Chapter 19

Collinwood, foyer

Drake stood poised in the middle of the foyer of Collinwood. His gaze shifted over the room with a look of surprised pleasure. Walking to the main staircase he studied the portrait of Barnabas Collins and curled his lip. The portrait displayed a man with an arrogant and self-possessed look standing proudly before the artist. "If you think you will win Collins think again." He had muttered softly. From the head of the stairs, Nicholas Blair studied the man looking at the portrait. Nicholas stood playing with his black onyx ring on his pinky finger and studied the man with an intent scrutiny.

"Master?" He asked descending the stairs looking at the handsomely dressed man. Smiling broadly. It was good to see his master in human form. Drake turned that noble gaze upon Nicholas and nodded.

"I am glad to see you survived Ra, Nicholas. I can imagine that it has not been easy sharing the same space with the arrogant fool." Drake turned to walk back into the drawing room where Andréas sat waiting for Roger to return with Victoria. Roger had been easy enough to manipulate, the one that had surprised him had been the witch Maggie. She was a problem and not as easily manipulated. Which fascinated him and made her a personal conquest for him.

Nicholas sauntered into the drawing room following Drake. "So what brings you to the end of the earth to this god forsaken place?" Nicholas crossed to the liquor cabinet and began to pour him self a drink then turned to his master. "Drink?"

Drake waved him off. "No I just want what I came for and apparently she has not been staying here." Nicholas looked to the window and noticed the sun was setting and sighed.

"Unfortunately, she suffered a horrific accident and well she fell down the stairs and has not been quite herself." Drake frowned and looked from Nicholas to Petofi.

"What happened?" He was concerned he did not need his plans interfered with and he expected to have her back on the plane and out of this country within a week's time.

"Apparently, she was having a disagreement with Roger and fell down the stairs and hit her head hard enough that it caused a mild brain bleed and some swelling to the brain. The upside is she is fine, the downside is she has limited memories of who she is and where she is and why she is here. Which is one of the reasons she has been staying at the old house. She says she feels safe there and wants to stay there." Nicholas lifted his glass and took a long sip then looked around the room again.

Hearing the door open and close all of those in the drawing room turned to watch the entrance to the drawing room, Victoria, dressed sedately in a long dress of deep blue and wearing a sweater paused in the center of the doorway and looked at those expectant gazes. "Hello." She said with a half hearted unsuredness of whom they were suppose to be.

Stepping up behind her was Roger, he rested his palms on her shoulders and spoke softly, "Victoria, this is Nicholas Blair, a friend of Quentin's, this gentleman here says he is your father and that gentleman over there . . . " The voice from behind made everyone in the room pause and a look of anxiety crossed their faces as Josephine stepped in through the door to take up a position of protection in front of Victoria.

"Allow me Mr. Collins, that gentleman there is a grandfather figure although he does not look old enough to be one. Hello Drake darling." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and anger as her gaze bore a hole into Drake and then Petofi.

Drake stepped to Petofi's side and faced the coldly beautiful woman that now stood in the room. Then Ramon appeared coming up from behind and sliding his arm around Victoria's waste. "Come my dear, come meet family." He spoke softly with an endearing quality causing Drake to tighten his hands into a fist. He smiled charmingly for Victoria and led her around Josephine entering more fully into the room. "Roger you may go to your Maggie for now, if you are needed we will call you."

Victoria was terribly confused watching Roger without protest turn and walk to the grand staircase and disappear up the stairs. "Hello mother its nice to see you." Drake stepped forward and placed a chaste kiss on Josephine's cheek.

"Cut the crap Diablos, I know its you and will vacate that body and give me back my son or you may find your whole world coming apart." Josephine had grimaced as the man portrayed as her son bent to kiss her cheek and her eyes had narrowed as she issued her threat. "Your games are no longer important to me and you made a very dangerous adversary when you stole my son from me."

She stepped around Drake and stood next to Ramon and Victoria. "This Victoria is your great, great grandfather, my son born to me in 1792. Taken from me without my knowledge and given over to my sister and her husband, that man that claims you as father's own Aunt and Uncle."

Drake chuckled, "You should have known that I could not be trusted Josephine, you were the one that wanted a son, so I gave you a son and your husband gave you a son. Why do you think they were not identical twins?" He laughed, "You carried my son along with your own son so he is not really your son now is he?" He continued to chuckle at how he had manipulated the embryo that he had made fertile into her womb with the one she had with Vlad.

"It was dark magic my dear. With dark magic it is possible to do about anything if you manipulate the willing subject the right way. You thought Drake was your son? In fact he is half demon. He is my son from his dead mother. You were just the incubator for him."

