A Beauty Among Beasts Read online

  “Who’s watching your sis—” Gwen panicked. She knew how young they were. They couldn’t defend themselves against a dog, let alone a vampire. The word still sounded silly, even in her head.

  “The beast got them, Gwen.”

  She looked away. She couldn’t look him in the eye. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Somewhere in that darkness, an evil creature lurked.

  “Do you know who…?” She swallowed despite the lump forming in her throat.

  He shook his head.

  “Joe,” she began, her thoughts turning to her sister. Something about it was wrong. “Anna, she’s in that castle. She hasn’t told me much about it…”

  “Me neither.”

  “Well, at school the other day, I noticed a mark on her neck. That is what vampires do, isn’t it?”

  His eyes widened. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if they were tearing up. “Are you okay?”

  “I need to go.” Joe turned and sprinted off into the night, ignoring Henry and Gwen’s attempts to bring him back.

  Chapter 23

  Anna

  Anna woke with a start from another vivid dream. It was the prince again, as it was every night. It was usually the same, with him standing there, arm outstretched, but this time was different. They were in the garden and he was trying to speak to her, but there was no sound to his words. As she sat on the bed in reflection, she suddenly realized that all the flowers that surrounded them in her dream had turned black.

  Anna’s bedroom was still filled with shadows, and only a hint of light poked through the window. She looked around and rubbed her eyes lazily. She went to lay back down, but something was off.

  The door to the bedroom sat ajar, just about an inch, but enough to put her on edge. She always made sure the door was closed.

  The bed creaked as she stood and walked to the door. It shut quietly, and she turned back toward the bed. She crawled back under the covers, but a nagging feeling remained. She rolled over onto her back and huffed.

  “I’m being ridiculous,” she said aloud.

  “No, you’re not,” came a voice from behind the door as it slowly clicked and opened once more.

  Anna jolted up in bed, her heart racing. The voice sounded familiar, but it was still too dark to make out the figure coming into the room. She knew it wasn’t Leon. He had a very particular presence.

  “Who’s there?”

  “Joe, I—”

  “Joe, what are you doing here?” Her body relaxed, releasing the tension she hadn’t even realized she’d built up so quickly.

  “I came for you. You’re in trouble, Anna.” He walked over to the bed and sat on the end. There was blood on his shirt.

  “What happened to you?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re in trouble.”

  “What are you talking about? How did you even get here?” There were a million questions swarming through her mind.

  “I’ve been searching all night. I followed the path you pointed out and found this … castle. I knew it had to be the place.”

  “I’m fine, Joe. You can’t just come here in the middle of the night and—”

  “Well, technically it’s morning.” He offered a small smile, though his eyes told a different story.

  “Don’t be a wiseass.” She rolled her eyes. “Are you okay? Why are you here?”

  “Your … host. He’s not what you think he is.” Joe treaded lightly on his words. She could tell that whatever it was he wanted to say, he wanted to break it to her slowly. He cared, she knew that. They had been friends for so long. But what could possibly be so important that he needed to show up in the middle of the night?

  “If you mean that he’s a Nazi, don’t worry, he’s not. I’ve gotten to know a lot about him, Joe. He’s not as bad as you might think. And if your concern is that it’s just me and him, well, it’s fine. I understand it’s a weird situation, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. He’s not … human.”

  Anna looked at him blankly. “What do you think he is, then? An alien?”

  “Anna,” Joe glared. “I’m serious. There are things we believe to be fiction, that are as real as you and me. Like all those stories you read. Some of them are real.”

  “And which one are you suggesting Leon comes from?”

  “I’m suggesting that even you know weird things happen here. Even when you come to school you can only remember vague things about your time here, and you never openly talk about it.”

  “It is a little weird here sometimes…” She couldn’t deny the strange dreams, the mysterious rooms, the impossible magic, and the perplexities that were Leon. At the same time, she had learned a lot about him in the last six weeks, and her impressions had changed. She kissed him, for God’s sake. That meant something to her.

  “Doesn’t it bother you that it’s ‘a little weird’?”

  “Well, like you said, maybe some of my stories are real. Maybe magic is real.” She paused. “I now believe it is.”

  “I want you to see something that is … not so magical.” Joe pointed behind her.

  Curious, Anna turned around, not sure what he could possibly be referring to. All that was behind her was the bed, pillows, and the wall. Nothing seemed unusual or out of place until she noticed a mark on her sheets that peaked out from beneath her pillow.

  She looked to Joe and he urged her to move it. She did and found a small dark stain on the blue sheets.

  “What is that?” She looked closer, reaching out her fingers to touch it. It was wet. When she pulled her fingers away, they too were marked, but the color showed up more vibrantly red. “Blood.”

  “That was him, Anna. It’s your blood. He’s a vampire.” Joe reached up gingerly and pushed her hair back behind her shoulder. “Look—”

  She flinched and pushed him away. “No … you’re being ridiculous. I can’t believe you came all the way here to tell me this! I must’ve had a bloody nose or something. It happens to me when the weather gets cold.”

