Silently, I said my prayers and closed my eyes.

Soon, I was asleep.

I stirred when soft voices murmured about me. Sleepily, my eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim firelight. Rubbing my eyes, I peered into the shadows.

A woman’s voice uttered words softly, dreamily.

Slowly, it dawned on me that three women were standing around me, gazing down on me. Their backs were to the fire so it was hard to make out their faces, but two appeared to have dark hair and third, long blond hair. All were dressed in flowing ivory gowns that seemed to sparkle like fresh dew on a lily.

One of the women murmured in a foreign tongue, her voice brushing over me like silken threads.

The three women laughed together as one of the dark haired women moved closer to me. I tried to sit up and demand to know why they were in my chamber, but I found that my limbs were leaden. I could not move. As she leaned closer, I could see the strong beautiful features of the woman. Her eyes were dark and bright. Her voluptuous mouth was red and smiling. Slowly, the strange woman reached out a long, fine hand and ran it over my red tresses. She turned to whisper something in her own language to the others and they laughed together.

Frightened by the bizarre women, I tried to move away, but again I could not move. My body was limp. All I could do was move my eyes about beneath my lashes.

Another woman - perhaps a little younger than I - stretched out beside me on the bed. Her hair was long and curly, wound with long chains of gold adorned with jewels. Fingertips trailed over my face, then down my arm as she studied me with curiosity I found alarming. I tried to pull away from those cold, cold fingers as she lightly drew them up my arm, then down over my chest. Her hand stilled over my heart and she gently pressed her palm against my skin. Closing her eyes, seeming to swoon, she hummed softly. I realized she was chorusing the beating of my frightened heart.

“Stop,” I managed to whisper.

The woman’s eyes flicked open as she leaned down close over my face. I could see her eyes were brown flecked with gold, and her lips were so red they seemed to be glistening with fresh blood. She continued to hum to me, sing-songing the sound of my beating heart, beating faster and faster.

The blond woman pulled her back from me, chiding her in another language. The younger woman looked at her belligerently, then laughed. Grabbing the hand of the other dark haired woman, she ran into the corner of the room, dragging her sister behind her. The shadows seemed to swallow them up and they were gone.

My heart was thudding so hard in my chest it almost hurt. I felt as if my breath would not come quickly enough. And still, I could not move.

Leaning over me, the golden haired lady touched my face with a soft, cold hand. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes shimmered like jewels. “You are so alive. I can feel your warmth.” Her voice was soft, musical, her words richly accented as she spoke perfect English. “I can almost taste your heartbeat on my tongue. Feel it beating like a pulse in my teeth. So warm, so alive, so beautiful.” Her hand lightly stroked my hair as she studied my features, smiling lightly. “You are so warm, alive…but soon you will join us. It is the Master’s desire. Soon, you shall be our sister, my daughter.”

I could feel myself trembling violently beneath the covers. Was this the same woman I saw beside the road our first night here? I was sure it was. Her hands were so cold just like those of the apparition. She must be a wraith! Some sort of ghastly creature of the night!

Suddenly, she seized me up in her arms, her hands cold and strong. Blue eyes, burning with fire, stared down into mine. Her fingers slid into my hair as she held me, pressing me tightly against her.

“Release me,” I whispered in vain.

Her eyes glittered as she smiled then kissed me. Her lips were cold like ice as they slid from my lips over my cheek as she turned my face away from her. The long golden locks slid over my face, obscuring my view.

I heard Vlad’s voice whispering my name as I was suddenly crushed between two cool bodies. Something sharp grazed my throat and my hands flailed at my sides. I heard more whispering and laughter, as the pain became greater.

“Release me!” My voice erupted from my lips.

A sharper pain pierced the other side of my throat. I was aware of two people on either side of me, crushing me to them, my hair being drawn back sharply by one of them.

They suddenly released me, and I fell back on the bed, my body limp as my head fell painfully to one side. My breath seemed shallow in my chest and I could not move. My throat felt ravaged and raw, something warm trickling down between my breasts. I saw, once more, three women standing next to the bed whispering as the shadows danced around them. The blond apparition's mouth was smeared with blood. One of the dark haired women licked away a bloody drop from the blond woman's lips with a long pink tongue

Prince Vlad moved slowly over me, bare-chested, the gold medallion glittering in the firelight. Slowly, he lowered his head, sweeping his tongue up over my chest. When he raised his head, I saw his lips smeared with blood.

“Sleep,” the Prince whispered and the world grew dim.

As I fell back into a restless slumber, the last thing I saw was the three women and their beautiful smiles with their long wicked teeth.

Chapter 5

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright - Continued

The next morning my father was already lifting May into the carriage when my mother and I stepped out of the castle. Ovidiu, the guide, and the driver were busy checking over the harnesses and horses, having already loaded our luggage onto the carriage. As we hurried across the courtyard, I gave the old decrepit castle one last dark glance.

“It is all right, Glynis. We are leaving,” my mother assured me, grabbing hold of my hand.

I was haunted by my nightmares, and I know she saw my fear reflected in my eyes. I had awoken after my nightmare, curled up in a tight little ball beneath my covers. I had immediately run to the looking glass to study my throat only to find it smooth save for tiny insect bites on either side. My bizarre nightmare had turned ordinary bites into something altogether more disturbing.

