VROLOK (48 page)

“No, I am not going to kill you; I want you to suffer for what you have done. I will not grant you the serenity that comes with death.”

“If you leave me here I promise you I will feed on nothing but Slovaks for the rest of my days.”

“You will never feed on anything ever again!” Isabella clutched Leila’s jaw and poured some of the Dhampir’s blood into her mouth. Isabella pushed her jaw together. The quantity was not enough to kill her but her mouth started to burn, Leila squealed and that was to be the last sound she ever made. Isabella pushed her mouth shut again and her skin seared together. Isabella pushed her jaw up towards her nose, crushing her bones, fusing the bottom and lower part of her jaw together. Isabella turned from her, leaving Leila in agony. Leila grasped out for her trying to listen for an indication of where Isabella stepped but she couldn‘t find her. She was gone.

Isabella had left Leila blind, disfigured and unable to feed. She would now spend the rest of her existence in constant pain, she would age and she would die, but not for years.

Isabella did not know it yet, but she would come to regret letting Leila live.

RENFIELD
A SANE MAN FIGHTING FOR HIS SOUL 

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Renfield watched as they carried the coffin down the street. The skies had opened and were weeping, quite fitting on this day. His daughter was in that wooden box, cold, still and lifeless. They said she died of natural causes but Renfield knew that not to be true. He had killed her, the same as if he had stabbed her through the heart. He had sold her in a marriage that he knew would suffocate her. Her husband had money and Renfield wanted money more than his daughter’s happiness. This was the result, a funeral. The sights seen on this day would haunt him forever. How could he face Saint Peter and plead for his soul when he had done this? His guilt-ridden tears were hidden in the rain.

Vlad was watching Isabella when she finally confronted Leila. He saw how strong she had become; Leila was no match for her. As he watched, he came upon the realisation that she did not need him, at least not any more. She did not need his protection; no one on this earth was a proper match for her, not even another Vampire. He wondered, was he capable of beating her? He doubted that he could now. Vlad turned his back on Isabella; he was filled with sadness. He now felt totally alone—he was no longer her distant guardian.

Isabella had had every intention of killing Leila, but on seeing her pathetic existence she had decided it would be a worse punishment to leave her alive. Isabella spent the subsequent years the same way that she had spent so many others, completely alone. But after two decades, she heard Anna calling her home.

Anna’s son was getting married when Isabella returned; a girl named Catherine was his bride. Neither Isabella nor Anna thought much of her but Anna‘s son was in love. Anna had changed in the years since Isabella had seen her last. She was not the young impetuous girl that had followed Isabella everywhere she went. Her second child had died of consumption and since then moroseness had penetrated her mind. She ached for the daughter that was no longer there.

Isabella was still very fond of her and she was possibly one of the only humans that could have any influence over the Vampire.

“There is a lot of activity going on up there,” Anna said, looking to the castle.

“What do you mean, activity?” Isabella asked.

“People have been coming and going.”

“People, what sort of people?”

“Some Slovaks and some Szgany Gypsies have been hired to work there and there is one other person who lives in the castle now, a foreigner.”

“A foreigner, from where?”

“England.”

“England, he always loved England; I wonder what he is planning. Do you know why the Englishman came here?”

“All I know is that he was a British solicitor. He told the innkeeper that he was here to finalise the paper work on the Count’s purchase of some property in England.”

“Purchasing property? Isabella said bemused. “We Vampires do not purchase property, we… acquire it,” Isabella said with a smile.

“Well that is what he is doing, according to all reports.”

“If Vlad wants to purchase property, he has to let him return home.”

“A coach came for him a few weeks ago, but he never got on it.”

“I think I will go up and talk to Olya and see what is happening. Have you seen her recently?” Isabella asked.

“No not at all.”

“That settles it. I want to check that she is all right. I will go up tonight.”

“Will you let me know what happens?” asked Anna.

“I will, I’ll be back before morning,” Isabella concluded.

Isabella walked through the forest up to the castle. All the torches that surrounded the castle were now lighted. These torches had not been seen for two hundred years, perhaps even longer. Isabella was puzzled by this. Vlad had no need of light. Was he trying to pass himself off as human in front of this Englishman? Isabella hesitated before she pushed open the heavy wooden door. She did not want to see him, but she wanted to see Olya. So she somewhat reluctantly continued and crossed the threshold. The entrance hall was empty, but Isabella could hear whispering coming from upstairs. She slowly ascended the staircase, apprehensive as to what she would find there. She opened the door to her old room to discover that Olya now occupied it.

“I knew you would come back,” Olya began softly.

“I am not staying,” Isabella said, not wanting to give Olya false hope.

“You should. The danger that I spoke of before is much closer now.” As Olya spoke, Isabella realised she felt it too. There was something…life felt finite again.

“I think you are right. I feel it, too, the end for all of us feels near,” Isabella answered.

“Then you must come home.”

“This is not my home; it hasn’t been for a very long time, no matter what happens I can never live here.”

“Isabella…” Olya began, she was trying to plead with her, but Isabella cut her off before she could continue.”

“No, never,” Isabella said firmly.

“Well will you do me one other favour?”

“Anything else.”

“Will you help me go outside? I rarely get to go out anymore. I want to feel the fresh air on my face.”

“Of course.” Isabella practically had to carry Olya outside, for she was very weak. The glow that had enveloped her had gone, and it had taken with it the serenity that radiated from her heart. Isabella did not know if she was dying or becoming like her.

