The castle, Vladimir told me, is filled with secret passageways that lead between the rooms and corridors, many of which he said were constructed when his beloved was alive. Only five people were privy to the location of the secret passageways: himself, his beloved, Nicolai, Velascon, and another whose name he would not mention, only saying that he cared very deeply for him but the name he never revealed. He has promised to give me a guided tour of the passages, so that if the situation arises where I would need to escape, I would be able to do so. He is so kind I cannot imagine what it is he believes could possibly happen that would place us in any danger.
I understand that Vladimir endures the curse that he bears, yet he is not a creature like those described in the books kept by my father. There is one book in his possession, which I have not been able to view. He keeps it with him always, which only feeds my curiosity about the contents.
My father watches Vladimir constantly, following him about the castle. His familiarity with his surroundings only furthers my belief that he has been here before. Even with the details Vladimir has given me, I am scarcely able to find my way; I am not as adept at navigating the castle as my father. I am determined to learn the truth regardless of where it might be found.
Chapter Seventeen
Vladimir’s Journal
19 October 1897
Castle Baserab
At the insistence of Ahbrim, I consented to his continuation of his studies upon my blood. Perhaps this is my destiny; for in his studies he could find a cure for others without inflicting the infection of my kind upon them, then at least I could say this life was used wisely.
Loki and his father arrived today with the last of my crates from the Abbey. How sad it is that I shall never return to her. I am pleased to have my possessions back within my grasp, to be once more surrounded by familiarity.
I found Claudia this morning alone in the dining hall captivated by the portrait above the fireplace. Ages ago, it was painted and yet the difference between the man she now refers to lovingly as uncle and the image in the painting is little. I have barely aged since the time of the portrait in nearly the 400 years that have passed. To keep young Claudia occupied I have offered to show her the many hidden passages within the castle. Perhaps this will occupy her thoughts, and she will not question me so insistently. How I wish the complete truth could be told. I cannot discern if the truth was spoken if it would ease the burden any of us carry.
I revealed what could be said about the delicate nature of my relationship with Ahbrim and shared few truths, without giving so much detail, the truth was spoken outright. Claudia is an intelligent child. I have no doubt the truth I so carefully attempted to hide in prose was evident to her, though do not believe she has confronted her father about what was said.
Would Ahbrim not have pursued me so vigorously had he known the truth that was hidden from him or would his devotion and the oath he took have prevented him from making that choice? Would he have chosen to accept the task given to him by Mordecai if he knew he was my brother? These questions I have pondered throughout the centuries with little success. Perhaps the truth lies with Ahbrim. I would think he would question why it was I did not kill him, as I had the others for their betrayal. Perhaps we are the same, two complex creatures who must pursue their own destinies wherever it may lead them.
Chapter Eighteen
Abraham Van Helsing’s Journal
20 October 1897
Castle Baserab
I am grateful that Claudia is cured. Her blood has returned to a more normal state and she appears to have suffered no ill effects from her exposure to Vladimir’s blood, other than taking on a few of his less desirable traits. I find her temperament more akin to his than her own. She is much more driven about what it is that she desires. Only time will tell if she inherited other traits from Vladimir; I pray a thirst for blood is not one of them.
Soon we will again begin testing Vladimir’s blood. With Claudia now free from her affliction, her blood no longer bears any abnormalities with which I may proceed with my research. It is my hope to use that last bit of blood stored to further my work, but also know a new donor must be sought and soon.
I considered traveling to the laboratory in Paris to retrieve some of the papers left behind when we traveled to Amsterdam, though I believe it to be too dangerous to leave Claudia alone with him. I do not believe Vladimir would hurt her intentionally, but he is a creature whom only blood can sustain. Should his hunger grow too great, Claudia would be in danger. It is curious that the villagers below still offer themselves to him just as they did in years long past. Their loyalty to him confounds me the same as it did when he first became the creature. I can only assume it is because Vladimir has been their protector now for centuries. He cares for them and each generation born as though they are his own family. Perhaps in the most primitive sense, they are.
I remember well the day of his supposed execution. The instructions he left in regards to the welfare of his son were quite detailed. He hid from Mihnea the truth behind the nature of what he had become. I have yet to understand how he found the strength to abandon his son, especially when he favored Elisabeta so greatly. Perhaps that in itself is the reason. Looking upon his son may have been too painful, and he may have feared it would be too easy for him to be tempted to give his son eternal life. Mihnea was sent to Targoviste where he was trained in the same order I was raised with his place as Viovode later secured. Was this Vladimir’s penance for his sins, a strange repayment of his debt through his son?
Poenari castle
The heart of darkness
Chapter Nineteen
Claudia Van Helsing’s Journal
22 October 1897
Castle Baserab
I awoke to silence and not the usual bickering of my father and Vladimir as I so often do and should have known that something was amiss, but my thoughts when I awoke were only of what this day marked. I, Claudia Van Helsing lived to see the day I thought I would never bear witness to, my 20th birthday.
