Chapter Three
Jonathan Harker's Journal
7 November (continuation)
It was not long before midnight when the door to my cell was unlocked and opened again. Earlier, the Szgany gipsies had wanted to kill Arthur, John, and I – thanks to us wiping out most of their company. But Ivanna and Elizabeta, as I now thought of them, had sternly forbidden it. Instead, the gipsies had brought in a cold supper of meats, cheese and bread, for me to eat. Along with some water. I suppose that they had also fed Arthur and John, in their separate cells.
My mind was still reeling from everything that had happened – including the deaths of Quincey and the professor. In summary, neither side in the battle had exactly won – though my sorrow for the men Dracula had killed was tempered by the fact that Mina and I – along with John - had finally ended him.
But had I now also lost Mina?
When I had first come to this castle, there had been four vampires for me to deal with. Now there were three…
Still feeling exhausted from it all, I slowly stirred from my simple bed as Mina herself walked in, whilst one of the grim-faced Szgany remained silent as he closed the door again.
Having stained her blouse with blood earlier in the evening, my wife had since changed into a dress that her new kindred must have picked for her. It looked as though it had once been worn by a native girl – and I told her so.
Mina nodded. "It once belonged to Nikolett. Before she was turned. I have effectively replaced her. And as for dressing as a native, Jonathan… We need to face the fact that this castle is now my new home. For the foreseeable future, at least."
I nodded back. I had heard Nikolett's last words to her sisters before she had succumbed to her wounds. She wanted them to "Be good to your new sister…and to your new brothers." She had looked at both Arthur and me as she said that final part. Then, with a sigh, and assuming an expression of being at peace, her face and body then aged rapidly within a minute or so into dried, cracked skin that turned into dust and exposed bones, leaving her clothes intact. The sight had horrified every one of us – Elizabeta and Ivanna most of all. It was a warning what would happen to the women, once true death – and time – eventually caught up with them.
Mina had been in the doorway at that moment, to hear her last words. Like Elizabeta and Ivanna, Mina cried tears of blood as they all huddled over Nikolett's corpse.
"I guess it's just as well that Quincey has gone, then. Given that he killed Nikolett – and that your allegiance is to your new sisters," I mused.
Mina bowed her head and whispered her reply. "Yes. Otherwise, my sisters and I would kill him now, if he were still alive. I am still myself, Jonathan. But I am somewhat changed in mind, as well as in body. Ivanna and Elizabeta are now my new family. It is in my blood to care for them – as they care for me."
"And what of myself, Arthur, and John?" I put to her. My heart was now conflicted as to what I felt for Mina. I was afraid of her. But I still loved her.
"I still care for them, too. And you are my dearest one, Jonathan," she told me, staring into my eyes. I could see that her lips were now as red as the other women. She must have fed when I wasn't looking – and I could guess as to who she had fed upon. She nervously brushed her hair. The burn mark from the holy wafer was still there. From this moment forth, it would remain until she found true death.
"I promised you, at your request, that I would save your soul, if you were going to become like Lucy. Like the Count," I told her.
"Yes. Would you kill me now, if I held you to that promise, Jonathan?" she challenged me, as she pulled up the only chair in the room and sat on it, just before me.
"I… I do not know. Do you want me to, Mina?"
"No. I do not feel…as though I am dammed. Not now that Dracula himself has gone. I think in different ways from when I had been…alive. I am free of not only the Count, but also of the world we left behind in England. I sense that I am as strong as the average man. And, new as I am in this life of darkness, I already feel an instinct that is more powerful than even the need to feed on human blood."
"And what is that?" I asked, in my curiosity.
"The need to survive. To survive at all costs, Jonathan," Mina answered me. She placed her hand on mine. I winced at the coldness of her skin.
"Sorry…," Mina muttered as she directed my hand to the left side of her ribs. "What do you feel, dearest?"
My eyes widened after a few moments. "You still have a heartbeat!"
"A slow one. Yes. Now, please listen carefully Jonathan. I am committed to the survival of myself and my new sisters. I need to learn from them. Control my new abilities. Even learn how to dissolve into mist or shapeshift into animals. I will learn Roumanian – and I will teach Ivanna and Elizabeta the English they still wish to learn. As well as tell them what they need to know of the world beyond this country." She paused. "Do you know that my sisters did not want to kill you, when Dracula allowed them access to you? Instead, they wanted to turn you into a vampire."
I shook my head, amazed.
