Chapter 1

Shadows Redemptions

Season Three The Book

Collinwood 1991

As much as Laura would have loved to watch the vampire rip apart the werewolf she was going to need them both if she was going to bring David home. She watched Quentin's hold easily broken by Barnabas as he broke his hold. "I did not kill your daughter!" He held Quentin off the floor dangling him by his throat.

Quentin struggled against the hold of his hand kicking his feet, his face suffusing with the tightness of his hold. Choking he clutched at Barnabas' hand his eyes bulging and face turning blue. Laura smiled but knew there was no way this vampire would be able to kill this man. So she sighed softly and spoke, "He is right Quentin, he only bit her to get her under control when he left her she was still alive. Someone else was working your territory vampire and because you left her weak indirectly you are responsible for her dying but you did not turn her."

Laura flicked her fingers and Barnabas along with Quentin felt the control of their body taken from them. Laura moved forward tugged Barnabas' arm down to the allow Quentin to rest his feet on the floor, and then she unleashed Barnabas' fingers from Quentin's throat. "This is ridiculous, if we are to save David I do not need either of you literally at each others throats." She moved to sit on the sofa and noted both sets of eyes were on her. Crossing her leg she looked from one to the other. "Now, I want your promise that when I release the spell I have you under you will act civil to each other and we shall deal with the members of our family that are in imminent danger."

Barnabas glared but dropped his gaze acquiescing to her demand. Quentin however was still staring daggers at Barnabas with a lust to kill him in his eyes. "Fine, Quentin until you can be reasonable you can stay that way. Apparently, Barnabas is more agreeable to my demands." She flicked her fingers at Barnabas. He felt mobility come to his body and he stepped past Quentin still frozen to the spot.

"I see you recognized me from that day Stockbridge brought his lovely wife to the house to announce the good news you were to give him an heir." Barnabas stared at her and knew that was where they had originally met.

"Yes, I remember you the boy with the sad brown eyes. I also remember your parents and I know this one looks like your brother Jeremiah." She nodded over to Quentin.

Barnabas looked at him and shrugged lightly, "Not really Jeremiah had more character than this one. He slightly resembles him. I suppose he is one of Daniel's issues?" Barnabas was speaking of his past with this woman as if they were old friends and bringing back old times.

"Yes, he is from Daniel's brood and he is most annoying of the whole clan. Now you tell me that Count Petofi is involved in this?" She folded her arms as she considered the very powerful warlock Andréas Petofi.

"Yes, apparently he and Elizabeth had an affair after she graduated from college and she produced his bastard child which is Victoria." They both could tell that Quentin was growing angrier by the minute and frustrated because he could not comment or move. Laura glanced at him and smiled.

She knew this was not going to be easy because Petofi was under the influence of Diablos and he was powerful but not as powerful as her god. 'Are you going to behave? I need two level heads here to bring back our family members. So, unless you want to stay that way for the rest of your life, which I think you would make an excellent decorative piece. However, I don't think Elizabeth would appreciate you taking up her real estate in her drawing room."

Quentin glared at Laura, "Now are we agreed?" she waited for him to blink and quit glaring at them. She got what she had waited for as he rapidly blinked his eyes. She moved her fingers in an intricate fashion. The spell was removed which caused Quentin to stagger. He turned his gaze over to Barnabas.

"This is not over, you owe me for what you did to my child. Let us pray you never have a child and someone does to them what you did to mine." He sat in a huff on the chair looked at Laura. "And you think you have a plan? We already decided what needed to be done because frankly Laura we do not trust you for one minute."

"In most cases, Quentin, I would agree that to trust me would be your first mistake. I owe no allegiance to anyone but to Ra and myself. In this case I need David and I want him back so necessity makes it an impossibility for me to betray you or any of your other family members or friends."

"Why do you need David, not for a sacrifice, because I can assure you that is not about to happen." Laura smiled tilted her head and looked directly at Quentin. "You volunteering to take his place?" She had not intended to use David as her sacrifice but she wanted to taunt Quentin. She got the reaction she wanted he began to suffuse with rage bordering on mania.

"You would not dare use that small innocent boy as you did my child when you stepped into that pyre and took it along with yourself to your damn god!" He jumped up to tower over her and once again with a flick of her fingertips at him he was frozen in place.

"Emotional isn't he?" She smiled looking around Quentin to Barnabas who studied her with those dark penetrating eyes. She actually found him rather appealing as a full-grown man. He was such a sad looking child and now he was a handsome grown man that could appeal to her baser needs.

