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Night's Return

I thought I had already experienced my greatest fears, but what was happening now surpassed them all. As I drove away from the house, leaving my children in the care of others, I had no idea what our next moves were going to be. I glanced at Emelia. “Do you have plans beyond tonight?”

“No.”

“I can’t leave my children for so long––I won’t. You must figure out a way we can be together again.”

“That may not be possible for a while. We must ensure that no one can get their hands on the children, especially Santan. If anything were to happen to his son, Basarab would lose all focus. If that happens, the Dracul family will lose control and humankind will be annihilated.”

“I could help protect them.”

Emelia reached out and laid her hand on my leg. “No ... no, you cannot protect them because you will need protection, too. Only our kind can fully save them from harm now. If the wrong individual gets hold of you, you will be expendable. The count will not care what happens to you––leastwise, not above his duty to his throne––and you can be assured, Radu and Elizabeth know that.”...

I had an idea growing in my head, but it would take some planning. I glanced at Emelia and felt a twinge of guilt...

I tiptoed from the building and headed to the car. Just as I was putting the key in the car door, I heard the sound of a motor approaching up the driveway ... Around the corner came a familiar red Volkswagen ... The car came to a halt behind my vehicle, blocking my exit. Randy jumped out, and ran to me ... and then, Vacaresti approached us. “What are you doing, Virginia? Why is Emelia not with you?”...

My feet felt like lead as I walked back to the office ... my plan had failed...

Also by Mary M. Cushnie-Mansour

Poetry

Life’s Roller Coaster

Devastations of Mankind

Shattered

Memories

Short Stories

From the Heart

Biographies

A 20^th Century Portia

Novels

Night’s Vampire Trilogy:

Night’s Gift

Night’s Children

Night’s Return

NIGHT’S RETURN

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author through the website: www.marymcushniemansour.ca

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales are entirely coincidental.

Ordering Information:

Books may be ordered directly through the author’s website: www.marymcushniemansour.ca or through booksellers. Contact:

Cavern of Dreams Publishing

43 Kerr-Shaver Terrace

Brantford, ON N3T 6H8

1-519-770-7515

Discounts are available for volume orders.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Cushnie-Mansour, Mary M., 1953-

[Novels. Selections]

Night's vampire / Mary M. Cushnie-Mansour.

(Night's vampire trilogy )

Contents: bk. 1. Night's gift -- bk. 2. Night's children -- bk.

3. Night's return.

Issued in print, electronic and audio formats.

ISBN 978-0-9868169-1-8 (bk. 1 : pbk.).--ISBN 978-0-9868169-2-5

(bk. 1 : bound).--ISBN 978-0-9868169-5-6 (bk. 2 : pbk.).--

ISBN 978-0-9868169-6-3 (bk. 2 : bound).--ISBN 978-0-9868169-9-4

(bk. 3 : pbk.).--ISBN 978-1-927899-00-7 (bk. 3 : bound).--

ISBN 978-0-9868169-3-2 (bk. 1 : epub).--ISBN 978-0-9868169-7-0

(bk. 2 : epub).--ISBN 978-1-927899-02-1 (bk. 3 : epub).--

ISBN 978-0-9868169-4-9 (bk. 1 : audiobook).--ISBN 978-0-9868169-8-7

(bk. 2 : audiobook).--ISBN 978-1-927899-03-8 (bk. 3 : audiobook)

I. Cushnie-Mansour, Mary M., 1953- . Night’s gift. II. Cushnie- Mansour, Mary M., 1953- . Night’s children. III. Cushnie-Mansour, Mary M., 1953- . Night’s return IV. Title.

PS8605.U83N53 2013 C813'.6 C2013-905509-6

C2013-905510-X C2013-905505-3

eISBN: 9781927899021

Do not dismiss your dreams
To be without dreams is to be without hope
To be without hope is to be without purpose

To my niece, Bethany,

who has been by my side throughout

the writing and editing of the

“Night’s Vampire Trilogy,”

brandishing her red pen over my pages,

keeping me on track and focused to the task at

hand ... “you are the writer; I am the editor” was

one of her favourite sayings as we went over and

over the manuscripts, bringing each one to an

amazing conclusion!

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bethany Jamieson for all the hours you spent helping me with the editing of Night’s Return. Remember the night I called you and told you I had found so many little things wrong, and we needed to get everything fixed, and you panicked, wondering what you had missed––and then you laughed at me and said most of what I had found would never have even occurred to the readers––and then you took my red pen away from me! Your hard work and staying power when dealing with the ever-changing mind of the writer, (that would be me), is heartfelt. You are amazing!

Cover design by Terry Davis @ Ball Media, Brantford, ON Canada––Terry you did another amazing job!

Cover picture of wolf and girl by Elena Dudina. Photograph of model by Cathleen Tarawhiti. You can check out their amazing profiles, (under their names), on Facebook.

Winter scene picture of Wynarden was provided by the Talos family.

Special thanks to: Brenda Ann Wright, Judi Klinck, Mariette Havens, Eleanor Bahry, Tracy Bucholtz, Heather Cardle, Joan Jenkins, and Myra Houston for taking the time to read Night’s Return and for giving me such wonderful testimonials.

