Translation of my fanfic "Emprise"
-.-.-
The Count had been in London for a few weeks when the foul winds of the city carried a familiar smell back to him, a masculine scent mixed with panic. It was so unexpected that it took him a few moments to identify the smell. After all, no one was supposed to recognise him in these foreign lands. The only certitude he had was only he could provoke such intense fear into the heart of a man. He lost a few seconds to recognise who it belonged, which was enough for his prey to escape in the hustle and bustle of London. What a disappointment. But, after he let go of his anger, Dracula couldn't help but smile.
Jonathan Harker. A most unexpected and pleasant surprise.
By nature, the Count did not appreciate surprises, or, to be more precise, he did not like to be the victim of the surprise. After a few intrusions of peasants armed with pitchforks in his castle, it became quite tiresome, even if he was a man, or an undead man, if people could forgive him for this witticism, to prepare for any eventuality. But for once, Dracula found himself pleasantly surprised.
When the Count abandoned the young solicitor in Transylvania, he had thought it would be nice to keep a meal behind in case his long-planned trip was postponed or turned out to be a failure. He had permitted his wives to drink the young man's blood but gave explicit orders not to kill him. It was always nice to be welcome home with some sweets in a candy box after a long trip, and the Count had something of a sweet tooth. The man deserved these torments. Attacking him with a shovel was showing a lack of education, which asked for a lesson. The Count was still wearing a mark on his forehead. Such outrage had to be paid.
And yet, Jonathan Harker was here, in London, which meant he had not only survived Dracula's three wives but also escaped an impenetrable and inescapable castle. Not everyone could get past his wives, especially when they received instruction to torment a prey to insanity. Even more, the young solicitor had found his way through the uncivilised parts of Transylvania, populated by hungry wolves. He had reached some civilised place, probably in a very weakened state, and came back to England, all in a remarkably short time. And with him, he brought back his knowledge of the Count and an understanding, almost unrivalled in England, of the danger he posed to the living.
Dracula was no longer just pleasantly surprised, he was impressed. It happened so rarely he had to have another conversation with that delightful Jonathan, to tell him how much he respected him.
That young man was gifted with unparalleled qualities. He possessed cunning, endurance, and mental strength that the Count had rarely encountered. Usually, the fear of his victims killed them long before he tired of them and drained them of their last drop of blood. What a shame Dracula hadn't realised that before he left his castle. Yes, Jonathan Harker deserved the Count to focus on him, and not only because of the dangerous knowledge he had learned in Transylvania.
For his stay in London, Dracula had adopted an attitude inspired by the dandies he had heard so much about. Like them, he dressed following the last trend of fashion. It was important to always look the part. His goal was to infiltrate himself gradually into the good graces of the best society, to strengthen his influence and find nourishment worthy of his rank. The lovely Lucy had satisfied his appetite for a time, and before he had smelled Jonathan's scent in London's streets, Dracula had met several young women whom he was eager to get to know more intimately. The first invitation cards he was hoping for had arrived at his door. Wonderful English habit! It would open many doors for him, doors he couldn't have crossed otherwise. These invitations suddenly lost their attire. He abandoned these promising prey to focus only on Jonathan.
The Count visited London from one side to the other, nose in the wind, with a deadly determination. Eventually, he would find Jonathan's smell on some boulevard and follow him home. However, after two days of research, he had found absolutely nothing, neither near the Tower of London nor in Hyde Park or Whitechapel. London may be a wonderful city full of frenzy people waiting to become prey for Count Dracula, but Progress came with an awful smell that drowned all others in an unpleasant fog. The tanneries, the spinning mills and all the burning coal constantly spewing from the chimneys protected Jonathan more than his crucifix had in Transylvania.
The Count found himself revisiting their near meeting. When he had caught his scent by chance, Jonathan's perfume mingled with a terrible fear, powerful enough to kill a lesser man. So he had seen the Count, recognised him even. If the Count had been quicker to understand whose smell he had caught, he would have seen Jonathan and forced him to follow him. Alas, it was too late to regret it, and he could draw some conclusions from what happened that day. Jonathan had been in London, and he had seen him. Therefore, the Count had to think like the young man and he would find him.
