LOGINShare
Chapter 4
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Tatyana piled into the airport shuttle with the other passengers. She was grateful for the opportunity to blend in with the group. Her flight from Las Vegas to San Diego was smooth and uneventful, but she didn’t dare relax until she and Charles were safely tucked away at Maggie’s Aunt Elsa’s house.
Tatyana’s only exposure to the United States, since leaving Russia, had been Las Vegas. She was used to the glitter and excitement of the city and found San Diego to be bland in comparison. Finding nothing to hold her interest, she closed her eyes and buried her face in her sleeping brother’s neck while she cradled him close and tried to relax.
****
Maggie had listened intently to Tatyana’s tale of the chain of events that had led up to her discovering her and her newborn brother living in the abandoned car. Although she hadn’t known Maggie for very long, Tatyana trusted her. Risking Maggie’s shock and ridicule, she left nothing out of her story. When she’d finished, the silence was so acute she could hear Charles’s faint and steady breathing as he slept in the crib on the far side of the room.
Maggie opened her mouth several times to speak, but shut it before any words came forth. When she finally did have something to say, she spoke with strong determination.
“We have to get you out of here. Las Vegas isn’t safe,” she said worriedly. “I can’t believe you stayed here. If I’d escaped what you escaped, I’d be on the other side of the country by now.”
“I do not know where to go,” Tatyana admitted. “I know no one in this country. This place is all I know.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper and was filled with remorse.
“Well, you know me and I know people,” Maggie assured her. “I’m going to make a few phone calls and we’re going to get you and that baby out of here before the morning and that’s that!” She rushed to Tatyana’s side and cradled her possessively. “I’m going to miss you my new-found friend, but you and that baby must be safe. You poor dears. What a nightmare you’ve been through!”
“So, you believe?” Tatyana said with a mixture of surprise and relief.
Maggie’s immediate acceptance of her unbelievable story surprised her.
“Of course,” Maggie said, almost absent mindedly, as she rummaged through her handbag for her cell phone.
“In vampires? You believe in vampires?” Tatyana continued.
She may have lived with vampires for the last five years, but she never thought them to be real until that happened. The fact that her friend, who’d lived in the normal world and hadn’t encountered a vampire, still believed them to be fact and not fiction was surprising.
Maggie pulled her cell phone from the recesses of her handbag and held it close to her chest. She took a deep breath and looked squarely at Tatyana.
“Honey, this is Las Vegas. It’s called ‘Sin City’ for a reason beyond gambling. I’ve seen so much... experienced so much... more than you’ll ever know or ever need to know.” She squinted her eyes while she searched her contact list and pressed her selection. “If you say there are vampires roaming the streets, who am I to question you?” Tatyana heard the phone ringing as Maggie put it to her ear. “After all... those bedtime stories have roots from somewhere...”
****
The shuttle stopped at the Coronado Island address Maggie provided. Tatyana thought she saw someone peering out from behind the closed blinds as she cautiously eased out of the vehicle, but when she was able to look more closely she saw no one.
She was more than a little surprised with the front door swung open to reveal a large older black woman with striking cheekbones and a high forehead. Her sky blue and white Jellabiya and matching turban were almost as beautiful as she was. Maggie hadn’t mentioned her aunt’s nationality, but since she was Caucasian, Tatyana assumed Elsa would be the same. Perhaps this wasn’t Elsa. Perhaps this was someone living with her aunt, or the hired help, or something.
The confused look on Tatyana’s face didn’t go unnoticed by Elsa. She shook her head. Maggie was forever neglecting to warn people she sent to her that she was black. Not that it mattered in today’s day and age, but it was a bit surprising to the unsuspecting. The fact of the matter was that Maggie had black blood in her veins. Somewhere in the mix of generations of white plantation owners bedding their black slaves, a gene was produced that was inherited once every so often. Maggie just happened to be one of the rare family members to have received that gene. So, although her mother, father, sisters, and brothers were as black as night, Maggie sported pale, creamy skin, and blue eyes. She could easily be, and often was, mistaken for someone of southern Italian blood.
This wasn’t an easy thing for Maggie throughout her life. Although times had progressed to some degree, prejudice on both sides still existed. That’s why she moved to Las Vegas. It was close enough to her family to allow a quick visit now and then, while being a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds that were far more accepting of her ethnic heritage; when she mentioned it, that is.
Tatyana adjusted Charles in her arms and grabbed the handle of her rolling bag. She pulled it behind her as she slowly approached Elsa.
“I am here to see Elsa Prescott. Do you know her?” she asked hesitantly.
“I do,” Elsa replied.
