“What is it, Csilla?”

“It’s terrible!”

“What is?”

“I saw Vlad in my dream. He was furious with me for not bringing you to him and he was trying to kill me! He appeared as a great dragon, rising up to scorch me with fire!” She screamed again. “He’s coming to kill me!”

“It was a dream! He is not here!” I looked to my guard and lover for reassurance.

Adem was already at the window, gazing out at the snowstorm beyond the frosted panes.

“She was dreaming or hallucinating,” Ignatius decided.

Csilla sobbed as she clawed at my dress. “I saw his eyes. They were hateful! He demands obedience, but I will not give you to him! I will not. We shall be together forever far away from him!”

I tried to quiet her, but it was to no avail. To my surprise, Laura and Katya stood near us. They must have followed me.

Katya knelt next to Csilla and reached out to take her hand. “Do not be afraid. He is far away from here and he is only angry because we will not obey.”

Csilla gazed at the blond woman with hope awakening in her eyes. “Do you hear him, too?”

Katya nodded. “I ignore him. He is of no consequence to me. My kisses come from others now,” she said looking significantly toward Laura.

“Do you dream of the dragon and the wolf?”

“Oh, yes. Always. But then I wake up and they are not truly there.” To my surprise, Katya pulled Csilla from my arms and helped her to her feet. The girl who often drove me mad surprised me by kindly helping the baroness back to her bed. Csilla leaned heavily against Katya as she was led away. “I will stay with you and you will see that there is nothing to fear.”

Retreating from the room, I felt disquieted by what I had heard. Ignatius lightly stroked my arm as we gathered in the hallway. Adem shut the door as Laura drew close.

“She has certainly taken a turn for the worse,” Adem observed.

“Brice has been poisoning her with belladonna,” Ignatius informed Adem. “She could be having fever dreams.”

“Or Vlad could truly be threatening her,” Adem replied.

“She was so frightened. It was terrible to see,” Laura whispered.

“Post a guard, Adem. Do not let Brice into the room. We need to know if it is her fears and the poison speaking, or if Vlad is truly about to make a move.” My voice sounded strong and firm, yet I felt afraid.

“And if he is?” Laura’s eyes were so wide, her pupils were perfectly ringed with white.

“We prepare to fight,” Adem answered.

Silence dwelt among us after this comment.

At last, I turned and walked away to my rooms.

Chapter 31

The Journal of Countess Dracula

December 4, 1820

The Dosza Palace

There is no disguising that we are all ill at ease with our present situation. The snow is piled high against the windows and doors now. The cold is bitter and piercing. The palace is constantly freezing from the terrible weather and the only comfort to be found is to sit as close as possible to the fireplaces.

Csilla is ill from the poison Brice slipped into her tea and soup. I have not fed from her though Ignatius assured me that I am immune due to my vampire nature. When I think of how she so cruelly poisoned Laura in an effort to eliminate her from my affections, I want to rush in and tear off her head. Yet, I know I must be patient. It is difficult to fight my natural urges, but I must contain myself if I am to survive.

Katya often sits at Csilla’s side, speaking softly to her as the fever rages and the hallucinations reign over her mind. Brice is angry with me, but I cannot be concerned. He can rot in his hate for all I care at this time. I do feel a certain amount of guilt because I did fail him to some extent, but I vow to keep my word to him even if he has upset me. I may be a vampire, but I am a decent person.

Laura and Ignatius get along quite well. They both love to play chess and spend many hours huddled over the board moving pieces about. I am glad they are fond of each other. They are my new found family, and I love them both deeply. Every morning when I lay down in Ignatius’s arms to sleep, I am comforted by his touch and love.

Yet, I cannot ignore the dark specter that rules over my life. Astir warned me that death would come when the snow fell. The fortuneteller warned of a dragon and that death would be its harbinger. If the deaths they predicted were those of Laura and her family, then Vlad may be soon descending upon us. But I have come to believe, perhaps in a superstitious way, that it is Csilla’s death that is my harbinger. I find myself more and more reluctant to take her life.