Not all hope was lost, for the Count held two trump cards in his game. First, he had the address of the firm for which Jonathan worked. A visit and a bribe would get him the young solicitor's address, or at least a way to contact him. His undead nature was his second asset. Jonathan could flee London or hide in its stinkiest basements, the Count could wait years until he lowered his guard. The day Jonathan no longer lived in fear would be the day the Count would reveal himself to him again. All he had to do was to be patient. Eventually, the young man would fall into his clutches. Jonathan was mortal, and he was afraid. He would make a mistake. The Count would not. Dracula decided to let Jonathan panic for a few more days. As for him, he would hunt some food before resuming his hunt for Jonathan, using all the modern tools London could offer him.
Chance put the Count back on Jonathan's trail. He was visiting his Carfax's house and thought about meeting the fascinating patient from the neighbouring asylum. For a mortal, living man, he came very close to understanding the hidden truths of the universe. Of course, Dracula would never burden himself with such a servant, whatever the madman's wishes. He still made for some amusing entertainment.
The Cound couldn't believe it when he smelled Jonathan's perfume again while walking toward the asylum. Never had he been so disappointed. Had the young man lost his mind when he saw the Count again? It had happened in the past. Sometimes, the Count went too harsh, too fast, with some of his prey. And there was no denying that brutal was an apt word to describe the way he behaved towards Jonathan just before he had left Transylvania for England.
However, Jonathan being involuntarily committed did not correspond to the image the Count had made of him. It was a man who had fled the traps of his castle and return to England. There was no doubting his determination or his strength of mind. Seeing the Count wouldn't have been enough to push Jonathan toward madness at this point. However, if he had talked about the Count to people around him, in a country with so few superstitions left as England, inferior people may have him committed.
That was an idea that made the Count smile. Locked in a cell, Jonathan would be completely at his mercy. All the Count needed to do was to reach him, and the madman with his flies would help him, or anyone else of these poor souls, as long as they thought about the asylum as their home and invited him inside. Once there, the Count could take his time to convince Jonathan to surrender to him. Couldn't he offer her freedom, revenge, and pleasure in a single bite?
Under the disguise of a large bat, Dracula flew towards the dark building.
To his infinite surprise, Jonathan's smell came not from the tiny cells where the sick were sinking deeper into dementia and despair every day, but from the large adjoining building, which served as the home of the doctor and director. Only one window was currently lit, and it came from the man's office. The Count flew around the window several times to get a glimpse of what was happening inside.
New surprises awaited him inside. Jonathan sat around a large table, chatting with four other men, including the director of the asylum, and a woman. Their attitude did not show that they had gathered here to decide on Jonathan's confinement. The question now was to understand what they were talking about. Jonathan had taken part in the purchase of the neighbouring house in Dracula's name. His presence here could not be a coincidence. The six people inside the room all had serious faces. Worse still, most of them were vaguely familiar to the Cound, especially the young woman. Of course. Everyone here, except Jonathan, had gravitated around his previous victim, the sweet, lovely Lucy, before she died.
Sensing danger, the Count landed on the window. Before he could hear much, one of those wretched people, the one with an accent from beyond the seas, got out to shoot him. Him, the Count Dracula! Ulcerated, he flew away, pretending to be a panicking animal, but still flew back nearby to overhear the end of the conversation. It confirmed his suspicions. The group assembled with the sole purpose of defeating him and putting an end to his existence. The nerve of these people! Still, Dracula had to comment on their commitment. One of them had taken the time to glean information about vampire, and about Dracula in particular. He had even called him a "superior mind". For that, the Count may let him live. The man who shot bats, however, would learn respect by dying under Dracula's fang. He would be a warning for others who thought they could fight Dracula. Fortunately, the conspirators' knowledge did not seem to include one essential information, the ability of vampires to adopt the form of bats. The count would have to be careful. To face them and take Jonathan away from them, he should use this asset sparingly so as not to attract suspicion.
