Free VROLOK by Nolene-Patricia Dougan Page B

disappointed in her.
    Isabella left the body and slowly walked up towards the castle. She should have gone home but something urged her to continue to her planned destination.
    Dracula went over to Peter’s body and drained whatever blood was left. He then raced up to the castle so that he would get there before Isabella.
    Isabella knocked on the door and Vlad opened it.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked her, mocking concern.
    “I was attacked,” Isabella, said, gasping for air, “Attacked, who attacked you?”
    “I think his name was Peter.”
    “Was?”
    “He’s dead. I killed him.” Her words were not laced with any sign of remorse.
    “You killed him?”
    “Yes.”
    “You murdered him? You ended the life of a human being?” Dracula said, trying to act self-righteous.
    “Yes I have and I will end another human being’s life by the end of the day.” Isabella said with venom.
    “Does this walking corpse have a name?”
    “Natasha. She’s my half-sister. She told Peter to kill me!” Vlad turned from Isabella and smiled to himself. He liked this woman. Then he faced her again with a look of feigned concern, “I’ll walk you back to the village.”
    “All right.”
    The pair walked down through the forest together. Vlad brushed past a thorn bush and cut his hand. Isabella lifted his hand to her lips and sucked the excess blood from his fingers. Dracula pulled away.
    “You have to get rid of the poison,” Isabella said.
    Vlad laughed and replied, “Don’t worry. I will not die from a prick from a thorn.”
    “We’re getting close to my home. My husband does not know that I go up to the castle. You can’t come with me any further.”
    “What sort of a man have you married, Isabella?”
    Isabella hesitated and said, “A good man.”
    “Oh, I am sure…a good and righteous man. That doesn’t suit you, Isabella.”
    “What would you know about what suits me and what doesn’t?”
    “I know you better now than your good husband ever will. You may be good on occasion and do the right thing, but it’s only because people around you influence you. It is not your natural instinct. No matter how hard you try, you will never be righteous. Think about it, Isabella, you are already lying to him. You would rather keep him in the dark than let him think badly of you. You sometimes even go as far as resenting him for his good nature.”
    “That is not true,” Isabella lied.
    “Is it not? Let me ask you this, are you going to tell him about your intention to kill your sister, or that you have just killed Peter? He’ll only stop you, won’t he?”
    Isabella stood silently. She knew he was right.
    “Yes, I can picture him now,” said Vlad. “He’ll be handsome, someone you have known since you were a child and the only reason you married him was because all the other woman of the village wanted him.”
    Isabella threw out her arms to strike at Vlad. She wanted to silence him, but Vlad quickly restrained her before she had the chance.
    “Have I struck a nerve?” Vlad said. “Oh, I see, your sister wanted him for herself. Is that why you hate each other so much? What happens when you get older and you lose your attraction for him? Will you still love him for his good nature?” Isabella tried to lash out with her feet but Vlad tripped her up.
    She stood back up immediately and answered him, “Everyone gets old. You, too, will lose your beauty and unlike Nicolae you will have nothing to offer me or any woman when that happens. You know nothing about me. I love my husband and as long as I live we will be together.”
    “Then you’ll never be together again!” Vlad clasped his fingers around Isabella’s throat and started to drain the life’s blood from her.
    Isabella could not feel anything, not even pain, yet she knew enough to know that what was happening to her was not right.
    Vlad let go before she was dead—this was something he had never done before.
    Isabella dropped to the ground and