The Bathory Curse (9 page)

Ruxandra left and Nea set about putting Valora, the
wet nurse, and babe into her coach, “Dismiss the wet nurse as soon
as one of our kind can be procured and sent to the castle.” Nea
instructed as she escorted Valora and the baby to their
transportation.

“Won’t she tell tales?”

“Mihail is at home, he will take care of her memory.
I will follow in a week or so. I know it’s not your job to take
care of a baby and I appreciate the help. When I get there you can
come back here or to the other house, whatever you want.” Nea
smiled.

“No problem, I love children…” Valora chuckled and
got into the coach next to the nervous wet nurse.

After they left, Imre approached her from the
shadows, “Mistress.” He bowed low, his beard unkempt and hair much
too long.

“Oh Imre, when was the last time you bathed?” Nea
sighed.

“Don’t need to out in the woods and around the
cemeteries.” Imre laughed.

“I need you to do me a favor,” Nea told him,
beckoning him to join her inside, he did, but she could tell he was
uncomfortable.

“Hopefully something not so pleasant?”

“The Lady Anna Bathory needs to, quite frankly, be
put down…before she destroys her other daughters the way she has
begun to with my Lizzy.” Nea sat on the sofa in the library,
knowing the books would make Imre feel a bit better. It was
something that kept him from killing innocents. She allowed him
free access to each of her libraries. After becoming Strigoi he had
taught himself to read and enjoyed it.

“So you want me to kill her.” Imre was blunt, his
dirty fingers caressing a leather bound tome.

“Yes, it is unfortunately a duty my Strigoi must
carry out for me, and since you would care the least…” She trailed
off, uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Only because the other one in Hungary has too much
heart left.” Imre snorted. “Aside from that, I thought you might
enjoy it.” Nea finished, letting his comment go, trying to detach
herself and her emotions from their discussion.

“As good as done mistress.” He plucked the book he
was fingering from the shelf and slid it into the pocket of his
ragged coat.

“Thank you Imre, and try to remember I am holding
the Winter Festival at the Castle this year and I expect you to be
there,” Nea told him firmly. He only laughed sardonically and then
faded out of existence as he went to do her bidding. Once he was
gone she curled up on her seat and cried angry hot tears of self
loathing.

Nea went to bed anxious and weary. The next day when
news of Anna’s death reached her she was distraught and no one
thought twice about her sweeping in and taking over all the
arrangements. Anna and the “baby” were buried in graves right next
to each other and Elizabeth was shipped off to begin a new life
living with her future husband and mother-in-law.

“Promise you’ll come visit me!” Elizabeth called out
the carriage window, waving at Nea and her younger sisters.

“Promise!” Nea called back, hoping that the time
with her mother hadn’t scarred the young woman for life. She seemed
so happy and bright, always searching for knowledge and life. Nea
would enjoy visiting her in a fresh, hopefully more joyful,
setting.

Nea allowed Klara and Zsofia to run after the
carriage for a few minutes before calling them back to her. They
had both lost so much in such a small amount of time.  She
hated to see them cry and mourn the loss of the older sister who
had basically mothered them. It had been decided they would stay
with their second oldest brother; Gabor.

Gabor lived with his wife and mother-in-law in
Nyirbator, not far from his mother’s home. He was doing better
financially then Istavan having been the main heir to his father’s
estate. He inherited most of the money and property and had gladly
accepted both girls into his household, promising to set them up
properly with dowries since Anna never took the time to even think
about a future for her younger children.

Ruxandra met her that night after she dropped the
little girls off with their brother. He had been excited to see
them and his wife had made a small feast in welcome. They had all
eaten and then played games until the both girls were asleep on
their feet. Too worn-out to even care that they had a much larger
room to share than at home.

“You look sick.” Ruxandra mentioned as they walked
away from the voices and warmth of Gabor’s hearth and into the
darkness.

“It has been a trying week….I have known Anna since
she was a small child, her death is on my soul now just as her
picture is on my wall. I couldn’t save her and it troubles me.” Nea
admitted.

“Maybe you should take a break, or do something
besides worry about your other kin….” Ruxandra suggested.

