Snatching up my gloves, I let myself out of my room. I was not surprised to see Adem waiting for me. Together we hurried down the long hall, the gentle snores of the sleeping travelers lodging in the hotel the only noise other than our footfalls.
I was anxious to be out of the hotel and into the night. I was ecstatic to depart on an adventure. I had high hopes that I may find Erzsébet’s resting place, though I feared that Vlad’s last mysterious task had been to hide her. I desperately hoped he had merely raised strong wards about her crypt to hide it from the gaze of anyone stumbling upon it. Perhaps now that he was entombed, the ward would fall as his power waned.
“It is a good night for a ride. It rained today and the sky is clear,” Adem said as we stepped outside.
A light mist flowed over the cobblestones as night birds sang in the cypress trees. Two guards waited for us, holding the reins of two absolutely beautiful black horses. They were tall, sleek, and fiercely arrogant. Tossing back their manes, the horses regarded me with dark eyes. I was shocked when those luminous eyes flared red for an instant.
“These are no mere horses!” I gasped.
“They are not. But what they are is not truly your concern. Just know that they are strong, fast, and loyal to their riders.” Adem took hold of my arm just above the elbow and guided me to the horse nearest us. The great beast regarded me with keen interest when I reached out to it. Its nose nestled into the palm of my hand, and I felt a strange kinship with the beast.
“What is your name?” I whispered to it.
“They have no names. At least, not names they share with us.” Adem easily slid onto the back of his horse.
One of Adem’s men moved to help me mount the horse, but I easily swung myself up. My legs slung to one side of the large, beautiful beast, I fussed with my dress and petticoats. I often craved to ride like a man, straddling a horse, but dresses did not allow for such a thing. I considered wearing trousers like a man, but my adoration of fashion has prevented me from such a thing.
Adem expertly tugged on the reins and his horse trotted to my side. He bent over slightly and regarded me with curiosity.
“Where shall we go to find the Countess Dolingen?”
“A graveyard. It was near a ruined village somewhere between the castle and here. I realize that we only have a few hours to search, but I am desperate.”
“These horses are faster than their mundane counterparts. We shall make good time.”
“It was off the main road, down a very old, unused path as I remember.”
“And what shall we do when we reach your destination and hopefully find her?” Adem raised his eyebrows. “What are your plans?” He seemed bemused by my impromptu rescue mission.
“Do you know who she is?” I tilted my head, regarding him with curiosity. He did seem to know far more than I had originally surmised.
“Countess Dolingen, vampire sister to Count Dracula. She abandoned her mistress to be with him and simply disappeared into these mountains, never to return to Vienna, the haven, or her mistress.”
“Erzsébet abandoned her Mistress?”
“When Vlad’s Mistress exiled him to his lands, Erzsébet went with him. She loved him desperately and willingly left behind her estate and riches to live with him in the Carpathian Mountains along with his Bride, Cneajna.” Adem shrugged slightly. “The madness of love spoke and she doomed herself.”
“You know so much!” I was surprised, yet enthralled.
With a laugh, Adem spurred his horse, guiding it onto the street. “Yes. Far too much.”
I quickly snapped my reins and followed. “How do you know these things?”
“I am in servitude to Lord Astir,” he reminded me.
The darkened buildings rose up around us, silent as their inhabitants slept. Dogs prowled as cats yowled, the night taken over by nocturnal beasts. Adem deftly avoided the churches in the town, sparing me the discomfort that came with being close to holy places and relics.
“I have lived a very long time and have seen much. I am Lord Astir’s captain of the guard, and therefore privy to much of the information he acquires.”
“Are you human?”
Adem raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then nodded. “Yes. I am.”
“You say you are very old, yet I see a young man before me. I do not understand.”
“When one is dealing with Lord Astir, you must be aware that he is capable of many wondrous things. He is able to grant you the very desire of your heart, but the cost can be high. I am just a man. I eat food, drink, sleep, dream, love, hate…all the things that mere mortals do. But I am alive because I cannot die.”
