Dracula and His Brides Page 12

  “I was never here,” I said firmly.

  “No man came here,” he said.

  I smirked. If only he knew how accurate that statement truly was.

  “Have you any knowledge where a vampire hunter might be?”

  “Out hunting vampires maybe.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Was he being facetious? No, I supposed he had no notion where Van Helsing was and still needed to acknowledge my questions, and so that response was all he could offer.

  I nodded curtly. “I suppose that the occupancy is affected by the attacks.”

  “Yes,” the man said bitterly, “but the one hotel, the one closest to that bar, people will stay there. So morbid, people wanting to be near that place of evil. Nothing but evil could have killed so many in such a short amount of time.”

  Interesting.

  “No man came here,” I said.

  “I spoke to no one.”

  I nodded to him and fled, using my vampiric speed, as much of it as I had during the day. Swiftly, I went to the hotel the man spoke of. There was a decent number of occupants there, and this time, I spoke with a woman.

  After compelling her to not remember our conversation, I asked, “Is a vampire hunter staying here?”

  “I wish, but no. He is staying with the mayor.”

  “Ah.” That made a great deal of sense. “Did he bring his fiancée with him, do you know?”

  “No. I…” She flushed. Although a little on the heavier side, her smile was radiant. I wasn’t surprised to see a ring on her finger when she brushed her hair back. “I don’t want to work here forever. I want to be a reporter, and I managed to talk to Anton, err, Professor Van Helsing a little bit. I asked him a few questions, and some were about his fiancée. I figured that if he brought her along, that it meant that the threat here wasn’t that serious.”

  Clever lady. I liked her but professor? What was Van Helsing a professor of? Killing monsters with prejudice?

  “And?” I asked.

  “He did not.”

  “Where is she from?”

  “Cecilia Marino is Italian, but the professor is Dutch. They have a place in Amsterdam, but she might be staying with her family for now. The professor did not give ma straight answer.”

  Interesting. It seemed that his fiancée most certainly could be his downfall.

  Could and would. I would ensure that.

  After ensuring that she and anyone and everyone who had seen me would forget that I had come around, I fled the county. Thankfully, there weren’t any lingering effects from the vapor I inhaled, but I desperately needed some blood. I indulged just enough to increase my speed to equal what it would be during the darkest part of the night. Then, I was off to the races, heading to Amsterdam. Although I suspected Cecilia might be with her family, I could not deny that I wanted to see the vampire hunter’s house. It would not hurt any if I could destroy his backup weapons.

  Only there were no weapons in his house, no Cecilia either.

  By now, I was growing anxious. Time was wasting away even though I could travel faster than an airplane. What if Van Helsing was preparing another attack now while I was away?

  But I had to launch my own counterattack, and I would not return until I had secured victory.

  As soon as I touched Italian soil, I asked around to learn where I might find Cecilia Marino’s family. It seemed she was a famous researcher in her own right, not unlike my Andreea, and she was well known. As luck would have it, she and her family lived in Taranto, one of the southernmost cities in all of Italy.

  A port city, Taranto was bustling and busy, a stark contrast to the ghost-like qualities my own village was now beginning to exhibit, a realization that gave me pause. While I was coming to grips with my inherent nature—that I was selfish and self-serving, that I cared more about myself and my brides than any other living creatures—I also knew that I had to be more careful in the future. Handling Van Helsing would not be an issue, but if multiple vampire hunters were to try to take myself and my brides down, well, matters could become complicated, and I would not appreciate that in the slightest.

  Before I entered Taranto, I bought some clothes to better fit in. The people were friendly, unsuspecting, and although the sun was beginning to set, no one gave me a second look despite the sunglasses I wore to conceal my red eyes.

  Given their friendliness, I felt almost evil compelling them to direct me to Cecilia Marino, but I did what I must, and soon, I learned they lived on the outskirts in a masseria.

  The sight of the luxurious building on the farmland almost made me wish I had more land by my castle. Being on the massive hill made land awkward.