“It’s my task, one that Bendis has assigned me.”

“But it isn’t all there is to life, there are other
adventures.”

“Such as?” Nea turned down the road leading to her
house. She wanted good food and her bed before travelling to the
Castle.

“Such as going to your Castle and having the chance
to raise Anastasia from birth to grown woman. You didn’t get to
with your sons.”

“Raise her as my own?” Nea had not considered that
before.

“Yes, why not? You are rich and have magical powers,
who better to raise a child that is destined to be cursed?”
Ruxandra had some good points. They reached the house, near the
back door to the kitchen.

“That is true.” Nea was about to say more when out
of the dark launched a pale female figure, arms outstretched, mouth
wide open revealing pearl colored fangs. She shrieked at Nea and
almost collided with her, but Ruxandra intercepted. Her hand
connected with the assailant’s chest, throwing her back through the
air. The woman landed on her feet and made to attack again.

Nea gathered power around herself and Ruxandra, this
time when the crazed thing leapt it hit an invisible wall and was
momentarily stunned. Ruxandra used this time to run and pin her
arms behind her back. The creature yelled and hissed.

“Ugh, it’s a vampire.” Ruxandra sniffed, “smells
like old blood.”

“Bring her inside.” Nea commanded. They went into
the kitchen and Ruxandra sat the vampire girl in the chair, when
she made like she was going to try and leave, Nea wrapped her in
invisible cords, that tightened every time she moved.

“If you stay still it won’t hurt as much.” Nea
warned, watching as she struggled against the constraints and the
chair beneath her.  The vampire was hissing and her fingers
were trying to claw the air, still in a desperate need to get to
Nea.

“Oh stop it, we’ve bested you. If you want us to
even consider letting you go alive you better start talking.”
Ruxandra slapped the vampire, her jaw snapped closed with the
contact and the girl went very still.

She was wearing a plain white nightgown that was
splattered with old blood and dirt. Her hair was long, blonde and
dingy, like it hadn’t be brushed or washed in weeks. She was quite
pretty once you got past the pasty face and deranged look in her
eyes, like a small porcelain doll.

“Whore, you cannot have him,” she whispered,
spearing Nea with a dark glance.

“Him? What are you talking about? As far as I know I
have stolen no man’s heart of late.” Nea laughed.

“My dark husband, you cannot have him back, he’s
mine now.” She was almost growling the words as she pulled her
knees up to her chest and began to rock, even though the magic
tightened until small lines appeared in her clothes and skin; red
abrasions. Her eyes were blazing with crazy bloodshot light, the
sign of a vampire who has recently fed. Nea hoped it wasn’t on any
of the villagers close by.

“Again, I don’t know what…” Nea stopped and frowned,
thinking about the lingering dark presence that had lurked around
her castle for years, always out of sight, never confronting her
but persistent.

“Bunica?” Ruxandra asked, confused.

“Oh Vlad.” Nea moaned softly, the vampire’s head
snapped up, eyes burning.

“Mine! Mine! Mine! He took me from God and promised
to be mine! I cannot live with your memory!” She screeched.

“Was she a nun?” Ruxandra peered at the girl,
appalled.

“Yes! Almost! Married to the Lord!” The vampire
cried in a strange sing-song voice, “Not now, no more…now I have a
dark husband! He’s not yours!”

“Dark Goddess.” Nea rubbed her temple, she knelt by
the vampire, using her will to make the girl focus. “Little dead
one…I do not want your dark husband, I promise. I am going to let
you go, but if you come for me again…I will kill you.”

“You will kill me?”

“Yes”

“He said I cannot die.”

“He lied.” Nea released the magic and with a
maniacal laugh the small vampire fled her house, into the
night.

“You think she’s talking about Grandpa?” Ruxandra
asked as she righted the chair and pushed it against the table.

“Yes…I must go. I need to talk to Mihail. It is time
we had some answers…some closure. Be safe Ruxandra, she might come
back.  I am not sure when I will see you again.” Nea embraced
her granddaughter.

“It will be alright Bunica. I can take care of
myself, no matter what Imre thinks of me. I have been alive a lot
longer than most.” Ruxandra laughed. Nea was not surprised Ruxandra
had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Imre.

