The Bathory Curse Read Online Free PDF

much
fuller of figure than Sabine, it was a sign she was rich enough to
eat well, and honestly she’d never lost the weight after having
Mihnea. Vlad had told her more times then she could remember how
much he liked her with some meat on her bones.
    Confused about why Sabine would call the Goddess a
different name she asked. “Is Hecate like a nickname, or a…pet
name?”
    “Nah. Hecate is a powerful Goddess, she is seen all
over the word. The Holy Roman Empire calls her Trivia, while
Egyptians praise her in the name of Hequet. In my country and in
Greece she is called Hecate,” Sabine explained, “She has three
forms, the crone, the maiden and the mother, which you have just
seen and that’s lesson two.”
    “So are you my keeper then as well as a teacher?
Here to make sure I don’t run away?”
    “I couldn’t care less what happens to you. If you
are dumb enough to try and run go for it. It won’t take Hecate long
to find you. Then she might stick you with a Strega who is not as
much fun as I am.”
    Sabine opened a door and warmth hit her square in
the face from the fire place. She sighed with welcome when she saw
the bedroom. There was a bed, vanity, dresser and everything she
could need to be comfortable. Except her children and her
husband.
    Sabine reached out, flicked a switch and harsh light
filled the room.
    “What is that?!” Nea exclaimed wincing, and a little
frightened.
    “Electric light from the 1890’s.” Sabine had
mischief in her eyes and words.
    “The 1890’s? You’re teasing me!”
    “Nope, Hecate can time travel and we get the benefit
of her gifts.” Sabine went farther into the room and opened a door;
there was a fancy indoor privy. Nea turned a tab and was astounded
that warm and cold water came out of it.
    “It’s called plumbing; you have three, what’s
called, bathrooms and then water in the kitchen.” Sabine sat down
on the edge of the bed.
    “Why doesn’t she share these things with the rest of
the world?” Nea asked.
    “She has Stregas all over, some in different times.
She has to let humans learn on their own. Lesson three; you are not
to share anything from the future with a human, unless you have
Hecate’s permission. She gives us gifts, she can take them away.”
There was a hint of anger in Sabine’s voice.
    “Then why can’t she go into the past and change my
family? Or the future for that matter?”
    “Lesson four, you ask good questions for a spoiled
rich girl, Hecate cannot change anything that has already happened
or is fated to happen. Some things she says are called…fixed
points.” Sabine stood up, yawning.
    “Can I time travel?” Nea thought that would be a
great way to spend her spare time, she decided to ignore the
spoiled rich girl comment, she had employed classier servants than
this overly talkative red head.
    A shadow passed over the other woman’s eyes. “No. We
could once…but not for a while now. I used to go into the future
all the time. They have the best clothes in the future!”
    “Why can’t we time travel anymore?”
    “A Strega screwed something up big time. When one of
us is bad, we all get punished, remember that.”
    “Another lesson?” Nea was only half way listening
now, thinking about time travel and the future.
    “Yup, Lesson 5. If you run we’ll all be on lock down
and a bunch of angry witches will show up at this castle.”
    “I do not understand some of your language, why
would locked down angry witches come here?”
    Sabine laughed, “I use what is called slang, in the
future. Spent a little too much time there, at least that’s what
Hecate says. I meant a large group of angry Strega’s will come
here, furious….at you… because they will all be confined to their
quarters, got it?”
    “Oh, well I would not want that. Can you tell me who
used to be in that other painting in the gallery?” Nea frowned, she
wanted this woman to at least like her a little, especially if she
was going to learn magic from