Notes: Thank you for all the reviews, follows and likes! It means a lot to me.
Eastern Europe - Present Days
I always thought the worst day of my life had been the day my mother died. I remember every detail of that afternoon. I remember finding her body shielding Auryk's in the middle of the woods, while a Lycan tore her apart. I remember the aftermath, when father carried her mangled body back home so we could prepare a decent burial for her. Meanwhile, my injured brother was at somebody else's house and I had no idea of his state, if he'd make or not. I didn't cry. I didn't shed a single tear. I just couldn't. I was so paralyzed by the shock and the trauma my emotions had been completely blocked.
Until this day, I think they're blocked somehow because even when I saw Karl Heisenberg invading our home to get my brother, I couldn't feel anything.
"Boy, I'll tell you something," Karl spoke as he walked in, "I knew your father, that man was problematic. But you, somehow managed to get in even worse trouble."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Auryk gritted his teeth. "Get out of my house!"
"I'm sorry, but... orders of Mother Miranda."
He impaled my brother's shoulder with a metal bar, then he started immobilizing his entire body by covering it with scrap metal pieces.
"Stop!" I shouted, pointing a rifle at him. My head was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol I consumed. I was in pain, confused, dizzy and moody. Very moody.
Heisenberg finally turned his attention to me.
"Now comes the part where someone is going to inform me what you're doing here, and where you're taking my brother. What did Auryk do that pissed off Miranda? Did he draw horns on one her paintings or something?"
"He didn't piss off Miranda, he stole from Dimitrescu. Which is far worse. She requested a trial for your brother, this where we're headed now."
Alcina Dimitrescu, another of the Four Lords. She was known not only for her abnormal height, but also for her habits. Stories, passed through the generations in the village, told she consumed human blood to remain immortal and ageless. She also possessed long and powerful claws, another gift granted by Mother Miranda.
There were other rumors regarding her castle too...
Eastern Europe - August, 2018
'The day' had arrived. I was shivering a bit at the thought. My hands were very cold. Adrian dropped me and Auryk at a mysterious location, some sort of manor with many rooms. There, we found other teenagers, some of our own age and some a little bit older.
"Mother would never agree with this," I spoke to myself, shaking my head in denial. "This is absurd."
"So," Auryk took a piece of paper from his pocket, "Anastasia Olsen, 17 years old, Room 3. Who were you paired with?"
I was afraid to open my own folded paper.
"Gustav," I let out a relieved sigh. "Room 7."
"At least I know he'll respect you and I won't have to break his face later."
Five teenagers had gone missing in the last three months. Both boys and girls, they had two things in common, they were venturing near Castle Dimitrescu and they were all virgins. The rumors Lady Dimitrescu sacrificed virgins to consume their blood weren't a secret, but the increasing occurrences alarmed some parents who sought for a solution. Adrian had a brilliant idea.
"This is okay, Leena," Gustav wrapped his arm around me. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to, okay? I won't tell anyone."
"I'm so sorry," I lamented. "This was supposed to be for your protection too."
"Don't worry, I don't plan to go anywhere near that castle. Do you?"
"No way."
We both smiled. Being childhood friends, we spent the whole night chatting and telling jokes. Nobody ever knew what happened inside that bedroom. If anybody asked, Gustav and I had sex with each other.
"Can I share a secret?" I whispered while we were about to fall asleep. I couldn't keep that to myself anymore. Nobody knew yet, not even Auryk.
"Anything."
"I like girls. I'm gay, Gus. And my father can't know about it under any circumstances. I think he'd kill me."
Eastern Europe - Present Days
Now I was also enraged. I was right, my brother had secrets I had no idea about. And it was okay he had a life on his own, as long as it didn't put himself - and also me - in danger.
"Lady Dimitrescu, Auryk?!" I yelled. "The hot giant vampire who is rumored to have claws and sacrifice virgins in her castle? Are you insane?"
"I... I'm not... a virgin," Auryk didn't show any sign of fear or distress, but judging by his voice, he was in agonizing pain under that pile of metal. I could see blood dripping on the floor from the wound on his shoulder.
