With Anne-Marie safely out of the way, Andrej began his own preparations. He had been summoned after the Walpurgis Night incident with Murmur to meet with the thing that had turned him into a vampire. Thing. He still didn’t know what it was. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Anne-Marie yet, but he knew he’d have to, and soon. He locked up the apartment and reprogrammed the lock. He had wanted to add more lethal deterrents for would-be burglars after the incident in New York but ultimately decided it was too risky with Anne-Marie there. Dressed in his usual black jeans, boots, wool sweater and black leather overcoat, he walked out of the building to the street. He caught a cab to the cemetery where Sara’s grave was, for one more minute near her, but this time he didn’t linger. He looked around, and when he was sure it was safe and he wouldn’t be seen he faded into a mist, his preferred alternate form and one that allowed him to cross vast distances unseen. Shifting wasn’t easy. It had taken a long time to learn, like a Buddhist monk learning to meditate. A shift in consciousness, the absolute belief that he was the other thing, had to be achieved. His first attempts were barely successful; he could hold the new form for just a few seconds. But now the ability to change was like a reflex. He had learned to control it, like building up an atrophied muscle. In time he mastered three forms: the mist, a raven, and occasionally a cat. Each could be useful in a different way.
By daybreak he had reached the western-most tip of the Carpathian Mountains, in the High Tatras. The dead may have been thought to travel fast in Stoker’s time, but it would have been faster to take a transport over to Slovakia. Knowing what was likely to transpire on this trip however, it was better to leave no trail of witnesses who could identify him. He found an abandoned cottage in which to rest for the day then continued on that night.
In the evening when he left the cottage and started walking, he was surprised to see a woman driving an ancient vehicle on the old dirt road in the hills. Her people had probably lived in this area for a thousand years since it was unusual for anyone to relocate here on purpose, and she didn’t look like a tourist. She stopped the car when she saw him, equally surprised to see a stranger dressed as he was on this road.
“Hi,” she called from her car, “are you lost? Do you need a lift?”
That was the thing about country people. They never expected violence to spill over from the big city into their little world. He leaned one hand on the roof of the car, and one on the door, looking in at her with his beautiful mesmerizing smile.
A little while later she drove off, unable to remember why she’d stopped at all. Andrej grinned from the side of the road watching her go. Even if she looked in her rearview mirror she wouldn’t see him. He had gotten enough blood from her to fortify himself after the journey from Prague, and in addition she had driven him several miles closer to his destination. He continued walking along the road, noticing the sky growing darker as storm clouds blew in from the west. It wasn’t long before it started snowing, a not uncommon late season snow storm in the mountains. The wind was whipping up, buffeting him, making his long coat billow out behind him like a cape. He didn’t bother to button it even with the large wet flakes coming down thickly, sticking to his hair, on his eyelashes. He was still going uphill as the snow started to build up on the sides of the road. The higher up he went the rockier it became. He decided there was no point in continuing to try to hike up, and with no one around to observe it he again shifted into the mist to finish the journey that way. He arrived at the cave for the rendezvous, the entrance of which was obscured by the large boulders that sat like frozen trolls in the hills at that altitude. Incredibly, in a world of twelve billion people, this cave had remained undiscovered even after all these millennia.
He resumed his physical form and entered through the narrow opening into the mountain, his slim frame able to move easily enough down the dark passage. The walls glistened with water which ran down from deep inside the mountain. Even knowing what was waiting for him he felt no fear, no dread as he reached the massive central cavern. The ceiling was at least fifty feet up, jagged and narrow at the top but side to side it was the size of a small amphitheater. The great cavern was littered with the bones of Neolithic animals and some that might have been early human remains. It was hard to say who had eaten whom. The floor was muddy from water dripping off stalactites. In the dark his eyes were able to discern a human-like shape standing several feet in front of him. As he waited, the room flared to life as a ring of fire blazed up all around him and this creature in front of him. With their faces now illuminated Andrej could see who it was. Neither human nor animal, it was something else entirely. Its shape changed almost continually, and while it mostly held a humanoid form bits of it were grotesque, misshapen.
“Punctual, as always. So kind of you not to keep me waiting” it said to him, giving him a small mock bow. Andrej said nothing, his face stony.
“It seems hard to believe we last met one hundred years ago. I suppose I should ask how you’ve been, but since I already know, I think we can dispense with the pleasantries.” The red eyes fixed on him as the creature started to walk around him. Andrej looked at the ground while it slowly circled him. Outside the circle of flames there were other dark shapes, shadows, some kind of crowd watching, whether demons, angels, neither or both, or even others like himself in thrall to this thing, always in attendance.
