The Elixir

by George Willson

  Jonathan touched the crucifix still hanging around his neck and was grateful to the woman who had given it to him. Even though his upbringing dismissed this type of cross with the Lord still hanging on it, he found it comforting in this troubled place. He did not know what to make of the opinions of this talisman, nor any of the other things he had encountered along the way that local superstition suggested as protections, like the garlic, the wild rose, and the mountain ash.

  To an extent, all of this did not matter. In a matter of a few days to a week, he would be on his way home, leaving this madness far behind him. For now, he would play along. No sooner had he decided this in his mind than Voivode had walked into the library to inform him that dinner was ready.

  CHAPTER SIX

  As soon as the sun dropped below the horizon, David left the castle keep to patrol the grounds in and around the structure. Ever since the collapse, he circled the castle every three or four hours to ensure no unwanted visitors got too close. There was not much to the courtyard within the main gates, so most of his time was spent outside the walls on the slopes where Mutations tended to linger as the heavy tree cover allowed them to hide from most anyone who tried to look for them.

  Their primary problem, of course, rested on the north side of the castle where that wing used to be. Along that side of the castle was a sheer drop so most times, David walked from one side of the drop all the way around to the other. With a little dexterity, he could leap to what was left of the flooring, but a combination of the castle’s age and the sudden exposure to the elements left most of the flooring dangerous to walk on, much less risk a jump to it. As a result, Mutations congregated to that part of the castle knowing David was largely powerless to stop them. Fortunately, as soon as the collapse happened, David made good on his word to reinforce the internal doors and built up the walls against this section of the castle to protect them until they could leave, so by the time the Mutations started to inhabit this section, they were unable to get inside.

  He glanced over the edge to see what movement or sounds might meet his senses, and he was drawn to an opening leading down to the castle basement. Before the collapse, the basement area was only accessible from a door in the main hall, which opened to a spiral staircase into the depths below. They woke up one evening to a Mutation within the castle and quickly traced the breach to the basement, and by that time, all David could do was block that door the way he had blocked the others since the basement served as a dry cave to allow the Mutations a home right under them. As for that curious Mutation, he ran before David got so much as a swing on him.

  David sighed and turned back to walk around the southern slope before heading inside for a couple of hours. He passed around the eastern end of the castle to where the ground leveled out a bit for the south side, which still consisted of a sheer wall leading straight up to the peaks of the towers. The integrity of the structure was not what it once was, and he feared that before too many more years had passed, the castle would be little more than a foundation due to the punishment it had received over the years.

  Suddenly, a Mutation jumped on his back and tried to sink its teeth in. David grabbed his attacker and swung it over his head sending it crashing to the ground a few yards ahead of him. It recovered instantly and growled at David. On the surface, it looked like a man with ragged clothes and no shoes, but the growl followed by the baring of its matched long canines showed it for what it was. No one could ever work out how Karian kept his sanity while no other Mutations had.

  The Mutation attacked again. David drew his sword as the Mutation flew at him, and with a quick set of slashes, the Mutation died before it struck. David had learned over the years not to draw his weapon until the last second so the Mutations would not have time to react to its sudden appearance. It was an effective tactic, and really, the only tactic that worked against them. Once they saw the sword, it was nearly impossible to lay a blow.

  He nudged the body a couple of times with his foot to be sure it was dead, and with no reaction, he moved on. When he reached the main gate, he glanced back to see another Mutation was feasting on what remained of the blood of his fallen brother. David shook his head. The plight of the Mutation was one of the most unfortunate of side effects to their transmutation. While Fempiror could never really fit into society, the Mutations not only had to hunt for blood, they lost all vestiges of their humanity in the process.

  Eager to get out of sight before any other Mutations spotted him, David quickly moved to the main gate of the castle and entered the courtyard. He did a quick pass over the interior of the castle walls to make sure they had no extra visitors on the inside before he entered the castle keep through the stables rather than the main entrance to ensure he was not seen by Mr. Harker. The stables connected to the main suite where Voivode lived without passing through the main hall meaning he could come and go as he pleased. It also helped that since Karian had discovered them last year, David had moved into one of the rooms connected to Voivode’s to protect him from any incursion of Karian or his children. He entered the room, and finding the old man inside, David closed and locked the stable passage door behind him.

  “I’ve made my rounds,” David said, “and our situation has not improved, but neither has it deteriorated. Karian has made good on his promise to keep his children away. How is the deal for London coming along?”

  “I’ll need you to go to Arefu and post this to Mr. Hawkins,” Voivode said, handing over the envelope containing the paperwork he had signed with Jonathan. “We need to ensure we know what we’re doing when we get to England.”

  “How much longer will this take?” David asked.

  “When you post the papers, prepare to have our possessions shipped to the house in Purfleet as well,” Voivode instructed.