"But you're a man," Karl spoke. "She hates men more than anything. You're probably losing your dick tonight anyways."
"Did you consider you have a sister for one second, Auryk?" I tried to shove my brother through all that metal, hoping he'd at least feel how mad I was. "Or did you consider your own life at least? Is money all that really matters to you? You're starting to become exactly like him!"
"We're not having this conversation right now, Leena. I did what I had to do."
"Well, we're never having this conversation then, because she'll tear you apart and feed your guts to her daughters."
"Likely," Karl smirked. "Time's up, children. We have to go now."
As he started dragging Auryk outside, I didn't think twice before opening fire against him. What I didn't expect though, was that my bullets had no effect on him. Heisenberg remained unharmed.
"Well, well..." he let out a small laugh before turning around, "it looks like I'll deliver one extra Novak as a bonus to Mother Miranda. She'll be very pleased."
"Screw your Mother Miranda!"
I threw him one of my daggers. Using his magnetic powers, he stopped it mid-air. I didn't give up easily, I launched myself forward, trying to find a branch, a vulnerability to weaken Karl.
Taking my dagger, he stabbed me in the stomach. I barely had time to feel any pain, he knocked my head heavily against the wall. As I passed out, I watched him cover my body with scrap metal too and drag me, along Auryk.
I don't know for how long I was unconscious. Hours maybe? But I woke up in a unfamiliar location, some kind of cave, surrounded by voices I wasn't familiar with.
"Mother Miranda," a female voice spoke, "they're the spawn of Adrian Novak. In the name of all the women of this village, I propose you allow me to sacrifice them. We can drink their blood and set the remains on fire, to be sure nothing of that man is left in this world."
"They're feisty," a man, I recognized as Karl, argued. "Especially the girl. I propose we put them through some challenges. It'll be entertaining to watch which Novak twin will die first."
It was ironic our fate was now in the hands of Mother Miranda. Our family was one of the very few in the village who wouldn't carry that legacy of devotion and worshipping. My mom, Savannah Novak, came from a Christian family and always passed her beliefs to her children. Adrian respected her faith, though he declared himself Agnostic. However, he did not respect the village traditions. He hated Mother Miranda and her cult deeply.
I remembered being around eight years old. One of the neighbors came to our house for a tea, she invited us to attend the cult and worship Mother Miranda along the other villagers. Before my mother could give her a polite answer, Adrian showed up by the door holding his rifle and yelling: 'get out of my house, your brainwashed moron'. Nobody ever invited us a second time.
As I returned to my senses I began wondering how I could be alive and painless. My last memory was of being stabbed by Karl Heisenberg, before getting a hard blow on my head. I sat down and checked out my stomach, there was nothing there, except for a hole in my shirt.
"How?!" I asked myself. The amulet Auryk gave me. That was the only possibility. It created some kind of shield to protect me from the harm.
Suddenly, I noticed a fish-like creature staring at me. For all I'd heard before, that should be Salvatore Moreau. I let out a loud scream and tried to run, that was when I noticed my hands were restrained and my legs were still weak to sustain my body. I fell on the floor again.
"Leena," by my side, Auryk also had his hands restrained. The wound on his shoulder hadn't healed, which confirmed my suspicions about the power of the amulet.
"She's alive! She's alive!" A creepy doll started running around the room, before going back to another member of Miranda's council. A person wearing a black veil covering their face, which assumed it to be Beneviento. I wondered why she had her face covered, many were the stories regarding her appearance.
"For now," Alcina Dimitrescu stood up from her seat, walking directly in our direction. She was even taller than my imagination could ever picture. It didn't matter how tall my brother was, compared to her he seemed like a little toy soldier, easy to be crushed.
She approached even further and grabbed Auryk by the neck, lifting him up high enough to be face to face with her.
"How dare you to invade my castle and steal my property?"
He didn't answer.
"Tell me, rat. Where's the goblet you stole?" Auryk turned his head to the side, avoiding her gaze. Dimitrescu showed off her long, metallic claws. "Or I'm gonna make you talk."
