- XLII -

Ilona's brown eyes widened in shock when they met the demonic gaze of the warlord and his historian. She wasn't surprised to see Tanis, for the scholar had shown interest in them yesterday. But never had she thought that Viktor himself would come to visit them in their guest rooms.

She clutched her skirts to prevent her hands from trembling and curtsied low to him as did the others. There was a sickening moment of silence hanging in the small chamber like a cloud of suffocative smoke. Ilona dared to peek up to their strange hosts. Viktor's attire hadn't lost its grandeur since their last encounter. He wore a robe of dark red velvet, ornately embroidered with silver threads and a heavy, expensive necklace adorned his chest.

"You may rise," he finally said, his voice cold but not as cruel as back in the courtyard.

The mortals obeyed and Lajos tried to express his gratitude again. "Milord, my family, my men and I are deeply indebted..."

And again, Viktor cut him off by raising a warning hand. "I am not here to listen to your servile flattery," he reprimanded him. "I have come to get to know my guests of whom Tanis spoke so highly."

His name mentioned, the historian stepped forth to introduce them. Viktor's expression remained cold while he nodded at Lajos and Adorjan, of whom the first bowed low again and the latter, trembling in fear and taking a hold of Ilona's cloak, didn't dare to look up from the tips of his shoes. When Tanis presented Semira, however, the warlord's features lightened and his thin lips curled into an appreciating smile. The austere beauty courageously smiled back, a determined spark flaring up in her dark eyes.

Then Tanis spoke Ilona's name and Viktor eventually stepped before her. Although he kept smiling, maybe even friendlier than he had been smiling at Semira, his unnatural, diabolic eyes still seemed to burn her, like he would eat her any moment. Ilona swallowed. She wanted to smile as bravely as Semira, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Every fibre of her body resisted her rational will, like her immaculate soul struggled not to give in to that infernal energy of his.

After a moment which seemed like hours, she dropped to her knee and took his right hand, placing a swift kiss on his large ruby ring, which was a bad decision. Actually meant to evade his piercing gaze, the act now caused a shiver to run down her spine. His skin felt as cold as a dead man's to her touch. Promptly, Ilona retreated, keeping her eyes to the floor and so didn't see Viktor smirking maliciously now.

"Ilona..." her name from his lips sounded both sweet and dark, like the three syllables wanted to gently enwrap her and draw her to the deepest downs of hell. "So you are Lajos's sister? You do not look alike all that much."

Her eyes still downcast, Ilona didn't manage to answer as quickly as she would have liked.

"We have different mothers," Lajos spoke up. "After my mother wouldn't give him another child, our father disowned her and married Ilona's mother."

Viktor raised an eyebrow, seeming quite interested in this particular family affair. "And do you consider that a righteous act?" he demanded to know, his gaze still fixated on Ilona.

"Milord, I think..." Lajos started and was stopped by Viktor's raised hand, just like before.

"I didn't ask you, Lajos. I asked Ilona."

She swallowed, then looked up again and said the only thing appropriate in this situation. "If a woman is infertile or unwilling to do her marital duties, her husband has every right to cast her out and marry another woman, Milord. It is tradition as well as it is God's law."

Viktor smiled at her approvingly. This was exactly what he had wished to hear from her. "Semira," he addressed the older female mortal. "You are the mother of a child? This boy here?"

"Yes, Lord Viktor," she answered, still smiling at the warlord, but there was more bitterness than pride in her voice.

"Only one child?" he asked, his tone coolly calculating. "Just like your mother-in-law?"

Her smile faded, and she bit down on her lip.

"Semira didn't conceive another child, but it doesn't bother me," Lajos said, taking Semira's hand. "I would never dissolve our marriage."

The mortal looked happily at his wife, but she threw him an angry, almost hateful glare. Viktor frowned at the sight of this, but didn't comment on it. "I heard your sister is betrothed to a baron in the South," he said instead.

"That is right, Milord. Ilona will marry above our station, I am so proud." Lajos was all smiles.

Ilona's heart had felt a bit lighter as long as Semira and Lajos had Viktor's attention, but now he turned to her again, and her throat suddenly grew tight and raw again.

"I am sure you are willing to give your future husband as many children as he wishes, Ilona." Again that diabolic timbre in the vowels of her name.

"Of course, Milord," she hurried to agree.

"Excellent," Viktor stated, his mischievous smile broadening until his lips revealed two strangely pointed canines. Then, in a swift, majestic motion, he left the room without another word.

Tanis stayed to talk to Lajos about their stay at the castle. Ilona heard him saying something about the snowstorm and that it would be too dangerous for their group to leave the castle in the next days, but she listened only half-heartedly. Her head was still spinning with the sound of her name spoken from those diabolic lips as well as the infernal glow of those eyes burning pitch black holes into her very core. And these fangs. Now Ilona knew what kind of creature Viktor was, what kind of beasts all of the castle's inhabitants were. Neither warlocks, nor demons. But vampires!