It was a pleasure to work, once again, with Randy at Brant Service Press. Over the years, he has been an amazing support whenever I called upon him for my printing needs. Another great print run!

One more time, I must thank the Talos family for allowing me the continued use of photos of Wynarden for the book cover. You have been an amazing support throughout my writing journey. Wynarden was built in 1864 by the Yates family, and over the years it has often been referred to as Yates Castle. In the 1920s it came into the hands of the Talos family. It is a prominent, historical landsite in Brantford, Ontario.

Night's Return:

Cast of Characters

*indicated turned by original` family member—not full blooded

The Dracul Family

Count Basarab Musat

Teresa * (Basarab’s wife)

Count Attila (Basarab’s father)

Mara (Attila’s wife/Basarab’s mother)

Count Vlad Dracul––(referred to as Dracula)

Mihail and Vlad (Dracula’s sons)

Radu (Dracula’s brother)

Zigana (Dracula’s bastard daughter)

Ponquor * (Zigana’s husband)

Vacaresti (Attila’s half brother)

Emelia * (Vacaresti’s wife)

Stephen (The Great) and his wife Evdochia

Kerecsen and Laborc (brothers––Evdochia’s cousins)

Kate * (Kerecsen’s wife)

Melissa * (Laborc’s wife)

Ildiko and Gara (twins––Basarab’s cousins)

Farkas (Father of Ildiko and Gara)

Bajnok and son, Kardos

Lardom, Tardos, and Sebes

Uros and his wife Aliz

Basarab’s & Virginia’s Children

Santan and Samara

The Humans

Virginia

Randy

Adelaide and Alfred (Emelia’s friends)

Carla (Adelaide’s adopted daughter/doctor)

Sean (Basarab’s source for blood supplies)

Radu’s Rogues

Elizabeth Bathory

Jack “The Ripper” Delphine LaLaurie

Peter Stumpp Thomas Cream

Renata Orsolya

In Dracul Family Service

Max and his wife, Lilly
Count Balenti Danesti (doctor)

Gypsy Witches

Tanyasin
Angelique

Virginia

Chapter One

The past few minutes of confusion had weakened me to the point of collapse; yet, somehow, I managed to gather strength enough to stand my ground. Maybe, the strength came from my two young children, Santan and Samara, who were clinging to me as they tried to hide from the monster that had invaded the room. My eyes flitted between the three women in my presence. Ildiko, Basarab’s cousin, stood frozen in a trance-like state. Angelique, who had been going to help me escape, stood between me and Tanyasin, the Gypsy responsible for the curse on the Dracul family. Tanyasin had said she was here for Basarab’s son––my son.

As the words sputtered out of Tanyasin’s mouth, in the strange, yet familiar language, I tried to back away, keeping my children, well behind me. “There is no escaping me,” Tanyasin cackled. “I care not what happens to you––you are irrelevant––it is the children I want. And, how lucky I am ... I thought there was only one, yet here I stand gazing upon two!”

The sound of footsteps in the hallway drew closer. Tanyasin cursed again and spun around, turning her back to us. Taking the opportunity, Angelique lunged at her sister. Tanyasin must have felt her movement because she sidestepped, and Angelique crashed into the wall. “Fool!” Tanyasin guffawed.

Angelique quickly regained her feet. She whirled and grabbed Tanyasin by the arm. “Let them go, sister, they are innocents.”

Tanyasin pulled her arm from her sister’s grip. “Not one who carries his blood is innocent. You may have a bleeding heart for his kind, but I will never forget the sight of my guiltless family and what that monster did to them! My precious husband ... my innocent son ... no, I shall never forget the blood dripping from their open wounds, nor the rattle of their final breaths! Don’t speak to me of compassion.”

“But these children are not Dracula’s.”

I sensed Angelique was doing what she could in order to try and save me and my children from her sister. I felt small fingers gripping my legs. I would have closed my eyes and prayed for a saviour to sweep into the room and save us, but I dared not. For, as much as I was afraid, I knew I needed to keep my eyes open and my wits sharp.

Tanyasin appeared empowered. She gazed briefly at me, and then returned her attention to her sister. “You were the obedient child, Angelique—the favoured one––when we were children. You thought you had power over everyone. But it is I, Tanyasin, who has the supreme power now!” She turned her head as the commotion in the hallway burst through the doorway.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Emelia, Adelaide, Alfred, Carla, and Randy. Suddenly, Tanyasin lunged at me, almost knocking me off my feet. I staggered against the counter, which saved me from tumbling to the floor. Before I could stop her, though, she grabbed Santan up in her arms, pushed past Angelique, and entered the main dining room. She stood in the centre of the room, a defiant look on her face, as though she were daring anyone to come close to her. Despite what was happening to him, Santan remained calm. Emelia raised her hand, motioning the others to stop when she saw what was happening.

“Ah, Emelia,” Tanyasin’s voice grated with evil. “Have you told your beloved nephew, Basarab, he has a second child? Does he know of the girl?”

“No, he does not,” Emelia took a step forward.