"Auryk!" I yelled. My brother's eyes found mine. Though he was keeping a calm and tough attitude, I could sense that trial was bringing back memories. Memories from when Adrian abused him in the past.
With only my look, I begged him to answer.
"I don't know," he finally told, struggling to breathe on her hold. "I received those texts... ordering the goblet. Then... I delivered it on a mysterious empty building and... the money was automatically on my bank account. The buyer... they never revealed me their name."
"Tell the truth!"
"I am... I just... followed orders..."
"And how did you even entered my castle anyways? I'm sure my daughters would have noticed, they never miss a thing."
"I... I... won't... tell..."
"Then die."
The woman tightened the grip around Auryk's neck. For a second, I was sure he was going to die. I closed my eyes, avoiding the scene in front of me.
"Wait," I had no idea what I was doing, but the word just escaped my mouth. Alcina Dimitrescu finally looked at me. Until now, she was ignoring my presence but the sound of my voice sparked some interest in her eyes. "If you kill him, you'll never know where the goblet is."
"Who is she and who gave her permission to speak?" She directed her annoyed question to Miranda and Karl.
"I mean it. Let us go, we'll find it and bring it back to you."
She let go of my brother's neck and walked in my direction. I stood up, trying to show some confidence.
"Your promises are worthless. You'll both run away like cowards."
"Alcina," Mother Miranda interrupted. It was the first time I really noticed her figure. In that moment I realized how easy it was to be mesmerized with the power, the force she emanated. She really seemed like a true goddess. "The girl has a point. You should consider your options before deciding their fate. After all, this boy is your only clue of the whereabouts of the goblet."
There was a tense and long moment of silence. She stared at me again, as if she was diving into my soul and reading my deepest thoughts. Then, she smirked.
"I've made my decision, Mother Miranda. The dirty little thief can go. Until he brings my goblet, I'll take his sister as guarantee."
"I accept," I firmly spoke. "You can take me."
"Leena, no!" Auryk ran in my direction, wrapping his arms around me. "She's going to kill you, you know that. I won't let you pay for my mistakes."
I glanced at the amulet around my neck. It protected me against Heisenberg, it could protect me in the castle. But I didn't trust Lady Dimitrescu or any of the other Lords, discreetly I took it off and placed it on Auryk's pocket.
"Go," I ordered him. "Find the goblet. I'll be fine."
"I wouldn't take so long if I were you, stupid man-thing." Alcina placed her hand on my shoulder. I could feel her nails almost sinking into my skin. "My daughters are hungry and full of energy. I don't know for how long I'll be able keep her safe."
I stared the gate in front of me. Everything screamed blood and death about that castle. I started thinking about Dimitrescu's daughters. Nobody from the village had ever seem them. Once a girl who used to work on the castle managed to escape, before succumbing to a mysterious infection. Her last words while she hallucinated were 'They're devious, charming and dangerous... and they bite'.
"Okay," I sighed before we entered. "We'll set some rules."
"Excuse me?" Alcina asked, frowning at me. "Are you trying to make your rules on my territory?"
"Sure. A deal must satisfy both parts. You want your goblet back, I want my safety and my brother's."
"I know what a deal is, little girl. I've been making deals before you were even born," the woman grunted in anger. "If I didn't need that goblet... you both would be served as feast to my daughters."
"What's so important about the goblet anyways? In a castle so large, I'm sure you must have plenty of those."
"None of your business. One thing I assure you, when it ends I'm gonna drink your blood in it."
She opened the doors with a slam. Not even the front door was fit for her height, she had to duck a little to enter. I followed her inside.
"I'll ask the staff to take you to a guest room," Dimitrescu said. "You should be grateful you're not going to the dungeons. This is the most I can do."
"Okay, thank you. And I'm gonna need my stuff, can you ask them to pick up my bags at home?"
Alcina looked at me like if she was going to kill me. I could tell the idea crossed her mind for a second, but then, there was the risk she'd lose her precious artifact forever.
"Fine," she massaged her temples. "But you're a prisoner, not a guest. Remember that."
She started walking away, but then she stopped.
"Another thing: if you dare to be a bad influence on my daughters, I won't hesitate to kill you."
