Sound of shovel biting wet dirt.

Scrape.

Whoosh.

Thud as another load spattered on the heap.

The hole was getting bigger.

Vasilja aimed a proud smile to where the old man worked.

“I want to bite him,” Senka said petulantly. Perched on top of her wagon like a gargoyle. White dress trailing past muddy feet. George’s battered hat askew across her head.

“You want to bite everyone.”

“So?” Senka looked confused. “Don’t you?”

“Well, yes. But I don’t go around telling everyone. That sort of thing makes people feel uncomfortable, Senka. And when they’re uncomfortable, it’s harder to control them. Especially in the beginning.”

“Is that why I can’t make them do what I want like you do? Because I make them uncomfortable?”

“I’m sure there’s more to it than that.” Vasilja rubbed at her temples. “We all do things very differently. You shouldn’t worry. Your power will come to you in time.”

“It’s been years, and I can’t do anything special.” Looked down at her bloodstained nails. “I tried to make George do what I want. But he wouldn’t let me.”

“He was afraid of you. It doesn’t work when they’re too afraid of you. It’s about how you approach them. Think of them like this ox of yours. You wouldn’t run up to it and scream in its ear if you wanted it to pull a plough or something, would you?”

“I might.”

“Well, I suppose you would. But you do know what I mean?”

“I think so.” Sigh. “I don’t think I’ll ever get it right.”

“You’ve forgotten what it means to be a woman, Senka. That’s all.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Hailwic said. She sat on the edge of her coffin, legs dangling. Looking to the mountains. “It’s good to embrace what we’ve become. Then we never think of looking back. Of trying to return to what we were. We should always remember what we are.”

“Oh, don’t be so depressing, Hailwic. It’s horrible when you get like that. Can’t you at least be a little cheerful? We’re on the road. Vienna isn’t very far away. Dimiti said he could get us there very quickly. We might even be there by end of the week.”

Hailwic turned her gaze to Vasilja.

Looked like she was about to say something spiteful.

But shook her head as she changed her mind. Let out a small sigh instead. “I’m sorry, Vasilja. Whenever we’re out like this, I also can’t help but remember my life from before. Before he found me.”

“You remember when you were a bandit?” Senka flew into the air, thrilled with excitement. It was rare for Hailwic to open up about her past. Eyes wide and bright, she clapped her hands. “Would you tell me all about it, Hailwic? Please? What was it like? Did you kill lots of people?”

“I suppose we did.” Hailwic held out her arm and made a fist around an invisible sword. “We weren’t bandits, though some may have called us so. We were a band of mercenaries. We’d fight for coin. And it didn’t matter to us who was paying. I remember once fighting for a duke who was in line for the throne. The king had just died, so the duke was looking to take the crown. He hired us to fight with him against his biggest rival. We fought. It was a battle which still makes me proud. My fighters fought like demons despite being outnumbered ten to one. The rival put down his weapons. Swore fealty. And everyone went to crown the duke. Along the way, we were told we wouldn’t be needed anymore. And then his rival offered us gold to kill the duke in his tent.”

“Really?” Senka hovered in front of Hailwic. Eyes wide like a child listening to stories. “Did you do it? Did you kill him? The duke? In his tent?”

“Of course.” Hailwic smiled patiently, touched by the younger vampire’s enthusiasm. “We were paid to. The new king was much more generous.”

“That’s amazing, Hailwic. I can’t believe you did those things. It’s so hard to imagine. I wish I’d had adventures like that. Even just once.”

“I bet that felt very free, Hailwic,” Vasilja said. She hovered between the wagons, arms wide in the wind. “Don’t you think it’s nice to be free?”

“Of course it is. And don’t think you can play with me like I’m one of these simple human boys. My mind isn’t something you can manipulate.”

“What a thing to say, Hailwic. I never thought it was.”

“I know you don’t want to find Dracula straight away. I know very well you’re trying to traipse us around Europe first.” Hailwic’s scowl twisted into a sigh. “And I won’t stop you just yet. Have your fun, Vasilja. Enjoy it while you can. But remember what we are. And why we’re bound to him.”

“I always remember.

