Vlad says, “I'm not hiding anything. I documented what I know.”
Vincent scoffs, “And exaggerated most of it too!”
Vlad grumbles, “Fuckoff.”
I need to get these two to bury the hatchet, but how? You would think that raising our children together would do that, but nope!
Vincent looks at me because he heard my thought, “We get along more because of you though.”
“Yeah, but still.”
Eric looks at Vincent and then at me, “Eva, just go enjoy your date. I will talk with Vincent.”
“Thank you.”
“None needed,” he said as he kissed me. I could feel all of him now. He believes fully. He's all in!
Eric kisses my forehead, “Now go enjoy your date.”
Vincent rolls his eyes, “You say that now.”
Eric glares at him, “Eeyore, I will give you a timeout!”
I bust out laughing as Vlad looks at me and raises his eyebrow, “Eeyore?”
“I'll explain later,” I say as I kiss his cheek.
Vincent tries to grab my wrist, “You most certainly will not!”
Vlad and I ported away laughing. We arrived in a fairly quiet city with many very old buildings. He took my hand as he spoke, “This is Sighisoara in Romania. I was born in that house in 1431. I lived there until 1435. I have had a few different names, as you might know, Vlad Ill, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, I was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and and my death in 1476/77. I am often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania. But obviously, I didn't die back then because my life as Dracula started.”
He leads me by the hand as we walk around. He finds this old museum and takes me inside. We walk over to a display where there is a human skeleton with an iron rod through its heart.
Vlad takes in a breath as he looks me in the eyes, “Bulgarian archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons dating back to the the Middle Ages with iron rods pierced through their chest to supposedly stop them from turning into vampires. Bulgaria is home to around 100 known "vampire skeleton" burials and the latest discovery was in the
Black Sea town of Sozopol. Artemis was related to this skeleton too.”
I remember Eric saying how his family went back to around that time. I wonder if Artemis might have been related to them. We are all bound, so there must be a connection that we haven't considered or are missing, “Why didn't it become ash?”
He explains, “Because the transformation wasn't complete yet when he was impaled,” I gasp as he continues, “According to pagan beliefs, people who were considered bad had a stake stabbed through their heart, to stop them from turning into vampires.”
“But he could have been wrongfully accused.”
Vlad nods, “Yes, and it did happen a lot too.”
He walks a bit further to a display about himself as I laugh. He looks at me as he shakes his head, “As you know the name Dracula means son of dragon.”
“Yes. But why? Why did your family choose it?”
Vlad grins, “Because some of the legend is true.”
I am reminded of a quote so I say it, “The best part about legends: tons of holes and discrepancies just waiting to be theorized. -Erin Bowman.”
He pulls me to a bench and sits me on his lap, “You would be correct.”
“I sense a but.”
“I filled in most of the holes,” he chuckles.
“With exaggerations.”
He taps my ass, “Not completely and you know that!”
“Maybe I need a reminder?”
Vlad kisses my lips briefly, “I will give you one but hear me out first.” I nod and he says, “The legend about me selling my soul is partly true.”
“Partly, how can you partly lose your soul?”
Vlad explains, “After I became a vampire, I sought to become the most powerful one. The legend said I gave my
soul to the Devil, but it wasn't him. It was a demon though.”
“Which one?”
“Bael,” he says flatly.
“Refresh my memory on who he is.”
Vlad strokes my hand as he speaks, “The Lesser Key of Solomon and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, and also in the Dictionnaire Infernal he is mentioned. He's one of the Seven Princes of Hell. He gifted me pyrokinesis allowing me to be forged in fire. It wasn't a latent trait passed down to me from Artemis.”
“But your telepathic abilities were, right?”
He sighs, “I had them a bit before. It goes with why my family chose the dragon. It goes back to Lilith. As Adam's equal, the woman the Talmudic scholars named Lilith ("storm goddess' or "she of the night") was not about to play second fiddle to a man she considered her equal. When Adam "desired to lay on top of her, ' she refused. Why should she have to be on the bottom when she and the man were equal? So she flew off to the desert. The key is that Adam had not yet been kicked out of the garden, so Lilith got away with eternal life. That's right. She's still out there too. She consorted with demons and gave birth to demons-some stories say at the rate of more than a hundred a day. God sent three angels to bring her back, but she refused to come. The owl became her companion and symbol as she prowled the night, sometimes seducing sleeping men who thought they were dreaming. Because by then dragons were extinct. She is pictured in Sumerian mythology as a goddess of desolation, part snake and part woman, with wings on her back similar to those of a dragon. She lives today in stereotypes of the "Dragon Lady, witch, and temptress.”