  “If you believe in the magic, then why won’t you believe in the darker sides of it, too?”

  “I’d like to believe there’s more good in the world than bad,” she said staring at the mattress and twirling her fingers in her hair.

  “I hate to break it to you, but there’s more bad than good, Anna. Let me help you. It’s not safe here.” He was pleading with her, but she couldn’t believe what he was saying.

  “If I have a problem, I’ll let you know.”

  “It’s not all fairytales, Anna,” he said angrily. “If you won’t believe me, then I have to do something about it.”

  “Thank you for the offer, but I can take care of myself, Joe.”

  “You’re all I have left.” He stood up and walked out the door, leaving her alone in the room.

  Chapter 24

  Leon

  For the first time in years, since his turning, Leon felt alive. Anna Klein had kissed him back. He couldn’t recall the last time he had a human connection, but it was there, with her.

  Perhaps she really would consider staying with me of her own accord and not because she feels she had to.

  Though it had been her decision to stay initially, it was out of loyalty and concern for her family that she remained, not because she wanted to keep him company and get to know him. It would be silly to think otherwise.

  But things were changing between them; that was clear.

  He went back and forth about it in his mind. He was happy with the direction things were going, but he couldn’t figure out what was happening in her head. She was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, as Winston Churchill so recently, and accurately, described humanity. Oh, how he missed it.

  And with a taste of it, a taste of her, it felt within his grasp.

  But ... she will never care for me once she finds out. Unless maybe the witch was wrong about the curse... Maybe the witch doesn’t have to break it and it c
an be broken by someone else.

  He sighed and got up from the couch in his room. He placed his hands on the back of his neck. He wanted to ask her about it, how she felt, but he didn’t have the courage to ask such a thing. They’d delved just below the surface of other topics, but he still couldn’t tell how she felt about him.

  How are two reserved people supposed to have deep conversations?

  He at least exploded occasionally, but she seemed content to keep everything bottled inside. However, he had to admit he liked puzzles.

  Luna watched him as he paced the floor. She barked impatiently.

  “Ich weiß, I know, Luna. You know more than I do, lend me your wisdom, will you? Do you think she could love me? How can I even be around her? You can’t even be around her, you blood sucking pup.” He stared at his furry black friend and couldn’t help but smile. He felt she was more in tune with his words than most dogs. Was it their curse that made the bond? Or was she simply exceptional?

  “Perhaps I shouldn’t have done that to you,” he said and patted her on the head. He had never felt guilty about it before. What was coming over him? “But I couldn’t just let you die out in the cold.”

  As much as Leon was beginning to care for Anna, he also cared for her blood ... as did his furry companion. His body only required him to feed about twice a month, but that didn’t mean that more frequent feedings weren’t beneficial or that the cravings weren’t constantly there when he was near human blood. And sometimes Anna actually needed it. What more justification did he need to give in to it?

  Once a month was just enough for the blood to circulate, twice a month made for better functioning, more than that was treating himself. And then there was full consumption—which he didn’t want to think about. He had been there, done that. Humanity seemed finally within grasp after so many years lost.

  The curse of the Mare had proven more terrible than he could have imagined. The creature he’d previously only heard of in myth hadn’t seemed so gruesome in person. The Mare was a creature that created nightmares, though he hadn’t realized that the Mare could turn people into monsters—vampires. She stripped away everything that made him good and … human. Upon reflection, it only seemed appropriate that the mother of nightmares created living ones. Her curse made him crave, and need, human blood. He had been drinking it for decades.

  He was starting to hate feeding from Anna because he was starting to care, and it was getting in the way of what he needed to do to keep himself whole—and to help her, in his weird, twisted way.

  Something outside the window suddenly caught his attention. The grounds were typically still and quiet—unless he was having an unusually bad day.

  Luna was on the other side of the room, looking towards the door. The scent of blood more intriguing to her than the non-threatening movement on the grounds. The knob turned slowly, and the door creaked, letting Anna in.

  “I know your secret, beast,” a voice came from behind her. It was a deep voice full of raw anger.

  Leon watched Anna. Her eyes were frozen in fear and Leon’s protective instincts took over his bloodlust.

  The intruder shoved Anna out of the way, causing her to fall over Luna, but Leon was quick enough to catch her before her head smashed into the nearby glass table.

  Leon could see the attacker’s face in the pale light from outside. He was red with anger and breathing heavy. He looked down at Anna who stood quickly and glanced frantically between the two men. She finally stopped and held Leon’s gaze for what felt like hours, until her expression softened, and she smiled before turning to back the intruder.

  “Joe, I think you are mistaken, it’s not him,” she said, taking a step towards the intruder, apparently familiar with him. She looked to the bloody knife in his hand. “Joe, please don’t.”

  “He’s a monster, Anna. I’m begging you to step aside.” Leon heard desperation in his voice. “You have no idea what he has done ... to my sisters ... to you.”

  “Joe, he’s not—” She held up her hands to calm him but moved swiftly back towards Leon as Joe swung wildly with his knife.