“Our strength is in our bond,” Hailwic said. “You’d do well to remember that. I don’t deny I miss my old life sometimes. I miss the fighting most of all. But you should always remember Elizabeth. How mad she was? That’s what happens when we leave. When we try to break the bond. When we turn from the Bargain. We are stronger together. Apart, we are weak. It is harder to feed. Harder to build the funds to keep our lairs. Harder to travel.”

Vasilja nodded. “The world is changing, though. There are steamships, which travel faster than the ships we knew. And I keep telling you about trains, remember? You can go a great distance on trains. And very fast, too. All this walking in the mud and spending weeks on the back of wagons is a waste of time. If you’d listened to me, we could have been in Munich by now. Maybe we could even be ahead of him. You know he’d never take a train.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Their inventions will always be clever. But there are dangers to any way we travel. Tonight is proof of this. Imagine if we were on a train filled with people? We need to be careful, Vasilja. And vigilant at all times.”

“I do know that, Hailwic. I’m not a complete idiot.”

“No.” Her smile held a touch of warmth. “Just a bit of one, sometimes.”

Senka looked from one to the other. “Why are you fighting?”

“We’re not fighting, Senka,” Vasilja said. “We’re just disagreeing on a few small things while agreeing on the big things. It’s more a conversation over which road to travel. I wish to take the long one so I can see the view. But Hailwic is a soldier, so she wants the one which will get her there with the most discomfort. She wants to scout the land. Map it out. Write a report. All those tiresome things.”

“I can scout,” Senka said. Rose higher in the air. “I can see all sorts of things from up near the clouds. Farms. Houses. Towns. And I think there’s even a big light across the hills. I’m not sure. It’s very fair away. But it’s bright on the horizon and it’s not the sun. Or the moon. I’m not sure what it is.”

“That’s Vienna,” Hailwic said.

“Really? But I can see it from here. We must be closer than I thought.” She drifted down again. “What’s it like?”

“It’s very clean,” Vasilja said. “Most of the time. The roads are paved and they’re strict with horses. There are large apartment buildings. Like nothing you’ve ever seen. And an opera. You can listen to violinists play almost every night. And there are cafes, too. Places where people gather to drink and talk. Mostly they talk about nonsense. Poetry is very popular. And art. But some prefer the new sciences. Engineering. Physics. I hope this time to hear more of that and a lot less of their vapid philosophy.”

Senka screwed her face up. “I don’t like philosophy. It’s boring.”

“But you like the people.”

“Only when I’m biting them.”

“Honestly,” Vasilja threw her arms up and let out a heavy sigh. “You should both have stayed home. Can’t you at least pretend you want to see how much the world has changed? Can’t you at least try to think about how wonderful a city can be? There’s more to life than moping around a silly old castle or biting mindless little boys. You, Senka. You should be even more happy. Since you came to us, you’ve never been able to travel to cities like this. Aren’t you excited?”

“Of course I am!”

“Then stop complaining! Both of you are very bothersome sometimes. I go to a lot of effort, you know. I try hard to make you both happy, don’t I? I try to find the perfect people to bite so you all get something enjoyable out of it. I want you to have a wonderful time. I can’t bear the idea of spending the rest of eternity sitting in a creaky old chair in that damp old castle.” Exasperation made her whirl, arms wide. “It drives me mad, Hailwic! Dracula gets to travel all the time. We should be able to travel, too! How else can we fulfil the Bargain?”

“I never said we shouldn’t.”

“But you make it sound like we should only travel when he wants us to. Or travel at his side like a set of pretty little ornaments. We’re not ornaments. You were a fighter, once. Your name was feared. Now? Now, it’s forgotten. No one remembers Hailwic.” Fierce lights burned in the back of her eyes. “But they should. They should be terrified!”

“Dracula made the Bargain,” Hailwic said. “And that binds us, too.”

“I honour it better than he ever did,” Vasilja hissed. “Senka has just honoured it in ways he hasn’t done for more than fifty years. When was the last time he fed with us? He feeds alone now. Always alone.”

Hailwic looked away. “He has his own ways.”

“Then we should have ours.” She held her hand out, stretching toward the other vampire. “Hailwic, please. I want you to see the world which is changing right in front of our eyes. If we don’t change with it, how can we achieve what we need to? We risk becoming useless. And what would happen then? The Devil never looks kindly on failure.”