Josephine was beginning to realize what had truly happened she then bit out. "Then what happened to my other son?" She asked and was rewarded with a deliciously devilish laugh. "Why he was given to another incubator to birth and raise as her own and he died when he was suppose to unlike that annoying son of yours Alexandru."

Josephine was livid she glared at Drake then at Petofi and through her sharpened clinched teeth she gritted out. "I will make you both regret this illusion you portrayed. I will make you pay for what you did and when I am done the vultures from your hell can pick your bones." Josephine felt her body boil with rage as she stared daggers of hate at Petofi and Drake.

"Then you have no legitimate claim to the throne that should go to Alexandru." Josephine spat out as she glared at the man she had thought was her son occupied by a demon.

"Actually he does, considering Alexandru did not wish to assume the title, he is a descendent from one of my mother's sister's therefore distant he does have a claim, but as Drake your assumed son he can claim it rightfully either way." Petofi smiled watching her color heighten with her anger. "You are just suffering from the fact we used you Josephine and you don't like to be used."

Josephine took a huge inhale of air then blew it out, although she could not breath, she did use this exercise to cleanse her mind and body of all her anger. "True Andréas but I can decide whom Victoria shall marry and it won't be you Drake, you can rot in your hell or play at your being a King over nothing. I have agreed to the proposal that . . . "

From the open door way another voice joined in and it was an angry filled voice. "You will not decide whom my daughter may or may not marry madam. You have no control over her life any more than I do. She gets to choose whomever she wants and not who decides for her. You all are in my home now and I decide who stays and who goes." Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, matriarch of Collinwood marched into the room with all the rightful protective indignation any mother would have over strangers deciding what was right for her daughter.

All eyes turned to peer at those now standing in the entrance to the Drawing room. Alexandru held onto Carolyn's arm while Barnabas advanced into the room followed by Quentin. Quentin glared at Josephine as he entered the room. "You madam and I have a score to settle." Quentin was twitching at the bit to rip out her black heart for what she had done to his beautiful Daphne.

Josephine turned the cold impervious glance over the devilish handsome man that now stood glaring at her, his body radiating heat with his anger was almost glowing. "And you are?" She said coldly with her own eyes narrowed and recognizing he was no ordinary human.

"The man that is going to send you to your grave." Quentin lifted a gun, one he had secreted with silver bullets in the hallway table. Alexandru seeing his mother's life was in imminent danger stepped away from Carolyn and with a few words lifted his hand and froze everyone in place. Quentin was ready to lower the hammer when Alexandru walked to his frozen form and removed the gun from his hand.

Barnabas had positioned himself to the right of Josephine and found her resemblance to his beloved Josette extraordinary. He was as filled with contempt and hate for her as Quentin for other reasons. He wanted to hurt her as much as Quentin but knew this was not the time or the place as others could be placed in danger.

The only one not affected by the spell was Ramon. "Very nicely done Alexandru it appears you have perfected your skills to be quite impressive. Now what?" He smiled as he gently ran his fingertips over Victoria's cheek then looked at Carolyn and chuckled. "I see the attraction, she does look somewhat like Elspeth, one of your longest desired loves and the one that got away?" He shook his head. "You would be pathetic if you were not so full of your own powers."

Alexandru turned to face Ramon while everyone else in the room was frozen in place. "Ra, you are as pathetic as me if you lust after her." He nodded to Victoria, "What makes your desires or your needs any less than mine? She will never be a part of your life and she will have a free choice in her life unlike those before her."

Ramon laughed, "Like your mother?" He nodded to the double of the woman he had chosen as his next handmaid. "Your mother was a part of an arranged marriage and she had you. Unfortunately she also had Diablos son, Drake. Yes, dear boy you were not here for the unveiling of the truth. Drake is not your brother, your brother died a long time ago, your cousin Anthony was given to your Aunt and Uncle to raise as their very own son. This body belonged to a human female and Diablos and implanted with you in your mother's womb. So she bore the next vessel that would supply Diablos with a body."

Alexandru looked from his mother, to the man that was possessed by a demon. "You mean he is not my brother after all?" He was growing as angry for his poor mother as he was for what Diablos had just pulled off by switching the two embryos at birth. Ramon nodded and began to do a deep chuckle.

"This is priceless I could not have been more entertained than if I had orchestrated this myself." He walked to the sofa and sat still laughing at the look on Alexandru's face. "Please do not let me interrupt your big play at returning when the other players have arrived. I see you are missing three of your party, are they still trapped in that pathetic excuse for an underground bunker that your government cooked up to contain the demi-humans?"

