15. Chapter 14

When she came out of the bathroom, we needed to do one more thing before we could relax. I needed to know what happened to her after Roger took her away.

"You first," she insisted when I told her I wanted to put her under my spell again.

Darkness moved over my eyes and churned my blood at the memory of my darkest hour in Sir Jonathan's basement.

I fought. I fought the hardest I ever had, but I was alone, and Adramalech had not only brought an army of demons, but he had also brought Dagon, another of my brothers. I might have defeated one of them, but not both and the army of demons they had brought. Still, I tried, injuring Adramalech and killing half of his army. In the end, though, they wrapped me in chains and brought me to my father to receive my punishment.

Three hundred years in hell , he declared, but the only thing that mattered to me was Blanche and the thought that in three hundred years, she would be long dead. In the meantime, she would entertain my father because I had failed her; she would bear him a son,.

Something nagged at the periphery of my mind at that memory, but my brain was too occupied with my reawakened emotions of despair to explore it further.

It was at this point that Adramalech informed me that Father had killed Blanche. "Did you really think Father would put up with your lousy seconds?" he taunted.

At the time, I didn't know how important Blanche really was. The fact that I had defiled her would have enraged Father, but not enough to have her killed. So I believed Adramalech and tormented myself more than his demons could. Believing that it was my fault that Blanche had been killed.

She put a hand on my knee. "This wasn't your fault."

"It was, and the fact that you weren't killed doesn't make it any better, Blanche…"

She pressed a finger against my lip. "Shh, it's all good now. We're here, aren't we?"

I kissed her fingers. "Yes."

"Good."

She settled herself and looked into my eyes, waiting for me to put her under my spell, and after a moment's hesitation, I did.

Blanche

… I fought as much as I could, but in the end, Roger and his soldiers took me to the dungeons, where the man I had called Father for so long waited for us. Roger held me as Sir Jonathan approached and slapped me across the face. "I should have you flailed for what you did," he thundered. "Do you have any idea what your escapade cost me?"

Having discovered his plans, I had an idea but refrained from answering, having experienced in the past how the wrong words enflamed his temper to degrees where he wasn't even coherent any longer. I had feared for my life many times when he had been so enraged, but not today. Today, I would have almost welcomed death because death would have most likely been preferable to what he planned for me. My eyes flittered around the dungeon, hoping to see Devon coming for me like an avenging demigod.

"Adramalech left, my lord." A guard appeared, pulling Jonathan to the side and whispering into his ear. He listened intently with a gleam in his eyes.

"Good. We have one more chance at this, and I'm happy to inform you, daughter , that your lover is gone.'

His words cut like burning steel into my heart. Gone? How could that be? Could demons be killed? Wouldn't I know it if he were dead? Feel it?

"That doesn't matter. We're still screwed," Sir Roger, remarked gloomily, leaning against the iron maiden. A shudder ran through me at the thought of being impaled inside the murderous contraption. Then again, death sounded even better now. Maybe it would reunite Devon and me.

Jonathan laughed. "Ah, Sir Roger, why the gloominess? Don't you think I would have a backup plan?" He tsked. "How many years have you worked for me? Ten? Fifteen? Where is the trust I should have surely earned by now?"

"I believe that would be my cue," a female's cold voice rang out as she emerged from the shadows.

"Your Grace." Jonathan bowed deeply.

Sir Roger looked intrigued at the beautiful woman, whose sight sent shivers of dread down my spine.

"Sir Roger, this is Her Grace, the Duchess of Bathory," Jonathan introduced her with glee in his eyes.

"My apologies, but I still don't…" Sir Roger stared at her; besides her obvious beauty, there was a cruel coldness around the lady, one that matched his own.

"Her Grace arrived just in time to assist with the search for my ungrateful daughter," Sir Jonathan explained. Elizabeth Bathory waved her hand. "Nu conteaz?, it just so happened that I was in the neighborhood." She threw a brilliant smile at Jonathan.

"I fail to see how you assisted Sir Jonathan in his search." Sir Roger raised an eyebrow, challenging the Duchess.

"I dabble a bit in the dark arts," she admitted, feigning humbleness.

"A bit?" Jonathan exclaimed. "The lady is formidable; she knew exactly where to find that ungrateful bitch, and led you straight to her."

"That's how you knew where she was," Sir Roger exclaimed delightedly.

Elizabeth smiled like a cat at the compliment. "It was nothing. Not compared to what I can give you."

"I can't wait to find out what that is," Sir Roger exclaimed while his gloomy expression changed into something more anticipatory.