"I agree with Quentin Mrs. Collins, I would not think you should consider using young David as a sacrifice, I fear should you try that you will bring down more wrath on your head than even your god can handle." Barnabas had curled his fingers over the end of the chair he occupied.

Laura laughed lightly and for a moment Barnabas was reminded of another's laughter. She was using mocking tones just as Angelique had. "Now, now, now boys settle down. I was not intending to put my son into the pyre of my god. I want my son back because he is getting close to the age to be tested. He needs to be tested to see if he was born with the powers of a Phoenix. If he has he will at the age of maturity have to ascend, now may we move past this?"

She stood flicked her fingers and whispered something under her breath and once again Quentin was freed from his frozen state. "I swear to God above Laura if you harm one hair on that boys head I will throw you into the fire myself." Quentin slumped back down onto the chair he had sat in earlier.

Laura dramatically sighed, "Please Quentin, your threats mean nothing to me. Remember I saw you at the first time I was to be reborn you tucked your proverbial tail and ran as far and as fast as you could to be away of the fire." Laura stood and moved to the liquor cabinet. "I know you don't drink Barnabas but Quentin does so like a fish so to speak he swims in his liquor the sad part of it all is as an immortal he can't get drunk enough to forget the terrible things he has done." She poured the drink into her glass turned and toasted them both with a lifting of the glass.

"Now you say you have already worked out a plan car to enlighten me? I can assure you that unless you are blessed with the eldritch powers you will not get past the front door of Petofi's home. You Quentin of all should remember your last encounter with the man. He did after all take your body away from you and managed to have Carl kill your precious Daphne."

This statement hit home hard for Quentin, it brought up old memories he had rather have forgotten. Looking down he sighed picking up the glass he tipped it up and drained it. "yes, well let us say that is why I ran from his house once I was able to reacquire my body back and I stayed hidden at home. I figured since I spoke so negatively about my home he would never look for me there."

Laura turned walked back to the sofa and sat crossing her leg again. "Yet, he did follow you and he punished you by setting Carl free to throw your precious wife from Widows Hill." Laura sipped then looked to Barnabas. "Another tragic loss for the Collins Family. You lost your Josette and he lost his Daphne all from Widows Hill."

Barnabas sat forward looking at Quentin and seeing a hint of his brother's image in his face. "Then would I be right in assuming that you are a progeny of Daniel my little brother?" He could not quite fathom it but if that were the case, then this man was his nephew and his Uncle.

"Yes, and you say that Daniel was your little brother? I suppose since what happened to me I should not be surprised to hear that you are my Uncle Barnabas that allegedly moved to England and set up housekeeping there and dropped into obscurity." His tone was more bordering on irony.

"If you must know, I had an unfortunate affair with a voodoo priestess witch, Angelique Bouchard whom was the chambermaid to Josette DuPres, she wished me to marry her and not Josette, when I rejected her affections she turned her venomous attentions onto my brother Jeremiah and Josette placing a spell on them to fall in love with each other."

Laura chuckled, "Oh how utterly charming, she used the clay dolls and personal articles to bind them together. She really is using rudimentary spells I hope at least in the last two hundred years she had learned how to better her abilities." Laura shook her head at the simplistic ways of the eldritch tied to Diablos.

Barnabas glanced coldly to Laura, "Yes, and when she told me what she had done and forced a duel between Jeremiah and myself Jeremiah was killed." Barnabas looked down and sighed deeply. "I killed her or thought I had, when I was left alone another appeared, a female that looked exactly like Josette and she attacked me turning me into this thing that I hate and abhorred, then one by one she went after each member of my family until the only one left was Daniel. Had it not been for Miss Winters Daniel would have died and ended the Collins line."

Barnabas pushed up from the chair; the retelling of his tragic life had affected him far more deeply than he wanted to admit. He walked to the window and looked out at the front lawn and drive. "I was then locked away in my coffin for over two hundred years until Loomis let me out. I assure you I did not mean to harm nor did I realize that one of my first victims was a Collins had I known, I would have never touched her and then when Dr. Hoffman told me she was getting her memories back about the night she was attacked, I had no choice but to try and bring her back under my control. I swear to you when I left her that night she was alive!"

He turned and the emotions that filled his voice was sincere and filled with regret and remorse. "I would not take another Collins life, that I swear to you." He turned to look with pleading eyes to Quentin to believe him.

Laura sat forward and smiled, "No you did not kill her and I bet you the one that did kill her was non other than the one that turned you Barnabas. Or it was something conjured up by the antics of that simpleton Angelique. If she was wanting to see the rest of the Collins family ended in this century then I would suspect that she would have mixed up things a bit and brought about the demise of your daughter Quentin and putting

the blame on you Barnabas."