The meeting was finally over and the men went down to see Renfield in his cell while the young woman, Mina, went up to bed. The Count thought of feeding on her. He had noticed her beauty when he had looked at her sleeping near Lucy, and the smell of her blood was intoxicating. But first, he should keep an eye on Jonathan's movement and learn if he intended to sleep there or to go back to town.
Dracula did well to follow the five men because they went straight to his home after talking to Renfield. Furious, the Count followed them. Forgetting all caution, he allowed Jonathan and one of the other morons to see him. Fortunately, he had time to blend into the shadows. Both believed it was some shadow play caused by the torchlight on the wall. At least, seeing the fear on Jonathan's features turned the Count's anger into an ever-renewed hunger. Dracula didn't know which smell was more intoxicating, that of his fear, or that of his blood.
However, he had things to do before enjoying Jonathan's company. He needed to deal with the threat to his life and remove the trespasser from his home. At the same time, he would see how Jonathan would react to another form of his power. Rats, which many around his house, responded to his call and attacked the intruders. He stopped the attack quickly, unwilling to show them the full measure of his power. It was enough to get an idea of these five men's valour, rather than suffocating them under a hungry rat's army who would turn them to pieces.
At first, Jonathan had stumbled backward, but his determination had not wavered in front of the rats. Instead of descending into madness like he had in Transylvania, he fought harder for the horror he saw. Since Transylvania, he had cultivated previously unsuspected reserves of courage within him. He should thank the Count for that someday, or he would get quite irate. Even better, Jonathan should ask for forgiveness on his knees, worshiping the Count for his lessons.
After the fight, Doctor Van Helsing delivered a rather self-indulgent speech as they left. The Count smiled from the shadows. The fools had not made a connection between the rats and the bat, and did not know how close he was to them, and had been for most of the evening. They knew nothing about his plans, but he knew of them.
Taking advantage of the covert of the clouds, obscuring the moon, the Count followed Jonathan from window to window until he reached his room. There, the last surprise of the night awaited him. The Count saw Jonathan slip into the lovely Mina's bed. Earlier in the evening, he had seen the young woman's ring on his finger and had laughed at this pathetic promise the living gave to each other to signify they would remain faithful until death do them part, but he had not seen the one on Jonathan's hand. Maybe he hadn't wanted to see it. Even Count Dracula could choose to reject some unwanted truth. The fury he felt seeing this scene was such that if he was permitted inside the asylum, he would have killed husband and wife without even taking the time to feed on them. But he couldn't, so Dracula flew back to his coffin in the chapel of Carfax and remained there in a state close to unconsciousness until the next evening.
Twilight brought him back to awareness and took some time to think. These pathetic excuses of vampire hunters hadn't tried to finish him in his coffin. They thought they had scared him away the day before and assumed he would stay gone. The Count must give that to them: he should have left, rather than follow Jonathan around. He had taken enough risks in one night. But it would stop now.
His half-sleep had allowed him to calm down and come up with a plan. The hunters had figured out his plan to spread the crates of dirt across London. He needed to speed up their dispersion so that they couldn't find a single one other than those in Carfax, which would be difficult to smuggle them out under their eyes. At least, their hunt would keep them busy for a few days, and they did not have his formidable intellect or his centuries of experience to find them fast enough.
This left the Count enough time to deal with Jonathan. He had felt betrayed when he saw him lie down next to Mina. Dracula may not have tasted his blood, but Jonathan should still have reserved himself for the Count. He should have experienced the same electric shock upon seeing him again as the Count himself.
Alas, it was too late to regret his past choices. However, Dracula was now free to act as he wanted, and while recovering from the night before, he had decided on a line of conduct. It had been a long time since Dracula had thoughts of taking a companion, but little by little, it imposed itself on him. Usually, it was women who caught his eye, but now he could see how worthy Jonathan was of his interest. What a pity he had not noticed that in Transylvania! Dracula would have Jonathan a vampire and together they would face the present threat. The Count wanted Jonathan to be his, body and soul, to make him his willing and adoring slave.