“Yes,” the thing went on, “yes you’ve done well for yourself.” It stopped in front of him again, much closer, its hideous face close to his. “I ask so little,” it said, sounding disappointed, “and in return I have given you so much.” With a flick of its hand from up to down, Andrej found himself forced to his knees, pushed down by an unseen power. He kept his head down, not daring to look up. There was whispering and scurrying from the shadows outside the flames that grew louder, like a storm wind, as he was forced to kneel.
“There were conditions,” it went on slowly, “explained to you when you were first granted this marvelous gift. Did you forget, or did you think I would forget?” It was watching Andrej, tilting its head side to side. He didn’t know what it was going to do: fly into a rage and kill him, or simply keep him on tenterhooks, toying with him. Andrej didn’t answer. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t asked for this life, this ‘gift’ as it called it, that it had been thrust on him.
The creature held its arm up, balling its hand into a fist, and Andrej collapsed on the ground, writhing in agony. He felt as if his insides were burning, melting. The pain was blinding, he couldn’t even breathe to scream.
“I simply can’t allow that. There must be rules, there must be order,” it said, showing perfect teeth for an instant which then melted into a horribly disfigured mouth. It unclenched its fist, the worst of the pain subsided, and Andrej was able to breathe again. He stayed down on the floor, panting, waiting for a sign that he was allowed to get up. “You sent the girl away. Did you mean to protect her from me?”
“No, my lord, of course not. Only from others,” he said, suddenly fearing for Anne-Marie’s safety. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Anne-Marie might be a target of its wrath. “Please, you have always allowed me to choose which ones I offer in sacrifice to you.”
“Yes, that was the agreement. But you’ve been neglecting your part of the bargain.”
“I just ask you, not her.”
It considered his words for a moment. It seemed unaccustomed to anyone speaking up and making requests. Andrej hoped the being still held him in some form of special regard as it had in the past. He felt a little like a favorite pet, begging at the table.
“I will have my sacrifices,” it rasped. Its face changed, melting and reforming from something human to something ghastly and inhuman. The voice was clear and strong one moment, then became a coarse, high-pitched sound, like rusty hinges. In a more compassionate tone it said, “But I am not without mercy. I want what was promised to me before we meet again.”
Andrej pulled himself onto his knees, head bowed. The creature reached down and w
ith his finger under his chin lifted Andrej’s face to look up at him.
“You are like my own dear son,” it drawled. “Don’t disappoint me again.” The tone was calm, but menacing. It let go of Andrej’s chin and held its hand out in front of his face. Andrej reached up, took the gnarled, misshapen hand in his own and kissed the palm. The creature smiled at him like an indulgent father. It was then Andrej felt something cold on the side of his mouth and reached up to brush it away. Blood. His own blood. Whatever the creature had done to him had caused internal bleeding. He looked up at the thing, but as he did so the ring of fire went out, throwing the cave once again into complete darkness. The creature and its minions had left and he was alone.
He didn’t know how badly he was bleeding, but he started for the cave entrance, hoping to make it out and be able to somehow get down off the mountain. As he exited the cave he saw the storm had turned to rain, melting the snow that had fallen earlier. He staggered now from whatever was wrong inside him, the pain resurfacing as he got further away from the cave. He was starting to think this was the end, he was going to die of his injuries. But that couldn’t be right. Sacrifices were still expected, he had been told. That would be hard to do if he ceased to exist. No, it was more likely the thing had simply wanted to make a lasting impression. If he was human he would have vomited from the pain, but there was nothing inside him to throw up.
The area around the cave was open and rocky, with almost no trees. Below him, a hundred feet or so, he could see a small alpine lake fed by a waterfall. He started making his way down to the lake, suddenly desperate for a drink of cold water. He was too weak and dazed from the pain at that point to shift into another form to make his way down, so he faced a slow climb down the rocks to the lake. The blood was still trickling from his mouth and he wondered how much he could lose. He was going to need to feed again, and soon, but in this desolate part of the country there weren’t many people. He kept moving at what felt like a crawl; each passing minute felt like an hour as he worked his way down the side of the hill. At times he simply slipped down over a rock here or there; in other places he had to find handholds and slowly climb down, a hand, then a foot, clinging to the rocks. The pain was subsiding but he was beginning to feel light-headed. It was only grim determination that kept him moving.