“You are a descendant of Lilith?” He nods, but I am still trying to figure out how it all pieces together. “You gave Bael a fake soul.”
Vlad scoffs, “It wasn't fake, just one I stole.”
“Vlad, you stole a soul!”
Vlad grins, “Yes. But you have too.”
“No, I haven't!” Where is he going with this? I could open our link, but I like talking like normal people do.
He grabs me as he stands, “Eva.” He pushes me up against the wall, “You have stolen souls because Vincent, Eric, and myself are all bound to you.You have our souls.”
“If that's true, then you will have to catch me to show me!” I tease as I slip out of his embrace and run at normal speed until I am where humans can't see me. Then I teleport. I'm on the edge of a cliff as the sun begins to sit. I feel warm arms embrace me from behind.
Vlad lightly sucks my neck, “I will always catch you.” He spins me around, “Now, tell me why my brother wanted to kill Eric for calling him Eeyore.”
I laughed and told him about the dinner that we had when we told Katie what we were. I told him how I called Vincent the Eeyore of the group and how it stuck.
He chuckles, “It is fitting too. He can be so doom and gloom.”
“Do you think that's why he brought back Sirens?”
Vlad nods, “I think that it is part of it.” His hand moves to my belly, “The other now lives here.”
“I'm nervous.”
Vlad kisses my lips, “I know.” He sits and pulls me down against him, “This shit I'm not good with. When I left Artemis to become the ultimate vampire, I never saw myself finding a mate. I was fine having concubines.”
“That you kept on the other side of your castle.”
Vlad nods, “Yes. Except for Elena because there was something different about her. I thought it was her telekinetic use of electricity because I wanted that.” I glare at him. He kisses me on the forehead before he says, “When you sire a vampire, they become indebted to you But with her, I thought it could go further. I thought that I could take in her power too. Like how I borrowed that soul that I gave Bael.”
I am really biting my tongue right now and he knows it. He clears his throat, “I offered for her to become a vampire. Elena turned me down. We lived together for years until she nearly died. I had no choice but to turn her because losing her wasn't an option. I loved your sister and now I know why too.”
“Power.”
Vlad purses his lips, “At first I did but only then. I loved her unrelenting drive. But after she was taken, she didn't return. If they had taken me instead, I would have returned. What I'm trying to say is what I loved in her is you. You would return to me as I would return to you.”
“Yeah, that is what you do if you love someone. Nothing and no one could stand in my way!”
Vlad sighs, “I will most likely be a terrible father.”
“Then we can both be horrible parents together.”
Vlad smiles, “I love you.”
“And I you.”
He kissed me softly at first. Then as his tongue explored my mouth and my tongue caressed his, our touches became more insistent. The waves began to crash harder as the fire inside us began to rise. We quickly removed our clothes. He trailed kisses down my neck. Everywhere he kissed or touched sparked to life. Our fingers intertwined, as he pressed my hands beside my head. He positioned himself between my legs as he gazed down at me. Our noses were nearly touching as he admitted, “Only you make me feel like every cell in my body is on fire and ready to explode.”
He has a point. I have a connection with each of the guys, but it feels different with them all. I love each of them and they love me too. There are no more doubts. I just wonder why us demonstrating our love for each other and the children we will have is bringing back extinct beings. What makes us so special? I know who my father is, but Elena and Marcus aren't bringing back dragons and fairies. Why are my
men and I? Yes, I know they weren't normal just as I'm not, but that can be the only reason because Cassius isn't normal just as Elena isn't. They don't have multiple mates, aren't pregnant by all of them, and aren't bringing back legendary beings.