Yes, Mina was an obstacle in his plans, but not an insurmountable one. Living wore a ring on their finger until death did them part? Then he could make sure death would take the young woman away from her husband. But there was an even better way to attach Jonathan to him. The Count would attack Mina first. If he had not chosen Jonathan already, he would probably have focused on her, anyway. Mina was beautiful, brave, and intelligent, everything he loved in a wife and a slave. Even better, the man was talking about keeping her on the side, to protect her, as they said. The fool. Her isolation would only make it easier to enslave her. And once his slave, Mina would bring Jonathan to him by herself. He would gain a husband and a wife at the same time. And this new outrage against the law of heaven delighted him. He would have the pleasure of introducing the handsome Jonathan and pretty Mina to bigamy, homosexuality, murder, adultery, all these sins that the Church loved to denounce! A thrill of anticipation seized him. He would soil their souls, especially Jonathan's. What pleasure he would have in seeing the blood of the living stain his lips and teeth, in feeling his soul tarnish little by little until he belonged to Hell with him!
All the Count had to do now that his plans were made was to put Mina into a hypnotic state while she was sleeping, then gain entrance into the asylum with the help of Renfield. Then he would finish the job by forcing her to drink his blood. What a lovely image, Mina, her breast bare and her mouth stained with blood, turning towards Jonathan and he falling to his knees, as white as a shroud, feeling the chains closing on his hands and his throat. The Count shivered with anticipation. Soon. So soon.
As expected, Renfield opened the doors of the asylum to him, leaving him free to act. Dracula tormented the young woman's mind, hypnotising her and preventing her from getting enough rest, the first step in establishing his domination of her mind. He didn't need to do the same with Jonathan. He had already spent so much time under the Count's influence that a simple order to sleep was enough to plunge him into a deep torpor while his wife tossed and rasped in her sleep nearby, before unconsciously arching her back when the Count fed on her, just enough to solidify his power over her, but not enough for anyone to realise what he had done, not even her. And what unholy pleasure he felt, using Mina like this right next to her sleeping husband. The second night, the Count couldn't help but capture Jonathan's lips before drinking Mina's blood. His lips were as soft as those of a woman and promised as many wonders.
When he discovered the young woman asleep and sedated on the third evening, the Count almost burst out laughing at how helpful these pathetic humans were. They almost made it too easy. Under the influence of the drug, Mina was so much more receptive that he knew he could act the next night.
That day seemed to never end, but night finally came. Dracula discovered the two spouses tenderly embracing in their sleep. He smiled at them through the window and put them into a slight hypnosis, forbidding them to wake up to anyone other than him. When it was done, he flew to Renfield's window. The mist entered the madman's cell unnoticed by anyone, but Renfield caused such a commotion out of remorse he forced Dracula to kill him. What a pity. Once free, the man could have brought hundreds of living slaves to bleed to sustain Count Dracula, but it was better to lose a servant than to give up on Jonathan, and the noise they had made would serve as a diversion for the rest of the hunters. He had done well to hypnotise the two husbands, or he would have to reconsider all his plans.
Still in the form of a cloud, Dracula crept into the Harkers' bedroom. Profiting their unconsciousness, he went to admire them sleeping. It was quite sad he did not have enough time to seduce them, as they deserved and as he wanted. The Count was aware of their limited time, yet he still took the time to repel the blanket that covered them and admire their beauty - Mina's delicate body and Jonathan's quiet strength. This time, no crucifix could protect him. The Count took Mina's little hand and delicately removed the ring from her finger before putting him on his own.
"You are both mine now," he whispered into Jonathan's ear. "Do not even believe you belong to each other. Open your eyes, Jonathan. See your master."
Jonathan's eyes rolled behind his closed eyelids. He tried so hard to fight against Dracula's orders, but he would never be strong enough. Just the fight he was fighting proved how powerful his mind was. Truly remarkable. He would be the strongest spouse Dracula ever had. It was worth the risks the Count was taking a hundred times over.
"Open your eyes, Jonathan."