“Dracula knows it’s changing. Believe me, Vasilja. He knows all too well. And he’s changing, too. He really is.”

“Yes.” Calm now. Still holding out her hand. “He is. And so will we. But are we changing in the same way? I believe in our Bargain, Hailwic. I believe that’s the core of our power. You know Dracula more than we do. You know his thoughts better. He trusts you. Confides in you. If we are stronger together, as you said, then guide us.”

Hailwic coiled through the air and gripped Vasilja’s hand with both of hers. Looked deep into her eyes and spoke softly. “You’re my sister. You will always be that. Both of you.”

“Then let us go to Vienna together. As sisters! Let’s see the lights. Let’s listen to the music. Let’s see the world which was meant to be ours. And then we should renew our commitment to the Bargain. Don’t you think?”

“And bite,” Senka said, thrusting herself between them both. Clasping their hands with her own. “Please tell me we’ll bite someone.”

“Of course,” Hailwic said. Finally let the smile touch her eyes as she stared at the younger vampire. “Of course, Senka. We’ll bite Vienna into three glorious pieces. I promise.”

“At last,” Vasilja purred. “Hailwic is with us.”

Dimiti grunted behind them as he dumped Peter’s corpse into the hole. Then turned to what was left of George. Didn’t even flinch as his fingers touched cold flesh.

His old hands scooped up and tossed dismembered chunks into the shallow grave.

Eyes flat. Dark like coal.

He began to whistle a low tune as he dragged John’s naked and shredded corpse toward the grave. Looked up once to see the three vampires holding each other.

Nodded to himself as though it was the most natural thing he’d ever seen.

Then used his boot to roll John into the ditch. Tapped his cap with his hand in lofty salute, then grabbed his shovel and began filling the hole

Senka pursed her lips, feeling the man’s eyes on her.

Swiveled her head, but he was intent on his work now.

“I still want to bite him,” she said. Vicious, but softly so he wouldn’t hear.

“Leave him be, Senka. Trust me, by the time we get to Vienna, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Won’t she, Hailwic?”

“I liked Vienna. But it was a long time ago.” The older vampire frowned at the mountains in thought. “I don’t recall there being any great variety.”

“I’m sure much has changed. The trains would bring people from all over the world.”

“Possibly.” Hailwic lifted her head to the wind. Smiled. “There’s still enough time before dawn.”

“Time?” Senka licked her lips eagerly, eyeing Dimiti. “Are we going to bite him?”

Hailwic shook her head. “No. But there are caves not far away. Can’t you feel them?”

“I don’t feel anything,” Senka said. Pouting, she pulled away. “It’s not fair. Nothing at all.”

“Bats,” Hailwic said. “There are so many of them. And they talk and talk.”

“What are they saying, Hailwic?” Vasilja’s eyes shone brighter. “I can’t hear them. They won’t talk to me.”

“Tell us,” Senka pleaded. “Tell us what they’re saying, Hailwic!”

Hailwic closed her eyes, listening. “There’s a house. It’s on the hill.”

“Which way?”

Pointed. “That way.”

“Are there people inside? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Yes.” Her mouth split into a red grin. Glint of fang and tooth between lush lips. “And one of them is small.”

Senka clapped her hands in delight. “Does it wriggle?”

“We’ll need to be quick. We’ll need to be quiet.”

“I’ll race you,” Senka cried, flashing into the sky.

Vasilja took Hailwic’s hand and pulled her after the younger vampire. “Come on, Hailwic. If we don’t beat her there, she’ll have the thing all for herself. She’s much too greedy. Senka! Senka, wait for us.”

Dimiti watched them go.

Rested for a moment on his shovel as he dug around inside his pockets for an old leather pouch. Pulled out his pipe and began smudging it with tobacco.

“So beautiful,” he murmured into the wind. “Don’t you think so, John? They’re the most beautiful creatures a man ever hoped to see.”

He chewed the pipe thoughtfully before snapping a match across his thumb. Warm light bathed his face as he lit the tobacco.

Sucked a deep lungful of smoke.

Sighed.

Gripped the pipe tight in the corner of his mouth.

And shoveled more dirt on John’s silently screaming face.