Barnabas turned a look of incredulity to peer at Laura and then Quentin. "But she looked exactly like Josette, how would this be possible?"

Laura chuckled, "Very easily resolved it is called illusions. There is another female vampire that has carefully kept her identity hidden and must have lived here during the time you lived and was summoned by that fool Diablos or Angelique." Laura could reason it and see it she was beginning to think she had made a big mistake for putting her faith in these two to help her bring David home. "If I were you two I would quit being caught up in your own problems and the poor, poor pitiful me act and get your heads out of your asses and lets go find our family members and bring them home."

"How can you expect us to leave if there is another vampire out there feeding off of the people of Collinsport?" Quentin asked looking from Barnabas back to Laura.

"Because I do not care about the citizens of Collinsport, but I do care about my son." Laura was sounding bored.

Timothy Stokes spoke from the open entryway to the drawing room. "Then I suggest we get a plane and head to Romania to the Carpathian Mountains because that is where they just took Elizabeth. I have been scrying on her from my room and it appears she has arrived at some mountain that would be a lot like the Carpathian Mountains. David and Carolyn are there and are in the same room with her now."

Castle Darkhart Carpathian Mountains

Drake stood watching the fire his thoughts were currently on the woman that occupied the room upstairs. He was still fuming silently over the fact she had been despoiled by Barnabas Collins and he was about to not allow that to go unpunished. Andréas entered the room moving to his side. "So my dark lord where are your thoughts taking you now?" Drake turned slightly peered at the man by his side.

'My thoughts are on your daughter and how she has spoiled herself before our coupling." He spoke dryly and with a degree of anger starting to edge forth in the tenor of his voice. "I will want Collins punished for taking what was rightfully mine." He turned and shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on the hells of his shoes. "I also want her to come to me willingly. You will see to that for me. Has the mother arrived?"

Petofi nodded slowly, "Yes, she has just been taken to her room and is meeting with her nephew and her daughter Carolyn." Petofi still continued to study the flames in the large fireplace.

"Is that one a virgin by any chance?" Drake glanced sideways to his minion. Seeing him purse his lips he had his answer. "I see, so this age it would be hard to expect anyone to be a virgin any more or less I suppose. We should have held a tighter control over Victoria. Stopped what happened between her and Collins. Well be that as it may she will make a grand handmaid to sit at my right hand and rule. I just hope he has not impregnated her." Again there was that dry voice of sarcasm thinking of all he had lost because of Barnabas.

"To my knowledge she is not pregnant and is very easily swayed to our way of thinking with some subtle manipulations. I don't think she is inclined to want to give up her independence but with her sister, cousin and now mother here, she can be swayed to do whatever we wish." Petofi smiled.

Drake was not amused; he sauntered across the room and sat in the large throne chair that occupied the front of the fireplace. "I just care she comes to me and we are wed by the noble authorities of this country and in full view of our other brethren. I want no one to dispute the fact that she is mine and belongs to me is that understood Andréas?" He locked the cold unmoving gaze on the one faithful servant he never had any doubts of or about.

"I understand perfectly my lord. What of Nicholas has he made contact with the others in Collinsport and has he found Regina?" Petofi walked to the other chair and seated himself turning sideways to look at the man seated beside him.

"No Regina has hidden herself well. Once Nicholas obtains her location he will notify us of her whereabouts and you will dispatched your two servants to bring her in. I cannot have he going out and killing just whomever she thinks she has a right to taste. It was unfortunate she had taken the Collins girl that night, I am sure your old friend Quentin Collins will not be happy with the idea that one of ours took the life of his daughter."

Petofi frowned, "That was unfortunate, she was a lovely thing, she looked a lot like her great grandmother with her blue eyes and blond hair. I understand Quentin was devastated by this act and if he discovers that Barnabas Collins is his Uncle and at one time a vampire, then I am sure there will be blood shed before it is all said an done."

Drake sighed now bored with the conversation. "Well be that as it may I can assume that they will under some misguided loyalty want to come and 'rescue' your daughter and her mother. I am not sure if they know we have the other daughter and the cousin. "

Petofi smiled, "Well I did make it plain to Liz that should she say anything that it could cost the life of her family members so I am sure she has said nothing." Drake leaned forward lost in a dark thought then smiled a most lascivious and nasty smile.

"Why not let them know and get them to mount a rescue, then once they are here we can make sure that the vampire is punished and if you want Quentin's body you can take it at your leisure or toy with him however you wish."