The young man obeyed at last and the Count could read his fear in his eyes when Jonathan recognised his master. His whole body shook, seized by a spasm of fear. Soon, it would be a spasm of desire. The Count shivered too. He wanted to see a glint of desire in Jonathan's eyes, but it would be later. He had all the time in the world. Jonathan wasn't ready. Yet.
The young man opened his mouth to scream. The Count stopped him with a sign of his hand.
"Do not move, Jonathan. Do not speak unless I ask you to. Your limbs are too heavy to move. You are in your bed, not awake, but asleep. Tell me what you are doing right now."
"Sleeping."
The Count smiled, triumphant.
"You sleep and you dream. What are you dreaming of?"
"You. I am scared."
"And what, or who, do you fear?"
"I fear you. I fear you don't take my life like you take Miss Lucy's. I fear you do to me what you did to her. What the three sisters tried to do to me in that awful castle."
"Sisters, they are not, except in one sense, which means you will soon be their brother. But I promise you, they will never touch you again. Now, thank me for my kindness."
"Thank you."
His eyes flashed in anger. Dracula smiled and touched his cheek with his finger, the one where he had placed Mina's ring. Jonathan closed his eyes as if he hoped the Count would disappear like a nightmare at dawn.
"Open your eyes and do not look away from me. Are you not happy to see me?"
"No."
"You will be. Do you know why I am here?"
"For Mina. You want to pervert her soul like you did with Lucy's. But we saved her soul."
"Yes, I know what these savages did to that newborn. They will learn that Count Dracula is another challenge. But we do not have time to exchange promises and threats... not today, at least."
Jonathan's eyes flashed with fear and anger alike. He had hoped to distract him long enough for someone to come to their aid, but he would be disappointed. Dracula still had time.
"Mina. Open your eyes. What comes next concerns you too. See your master. Do not move, do not speak, and do not scream."
Unlike her husband, the young woman did not resist his order. Her eyes opened immediately and widened with fear, like Jonathan's did. Dracula's hand continued to brush Jonathan's cheek and neck. When he brushed against his jugular, engorged with blood, the Count almost couldn't contain himself any longer. He had to move away from him to place herself near the foot of the bed to resist temptation. From there, he could only see Jonathan's fine mouth and his eyes shining in the darkness with an irresistible shine. The rest remained hidden in shadows.
"You will remember this conversation and this night," he said after regaining some of his composure, "but you will repeat nothing of this conversation to anyone, living or dead alike. Others will think whatever they want when they find you, and you will not give them any sign that they are in the wrong. I am not here for Mina, contrary to what you all believe, but for you, Jonathan. I am not saying that I am not interested in Mrs Harker. There are so many fascinating ideas hiding in that pretty head of yours I could not be blind to your appeal, but you Jonathan... You escaped from a trap designed especially for you in my lands, in my castle. No one ever left without my express authorisation. Not before you. And now I want you, and what I want, I take."
As he spoke, he played with his ring, serving as a reminder that from now on Jonathan's wedding vows were meant for him and no longer for each other. A sob escaped the young man's lips, while his wife's remained closed as he had ordered.
"But I know you, Jonathan, you will not be entirely mine, not as long as you have Mina's light to guide you to salvation, and that would be just as true for Mina. There is genuine love between you, not that pretense priests sell to the people. You've married with God as your witness. Right now, you share the same thought. With the other by your side, you will remain strong. Do you not think so?"
"Yes," the two spouses said in the same breath, both with a firm voice. But the Count heard the fear behind.
"I wonder. If something tarnished Mina's light, Jonathan, what would you do? No, do not answer that. Mina. Come to me and show me that beautiful throat."
Mina graciously stood up and came to the Count. Her eyes alternately pleaded and threatened, but like all living things, she was just a toy in his hands. Dracula placed his hand on her chest, hot and full of blood. She was beautiful, undeniably, but it was always Jonathan he couldn't take his eyes off of. The young man was trying so hard to move, to stop the Count from defiling his wife. His eyes filled with tears. So beautiful.
