The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

her?” Adem raised his eyebrows.
“What are your plans?” He seemed bemused by my impromptu rescue
mission.
    “Do you know who she is?” I tilted my
head, regarding him with curiosity. He did seem to know far more
than I had originally surmised.
    “Countess Dolingen, vampire sister to
Count Dracula. She abandoned her mistress to be with him and simply
disappeared into these mountains, never to return to Vienna, the
haven, or her mistress.”
    “Erzsébet abandoned her
Mistress?”
    “When Vlad’s Mistress exiled him to his
lands, Erzsébet went with him. She loved him desperately and
willingly left behind her estate and riches to live with him in the
Carpathian Mountains along with his Bride, Cneajna.” Adem shrugged
slightly. “The madness of love spoke and she doomed
herself.”
    “You know so much!” I was surprised,
yet enthralled.
    With a laugh, Adem spurred his horse,
guiding it onto the street. “Yes. Far too much.”
    I quickly snapped my reins and
followed. “How do you know these things?”
    “I am in servitude to Lord Astir,” he
reminded me.
    The darkened buildings rose up around
us, silent as their inhabitants slept. Dogs prowled as cats yowled,
the night taken over by nocturnal beasts. Adem deftly avoided the
churches in the town, sparing me the discomfort that came with
being close to holy places and relics.
    “I have lived a very long time and have
seen much. I am Lord Astir’s captain of the guard, and therefore
privy to much of the information he acquires.”
    “Are you human?”
    Adem raised his eyebrows in surprise,
and then nodded. “Yes. I am.”
    “You say you are very old, yet I see a
young man before me. I do not understand.”
    “When one is dealing with Lord Astir,
you must be aware that he is capable of many wondrous things. He is
able to grant you the very desire of your heart, but the cost can
be high. I am just a man. I eat food, drink, sleep, dream, love,
hate…all the things that mere mortals do. But I am alive because I
cannot die.”
    “Why not?”
    A cloud of dark emotion passed over his
features and he shook his head. “For reasons I do not wish to speak
of or the night will turn dreary and our ride will be one of
misery.”
    “I see.”
    And I could. There was something
terrible that lurked in the depths of his dark eyes. I did not want
to press him if such pain lingered in his heart. I understood all
too well the agony of a haunted past.
    We rode out of the town, heading down
the long winding road that traveled through the countryside. The
towering mountains were all about us, dark and imposing in the
night. The pace of the horses was that of a trot, yet we seemed to
be traveling at a much faster pace. Once more, I wondered at the
true nature of the horses, but dared not ask any more questions. I
was grateful for the companionship and curious about my new
friend.
    And I was certain he was a new friend. Adem
was in some ways frightening to gaze upon with his scars and
imposing manner, but there was such wonderful warmth about him that
I could not help but trust him. Perhaps my solitude had made me
foolish, but I could not help myself.
    “Was it near Bârgău Pass?”
Adem asked, breaking our silence.
    “I am not certain. Perhaps.”
    I tried to recall my journeys to
Erzsébet’s resting place. I remembered it was some distance from
the castle, but we had been traveling with supernatural haste. Each
time I had visited her, it had been during the winter with snow
thick on the ground.
    “I do believe I know a place that could
be the graveyard you described. I have seen it once or twice when
hunting in the mountains.”
    “Very well. Take us there!” My voice
was rich with my excitement. “Let us find her!”
    With a roar, he dug his heels into the
sides of his mount and the horse flew into the night. Excited, I
mirrored his action and the horse beneath me instantly responded
and gave pursuit. The ground practically disappeared beneath its
flying hooves. The