"Well, let me introduce you to my pet." Elizabeth Bathory waved a long-fingered hand in the air, causing several bracelets to jingle, creating a bell-like sound.

Four burly men appeared, pulling and pushing on a fifth, keeping him chained in the center. Whoever it was appeared resigned to their fate at first glance. His glistening eyes, however, betrayed the impression he tried so hard to portray. He stared at the Duchess with utter hatred and a promise of a painful, slow death. Whatever kind of creature this man was I was suddenly sure he would be the death of her; it was a promise edged into his eyes.

"I fail to understand how a prisoner…" Sir Roger stopped as Elizabeth Bathory walked over to the men.

"Show them, my pet," she purred as she used a silver needle to poke into his arm.

Smoke rose, and he hissed as his skin burned, exposing long fangs.

"A vampire?" Sir Roger asked, astounded.

Jonathan laughed gleefully. "He'll turn her into one," he promised, "and us as well. In four hundred and thirty years, we'll be ready once again to please the King of the Underworld and gain his everlasting favor."

Sir Roger rubbed his chin. "Well done, my lord. Well done."

I whimpered, but nobody paid any attention.

"How will we keep Lady Blanche from escaping again for over four hundred years?" Sir Roger inquired, throwing me a worried glance.

Elizabeth's voice sounded like a purr, "The lady will enter a long sleep. A very long sleep."

I couldn't take it any longer. As futile as it was, I sidestepped two guards and made a run for the door. But before I was even halfway across the hall, Sir Roger yanked me back by my hair. He spun me around to face Jonathan, who backhanded me, splitting my lip. 'Foolish girl,' he snarled.

The blood trickling down my chin made the vampire snarl and rattle his chains. The guards were having a hard time keeping him in place.

"I haven't fed my pet in a while," Elizabeth explained, staring at the vampire with hungry eyes as if she wanted to devour him.

Sir Roger grabbed my elbow and pulled me toward the middle of the dungeon. A curled rope lay on the floor, which he attached to my feet, binding my hands with another. He gave one of the other guards a signal, and suddenly, I was flipped off my feet as the rope around my ankles was pulled up. Soon, I hung upside down like a bat from the ceiling. My long red hair brushed against the filthy straw on the ground, wetted by my tears. I didn't feel any gratitude towards Sir Roger, but at least he had bound my skirt to my ankles when he tied me, so my skirt stayed in place instead of falling down to my ears, exposing… well, pretty much everything.

With a satisfied grin, Lady Bathory led her chained vampire toward me. I tried in vain to get away but only managed to swing myself in a circle until bile rose in my throat. My sobs turned into moans of revulsion.

"My pet is hungry," the duchess purred, petting the vampire's head.

The vampire turned and hissed at her, only to be hit by a guard with a silver stick. He cried out in pain, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

My mind threatened to shut down. This can't be happening , I thought. Nonono. I kept thrashing like a caterpillar in its cocoon to no avail as strong hands grabbed and held me still. I was lifted higher until my neck was within reach of the vampire's fangs, and Sir Roger guided me toward the bloodsucker's mouth.

A sharp pain in my neck brought tears to my eyes as he latched on, and then the sound of him sucking and Elizabeth's laughter filled the domed room. I prayed like I'd never prayed before, but nobody came. Devon was dead, and dying was taken away from me.

When the vampire finished, hot lava seemed to move through my veins, burning everything in its path until I lost consciousness.

When I came to, I found myself inside a satin-lined coffin. My mouth burned with thirst, and my entire body hurt.

"She's waking up," the duchess stated.

"Just in time for her to go to sleep," Jonathan sneered.

"When this is done, you will turn me too?" Sir Roger inquired.

"You have my word," Elizabeth promised.

In horror, I watched their faces bent over me, but they swam as my vision turned blurry and the room turned darker.

"Go to sleep now, sleep." Elizabeth Bathory's voice lured me.

Before she finished her command, I obeyed. My eyes became heavier, and soon, only blackness enshrouded me.

Devon

I closed my eyes. All this time, she had been alive. Held captive. Even though she had slept through it, she had been here, waiting for me.

"Blanche."

She shook her trance off and smiled sadly at me. "Do you still want me even if I'm a vampire?"

"Blanche." I pulled her against my chest and kissed every part of her face. "I love you no matter what. Your physical form might be a vampire, but you will always be my Blanche. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

She wrapped her arms around me. "You were always there for me, even when I thought you were dead."

"He will pay for this," I swore, and she didn't ask who I meant, but Jonathan's fate was sealed. He would die. He had poisoned this Earth long enough.

We only needed to figure out how.