Tanyasin hissed. Emelia stopped. “Do not come any closer! I am taking this child and leaving. You can have the other one. I shall not tell Basarab of her until after he gives me what I want, and for what I desire, one child will do.” She laughed hysterically.

Unexpectedly, Samara stepped out from behind me. It was as though she were in a trance as she waddled toward the centre of the room where Tanyasin was imprisoning Santan in her arms. Samara began to sing...

Come hither, don’t dither, come around to me

On bended knee, for your life you must plead

Free the one you hold in your arms

If to yourself, you wish no harm...

Tanyasin stared at Samara, surprise written all over her face. I held my laughter in check as this child, my child, who could barely walk, stood up to Tanyasin. Unfortunately, the old Gypsy recovered quickly.

“Go and suckle your mother’s breast, baby! You do not scare me!” she screeched.

Santan’s voice rang out clear and strong. “You should fear her, Tanyasin. You should fear my sister! Would you like me to allow her to unleash the demon that possesses her?”

I noticed the strange smile on Santan’s face, and the shocked look on Tanyasin’s. I watched as Angelique walked toward her sister, reaching out her arms. “Give him to me, Tanyasin. You are no match for the forces in this room. Leave the children to me and go and do what you must with Radu. But, once again, I must warn you that he is only using you. If he leaves you alive and you come to me for help, I will still embrace you...”

“I want not your embrace, Angelique,” she sputtered. “Don’t even dream I would come to you for anything, not even if the breath was leaving my body and I could only crawl!” She paused, and I noticed a thoughtful look on her face, as though she were weighing her alternatives. Slowly, she released Santan and set him down on the floor, ignoring Angelique’s outstretched arms.

It surprised me that he did not run immediately to me. Instead, he looked up at Tanyasin and charged her with the following words: “You should listen to Angelique, Tanyasin, for she speaks the truth. Radu is only using you. My great-uncle is an immoral man; he cares not whom he harms in his quest for the throne. I also tell you that he will never gain the throne he covets. My father is all-powerful; those around him are more faithful to him than those who surround Radu and Elizabeth Bathory!” With that statement, Santan turned and walked to me. “Also, you would be wise to release my Aunt Ildiko from the spell you have cast on her,” he ordered, his voice ringing out loud and clear in the room.

My son’s statements floored me. How did he have such knowledge of the family? Who had been feeding him this information? Or, did it flow to him by a river of dreams, sent by his father? It appeared there was still much I had to learn about my children.

Tanyasin hesitated. She glanced around the room, especially at the two children who had just thwarted her plans. Slowly, she raised her hands in the air with a sweeping motion, mumbled some words under her breath, and then took a few hesitant steps toward the doorway.

Ildiko, realizing she was free, shook her head and roared. She looked at Tanyasin and charged. Angelique stepped between them, blocking the assault. “Not now. We must leave here as quickly as possible. Tanyasin is the least of our worries at the moment.”

Ildiko did not look pleased, but she backed off. I moved forward to greet Emelia and the others. I had noticed a strange look on Randy’s face as he took in the scene that had just unfolded, and wondered how much he knew about the reality of what my life was like. Santan, as though noticing Randy for the first time, raced to his friend and jumped into the arms that opened for him. Tanyasin must have slipped away during the commotion, for when we turned around, she was gone.

“We should go after her,” Ildiko spat.

“No, let her go. She can do us no harm now; but, others are on their way. You should fear them more than Tanyasin,” Emelia stated. I noticed the panic in her eyes. She motioned to the table and chairs. “We need to go over our plan to get the children and Virginia to safety; however, Angelique is right ... we need to do so quickly.”

Ildiko turned to Angelique. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “It is the middle of the night. Did Vacaresti send you? Or Basarab?”

Angelique drew in a deep breath. “No, I came for Virginia and the children, to get them to somewhere safe. Elizabeth has already realized they are not in Montreal. I am sure she will be on the next available plane to Toronto. And, she is furious. I have a feeling this will be the first place she will look for them.”

“I can handle Elizabeth,” Ildiko spoke with a bold bravado.

“Are you sure? My sister overpowered you quickly enough. Even if you can deal with Elizabeth, what will it cost? She has others with her: Teresa and a woman named Delphine LaLaurie, one of her recruits. Delphine is not the nicest individual, and she would not think twice of torturing, or even murdering whoever might get in the way of her mistress.” Angelique drove her point home.

Ildiko hesitated for a moment. “Vacaresti told me to watch over them until he returned, at which time we would take the children to their father in Brasov. I know not what his plans are for their mother. I will do what it takes to honour Basarab’s wishes and return his son to him.” A strange look crossed over Ildiko’s face. “Did I just hear you say that Teresa is with Elizabeth?” The words spewed from her mouth.

“Yes...”

“So, the filthy Gypsy has betrayed my cousin?”