I rose and happily readied myself for the day ahead. I knew it would not be filled with the festivities I desired, yet I did not care. I am alive and cured of the malady that afflicted me my entire life. My gratitude to Vladimir I longed to express this day more than others, but found it would not be as simple as I had assumed.
In honor of the occasion, I chose the lavender and rose Harlequin dress I had made in London. It marked the first time I wore the dress, other than the day of the fitting.
When I emerged from my room and ventured toward the great room centered in the middle of the castle, I found a fire burning brilliantly, but the room empty. The soft crackling of the fire nearly echoed through the room. A sudden wave of sadness wept over me, a sadness so deep it caused me to weep. It was Vladimir. Tears streamed down my face as all control was lost. I hurried to wipe the tears from my cheeks and turned toward the south corridor where I could sense he had gone.
Walking along the cold hallway, pausing at each door and attempting to sense if he was inside had led me to a room once locked and forbidden to enter. My search for Vladimir abruptly ended when, at the end of the corridor, I stood before a door with inlaid roses that had not been unlocked since our arrival and noticed it stood slightly ajar. I peered past the doors edge to see Vladimir sitting on the edge of the large bed. Unsure whether I should leave him alone to his thoughts, or if he needed comforting, I closed my eyes to take a deep breath and balance my emotions. He did not turn to face me as my foot crossed the threshold.
“Leave me, Claudia, it is not my wish for you to be here.”
“How will you heal that which causes you such sorrow if you never speak of it?” I asked him.
The room was perfectly preserved, a testament of the love they had once shared and the love he felt for her still. Each item in the room had been placed with meticulous care as though he were awaiting her return.
“Tell me about her, Vladimir, please.”
�
��She was beautiful. I loved her from the moment of her first introduction. She was all that was good about the world: kind, devoted, and a loving mother. She was a balance to the turmoil that surrounded me and the life I led as Viovode. Never did she complain. She was the only woman I ever loved. To have her taken from me twice is unjust. How much longer must I suffer?”
I sat with him as he wept for her, the woman who in his heart could never be replaced. I did not question him about what he meant when he said she had been taken from him twice.
“Why do you remain here if the memories of this place hurt you so deeply?”
“It is the only place I can be close to her. I have been so selfish. This day is a day for celebration and not tears for days long past. Come, your father and I have planned a special day for you.”
I placed my hand in his and allowed Vladimir to lead me from her room. He did not lock the door behind him as I expected. He paused before the dining hall door and kissed me softly upon my cheek.
“I have no doubt one day you will make a loving and devoted wife,” he said.
The grand oak doors opened with a single gesture of his hand. Inside my father was waiting. The room beautifully illuminated by the hundreds of candles was so breathtaking; I barely noticed the many gifts upon the table.
“Vladimir, it is so beautiful. Thank you,” I whispered.
“You did not believe I would forget such a momentous day did you?” My father asked.
“Of course not, Father.”
I hugged my father with the well of emotion still lingering from the sadness Vladimir felt. The many gifts upon the table had been purchased by my father in the village below with many of them being practical in nature, such as woolen blankets and a long winter coat. As I sat between the two men who mean the world to me, opening my gifts, I was suddenly struck by the truth of the moment; this day marked the first birthday since I had become a cured woman. We laughed and talked for many hours. Father and Vladimir reminisced about events from the past. The whole day was an enlightening experience for me. It proved that my father and Vladimir have known each other for more years than either willingly admit, bordering on centuries and not just as longtime acquaintances as my father had said and Vladimir alluded to in our private conversations. The interaction and conversation between them was relaxed and pleasant. It pleases me that they have found common ground.
My day concluded with a final wish of happiness from Vladimir as I readied for bed. Upon my pillow, he left an embroidered handkerchief woven from the finest linen I had ever held. Inside the kerchief was an exquisite amethyst brooch with such fine craftsmanship I knew it was quite old. I walked my room clutching the brooch to my chest while walking the central hall of the castle. There above me in the mural he had painted of his wife was the same brooch I held in my hand. How can I accept a gift such as this? And yet, should I attempt to refuse it, he would be hurt very deeply. His life and the memories with which he punishes himself are complex. Is this the reason that I was cured, so that Vladimir can heal what time has done to him? My father says every man and every woman has a purpose and a destiny uniquely their own. Perhaps my destiny lies not in what I was born to do in this life, but in what I choose to do and what only I can decide is right.
Father wishes to continue his experiments with both of our blood to see what can be learned. Perhaps my gift is not the same as his for I know not how to cure the body or cure any ailment. Maybe my destiny lies here within the walls of Castle Baserab, in showing Vladimir he is worthy of the love and the care he deserves, that I do not judge him for being what he is, but, instead, judge him upon what it is he does now.