"They are desperate for love, Jonathan. The Count has treated them as his slaves for most of their undead existence." Mina looked down for a moment as she released my hand. Then she faced me again. "If they had ever been brides to the Count… Well, now it can be three grooms for three brides. Only, we are already married, dearest one."
I draw in a sharp breath as I ran my hand through my unkempt brown hair. "If you do not wish me to kill you, Mina, then I will not," I told her truthfully.
"Thank you, Jonathan. But my sisters will not allow any of you three to leave the castle. Therefore, I must kill you…and then bring you back from the dead. But only if you agree – and, if you are sure. I would rather spend eternity with you, than without you." Mina smiled wistfully. "We will have to think of ways not to get bored with each other, as the years pass by."
"The baptism of blood that the Count performed on you…" My mind reeled at the implications.
"I would give it to you, with my love. With help from my sisters."
"And of Arthur and John?" I asked her.
"Since neither killed Nikolett, I think Ivanna and Elizabeta will want to get to know our friends…intimately. The choice for you men is to either accept immortality – or be stuck here in the castle for the rest of your mortal lives, as our willing – or unwilling - lovers. And of course, we will kiss with both our lips and our teeth…"
"And Nikolett wanted Arthur, John, and I…to become…brothers to you three."
"Yes, she did." Mina grinned. The tips of her fangs became visible.
"If I said yes to your offer…, Would we ever see England again?"
"Perhaps. We would need to explain to the authorities why we were out of the country for so long. And I cannot return to teaching my pupils." Mina now looked sad. "It they were here now; I would see them…as food."
I understood. We both grew up with the expectation that most women either worked to nurture children – or stayed at home to give birth to them and raise them, as mothers. From what John had told us, the vampiric Lucy had tried to gather her own children by feeding on the urchins who lived near to her tomb. And, of course, the sisters had killed that baby the Count had brought them.
"Vampires cannot bear young, can they? Only create more of their kind, through infection?" I gently asked her.
"Correct – on both counts," Mina whispered, averting my gaze in her shame.
"Ivanna and Elizabeta are your pupils now," I reminded her. "You can still be a good teacher."
Mina managed the ghost of a smile. She nodded and rose to her feet.
"Think carefully about my offer, my husband. I will return tomorrow night."
I stood up and stopped her by placing my hand on her shoulder. I took a deep breath before slowly releasing it.
"I accept."
Mina froze for a moment, caught off guard. "Are you sure, Jonathan? There's no way back."
"I am sure," I told her. "I do not wish to be killing innocent people – but…"
"…we will find a way. We will be better monsters than the Count was," Mina breathed. "I have died – but I still love you."
"And I still love you, Mina. That's why I am going to join you," I pledged myself to her. "We need to be there for each other. Til true death does us part."
"Love never dies," Mina whispered.
As one, we hugged each other – my salty tears mingling with her tears of blood on our faces.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Jonathan Harker's Journal
1 January
As I write, at the dawn of a new year, much has happened in the last few weeks.
It should be stated that the Szgany have removed our crucifixes and other weapons from our new home, so that no one else can use them against us.
Ivanna, Elizabeta, and Mina held a night-time burial for Nikolett on the evening following her death. With that over, Mina gently steered the minds of her sisters onto the issue of what to do with me, Arthur, and John. She reminded them of Nikolett's last words, which they had not forgotten. Then she told me of my acceptance to join them.
That seemed to perk both of them up.
Mina also persuaded her new kindred to allow myself, Arthur and John to hold a burial ceremony for Quincy and Professor Van Helsing. Naturally, it had to be held at night-time, too. Mina bowed her head with us as John spoke affectionately about his tutor. Whilst Arthur gave a eulogy to Quincey. Thankfully, the ladies were not offended, or affected, by the reading of the Lord's Prayer.
It was not long after that as prisoners, the remaining men and I were able to access parts of the castle such as the library and a laboratory that Dracula had. We were always in the company of at least one out of the three vampire women, though. And when it was just Arthur, John, Mina, and I, I took Mina's hand in mine and told the men that I intended to become Mina's husband in undeath, as well as in life. That it was the best option open to me, and that it was good for Mina as well. We would remind each other to hold onto our humanity, through our mutual love.
Arthur huffed, but otherwise remained silent. John just nodded and wished us happiness as he patted our held hands.
From that night onwards, however, I would often spy Arthur in conversation around the castle with Elizabeta, as they exchanged knowledge – him telling her about his family and estate, and the upper-class society of the British Isles; whilst she would teach him basic Roumanian and the history of the castle.
