The Bathory Curse (2 page)

Thoughts and memories of their life began to flash
behind her eye lids, but she had to stop them, it was making her
head hurt and there was so much more to remember.

She couldn’t be dead, why did her brain feel so
mixed up? It was like she was having a hard time thinking,
remembering.

“You died, Cneajna, I have been telling you that.
The longer you are awake in this new life, the more of your old
life will return, your mind will become clear, like nothing
happened.” The Goddess smiled again and it seemed to brighten the
darkness, just a tiny bit more.

“Will I really be a witch now? Will I have magic
powers?” Cneajna felt foolish asking it, like a child. She looked
up, tears blurring her vision; there was something important she
couldn’t quite grasp and she rubbed her temples, a headache
forming, something vital that she needed to remember, little
shadows that wouldn’t come into focus.

“Yes, but it will take some time and effort to learn
them.” Bendis explained, “And you must feed on emotions to use
them, power does not simply appear out of nowhere. It is a part of
what you are now.”

“That doesn’t sound too horrible” Cneajna said. She
was trying hard to push past the prejudices drilled into her since
birth: Stregas were evil and those who practiced magic were in
league with the devil…She didn’t feel wicked so maybe she wasn’t
and Bendis didn’t act like Satan, though she guessed it could have
been a clever disguise.

If this was to be her life now, she should embrace
it, though every cell in her body was screaming to turn and scuttle
up the cliff, take revenge and then fall back into her old
life.

“I assure you not even Lucifer would dare take on my
form. I will never directly lie to you. I have no interest in
tricking you into my service. You are already there.”

“Because you took me from death? How is that fair? I
could be in heaven already.” Cneajna said, a little angry, she
stood shakily and followed Bendis.

“No, you wouldn’t, but I will explain that later.”
More silence followed. Cneajna smiled as she heard the flutter of
wings nearby and smelled the solid earth beneath her feet.

“Walk with me, and do not think of running away, I
will stop you. You can never go back to your old life again, and I
have the power to control you, don’t make me use it.” Bendis
speared her with a dark look.

“How can I be happy? I am a murdered corpse with no
home, family or money.” Cneajna placed a fist to her mouth to
contain the sob.

“This can be a joyful life. Once every 100 years I
create a Strega, I will introduce you to others of your kind as
your powers mature.” Bendis assured her. They stopped in front of a
large dark cave.

“But most importantly your main goal is to create
Strigoi.” Bendis lifted her hand and floating light appeared, the
foxes ran forward, disappearing into the cave. Bendis took
Cneajna’s hand and led her inside. Cneajna was not paying
attention, the word Strigoi was known to her, a hint of fear
crawled up her spine. Strigoi were spirits of the damned that came
back to earth to torment the living, feeding off their blood.

“That’s sinful.” She whispered in the cool confines
of the cave.

“I am glad you think that, balance must be
maintained and so humans must believe darkness lingers in the
corners of the world. My Stregas create Strigoi and they help
maintain the balance between good and evil.”

“So you want me to create beings to hurt people?”
Cneajna asked, she ripped her hand from Bendis and stood, refusing
to budge; now she knew this had to be trickery from a dark power.
Strigoi were not creatures to be created and upheld, they were to
be feared. If a family member became a Strigoi you destroyed them
and prayed to God to save their soul.

“Not exactly…Humans just need to think that.” Bendis
beckoned her on, “They are immortal and eternally young, like you.
They are just another bed time story to tell, a weapon that good
may use against the wicked. In truth, Strigoi are normally
harmless.” Bendis walked a few steps before realizing she was not
being followed.

“Come on, we haven’t got all night and I don’t have
time to constantly placate your fears. I know you think some sort
of evil is behind all of this, but truly it is not. Everything is
as it seems and I am not a harbinger of doom come to lead you,
little lamb, astray.”

With the Goddess’ words Cneajna felt foolish, she
was confused and a little lost, plucking at everything around her.
Time she grew up and accepted her fate, nodding, she followed
again.