His thrusts break my train of thought as the fire inside us becomes a raging inferno. Our bodies heat up and glow as we both reach our climaxes. We scream each other's names before we fall into a crumpled heap. He looks into my eyes and strokes my hair, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
Vlad says, “Being you and making me see that fighting what we have is useless. I no longer give a fuck if you love the others too. I know you love me just as fiercely and that's all that matters. I would end the world for you!”
We hear a loud crash. We quickly dress and I walk to the edge. I see a giant blue dragon-like creature with a huge mouth rise out of the ocean’s depths.
“Vlad?”
“It can't be!” he exclaims in utter shock.
“Can't be what?”
Before he could answer the beast turned into a man. He made his way out of the water to us. He's incredibly tall and ripples with lean, well-defined muscles. There is a fluidity to him and an otherworldly glow.
He says one word, “Leviathan.” His voice was deep and his eyes were bluer than the ocean.
“What is a leviathan?”
“The Leviathans are ancient supernatural creatures that were the very first beasts that God created. This means that the Leviathans are older than even the Angels. These creatures were so powerful and destructive that God finally created Purgatory so that he could lock them away from the rest of the universe,” he explains.
“So you have been in Purgatory all this time?” He nods as I ask, “Are there others?”
He looks between Vlad and I, “There will be now.”
Vlad pulls me to him, “Eva, Leviathans are more powerful than almost any other creature in existence and can eat just about everything too. Leviathons are also one of the only beings that can take the lives of an Angel in battle. There is only one weapon capable of ending the life of a Leviathan - one forged from the bone righteous mortal, the blood of a
Fallen Angel, the blood of an Alpha Vampire, and the blood of the Ruler of Hell.”
I look at the leviathan. “What should I call you?”
“Levi is fine,” he answers.
Vlad wraps his arms around me tighter, “Eva!”
“He won't harm me.”
Vlad glares, “Oh, but he can.”
“He won't because he can't.” I don't know how I know that but I just do.
Levi nods, “She's correct. But I also don't want to.”
Vlad asks him, “Why?”
Levi says, “Your mate is that weapon.”
Just then fog rolled in and we heard a woman laughing. She walked out of the mist naked, her long curly dark hair blowing in the breeze billowing behind her like a cape.
She gazes at me appraisingly, “This beauty is more than that.”
“Who and what are you?”
She giggles and extends her hand to me. I take it as I say, “I'm Eva.”
She smiles brightly and seductively, “Oh, we know. I'm Venus. I'm an lelele.” Vlad looks at her as she says, “Why don't you tell her, Lord Dracula.”
Vlad sighs, “The lelele are very similar to the Sirens of Greek mythology. These are fairie-like creatures that shine in the moonlight, dancing naked with soft bells to make gentle music that lures in men. This might seem innocent, but the lelele are like the Sirens - they lure these men to their death. When men follow the lelele they disappear into thin air. No one knows where they go!”
Venus winks at Vlad, “We take them to another realm where we take their souls.”
This explains how he stole a soul, “I thought Morgan said we can't bring back evil?”
“We aren't unless we have to be,” Levi says.
Venus nods, “Not all men we took were good.”
“Okay, fine. What do you mean that I'm more?”
Venus smiles, “Dracula, isn't the only vampire that's bound to you, is he?”
“Correct.”
Venus’s grin widens, “You have a wolf too.” I nod and she asks, “His name?”
“Sam Fall.” After I said his name, her smile lit up her face making her nearly glow. I study her and say, “You know something, don't you?”
Venus nods, “Only a bit. Ever heard of a Strigoi?
Vlad shakes his head, “They never existed.”
Venus giggles, “They do now,” as she stares at my belly.
I have no clue what she is talking about so I ask Vlad and he says, “The Strigoi is pretty much the ultimate monster! Like the Pricolici. it is another undead creature, but this one can shape shift into any animal. More than that, it has the ability to turn invisible and has an unquenchable thirst for blood. This is quite an old legendary monster, and it is likely that vampires and werewolves are based on the Strigoi.”
“How? How can our children be this?”
Venus shrugs, “I suggest asking your wolf.”
That is what we will do too. I finally accepted all of my mates and that will be bring children into the world and have resurrected long-lost species, but how can my babies be the ultimate monster? We ported back home.