  “Then we’ll just need a good rain to make our escape,” David said.

  “Yes,” Voivode agreed. He looked around his room nostalgically. “I will miss this old place, but it has had its day, and I have to admit it is time to move on. When Vlad built it out from the watchtower it was, there were wars going on, and the country needed it. Now, it is a relic, and no one can repair it.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A couple of days passed without much happening. Harker spent his time reading in the library or conversing with Voivode over England and continuing to answer the myriad of questions the old man asked. Voivode continued to insist that Jonathan correct whatever English mistakes he might make, but he was so fluent in the language that Jonathan never needed to correct him of anything.

  As for his stay at the castle, Voivode had let him know the paperwork was posted, but he needed to wait for a reply from Mr. Hawkins before he would consider the deal complete, which meant Jonathan would be stuck in Transylvania for far longer than he originally anticipated since it would take at least a week for even a telegram reply from Exeter – even longer if there were something additional that needed to be done here.

  He could not say, however, that he was not treated well here. In fact, on the surface, Voivode had been most excellent to Jonathan’s needs, fulfilling every one completely. Yet, he thought, even a king can feel like a prisoner if he is not allowed to leave his castle, no matter the opulence.

  Just as he was starting his second book, Voivode entered the library apparently intent on speaking with him.

  “I assume, my friend, that you are doing well,” Voivode said.

  “As well as could be expected,” Harker replied. “Have you any word from England?”

  “Not as of yet,” Voivode said, but it was the answer Harker expected. “My servant has inquired as to incoming telegrams daily, but you must be patient. In times past, it might be a month before one were to hear back via post, and now, we may expect word much sooner. Even so, it takes time.”

  “I am sorry,” Jonathan said. “I did not realize all that went into this transaction, and perhaps, I am feeling a bit impatient.”

  “I understand,” Voivode said. “You
r beloved awaits you at home, and you are eager to return to her. Surely, you do not worry that she may bestow her affections on another.”

  Harker chuckled nervously and shook his head. Perhaps that was part of his impatience, or even all of it. Mina waited for him, and he was eager to feel her presence once more. To have departed so soon after their engagement would be as hard on her as it was on him, but here, he needed to keep his mind on the task at hand. Fail to do so, and his time here would never end.

  “I did come with a request for you,” Voivode said, “and since I understand you wish to return to your home, I hope this will not impede your departure for too long.”

  “Of course, sir,” Jonathan said, employing his best business demeanor, “with what can I assist you?”

  “Regarding your station as a solicitor, I believe you are in the position to help me in getting what I need beyond this real estate sale. Is that correct?”

  “It is.”

  “I would like to employ your services in order to send my meager possessions from here to Purfleet. Would this be something for which you would have contacts in London to assist me?”

  Jonathan’s stomach dropped. Since Voivode already intimated that his servant, if he did have one, only went to the telegraph office once per day, it would take some time to secure the necessary contacts in England and procure their services for the receipt of the goods that Voivode had undoubtedly already employed a local service to ship. He kept his composure.

  “Yes, that is something I can be charged to do for you,” he replied.

  “And have you had the opportunity to write to our friend, Mr. Peter Hawkins, or anyone else since your first letter, which was purely business?” Voivode asked.

  “I’ve not known of any opportunity to send any letters to anyone,” Jonathan replied.

  “Then you must write now, my young friend, to your love, and to your employer, to say that you shall stay with me for a time which could be up to a month from now.”

  “Do you wish me to stay so long?” Jonathan asked, unable to contain his surprise, yet, the time did not surprise him, given what Voivode had asked for him to do. The idea of remaining in this castle for so long a time made his heart grow cold. Even though half of the building was missing, the place was still warm and comfortable, but to have that feeling of being trapped for so long was deplorable.

  “Please, I will take no refusal,” Voivode insisted in a friendly tone. “I believe it was your charge here that only my needs were to be consulted, was it not?”

  “Indeed, sir,” Jonathan replied with as much civility as he could muster. Jonathan had protest in his tone, and Voivode had threatened his employment. Or at least, that was how it felt. “And to your needs I will endeavor to cater so long as it is within my power to do so.”

  What else could he do? He still had the hope of returning home to Mina, and should he return without a favorable report from his first assignment, he would risk placing himself in a precarious position with his employer. He could not, in good conscience, enter into a marriage with Mina as a man unemployed, so he had little choice but to bow to the whims of this curious old man.

  They spent some time together in the library writing out their letters. Once Jonathan had composed one to Mina, one to Mr. Hawkins, and a handful of telegrams to some places in England that could receive Voivode’s possessions, Voivode took them with the assurance that they would be posted tomorrow and walked toward the door. Before he left, he paused and turned back.