  A single female was tending to a garden outside. She seemed to be about the same age as I would suspect Cecilia to be.

  She did not glance up from her weeding. “How may I help you?”

  “I wish to speak to Cecilia.”

  “My sister is inside.”

  "Can you go and fetch her please? I would like to speak to her alone."

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Her fiancé left strict orders. No one is to see Cecilia except family.”

  I coughed, and finally, she glanced at me. “But I’m your long lost cousin Valentino.”

  She frowned, visibly fighting my compulsion. I cursed myself for not asking Andreea if there was some sort of protective measures one could take to retain possession of his or her mind. If there was, surely Van Helsing knew about it, and I was doubly sure he would provide enough for his fiancée and her family to protect her.

  But I wasn't any vampire. I had my own magic, and I hadn't left my castle unprepared. There are spells and herbs aside from alcohol that could lower one's inhibitions, and I subtly reached inside my jacket, dipped my fingers into a vial, and then bent down to smear the liquid onto a weed I plucked and handed to her. She accepted the weed wordlessly and then rubbed her fingers together in confusion of the weed's wetness. My target's sister brought her fingers to her nose and sniffed, wrinkling her nose.

  “Valentino,” she murmured.

  “My mother had a falling out with her grandmother and was ostracized. She died a week ago, and I have been trying to hunt down my family ever since. She… She was all I have, and despite their differences, she prayed for her nonna every day without fail.”

  “Valentino. Yes.” The sister stood. “I will go and get Cecilia. Maybe afterward, you can stay for dinner.”

  “I can’t stay. I should only tell this to Cecilia, but… Anton is the one who directed me here. I have been helping him some, and he has need of Cecilia. I am to bring her to him. Do not be alarmed. Have no fear.”

  “I have no fear. Cecilia will love to be reunited with Anton. Excuse me. I’ll go fetch her.”

  The sister hurried into the house, and shortly after that, Cecilia exited the house. Her dark eyes were wary, her black hair curly and short.

  “I don’t know of any Valentino as a relative or as a friend of Anton’s,” she said suspiciously, hardly leaving the threshold.

  In the blink of an eye, I stood beside her, smothering her with a cloth doused from the liquid I had used to force my compulsion to work on her sister.

  “You will come with me. You will do everything I say. You will find your fiancé, and you will kill him.”

  I removed the cloth from covering her nose and mouth.

  Cecilia’s face was a blank as one’s could be. “I will go with you. I will do everything you say. I will find my fiancé, and I will kill him.”

  “Very good. Shall we?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  We returned to Romania, Cecilia and I, to my castle. I carried her the entire way, halting only twice to feed some. As much as I was tempted to feast on Van Helsing’s fiancée, I needed her to do my bidding. For now, at least, she needed to leave. After, well, maybe then I would drink and drink and drink.

  To my delight, defensive measures were already operational around the perimeter of the
castle. Catina knew how to get people motivated, a trait she had even before being able to compel people. Loaded cannons and spikes were nearly invisible to the naked eye, but I could see them. Van Helsing wouldn’t know what hit him. If by some chance Cecilia failed, it would be my turn to but some protection on the castle using my magic.

  Once Cecilia and I entered the castle, I outfitted her with knives and guns and then sent her on her way. I took a few moments to ensure that my three life-sustaining brides were accounted for and well before retiring to my coffin. There, I lay down and shut my eyes.

  Immediately, I reached out toward Cecilia, to the bond of my compulsion over her. Gradually, on my closed eyelids, I could see through her eyes. As she hurried down the darkened streets, my connection to her grew deep enough that I could feel the weight of her guns, one in the back waistband of her jeans, the other in her boot.

  She ignored the few people she passed on the street, even the ones who tried to speak with her. Cecilia was a beautiful woman, and several men and women tried to approach her. None could hold her interest for long, however. She was single-minded in her purpose.

  Find Anton. Kill him.

