Love, Blood & Brimstone Magic Awakening Read online

  “I would not stop you from seeing your mother and when Elena is old enough she can make up her own mind. I do not approve of what you are doing and I never will. This is my house and I care about your mother’s feelings unlike you.” he turned, walked out of the room and refused to talk to him again.

  When Vladislaus and Vultan came for Gabriel, Elena stood at the front door.

  Vladislaus dismounted and walked over to her.

  “Are you going to run away from me?” he asked.

  Elena shook her head.

  Vladislaus bent down.

  “What is so different this time little witch?”

  Elena put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

  “Because you are going away and I might never see you again but if you do come back, I will make you marry me and live happily ever after.”

  Vladislaus laughed, kissed her cheek and stood up.

  Gabriel came out and hugged her.

  “We will be back Princess. I promise!”

  Vladislaus winked at her.

  “Yes we will be back Sweetheart.”

  Elena stood and watched them ride away.

  Lucien put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder.

  “Come inside Princess.” He said.

  Elena looked up at her Father.

  “He loves you Papa but it is in his blood to be a soldier just as it is in mine to be a witch.”

  Lucien said nothing. The words ’one will bring love and pleasure and one will bring death and destruction’ ran around in his mind!

  Chapter four

  1460

  Lucien watched his fourteen year old daughter playing with her dog. He hated the thought of having to part with her but it was time he found her a husband, he should have found her one already, her mother was married to Gabriel’s father by the age of fourteen.

  The man had to be rich, be able to take care of her, understand what she was and be able to deal with her powers.

  So far he had not had any luck. He just could not find her a man he liked or trusted. His Princess was too good for just anybody.

  Elena stopped playing and stood up. She turned around to look at her father.

  “Please stop this quest to find me a husband. I will only marry for love. Enkillian says my beloved; my soul mate is out there.”

  She pointed towards the Carpathian Mountains that towered above the Stanislavsky manor.

  “And that one day when he is ready he will reveal himself to me. So do not worry.”

  She called her dog to her and walked into the house.

  Lucien followed her at a distance when he entered the house he searched out his wife. She was instructing the cook what to do for supper.

  “What is the matter Darling?” She asked turning to look at her husband. “You do not look very happy. Has something happened?”

  Lucien grunted.

  “Your daughter is my problem!”

  “What has she done?”

  “It is not necessarily what she does but what she says. She is beginning to scare me with her mind reading and her talk of Enkillian.”

  Calandria took her husband’s hand and led him to a chair.

  “I must tell you a story, a story that is passed from mother to daughter in my family. My family has existed since before Christ and every female has been a witch.

  Five hundred years ago there was a witch named Anastazia. She was the most powerful witch the Raminaskov family has ever produced. She had the power to read and control minds. She could also throw energy balls, move things with a flick of the hand and teleport solid objects through time and space purely by thought alone. Every witch has a familiar, most have an animal some, the more powerful ones, have a demon. Anastazia had Enkillian.”

  “You mean Elena’s Enkillian?” Lucien interrupted.

  “Yes!” Calandria confirmed and continued with her story. “Anastazia had a daughter, her sister had a daughter at the same time but the sister died in childbirth so Anastazia brought up the child as her own.

  She had a rival named Drusilla. When the girls were sixteen Drusilla reported the three of them to a witch finder and they were tried, convicted and burnt at the stake but not before one of the girls gave birth to a daughter of her own. That child was brought up by a family friend and so the Raminaskov bloodline continued. Whilst waiting to be executed Anastazia made the Raminaskov prophecy, also declaring Enkillian would make himself known to the descendant whose powers were closest to her own. Apart from energy balls Elena has Anastazia’s powers and she has Enkillian.

  Lucian stared at his wife in silence.

  “Please say something Lucian.” Calandria begged.

  “What do you want me to say? You just told me my daughter is the reincarnation of a witch who was tried, convicted and burnt at the stake.” Lucien shouted. “We will throw a ball invite some eligible bachelors and find her a husband that will stamp this out once and for all. When she has a husband and a home of her own to look after she will forget about this witch nonsense just as you have!”

  Calandria looked up at her husband he was shaking with rage. She decided on a tactical withdrawal and left the room.

  He was not prepared to listen to her. Witchcraft was in Elena’s blood passed from mother to daughter for centuries. Just because Calandria did not parade her powers in front of her husband did not mean she did not use them.”

  ______________________________

  Elena pricked her thumb and let a few drops of blood drip onto the runes she had placed in a bowl in front of her.

  “With the spelling of your name in the runes, I summon thee. With my blood I summon thee. Come to me Enkillian I need your advice.” She cried as she waved her hands over the runes.

  A man with bluish skin and green horns appeared before her and bowed.

  “Ask what you will. I am your obedient servant my high priestess.”

  “You tell me the man for me, my soul mate is out there, yet you do nothing to bring him to me. My father insists on finding me a husband, I don’t think I can put him off any longer.”

  Enkillian bowed again.

  I can arrange the man but as for your father. I think the only way is obliteration.”