“What was that?” Laura asked.

A commotion from the foyer drew my attention from my journaling. I was seated in the parlor writing while Ignatius and Laura sat before the fire playing chess.

I tossed my journal and gold pen aside and rushed out of the room behind Ignatius. As I entered the foyer, my eyes fell upon the scene before me and I felt my dead heart lurch.

“No!”

Behind me, Laura began to scream.

I stumbled forward falling to my knees.

Adem and his guards were swathed in heavy coats, scarves and fur hats. Adem tugged a snow covered form across the floor as his men dragged in another body before closing the door. I was aware of Laura sobbing and Ignatius and Adem talking rapidly to one another, but I could not take my eyes off of the pale, icy figure of my beloved friend, Percy. His blue eyes were open and his mouth was frozen in a grimace. Snow and ice covered his hair and I reached out to brush it away. It was then I saw the mangled remains of his throat.

“What did this?” My own voice startled me. I could still hear Laura screaming and Magda trying to console her, but they felt far away, their voices muffled. My fingers hovered over Percy’s dead features as I realized I could not shut his eyes. They were frozen open. “What did this?”

My voice echoed through the foyer.

Ignatius knelt beside me to examine my friend’s dead body. He took hold of my hand and gently laid it back on my lap, so he could better see the wound.

“The driver’s throat is torn open as well,” Adem noted. “Cezar, check the bodies of the horses.”

A guard nodded before plunging back into the world of night and snow.

“Ignatius,” I said, a catch in my voice. “Tell me what did this!”

Turning his face toward me, he said softly, “A beast.”

“What sort of beast?” The word dragon resounded in my mind.

“Glynis, calm yourself. Please.” Ignatius’s eyes strayed to where Laura lay collapsed on the floor with Magda trying to comfort her. “You must be calm.”

“I loved him,” I wailed. “He was my dear friend. He reminded me so much of my father!”

Ignatius pressed his palms to my cheeks and kissed my forehead. “I know, my darling, I know. Let me examine him. Please.”

Clutching my hands to my bosom, I struggled to contain my emotions as I watched him. I was grateful for his tenderness as he pulled away Percy’s collar and scarf to better view the savage wound. I extended my hand and gripped Percy’s frost covered fingers. They were hard and cold beneath my touch. He may no longer be among the living, but I wanted to feel one last moment of connection with him.

Adem was a bit rougher with the driver, studying the wound upon his throat with great intensity.

“Was it a dragon?” My voice sounded odd. Distant. I felt lost in the wilds of my own dark thoughts.

“No, darling.” Ignatius raised his eyes. “A wolf.”

The image of Vlad turning into a great wolf came to mind, and I shuddered. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

“We cannot be certain, Countess. There are wolves in this area.” Adem sat back on his heels and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“He died very quickly, Glynis. His throat was torn out. It was a matter of moments,” Ignatius consoled me.

“Csilla is dreaming of wolves!” I would not be pacified by their words. I knew it was Vlad who killed Percy. I felt it to my core. He had found a way to strike out at us from beyond his entombment.

Adem’s man slipped back into the palace, the large door shutting behind him. Pulling his scarf down from around his face, he said, “The horses had their necks broken. It could be from the fall down the hill into the woods, but I cannot be certain.”

“It’s Vlad,” I cried out. “It’s him!” I held Percy’s hand even tighter, wishing I would feel his warmth return to his flesh.

Behind me, Magda helped Laura to her feet. Cezar rushed to her side to help carry Laura back to the parlor. She was inconsolable, but I felt unable to rise and comfort her. I merely stared at Percy’s face making foolish wishes.

Later-

I stare into the storm and know that someone is watching me in return. I can feel it now. The dark shadow gaining in strength as it waits.

Death has come.

“I love you,” Ignatius whispered before kissing my cheek and smoothing my wet hair from my face as I sat in my slowly cooling bath. The scented water did not bring me the comfort it usually did. It was growing colder and the cold reminded me of Percy’s frozen visage. At least he was now out of the elements and tucked into the cellar with the dead driver.