  “I must caution you with all seriousness not to stray far from these rooms and not sleep in any other part of the castle,” Voivode said with a little trepidation in his voice. “It is old with many memories, and there are bad dreams for any who sleep unwisely. Should you feel the hand of sleep overtaking you, make all haste to your room, for only here can I guarantee your safety. Do you understand?”

  Jonathan was not sure how to answer Voivode’s warning against whatever he did not wish to talk about. Of course, he did not understand, but he nodded all the same, knowing that even if he tried to ask about this unknown, Voivode would tell him nothing.

  “Good night,” Voivode said curtly, and then left without another word.

  Jonathan found this final manner to be most curious indeed. He had gathered from the structure that some of the doors might well lead to an unfortunate drop down the side of the mountain, but he could hardly believe that it would be so dangerous anywhere else in the castle besides the small area where they had confined him. At this time, however, it was not an assertion he was eager to test. No need to be foolish.

  He was also careful as to what he wrote in the letters since he did not wish to convey his fears or concerns for this place to either Mr. Hawkins, as he did not wish to be perceived negatively, or Mina, as he did not wish to worry her. So far, he thought most of his feelings were probably a result of all the superstition he had experienced on his journey here rather than anything legitimate. He simply needed to endure this, and before he knew it, he would have the rest of his life before him, and this would be little more than a footnote.

  He tried to get back into his book, but after the discussion with Voivode, and the revelation that he would be trapped here even longer, he was unable to concentrate. He decided to return to his room and prepare to go to sleep at a decent hour. He shelved his book, and crossed the hall to his room.

  He locked his door, and prior to putting out his light to try to sleep, he looked out his barred window once again to see the moonlight reflecting off the tops of the Carpathian forest as it flanked the Argeş River far below. His room was in a turret of the castle, so the window protruded from the castle wall slightly, which afforded him a view down the side of the castle as well as out across the mountains.

  Movement on the side of the castle caught his gaze as he spotted a head pop out of one of the windows. He figured this was Voivode who was lucky enough not to have bars on his windows which would afford an unobstructed view of the scenery. He wondered what the point was of having bars on windows so far above the ground. Nothing could get up to his room without considerable dexterity.

  His annoyance with the bars turned to fear when he saw the one he thought was Voivode crawl out of the window entirely, but instead of falling to his death, the person crawled on the sheer surface of the wall down toward the ground. Part of him was afraid what this wall crawling person might do to him if they spotted him staring from his window, but at the same time, he could not move. What he saw was impossible, but if seeing were believing, then the impossible was on the wall before him.

  Finally, he was able to move, and he immediately closed his shutters and backed onto his bed. He grasped the crucifix which still hung gratefully around his neck and prayed. What kind of person was Voivode, and what kind of country had he found himself in? He did not know when he fell asleep, but he did so only out of exhaustion.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  Voivode had left the library in good spirits feeling as if this business of moving his life would be easier now that they had someone who could assist them in getting their possessions to their future residence from the cargo ship on which they intended to send them. Harker did seem a little reluctant on this latter point, but he had come to understand Harker’s role was as a sort of personal assistant. As such, the boy was well-qualified to do some things that neither he nor David would be familiar with, particularly in London.

  He reached his room and unlocked the door. Normally, he would not be so concerned about locks, but with an outsider in the castle, David was quite insistent over not allowing Harker to even stumble across something to suggest their Fempiror nature. At this time, he did not expect David to be present, as he normally spent this time going over the castle grounds and surrounding area to make sure it stayed clear.

  As he entered his room, he gasped for a moment to find a familiar face waiting for him, casually sitting in one of the chairs of the anteroom. He shook his head over his nerves and closed the door beh
ind him, locking it. He turned and spoke to his visitor in his native tongue.

  “Good evening, Karian,” Voivode greeted. Ever since Karian had discovered Voivode after the collapse of the Northern wing, he had been making regular visits. David had barred all of the windows in the castle except Voivode’s primarily to keep Karian from making trouble elsewhere.

  “You should consider blocking your window, Voivode,” Karian warned. “Anyone can get in here.”

  “I thought you were going to take care of that for me,” Voivode said.

  “Depends on what you’ve been doing.”

  “I’m doing what I can,” Voivode said. “I lost nearly everything when that wing went down with the mountain. David acquired some equipment, and I resumed some measure of my research to see what I could do, but you know what I really need to go anywhere with this.”

  “I cannot permit any of my children to be experimented upon,” Karian said calmly. “You know that.”

  “I did not create your present condition,” Voivode noted, “so I cannot guarantee any method of counteracting it without at least some blood.”

  “You know we cannot spare blood,” Karian said. “That would be like asking you to go without food. It is scarce for us, so not so much as a drop can be wasted.”