It’s not going to end here, he thought. God damn it, just a few more feet. He gritted his teeth, almost at the water’s edge. Finally he was there. He stripped off his coat and flung it on a rock, then bent down to take a drink of the icy water. He cupped his hands and sipped it in, cooling his insides. The bleeding was stopping. That was one good thing about being a vampire, even this kind of injury healed quickly. He sat back against a rock trying to steady his breathing. The sky was clearing now but the sun was almost down. He needed to make his way back down the mountain and find someone, anyone, to feed on. There was no being picky now, the first warm-blooded mortal would do.
He began working his way down the rocky slope, hoping for a sign of the road he had left earlier. It snaked around the mountain, so surely it had to come back around at some point. As shaky as he felt he kept expecting to lose his footing and fall, but somehow managed to keep his feet. Eventually the road came in sight again, but in this deserted area there wasn’t much hope of traffic and being able to hitch a ride again as he had done on the way up. He kept going, hoping to find a cabin or farmhouse. His senses weren’t as sharp as they normally were, but he was able to sense—something. It wasn’t too much longer before he came upon a small building with a shop that sold souvenirs to tourists and hiking and camping gear for the more rugged types who liked to try roughing it in the mountains. It was late in the day and there were no cars around. Likely the shop would be empty of customers. He approached it slowly, trying to tell if anyone was there. There was someone inside, and as he got close enough he was able to sense a heartbeat, only one. He opened the door and walked in, and immediately a small tangle of ribbons, bells, and a kind of silver amulet fell to the floor from somewhere overhead. He saw a young woman, likely just back from university working in her parents’ shop. She was dressed far too smartly to be one of the locals. The girl jumped up from sitting behind the counter, staring at Andrej in undisguised horror.
He picked up the amulet, turning it over in his hand. The silver medallion at the center was inscribed with various shapes and symbols, and some sort of arcane lettering. A talisman against evil. He cracked a small smile. As he held it up he looked at the girl who was cowering like a cornered animal, ready to bolt. That the fallen object was a kind of protection amulet against the upír, vampire, and possibly other evil creatures that the old people still thought roamed these hills, was apparent in the way she looked from it to him.
“Was this to keep me out?” he asked. He could see tears start up in her eyes. He made a sympathetic face and approached her slowly, saying, “Now, now, there’s nothing to fear. I won’t harm you.”
“Please, just go away,” she said, trying to back away, but she was already against the wall.
“Sweetheart,” he said gently, “I promise you won’t feel a thing, and I only need a little, just a little.” He kept his eyes fixed on her as he got closer. She had turned her head trying desperately not to look at him, not to look him in the eyes. She tried to run for it, to push past him and get out the door, but he was too quick and grabbed her, holding her arms behind her. She screamed and tried to struggle but even in his injured, nearly desperate state he was able to hold her.
“I promise you’ll be fine,” he whispered in her ear. “It won’t hurt, I can take all the pain away. I can even take away the memory, you don’t have to ever think of it again.”
The girl opened her eyes and looked at him with tears running down her cheeks. “Please, I don’t want to become a vampire.”
“What’s your name?” he asked her, trying to calm her down a little. He was so weak from his ordeal he hadn’t been able to work on her ahead of time to prevent this.
“Maria,” she said in a small voice.
“Very pretty name,” he said, holding her arms together with one hand, and stroking the side of her face with his free hand. “Maria, I have no desire to hurt you, you won’t feel a thing. Then I’ll be gone, and you will never see me again. And I promise you won’t become a vampire.” He could hear her heart racing. “Just look at me for a moment, and before you know it, it will all be over.”
His voice was hypnotic and gentle, calming, and the fear receded from her mind. He stroked her hair, kissing her gently on the forehead.
“Wait,” she said. “Will I remember you?”
“Not unless you want to.”
“Yes, please.”
“Are you sure?” He was amused by this sudden glimmer of boldness. He could sense she was both terrified and aroused by him.
“Just up to when you do it,” she said. “I’m afraid of that.”
“I understand.”
“Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
As he bit down into her soft white neck, she was completely unaware of anything other than his arms gently holding her, cradling her like a lover. Despite his hunger and need for blood he meant to take only enough to sustain himself until he could find another, but for a moment he almost lost control. The taste of the blood, the warmth of the sweet fluid flowing into his mouth giving him strength second by second was intoxicating in his weakened state. It was always a struggle, an effort to keep himself in check. He tried to take the blood slowly, savoring it, allowing it time to fill the burning hunger, but he didn’t dare linger. It was dangerous enough here in the middle of the little shop. Anyone could walk in. As he finished he made sure her neck was nearly healed, then waited until she was fully conscious again. Already his eyes looked less hollow and haunted, and his cheeks were regaining some color.
