Michael Belmont and the Heir of Van Helsing (The Adventures of Michael Belmont) (37 page)

To Michael’s relief, the castle towers could soon be seen through the dense roof of the forest.
 
He pointed it out to Liam.

“I guess the spell’s broken for us since we’ve already seen through it,” Liam shrugged.

“Perhaps,” Magda told him.
 
“But this time Mihnea wants us to find our way in.”

As they got close to the castle, a group of four hikers came striding up the trail and passed them.

“Good morning,” Liam called enthusiastically.
 
They just ignored him and went on their way.
 
“Stuck up prigs,” he mumbled after them.

A short time later a young couple passed by, and the same thing happened.
 
Again Liam said hello and again he was ignored.

“Strange,” Magda observed.
 
“Do you know what this means?”

“Two things,” grumbled Abigail as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
 
“First, that nobody likes Liam.
 
And secondly, that we all need to get in better shape.”

“It means that they can’t see us.
 
Whatever illusion Mihnea has spread over this castle is now hiding us as well.”

Michael noticed that his sister was looking pale, and decided to feel her forehead.
 
It was cold and clammy.

“I think it’s time for a break,” he told the others.

They found a good spot to sit down, and watched as hikers explored what they thought were the ruins of the castle.
 
They would disappear and reappear through the lower walls, unaware of the massive structure that was reaching up into the sky above them.

“That’s one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen,” Liam commented.

“Yes,” Magda agreed.
 
“Whatever kind of magic has been used upon this place is powerful.
 
I wonder if it was Mihnea or his father who performed this devilry?”

Michael examined his sister’s neck.
 
The wound felt hot, but her face felt colder and looked whiter with each passing minute.
 
“Perhaps you’ll get a chance to ask him before we kill him.”

“Maybe we need to get her out of the sunlight,” Liam suggested.
 
“I mean, sunlight is supposed to be harmful to them right?
 
That’s what Alucard told me.”

Abigail gave him an angry frown.
 
“I’m…I’m not a, a stupid vamp…” she mumbled.

“He may have a point,” Magda told Michael.
 
“She might feel better once we get her inside the castle.”

Michael reached down and began to pull her up.
 
“All right, Abby, on your feet.
 
Liam, help me with her.”

“Do we have to go back in there?” she protested as her eyes teared up.

“I don’t think we have any other choice,” Michael told her.
 
“Besides, Mihnea has seen to it that we can’t leave.
 
He isn’t going to let us walk out of here.”

Magda glared contemptuously at the castle.
 
“Don’t worry, Abby, we’ll find a way to beat him at his own game.
 
It’s the only way to set things right; for my family and for yours.”

They dragged a reluctant Abigail along the rest of the path until finally reaching the large wooden doors of the castle.
 
Two large gargoyle knockers guarded the doors.
 
Their grotesque faces laughed mockingly at anyone foolish enough to seek entrance.

“So what do we do now?” Liam asked.
 
“Just knock and wait for someone to open up?
 
I’m sure our fathers and Caleb found another way to sneak in.”

“I think it’s safe to say we’re expected,” Michael told him.
 
“And you know we’re being watched.
 
Sneaking in wouldn’t do any good, even if we found a way.”

Liam folded his arms in front of his chest.
 
“All right then.
 
You do the honors.
 
If some kind of beast answers the door it can chew on you whilst I run for the hills.”

“I appreciate that.
 
Well, here goes nothing,” Michael sighed, reaching up and giving the door three hard knocks.
 
A few moments later they swung open, and there stood Elizabeth with a blissful smile, her arms clasped around the waist of a smirking Mihnea.

Elizabeth had never looked more beautiful.
 
In fact, she looked just like a princess from one of Abigail’s Disney movies.
 
Her dark hair was tied up in a bun behind her head, and her long, elegant green dress hovered a few inches off the floor as if it were floating.

Mihnea was dressed in a charcoal colored suit.
 
His hair was slicked back and the scratches Abigail had given him were now closed in a series of noticeable scars across his face.
 
He wore dark sunglasses, but still looked as though he were squinting from the light flooding in from the open door.

Michael wondered if he could yank Mihnea outside where he’d be weakened by the sunlight, and run him through with the sword.
 
Just then Elizabeth pulled him and Abigail into a hug and kissed them both on the forehead, and then kissed Liam as well.
 
She gave Magda a long, warm smile, but didn’t say anything to her as Mihnea closed the door behind them.

“I’m so glad the four of you could make it,” Elizabeth squealed.
 
“You’re going to have the best time while staying here!
 
Isn’t this place beautiful?”

Michael looked around the dusty old reception hall.
 
Sure the place might look beautiful- to a spider or a rat.
 
This room was just as decrepit as the parts of the castle they’d already seen.
 
Michael knew that if Elizabeth were in her right mind, a drab, dusty place like this would have driven her into a cleaning frenzy.

“Well I’m afraid we have a bit of a problem to discuss, don’t we?” she said through pouty lips, placing her hands on her hips.
 
“I didn’t think you were going to be here Rachel, so I had Mihnea ask Abby to be my maid of honor.
 
He said she was so excited about it!
 
You don’t mind do you?”

“Are you talking to me?” Magda asked, looking over her shoulder to see if someone was standing behind her.

“It’s just that ever since we were little girls the plan was for you to do it, but I was thinking, why can’t I have two bride’s maids?
 
It’s
my
wedding after all, and Mihnea says I can do it however I want to.”

Mihnea placed his hand around the back of Elizabeth’s slender neck and gave it a loving squeeze.
 
It was then that Michael noticed the small fang marks, just like the ones Abigail had.
 
He knew that Mihnea didn’t plan on turning her into a vampire just yet, he wanted a dhampir child first, but maybe the bite made her easier to control.
 