Before long, they would be seen kissing in the shadows whenever she eventually let him find her during their games of hide and seek. Next, I would get to see the love bite on Arthur's neck.
I knew that eventually; Arthur would agree to be turned.
John was less indecisive. He spent a lot of time checking out the laboratory and Dracula's notes on his chemical experiments, trying to find ways of keeping animal blood chilled in the former wine cellar, so to cut down on the need for the locals to be hunted down and killed. And an intrigued Ivanna was keen to assist John.
It wasn't long before they too became a couple who genuinely liked each other. And John also soon sporting love bites on his neck and forearms.
I had been wrong to just regard the two women as harpies. Yes, they were vampires. Predators. But there was more to them than met the eye, once you got to know them. Part of the problem was that Dracula had limited their lives for so long, keeping them as his slaves. Now that they were taking charge of the castle and the finances, Ivanna and Elizabeta wanted to sale anything intact that was not needed, and the gipsies would now be kept on site as loyal servants to prevent any harm coming to the vampires at night. Arthur took an interest in renovating the castle and made suggestions – such as setting up the place for electricity, including lights. So that the castle would become more of a habitable home. We are approaching a new century, after all.
My suggestion was to get the Szgany to bring in their animals and set up a farm just outside of the castle. Then pigs' blood – being close to human blood – could be used as nourishment for the vampires.
One surprise that came to light was the fact that the Count had contacts in the Roumanian government. Using that information, Mina urged her sisters to make an arrangement with the jails around the country. For a payment from the vast funds in the castle, any prisoners found guilty of murder, who had no families to visit them, were discreetly transported to our castle. They would be held in our cells, until the next hunting night. Then, they would be released, for them to run through the castle, in search of a way out, whilst his vampiric stalkers would play a deadly game of hide and seek with him.
Over Christmas, last week, for the first time, we actually had three hunting nights in a row. On Christmas Eve, Elizabeta hunted the criminal down with the aid of her new groom, Arthur. On Christmas Day, it was the turn of Ivanna and John, and on Boxing Day, I felt the thrill of the chase as I hunted down a brutal mortal, working in tandem with Mina. The criminal had managed to reach the main hall, and he was about to break out when Mina and I took him down together, before feeding…
Yes. Arthur and John are now my brothers. My blood brothers. The Roumanian word being frate ('frar-tay'). And Ivanna and Elizabeta are now as much my sisters – and sisters to the other men – as they are to Mina. And our ladies are very happy to have their grooms and brothers. Though Ivanna and Elizabeth are naughty and will sometimes swap grooms with each other. However, Arthur and John do not seem to mind this. Mina, of course, refuses to share me with her sisters for intimate moments. And I only wish to share my passionate nights with my beloved wife.
Now the Szengy loyally serve all six of us vampires – instead of wanting us men dead, for killing their brothers. They are as scared of us four fledglings, as they are of the two elder ladies.
This castle had once been a prison to me. But now, I am becoming comfortable with it. With the hated Count dead, the thick walls are now protecting me and my new kindred from the dangers of the outside world.
I do not seem to be able to grow a beard or moustache now. Mina has used her vanity mirror, retrieved from her belongings outside the castle – and none of us has reflections now. John is baffled by this scientific oddity, as well as the vampire abilities to shapeshift and change into mist. Whilst Mina has teased me that if I do need to shave, she will do it for me. And lick away any cuts she might 'accidentally' make.
I was turned first – dying from the multiple baptisms of blood on the night after I accepted Mina's offer. Arthur and John underwent their transitions at the same time as each other, later in November. We now all love and look after each other, as family.
Like Arthur and John did later on, for my initiation I exchanged blood with Ivanna, Elizabeta, and Mina. Despite trying to be ready for it, in mind, dying was still a terrifying experience. But Mina was there to comfort me as my body began to shut down – part by part. It was her weeping face, in the guest bedroom where she died, that was the last thing that I saw before my world turned dark. And it was her face – this time shredding tears of blood in happiness – that was the first glorious sight I saw, upon my successful return from the dead, three nights later. Her golden hair, lit by candlelight, made her look like an angel guiding me into my new life. Which she has done.
Now Mina and I are equals. There are no barriers between us. Ivanna and Elizabeta have even given their blessing to us, by allowing Mina and I to occupy the Count's large coffin as our resting place during the day – making it clear just what they now think of their former master.
We are glad that none of us need to sleep in soil – compared to the Count's habit whilst he was away from the castle.