Angelique reached out to lay a hand on Ildiko’s arm, to try to calm her, I assumed. “No, she did not betray Basarab. They had a plan that you were not privy to. Few were. Teresa was trying to get information for Basarab, but the events that unfolded had gone dreadfully wrong. Elizabeth found out about Santan, and she also discovered that Emelia had not only assisted Virginia in her escape from the count, but had given her the child. Teresa did everything in her power to ensure Emelia got out of the country before Elizabeth could reach her. Emelia was smart enough to throw a red herring on the trail by booking a flight to Montreal, but not getting on it. Instead, she flew to Toronto.” Angelique turned to Emelia. “You are later than I thought you might be; did something happen on the way?”

“A traffic jam on the highway delayed us,” Emelia informed. “We also decided it best to wait until dusk so we would be able to move the children safely.” Emelia turned her attention to Ildiko. “You must listen, Ildiko; Vacaresti would want it this way, too. He would do whatever he deemed necessary to protect Basarab’s children.”

Ildiko still looked as though she was ready to explode. I glanced over at my son who was sitting quietly on Randy’s lap. Santan’s eyes were aflame with a red ring of fire consuming the iris. Samara had found refuge with Carla. My daughter’s eyes danced with fire, as well. I sighed, feeling lost and alone.

“There is more,” Angelique continued. “Not only is Elizabeth coming, but Radu has sent one of his special men to keep an eye on her. Thomas Cream is not nice. It is rumoured that he is a rogue of the worst kind––one not to be reckoned with.”

“How is it that you know this, when Basarab does not know of these whom you speak of?” Ildiko’s words were rank with ridicule.

“I have been watching over your family for many centuries, Ildiko; you know that.”

Carla cleared her throat, and then spoke up. “We have a plan. We were going to stash the children in a cottage I own in Port Dover, about a forty-five minute drive from here. We brought along some belongings for the children. Emelia’s friends and I will stay with them. The plan was to have Emelia take a different route with Virginia, with the hope that Elizabeth would follow their trail first. We figured she would assume Virginia would not separate from her children, and Emelia would stand a better chance of eluding such a force as Elizabeth.”

Angelique looked to be considering the plan. “It might just work, at least for the short term. You will have to figure something else out, though. Possibly a few moves to keep well ahead of Elizabeth. Unfortunately, I must return to Transylvania, to ensure all is well there. I hope, now that Emelia is here, you will be safe ... at least she will be capable of buying some time until we can think of something better.”

I decided to speak up and voice my opinion. Everyone was talking as though I had no say in what was to happen to me and my children. I felt I was the best one to protect them. After all, I believed I had done an admirable job, at least until the other night when Vacaresti and Ildiko had knocked on my door. I wouldn’t be so willing to open my door next time ... if there were a next time. And, I would have an emergency escape plan in place. I had thought that by staying in Brantford, I would throw him off my tracks––Basarab would not expect me to be that foolish. In reality, though, it probably wouldn’t have mattered where I went, he would have found me.

“I don’t feel comfortable separating from my children,” I stated firmly, looking straight at Carla. Carla’s face twisted into a grimace, and I noticed the muscles in her face twitch. Was that anger I saw reflected in her eyes?

Emelia intervened. “There is no other way, my dear. Elizabeth will never think you would separate from your children. She probably knows, by now, that I outfoxed her, and she will follow my scent, thinking I would be the one getting you and the children to another hiding place.”

“But, if your plan doesn’t work, if Elizabeth discovers where Carla is taking the children––excuse me for being brash––what power does Carla, Adelaide, and Alfred have to overcome Elizabeth Bathory and this woman that Angelique says is with her?”

Emelia’s voice was soft as she spoke to me. “They will do whatever they can in order to protect these children. Besides, once we know they are safe, and if we have thrown Elizabeth off the trail, we can make our way to the cottage. At the moment, this seems the most feasible plan.”

I glanced over at Randy, wondering again just how much he knew. “What of Randy?” I asked. “Is he not in danger, just by association?” I noticed how dishevelled he was, and the worry lines on his face—too many for such a young man.

Randy looked over to me. I could see the despair in his eyes as he forced the words from his throat. I felt his pain. “I’ll be all right, Virginia; don’t worry about me. You’ve got to listen to Emelia and Carla; they know what’s best for you. I’m going back to our place; if these others show up...” Randy didn’t finish his statement, but I could guess what he might have been thinking he would do to the vampires––at least like to do.

I felt the flush of fear flutter through my chest when Randy mentioned delaying the others. He had no idea what these creatures were capable of! I saw the love in his eyes as he stared me down.

“You are no match for them, Randy.” I barely heard my own voice.

Ildiko spoke up. “I will go with him, Virginia, to ensure his safety.”

I was shocked. I had not known Ildiko long, but during that short time, she had never displayed any signs of unselfishness. I had to wonder at her motive. Her goal had always been to rid Basarab of his wife, Teresa. She hated Teresa with a passion. She hated anyone who might come between her and the goal of becoming the vampire queen. Another thought occurred to me––the probable reason she wanted to accompany Randy. Teresa would be with Elizabeth; what better way to remove her arch rival from the equation! If she had any fears about where Basarab might stand with me, the mother of his two children, well, I was a human and could be disposed of easily when the time came. Still, I felt it would be advantageous for Randy to have someone like her with him. He would never be able to fight the vampires on his own.