I nodded. I was sure I wouldn't have to teach vampire-like creatures how to misbehave.
Then, Alcina yelled at the top of her lungs the last thing I expected to hear in such an unusual and strange family:
"CASSANDRA! YOU AND YOUR SISTERS, IN MY OFFICE NOW!"
"Yes, mother," I heard the voice coming from somewhere, but I couldn't see it.
As Lady Dimitrescu disappeared through the corridors of the castle, a woman came to conduct to my room. She was a human too. For the first time that night, I felt safe.
Castle Dimitrescu, Office - Present Days
"You're telling this because you're her favorite daughter," Daniela complained. "For me, it's more like she's finding a replacement because I'm not enough."
Cassandra and Daniela had been bickering for hours now, since their mother left the castle for an important meeting with Mother Miranda and promised to return with an exciting gift. Daniela was convinced she'd have another daughter.
"Me?! Do you realize she's always screaming my name as if everything that happens is my fault?!"
"Stop, we're not having another sister. Mother never expressed this intention!" Bela finally intervened. All that arguing was giving her a headache. "It's probably another candidate."
"You wish, right? The candidates are so hard to find these days and whenever one comes to the castle you ruin her."
She only glared at her sister in disapproval. She wasn't the only one to ruin their mother's candidates for Sanguis Virginis. In fact, Cassandra was the one who chased them the most.
Deep down she hoped Miranda had finally found a manner to make them stronger. It would be nice to be able to leave the castle for a few hours.
Lady Dimitrescu arrived at the office looking very very mad. The meeting hadn't gone so well as she planned, it seemed.
"A man entered this castle and stole from me! A man!" She scolded them. "I want to know how that even happened."
Bela and Cassandra shared at look then glanced at Daniela. She was the one to have a weak spot for men. For some reason, she always believed them to have an infatuation for her.
"Maybe he caused a distraction, mother," Daniela suggested, trying to defend herself from the accusations.
"One of the staff," Cassandra added. Even if Daniela was indeed responsible, all the three of them would take the blame. "It has to be. They opened a passage for this man-thing to enter."
"Cassandra is right, mother," Bela agreed. "But don't worry, I'll find this traitor and kill them for you. It won't happen ever again."
"It better not happen again," Alcina punched the office's desk. "He stole something too valuable. You are my daughters or not?!"
They all nodded in agreement.
"Right. I must return to Mother Miranda's cave now. She had important matters to discuss with me. Meanwhile, I want Cassandra and Daniela to find the culprit and punish them accordingly."
"What about me, mother?" Bela asked intrigued. Why was she out of the mission?
"I want to speak to you in private, Bela. I have something else for you."
The other two sisters understood the message and left the room. Daniela muttering 'mama's pet' and Cassandra sighing of relief, assuming Bela would be the one in trouble this time.
"Anything, mother. You can trust me."
"Right..." Alcina started walking around the room as she explained everything. The man who stole from her had a sister, who was brought to the castle as a guarantee he'd return the artifact he stole. "I want you to keep her safe. Keep an eye on her and your sisters. She cannot be killed until I have my goblet back."
"Easy task."
"But you better keep your distance, do you understand? I don't want this dirty woman to corrupt you. She's so vile as her father. And anything, literally anything she does wrong, you're allowed to kill her. Have no mercy."
Castle Dimitrescu, Guest Room - Present Days
"A member of the staff has been ordered to pick up your bags, Ms. Novak. Your things will be here in the morning."
"Thank you."
The room was larger than the house I grew up. I was completely fascinated by the Baroque aesthetic and the antique furniture. Trying to scan all the details, my eyes couldn't focus on a single spot for more than a few seconds.
"The heating system cannot be turned off," the woman, who presented herself as Mrs. Volkov, continued to explain. "And the windows cannot be open under any circumstances."
What? The bedroom was warm. Too warm. We were in Summer for god's sake. Being there without being able to even open the windows would be suffocating.
"But it's Summer."
"These are the orders from the Mistress and her daughters."