  Elena laughed.

  I do not think we should do anything as drastic as destroying my father. Let the man for me reveal himself and I will deal with my father!”

  Chapter five

  “You take half the platoon and storm the castle when I give the signal. I will take the other half and deal with the exterior guards.”

  Vladislaus instructed Gabriel.

  “Be careful Vlad!” Gabriel said grabbing his friend’s hand.

  Vladislaus grabbed Gabriel’s free hand and crossed it over the one holding his hand.

  “You too my friend.” he said.

  The two men stood looking at each other for a moment their hands crossed at the wrists.

  Gabriel smiled.

  “Good luck. I will listen for the hoot of an owl, we will not move until we hear it.”

  “Do not worry my friend, I will be fine.”

  Vladislaus turned away and beckoned to his men to follow him.

  Gabriel watched Vladislaus and his men crawl towards the castle entrance.

  He turned to the rest of the platoon.

  “When we here an owl hoot we move.”

  Vladislaus crawled past the castle guards, stood up and drew his sword.

  He pointed it in in the guards back.

  “Say anything or move in anyway my sword goes straight through your back and out through your stomach.”

  The guard gasped. Vladislaus cried out in extreme agony as another guard stabbed him from behind.”

  Gabriel heard his cry and started to run towards him forgetting his men. As he ran towards the castle he was hit in the arm by an arrow, he ignored it and ran on.

  His men followed behind ducking arrows as they ran.

  Gabriel could think of nothing but getting to his friend.
/>   By the time he reached Vladislaus he was beginning to feel rather light headed but his friend was more important. He bent over him and felt his pulse he was barely alive.

  “Mikael you are in charge.” Gabriel said turning to Vladislaus’ Lieutenant and valet. “You know what to do.” He looked around him all the guards were lying on the floor dead.

  “Yes sir. You can trust me.” Mikael replied.

  Gabriel picked up Vladislaus’ limp body and slung him over his shoulder. Slowly he staggered back to where they had left their horses.

  He put Vladislaus onto a horse and climbed on behind him.

  By the time Gabriel reached their camp he was very weak himself.

  Three days later Gabriel was walking around with his arm in a sling. Vladislaus was drifting in and out of consciousness. His father commanded he was taken home to recuperate.

  ______________________________

  Elena walked into the drawing room.

  “Hello Ivan. So nice to of you to visit me again,” she smiled at a tall gaunt young man with floppy blond hair and deep blue eyes.

  Ivan bowed.

  “I have vvvisited your father several times since your bbbirthday. I have asked him if I may cccourt and he has given his permission. I hope that….” he stopped and looked down at his feet. “that the bbbeautiful… rose, I admire so much… will walk among the rrroses in the garden that pale into insignificance in the light of her bbbeauty.”

  Elena giggled and forced herself to blush. She had never heard such soppy rubbish in her life. Who did this man think he was? Who did her father think he was letting this idiot think he had a chance of wooing her? He was pathetic.

  “I will just go and get a shawl.” she said politely and hurried out of the room.

  She entered her bedroom, took down a bowl, threw her runes into it, pricked her thumb, dripped blood on the runes and summoned Enkillian.

  “I am at your service my chosen one.” he announced.

  “I want you to follow Ivan and me and when I wave at you, I want you to do that rain spell we have been working on.” she ordered.

  Enkillian nodded.

  “I would never question my high priestess deliberately but do you think that spell is ready?”

  Elena’s face darkened a little.

  “You are right not to question me Enkillian. As for the spell, the proof is in the pudding as my father says and I think now is as good a time as any to try it out. See you outside or should I say I hope not to see you outside.”

  She grabbed a shawl from her bed and left the room. Enkillian still chuckling at his mistress’ joke followed her, slowly fading as he went until if Elena had turned around she would not have seen him.

  Ivan was waiting in the drawing room where Elena had left him. She sauntered across the room and flung open the French windows.

  “Shall we take a walk then?” she asked holding out her arm.

  “Oof course.” Ivan stuttered and stood up. He took her elbow and they stepped into the garden.

  They walked for a while in silence, which pleased Elena, the less she had to listen to this stuttering fool the better. Instead she looked at the garden. Flowers were blooming everywhere, pink, and white blue and of course the red roses that Ivan had gushed about. Bee’s buzzed about gathering nectar that was as sickly sweet yet a little more useful than Ivan’s words.

  When they reached a very tall old oak tree Ivan stopped.

  “You are truly bbbeautiful Elena. I knew from the first time I saw you that I llloved you. I only hope that one day you will return my love.” He seemed to find the flowers at his feet fascinating.

  “I am ppprepared to wait until then.”

  He lifted his hand to stroke Elena’s cheek. Elena cringed inwardly. He cupped her face in his hands and lifted it for a kiss. Before she even knew what she was doing she had raised her hand and thrown Ivan across the grass.

  Ivan sat up.

  “Wow what a kkkiss.” He went to stand up. Elena looked down at him.

