Chapter 23

Early morning hours Collinwood

A soft knock in the door to Josette's room startled Vicki awake, she blinked, stretched and stood. She must have dozed off. Walking to the door, she thought it might be Joshua, opening the door she had glanced back at the bed where Josette slept fitfully. "She is resting Josh . . . " she looked up startled, it was Henri and Petofi standing in the doorway. Henri reached for her wrist and jerked her into the hallway, sandwiched between Henri and Petofi she easily surmised, Quentin must have fallen asleep and Henri was back in his body.

"You are a clever little minx are you not my dear time traveling beloved? I think it is time you join Andréas and myself in my room and tell me what is going on." Vicki stumbled as both men ushered her down the hallway. Andréas opened the door and Henri shoved Vicki into the room. She stumbled and caught her balance and turned facing them both. Henri locked the door and pocketed the key. "Now, before you so rudely stuck me with something to make me fall asleep, you said something very interesting." He advanced on her in the middle of his room and his eyes were fixed to her face.

Vicki backed over to the window and pressed against the casement. "I don't know what you are talking about. What is this and I demand you let me out of this room now!" She tried to sound indignant. Andréas had folded his arms and leaned against the door watching Henri confront Miss Winters, he found she was rather striking looking with her color high and her eyes flashing.

"I am not about to let you go until you explain your statement to me prior to you giving me something that made me go unconscious and according to Andréas I was conscious and bragging about your acceptance of my proposal. Now if memory serves me correctly, you made a claim that your father was the Sheriff of Collinsport in the 20th century. Would you care to explain that statement to myself and my dear friend?"

Vicki frowned, she did not like how this was going and she knew that with Quentin no longer in control she would do well to try and get out of that room. She had no other choice, feeling her back against the window, she pressed and felt the window open, going with the opening of the window, she fell out of the second story window of Henri's room. She just hoped that with her enhanced abilities she would be able to survive the fall. She had heard Henri shout and Andréas' shouts as she fell backwards. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact of hitting the ground.

Instead she felt a jerk and her body was dangling from the window and Henri was holding onto her wrist for his dear life. "My god Victoria, hold onto my hand, do not let go!" Andréas had come to the window and he was reaching for her other hand Vicki felt him grab her shoulder and then under her arm. Getting a hold on her they both lifted her, pulling her into the room. Henri grabbed her and jerked her close to his chest. "My God Victoria, what were you thinking?" He was stroking her hair and speaking to her in tender tones.

Vicki's legs were shaky and actually was glad to be held by Henri for this moment she was just as sure she was about to faint from the near death experience she had chosen to take. Lifting her up in his arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down. Covering her body he turned and looked at Andréas. "I will leave this up to you. Do you think she just made that up and for fear of being discovered decided to kill herself?"

Andréa stepped to the bed and looked down at the pale face and her trembling body. "I think we frightened her. I think she was so distraught she pressed her body against the window and it opened and she lost her balance. We still need answers Henri. I know she has the answers. That was not you I spoke to earlier at the old house it was someone using your body and believe me I know all about body transference." He rubbed his head with his palm and turned walking to the window he looked down at what would have been certain death had she fallen out of the window.

Henri sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at the woman that would be his wife. "Victoria why would you chose death over answering our questions?" He gently stroked her face. Watching her for signs of being coherent. He stood from the bed and walked to his friend's side.

"Because I don't want anyone to think I am a witch because I was thrust back in this time. I wanted to find a way back to my own time." Vicki had said through chattering teeth. Her words had been uttered so softly and she knew what awaited her if anyone thought she were a witch, she would be burned or hanged.

Both men smiled and turned looking at her. "Then you are not from this time but another time?" They both walked to the bed to peer down at her as she huddled under her blankets and trembled. She had forgotten the window that she had just nearly fallen from was the same window that Angelique had tumbled down and was washed out to sea. She would not have hit the second story but would have plummeted on to the beach and possibly died.

"I would rather choose my way of dying than allowing this centuries skewed view of women that are not what they claim to be and are branded as witches. I know what happens to them and I did not look forward to being burned to death or hanged." She rolled on her side and closed her eyes. She could only hope that when the time came she could do what she had been sent to do. "Don't ask me why I was thrust back in this time period, I don't know." She had spoken into her pillow and kept her face averted.

