by Susan Harper
Monica was quite intrigued, so she took the Dracula novel from Holly and opened it up. “I mean, the Renfield I know is hardly a loon. He’s a well-put-together gentleman who runs my uncle’s house.”
“Is the Renfield you know a vampire?” Holly asked.
“No, he’s a changeling,” Monica said.
“What’s a changeling?” Holly asked.
“A changeling is a fae child who is intentionally switched at birth with a human child,” Monica replied.
“Why would the fae want to switch their children for mortal ones?”
“Oh, there are a number of different reasons,” Abigail said. “Usually it’s only for a few years. fae children who are breastfed by mortal women do so much better health-wise, so it’s a choice of the fae parent. They usually take care of the mortal child in exchange. Other times, the fae do it because they know of a mortal child who is ill, so they do a temporary swap with their own children. Fae were much better historically at dealing with ill children. Once they remedy the sickly child, they switch the children back. Then sometimes fae can be rather…cruel. They do it out of malice and take the human child and replace it with their own. Usually once a changeling reaches a certain age and their magic starts to develop, they will leave the mortal family to join their fae parents and the stolen child, thus causing the mortal parents to lose both children.”
“Sometimes when a fae is very old, they’ll cast a spell on themselves to become a changeling. They’ll switch themselves out with the mortal baby so that the mortal mother will take care of them in their old age,” Monica said.
“Okay, so…fairies are weird creatures,” Holly decided. “So, Renfield was one of these changelings, then?”
“From the way I understand it, he remained in the mortal world well into adulthood,” Monica said. “So, I’m assuming the child he was replaced with was raised by the fae.”
“In the book, Renfield is depicted as a lunatic who thinks if he devours other creatures, he can gain their life force. He seeks immortality,” Holly said. “It’s been forever since I’ve read that book, so honestly, I don’t really remember what happens.”
Monica was rather curious now. She decided to skip ahead a good bit to see what became of the character Renfield. Much to her surprise, she came across a scene in which Renfield is found dead by the main characters of the novel after having his face repeatedly punched in and his neck broken by Dracula. “Well, that obviously isn’t what happened,” Monica said. “Renfield is alive and well.”
“So, why would Stoker write something so incredibly far from the truth?” Holly asked.
“He was trying to sell copies,” Abigail said. “And a monster that goes bump in the night is a lot better selling point than a proper gentleman who happens to have pointed teeth.”
“I don’t know,” Monica said, skimming through the book several times over. “A lot of this is pretty spot on—details of the castle, facts about vampires, the fact that my uncle had three female vampires living with him even if Stoker called them wives instead of maids. I know my uncle would never hurt anyone the way it is described in this book, but maybe something else happened? And if Renfield is a character in the book, who’s to say the other people who appear in Stoker’s novel aren’t real people as well?”
“So, what would that mean?” Holly asked.
“I’m not sure,” Monica said, closing the book and setting it on the counter. “What if Stoker knew all of these characters personally? And, I don’t know… Maybe my uncle did wrong them in some way and Stoker just overexaggerated the tales and killed off the characters?”
“So, it’s basically a fictionalized memoir about your uncle? Where Stoker made him out to be some super villain instead of just some guy who ticked a few people off? Can you honestly imagine your Uncle Drac doing something so awful to someone that Stoker feels like murder is an accurate portrayal of his character?” Abigail asked.
“I’m not sure,” Monica said. “I mean, it was a long time ago. Long before my Aunt Wilma would have even known him. We’re not immortal like vampires. He could have been an entirely different person back then.”
“I cannot believe what I am hearing from you, Monica!” Abigail said with a slight hiss to her voice. “Your uncle is one of the sweetest men I have ever encountered.”
“I know. I know,” Monica said. “But even the nicest of people can make enemies. I think I need to talk to Renfield about this book.”
“Well, I’m not going to let you go marching up to a man who’s portrayed as a raving lunatic all by yourself,” Abigail said, standing upright.
“I’ll go too!” Holly exclaimed.
“Whoa, hold up,” Monica said, holding a hand out. “I hate to tell you this, but someone is going to have to watch the shop.”