Her tone was quiet and stern. She knew she should have immediately identified herself, but she needed time to assess the situation. Maggie had told her a great deal about this girl, but she was sensing there was more to learn. Plus, something didn’t feel right. Was it really wise to allow this girl into her home? If she did, what would she be getting herself into?
“Please,” Tatyana sighed, “can you tell me where she is?” She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. His weight was becoming more and more taxing for her. “We are so tired and just need to rest. Please.”
Compassion filled Elsa to the core as she watched Tatyana shift under the strain of her burden.
“Come,” she said in a tone far softer than her greeting.
Tatyana allowed Elsa to take the handle of her pull bag and drag it behind her as she led her into a house that was grander than anything she’d ever seen.
They were almost to the door when Tatyana stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She could smell the ocean.
Related chapters
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 5
Elsa Prescott came from a long line of mystical priestesses. Her great, great, grandmother who was captured into slavery when she was a young woman held the secrets of their traditions close to her chest. She passed them down with careful accuracy to her children and grandchildren. Her daughters and granddaughters -respectful of the honor bestowed upon them- took great pains to maintain purity in everything they did. If the old woman could have worked next to her great, great, grandmother while preparing a tonic or potion, her great, great, grandmother would have been pleased to see that the contents, measurements, words, and movements remained original and precise.Elsa’s family name was Sekibo. When her great, great grandmother was forced to lay with her owner, the six children she bore him were given his surname and English first names. The following generations, both female and male, either by choice or by force, continued to mix with whites. By th
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 6
The sun was just coming up on the horizon as I paced the porch of my cousin’s cabin. I’d tried calling Bruce repeatedly to let him know that Shen wasn’t on the plane. Something was wrong. I wanted to grab Bruce and fly out immediately, but I wasn’t able to reach him on either his cell phone or his land line, so I drove back from the airport as fast as the speed limits allowed.At first, I wasn’t too concerned about my inability to reach Bruce on the phone, since the thick foliage of New York’s Southern Tier often impaired cell phone reception. Also, if Bruce was out and about, his land line would have been worthless. It wasn’t until I reached the cabin just as dawn was breaking and Bruce was nowhere to be found that concern set in. Where could he have gone?We had no time to spare. I went over Bruce and my last conversation in my mind. I hoped that he’d said something that would clue me in on where
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 7
Phoenix Arizona was three hours behind the east coast, so we’d only lost a few hours of daylight from our flight and the transfer time in Atlanta. Both Bruce and I were edgy about wandering around in places we weren’t familiar with after the sun had set. We weren’t afraid of being mugged or robbed, but had a real concern about running into a creature of the night; something we wouldn’t have dreamed of worrying about a few months ago.We were well equipped and prepared to handle vampires, but now we had to face werewolves. We didn’t have enough knowledge to deal with them. There were questions that needed to be answered, and answered quickly.Bruce’s arm was looking angry near the werewolf gash he’d received. Was it a typical wound infection, or was it something that would lead to a far greater problem? We just didn’t know. These were answers we needed, and needed now.The sizable tip that I
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 8
Shen paced his cage. He’d heard the guards talking. Stevenson had decided to fight him. He was of the mind that a few good fights would give him the exposure he needed to prove Shen’s worth. He’d then auction him off to the highest bidder. He was to start in Las Vegas and move on from there. There were underground locations for this type of illegal fighting all around the world and Stevenson intended on displaying him at locations where the most prominent and affluent frequented before he began the auction. Of course, he had to survive all the fights. Stevenson had witnessed enough of his fighting ability to believe he would.Shen pulled at the bars of his cage. He needed to find a way out. Time was jumbled for him. He had no idea how long he’d been held captive, but it was long enough to allow his wounds to heal. Fortunately, Stevenson had refrained from drugging him. He wanted to keep him as sharp and alert as possible f
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 9
Vampires! What in the name of L’wah was Maggie thinking? How could she jeopardize her family in this way? Elsa’s bare feet padded across the ornate flagstone of her garden patio as she tried to think of a way out of the mess her niece had managed to get her into.She’d listened to enough stories from her mama that were handed down to her from her mama, and to her from her mama, and so on, to believe in the existence of vampires. They were vile, blood sucking creatures to be sure. Rumor had it that her great, great, great uncle had lost his bride-to-be to a vampire, but that was just rumor. It hadn’t ever been proven. She could have just as easily been scooped up by some slave trader she’d had the misfortune of stumbling into. Even so, vampires existed. She was certain of that.Now, after years of dealing with various aspects of the underworld, and managing to avoid any type of interaction or confrontation with vampi
