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Helsing also had other motives
for spinning things in his favor.   How else would he have stayed so easily employed as a hunter?   And, there’s also the other he left
alive besides me.”
    “Mina?” Alex asked.
    “No, although we’ll get to
her some other time.   In the book,
remember there are the three weird sisters?   One of them made it out of the lair
alive. And she’s in New Orleans.”
    Alex thought back to her
last memory of Wren’s blood on her lips.   “Surely you’re not going to say that Wren is the one?”
    Lucy shook her head.   “No, Wren is likely a protégé of hers,
though.   I believe you know her as
Olivia Holmwood.”
    “This just gets better and
better,” said Alex. “So, she was one of the weird sisters?”
    “Yes. She was more than
that, though—she is Dracula’s daughter.”
    Alex replenished her brandy.
“And you know this how, exactly?”
    “Van Helsing may have spun
the truth to Stoker, but he trusted me as a confidant, as did Mina.   I was useful to him, as I knew more
about the Count than anyone else.   Van Helsing was the first to theorize that the Count had an actual
biological daughter, not a progeny created through vampirism.   This was unheard of, as vampire women
are typically sterile. Olivia’s mother was never turned, however; she was a
donor.   The Count told me of how I
reminded him of his late wife, a woman who chose not to be turned. A woman who
loved him so much that she sacrificed herself to give him a child. She died in
childbirth.”   
    “When it came my time to
choose to become a vampire or simply stay a donor, part of the reason I chose
to stay a donor was because of the love he had for his wife.   He loved her so much because he knew she
truly lived for him. If he stopped feeding from her she would have been forced
to either age and die or to be unfaithful and seek help from another
vampire.   Had she chosen to be
turned, she could have had complete autonomy.” Lucy looked a bit wistful.   “Neither of them knew what to expect
when she became pregnant.   I’m sure
if they had known she would die in childbirth that they would have chosen
turning over death.”
    Lucy smiled in a sad way. “Even
still, I didn’t wish to be turned.   He respected my wishes and eventually we parted ways. It was my fate not
to marry him. But, I do still feel that being a donor is a calling for me; the
years since have shown me that being a donor is part of my identity.”
    Alex stared at her for a few
minutes; it was unbelievable--all of it--yet she knew it was true.   “You said something about the carriage
house being mine to use.   I think I
need some time to think about what you’ve told me so far.   Would you mind if I made myself at home
there?”
    Lucy grabbed a set of keys
off the hook next to the kitchen door that led out into the courtyard.   “Follow me.”

Chapter
Five

 
    The carriage house was cozy
and decked out well. “You’re not the first one to stay here, although it has
been awhile.”   Lucy handed her the
keys once they were inside.
    “I have a spare key, but I
will only use it for emergency situations. I promise to respect your privacy,
as long as you respect mine.” She picked out a blue key on the keychain. “This
is to the main house. You will be here for awhile, I suspect. You’ve got
cable.   If you feel up to eating
something, let me know.”
    Alex couldn’t help but laugh
a bit. “I guess until I figure all of this out, I’m dependent on you, right
down to what I eat.”
    Lucy nodded. “I’ll allow you
to feed from me.   I’ve got a network
of donor friends, too. I think you really should stay close to home for now,
rather than going on the hunt on your own. We have a system worked out and
you’ll soon train and learn how to hunt ethically and effectively.   There’s a lot left to talk about, and I
suspect if you watch the news, you’ll understand why I recommend you not let
yourself be seen right