Petofi sighed, "I find this body is more than adequate and one that appealed to Elizabeth in the past. No, I might want to play a little cat and mouse with him. To see what he has learned I did after all give him a wonderful gift. Immortality should have satisfied him and it alleviate him of the curse of the werewolf."

Drake wagged a finger at his follower, "But you also released that half wit Carl and he did throw the love of his life off of Widows Hill, I am not so sure he has ever forgiven you for that."

Petofi waved the thought off as if it were not important but deep down he knew he had messed up on that one particular piece of revenge. He had an immortal soul that had vowed vengeance against him for taking what he loved and destroying it. Now his daughter from that other woman he had found in the image of his deceased wife, what was her name? Valerie? Yes, that was it, Valerie Collins had died giving birth to their daughter. Another lost love and another reason for Quentin to want to see him destroyed. Perhaps Drake was correct, to have your enemies closer if not in bed with you was the best.

"Perhaps you are right my lord. I will see the information is delivered to Collinwood before this night ends. Until then, I am sure your betrothed would like to see you before she retires."

"What of you Andréas? Will you be seeing to your old love while she meets with her family in her room?" He smiled and it was an unpleasant smile. "I am sure she will receive you with open arms." Drake stood tugging his jacket down he smiled. "You are right perhaps I will use my time to get acquainted with my future wife." Bowing slightly to Petofi, Drake walked with a leisurely pace to the stairs and disappeared out of sight.

Andréas Petofi sighed, he knew this man would make his daughter all she could be and more if she just opened her mind to the possibility. She could be his queen all she had to do was give up Barnabas Collins and embrace the darkness they both held to their own power.

Victoria's Bedchamber Castle Darkhart

Vicki sat before her vanity, throwing her hair over her face and bending over, she brushed through it taking all the curls out and relishing the feel of her scalp feeling less encumbered by the mass of curls she had worn at dinner. Flipping her hair back over her shoulders and head she tugged on the white satin housecoat she wore. Rising from her vanity she sighed looked to the chair by the fireside. Taking her seat in front of the fire she looked over the room. It was impressive as far as rooms went.

The antiques were priceless the feel of the room was warm and inviting. Hearing her door open she glanced over to see who was entering her room. Noting it was Prince Drake she stood and curtsied to him. "Your Highness." She spoke softly feeling under dressed in his presence.

"Rise Victoria you do not need to bow each time we meet this would get old and tedious to me so I am sure it would for you. I came to say good night and see how you are adjusting to your new surroundings." He waved his hand around the room offering a charming smile that for all the life of her she could not see the sincerity in his gaze. She chewed her bottom lip looking down to the floor.

Rising up she put her hands to the front opening of her housecoat wanting to full it tighter to her neck. "I find my accommodations very nice thank you. You have a lovely home." She looked around and then shyly her eyelashes fluttering a bit taking in the room and its furniture. "The antiques are priceless and very lovely what century are they?"

Drake glanced around bored, he had intended to try a subtle seduction but found she was too shy and skittish to attempt those moves at this time. "I would put them in the 15th or 16th century when the castle was first built and occupied by Vlad Tepes." Locking his hands behind his back he advanced towards her then paused watching her take a step back from him. "Do I frighten you Victoria? You recoil from my approach."

Vicki felt trapped and did want to run from the room. "I am sorry your highness it is all very overwhelming and I find myself a bit at a disadvantage in your very commanding presence." She forced herself to stand still as he advanced to stand in front of her pressing up to her to tip her chin up and peer down into those wide innocent looking eyes. She was mesmerized by the look he gave her.

His lips nearly pressing to her lips he spoke his breath hot against her lips. "Never be afraid of what you will be a part of my dear. It is neither noble nor becoming. You should embrace what is being offered if for no other reason than to protect those you love and hold dear." His lips moved to press to her lips and he deepened the kiss by putting his arms around her and pulling her hard against his body. The action startled Victoria enough that when she gasped he used the moment to plunder her mouth with his tongue deepening the passion of his kiss. He felt her stiffen in his arms and as the kiss went on she forced herself to relax and accept his show of affection. Breaking the kiss he smiled.

"See it was not that bad. You will get used to my touch and my kisses my dear. If you don't then you could forfeit more than your virginity to another you may forfeit the life of another. Just remember you are here to be my wife. You will marry me and you will learn to accept me." Stepping away he turned walking to the door he paused with his back to her.

He new she was pressing her fingertips to her bruised lips. "If you care about Barnabas Collins and do not wish his death you will accept me Victoria. You will learn to accept my touch and my needs and my demands." He opened the door went out and she heard the lock turn and knew she was trapped like a bird in a gilded cage and she had no way of warning Barnabas he was in danger.