Back to the events of last week, then. In keeping with our elder sisters, us fledglings did not celebrate Christmas in a Christian manner. Instead, during the nights, those of us not participating on the night's hunt have instead dined on chilled pig's blood, played card games, and have been outside to take part in snowball fights and sledging. When the clouds have been absent, the starlit skies have been beautiful. Mina had wanted to explore the countryside when the business with Dracula had come to its conclusion – and now, we explore the peaks and waterfalls together, seeing and hearing all the sights and sounds with our enhanced, vampiric vision by night. During each walk, Mina and I will sit down together somewhere – next to a waterfall sometimes, or on a cliff looking over the countryside. And talk contently about how this rugged land is now our home. Our hunting grounds too. Ivanna had taught all four of us fledglings how to beguile mortals. So, Mina and will sometimes come across a lone traveller during the night – and we will seize him and both of us take just a little blood from him, before licking the wounds clean, mentally compelling him to forgot us, so that we can leave our prey alive.
Mina and I are relieved that we have not yet taken the lives of any innocent people, despite the temptations we have faced so far. Each kill is a warning to the locals not to cross us, yes – but also each death is a risk that could bring other Van Helsings down upon us, should we become arrogant and careless.
Which is why the night of the 26th was so glorious for Mina and me.
By last week, both of us had learnt shapeshifting from Elizabeta – and consequently, the murderer who ran through the castle, heart pounding whilst he desperately sought to find a way out of our home, finally met his end when he turned to face the pair of growling, red-eyed wolves on the first-floor landing. Firstly, the sleek, blond-furred lupine dived upon him, knocking him to the bottom of the stairs. Then, as he tried to fend off her claws and fangs, the downed killer had to contend with the addition of the black wolf – myself. Within moments, Mina and I tore him apart with savage glee. And, in lapping up his delicious, hot blood, we were able to tap into some of his memories, so that we knew for sure that that he was indeed a child molester and murderer.
Consequently, Mina and I had no guilty consciences over ending his life.
In the morning, the Szgany would scrub the bloodstains on the stone floor and carpet, after taking the body away and burning it. We pay them well for their services.
Having fed to our hearts' content, I licked Mina's muzzle. She, in turn nuzzled me, then nipped my ear. Licking each other clean of the bloodstains on our fur coats, we started to dissolve somewhat into mist before reforming back into our human forms…
I am fascinated by what I, Mina, and my brothers can now do. And there is plenty more for us to learn. But each morning brings weariness to us fledglings, which forces us to rest and sleep during the day. And it is the onset of evening that triggers our altered minds to awaken. But, like the Count before them, Ivanna and Elizabeth wish to develop their own powers to the point that they will soon be able to walk during the day.
Soon, I was naked and upright in the hallway, grinning as I licked the last of the criminal's blood from my lips. Mina stood naked before me also, smiling coyly at me. In that moment, she had become a confident hunter. As much of a lioness as her sisters, with her bright eyes and with the tips of her fangs just showing. And I am her lion. The 'gorgeous vampire', for whom her sluggish heart still beats for. She has told me so, herself. And both of us have now been saved from the winds of time. We will not grow old on the outside, until final death eventually catches up with us. We may be monsters. But we are humane, beautiful monsters, who love each other.
"That was a most satisfying meal. I am glad we shared him together," I told her.
"My thoughts also, Jonathan. And it was wonderful that we both hunted him down as wolves." Mina stepped forward to embrace and kiss me. When she broke lip-contact, she grinned at me. "One hunger leads to another…," she whispered.
I was unable to speak for a moment. Despite being undead, Mina and I had already demonstrated to each other, since my resurrection, that we were still capable of intimacy. In fact, becoming vampires had seemed to loosen the moral restraints we have both grown up with – and we were now more passionate and eager to experiment that we would have as mortals. Since my own change, Mina's hands are no longer cold to me. Instead, they feel cool to my touch – like my undead skin feels cool to her fingers.
"The guest bedroom?" I put to her.
Mina shook her head. "On top of the Count's coffin. Our coffin. I hope he is able to see us, from whatever afterlife he resides in. After all, he invaded our bedroom once."
So, I grinned, and picked up my wife with both arms. I am still rather lanky, but my frame and muscles are filled with vampire strength – just like Mina is. I raced along the corridors to the vault and descended the stairs whilst carrying her. Once inside, I gently laid Mina on top of the closed coffin and kissed her – hard. Since we are already disrobed, and we had recently fed to our complete satisfaction, it did not take long for us two to become totally aroused. I remember our hands exploring every part of each other. She stroking my manhood so that it was primed and ready. I licking, and nipping, her aerolas - whilst stroking Mina's breasts, before gliding a hand down to tease her between her legs. We both moaned with delight.