“I had such an awful fear that I would never leave here,” I confessed.

“Well, you are leaving. Up with you!” Father caught me firmly and lifted me into the carriage.

Gratefully, I settled into my seat, arranging my long coat, scarf and skirts as my mother climbed in. I tried not to look at the castle, but my eyes were drawn to the crumbling façade. What strange things had happened here. My dreams had been odd and frightening, full of terrible visions and wanton lusts.

The cool crisp air of the gray morning stung my cheeks red and my eyes were bright with the excitement of finally being away from this awful place. Much to my relief and that of my family, Prince Vlad had not come down to see us off.

May fidgeted with her bonnet as I finally settled into my seat. My father slammed the door shut, enclosing us in the safety of the coach, and he sat back in his seat with a sigh of relief. I tucked my hand into his as the carriage rolled forward and slowly turned about, the horses’ hooves clapping against the flagstones.

“There, there,” he said softly, patting my hand, and I was comforted.

As the carriage departed the castle courtyard, I resisted one last look and concentrated on my mother’s face. This morning my mother looked quite young and beautiful, any signs of harshness faded from her lovely features. She was far too relieved to be away from the castle to nag me or May.

The carriage was soon traveling at top speed, away from the castle and the strange man whom dwelt there. As the miles that separated the carriage from the castle increased, we slowly began to relax. Even May smiled when Mother said, “Well, it would be that the first man on this journey taken with Glynis was totally unsuitable.”

I giggled and snuggled up to my father. “Thank you, dear Father, for getting us away from that horrible, horrible man.”

My father just smiled and said, “There, there.” But I could see the relief in his eyes and his strong hand holding mine made me feel protected and loved.

For an hour we traveled through the misty mountain passes as the sun struggled to rise higher in the sky only to be brutally overwhelmed by dark menacing clouds that billowed out over the valley. I watched the approaching storm with apprehension. The storm seemed to not only be gaining strength, but also pursuing us.

“Father, if the storm hits us, will the pass become too treacherous?”

My father stared out the window, contemplating my words. He watched the lightning flashing deep within the storm clouds and listened to the long rumble of the thunder rolling. “It does seem to be growing stronger.” He leaned out of the window. “Ovidiu! Ovidiu! Can we beat the storm to the village?”

My mother leaned forward to gaze out over the lush valley. “I do not even see the village.”

Father pulled his head into the carriage. His expression did not comfort us.

“What is it?” Mother demanded.

“The driver is confused. He says that we are not heading in the right direction and every time he tries to double back, we only seem to end up where we began.”

“I do not understand. What does that mean, Father?” May looked very pale with her pink lips trembling.

Fearfully, I leaned over and out of the carriage as far as I dared. The dark, menacing castle loomed close behind us. “Oh, God!”

“Glynis, do not take the Lord’s in-Oh, Lord, no!” Mother obviously could not believe her eyes as the carriage turned slowly. “Why are we heading back?”

“They are going to try and descend the way we traveled the other night,” Father answered. His brow was deeply furrowed, his hand clenched against his chin.

“I do not want to go near that place!” I protested.

“There, there, dear. All will be well.” My father took my hand in his and squeezed gently.

As the carriage raced down the steep path toward the castle, I could not tear my eyes from it. I could barely breathe until the carriage passed by the crumbling entrance and turned down the pass we had ascended previously. I was afraid that every darkened window of the great castle hid the face of the horrible Vlad Dracula.

Mother leaned forward and took my hand. “We are away from that horrible place, Glynis. Do not be frightened.”

Impulsively, I kissed her. “I will not be.”

With a smile, Mother sat back and held May in her arms. “All will be well soon.”

“She is right, dears. The castle will soon be far behind us,” Father said firmly.

I tried to believe my parents, but I was frightened. The dark, rolling sounds of thunder were nearly overhead and the first tiny drops of the coming rains spattered against the side of the carriage. I leaned against my father’s arm and he patted my cheek.

“There, there, Glynis. Just a few more hours and we will be in a nice village inn.”

No matter how comforting my father’s words were, I could not fight off the overwhelming fear that I would not escape the looming presence of the castle. I could still see the decayed battlements over the tops of the trees. I could not wipe from my mind the way Prince Vlad had looked upon me with such lust and confidence. He had seemed amused as if he had knowledge of my fate that I did not posses.

The horses began to neigh and the carriage lurched back and forth abruptly, then came to a stop. We were all thrown to the floor in a heap of silk skirts.

“Damn it all!” Father wrenched the door open and leaped out.

Ovidiu’s voice called out, “Kind, sir, there is no way down!”

“Nonsense!”

I leaned out of the carriage and watched as my father marched toward the horses, his coat flaring out about him. The rain pelted down on him with increasing fierceness. His hat flew off and he barely caught it with one hand. His pale hair was instantly plastered to his noble forehead.

“No way down! No way down,” the driver called out in heavily accented words.

Terrified at their words, I jumped from the carriage and ran after my father. My traveling shoes slipped in the mud as I fought the wind, my hand clasped to my bonnet. “What do they mean? Father, what do they mean?”