Angelique must have picked up on my thoughts. “I believe it is a terrific idea that Ildiko goes with Randy. I feel it in my bones that we are going to be inundated very soon with visitors, first to Randy’s place, and then to here.” She turned and spoke directly to Ildiko. “You and Randy should get to the apartment as quickly as possible. Make it look as though Virginia left in a hurry with the children. Get her van out of there; that way they will not suspect someone else might have taken her; or, at least, if there is no time to remove it, say the van belongs to Randy. Do whatever it takes to allow Emelia and the others to have as much time as possible to get away.” She turned to Emelia. “Where are you planning to take Virginia for tonight?”

“My office in Hamilton,” Carla replied for Emelia. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and removed a couple keys from the ring and then handed them to Emelia. “The key with the red rubber cover fits the back door of my office. There is a small sitting room down the hallway, on the left, where you will be able to make yourself comfortable. I wouldn’t stay there for long, though; it is too close to here. The longer the trail is that you create for Elizabeth to follow, the more time we will have.”

Angelique stood up. “It is time to go. Get the children in the car, Carla. Are their belongings in your vehicle?”

Emelia nodded affirmation.

I felt wretched inside. I reached out to my children, one last effort to keep them in my arms. Santan climbed off Randy’s lap and came to me. Samara snuggled closer to Carla. “Please, don’t separate me from them,” I choked on the tears that were trapped in my throat.

Emelia took hold of my arm. Her voice was gentle. “Virginia, this is the only way. You must come with me now. Hopefully, Elizabeth will pick up our track, giving Carla time to get the children safely to the cottage and out of harm’s way. The children are still young enough that their vampire scents will be faint, and when it mixes with human’s scents, it may not be detectable at all.”

I still hesitated. Emelia reached for Santan, tugging him gently from my arms. Before he released his arms from around my neck, he whispered in my ear. “Everything will be okay, Mama. We will see each other soon.”

Emelia set Santan down, and he went directly to Alfred and took hold of his hand. I fought the tears back as I watched my children leave with Carla, Adelaide, and Alfred, not knowing when I would see them again. I sighed deeply, and then followed Emelia out of the house. Within a few minutes, we were all going our separate ways.

Chapter Two

“Do you have any plans beyond tonight?” I asked, hoping Emelia had thought of some magical solution to reunite me with my children, sooner rather than later.

“No.” Emelia did not look at me.

“I can’t leave my children for so long––I won’t. You must figure out a way we can be together again.”

“But why can I not stay with the children? I could help protect them.”

Emelia finally looked at me. She reached out and laid her hand on my leg. “No ... no, you cannot protect them because you will need protection, too. Only our kind can fully save them from harm now. If the wrong individual gets hold of you, you will be expendable. The count will not care what happens to you––leastwise, not above his duty to his throne––and you can be assured Radu and Elizabeth know that.” She turned away again.

I had an idea growing in my head, but it would take some planning. I glanced at Emelia and felt a twinge of guilt; however, I felt I had no other choice. When we arrived at the address Carla had provided us with, we got out of the car and used the key to enter the back door. We located the room Carla had told us about and settled down. I let Emelia have the couch while I took the chair and footstool. Emelia lay down and folded her hands across her chest. Within minutes, she was asleep.

Quickly, I got up and headed to the office where the filing cabinets were located. I looked around on the desk, searching for the address of Carla’s cottage. I carefully looked through the papers on the desk, the desk drawers, and the Rolodex. Nothing. From there I dug through the filing cabinets, which were filled with rows of patients’ files. My, you are a busy girl, Carla. Finally, in the bottom drawer of the last cabinet I looked in, I saw the deed to the cottage in Port Dover. I wrote the address down on a piece of paper and stuffed it into my pocket.

I crept back to the room where Emelia was, to make sure she was still sleeping. I thought to leave a note, but changed my mind. I tiptoed from the building and headed to the car. Just as I was putting the key in the car door, I heard the sound of a motor approaching up the driveway. I turned, wondering who would be coming here at this late hour. If I hadn’t been of stronger character, I would have had a heart attack. Around the corner came a familiar red Volkswagen. There were three people inside, the driver I recognized immediately––Randy. Sitting beside him was Vacaresti. I couldn’t see who was in the backseat, but it appeared to be a woman––maybe Ildiko?

The car came to a halt behind my vehicle, blocking my exit. Randy jumped out of the Volkswagen and ran to me, sweeping me into his arms. “Thank God, you are okay.” He leaned over, as though he were going to kiss me, but straightened up at the last minute. He must have noticed the warning look in my eyes.

Vacaresti approached us. “What are you doing, Virginia? Why is Emelia not with you?”

I purposely ignored Vacaresti’s first question. “Emelia is resting inside,” I said, hoping my feeling of frustration would not resonate in my words. “I will have to unlock the door for you.” My feet felt like lead as I walked back to the office. My plan was failing, but I was happy Vacaresti did not pursue what I had been up to. I could tell by the look on his face, though, he probably would return to his question at a later point. As I was about to put the key into the lock, I heard a car door slam shut. I had almost forgotten about the third person in the car. I turned and saw Teresa. She did not look happy. “Teresa,” was all I could manage to say. She was the last person I wanted to see right now.

