Lord of the Vampires (7 page)

The question brought tears to my eyes, for I knew that I looked a walking corpse and far from lovely. Her kindness touched me, and I managed a wavering smile as Vlad without protest, to my surpriseat once bowed and said:

Countess Elisabeth Bathory of Csejthe. May I have the honour of presenting to you my niece, Zsuzsanna Dracul.

Elisabeth held out a hand, gloved in powder-blue and marvellously perfumedand, to my utter astonishment, warm. I took it and made with difficulty a small courtesy as she said to Vlad, And not Tsepesh? Have you discarded the name entirely, then?

He gave a solemn nod. His anger seemed to have entirely evaporated, as if he was actually hesitant to berate me in front of this woman, seeing as my presence pleased her. While living, I was famed as the Impaler, the
tsepesh.
But now that I am immortal, I have other interests, and am more pleased to be known as Draculathe son of the Devil.

So the Dragon is indeed a Devil? she asked cockily, then laugheda sound as sweet as her perfume. But she fell silent and turned her attention to me the instant I murmured: Your hand. It is warmare you vampire or living? But you are far too beautiful to be mortal

At that, her pink lips curved slyly, and she peered sidewise at Vlad from beneath a fringe of golden lashes, with an expression that said,
Shall I tell her?
But he lowered his gaze with a grave expressionand I felt she withheld something from me as she laughed ruefully and replied, I am neither young nor mortal, my dear, but I suppose that, compared to Vlad, I am still a girl; I died a mere two hundred and eighty years ago.

As she spoke, the sensation of swooning overtook me again, and I would have fallen backward had she not caught my arms.

Why, my dear Zsuzsanna, you are so weak! And how thoughtless we are to insist you remain on your feet. And she favoured Vlad with another enigmatic glance, saying, I should like to be alone with her for a time.

Reluctance flitted over his features, but it was soon replaced by a look of maliciously smug understanding, as if some wicked revelation had just come to him. Ah. Of course She can lead you to her chambers. There is another one there toothe serving-girl

Even better, answered she, and coiled a satiny arm round my waist. Lead on, Zsuzsanna. Her aspect was one of helpfulness, as I was still unsteady on my feet; and so I permitted myself to lean my cheek against her shoulder that I might study that magnificent porcelain neck and breathe in her perfume. It had been so long since Id laid eyes upon immortal beauty that her striking appearance quite overwhelmed me.

We made our way down the winding stairs while I listened to the music of Elisabeths cello voice. She chattered on about her home in Vienna, of how wonderful that city was, and I whispered in reply that I had travelled to that city once and fallen in love with it.

Well, then! You
will
come to my house there, and enjoy all that I have at your leisure. You are exhausted now for lack of power, but I can see beneath this premature aging. You are far too beautiful a creature to languish here in this desolate ruin of a castle. She glanced over her shoulder as if in recognition of Vlads keener hearingbut I said:

Do not worry. He can no longer hear so well as

I know precisely how well he can hear, and he cannot detect us at this distance. Perhaps you were too weak to notice, but I did restore a modicum of his former strength to him tonight. She paused and turned her delicate features towards me, the long gold-gleaming curls falling forward from her shoulder onto an ample mother-of-pearl bosom. We can speak in confidence now. My deardid you know that he directed me not to restore your power to you?

My lips drew back in an angry grimace; I managed to press them together, but still they quivered with rage. He has been so cruel and heartlessyou cannot imagine! I have only been good to him, and obedient

Obedient
. She spat it out like the most onerous curse.

but he has tricked me, starved me until I was too weak even to hunt. For half a century I have trusted him, thinking that he had honest concern, even love, for me. He is my own uncle, whom I adored without reserve during my life, and he has preyed upon my affection in order to deceive me.

As I spoke, she came to a stop and listened intently to my words, her full lips compressing gradually into a thin line. I told her of his generous offer to hunt for us all, and of his cruelty to me and to poor Dunya. And when I had ended, she said slowly, It is as I thought. The stupid mediaeval bastard! And she took off again at full speed, dragging me along.