"Then your sister?" Andréas was fascinated by the story and he wanted to know how she did it.

"Is my sister and she is from the same time, we both were in a séance when we both found ourselves here, Daphne has been hiding until it was a good time for her to come to Collinwood." She knew that she should not tell them anything she had to hope Julia and Professor Stokes would be able to correct this she was sure this is what caused the change in the future. When she was trapped with these two devious minded men in their room.

Andréas smiled, "Can you not see how we could affect our own futures with the information this woman holds?" He was speaking softly to Henri, "I would say get her to the church and make this marriage happen before anyone else finds out her secret." Vicki was truly afraid of both these men and was so sure they were about to alter the future more. She could not allow that to happen. Sitting up in the bed, she sat and thought about what she could do. She knew she had some of Barnabas vampiric senses, she wondered if she had enough that she could force the door open and run.

Standing she began to inch her way to the door, when Henri realized what she was doing, He reached for her and she reacted without thinking she threw him across the room into Petofi, rushed to the door and hit it as hard as she could. The door buckled and broke and she was in the hallway. Lifting her skirts, she was gone in a flash. Racing down the hallway, to the stairs, down the stairs and out of the door leaving behind only a flash of the color from her dress.

Old House

With the speed she had attained she was at the Old House in five minutes. Barely winded she hit the front door startling Julia and Professor Stokes in the drawing room. "Julia! Professor! Petofi and Henri know everything. Henri is in his body apparently Quentin fell asleep and he took control what are we going to do?" She was almost in tears. "I was so upset I nearly plummeted to my death out of Henri's window." She was pacing back and forth.

"First you will calm down Vicki, you will go upstairs and lie down with Daphne and you will stay there until we can figure out what to do about this whole situation. Vicki nodded, paused walked to the bookcase that held the secret room, opened it and went inside, coming out she was holding the knife that had been entrusted to her by King Johnny.

"I won't be without this from now on. Peter Bradford attacked Josette. She lost her baby and nearly died last night. I kept that from happening. Tonight she will go to widows hill and jump. Then that part of the past is one track. The problem I fear is with Petofi and Henri they were plotting on using my knowledge, they cannot know you are from the future they may try to keep you too."

Julia sighed. "They will not be able to keep either of us, we are actually here in ethereal form."

Elliott put a comforting arm around Vicki, "You just concentrate on your mission we have one week to accomplish this and you shall be prepared to do what you need to do my dear. Just be sure that you follow their instructions to the letter. I fear I have found the breach and the time has been altered with their knowledge and perhaps that was how Petofi was able to affectively take control of Daphne, he knew her from here and he knew you from this time."

Vicki nodded her head slowly to her this whole mess now made sense. "What of Barnabas he will rise tonight and go after Phyllis, he will not be able to control his actions and he will kill Phyllis and that will be on track. I fear though that once Bradford realizes that I am here he will come for me." She was pacing again. Stopping she looked to the Professor and Julia, and if he thinks he can get to me through either of you or Daphne I fear for you all."

"Not to worry my dear again, there is nothing he can do to either of us and I have placed a protection spell on Daphne, so even if he were to try and enthrall her it won't get past the spell. That is why I have her staying in Josette's rooms. She is wearing the amulet and she is in a room that has been warded. My concerns are getting Henri in an inert state long enough for Quentin to take complete control of him and keep him locked into his own mind. Our problem will be Petofi and you will soon enough take care of him. I am sure and I don't want the specifics but your mission is to do what King Johnny could not do so long ago. He is entrusting you to finish this once and for all."

Vicki nodded slowly, she had not told him her mission. She knew with his intelligence he was smart enough that he had figured it out. Walking to the stairs, she paused on the steps. "I will do what I came to do Professor, you and Julia must be careful." She walked up the stairs and disappeared.