At some point the cavern changed, Cneajna realized
it must have been a gateway because she was suddenly standing in a
huge room. Paintings of animals and half naked nymphs coated the
walls while fur covered the floors. Silver light danced through the
room and there was a table full of food surrounded by chairs and
lounges draped with the finest fabric Cneajna had ever seen.

“Sit and eat.” Bendis offered, sliding into a chair
and picking up a large mutton chop and taking a huge bite. Cneajna
watched as Bendis chewed thoughtfully and then threw it on the
floor for the foxes. She started forward and froze remembering a
tale her nanny used to tell about fairies that lured people away
and once you ate their food were forever damned to be kept in
servitude. A strange noise jolted her out of her thoughts, eyes
focused on Bendis, she realized the Goddess was laughing.

“I am not a member of the Fae court, and since the
battles began they have mostly disappeared from these woods any
way. However I appreciate the amusement, now eat.”

Cneajna went to join her and then stopped dead, “my
children,” she muttered, a hand going to her chest as pain resided
in there, deep and painful. It was as if a veil lifted in her mind
and even more memories came swarming back, the most poignant was
that she had children, ones she loved., “I can’t stay here.”

“What?” Bendis asked, eyes darkening at the change
in her new Strega.

“My children…What is going to happen to my
children?” Cneajna all but wailed it, “You have to let me go, oh
please!” She begged.

“Strega, quiet. I have said it before, you are not
going anywhere, I am sorry, but you cannot return to them. Now,
tell me about your children.” Bendis consoled her, again motioning
for her to sit and eat.

Cneajna sat and drank deeply from the goblet of wine
the Goddess gave her. Her lower lip trembled as tears threatened to
spill from her eyes.

“I have sons,” She drew in a straggled breath, “two
of them. Mihnea is only two and Mihail is five.” Choking on a sob
she took another drink, the alcohol warming in her stomach. Her
eyes darted to the entrance, her skin crawling with the urge to get
up and dart out.

“If you leave the soldiers that are in these woods
searching for you will find you. I will have no choice but to have
them killed so they cannot spread rumors.” Bendis words stilled her
craving to run.

For a moment Cneajna didn’t care, every fiber of her
being trembled with the need to be with her children, her family.
She glared at the Goddess, hating her.

Bendis closed her eyes and leaned back, a few
moments later they popped open and focused on Cneajna, “what do you
wish to know about your children, my Strega?”

“Will they be all right…? Both were at the castle
with me.” Her voice was small and scared.

“Mihnea will live to the ripe age of 50 and shall
follow in his father’s footsteps.” Bendis slitted her eyes, “but it
is Mihail you really care about, tell me why.”

“He is….different, quiet and strange… Vlad, doesn’t
care for him. But he is a smart, sweet boy and I worry with me
gone…Vlad may do something…” Cneajna admitted.

“Mihail will only live to be 28 years old, I am
sorry but I do not see his life turning out well.” Bendis didn’t
want to tell Cneajna that her favorite son would die before his
time, but it was better that she know.

“You could be with him forever if you turn him into
a Strigoi.” Bendis offered the solution on a whim; she didn’t
normally recommend changing family members.

“It wouldn’t damn his soul?” Cneajna asked, hesitant
to do something so dark to her eldest son.  

“No, it might save him much pain and suffering,
should you take him earlier than what I have foreseen.” Bendis
began to eat again, watching Cneajna.

“You’re sure?” She had to double check.

“I am….he will never have a normal life, children,
an occupation…but he can be happy, even find love if he so
chooses.” Bendis tired of the subject. They sat in silence for a
few moments, Cneajna mourning her children and pondering the
Goddess’ words.

“You will need a new name. You can longer go by the
one you have.”

“My mother called me Nea.” She answered absent
mindedly, a deep hole in her chest as she thought about her
sons.

“That is good; I must also relocate you outside of
your husband’s rule. As long as you follow my rules and do your job
for me I will take care that you want for nothing.” Bendis
said.