The old Jonathan Harker – before his turning – would not have disclosed any details of his intimate moments in his journal. But the new me wishes to write something of this recent night, so that I can read and savour the memory again and again. Even though there will be many more such wonderful nights.
After our bodies joined as one, and we both cried out during our moments of release, we instinctively looked at each other.
Smiling widely, Mina rolled us off the coffin and onto the stone floor, so that she was now side by side with me. I lunged my head forward, and carefully bit her neck, to suck in a little of her dark blood. With a tinkling laugh like a silver bell, Mina then bared her own fangs and bit my neck in turn. Now, we were a complete circuit onto ourselves – taking and giving and sharing the most wonderful fluid of life between ourselves. At the same time, our conjoined bodies tightened around each other, reaching our perfect rhythms of joy once more in our lovemaking…
I hope that my brothers and sisters will also find such passion and love in their nights together, as Mina and I do.
What will the forthcoming new century bring, I wonder? Now that I, Mina, Arthur, and John have been, as Ivanna and Elizabeta would put it, 'elevated above the herd that is the mortal human race', we do see humanity in a different light. Ultimately, I suppose we will come to regard mortal lives as short and fleeting, whilst we are aged in our minds by experience, but will still be youthful in the flesh. I still despair at the folly of men fighting wars – and yet, Arthur points out that a battleground would be excellent feeding grounds for our kind to end the suffering of the mortally injured. John hopes for the advancement of science and knowledge – but fears for the possible consequences it may bring, if the local peasants eventually lost their fear of us and decided to burn down the castle by day during our corpse-like sleeping. Currently, only the Szgany, our locks, and a few in the Roumanian government act as our protections.
My conclusion is this. The human race will have to continue to learn from its mistakes, from experience, in order to survive in this world. In the meantime, us vampires have our own potentials to explore – and with Mina and my brothers and sisters, I fully intend to live – if 'live' is the word - this new life to the full. We could explore the cities of the continent, as Ivanna and Elizabeth are eager to do, to experience once again the wider world, with all it has to offer.
It is just as well that my brothers and Mina now love the taste of blood as much as I do. Otherwise, a limited diet would be a big disappointment, being immortal. Now, we are all experienced enough to know that the taste of each person's blood is slightly different from each other. Everyone has their own unique flavour. Leather, perfumes, smoke, sweat. All these, and many more, add to the taste. As does fear…
Do I miss the smells, the tastes, of ordinary food? Perhaps a small part of me does. But when I am walking past the Szgany's camp at night, the aromas of their dinner being cooked do not appetize me at all. Instead, it is the tang of their fear as I walk by, hand in hand with Mina, which makes us discreetly lick our dry lips. And the metallic smell of their pigs being bleed, so that we have less need to kill anyone.
The Count is dead. Hopefully with his soul burning in hell.
We are his bloodline – our time on this earth now prolonged by the blood of our victims.
Long may we all enjoy our time together, whilst we can.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Mina Harker's Journal
2 January:
The clear out of the castle is still making some small progress, thanks to the long winter nights that favour us.
I have decided to explore the Count's study, to found out the extent of his business dealings – after my sisters told us about the arrangement Dracula had made with the Roumanian government.
Not long after we six all woke up this evening, Elizabeta decided that it was her turn to go on a hunt. So, she would take Arthur with her.
I gave her a meaningful look. To which, my flame-haired sister laughed and replied: "We will try not to kill anyone innocent, if we can help it, dear Mina!"
"I hope there will some chasing, though. There should be some thrill of the hunt." Arthur paused thoughtfully, and then added to his beau. "Can you teach me to shapeshift into a bat, Elizabeta? I would love to learn how to fly."
"Wolf is easier to me. Ivanna is better at changing to bat form than I am, my sweet lord," Elizabeta giggled. "I will let her teach you, on another night."
"I look forward to it, frate Arthur." Ivanna smiled, showing her sharp teeth.
I kissed my sister and my brother before they left us. Kissing with my lips, of course – not with my teeth. And upon their cheeks.
The memory of Jonathan and I kissing each other intimately, on that night, last week, made me smile. I did not blush. We cannot do so now, due to our nature. And I am not ashamed of my passion for Jonathan, which is now stronger than before.
I feel proud that, so soon after becoming undead – and with help from my sisters - I was able to turn my wonderful husband into a fine vampire, worthy of the gift of immortality.