I broke into explosive laughter despite my weakness, and though I gasped, I could not catch my breathor stop my gigglesto reply. I had never heard anyone refer to him without awe or fear, and to hear him so bluntly described startled and pleased me without end.

Ah, the term amuses you, she said, her perfect forehead marred by the crease of a frown. But think: Is my term for him so inaccurate? The year is 1893, but Vlad thinks it is still 1476. He treats women like chattel; I would not be surprised to hear that he has kept his serfs.

Still grinning, I confided, No, they fled fifty years ago, out of fear when he broke the covenant

She drew her head sharply up and back, her gaze keen and searching. The covenant? His agreement with the Dark Lord? Is
this
why I was called?

This has nothing to do with the Devil, I said, and paused to gesture at my chamber door, for we had arrived at our destination. He had broken his vow not to share immortality with one of his family, and the villagers all feared that he might begin to feed on them. Why do you laugh?

For she had pressed a hand to her white bosom, spreading the blue-gloved fingers there, and begun to laugh without reserve. Indeed, she flung back her head, causing the cascade of golden curls to fall behind her shoulder and spill down her back. I drew my face close to hers and peered, mildly insulted that she should find mirth in such a serious thing.

But injury soon changed to amazement, for at that proximity my weakened vision could clearly detect her teeth: small, blindingly white, and even. And precisely like a mortals, without the sharp, elongated eyeteeth.

You are not a vampire, I marvelled.

She sobered then, though her lips still curved in a half-moon crescent; and keeping one arm round my waist, with her other hand she clasped mine, infusing me with her warmth. Zsuzsanna darling, I am what I wish to be. As for my laughterit is directed not at you but at Vlad, who obviously has infected you with his mediaeval idiocy. My dear, there is no Devil.

Then what of the Dark Lord? I had never encountered Him myselfin truth, I would be afraid to do so but I had overheard many of His encounters with Vlad.

Her lips twitched with faint amusement, but she restrained her merriment out of consideration for me. He is called the Dark Lord because that is what He prefers to be called. And He is not necessarily a he.

I stared at her, confounded, as she pushed open my chamber door and drew me across the threshhold. Come, my darling. You have much to learn.

* * *

3 MAY 1893, CONTINUED.

Returned, returnedall my strength, all my power, all my joy and beauty, returned!

Elisabeth led me inside my own chamber (which, appropriately, were now the old servants quarters), where my polished black casket lay open beside Dunyas. Again she worked to repress a grin at the sight of the coffins, and was not entirely successful. At my questioning glance, she murmured, How very dramatic and how like Vlad. He has always been more obsessed with death than life. She turned to me. Zsuzsannaare you able to keep a stunning secret from Vlad?

I am. My thoughts are my own; he is not privy to them.

I did not mean that, my darling. I could protect your thoughts from himthough this is indeed better, for it will not provoke his suspicion. I meant: Can you keep patiently silent, even in the face of the most thrilling revelation?

The diamond brilliant gleam of anticipation in her eyes quickened my own excitement. Yes, of courseif silence is to my benefit.

Oh, it shall be. I have returned only a portion of Vlads power to himI lied and told him I could only accomplish it in increments, for I wished to know his true intent before I restored him completely. I do not trust him. But I can see that you, Zsuzsanna, are possessed of a good, honest nature; therefore, I shall restore you to full vigour this very hour.

I clapped my hands together in eagerness, though the act took a great deal of effort. And Dunya too?

As you wish. I have no doubt that she, too, must be deserving, if she has won the affection and loyalty of one so worthy as you. But here is the condition: You both shall perceive your restored beauty, and your strengththough to Vlad you will both appear as you are now. But you are neither to speak of your restoration, nor indulge your reclaimed powers in front of him. Do you swear to this?

I do, I answered, smiling for pure joy. I knew it would be difficult to keep from striking Vlad a mighty blow, or flaunting my greater abilities before him; but I was desperate to regain the life I had known. I would have sworn to anything.

Excellent, she breathed, then glanced round the vast, cold room. Darling, lie down.

I moved obediently towards the casket, but she shook her head. No, not there. That is too gruesome a place, and we want no reminders of death! On the bed, Zsuzsanna.