“Virginia.” Her voice was unpleasantly cold––emotionless––suggesting that she was not thrilled to see me, either.

I led the way into the office, and then stepped to the side. Once everyone was through the door, I shut it and fastened the lock back into place. I pointed to the room where Emelia was sleeping. “She is in there,” I said. Vacaresti headed down the hallway.

Teresa put her hand on my shoulder and spun me around to face her. I noticed Randy tense. “Where were you going, Virginia?” She gave me a piercing look.

There was no use lying; they would find out soon enough. If I didn’t answer Teresa, Vacaresti would ask again, and for sure, once Emelia found out what I had been doing, she would want to know, as well. “I was going to my children.”

“Oh yes ... your children.” Teresa’s eyebrows rose sarcastically. She glanced over at Randy. “Is he your other bastard’s father?” I sensed the irony in her voice.

I knew Teresa was jealous of me; and, I had also sensed when we were at the house that she hadn’t genuinely cared about Santan. She had put on an ambitious pretence, trying to play the perfect mother when Basarab was around. She was too selfish to be a devoted mother; however, she had gone too far by referring to Santan as a bastard. I hoped Vacaresti and Emelia had not heard her––for her sake. Then again...

“No,” I finally answered. “Randy is not the father of my second child. The count is––a little gift he left me on that final night in the house. You remember that night, don’t you? Me, on the floor, weeping––you and the count in the hallway, laughing at me. Nevertheless, it is I who has given your husband another child, something you were never able to do,” I sneered.

Teresa’s face clouded with anger. I had hit a nerve, just like old times. I smiled. I had meant it to be an inward smile, but it crawled across my lips without any consideration of possible consequences. Randy cleared his throat, reminding me that he was still present. I looked away from Teresa when Vacaresti and Emelia entered the room. Vacaresti did not seem pleased at what he had obviously heard.

“Now is not the time for this,” he commented as he and Emelia approached us. “We have more pertinent matters to tend to. Emelia tells me the children are safe, for now.” He turned directly to Teresa. “I need to know everything that has transpired from the time you left the hotel in Brasov until I found you at this young man’s apartment.”

Teresa looked disgruntled. “There is much to tell, do we have the time?”

“Tell it quickly, Teresa. We will not be able to leave just yet because the sun will be up soon.” He paused and turned to Emelia. “I have a sense that some of your story and Teresa’s is intermingled.”

Emelia nodded. “Why don’t I start, then?” she stated.

Vacaresti nodded, and motioned for us to return to the room where the couch was. He sat on a chair, facing Emelia and Teresa who had sat down on the couch. Randy and I looked around for other places to sit. Finding nothing, we sat on the floor at the end of the couch.

Emelia breathed in deeply, and then began. “There is not much for me to tell. Teresa showed up to my door and told me I needed to get out of Brasov and go to wherever Santan was living in order to protect him. At first, I was hesitant because I knew how she actually felt about the child, and I also knew how she hated Virginia; however, she was convincing enough that I decided to go with her.” Here, Emelia turned to Teresa. “I still did not trust you. That is why I waited for you to leave the airport before I went through the gate, and why I purchased a ticket to Montreal, but took a train to my friend’s house instead.”

“And this friend was Adelaide?” Vacaresti interrupted.

A look of surprise crossed Emelia’s face, but she recovered quickly and nodded. “Yes ... Adelaide and her brother, Alfred. They insisted on accompanying me and helping me to get the children to safety. Carla, the young woman who has done some occasional doctoring for our family members, met us at the airport. We drove straight to Virginia’s apartment, but found only Randy there. He told us Virginia and the children had been taken by someone, he didn’t know who. Carla came up with a plan of where to hide the children and of how to throw anyone else off their scent. Of course, the plan could only have been initiated if we were able to rescue the children from whoever had taken them.”

“And they are where, now?” Vacaresti asked.

Emelia glanced at Teresa and didn’t answer. I had the feeling she did not trust Teresa with such vital information. As though Vacaresti understood her thoughts, he turned his next question to Teresa. “What transpired after you left the airport? Elizabeth found out somehow that Emelia had purchased a ticket to Montreal––did you tell her?”

Teresa shook her head. “No. I went straight to the hotel to talk to Basarab, but he was gone. I found my father and filled him in on what had transpired. Max tried to insist I go to the caves. He was worried Elizabeth hadn’t actually gone to her lair, and that she had followed me instead.”

“Were you not afraid of the same thing?” Vacaresti questioned.

“Yes, but I think I would have picked up her scent. The plan Basarab and I had come up with needed to be kept up. I felt I was making progress. I assured Max everything would be okay; I would go to Elizabeth and tell her Emelia had already left the hotel, but I had been lucky to see her getting into a cab, so I followed her to the airport where she disappeared into the crowd. I headed back to Elizabeth’s apartment and waited for her return.