Holly frowned. “Okay, okay. I’m just a little excited is all. I mean, I’ve been a huge fan of literature my whole life, and all of a sudden, it’s like the stuff I’ve read is just bouncing off the pages at me. Witches, Count Dracula, dragons… It’s all a bit overwhelming. Overwhelming in a good way!”
Monica smiled. “Tell you what. Once this is all over, I’ll give you a proper tour of Wysteria. Deal?”
Holly was practically glowing. “Deal! Don’t worry, I’ve got the shop until you get back.”
Monica and Abigail headed through the door behind the counter after Monica grabbed hold of her broom to take with her. After a slight flash of light, they were walking into Wysteria’s side of Back Room Books. Mona and her new hire were both lounging around. It was the slow hour for both shops, it seemed. Monica smiled at the young warlock sitting by Mona at one of the reading tables. She had yet to meet him, and the man was devilishly handsome. Bet I know why Mona hired him, Monica thought with a grin. Lenore was seated on the table, picking at a bit of bird seed the two of them had strewn about for her to nibble on.
“Monica, you haven’t met Deimus?” Mona asked, and Monica could tell her sister was a bit dreamy-eyed about the young man.
“Pleasure,” Deimus said.
Monica smiled politely at him, but she decided not to allow herself to get distracted. “Nice to meet you,” she said, then turned back to Mona. “Listen, I’m about to go speak to Renfield. I was reading Stoker’s novel again, and—”
“Not that again,” Mona said. “Monica, you know that whole book is utter nonsense, right?”
“Yes, I realize that, but did you know Renfield is a character in it?” Monica asked.
Mona raised a brow. “As in Renfield, our uncle’s butler?”
“Yes, and I wanted to ask him if he knew anything about this book and what it means and why Stoker wrote it,” Monica explained. “I know it’s a complete fabrication, but the fact that Stoker seemed to know as much as he does about Dracula makes me wonder if some of this might actually be true.”
“Nonsense,” Mona said again, but Monica could see a slight hesitation in this statement. She turned to Deimus. “You mind keeping an eye on this side of the shop for a bit? I think I need to go keep an eye on Monica and make sure she doesn’t do anything too rash.”
Deimus laughed slightly. “Of course,” he said. “Good luck, ladies.”
Monica, Mona, Abigail, and Lenore headed out. The witches hopped on their broomsticks and began traveling toward Count Dracula’s castle.
14
Monica and Mona arrived at Dracula’s castle in record time. While Monica wasn’t sure if anything would come from speaking to Renfield, she was still feeling a strange sense of confidence regarding the Bram Stoker work. There was surely something more to the story than a mortal hearing rumors about a count living in a castle in Transylvania and deciding to publish a book about it. They knew from their Uncle Drac that he did meet Stoker, but Stoker must have met everyone else too and based the poorly-conceived version of their uncle’s life based on that interview or those interviews.
The castle was quiet—quite unusual of an occurrence. Dracula enjoyed having people about
the castle, and even when it was just himself and his workers, he was usually rambunctious and filling his day with activity. He was clearly not present. Dracula always knew when someone was at his castle gates and often flew in his bat form to meet them or appeared in a puff of smoke. The gates were open, so the witches and their familiars entered the courtyard uninvited.
One of the maids was out in the garden looking much paler than usual. She had with her a handkerchief, and it was evident that she was still anxiously awaiting the release of her beloved count. “Oh! Hello, dears!” the woman said, standing upright and straightening herself up, embarrassed to have gotten caught in the emotional state.
“Hey,” Mona said softly. “It’s Victoria, right?”
The vampire maid fluffed her shiny red hair back and smiled a toothy smile. “That’s right, Miss Mona. Didn’t realize you knew my name, dear.”
“Uncle Drac talks about you and your fellow workers quite often,” Mona said. “He speaks very highly of you.”
This compliment seemed to light Victoria up. “I’m glad to hear it! A good man, your uncle is. A good vampire.”