I digress. With Arthur and Elizabeta hunting, it was left to Ivanna, John, my darling husband, and I to continue sorting out the papers that we could find in the study. I have been making a record of them, as per my mortal habit. None of the sisters knew of the details of what Dracula had planned to do, once he had established himself in London, as he had not shared his schemes with them.
This evening, however, we had a breakthrough.
Firstly, Jonathan – with his keen eye for detail – had discovered that one of the deeper drawers on the desk was shorter in capacity than the others. When we pulled the drawer out altogether, we found that behind a false wood panel there was a miniature metal safe at the back. One that required a key, rather than a combination.
"No key in this room…," John Seward muttered as he searched all around.
"The Count… He must still have the key," Jonathan reasoned.
"His body! We must search it," I realised.
Ivanna's face turned paler than usual. "I dare not go near him…"
"Overcome your fear, soră," I urged her. "You don't have to be scared now…"
So, we headed down to the courtyard and cleared the still-remaining pile of bricks and mortar to uncover the clothes that Dracula had left behind when he had disintegrated. Steeling herself, Ivanna tore his clothes apart – and so found the key in an inside pocket of the Count's coat. With this key, we then unlocked the safe and pulled out the papers within. The handwriting was definitely Dracula's, Jonathan assured us. And now we could see his plans.
What we read between us was astonishing.
My would-be-master had gone to the British Isles in order to integrate himself into the higher echelons of society, and present himself as a potential future suitor of none other than Queen Victoria herself. In the process, he would bribe to secure himself informants, and he would feed lightly from men in positions of authority, turning them into hypnotised slaves. Around the same time, he would create a small army of vampires to keep around with him – ready to fight against anyone who realised the danger of the snake in their midst.
Eventually, he would persuade the Queen to become his undead consort. By their marriage, and eternal union, the British Empire would become a new, legal haven for vampire kind. Mortals and the reborn would live side by side. Through experiments in London, he hoped to create a new race of Nosferatu – one that was resilient to the effects of sunlight. Vampirism would become a new trend – filtering down to those of the upper classes and in positions of power across society, who desired eternal life. Pigs blood would be farmed on a massive scale to provide for the turned population.
"My God…," John breathed. "I don't know whether to call this lunacy, or the workings of a genius."
"A country where our kind is legally protected? I must admit that the dream is tempting," Ivanna reflected. "But now that the Count is dead, the dream is gone. And apart from leaving me and my sisters as stewards of the castle, he does not say where we stood in his plans!" She huffed in annoyance. "He would have abandoned us!"
I turned to Ivanna. "How many of our kind are there? I mean… How did the Count become undead? There must be others… Considering how many superstitions there are of vampires around the continent, and the wider world…"
"I cannot tell you that much," she replied. "There are many kinds of vampires all over Europe, at least. There are undoubtedly some that exist in groups, pretending to be mortals. Whilst the majority will be lone wolves, feeding solely to sustain themselves." Ivanna pursed her lips as she nervously fiddled with her hair. "I believe that the Count wished to become the King of all our kind. His would have been a long, cruel reign. Your Queen would have become a puppet monarch in his hands!"
Jonathan and I looked at each other for a long time.
"And if Dracula had this dream, might not another powerful vampire desire to control Britain, or another country, from the shadows?" my dearest ventured. "Tensions are already bad between France and Germany. If vampires were able to control governments, like Dracula planned to…"
"…eventually, we need to go back – to ensure that our country is safe from…vampires who are organised and worse than we are," I put to my friends.
John chuckled. "If we are to present ourselves again, under our real names, we will have a lot of explaining to do, to those we know," he pointed out.
"We will have to work from the shadows ourselves, then. We are creatures of the night, after all," Jonathan proposed. "But we have to be wise upon our return."
Ivanna grinned. "Elizabeta and I are lucky to have you as our sister and brothers. After years of stagnation under the Count, we are learning to evolve again."
I reached forward and drew Jonathan into my embrace. His eyes were sharp, and he smiled, showing the tips of his fangs, before I kissed his lips, smiling.
The future is uncertain for all of us. But with my sisters, my brothers, and - most of all – with Jonathan's love for me, I am ready to face the first years of our shared immortality…
Together, we will survive. Together, we will love and care for each other.
Because love never dies.
THE END!
Author's Notes:
The ending is a nod to Kim Newman's 'Anno Dracula'. A book well worth reading!
"One hunger leads to another…" As per a quote from the Hammer Horror film: 'Vampire Circus'.