  Over and over, her mantra replayed in her head, and I could hear it too. I grinned, loving the twisted sense of irony about to enfold. Here, the professor had thought himself so brilliant, having Cecilia stay with her family, them all protected against vampires. But I wasn’t just any vampire. Even before I was reborn, I had been powerful, and none should ever underestimate me. Instead of Anton protecting Cecilia, he would soon wish he had protection from her.

  Cecilia spoke to no one, and I wondered how she knew where to go because each step was precise, her boots clacking on the sidewalk as she walked at a brisk pace. She turned down the streets without hesitation. If I didn't know any better, I would suspect that she had lived here her entire life. Perhaps the compulsion was so strong that she inherently knew where her target was. Or maybe she had kept in contact with Anton back in Italy and knew where she would be able to find him. If that was the case, she probably was supposed to call or check in in some fashion at certain time intervals. Hopefully, she would be able to locate and kill him before he could suspect anything was amiss.

  Of course, just seeing her here would alert him to danger.

  My grin grew as she approached the hotel Van Helsing had secured lodging. She slid past the front desk without stopping. A man was behind the counter, helping a guest and hadn’t even seen her.

  She climbed two sets of stairs and halted in front of door 333. I winced at the sound o her brisk, harsh knocking. Then, I realized it was a pattern. Three quick hard taps followed by two softer ones. She repeated this over and over. In the middle of the fifth iteration, the door opened. Anton, fresh out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his body, chest dripping with water yet, stood there. His shock lasted only a fraction of a second. A human wouldn't have registered his surprise.

  She stood there for a moment, wavering. I could feel her love for Anton welling within her, and I didn’t know if this would work or not, but I poured my every thought into our connection.

  Make love to him to say goodbye and then kill him.

  Make love to him to say goodbye and then kill him.

  Make love to him—

  Cecilia wrapped her arms around Van Helsing’s neck, swaying her body close to him, and pressed her lips against his. She forced him into the room and kicked the door shut behind them. In one flowed movement, she ripped off his towel and gripped his cock in her hand.

  “Cecilia,” he gasped. “W-What are you doing here?”

  “Isn’t it clear?” she asked, her voice breathless, hopefully enough so that he wouldn’t notice her slightly flat tone. “I’m going to make love to you.”

  “B-But I thought—” He let out a strangled groan as she rubbed her finger over the tip of his cock. “We agreed you would stay…”

  “You demanded. I had no say.”

  “It was for the best.” The shine of lust in his eyes died some, and he moved to push her away.

  But Cecilia would have none of that. She lowered to her knees and took him into her mouth. I had no choice but to look where she did, and Van Helsing was thick, seriously thick, but his length wasn’t that impressive. Cecilia took him entirely into her mouth, and I almost gagged. Our connection was so strong that I could almost feel what she did.

  Crap. In order for her to have sex with him, she would have to transfer the one gun to her other boot. If he found her armed…

  Before I could compel her to move the gun, she did, tossing it onto the floor, letting it slide under the bed. His eyes widened, but she stood and stripped off her shirt and tossed it at him.

  “You didn’t think I would come here without protection, did you?” She smiled coyly.

  “Protection meant staying with your family,” he growled, but he couldn’t look away as she undid her jeans.

  Cecilia pushed him onto the couch, her jeans by her ankles as she shifted to straddle him, taking him deep inside her with one thrust.

  “Protection is only ever with you,” she said, grabbing his hands and placing them on her pert, pebbled nipples. “Now, make love to me.”

  Van Helsing only allowed her to ride him for a few strokes before he rolled them over and began to pound into her missionary style. He didn't even kiss her or play with her nipples, didn't lick or bite her. How boring. Still, Cecilia wiggled beneath him, loving his cock apparently. Thankfully, I didn't feel anything in my own body. Watching them didn't turn me on. All I wanted was to make sure that Cecilia finished the job, that she killed her lover.