“I crawled into bed, to give Elizabeth the impression I had stayed in. It worked. She appeared shocked.” Teresa breathed in deeply. “Elizabeth told me we were leaving in the morning for Montreal, but she had to go and see someone first. I asked what was in Montreal, and she said she had business there. As we were walking, I tried to get some information about the rogues out of her, but she became testy and suggested I might not be trying to settle a score with my charlatan husband––maybe, I was seeking revenge on his behalf. I dropped my line of questioning after she told me it would be most unwise of me to deceive her.”

“Where did she take you?” Vacaresti leaned forward in his chair. “Who did she meet with?”

“Radu.”

“Do remember the building you were in?”

Teresa shook her head no.

“Think, Teresa ... this could be very important.”

Teresa shook her head again. “I am sorry, Vacaresti. I was not paying attention. I guess I was too anxious. All I can tell you is that it was a club of some sort ... in downtown Brasov ... we hadn’t walked too far from her apartment building. We were greeted at the door by some rogues who licked their lips when they saw me. Elizabeth ordered them to back off. As we walked down a hallway, Elizabeth told me to stay close to her; the rogues had thought I was a fresh meal, which she sometimes brought them. Then, she had laughed hysterically. I began to suspect I might not be taking the trip to Montreal––that Elizabeth had other plans for me. I also began to think it might be Radu we were going to see, and my hunch proved correct.”

I noticed a scowl cross over Vacaresti’s eyes, and, once again, he interrupted Teresa. “So, Elizabeth took you directly into Radu’s lair? Do you think this site is his main headquarters?”

Teresa hesitated. “No ... no, I think not. Possibly one of his locations, but not the main one. Too small.”

Vacaresti leaned back in his chair. “Continue, then ... what happened next?”

“Radu appeared happy to see Elizabeth, and surprised to see me. He questioned me as to why I was not with Basarab. Elizabeth was quick to fill him in––how Basarab had beaten me, how he flaunted his whore cousin, Ildiko, in my face, how he treated me as though I was nothing more than a servant, not as his queen. She told him how I had finally defected, arriving at her door bloodied and bruised. I don’t think Radu believed a word. He approached me, ran his finger down my cheek, leaned over and stared intently at me with those horrible eyes, and asked me why his nephew would want to destroy such a treasure. When I didn’t answer, he shrugged and turned to Elizabeth, and suggested they get to the business at hand.”

“Were others in the room?” Vacaresti intervened.

“There were others, but they were silent.”

“Did you recognize any of them?”

“No.”

It was the way Teresa said no that made me actually look up and observe her body language. At the mention of the others, she had become agitated, wringing her hands nervously. I decided to pay closer attention. I glanced at Randy. He appeared captivated by Teresa’s story.

“There was one man, though,” Teresa’s voice began to shake. “I don’t think anyone would forget him once they laid eyes on him! He is the biggest man I have ever seen––ruggedly wild. His eyes, deep-set as they were, glowed like an inferno, and I am sure he did not miss a thing as he watched all that passed between Elizabeth and Radu. He noticed me looking at him, and his tongue flicked across his lips as he half-grinned at me. I focused my eyes elsewhere ... the man was repulsing.”

“There have been rumours that Radu has a right-hand man who is more vicious than any creature that has walked or crawled upon this earth,” Vacaresti stated, a serious wrinkle on his brow. “It is also rumoured this man is the true power, the counsel in Radu’s ear. Continue, Teresa.”

“It was at this point that Elizabeth informed Radu of Basarab’s son. Radu demanded to know the child’s whereabouts––knowing that having such a possession in his hands could deliver the throne to him in a heartbeat. But, that was one piece of information even I was not privy to, so Elizabeth was not able to say. However, she did tell Radu that Emelia had played a role in all this and had left Brasov, heading for Montreal. Elizabeth told Radu that she had procured two tickets for Montreal for us, and we were catching the early morning flight. Radu praised her for a job well done, and told her that her rewards would be numerous if she returned with the child.” Teresa paused. “I observed something strange, though, throughout the conversation ... Elizabeth appeared submissive to Radu, unlike the woman I had come to know over the few weeks I had been meeting with her.”

Emelia spoke up. “Maybe that is the woman Elizabeth prefers Radu to see,” she suggested. “Radu may well not realize everything she is up to. I cannot see one such as her sitting beside any ruler. I might suggest she toys with our cousin, which is something that just might work to our advantage in the long run. As long as we can keep Elizabeth and Radu from getting their hands on Santan and Samara, we stand a chance of winning this war.”

I was surprised when Vacaresti chuckled. He reached over and laid his hand on Emelia’s knee. “Did you ever think we would not win this war, my love? The family of the Dracul bloodline is all-powerful––you know that.”

“But you must remember Radu is of the same blood,” Emelia reminded her husband.

“True ... but, he is not of the same heart.”

Vacaresti stood and stretched. He gazed around at us, resting his eyes on me for a moment longer than I thought was necessary. I pondered what might be going on behind the mask he wore. What I knew of Vacaresti, so far, was that he seemed to be a truly fair man and that he loved Emelia––even beyond what might be considered a normal love between a man and a woman––despite what she had done for me, and how she had hidden some of her friends from him over the years.