"You do realize they will come here looking for her and they will try to capture us and force us to tell them how we transcended time." Elliott had already surmised that Julia would be a target because she said she was their aunt. He however could hide behind the guise of being Ben Stokes. "I would suggest you dear Julia prepare for their arrival, while I get other things ready to help you get them both under control." Elliott disappeared down the stairs to the cellar. Jula frowned and paced to the bay windows and watched a carriage drive up to the front of the house. She continued to watch Petofi and Henri exit the carriage.

Walking to her medical bag, she opened it and pulled out two syringes and smiled. This was actually going to be a lot of fun. Tucking the syringes into her dress pocket she turned smoothed her dress down and turned to face the door and waited for both men to enter the room. She took one deep breath, closed her eyes and placed a tranquil smile on her face. The door was thrust open and both men burst into the room. Both men paused in the foyer looking around. They directed their gaze up the stairs. "You check upstairs Henri, while I check the cellar."

Julia lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes watching Petofi walk to the cellar door. She was not going to say anything, she knew that Elliott was in the cellar and would have heard them enter. She watched as Petofi opened the cellar door entering the top landing to the cellar. She smiled and continued to wait. Henri began his assent to the stairs and paused seeing her standing in the foyer. "Well, well, well, if it is not the Aunt. I wonder are you from the future too?" Henri turned and walked back down the stairs to the drawing room.

Julia nodded slowly. "Yes, I am and why is that important to you?" She shoved her hand into her pocket and held her ground watching Henri advance on her. She smiled, curled her hand around the syringe. "If you think you are going to force Vicki to divulge anything to you, you are mistaken. She would rather die than give up what she knows to avoid the future from being affected."

Henri advanced on Julia and he smiled, a most unpleasant smile and locked his gaze to her eyes. "If you think you can keep me from using you against her then my dear lady you are very much mistaken. He grabbed her and pulled her back up against his chest thinking he had her secure against him. Julia withdrew her hand and the syringe she had in her hand, she jabbed it back into his thigh depressing the plunger and injecting him with Demerol.

"If you think that shot I gave you will not put you unconscious then you are mistaken. I did not go into the vine but it will affect you in about three minutes." Julia stepped away from his limp arms and turned watching him with a look of incredulousness.

"What have you done? What was it that you just injected into me?" He staggered back and grabbed his leg. "ANDREAS!" He shouted and heard no response.

Julia stepped to the chair and patted it. "If I were you so you will not be hurt, I would sit down." She watched him stagger to the chair. "Now, this is what I am about to do. I am going to suppress your memories and you will not remember any of this once you awaken from your drugged induced state. As a matter of fact, you are going to allow your Cousin Quentin to have your body so we can complete what we came to do and that is put the future back the way it was until you two meddled and messed it up." She knew she has little time before Quentin took over and she dangled her medallion in front of him. "Watch the lights and see the facets in the center."

He was transfixed to the lights and tried to avoid the sparkling of the lights. "Very good Henri, you are getting very sleepy and Quentin will wait for me to signal him to take over your body, but first we are going to block your memories."

Cellar of the Old House

Petofi heard a noise in the rear section of the cellar and walked towards the noise, he smiled. "We have you cornered Miss Winters. You might as well give up and you must accept Henri as your husband. You must know that I have a power that you cannot avoid, so you may as well come out." He heard the noise in one of the cells errant slaves had been kept. Walking into the dark room, he was surprised to feel a hand against his back and he was shoved into the room. The door slammed and he was now trapped inside the room. Spinning around he saw Ben looking at him from the other side of the locked door.

"Ben Stokes! Let me out of here or so help me I shall make sure Joshua Collins knows of this affront to my person and your poor treatment of me and he will have you thrashed." Petofi walked to the door and tried to open it and saw Ben smiling. Much to Petofi's astonishment he watched Ben smile. "Let me out Ben or I shall not be so kind with what I am about to do."

Elliott chuckled, "And what is that my dear Count? Would you have me believe you are about to use your hand to cast some very nasty spell on me? I can assure you as strong as your hand's powers might be are not as strong as the wizard lock I just put in that room. I am by now sure you have surmised that Ben does not live in this body any more. I have taken his body over for now and this I can assure you, from this point on, you will never harm another Collins, you will no longer have any power over those poor innocents you chose to abuse and harm with your wicked vile ways."