“I know my dear one. I wish I could stay longer, I
wanted to take a meal with you before running off.” Nea
shrugged.

“I understand, go.” Ruxandra gave her a friendly
shove and Nea gathered her power around her, concentrating on what
she wanted it to do and then used it, speeding through the night to
her Castle.

When she arrived she was surprised to see many
people filled it with light and love. Valora was holding Anastasia
and they were in the sitting room listening to Sabine play the
violin. Mihail was standing in the shadows watching everyone and
waiting for his mother. When Nea walked in all sound stopped and
three pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

“Mihail, I was just attacked by a crazy vampire
stating it is your father’s new wife. I need you to go out into the
dark and the shadows and find out once and for all if the rumors
are true.” Nea walked to him and held out her hand. He placed his
long fingers in hers and squeezed.

“I was hoping we would have some time together
before another crisis hit,” he teased.

“I know my son. But this is important. If Vlad
Dracul has become one of the undead he may be a new threat to
us.”

“I will find out.” Mihail leaned in and placed a
kiss on his mother’s cheek then dematerialized.

“Wow, you have had a busy last few days.” Sabine
tried to laugh but it was forced.

“The gallery?”

“Complete with new portrait. I’m so sorry Nea.”
Sabine frowned, put down her violin and the two of them hugged.

“Are you here with a new girl for me to hide?” Nea
was going for funny, but she was too tired.

“Nope, just stopped by to see what had Hecate in a
twist.” Sabine pointed to Valora, “A Bathory babe in your
house…really Nea…what will you do with it?”

“With her you mean…she has a name; Anastasia…though
Stasi will do just fine for now.” Nea reached for the baby, amazed
how much she had grown in the week. Cuddling the small bundle near
her chest she felt light for a few moments. The scent of a fresh
clean baby wafted to her nostrils and she remembered how much joy
she had found when Mihail and Mihnea had been small. She had missed
so much of their lives, perhaps fate had given her another
chance.

“You cannot mean to keep her.” Sabine broke the
cheerful mood.

“I do indeed.”

“Hecate will be angry.”

“My life was taken from me; I didn’t even get to
raise my own children. This one I can and best of all it is in the
best interest of my task. Perhaps growing with light and love with
allow Stasi to break free from the curse as my mother and I have.”
She kissed Stasi’s head, the peach fuzz of hair tickling her
nose.

“Maybe…but are you sure? Raising a baby plus
everything else is going to be difficult,” Sabine warned.

“What in this life isn’t difficult? Plus, I have
you, Ruxandra and Mihail to help…oh do not scowl, you know you’ll
love being an Auntie.”

“And what am I chopped liver?” Valora’s gruff voice
said.

“Of course not, but you have many duties to attend
to, three households run smoothly because of your talents. You
cannot be here all the time. I know you use your gift to help those
in need. You cannot be a nanny on top of that.” Nea said,
understandingly.

“Well then I better go, that estate you have near
Wallachia is practically in ruins. Can’t keep good help in it with
all the battles bursting up everywhere.” Valora gave a stiff bow,
“I’ll go up to bed now if you don’t mind and take a horse first
thing in the morning.”

“With blessings.” Nea acknowledged.

“She did a great job this week. She had everything
needed for that baby delivered and set up in your rooms. Maybe you
should talk to Hecate about letting her go home for a week. She
hasn’t seen her own family in six months,” Sabine reminded
gently.

Sometimes Nea forgot that her staff were mostly
plucked out of time in penance or servitude for Bendis.
Occasionally they were temporary like most of the maids, doing a
brief stint and sent home…but permanent staff like Valora were
taken and sometimes never given back, or not sent home for decades
at a time. Nea had to bargain on their behalf to send them home to
visit or have them released from their duties.

“I wish I could just hire my staff like other rich
people.” Nea laughed.

“You do…but those that need to see more than
others…you know…”

“Lesson 31; Mortals cannot be trusted.”

“Pretty much.” Sabine looked down at the baby again,
“she is pretty cute. Maybe spoiling her won’t ruin her chances of
getting pass the curse too much, you think?”