Together we moved to the rooms far end, where a narrow, long-unused bed stood near a window. I drew back the heavy curtain surrounding the bed, and lay down upon the grey homespun blanket covering an ancient, lumpy mattress of straw.

Elisabeth followed and knelt beside me, then patted the unyielding mattress with a groan of pure indignation. Zsuzsanna, this is a servants bed! She looked round the chamber with dawning realisation. He has put you in the servants quarters!

I sighed. I know

No more for you, my darling! When you come with me, you shall sleep on pure down, in silks and satins and grandeur befitting a queen!

When you come with me

Had I a heart, it would have begun to beat faster then, for the notion that I should live with one who truly cared for meand was so exquisite to beholdevoked a thrill of anticipation. Had I understood her aright? Was she truly suggesting that I break away from Vlad, and go to live with her?

Was such a thing possible? I had always believed that Vlads fate and his power were inextricably bound to mine; that if he perished, I should too. At least, that is what Vlad himself had told meand I had always believed him. Had I suffered here needlessly in this desolate castle because he had lied?

Any anger I felt at Vlad was eclipsed by hope: perhaps he
bad lied
to me, but that fact was actually more comforting than the thought that he had not. If I could break away from him, abandon this grim castle without fear and go with this amazing immortal woman to enjoy all that the grand cities of Europe have to offer

Do you mean, I whispered, that I am not obliged to remain with him? He has told me that my existence depends upon his; is it

Before I could utter the word
true,
Elisabeth countered angrily, Believe nothing he has told you! There is no Devilbut the Prince of Lies lives, and his name is Vlad. My dear, I have known him almost three centuries, and I know his selfish mind: he made you as you are not because he was lonely or because he loved you, but because you flattered him, appealed to his masculine pride. And if he has told you that his destruction will bring about your own, it was only because he wishes to keep you enslaved by loyalty.

At this notion, I began to weep, for the truth was that I
had
worshipped him slavishly when I was alive, and there were still remnants of girlish adoration in my heart. To think that his motive in Changing me had not been love

Ah, sweet child, dont waste your tears over the likes of
him.
Still kneeling, she pulled off the powder-blue gloves and carelessly cast them onto the floor; then she reached forward and took my hands into hers. Her flesh softer than a childs, and finerpossessed a febrile warmth, as though she had just held her palms over the fire for an hour to capture the heat. At the touch of it, I sighed. You shall be returned to your former gloryperhaps moreand will have no further need of him. She leaned forward until the entire world consisted of nothing but her glittering diamond-and-sapphire gaze.

Brilliant as diamonds and just as cold,
I thought, and shivered, abruptly seized by strange and irrational fear. What shall you do to me?

A kiss, she whispered, bringing her face so close to mine that her sweet breath warmed my cheeks. Only a kiss And she bent down until at last those soft, soft lips pressed against mine.

How shall I describe it? How does one describe infinity or bliss to those who have not experienced them?

I remember the night of my Change, after Vlad had left me to diethe sweet sensuality of it, the euphoria, the intriguing sharpening of all faculties: sight, sound, touch. The memory of those moments has stayed with me these five decades of undeath. Nothing, I thought, could supplant them; ah, but that was before Elisabeths kiss!

So intense was that pleasure, so consuming, that for an unknown period I lost myselflost all sense of my surroundings, of Elisabeth, of time, of anything at all in the world, save darkness and bliss. There was no I, no thing separate from this union with eternity.

Given a choice, I would never have left it, for beside it even the attraction of immortality dimmed. But all too soon, I discovered that I had returned to my body, and that I lay upon the uncomfortable straw mattress and rough blanket staring up into Elisabeths delighted eyes.

Oh, she breathed, putting a hand to her heart in amazement. My Zsuzsanna How beautiful you are!

And with the other hand, she drew me up to my feet. I rose easily, gracefully, and laughed aloud at the infinite strength that suddenly flowed into my limbs. Still holding my hand, she stepped back a pace to study me, then abruptly grasped a lock of my long hair and said gleefully: