ass!"
Aleera covered her mouth in shock, while Marishka broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter. Verona however, remained dutifully tranquil, although Hera could see the hint of amusement in the bride's eyes.
"You do realize he won't be very pleased with your response," Verona said as Marishka continued to giggle in the background.
Hera just smiled confidently.
"Tell him that if he really wants me to take him seriously, perhaps instead of sending you three out to do his bidding, he could be a real man for once in his life and ask me himself. I'm a human being – not some trained dog that comes running whenever he calls. And the way he treats the three of you is inexcusable – sending you out at all hours, no matter the danger. I understand that he may trust you, but there's a fine line between confidence in a person's abilities and straight-up neglect."
"I'll let him know," Verona said, struggling to hold back her diverted grin.
The bride wasn't entirely sure why, but she was grateful this mortal was foolish – or maybe it was brave – enough to challenge her master, especially considering the plans he had for her. It was refreshing to come across a person who wouldn't take his need for dominance lying down.
Hera may have been a woman out of time, but she was exactly what was needed to check the Count's out-of-control hunger for power.
Sure, the women of the Valerious line had always shown a similar fighting spirit, but theirs had been born out of blind hatred. Hera may have begrudged Dracula for his earlier treatment of her, but she did not despise him in the same way the likes of Anna Valerious did.
It would be an amusing battle of wills, to be sure, and Verona secretly hoped that Hera would give her master a run for his money.
"A friendly piece of advice, one woman to another – don't go wandering outside by yourself for a while… he'll try to catch you off guard," the eldest bride suggested as Aleera and Marishka moved toward the exit.
"Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to stay indoors then," Hera replied.
"He will not be content with your answer, Hera," Verona warned, but the mortal merely smiled as she leaned against the frame of the door, looking up as the three vampires took off into the sky.
"Good," she said to the night air. "I don't want him to be."
XI
An Unexpected Knock at the Door
"She said what?!" the Count exclaimed. His voice echoed off of the high ceilings as he whirled around to face Verona who had just concluded relating the story of Hera's obstinate refusal. "Are you certain that is what she said?"
"Word for word, master," Verona answered penitently, trying to stay as calm as she could, considering the evident frustration her master was now experiencing. His temper had a habit of being unpredictable.
Aleera and Marishka stood close behind the eldest bride, watching as the Count paced rather furiously in an attempt to properly organize this thoughts and assuage his current irritation. He had to be careful with his next move now, as there were evidently many layers to deconstruct and understand in Hera's words. The mortal was unlike anyone he had ever met before and if he wanted to obtain her utter allegiance, he needed to tread carefully.
"And she really called me a disgusting, chauvinistic, womanizing prick?" he clarified, the faintest hint of amusement in his tone.
"And she threatened you!" Aleera chimed in almost excitedly, but she hushed when she saw the look of warning in her master's eyes. "She was very rude, my lord," she corrected with timidity. "She seemed to suggest that you weren't a.. a real man."
Dracula rolled his eyes before returning his attention back to his eldest bride who sighed in part annoyance, part humiliation for Aleera's behavior. That woman needed to learn when not to talk.
"Hera is a very bold mortal," Verona explained. "She does not fear our kind, nor does she fear you. I am concerned that if we don't create some kind of alliance with her soon, she will not stay neutral for long. She becomes increasingly attached to the Valerious with every day that passes."
Dracula continued to pace.
"I know, Verona, I know…"
"The prince's attentions to her have been particularly noted and if we don't act soon while he's away, her alliance with that family will become inevitable… and you said that she knows your secret…"
"Did it ever occur to you that I already considered that, Verona?" he interrupted with thinly veiled agitation.
His outburst resulted in the cowering of his brides as his control temporarily slipped.
"That infernal woman is like dry sand! I can't hold onto her! Just when I think I have her, she is fighting me, slipping through my fingers no matter how hard I squeeze," and he stared at his palm thoughtfully. "She may know some of my secrets, but not all of them. If she did, she would make certain that the Valerious family never let any of us within an inch of her. I need to use that ignorance against her while I still can, and soon before the prince makes his move. If she claims loyalty with the Valerious, we are done for!" and he angrily shoved a neighboring candelabra, unmoved when it crashed to the floor.
The three women huddled at the far end of the chamber jumped at the sound and the two youngest began to whimper.
"Master?" Marishka called timidly.
Dracula looked up at his fearful brides and he sighed, relaxing as he held out his hand.
"Come here, my love," he said and Marishka instantly came to him, nuzzling her face into his broad chest. He looked up at the remaining two and silently beckoned them as well, pleased as they obeyed one by one, first Aleera and then eventually Verona. The eldest stood behind him, arms wrapped around his middle, resting her cheek on his shoulder.
"What are we going to do, my lord?" the dark haired beauty whispered as Aleera and Marishka fawned over the man who barely took note of them.
"I'll think of something," he said resolutely and he leaned against her somewhat, pulling from her quiet strength. "I'll think of something."
The Count lingered within his private study in silence, the fire that burned in the hearth providing a useless heat and inadequate lighting as he paced back and forth, back and forth in front of his desk.
It didn't make sense to him.
Why was he so concerned about this Hera character? The plans he had were half-hearted at best and given her stubborn temperament, he wasn't entirely certain he had what it took to woo the woman not just in the physical sense, but emotionally as well. It would have been so much easier if he had just killed her when last they had crossed paths back at Castle Frankenstein. That had been the original intention – get what he wanted from her and then dispose of her when her usefulness had worn out.
But it hadn't worn out as expected.
And what was worse – he didn't want to kill her just yet.
Count Dracula liked her.
He admired her boldness, her wit, and her stubborn will. He found the extent of her knowledge fascinating – and it undoubtedly worked in her favor that she was an incredible kisser, especially when deprived of shared control. Yes, toying with her had been more than just a power trip for him. Those tingles of pleasure that crawled beneath his skin still remained and her taste continued to linger on his tongue.
But there was one thing in particular that had been burned into his mind, and though he wished he could erase the image, he could not. Those sharp eyes of hers – the heed, the fire, the splash of innocence, the astonishing lust. Never before had he seen such attentiveness, such a keen sense of observation, and how hard it was to keep her gaze with his, so strong was her will.