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 10
Shen couldn’t believe how dark it was as he drove the rental car as fast as he dared around the snake like mountainous road of I-93 toward Phoenix. He’d driven the notorious Taconic Parkway from Queens to upstate New York on several occasions and thought its winding roads, threatening boulders, and speeding traffic couldn’t be topped; until now. Perhaps it was the mood he was in. He longed to be back in the arms of his new bride. He was foolish to leave her like he had.His body ached and needed to stretch and rest. He looked for a sign that would give him an idea of how much further he had to go. When his headlights illuminated a sign with the words “Bloody Basin”, he shuddered.He’d lost cell phone reception somewhere back on I-40. When the phone rang, he released air that he didn’t even know he was holding. He felt his muscles ease from their tenseness. Relief flooded him when he heard my voice on the
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 11
Elsa made her way home after a long afternoon at the local Botanica. Her studies in the old family collections of spells and remedies hadn’t been of great use. Apparently, her family was not, nor had they ever been, adept at dealing with vampires. She needed to find help from another source.Her family still spoke their native language when gathered together, but she’d made it a point to be fluent in English, since it was the language that had settled the lands she now lived in. It never ceased to amaze her how others didn’t make the effort to fit in as best they could in the country that they chose to make their home. The old man who operated the Botanica barely spoke a word of English. Since she spoke minimal Spanish, it was a very long afternoon of energy draining communication until she felt she’d satisfactorily managed to acquire the few things she needed.By the time she’d reached the steps of her house, her limbs f
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 12
Elsa listened to the ring through the receiver of her telephone. She’d managed to decipher the telephone number the Botanica owner had scribbled on a small piece of paper for her, as well as the name and was wasting no time making the telephone call. She’d counted six so far. What time was it in China, anyway? It was after ten o’clock her time, so it was after one o’clock the in the afternoon in Beijing. Ming Ho shouldn’t be sleeping at this hour. She was told he’d be there when she called. Why wasn’t he answering the telephone?As luck would have it Cui Fen, her housekeeper of twenty years, was an immigrant from Beijing and spoke fluent Mandarin. Since Elsa had never met Ming Ho and wasn’t certain he spoke English, she’d taken a risk and confided in Cui Fen with her story and her plight. To her amazement, not only had Cui Fen heard of Ming Ho, but her family had called upon him and his
Latest chapter
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 32
After several days with no sign of Dragomir, Osip felt it was safe to assume that he’d met his demise by that cursed werewolf. This was a disaster.He’d set out to bring back to Count Dracula his half-brother along with, if possible, the Tugurlan cousins. Instead, he’d managed to lead Dragomir right to his fate. Now the Count had two legitimate sons and one bastard son who were dead, as well as the commander, who happened to be one of the Count’s favored vampires, and he was still no closer to producing the Tugurlan cousins or his infant half-brother. This was very bad.He needed to think of a way around it all. He needed to save his station here and status back home. His mind whirled as he struggled for an idea.Nandru’s study felt stifling. He needed air. As he stepped out into the corridor he almost collided with Lucinda, who was carrying Nandru’s newborn son in her arms. Osip looked clos
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 31
Shen and I picked our way along the narrow path that led up to the area where Elsa had encountered Bruce. We had no idea what had happened to Elsa. She hadn’t checked out and her things were still in her room. We agreed that, wherever she was, she was probably fine. She’d expressed the need to be pampered. Perhaps she’d decided to take the night off and go to a spa. Whatever the reason for her absence, we decided to simply leave her for the night and continue the search on our own. Shen still had the spare vile of potion that she’d given him the first night we started the hunt. So, if we did find him, we were prepared. We just hoped the one vile would be enough. It would have been better to have Elsa’s vile as well, but we had no way to get into her room and, if we did, no idea where she’d hidden it from prying eyes.Returning to the scene of Nandru’s demise created an emotional roller coaster for me. The
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 30
I waited patiently for Shen to join me in the ice cream shop. I’d decided to take a little time to think things through and ease my nervous tension. I’d walked through Old Town Scottsdale and ended up in a fifties style ice cream parlor with a dish of homemade ice cream in front of me that was just the ticket. Feeling calmer and more amiable, I’d called Shen on my cell phone and asked him to join me.Shen smiled as he entered the fifties style ambience. He enjoyed the decor of that era and I knew it. Sitting down opposite me, he ordered a root beer float before stretching his legs out in front of him with a satisfied grin.“You’re so predictable,” I chuckled. “Just once I’d like to see you order something other than a root beer float.”“I happen to like root beer floats,” he said with twinkling eyes.I hadn’t seen him this relaxed in months. It was infectious!