“Don’t keep moping about the place,” Mona said in a friendly tone. “Uncle Drac has been cleared of any wrongdoing, so he will be released soon.”
“Oh, excellent news!” Victoria said. “I’m so glad to hear it. That has lifted my spirits.”
“Good,” Monica said. “Victoria, could you tell us where Renfield is?”
“Honestly, I couldn’t say,” she said. “I believe I saw him earlier today in the kitchens, but he’s been all over the place the past few days.”
“Well, we will just have to search for him, but perhaps you could answer a few questions for me,” Monica said, holding up her copy of Dracula.
“Ah!” Victoria hissed. “Keep that dreadful thing away from me!”
“So, you’re familiar with the work?” Monica asked.
“What vampire isn’t?” Victoria retorted. “It was a huge embarrassment for our kind. Everyone in our circles knew and still know Dracula very well, and so we all knew what rubbish that thing was. I myself am portrayed in such a filthy way! And, honestly, could you imagine? Your Uncle Drac having three wives! Wives who devour little children, no less! Never thought of Drac in a romantic manner, though I respect him terribly. It was simply awful!”
“I guess I just want to know how much of it is based on fact,” Monica said. “Renfield as well as you and your fellow maids all appear in the book, though obviously not accurately.”
Victoria laughed. “Yes, we do. Your uncle is hardly a blood-sucking monster who chases after poor, defenseless women, and I am obviously not the sort to be involved in a polyamorous relationship and to eat children.”
“Yes, that I am not questioning,” Monica said with a laugh. “But I’d like to know how Stoker came up with this nonsense.”
“Mostly out of fear, I reckon,” she said. “People have always been a little skeptical of vampires. I believe Stoker interviewed Renfield at the asylum to help him write it.”
“Asylum?” Mona repeated.
“Renfield really was in an asylum?” Monica asked.
“Gracious, don’t you girls know who Renfield is to your Uncle Drac?” Victoria asked.
“I just thought he was his butler,” Monica said.
“Well, now he is, certainly,” Victoria said, then sighed. “I see I am going to have to tell the whole story, aren’t I? Well, Renfield is a fae, I’m sure you know. A changeling. He was switched at birth with the count!”
“Whoa,” Mona said. “Uncle Drac was a mortal who was kidnapped by the fae?”
“Yes,” Victoria said. “Dracula was raised by the fae, and Renfield by Dracula’s birth parents. Usually changelings return to their fae parents once their magic matures, but Renfield decided to stay in the mortal world. It wasn’t until Dracula was a young man that he realized he didn’t fit in with the fae and began questioning where he came from. He returned to the mortal world and revealed himself to his birth parents. Renfield was chased out, and you know how mortals are. They didn’t believe Renfield to be a fairy even after he told them so himself, and the mortal authorities put him in an asylum, and Dracula went to live with his mortal parents. Eventually, Dracula was bit by a vampire, and he later on became a count.”
“I don’t believe it,” Monica said. “How on earth did Renfield come to work for Uncle Drac then?”
“Well, Renfield is a fae. He used magic to keep himself alive much longer than mortals, but he was unable to escape the asylum. Dracula became immortal himself, but he assumed Renfield had found his way back to the fae. However, after Stoker released his book, Dracula realized that Renfield was still at the asylum after nearly two mortal lifetimes. He felt terrible and went and checked Renfield out and brought him in to work for him,” Victoria explained. “Dracula had merely wanted to return to his mortal family, but he never expected for Renfield to suffer because of it. So, he did what he could to make amends toward Renfield. Renfield had spent his entire youth growing up in the Dracula family, so it was as though they were his true family over the fae. It was as though Dracula was the true changeling who took Renfield’s place, if you really think about it. And being trapped in that asylum was just awful for Renfield, but Dracula has more than made up for it. He brought his home here in the mystic world and brought Renfield and myself and the other girls too. It is quite a happy ending, if you ask me.”
“So, basically, Renfield was supposed to return in his childhood to the fae to switch back, but instead, he decided to stick around, and when Dracula returned home, Renfield came off looking like a lunatic. Do you think Renfield could be holding some serious resentment toward Dracula?” Abigail asked.