“What does that mean?”

“You will have a home, money, a staff…anything you
desire.”

“I desire to be home with my sons.”

“I am sorry,” and she was, “but I cannot do that.”
Bendis finished her food, noting that Nea did not eat anymore.

Finally the Goddess stood up, “now for the main
reason I chose you.” She led her through another door, when it
opened Nea found herself inside a small castle.

“This is your new home, you are now in Transylvania.
 It has already been staffed and has been awaiting your
arrival. You must lay low the next few months before beginning to
venture out.”

“How did you know I was going to die tonight?” Nea
asked, her family home had been in Transylvania, her father a
Voivode, at least something would be familiar, though she hadn’t
been back in ten years or so.

“I can see into the future, not all things, but
enough.”

“How long have you been waiting for me?” It was safe
to say it was a little creepy, the thought she had been stalked by
a Goddess, could she trust her? What if Bendis killed her for some
personal gain? Again, thoughts that this was all a nightmare
flittered through her mind.

“Five years; had you not been destined to die young
I would have grabbed you up after your natural demise.” Bendis
pondered her young Strega for a moment and draped an arm around her
shoulder, Nea shivered in the Goddess’ embrace. It was unnatural to
be this close to such power, something so inhuman.

“Your doubts are understandable, in time you will
trust me…and yourself…completely. Now what do you think of your new
home?” Her arm fell away and Nea relaxed.

Chapter 2

Nea looked around, it was smaller than what she was
used to, but it still had the same cold and musty feel of the other
castles she had lived in. At least it was clean and there was a
huge fire already roaring in the main room. Nea could smell meat
cooking in the kitchen and was happy that she would, at least, not
be alone. The fox pups, which seemed to shadow the Goddess began to
yip and ran off towards the kitchen. This made Nea smile, like the
Goddess came here enough for them to be familiar with the cook. It
also gave her a measure of relief, she didn’t know how to cook
much, she had always had Roma servants

Following Bendis up the stairs they came to a fork,
the left hallway seemed to lead to bedrooms but the right led down
a long hallway, she could see an arched entry way at the end.
 It was lit with torches, there were no windows and it seemed
to be the only place no one had cleaned: a layer of dust coated the
rugs and cobwebs hung from the corners.

“It’s nice, but I don’t understand, why do you even
have this place? It’s too old to have been built just for me.”
 She grimaced as her feet left prints in the dust; naturally
whatever she needed to be shown was down the grime covered
hallway.

“It was built over 100 years ago for a Strega who
has since passed away,” A shadow fell over her eyes, “it now
belongs to you.”

“Thank you, it is interesting,” Nea walked under the
arch and into a portrait gallery, a questioning look on her
face.

Bendis took a deep breath and walked after her, “You
are descended from a very old line Nea. You were born a Bathory and
that is no small deed. What you do not know is that your mother ran
away because of the curse that lies with Bathory women.”

“My mother never mentioned her family.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second. Bathory women are
almost never mentioned in history because of the horrible things
they did and most die young. The men hide their secrets well and
keep the records of their wives, daughters and sisters buried. That
ritual will change though and some of the evil that the women of
your family have done will eventually come to the light.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Nea ran a finger along the
edge of the wall and blew away dust.

“Yes, I have foreseen that some of them will do
wonderful things, in the future, if the curse is broken. However,
with one rumor surfacing, one horrible tale making it into written
record those women will have to take a different name and the
Bathory line will fade from existence.” Bendis explained.

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Nea commented, so what
if they had to change their names to avoid pass atrocities, many
families did.

“It is more difficult than that. It is a curse Nea
and with all curses the main issue is deeper than that.”

“Tell me.”

“I cannot yet. You must just trust me and do as I
say.”

“Are these portraits of the women in my family?” Nea
asked the stupid question, because she needed to, and if she wasn’t
going to get anymore answers from Bendis about the curse she might
as well get some on a different topic.