“All right?” he asked as she looked at him and focused her eyes.
“I think so,” she said a little uncertainly. “Is that it? Is it
over?”
“Yes, all over. Thank you.” He kissed her forehead gently again, and before she could react he was gone, vanishing into a mist. He needed more blood than he had taken from the young girl, so found himself rather quickly in need of another fix. He was still struggling to heal from whatever damage the creature in the cave had done to him, and the effort was sapping what little energy he had.
He hadn’t gone far before he located a hotel perched on the side of the mountain. He went around to the back of it near the entrance to the kitchen. The employees were going in and out, taking trash out, stacking empty cases from bottles of wine, coming and going as one shift had ended and another was beginning. Waiting behind a van, he watched unseen until he saw a lone woman walking towards her vehicle. As she opened the door she dropped a bag she was carrying and bent over to pick it up with an exasperated sigh. When she stood up, Andrej was next to her and this time he didn’t bother with any sort of seduction. He grasped her arm, forcing her to look at him, and hypnotized her. He decided this would take more time than he wanted to spend standing in the parking lot, at risk of being seen by some other employee so he got her into the car and climbed into the passenger seat on the other side.
“Drive down the hill a little ways, away from here,” he instructed.
Like an automaton she did as he ordered. As they went around a bend in the road in the early dusk he saw a small side road leading up into the forest.
“Drive up there,” he ordered.
The woman turned the car up the hill and drove until they were out of sight of the road. He hadn’t even bothered to take a good look at her until now. He saw she was older than his preferred age range and looked mid-fortyish, but one had to take opportunities as they presented themselves. She was unconscious when he finished. He got out of the car and walked around to her side and lifted her gently out. He carried her around to the passenger side, then got into the driver’s seat himself and drove back to the hotel. He parked and got out, sure someone would find her soon. He considered for a moment making her his first sacrifice, but something stopped him. Her mind was cluttered with worries and cares, thoughts of a family. He hadn’t taken more blood than he had from the other girl, but this woman was apparently not as strong. She didn’t need this, too. What he had done was bad enough, he wouldn’t take her life. It wasn’t long before another employee on the way out noticed her car back in the lot and walked over to see what was going on. Then Andrej heard screaming and as people came running from inside, he backed up around the corner of the building and took off again.
But something was different inside him now as well. As he got stronger from the blood he had taken his mood was beginning to shift. He found himself wondering why he was so concerned about these mortals. In an instant he snapped back, pushing the dark thoughts back. It had been a long time since he’d felt this, reveling in the strength he felt coursing through him. The idea of killing was becoming far more palatable. He needed nine kills before he faced his creator again. Nine kills in one hundred years was not so much. When he was first converted it had been easier. He was flush with the idea of immortality and power, and less conflicted about ending a mortal life which he saw as short and pointless, anyway. Now, after getting through those first years he was finding it increasingly difficult. He had learned to find his victims among the lowest ranks of society, people who had little to no hope of surviving on their own, or criminals. He wished now he had killed the drug dealer who tried to double-cross him.
He was aware of sensations rippling through his body as the blood he’d taken infused him with life and strength. He felt stronger than he had in a long time. He had become so accustomed to draining just enough from each victim to keep himself going he’d forgotten what a real feeding felt like. It was a rush, like a drug-induced high the mortals were constantly in search of. He headed for Bratislava, to the old town where the seedier clubs were. He figured it was as good a place as any to find his next meal. Why had he gone so long without this, he asked himself. This was too good. He made his way into a crowded dance club, feeling more predatory than he had in a long time. In his heightened state of arousal and desire for blood his inner senses and attractive powers were at their strongest. He saw a couple of the girls on the dance floor suddenly stop dancing, turn in his direction and start making their way towards him. He tried to subdue the call slightly, one at a time would do. He focused on the redhead, locking his eyes on hers. Her dance partner became angry when she wouldn’t answer him as he called to her. With an amused smile he watched the guy turn and storm off the dance floor as the girl walked straight up to Andrej. He looked down at her face: blue eyes. Perfect. He knew he was being arrogant and he couldn’t have been more pleased with himself. He was flush with the old familiar feeling of control and power, but instead of becoming petty with it, he found it made him more generous towards his prey. He held up his arm, and she placed her hand on it and they walked out together.
Chapter 7