"Look at Jonathan and do not cry. You have nothing to fear from me tonight. You neither, Jonathan. Your Mina will not die. She will just open up to new desires. New realities. She will see clearly, for the first time in her life. Is she not desirable, thus offering herself? Ah, but you are so much more. You will never forget this vision, Jonathan. Will you?"
"Never."
Still keeping an eye on him, the Count plunged his fangs into Mina's neck with delight, tasting her blood and her life with hunger. There were no longer tears in his eyes since the Count had forbidden it, but rage. Wasn't the Count also seeing desire mixed with the pain, or was it just a play of the light? The Count wonders about the source of this change. Was it to see his Mina offering herself to another or to see the Count dominating the entire scene? They would have time to find the answer to these questions the next time they met. Dracula let go of Mina. The young woman remained frozen in her position, waiting for her next orders. Blood was already drying up on her neck. The Count placed a finger there and brought a few last droplets of blood to his lips.
"Delicious. Of course, this is not the first time I have drunk her blood. You were just as powerless to sense my presence yesterday as to prevent me from acting tonight. I cannot wait to find out how yours compares to hers. One day, we will feed on her together. She will be my concubine, but you will be my husband, and as long as she is under my domination, you will not dare to make a move against me, will you, Jonathan?"
"You're wrong. I will find you and kill you."
"I know you will try. But on that day, you will be the one who kneels before me in defeat. Be sure of one thing: today you fear me, and you are right to do so. But tomorrow, in a week, in ten years, you will relive this scene and wonder why it was her and not you who received my gift. On that day you will return to me, on your knees, to beg me to make you my slave and my husband and to do to you what I did to her."
Far from here, the Count heard people running. The knights in their shining armour were coming to help his poor victims. They would be too late, but he needed to act now. The Count opened his shirt and pierced his chest with his sharp nails, before violently grabbing Mina by the neck and forcing her to place her lips against the wound.
"Drink. And you will both learn what happens to those who intend to challenge me, Count Dracula. The others will pay for their crime, but I forgive you, Jonathan. Remember. As long as you obey me, she will be forgiven. Besides, now she will have to respond to my call, and you will follow her voluntarily because you love her and you cannot refuse for long the pleasure that I am offering you both. You already want me, even if you don't dare admit it to yourself. But I am afraid we cannot continue this conversation. Another time, we will. I swear. In the meantime, here are my commands. Your friends will come. You will tell them what I did to Mina, but you will not say a word about our conversation, not even to each other. You will lie to hide this secret and when I call... You will know what to do."
Moonlight suddenly entered the room, illuminating Mina's blood-stained nightgown and Jonathan's hair. They had gone white from the shock he had endured. In his eyes, the Count could read his hatred, rage, despair, want for revenge, and that hint of desire he would have denied. Jonathan would dream of this night, and in the morning, Dracula's burning gaze would make him shake with desire, not Mina's pleading eyes.
Someone knocked on the door. The Count heard cries and calls to break the door, but the rescuers were too late. He had already won. The rest was just details. He smiled and leaned down to place a kiss on Mina's forehead.
"You will slow down their hunt and lead them into a trap for me," he whispered in her ear, too low for his husband to hear, "but Jonathan, you will lead him straight into my arms. If you serve me badly, I will force him to drink your whole life or I will drink it in front of you. If you serve me well, I will let you adore us both and I will let your husband give you a few crumbs of the love and adoration he will give me."
Against his chest, Mina shuddered. She was his now, even if she was still struggling. The Count smiled at Jonathan, proudly displaying the hold he had over him thanks to the hold he had over her. They would come. Through words of love and betrayal, Mina would bring Jonathan to him. He would be powerless to resist while being fully aware of being nothing more than a puppet in his hands. Every step he took, every little change in Mina's face, would break him a little more until he threw himself at his feet, panting with desire.
When the door opened, the Count took one last triumphant look at Jonathan, changed into black smoke, and disappeared from the room, certain he had left his mark on Mina's and Jonathan's souls. Soon he would have a new husband and a concubine to add to his harem and together, they would feed off this stupid and arrogant human stock.