“Carry on, Teresa ... what happened when you reached Montreal?” Vacaresti asked, returning to his seat.

“We were met by Elizabeth’s friend, Delphine. Delphine appeared to be to Elizabeth what the huge man in Radu’s room was to him. I noted the mutual respect between the two women.”

“What did she look like?” Vacaresti enquired.

“Tall and slender ... olive complexion, as though she is of mixed blood––or maybe of French heritage. She has short, black hair that is full of tight, wiry curls, and a crafty look in her eyes, I’d say.”

“How old would you say she is? And, what kind of accent did she have?” I thought these were strange questions for Vacaresti to be asking, but his next statement enlightened me. “Your information may give us an indication of where this woman is from, and possibly how long she may have been with Elizabeth. If the relationship is as close as what you say it appeared to be, then this woman is not a new recruit, which might also be another indication that Elizabeth has her own plans when it comes to who will be sitting on the throne beside her when this is all over ... if she makes it that far, I must add.”

“She had a strange accent,” Teresa informed. “But not European ... that much I know for sure. I believe I heard something similar to it when Basarab and I travelled in the southern part of the United States. I remember laughing at how the people drawled their words. As for her age, I am unsure ... assuming she is a rogue, possibly middle-aged at the time of her turning.”

I glanced over at Randy, again, and noticed how heavy his eyes were. “Are we boring you, Randy?” I needed Randy to be alert during these revelations, for my own reasons. When I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together, later, I wanted someone else on the same page with me––someone whom I could completely trust.

Randy jumped and smiled guiltily. “Sorry ... no ... not boring at all. I’m just tired.” He straightened himself up and nodded to me. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“You should have let the poor boy sleep, Virginia,” Emelia chastised gently. “His brain is on overload with everything he has been exposed to over the past few days.”

I grimaced.

Randy came to my rescue. “Its okay, Emelia; I should be paying attention.” He blushed when he glanced at me. I noticed his reaction had not gone unnoticed by Vacaresti, or Teresa.

“What happened next?” Vacaresti leaned back in the chair again and folded his hands under his chin. He seemed to be digesting and studying every word that came out of Teresa’s mouth.

Teresa continued. “Delphine had secured an apartment for us. She told Elizabeth that she hadn’t been able to glean any information about Virginia and the child; it didn’t appear they were in Montreal. She suggested Emelia had duped them. Elizabeth questioned me, then, as to if I thought Emelia might have led us astray. I reminded her that no one had actually seen Emelia board the plane, and it had been her own inside informants who had told her of Emelia’s destination. I don’t think Elizabeth was impressed with my tone of voice because she turned to Delphine and asked her if she thought I was being truthful.

“I have to admit, I was scared when Delphine asked Elizabeth if I had always been honest with her. Then, Elizabeth placed her hands on the arms of the chair I was sitting on, levelled her eyes with mine, and asked me if I had ever lied to her. She demanded to know what truths I held in my head. I had to give her something, so I told her that Virginia might still be in Brantford, where Basarab and I had lived. Elizabeth smiled knowingly and asked for a description of Virginia.

“Finally, Elizabeth said she was tired and would like to lie down. Before doing so, she offered me some refreshment. I never even thought to question the blood she handed me––I was famished. I downed the first glass in seconds, and Delphine quickly refilled it for me. Then, the two of them took their glasses and headed to the bedroom. It was when I stood up to take my empty glass to the kitchen that I felt the wooziness creep over me. I knew I was being dismissed from Elizabeth’s service.

“When I awoke, they were gone. I was desperate as to what to do, knowing I needed to get to Brantford immediately, especially since Elizabeth had the house address. I had been smart enough to stash some extra cash in my suitcase, and I checked to make sure it was still there before I headed to the airport. It was when I was buying my ticket for Toronto that I sensed I was being watched, and not by a human. I turned around, and there he was, leaning up against a pillar, staring at me. The red gleam in his eyes gave him away. I grabbed my bag and headed toward my departure gate, but he stepped in my way. Up close, I realized he was one of the men who had been in the room with Radu the night Elizabeth and I had been there. I realized the magnitude of the game, then, between Radu and Elizabeth. This man had probably been sent to keep his eye on Elizabeth, and somehow she had given him the slip. I would be the next best person to know where she was headed. He waved a ticket in my face, and I noticed his destination was Toronto––he gave me no choice. I thought it better to play along with him. I couldn’t take the chance on either him or Elizabeth actually getting their hands on Santan...”

“So all of a sudden you developed a conscience?” I burst into the conversation, not being able to help myself. “You never showed any love for Santan when he was born; why would you now?” I sneered. I noticed the worried look on Emelia’s face, as though she were remembering the old days at the house when Teresa and I had always been at each other’s throat.

A sardonic grin spread slowly across Teresa’s face, parting her lips enough for me to take notice of her fangs. “On the contrary, my dear Virginia, I would see no harm come to the child. He is my husband’s son, and family protects family. You, on the other hand...”

“Enough!” Vacaresti’s voice cut Teresa off. “There is no time for this discord between you two; I thought I had already made that quite clear, earlier. Finish your story, Teresa.”