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“And his own people as well,” Adem remarked, shaking his head. “It was a brutal time. All men of power were such as him. Cruel beyond what modern man could conceive. Death was ever tangible in their world and just a blade away. They were ad

ept at plots and maneuvering through ever shifting loyalties. I knew Vlad then as I know him now. If he could kill me, he would. ”

“But he can’t?”

Adem grinned in such a way that it seemed all his teeth gleamed in the light. “No, he cannot. So I have no love for your dear husband, as you apparently do not. ”

“Tell me more. I must know more. ”

“What do you wish to know?”

“What did he do to me? Why do I feel bound to him though I hate him?”

“I have seen this bond that you speak of. The great love born of the blood that binds you. When corrupted, it twists into something. . . hateful. It is cruel for though you hate your Master with all your soul, that very soul cries out for the one who created you. ”

“Yes! That is it! But it was not always this way! It has grown. . . stronger. I felt nothing for him when first created. All I felt was rage, but in Buda it began to change. Strengthen!”

Thoughtfully, Adem leaned forward. “Did he feed you often from his veins? Did you feel his power filling you? Did he. . . join with you?”

“Yes! All those things!” I remembered all too well the night Vlad had forced me to drink from him, then ravished me as the memories of his life filled my mind. Ignatius had told me that Vlad had bound me.

“Dark magic of the vampire blood, then. He bound you with his blood. He deliberately encompassed you in his power. Yet, while he was creating a stronger bond between you, he was also empowering you. Surprising, really. I have known him for a very long time and he usually is loath to share any of his power with his fledglings. ”

I made a soft sound of distress. “Apparently, he has treated me in a far different manner from the other Brides. ”

Adem lightly touched my hand to comfort me. “I can tell you what I have observed and learned from Astir. When a vampire creates another, it automatically has dominion over the other. They can beckon you, confine you to a certain area by will alone, cause you to feel pain, and so forth. ”

“Yes. I experienced all of those things,” I admitted.

“Some vampires create other vampires for companionship. There is a bond of love between them. The Master vampire feeds its fledgling his or her blood, infusing it with power until it can become its own Master. They become equals. Of course, the former fledgling can leave or strike down their creator if they choose, and that does happen, but oftentimes it does not. From what I know of Vlad, he creates only female vampires and does not infuse them with his blood and power. He keeps them strictly under his authority and does not allow them to be anything more than his harem and minions. ”

I mulled over Adem’s words, seeing the truth in them. Vlad had kept the sisters inexorably under his influence. I had also been treated in the same manner, but that had changed on the journey to Buda. Vlad had begun to feed me his blood and toward the end, he often forced me to drink when he lay with me.

“But you are different. He has given you a far greater gift than I would ever imagine he would. And, obviously, you must mean a great deal to him for him to have done such a thing. ”

I laughed bitterly. “It was when I struck him down and his blood poured out of the wound that he willed his power to me. He didn’t do it out of love. He did it out of spite. I understand that now. ” I felt tears in my eyes and refused to spill them. “He forced his power upon me as one last attempt to ensnare me. ”

“That you hate him and love him at the same time speaks of the bond he has created between you. ” Adem leaned forward, adjusting his sword so he could rest one elbow upon his knee. “You wear his ring. You have his title. He has made you love him by more than blood, has he not?”

Our last night together came fresh to my mind. He had been unusually kind to me. He had treated me as his beloved wife. His words and touch had been a gentle balm to my anxious nerves. In our last nights together after we left Buda, he had been all I had craved and wanted him to be: my loving, faithful, compassionate, protective husband. I had felt utterly entwined with him and truly his wife. I had despaired at the bond between us, fearful that I had betrayed not only my dead family, but also Ignatius.

“That bastard!” I clenched my hands at my side. Anger coursed through me as I realized how expertly he had manipulated my emotions to the very point that I thought I had chosen to be with him. I wanted to rush back to the castle and lop off his head. He had thoroughly deceived me. Our lovely night of lovemaking and peaceful repose had been the result of his cleverly crafted plan to ensnare me from Ignatius and firmly into his grasp. In retrospect, it was all too clear to see. My thoughts were a storm within my mind, battering against my skull, and giving me a wrenching headache.

Adem chuckled as I stomped my foot. “Truly, my Countess, you are far more than I think even he could ever dare hope to contain. My dear Lord Astir told me of your boldness, strength, and cleverness. He was not amiss in his assessment of your nature. ”

I pointed an accusing finger at Adem. “Astir sent you to spy upon me and discover Vlad’s whereabouts. Astir told me all. I trusted you and it was all a deceit. ” I was so angry at Vlad, I knew I was lashing out at Adem in proxy, but I did not care. I was wounded to the core of my being by Vlad’s manipulation and betrayal.

“I was asked to come here to protect you, which I intend to continue to do to the very best of my ability. You are caught in a complex web of Vlad Dracula’s creation, yet you are joyfully your own person. I find that enthralling and I rejoice that I am protecting someone who truly deserves my devotion, and not a pretty simpleton. ”

Mollified by his words, I folded my arms over my bosom. “I dare say you are an odd man. You are very unlike any servant I have ever encountered. ”

“I am, like you, caught in a web. And I, like you, desire to be free of it one day. We are very much alike, you and I. That is most likely why Astir sent me to you. ”

“He is a duplicitous, terrible creature!”

“Oh, yes, when he desires to be. He can also be your greatest ally. It is best to remember that. ”

I pondered his words and all that had come before and slowly a thought dawned on me. “He sent you to tell me of Vlad. He wanted you to expose Vlad’s cruel deception, didn’t he?”


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