“Why not?”
A cloud of dark emotion passed over his features and he shook his head. “For reasons I do not wish to speak of or the night will turn dreary and our ride will be one of misery.”
“I see.”
And I could. There was something terrible that lurked in the depths of his dark eyes. I did not want to press him if such pain lingered in his heart. I understood all too well the agony of a haunted past.
We rode out of the town, heading down the long winding road that traveled through the countryside. The towering mountains were all about us, dark and imposing in the night. The pace of the horses was that of a trot, yet we seemed to be traveling at a much faster pace. Once more, I wondered at the true nature of the horses, but dared not ask any more questions. I was grateful for the companionship and curious about my new friend.
And I was certain he was a new friend. Adem was in some ways frightening to gaze upon with his scars and imposing manner, but there was such wonderful warmth about him that I could not help but trust him. Perhaps my solitude had made me foolish, but I could not help myself.
“Was it near Bârgău Pass?” Adem asked, breaking our silence.
“I am not certain. Perhaps.”
I tried to recall my journeys to Erzsébet’s resting place. I remembered it was some distance from the castle, but we had been traveling with supernatural haste. Each time I had visited her, it had been during the winter with snow thick on the ground.
“I do believe I know a place that could be the graveyard you described. I have seen it once or twice when hunting in the mountains.”
“Very well. Take us there!” My voice was rich with my excitement. “Let us find her!”
With a roar, he dug his heels into the sides of his mount and the horse flew into the night. Excited, I mirrored his action and the horse beneath me instantly responded and gave pursuit. The ground practically disappeared beneath its flying hooves. The world slid by so swiftly, I scarcely caught sight of the whitewashed cottages and quaint farmlands. Laughter erupted from my lips as my ears filled with the sound of rushing wind. Only the moon and stars above remained solitary and at peace. It was as if a painter had smudged all of the earth with the stroke of his brush as the trees, cottages, and mountains were reduced to a smear of colors rushing past me.
Abruptly, Adem’s horse veered off the road, crashed into the brush, and climbed into the forest. My horse slowed, but followed, its footing sure as it rushed through the dark foliage. I clung to my hat, my head low to avoid the branches clutching at my hair and face. The world smelled of fresh rain and rich earth.
Adem’s horse found an abandoned path skipping through the trees and thundered onto it. I pursued, clutching the reins tightly. Birds rustled in the trees as we awakened them from their slumber. Forest animals darted off to hide, least we be predators. The world was alive and so beautiful, I felt liberated. My earlier anger and fear dissipated as I relished the freedom of the moment.
The horses slowed to a quick walk as we reached the remnants of an old town. It had burned and the whitewashed facades were streaked black and gray. No human remained in the town and only weeds and scrub dwelt in the empty shells of the buildings that had once sheltered the townsfolk and their wares.
“Gone now for a few years,” Adem said thoughtfully.
“It burned. I wonder why.”
“Lightning. A cooking fire. Arson. An angry vampire. Vlad does enjoy settling ablaze those who defy him.” Adem shrugged. “So many reasons why it could have burned, but it is of no real importance anymore. All that is left are the shadows of the past.”
I thought of my family, dead at the hands of Vlad, betrayed by his minions. “Can you escape that which always haunts you?”
With a sigh, Adem lifted his broad shoulders again. “Who is to say, Countess? I am still trying to hide from my own shadows. I have yet to evade them.”
The graveyard wasn’t far from the town, and it was exactly as I remembered. A wall surrounded it and weeds consumed old, broken tombstones. I let out a wail of despair when I saw that the white marble sepulcher that once rose majestically above the graveyard was in ruins. I slid from the horse, vaulted over the wall, and ran to where the huge marble slabs listed in the grass. Only two walls of the sepulcher still remained standing; the rest were strewn about, as though a great hand had come and knocked them aside like playing cards. The bronze door was tossed to one side, crushing two tombstones under its weight. I scrambled over the jagged marble remains, crying out for Erzsébet.