Petofi staggered back from the door, his eyes wide and his mind trying to process who possessed Ben's body. "You are certainly mad! You had better let me out of here!" He was sputtering and threatening with no real clout to any threat he had just made.

Ben stepped away from the door. "if I were a cruel man I would leave you for the vampire that lives here. As I am not cruel and you have a destiny to meet, I shall just keep you here until Julia is done with your friend upstairs, once she had done what she needs to do to Henri, I can assure you, she will be down here to take care of you and you will not be able to harm her because she truly does not exist in this time. So your tricks will not work on her. Vicki has a mission to complete and she will be allowed to do that, once she is done, our worlds will all be set right once again."

Petofi noticed that Ben wore leather over his arms and his hands. He stood a big man that appeared to be intimidating. "What are you going to do?" He was worried that they were there to cut off his hand. He did not know if they had the knife that could take his powers from him. He knew that was the only way they could take his power was with the knife the Dark Count had given King Johnny and what he knew of that knife was it had been buried with the last King Johnny.

Julia stepped up next to Ben and nodded. "I am ready Elliott, open the door." Petofi backed away from the forceful looking duo. Ben opened the door allowing Julia to enter the room. Julia held a medallion in front of her. "Is this not the most fascinating piece of jewelry you have ever seen?" She stepped forward holding the dancing facets of the jewel as it played over his face and his eyes were drawn to the piece of jewelry.

"What you think you can command me by dangling a trinket in front of me?" He laughed. "You foolish woman, what do you hope to accomplish by such chicanery?" He was backed against the wall, when Ben stepped more fully into the room.

"Avoid his hand Julia and wait for me to hold him. Then you can inject him. You do have pentothal correct?" Elliott turned to peer at Julia as he reached with those huge hands and grabbed Petofi's wrist. Julia nodded, reached into her pocket and pulled out the second syringe.

"I gave Demerol to Henri, but this one will need truth serum to get him under control." Elliott held tightly to Petofi while Julia found a vein and injected the sodium pentothal into his arm. Stepping back she watched his eyes flutter and then he slumped to the bunk in the room. "Now Petofi looked at the medallion and listen to my voice." Julia began to systematically erase all knowledge of Victoria's time travel story from his mind. When she was satisfied that she had successfully erased that information, she stepped away from Petofi. "Are you going to take him back to Collinwood and put him to bed in his room?"

Julia turned and walked from the room looking back to Elliott and waiting for him to respond to her question. "No, I think I shall leave him here on the floor in the main room. Allow him to awaken on his own and wonder why he is here."

"Quentin has control of Henri now and with what I just planted in his mind he will not note any difference in Henri, Henri is buried deep in his own subconscious mind so Quentin may have control for now. We just need to make it another week without interruption, and then allow Vicki to do what she needs to do and then perhaps her and Daphne can be brought back to our time. Perhaps I can be pregnant again." She sighed and looked down at her flat stomach and frowned. "I just wished I could remember being pregnant." She rubbed her palm over her flat stomach and looked distant.

"Soon, dear Julia I am sure you will be as you were before, we have this much solved, we just wait and hope Vicki can accomplish what she was sent back to do. I am sure once that happens, then we all can resume our normal lives without interference from the likes of this one. I just wished we could have taken his hand and left him to die here. Unfortunately, that is not to be. We still need the natural order of things to be carried out."

"What do you suppose that is? If Vicki is forced to end his life, how will that affect Quentin? Will he age suddenly and loose his abilities and will it end Vicki's life? We must make sure that all she does is take his hand and not his life or all of them could end up dead." She paced to the end of the hallway. Julia had been the only one to voice her fears of what Vicki's true mission was and hoped it did not end in the death of Petofi. "I personally would rest easier if we knew what was her mission objective."

Elliott looked thoughtful he had not considered what it would do to the ones tied together because of Quentin's portrait. "Good point. Come Julia we must go to Vicki and ask her to tell us what is her mission objective and see if we can resolve the issue before this week is out and she is to face her true destiny." Julia watched Elliott as Ben lift the Count's body and carry him into the main area of the cellar and drop his body on the floor. Together they knew they were in for a struggle to get Vicki to break her oath.