“Why are the torches lighted at the gate?” Isabella asked when they were both outside.

“A man arrived a few weeks ago.”

“Yes, I know, an Englishman.”

“Renfield is his name.”

“Why is he here?”

“He is helping Vlad buy a house in England.”

“But why does he need to buy anything?”

“He wants to live in England respectably.”

“Respectably?” Isabella smirked as she spoke.

“Yes.”

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, is he deluded? He is a Vampire; he cannot be respectable.”

“He is trying. He has stopped feeding.”

“Completely?”

“Yes.”

“What has affected this change in him?”

“I’m not sure. His visits to this place used to be rare─sometimes it would be years between visits. Then twenty years ago he came home in a deep melancholy. He was inconsolable and didn’t leave this nebulous place not even for a moment, and then a few months ago he decided he wanted to leave forever.” Isabella stooped down and took a fistful of dirt in her hand.

“He will not leave forever. In life this is the land he fought for. He would have died for this land; it will never let him go.” As these words left her lips, the earth started to heat in her hand. Isabella unclasped her fingers and let it fall to the ground. As the sod hit the forest floor the heat spread throughout. Without realising it, Isabella had released a mighty power.

“Are you going to go with him?” Isabella asked Olya.

“No. Whatever extra life I was granted is soon to end,” Olya cried. Isabella was sorry for her. Isabella’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging coming from deep within the castle.

“Who else lives here now?”

“There are three other Vampires; they are vicious and malicious creatures. Renfield occupies the upper rooms.”

“I‘m going up to him,” Isabella stated. At this the wooden door at the entrance of the castle banged shut.

“Vlad is back,” Olya whispered.

Isabella was reluctant to go back inside. She did not want to occupy the same space as he did, but she felt she had to know what Vlad’s plan was. For, like Olya, she too now felt the darkness that was about to encapsulate them. Isabella crept silently up the second staircase to the higher chambers where Renfield was being held. She peered in through the gap between the hinges and the open door. For the first time Isabella was watching Vlad without his knowledge.

“Renfield,” Vlad began and Isabella listened, “I want you to return now to England, and send someone else to finish off your work here. A young man. I want to know a different man’s outlook on English living.” Isabella looked over at Renfield. He was anxious and scared. Vlad had obviously been torturing him. “Will you send me this man, if I let you go home?”

“I will,” Renfield vehemently agreed.

“Very well, you will leave tonight.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Renfield groveled.

Isabella was shocked. Renfield obviously knew what Vlad was and yet he was letting him go home. Isabella knew this was completely foolish and when the coach came for Renfield that evening she would make sure that she was on it. For she would have to kill him.

Renfield stumbled onto the coach. He wanted to get away as fast as he could and his haste was making his steps clumsy. Isabella was already sitting inside. Sweat was dripping down Renfield’s brow. He kept looking at his watch. Isabella did not have to strike up a conversation with him, for he started to speak to her before she had a chance.

“How far are we from Bistrita?”

“Twenty, perhaps thirty miles,” Isabella answered.

“That far?” Renfield asked nervously.

“It should only take a few hours to get there,” Isabella said, trying to reassure him in an effort to gain his confidence.

“A few hours, surely not that long?”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Isabella asked.

“I’m not, I…I just want to get home.”

“Your business in the Carpathians is concluded?”

“I have done all that I can do,” Renfield answered.

“What was your business?” Isabella asked. At this Renfield raised his glance to look up at Isabella’s face. During their whole conversation he had not lifted his eyes from his watch.

“Why are you so curious as to the nature of my business?” Renfield demanded.

“No reason at all, just making conversation.”

“I am sorry,” Renfield apologised. “I just want out of this place.”

Isabella moved over beside him and touched his head. Isabella saw jumbled images in his thoughts. A lost daughter, a fear of death, a fear of hell, and an eventual betrayal. He would not stay loyal to Vlad—he had to die.

Isabella stayed with him until he got the boat to England from Varna. She watched the ship until it was out to sea. She turned her back on it and looked up to the skies stirring up the winds. A storm engulfed the boat; Isabella believed the ship would be swallowed by the sea. Unfortunately, the ship was sturdier than Isabella had hoped and Renfield arrived in England unharmed. Renfield kept his promise to Vlad and sent Jonathon Harker to finish what he had started.

Isabella was satisfied that Renfield now occupied a watery grave, that he could not tell a soul and he could not send anyone else. She returned to the castle to appease Olya. As she entered her old room she was struck by how pale Olya looked; she would not last much longer.

“It is all right, Olya, he will not tell anyone anything.” Isabella did not tell Olya that she sent the winds to kill him. For Olya would have felt in some way responsible, and that was too much for her good heart to stand.

“That’s good,” Olya struggled to get the words out.

“Olya, I am afraid to leave you.”

“Then don’t.”

“I have to. But will you not come with me?”

“No, a force that is beyond whispers to me that I must stay here.”

“All right, but if anything should happen, get word to Anna and I will come back.” Olya nodded. Isabella got up to leave.

Olya called out after her, “Thank you, Isabella, for all you have done.” Isabella nodded and left.

A few months went by and Isabella stayed in Bistrita, for she wanted to be close if Olya called for her. During this time, to Isabella’s dismay, another man arrived from England. Renfield had survived to tell the tale.