  With a strangled cry, Van Helsing collapsed on top of her. As far as I could tell, Cecilia hadn't orgasmed yet, but he made no move to finish her, to get her off. What a selfish, arrogant man to think that lovemaking ended after he came, and if she didn't, oh well.

  “I love you,” Cecilia murmured.

  Don’t tell him goodbye out loud, I sent to her.

  Tears prickled her eyes. Damn. Was the compulsion wearing off? Was she fighting for control?

  She had wrapped her legs around her lover’s waist. Now, she brought one knee closer to her chest, and she removed the concealed gun from her boot. Anton’s eyes were closed.

  Wait for him to snore.

  But she didn’t listen. She pressed the gun against his temple.

  He jerked out of the way, and the bullet went through the wall instead of his head.

  Immediately, Anton wrestled with Cecilia, trying to get the gun out of her grip. She headbutted him right in the nose, and blood gushed everywhere, but he managed to secure the gun.

  “What the hell, Cecilia?” he shouted.

  “Goodbye, lover,” she said, grabbing a knife from her boot. She wildly swung, and he easily caught her wrist.

  “Cecilia, stop. This isn’t you. This isn’t what you want!”

  “I will find my fiancé, and I will kill him,” she said.

  Van Helsing muttered a curse. “Listen to me, Cecilia. You’ve been compelled. Snap out of this!”

  As if telling her that would change a thing. I smirked.

  He slapped her hard enough to leave a welt and then kissed her hard. Most of his face was covered in blood, so she had to taste metal from the kiss, but she seemed unfazed, too preoccupied with trying to free her wrists and gain access to a weapon. She kneed the vampire hunter, freed one hand and gripped his throat.

  “You have to die,” she said.

  Van Helsing knocked her hand away and staggered back. He tossed the weapons aside, a move I didn’t think particularly smart, but then he opened the nightstand drawer to reveal potions.

  Shit. I wasn’t the only one to have studied magic.

  He rummaged through, ignoring Cecilia even as she crept behind him and grabbed his throat once more. Again, she tried to choke him, but Anton shifted his neck this way and that enough to have some room to breathe. His fingers gripped a vial, and he hesitated.

  “Let
me see you,” he said, his voice garroted, “before you kill me.”

  Her hold loosened, and he turned around to face her. Immediately, he smashed the vial into his palm right by her nose.

  A strange scent like that of sulfur and cinnamon invaded her nose and mine as well. Her head cleared but only partially.

  Kill him. Kill him before he kills you! I sent her.

  Cecilia plucked a shard from the broken vial out of his hand and pressed it against her lover’s throat. “Goodbye,” she said.

  A single tear ran down Van Helsing’s cheek. “Goodbye,” he repeated softly.

  And then he seized her throat, lifting her into the air, shaking her until she dropped the shard and then shaking her some more, violently, enough to break her neck.

  Cecilia had failed, but I should have known she would. She had been human. Anton Van Helsing had killed vampires before, and now, he had extra motivation to kill me and mine.

  No matter. I would just have to kill him myself.

  Chapter Twenty

  My lid to the coffin flew open, and I blinked until my vision faded from the blackness that was now all that Cecilia would ever see to the stunning sight of Stela staring down at me.

  Correction. Glowering down at me.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked her.

  “Who was that you brought here?” she demanded, hands on her hips.

  I sat up and took her in. She wore a lilac lace dress that was mostly sheer. Her nipples poked through, and I licked my lips.

  “Who was she?” Stela repeated angrily.

  “I forgot how damn sexy you are when you’re furious,” I teased, cupping her face.

  She yanked my hand away. “Why won’t you answer me?”

  “That was Cecilia Marino, Van Helsing’s fiancée.”

  “Why was she here?”

  “I compelled her to kill him. She failed.” I scowled. “I thought that would be so perfect, but it doesn’t matter, not really. I’ll just kill him myself. It’ll be more satisfying for me anyhow if I do it myself.”

  “And did you?”

  I frowned, not following her meaning. “Did I what?”