Alexandru was about to throw a fireball in the middle of this whole mess but thought better of it. To many would be hurt. Instead he looked at Victoria, walked to her and together they both disappeared from the room releasing the spell he had just cast over the room. Ramon began to clap. "Perfect exit Alex, now for the rest of you. I suggest you regroup and allow the Collins Family to reacquaint themselves with each other while you decide what your next plan of actions will be. Of this I am certain, you Drake will not have free range over Victoria, and you Petofi I am sure will not be welcome in this house by Mrs. Stoddard. Finally, you Quentin Collins had better give up on the notion that you will end Josephine's life and you Barnabas Collins can take up your own issues with her over what she did to you. Until then, I will await Laura at the pyre and be prepared to accept her next sacrifice to me." He bowed and like Alex disappeared from the room.

Elizabeth turned to Petofi and Drake, "He is right neither of you are welcome in this house, you will leave these premises now. Turning to Barnabas she nodded to him, then Quentin. "I will leave it to you to escort these gentlemen out of our home." She turned and left them going up the main staircase to her room.

Quentin turned and narrowed his eyes at Josephine. "You and I have unfinished business. You two up and out." Quentin hooked a thumb to the foyer. "You I am sure can find whatever accommodations you need in Collinsport."

Drakes eyes glowed a dangerous color of red, then closed and went to a white, Petofi knew this was the way that Diablos vacated the vessel he had occupied while in human form. In a huge hulking form he stepped from the smaller form of Drake and towered over those in the drawing room. His voice boomed and echoed around the room in a truly menacing form. "This is not over I will be back." He then shimmered from view, taking Nicholas with him.

Barnabas studied the woman known as Josephine. "Why?" He asked softly. "Why would you do what Angelique asked?" Carolyn turned and walked from the room, her eyes fixed and staring straight ahead. She walked to the front door and out disappearing from the others that were now gathered in the drawing room.

Josephine sighed deeply, "Because I owed her a favor and she asked me to return it. I had no idea you were the betrothed to my sister. I did not find that out until afterwards." She did sound sorry for creating so much havoc in his life and causing him distress, but Barnabas was not so quick to forgive. Turning from her he felt his stomach burn with the thought this was the woman that he had thought was his precious Josette and she was instead some sadistic monster that had turned him into the same thing.

Josephine sensing where her son had disappeared she watched Barnabas turn away and then looked at the hatred filling him. Sighing softly she shrugged lightly then began to turn to mist form and disappeared from the room. Quentin waited for Petofi to pick up Drake's fallen body and when he showed no signs of moving he walked over to Drake and slapped his face. "Hey you in there? Anyone home?" He looked at Petofi did he loose his mind when that demon left him?"

Petofi shrugged, "I would think Diablos would have left his mind in tact since he will need his body again." He walked towards the entrance to the drawing room and paused. "YOU can do with him whatever you wish, be reminded he is part demon but more human than you or that one over there." He nodded to Barnabas. Exiting the foyer through the front doors of Collinwood he waited for the Chauffer to open the door and allow him entrance into the vehicle.

Barnabas helped Quentin lift the lifeless body of the man to the sofa. Softly, he moaned and then he opened his eyes to look in shear surprise at the two men standing over him. "Where am I?" He felt like a truck had hit him as he slid up to a more upright position.

"You are in Collinwood, at the Collins Estate. Do you know what happened to you?" Quentin quizzed him to make sure this was not some lame game being played out by Diablos.

Drake leaned forward burying his hands to his face and rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. "I was sitting in my library enjoying a book and the evening when I felt oddly disassociated. The next thing I know my mind was over taken by another and I felt my body was no longer mine to control. I wanted to scream out but there was this force that was stronger than me pushing the me I knew I was away into some darkness and I felt there was no escape."

"Do you remember anything of your possession other than what you just told us?" Barnabas queried. His need was to know that he had not forced his intentions on Victoria while she was held in his castle. He was most anxious to discover what exactly had transpired. He also remembered the look on Victoria's face earlier when he saw her looking lost and confused in a sea of what he perceived he thought were unfamiliar faces.

Drake sighed softly, "I only have glimpses. I know that whomever had control of my body bullied her and threatened her. I know she was afraid. I sensed she was terribly vulnerable and afraid well no I take that back, she was terrified of him, and then there was this blond woman very beautiful but very evil."

Barnabas frowned and looked to Quentin then back to Drake, "What was her name? Did they call her any specific name?"

Drake rubbed his hands over his eyes and he looked exhausted. "Yes, they called Angelique and she was there and trying to hurt the one you know as Victoria." He looked up between his fingers at the two men that now frowned deeply.

"Do you know what happened to the called Angelique?" Barnabas had to know if he needed to prepare to defend against the witch he hated with all his heart.

"She tried to weave a spell over Victoria and that angered the one that had control of my body and he did something to her but I am not sure. I was only permitted to see certain events when he was either really angry or annoyed I found that I could see life through his eyes and in his mind."

