Free The Bathory Curse by Renee Lake Page B

fear and didn’t care if
he created the terror to feed from. She had made him ten years
before and he had skirted a fine line the entire time. She had
chosen him on a whim, enjoying his dark humor. She had come across
him after delivering supplies to a local doctor. He had been dying
from too much drink. Normally she would not have cared until the
doctor told her he was a single father and had just recently sold
everything he owned to pay for his daughter’s way to court and a
better life.
    Ruxandra left and Nea set about putting Valora, the
wet nurse, and babe into her coach, “Dismiss the wet nurse as soon
as one of our kind can be procured and sent to the castle.” Nea
instructed as she escorted Valora and the baby to their
transportation.
    “Won’t she tell tales?”
    “Mihail is at home, he will take care of her memory.
I will follow in a week or so. I know it’s not your job to take
care of a baby and I appreciate the help. When I get there you can
come back here or to the other house, whatever you want.” Nea
smiled.
    “No problem, I love children…” Valora chuckled and
got into the coach next to the nervous wet nurse.
    After they left, Imre approached her from the
shadows, “Mistress.” He bowed low, his beard unkempt and hair much
too long.
    “Oh Imre, when was the last time you bathed?” Nea
sighed.
    “Don’t need to out in the woods and around the
cemeteries.” Imre laughed.
    “I need you to do me a favor,” Nea told him,
beckoning him to join her inside, he did, but she could tell he was
uncomfortable.
    “Hopefully something not so pleasant?”
    “The Lady Anna Bathory needs to, quite frankly, be
put down…before she destroys her other daughters the way she has
begun to with my Lizzy.” Nea sat on the sofa in the library,
knowing the books would make Imre feel a bit better. It was
something that kept him from killing innocents. She allowed him
free access to each of her libraries. After becoming Strigoi he had
taught himself to read and enjoyed it.
    “So you want me to kill her.” Imre was blunt, his
dirty fingers caressing a leather bound tome.
    “Yes, it is unfortunately a duty my Strigoi must
carry out for me, and since you would care the least…” She trailed
off, uncomfortable with the conversation.
    “Only because the other one in Hungary has too much
heart left.” Imre snorted. “Aside from that, I thought you might
enjoy it.” Nea finished, letting his comment go, trying to detach
herself and her emotions from their discussion.
    “As good as done mistress.” He plucked the book he
was fingering from the shelf and slid it into the pocket of his
ragged coat.
    “Thank you Imre, and try to remember I am holding
the Winter Festival at the Castle this year and I expect you to be
there,” Nea told him firmly. He only laughed sardonically and then
faded out of existence as he went to do her bidding. Once he was
gone she curled up on her seat and cried angry hot tears of self
loathing.
    Nea went to bed anxious and weary. The next day when
news of Anna’s death reached her she was distraught and no one
thought twice about her sweeping in and taking over all the
arrangements. Anna and the “baby” were buried in graves right next
to each other and Elizabeth was shipped off to begin a new life
living with her future husband and mother-in-law.
    “Promise you’ll come visit me!” Elizabeth called out
the carriage window, waving at Nea and her younger sisters.
    “Promise!” Nea called back, hoping that the time
with her mother hadn’t scarred the young woman for life. She seemed
so happy and bright, always searching for knowledge and life. Nea
would enjoy visiting her in a fresh, hopefully more joyful,
setting.
    Nea allowed Klara and Zsofia to run after the
carriage for a few minutes before calling them back to her. They
had both lost so much in such a small amount of time.  She
hated to see them cry and mourn the loss of the older sister who
had basically mothered them. It