  She was about to tell him she was not that kind of girl when her mother came rushing towards them.

  “Elena, you must come in at once. Verona has had terrible news about Vlad.” Calandria cried hysterically.

  Chapter six

  Vladislaus lay unconscious. His mother, the Countess Verona Dracula, Calandria

  and Elena sat by his bedside.

  He was so handsome yet so dangerous, but right now he looked so vulnerable, the man she loved, just lying there.

  “Is there nothing you can do Calandria. You are a witch?”

  Verona sobbed on Calandria’s shoulder.

  “I have made this potion; just keep applying it to the wound as I told you. I can do no more.”

  “That is not true mother. There is more you can do. I am sure I have seen a spell in the books that will help.” Elena announced.

  Calandria turned to her daughter.

  “There are no more spells in WHITE magic that can help someone as badly injured as Vladislaus, Elena. I assure you.”

  “I am sorry mother I must be mistaken. It must have been this potion spell. Maybe you could try chanting over his wound again. I think I will go and get some air.”

  She left the room after another glance at the man she loved; his black hair was in sharp contrast to his pale face, almost as white as the pillow he lay on.

  The look in her mother’s eyes warned her not to persist in the matter. Elena had never disobeyed her mother before but this time she had to if there was a way to save the man she loved.

  ____________________________

  Enkillian was waiting outside.

  How is he mistress?” he asked.

  “He is still unconscious. My mother does not think he will last the night. Please Enkillian help him. Mother says there is nothing more to be done with white magic. I know I saw a spell it must have been black magic. If it will save him we must use it. We have all the powers of good and evil at our disposal let us call on them all. Please Enkillian. Please.” She begged tears pouring down her cheeks.

  “There is one thing I can do mistress. It may be the spell you saw but I do not know what side effects it will have on your love.” Enkillian stroked Elena’s hair. It broke his demon heart to see his mistress so upset.

  Elena turned to face him.

  “Do it!” she screamed. “Damn the consequences. I need him to live.”

  Enkillian nodded.

  “The only way my high Priestess, is to add demons blood to the potion your mother has made but I would need more time to find out the risks to your Vladislaus. Humans are not supposed to have demon blood.”

  Elena held out her hands.

  Bring me through time and space a dagger and a bowl. Her hands shimmered for a moment. Then the items appeared. She said nothing to Enkillian just handed the dagger and bowl to him.

  “Mistress we really should research the consequences first.” he whined.

  “Vlad will die if we wait. I will not live without him! So just DO IT!” Elena screamed desperately.

  Enkillian would do anything to make his mistress happy. So even though he had his doubts he took the dagger and cut his blue skin letting the blood drip into the bowl.

  He passed the bowl to Elena.

  “Mix this with the potion your mother has made, try and get him to drink some. Make sure you mix it well and just remember the consequences will probably be bad and I cannot be held responsible for them. I warned you. Humans are NOT supposed to have demon blood.”

  “But it will revive him though.” Elena was almost begging now.

  “Yes.” was all Enkillian said before he disappeared.

  Elena went back into Vladislaus’ room as she entered she flicked her free hand towards her mother’s chair. The chair and Calandria fell to the floor, with her mother distracted Elena mixed some of Enkillian’s blood with the potion and applied more to Vladislaus’ wound making sure she rubbed it deep into the wound.

  She turned to her mo
ther who had now picked herself and her chair up.

  “Mother why not take Verona out for some fresh air she looks like she needs it.”

  Verona looked at her son’s inert body. Elena took his motionless hand in hers.

  “Do not worry Verona! I will sit with him. If he wakens I will call you.” she pretended to sob over his hand.

  “Come Verona, Elena is right you look like you could do with some fresh air and I certainly could do with some.” Calandria said standing and taking her friends arm.

  As they left the room Verona smiled weakly through her tears.

  “You are a good girl Elena.”

  As the door closed Elena laughed wickedly.

  “Of course I am!”

  She turned back to Vladislaus and squeezed his hand.

  “Vlad please come back to me. I need you. I may only be a child but I know I love you and if you just come back to me, I will give you anything you want. I know you cannot hear me and that is good because I would have to hide under the bed and hope the floor would swallow me up. Please my love, my darling Vladislaus wake up and LIVE!”

  _________________________

  Out on the Battlements of the Dracula family castle Verona leaned on Calandria.

  “I cannot bear to lose him he is my baby. I accepted long ago that one day Vultan would leave me he is a soldier through and through and I love Viatcheslav, he is my first born but my heart could not bear the pain of losing Vladislaus.”

  Calandria looked at her the tears pouring down her friends face. She knew how Verona felt if anything happened to Gabriel or Elena her heart would break.”

  “Verona, my dear I can only imagine your pain. All I can say is pray for a miracle.” she squeezed her friend’s hand.

  “Pray with me.” Verona asked dropping to her knees.

  Calandria could think of nothing else to do. She knew that there was not much chance Vladislaus would last the night and if Verona was honest with herself she knew that too.

  She dropped to her knees beside her friend and they began to pray.