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Lenore said. “Fae creatures can harbor grudges like nothing else I’ve ever seen.”
“I don’t think he would after what all Dracula has done for him!” Victoria said with hostility.
“Fae are so vengeful that they steal people’s children, Victoria,” Mona said. “Who’s to say that Renfield wouldn’t want to frame Dracula? It could be his revenge!”
“Revenge for getting him stuck in a mental institution for nearly two mortal lifetimes!” Monica exclaimed. “That’s a long time to be locked up away from your fellow fae.”
Suddenly, Victoria shrieked and pointed up. Monica’s eyes followed the direction that the woman was pointing. Up in one of the lower towers of the castle, Monica could see Renfield glaring down at them. His usual charming smile was gone, and he looked much less humanoid than he usually did. The man leaped out the window and landed softly in the gardens not too far from them. His eyes no longer had the charming color they usually did and were instead a wicked red. His ears were pointed, and he now had fangs. His body looked a bit disfigured, though Monica could not exactly state where the disfiguration was coming from.
“Renfield! What has happened to you!” Victoria wailed.
He didn’t look like a fae. He didn’t look like a changeling nor did he look like a vampire or a mortal. It was some blend of them all that made him appear almost demonic. “Do you want to know how changelings are able to hide in the mortal world?” he asked. None were brave enough to offer the man an answer. “We’re called changelings for a reason. We assume the form of the mortals we replace. When the mortal returns, we resume our fae form—unless, of course, like me, you find a remedy. I was able to maintain some of my humanoid appearances during my early years in the asylum.”
Monica continued staring. She couldn’t help but speak. “You don’t look like a fae.”
“Because I’m not! Not anymore!” he roared. “I am forever connected to the mortal whom I replaced. That’s what changelings do! But what do you think happens when that mortal ceases to be mortal! I’ll tell you what, because I’m the only changeling who has ever had it happen! Dracula let himself get bit by a vampire and became one himself!”
“You don’t look like a vampire either,” M
onica muttered under her breath.
“Because I’m not! I can’t return to my fae form because I’m connected to Dracula! I can’t be a vampire because changelings can’t replace vampires. I’m stuck! And it’s been getting worse! I’ve been using what magic I could to fight it off, but I can’t do it anymore!”
“Renfield, maybe we could help you,” Monica suggested.
“You think I haven’t tried consulting a witch?” Renfield roared. “Of course I have!”
“So, you did kill Penelope, didn’t you?” Mona asked. “You killed her to frame Uncle Drac.”
“Penelope found a spell that could break my connection to Drac,” Renfield said. “A golden coin stolen from a dragon, blood of a witch, and hair from Dracula would have restored me.”
“Penelope did steal from Lauralet!” Monica exclaimed. “And then you killed her! Bet she wasn’t expecting you to use her blood.”
“No,” he said. “But that stupid witch… She stole from a shapeshifter, not a purebred dragon! Now, the only way to break my connection is to make sure Dracula’s head rolls.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Mona said, pulling out her wand. Before she could point it at Renfield, he had darted forward, moving faster than any vampire Monica had seen.
He knocked her back, and Mona went flying across the courtyard. Monica pulled out her wand as well, but Renfield was on her in a second, and much to Monica’s horror, he snapped her wand in half. “No!” Monica yelped as he pushed her back so hard that it knocked the air out of her lungs.
“Hey! That’s my witch, you creep!” Abigail hissed and leaped onto the man, clawing at his face.
Renfield roared, grabbing Abigail by her tail and flinging her off. She landed upright and hissed up at him, but she wasn’t dumb enough to go after him a second time.
Lenore wasn’t much help either. She wouldn’t go near Renfield but merely went and sat by Mona, who was groaning on the ground. Monica sat upright, rubbing her head where it had hit the cobblestone path. She glanced around and didn’t see Victoria anywhere. “Great,” she grumbled, thinking that the woman had ditched, but seconds later, she looked up to see three bats flying out of an open window of the castle. Victoria had gone for backup.