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 29
Lucinda watched Yolanda cross the room with as much pride and dignity as she could muster. The news of her fall from status had spread quickly through the den and, although she still held a position of rank as the mother of Nandru’s sons, obvious disdain for her was openly worn on the faces of the many servants who’d suffered her abusive nature over the years. Some even sported smiles and sneers.Yolanda had managed to fashion an eye patch to cover Dragomir’ handiwork. It created an air of mystery about her. To an onlooker, her proud swagger and patched eye could have easily hinted that there was a pirate amongst them.Morgana lay moaning on her fainting sofa. The pain in her abdomen was unbearable. She’d delivered many children for Nandru, but never had she experienced pain of this magnitude.Yolanda knelt beside her and coaxed her into a calmer state. There was a bond between the two mistresses that L
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 28
Osip ran his hand along the smooth twelve-foot mahogany table in the oversized great room of Nandru’s den. How he longed to be lord of such a magnificent place as this. He’d often fantasize about being in such a position. Who would be his queen? Would it be the lovely young vampire who serviced him so well last night? He chuckled as he thought of the erotic pleasures she bestowed upon him over and over again. No. His queen would be pure when she came to him. He’d keep a small harem for his pleasures, but his queen would be a pure virgin that was made vampire by him.His musing was interrupted by the entrance of Lucinda. Expecting to find Nandru, she gasped her apologies before backing out of the room.Osip was immediately struck by Lucinda’s strong European beauty.“Wait! Come back!” he bellowed in a commanding tone that was fitting of any great lord.Lucinda eased her way back
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 27
Tatyana looked out onto the bay as the cab moved across the long bridge to Coronado Island. She was anxious to get to Elsa’s house and cradle Charles in her arms.She was both relieved and grateful that making her way out of the harsh Arizona mountains toward Sky Harbor airport, while being undetected by Nandru or any of his vampires, was easier than she’d anticipated. She hoped the rest of her mission went that smoothly.The cab pulled up to the curb in front of Elsa’s large, turn of the century house. As she got out, she couldn’t help admiring the ornate and perfect architecture of the building. She smiled and closed her eyes as she allowed herself to flow back to a time gone by. She could almost hear the horse and buggies making their way down the streets, while the laughter of people walking the beach and enjoying life drifted through the air. In the midst of it all, a woman was calling her name.As she stood motionless, T
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 26
Elsa shouldn’t have been surprised at the news that Dracula sent Osip to search for Charles. Even so, hearing the news from me shook her to the core. A world full of vampires to hold off was bad enough, but to hide from a brother who shared the same family genetic ties would be next to impossible. She felt old, tired, and overwhelmed. What she wouldn’t give to have the power to squash those vampires like the bugs they were.Shen felt the need for some release of physical and mental tension and went to a nearby martial arts studio to train. He telephoned, stating that he’d lost track of the time and would do his best to fight the traffic and return as quickly as possible. So, we waited; each in deep thought and barely remembering the presence of the other.Nandru was the first to spot Shen getting out of the cab. He hopped anxiously to his feet while announcing his arrival. Shen wasn’t even given the opportunity to enter the mot
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 25
Tatyana paced impatiently as she peered out into the darkness. Bruce had left to hunt for food quite some time ago, leaving her plenty of alone time to think about Charles. She needed to know if he was alright. Had Elsa been able to keep him safe and out of harm’s way?She felt guilty about burdening the old woman with her troubles the way she had. If there was any other way, she’d have gladly done it, but the old magic woman was all she had right now. She needed to make sure that her baby brother was still in Elsa’s care. She needed to get back to San Diego.Taking Bruce with her was out of the question. Nandru and his vampires were all over the valley. In fact, it seemed like there were vampires in every corner of the country. She was kept isolated in Wadim’s den and, since Wadim was an outcast who other vampires avoided, she hadn’t learned of their vast presence. In fact, with Wadim’s den destroyed she didn
The Cure (Book 2 Tugurlan Chronicles) Chapter 24
Nandru did his best to hide his dismay at the arrival of Dragomir and his young protégé. This was disastrous. He was aware of Dragomir’s jealousy over his bond with Dracula and knew that Dracula’s firstborn was searching for centuries for a way to destroy that relationship. Now, of all things, he’d arrived at a time that was most crucial for Nandru. He’d lost the girl, which meant that he’d lost his bargaining chip with the old woman. If Nandru wasn’t careful, Dragomir just might succeed in his mission of destruction.Doing his best to keep his guests occupied while he continued to search for Bruce, Nandru opened the doors to his concubine’s quarters. When Dragomir expressed his desire to taste something of a more prestigious rank -meaning one of Nandru’s private mistresses- Nandru snarled. He knew he couldn’t refuse.He’d never subject Lucinda to such degradat