Abraham Van Helsing’s Journal
24 October 1897
Castle Baserab
The results of the preliminary testing appear to be promising. Claudia’s blood has the qualities needed to suppress Vladimir’s vampirism. A vaccine would need to be developed, and with use over time, could possibly eradicate the disease he inflicted upon himself. At this point in my research equal amounts of Claudia’s blood must be introduced to the samples I have of his to produce the desired results. A transfusion, as we did with Lucy, would not produce the desired results. Even our attempts to save Lucy failed through the use of transfusions. Claudia’s blood has the unique ability to take over his blood cells and transform them to mirror her own. The reasons behind this, I have yet to discover. I can only speculate it has to do with the rare form of hemophilia she once had. It gives me hope for Vladimir, his future, and the future of all mankind.
Chapter Twenty
Claudia Van Helsing’s Journal
25 October 1897
Castle Baserab
Vladimir’s mood has improved greatly since my birthday celebration. I find he smiles more frequently than he did before that day. Family, I pray, alleviates his loneliness and gives lightness to his condition.
Father continues his research. My blood continues to mutate and becomes more similar to Vladimir’s with each day that passes. Father is even more consumed with his studies than I have ever seen in the past. I am certain he fears I will become the same as my poor Vladimir. I have no symptoms of his condition. There is no thirst for blood, nor have I developed any of his traits. Though I believe if I were to ask my father, he would say my temperament is not as it once was.
I have discovered that our dark host is very much a creature of habit. He keeps several musicians at any given time that play for him each morning. Music soothes him, I believe. It as if he feels the embodiment of the music more deeply than others for it is not the mere pleasure of listening that fills his soul. It is the beauty of each note, of how they come together to compose a vision that he cannot only hear but see.
I know he senses my presence each morning as I stop to listen to the violinists as they play. Yet, he never mentions it in passing. The melody sweeps Vladimir away to a kinder and gentler place where the tragedies of his life are non-existent. Until this morning, I have never had the heart to disturb him -instead, it was in silence my eyes followed his every move. I believe I have come to understand a fact my father has not – he is a sensual creature, filled with love, joy, and regret, filled with despair, longing, and perspective, and is consumed by events over which he had no control that have left a darkened mark on not only his heart but also his soul. He is complicated yet simple, adoring yet judgmental. My Vladimir is what the rest of world desires to be…an imperfect version of the human condition.
As I stood in the doorway, listening to the haunting melody they played, he turned to face me.
“Each morning you come and stand silently in the shadows when there is no need,” he said.
“I did not wish to intrude.”
He stood and bowed to me before offering his hand.
“I would be honored should you share a dance with me, Claudia Van Helsing.”
He smiled softly causing me not to be able to refuse his simple yet elegant request. He was fluid and graceful as the waltz played, something I scarcely expected.
“Have you ever been to Paris, Vladimir?”
“Yes.”
“And Rome, have you ever traveled to Rome?”
“Yes,” he replied as we continued to dance.
“I have not traveled to any city I fancy, only to those where Father’s work calls him. When illness ruled my life, it was all that could be dreamt of, the cities that would never know me for the lack of traveling there. You probably think it folly, but when one knows not when death shall arrive at their door, it is the dreams they hold in their heart that help them to preserve. My life was but a dream until you saved me, Vladimir, and mere words can never express what is held in my heart for the sacrifice you made.”
“Then I shall make it my mission that you shall see the wonders of the world, Claudia.”
“You would do this for me?” I asked.
The music had long since ceased to play as Vladimir continued to dance with his arms wrapped tightly around me, still enveloped in t
he rhapsody of what lingered in his mind and his heart.
“For you, dear Claudia, there is not a single thing I would not do.”
Vladimir stopped abruptly and kissed me on my forehead.
“You are the light of all lights, the flame of hope in my world of darkness, and an unassuming beacon that calls me to be a better man.”
He left me dumbfounded and alone, wondering how I could impact him on such a grand scale when it was he would had saved me from the Angel of Death. Who am I in the grand scheme of God’s plan to have such an effect on him? Perhaps, I am not meant to understand. Perhaps, God works through me to correct the error of his own doing.
Chapter Twenty One
Vladimir’s Journal
1 November 1897
Castle Baserab
Nearly four years I have been in his keep. He grows more insistent with each passing day. Claudia spends her days exploring the many hidden passages of Castle Baserab in an attempt to avoid her own father. How sad his faith has led to an obsession that weakens the constitution of the man I once knew and loved.
I pacify his interests in order to keep him at bay. What should happen if he encounters me in my natural element? This morning he questioned me at length about the village below, if there should happen to be any among the villagers who suffered from any such malady that he could treat. I fear what it is he may do next.
Memoirs of an Immortal Life Page 12