  He saw a look of horror on Joe’s face as he realized that his knife was embedded in Anna’s stomach. She fell back immediately and her eyes scanned the room, freezing once she found Leon on the other side of the room. She had moved in the way trying to protect him…

  Luna’s instincts reoriented and she bounded off the floor and ripped into Joe’s neck, protecting her new pack member. He groaned and tried to push her off him but to no avail.

  Leon moved swiftly, pulling the dog off Joe. But it was too late. He lay on the floor, choking on the blood Luna had released.

  “Anna,” Leon said, rushing to her. Luna came too and started to lick her wound. She cried in pain and Leon shoved the dog away angrily. “You need...” he trailed off before picking her up as gently as he could to bring her to her room.

  “What about Joe?” She managed to ask.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “What about ... what he said? What did that mean?”

  “Don’t worry about it right now. We can talk later. Right now, I am worried about you.”

  Chapter 25

  Anna

  About an hour later, Leon returned to the room to check on Anna. He had left her alone to rest after cleaning and dressing her wound. She was still awake, staring at the ceiling.

  He came over and sat on the bed. She felt it give to his weight. He gently slid his hand over the bandaging that wrapped around her waist. His touch was warm and comforting. “How’s your stomach feeling? You know you have me doing this doctor thing a lot lately.” Leon smiled and she gave one back.

  “It hurts when I move, but I’ll be okay.” She sighed heavily, which hurt a bit. “Leon?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m scared,” she admitted, peeking out from the blanket. She wasn’t ready to talk about what happened; it was too much to think about. Her friend had come to kill Leon. Why? What has Leon done? What happened to Joe? Where are his sisters? Why did he have to die? Anna’s thoughts were rampant.

  She couldn’t blame the dog—or Leon, or Joe for that matter. Could she blame herself? That was a terrible idea, too. A lump formed in the back of her throat. Letting her mind wander into those areas was exhausting and not getting her anywhere.

  “I can stay until you fall asleep … if you want,” he whispered, sitting on the bed and looking at the floor. She nodded and patted the pillow beside her.

  She saw his shoulders relax as he lay his head on the pillow beside her. Leon leaned over, cupped her face, and kissed her forehead lightly. It sent a pleasant chill down her spine. He laid his head back down and grabbed her icy hand. They stayed like that for a little while, it felt like only a few moments. When he believed she was finally asleep, he moved to get up, but she reached over and grabbed his arm, wincing in pain as she did so.

  “You can stay,” she said, turning to him. “If you want.”

  Chapter 26

  Gwen

  There was a soft knock at the door, but the Klein family hadn’t been expecting company; it was the middle of dinner on a school night, and the sun had gone down already. The only visitors that should show then were those that were expected and welcome.

  Effie normally would have been poking her nose through the window, but her current state put her out. She sat lazily at the kitchen table, poking at the food her curls were falling into and merely glancing at the door.

  “Can you get that, Gwen? I need to run to the bathroom,” her father said as he got up from the table.

  She sighed impatiently but removed the napkin from her lap all the same and dutifully went to the door.

  Walter Volk stood just beyond the threshold, scribbling on a piece of paper.

  “Good evening, Miss Klein. How are you?” He looked up at Gwen and gave her a peculiar smile. The ends of his mouth curled up in a cruel, almost unnatural way. She’d never seen him in such a good mood, though the
smugness and air of confidence were certainly nothing new.

  “I’m fine, thank you. We were just having dinner.” She gestured to the table, giving him a hint that he should get going, lest he have something important to say.

  “I’m sorry if I came at a bad time,” he began, peeking behind her. “Is your father around?” She nodded but did not move out of the way or beckon her father to the door. “Well, I just wanted to let you know I found a doctor for little Effie.” He tried his best to give a genuine smile, but it only looked sour.

  “What are you talking about?” She shifted in the doorway. She was getting antsy but hoped it didn’t show on her face. She didn’t like where this was going.

  “Your little boyfriend told me your sister was ill.” He gave that smile again while looking her up and down. “When I heard that the little one was sick, I thought I’d look into it. I know a good doctor—he’s not around here, though. We are sending a few kids to a special pediatrician and I wanted to help Effie.” He smiled again and it seemed so unnatural and cruel.

  “No! It wasn’t Effie, it was Anna I was talking about,” she spat out and hoped he didn’t question the quickness of her answer. There was no way in hell she was letting that Nazi take Effie away. What if he knew? Gwen was suddenly furious.

  Did Henry really tell him?

  Walter paused, considering, and nodded. “Well then, where is Anna? I do wish to speak with her. I can arrange for her transportation soon enough. We have a train trip planned to the town of Dr. Ivan; it’s only up north a bit. We can have the younger go as well, just to see how she’s doing.”

  “Anna is away. She has been working for a client just outside of town and living there while going to school. I think it’s the air in the new place, she’s not used to it and it’s making her sick. But thank you for the offer.” She held her gaze, not wanting to give away her lie, but she was sure he could see right through her.