Mihnea smiled at him threateningly.

“She thinks you’re our mother,” he whispered to Magda.
 
“Just play along for now.
 
We don’t know what he’ll do if we don’t.”

“Uh, sure,” Magda told Elizabeth with a frown.
 
“Two bride’s maids.
 
Sounds good to me.”

Abigail squeezed Magda’s hand.
 
“Thanks, Mom,” she said excitedly.
 
“We can even wear matching dresses.”

“Oh brother,” Liam mumbled.
 
“This keeps getting worse and worse.”

Mihnea eyed him evilly.

“Uhm,” he cleared his throat.
 
“What I meant to say was, er…I can’t wait to hear you both recite the wedding vows verse by verse.”

“Just shut it,” Michael told him nervously.

“We have so much to talk about,” Elizabeth said to Magda and Abigail, taking them by the hands and dragging them away excitedly.

Michael glared up at Mihnea, trying somewhat unsuccessfully to hide his disdain.
 
“So what do you plan to do with all of us, once this little wedding of yours is over?”

“That depends on how you behave yourselves.
 
If you cooperate, then I’ll consider making you and your friend here members of my family, just as I have your sister.
 
If you choose not to behave, be sure there are any number of creatures in my service that would like nothing more than to have you for dinner.”

Michael noticed Mihnea take a glance at the sword of Van Helsing, which was hanging across his back.

“Why’d you give this back to me?” he asked.

“Turns out I have no need for it, not just yet anyway.
 
If the day comes that I desire it again, then I’ll take it from you once more, just as easily as I took it the first time.”

You haven’t given it to me at all
, Michael thought.
 
He was now in Mihnea’s possession, which meant the sword was as well, but why would Mihnea be willing to let him carry it around?
 
He liked to antagonize and confuse his enemies, but there had to be more to it than that.
 
Maybe he knows about my visions.
 
Maybe he’s hoping I’ll see something that he can torture out of me
.

“Where’s Alucard?” Michael blurted out boldly.

Mihnea smirked at him.
 
“That traitor is safe for now, I assure you.
 
Not that it’s any of your business.
 
You are a very curious and stubborn little brat, aren’t you Michael?
 
Just keep in mind that the only thing curiosity will do for you here is get you killed.
 
Your fathers and their friend will discover that soon enough.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Liam demanded nervously.

“Stupid boy.
 
There are a thousand nightmares in this castle, all of them hungry, all of them waiting for a chance to hunt.
 
How long do you really think they’ll last?”

“Long enough to feed you your own rotten teeth!” Liam retorted.

Mihnea laughed.
 
“We’ll see about that.
 
Now come, there is much to do.
 
I must get this wedding over with so that my bride can bear me sons.
 
We must show them to their rooms, my dear,” he called to Elizabeth.
 
“There are still plans to be made.”

She trotted back to him like a loyal dog and wrapped her arm around his.
 
“You’re right,” she said happily.
 
“There’s still so much to do.
 
We can visit again later once all of you get settled in and rested.
 
We have a special dinner planned tonight, don’t we my love,” she said with a squeeze of her groom’s arm.

“Oh yes, my heart.
 
It’s going to be lovely.”

Abigail skipped off after them without a care in the world.
 
Liam had been right after all, she was now looking much better, but whatever spell had been used on Elizabeth now seemed to have Abigail captured too.

“I wonder what he’s planning on serving us,” Michael whispered to Magda and Liam.
 
“Roasted puppies and Kentucky fried kittens?”

The four children followed Mihnea and Elizabeth as they led them through the corridors of the castle toward their quarters.
 
The path was lit primarily by torches, and the windows had been blocked off to stop any sunlight from coming through.

Rats scurried out of their way, and spider webs were brushed aside as they walked.
 
Michael stepped on what he thought were dried wolf droppings in the middle of one hallway, and the entire place stunk.
 
It was earthy and damp, and more than once he caught the smell of urine.
 
There were other odors even more suspicious and disgusting that he couldn’t quite place.

When they got to the guest wing however, Michael was relieved to see that it was cleaner and more welcoming than what they’d come through to get there.

Mihnea seemed to read his expression.
 
“Renovations take time,” he said, “and my attention has recently been focused elsewhere.
 
But now that I have a lovely bride to consider, I’ll soon be restoring the entire castle to the loveliness and majesty of its former days.”

“He’s really something else, isn’t he?” Elizabeth said to them, laughing.
 
“I’ve never seen a place more lovely, but he keeps talking about renovations.”

“Yeah, he’s something else,” Michael agreed, “that’s for sure.”
 
If she could only see what they’d seen along the way she’d be running for the shower.

“Mommy, I want to see Aunt Liz’s chamber,” Abigail burst out excitedly.
 
“I’m sure it’s the most beautiful room in the castle.”

“We don’t have time for that now,” Mihnea told her with a frown.
 
“Perhaps after dinner.”

“All right,” Abigail said, hanging her head disappointedly.
 
“I know there’s more important things to do right now.
 
I’m sorry.”

Elizabeth looked at her sadly.
 
“Why don’t I just show her really quick.
 
It’ll only take a few minutes,” she said, pecking Mihnea on the cheek.

“Fine,” he told her with a hint of frustration.
 
“But please do it quickly, and then bring her straight back to her room.”

Elizabeth nodded.
 
“Hey Rachel, do you want to come too?” she asked Magda.

Mihnea warned her against it with a discreet shake of his head.

“Uhm, thanks but not right now,” Magda stumbled.
 
“I’d like to unpack first.”

“Okay.
 
Be back in a few minutes,” Elizabeth said as she scurried off down the hall with Abigail.