The orders. I also couldn't communicate with anyone outside the property, not even by letter or phonecall, or leave castle. Now I could finally see myself as a prisoner.
"If you're settled now, I must go," the housekeeper spoke. "You can call me anytime you need."
"Okay. I'm fine, for now."
I would like a bath and a night of rest. I was completely exhausted from the trial and the trip back to the castle. I had a feeling the days to come wouldn't be any easy.
Before she left though, Mrs. Volkov turned around and spoke words I'd never forget. It was the first time she actually spilled something regarding the Dimitrescu family. It seemed like not even the staff was allowed to communicate much.
"If I can give you an advice, Ms. Novak, I'd tell you to keep your doors locked and sleep with your windows wide open. Don't trust their charm, they're not what they seem."
I swallowed dry. They. They could be anywhere right now. They could be plotting my assassination. They could be by the other side of the door, waiting for Mrs. Volkov to leave and kill her, before entering my room. How did they look anyways? If they were so stunning as Alcina Dimitrescu herself, they could easily pass as staff or other guests too.
I entered the bathroom and locked the door. I don't know how long I spent inside the bathtub, reflecting on everything that happened and examining the spot where I had been stabbed. I didn't even had a scar or a mark that indicated it happened. If only I had another amulet...
Only yesterday, I was celebrating my birthday. Now it seemed like a lifetime ago. I sighed and returned to the bedroom still wearing the same clothes, as I hadn't anything else to change. As I dried my hair with a towel, I heard a voice behind me.
"Hello, it's been a long time we don't have a guest."
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. In a second she wasn't there, then she just showed up, out of nowhere.
I examined the girl in front of me. Red haired, the side of her head was shaved in some kind of modern haircut. If it wasn't for her long black dress, the hood covering her head partially and the strange tattoo that marked her forehead, she'd look a little normal to me. Except that she wasn't. That was certainly one of Dimitrescu's daughters.
"I... I'm not exactly a guest, miss."
"Oh please, only Daniela," she grinned and approached me even more. "So, if you're not a guest, what are you doing here? Is there anything... or anyone in particular you want to see?"
"Aleena," I decided it was better to not add my last name. I extended my hand to show some politeness. "I'm here until my brother brings back an artifact he took from the castle."
"Oh right, I heard about you," I didn't like the manner how she grabbed my hand. Or how she was staring at me. "Until then... we can be friends."
"Starting the party without me, sister?"
I searched around, looking for the source of this second voice. And suddenly she was in front of me. Wearing the same vests and with the same marking on her forehead as the first one. This second woman was a brunette. I noticed she had some blood around her mouth, what freaked me out even more.
"This is my sister," Daniela introduced. "Cassandra."
Cassandra's eyes went straight to my neck, to my jugular. I stood silent, paralyzed. Vampires. They were rumored to be vampires. How could I even kill them? A stake to the heart? Garlic? Praying? I started considering my possibilities when I noticed she was too close, as if she was sniffing me.
"And this is Aleena, our guest."
"Right..." Cassandra opened a sly smirk. "Why don't we have some fun?"
"Oh... I-I'm tired," I excused. "Can we save the introductions for tomorrow? I'd like to get some rest. P-Please."
"So cute, so scared..."
She surrounded me like an animal, ready to attack. I moved straight to the door, grabbing the knob as if running away would save my life.
"Fine, we'll give you a head start. Three... two... one..."
Both of the sisters dissipated into a swarm of flies. I started running through the corridors, adrenaline pumping inside my veins. But they were too fast. In a blink of an eye, Cassandra was standing in front of me again. Daniela was everywhere, in form of flies.
"P-Please..." I begged. "Let me go. Your mother... she promised me! My brother will come after me."
They laughed sarcastically. I should have known. Lady Dimitrescu would do nothing to assure my protection.
"Don't worry, he won't even have time to find out about this little... incident."
"No!"
I screamed, heading to another corridor. Behind me, the young women dissolved into flies again, ready to continue their twisted game. That was when somebody else grabbed me and pulled me inside a room, one hand holding my body firmly and the other covering my mouth.
"Shhhhh," the female figure spoke. "Quiet. You're safe now, darling."