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Prologue | Freak Show

Dracula (Then)

When you have nothing but an insurmountable amount of time ahead of you, your perspectives change. The simple joys in life become more meaningful again. Like the rain splattering against the stone castle walls, or the roaring fire keeping the chill of our endless winter at bay. Occasionally, a log cracks, and together, these things create the perfect atmosphere for me to uncover the adventure on the pages in my latest book.

Leaning back onto the settee, I crack open the book's spine, except the loud banging on the front door of the castle has other plans. Sighing, I abandon my reading to identify the source of the noise.

Only the sound of my feet padding against the cold castle floor accompanies me as I open the large wooden entrance doors with my Supernatural strength. After they’re done groaning in protest, I find Van Helsing standing on the other side. Beckoning her inside out of the pouring rain, she hurries inside. Pushing her hood back, the water drips off Van Helsing as I hear Renfield’s approaching footsteps.

Van Helsing and I have never held a fondness for each other, but I bite back any retort I may have when I see her expression. Something is different this time.

“They’re coming, aren’t they?” I ask her.

She wrings out her blonde hair before responding. ”Those ignorant brothers are going to ruin everything. Why didn’t you take control of them when we were created like you should have? We wouldn’t be in this mess if you had just followed the rules.”

Renfield understands my frustration with this statement. She knows I would never take freewill away from someone, even the bastard brothers. Before I can retaliate, Renfield steps in between Van Helsing and me and holds her hands up between us. “How much time do we have?” She asks.

Van Helsing inspects her nails like she didn’t just barge in here when things were urgent, and I’m one step away from throttling her before a glare from Renfield calms me. I need to figure out when we need to know now, and then I can fight with Van Helsing later.

Looking up from her nails, Van Helsing tells us, “I discovered the humans are the most scared ofyourDracula legend. The brothers seem to have gotten overzealous and murdered one daughter of the village leader. Maybe she would have died from the plague. No one knows or cares though, because now the village wants justice from the monster they believe was responsible.”

When the Black Plague hit humanity, we quickly discovered that all of Hecate’s creations are immune from disease. My assumption is that it’s the magic that protects us. Though that knowledge proved beneficial, it did not help the distrust humans felt towards us. They’re always looking for a reason to explain away their suffering. Their faith demanded theylook for a Supernatural reason, because they couldn’t accept the reason for their suffering was something as simple as pathology. It didn’t help that our very existence went against human beliefs, so we were the source of their frustrations from the moment of our creation. So, we withdrew from society to protect ourselves. Then we started over several times.

Hearing this new information, my heart drops. I tried so hard to prove I was good and that they didn’t need to fear me, but it was never good enough. Now, everything I tried so hard to prevent, the bloodshed and unnecessary death, has found us.

Straightening and resigned to our fate, my only response is, “Then we fight. We know they’ll never accept the truth, and humans always seem to need a scapegoat. Even though we have the right to exist, just like they do.” Renfield stops me, grabbing my arm as she tells me. “Think, Dru, the humans have been talking about us for years. If it wasn’t the brothers, it would have been something else. They blamed Vlad’s actions on you, too, and I won’t be surprised if they blame Countess Bathory’s actions on one of us soon. I’ve been monitoring her behavior, and it’s escalating. The humans were merely waiting for a reason. This is it.”

When I was gifted my new life, Renfield wanted to come with me, and now, our time together has grown into something more. I tried to turn her so she could be Undead like me, and although that didn’t work, she’s more than an average human now, if her long life is any indication. My fear ratchets up a notch for her because she’s the most fragile and the easiest target in our group. I have to protect her.

Renfield’s gray-blue eyes gaze at me as she continues to think out loud. “This is why we always had the escape plan in place. We had hoped to never need it, but let's be grateful that today we do. Sure, we couldmassacre the villages, but then what? There is no blood for you, Dru. So, instead, let's start over in the new world. The one we’ve been hearing rumors about. A world where no one fears us. We’ve done it once, and we can do it again.”

The howling wolves punctuate the night, and it’s quickly followed up with the clacking of claws against the castle floor. Jekyll and Hyde, the brothers that caused this issue, slide into the castle in wolf form with golden eyes, their entrance affected by the rain and slick castle floor. Van Helsing’s hand goes towards her sword, but I hold her back. A rare moment of unity between us. Under my breath, I mutter to her, “Remember our promise. We’re stronger together than we are apart.” The magical transformation takes over the brothers’ bodies and they regain their human forms.

Raising my hands, I focus on the blood particles in their bodies, and I squeeze as the fury courses throughout me. “How could you be sostupid? You place all our lives at risk with your reckless behavior!” I seethe. They squirm, trying to get away from my control, but they can’t. Blood controls everything, which means I do too. The veins bulging on their necks from straining against my control betray just how desperate they are, until Jensen shouts, “Alright! It won’t happen again. We got carried away. We will do better.”

If only their promise could undo the damage. “Next time you do this, I will explode the blood vessels in your head as punishment. Understood?”

The brothers nod their heads, and I relax my grip before looking at Van Helsing. “Do we know where Hecate is and if she’s coming with us?” A soft, whimsical voice answers my question. “I’m here. While these events are supremely unfortunate, I plan to come with you.”

I’ve become used to Hecate’s strange ways, so her impromptu arrival and announcement doesn’t surprise me. Sometimes she stays with us forextended periods of times, sometimes she disappears to her brothers, I assume in Athena. While she never divulges her secrets, I get the sense that she wasn’t pleased with her family, so she tried to create her own with us. Renfield gives us a pointed look. “What about–”

Hecate’s musical voice turns sharp as she cuts Renfield off. “Leave it and everything behind. We’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

Since I know the land best, I lead the group out of the castle into the darkness of the night, with Renfield close by my side. Even with the adrenaline rushing through me, it's a struggle to keep my sadness at bay–for the home we’ve now needed to give up. It took us years to find the perfect place to call home. I remember the day Renfield found the castle and how I felt when she did. For the first time since our creation, I had felt hope. Like the years ahead of me could now have meaning. I know leaving was the right choice, even if I wanted a different outcome. If we stay, we fight and create all the death I’ve been trying so hard to avoid.

Hecate stays close, occasionally lifting her hand to provide light. Thankfully, her magic is impervious to rain. The cobblestones are hard to navigate in normal scenarios. It's even harder to manage when you’re running through the dark and rain.

Entering the forest, we’re finally making headway until Hecate slips, entangling my gown with her feet, and takes me down with her. Between the rain and the overgrown forest path, we find ourselves covered in mud. Quickly standing up, I brush myself off and offer Hecate a hand. But we’re too late. The hum I had been hearing grows louder, and I finally realize what it is. The mob is catching up to us faster than we expected. It seems like I’m not the only one that knows this land and all its secrets well.

Magic grows in Hecate’s hands, and I whisper shout at her, “What are you doing?” She’s always been the bravest amongst us, something I should have told her more often.

She responds with more fear in her eyes than I’ve ever seen, “The port is too far away, we need more time, and I’m trying to create it for us.”

Oblivious to Renfields behavior during this exchange, I’m caught off guard as she shouts, “Stop!” to us all.

Turning towards Renfield, in one look, I know what she intends to do. My voice cracking, I tell her, “No. I won’t allow it!”

Her eyes fill with love and determination. “Drusilla, you need to go now. Let them think it was me. Every spare moment I’ve had with you has been a blessing, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I’ve lived far beyond my allocated human years. You have done more for me than I could ever repay. Let me do this for you.”