Quentin sighed, "I don't think Elizabeth is going to want him here after the treatment she received at his castle." Barnabas nodded and then offered.

"I offer you sanctuary in my home, if you wish you may join me now and we will go there. Did you bring any luggage with you?" Barnabas looked to the foyer and saw several cases sitting in the foyer. Drake looked to the foyer and shrugged.

"I suppose those are mine." He sighed deeply. "I have a lot of making up to do and I also need to get back to my own home to avoid there being a problem if that being decides to come back and over take my body."

Quentin smiled, "Don't worry Prince Drake, we are going to make sure he can't occupy your body again. I have it on some authority that there are talisman to keep that kind of thing from happening again. Apparently, you were as much a victim in this whole screwed up mess as Victoria."

He smiled hearing Victoria's name. "I would like to personally apologize to her, is she around?" He looked around the room half expecting to see her reappear in the middle of the room. "She appeared to be a very charming and beautiful young woman of some note." He sounded half sad at the thought that he had no contact with her.

"She apparently was transported away by some kind of magical means by Alexandru Florescue, he had to protect her the best way he knew how." Quentin smiled and looked at the very distant and contemplative look that was descending over his features and behind those all too seeing and knowing eyes.

"Oh," the word said it all he was disappointed. "Did I see Aunt Josephine or I should say mother here too?" He looked from Quentin to Barnabas. He saw both men tense at the mentioning of Josephine.

"Yes, you saw her here and I think that story will be left to her to explain who she is to you. For now, Quentin we need a vehicle and a ride to the old house are you up for the trip?" Barnabas had turned to his cousin and waited for a response.

"Of course, let me get the car keys and I will meet you out front." Quentin turned to head to the rear of the house and where the keys to the estate cars were kept.

Drake looked around the stately room and sighed. "I wish to compliment your family on a very impressive home, Mr. Collins. I felt that the one that had taken my body was also duly impressed with the house as well, and a part of him was looking forward to living here and taking control over your family's fortune and lives." He stood and felt his knees want to buckle.

Barnabas stepped forward to support him, only to see him bravely wave him off and find his land legs again. "Thank you but it has been a bit since I controlled my body and I need to learn to do this." Stiffly he walked to Barnabas and nodded, "Shall we?"

He walked to the foyer and picked up two of the four cases. Barnabas being the true gentleman he was lifted the other two cases and escorted him to the front door. They both arrived to the front when Quentin pulled up in one of the estate's cars. Quentin popped the trunk, and the men placed the cases in the trunk.

After seating themselves in the car they were soon enough away to the old house and another chapter in this bizarre turn of events.

Seaside Cottage

Collinwood Estate near the Eastern Seaboard.

Alexandru had remembered this cottage and hoped it had still existed and was vacant when he teleported his charge by mystical means from the room. He held tightly to Victoria's arm and looked at the abandoned but still in great shape home. Smiling he led her up to the front porch and tried the door and frowned. It was secured tightly. Sighing he waved his hand over the door and listened as a click sounded and the door opened with a slight squeak. Escorting Victoria inside he smiled and nodded.

From the darkest shadows of the house the voice of his mother spoke, "It took you long enough to come in son, why did you hesitate?" He watched her move more fully into view with a subtle smile as she studied him holding Victoria by the arm. "She is not going any where Alex, let her go, there is a sofa over there." She had pulled a dust cover from the settee. Alex led her to the sofa and let her sit.

Turning back to his mother he frowned. "Now what? You could have opened the door, I did not know if the house was occupied, and I am being very cautious with Diablos and Petofi around."

Josephine chuckled softly, "Diablos has returned temporarily to his hell. Petofi is looking for accommodations in town and Drake is now on his way to the old house."

"You flirt with death mother, Barnabas Collins and Quentin Collins are both out for blood and that is your blood." Alexandru was upset as he paced back and forth. "How could you have killed Daphne? That was Quentin Collins only daughter!" He stopped and looked at her, glancing at the catatonic look that was in Victoria's eyes.

She waved her hand. "I sought an opportunity and I took it. I did not know it was Quentin Collins daughter, I saw that the one I had converted was feeding from her so I just finished what he should have." She shrugged lightly.

"Now she is dead and he wants your life for hers!" He crossed his arms and looked from Victoria to his mother.

"If your father would have been here she would have been dead sooner than what I allowed." She reasoned and this only upset him more.

"Yes, well speaking of father he is out and he is roaming the countryside." He noticed she immediately stiffened then frowned.

"Well then I suppose now I must make a trip home to welcome him back." She sighed dramatically smiled then shimmered into mist form and disappeared with a softly uttered moan.

Shouting he called, "Mother don't go, not yet!" Seeing it was too late he collapsed on the settee next to Victoria who shifted her head and laid it on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Yes, I know it will be something we will work out together."