His Forbidden Thirst (book 1: The Forbidden trilogy)

Chapter 1

'It was a dark and stormy night,' that was how she would start her essay Ilona thought as she hugged the soaking wet coat tighter around herself. A couple miles down the road it had started pouring and her hair was clinging to her face like cobwebs to a fly. The positivity with which Ilona had started her travels, had somewhat toned down by the continuous flying and the bumpy roads of Romania. Meanwhile, nerves had nestled into her stomach and when she looked up at the dark mahogany doors in front of her, it threatened to turn into fear.

Today, her childhood dream would come true, but at what cost she did not know. Ilona was a student at Oxford University, and she would be graduating in History and Myths. For her essay she wanted to write something that had interested her ever since she was a child, so when she eventually gathered enough courage to write a letter for an interview; Ilona could have never hoped she would have gotten such an eager response as she did. Her teachers had been reluctant in letting her go, believing she was chasing after a non-existing myth and that this trip would only result in her losing a lot of money.

However, after hours of research on her essay topic, Ilona had reason to believe something worthy was residing in Romania to lose money over. Within a week, she had sent a letter to an address she had found on the dark web. According to this website people believed that the real Vlad Țepeș was still lurking in Romania, alive and well. Ilona was not going to lie; she had her serious doubts and knew she would probably only find a Dracula-fanatic.

However, she also knew her restless spirit and if she did not take this opportunity, she would regret it for the rest of her life. That was why she had been so surprised to receive a letter only three days after she had sent hers. In this letter she was invited to Romania and her request for an interview had been accepted. Ilona did not need much time to book her flight and pack her things. She had sent a quick message to her parents and few friends she had at Oxford University. Only Eydís had replied, asking her to call as soon as she had arrived and to not get murdered. Ilona had simply replied that she would try. She had not expected any messages from her parents, who were too busy with their high-class lives.

Her parents' marriage had been one of convenience, and Ilona had realised at an early age that there was no love lost between them. From that day onward Ilona made herself scarce, emerging herself in her own fantasy world filled with myths. Her nanny once voiced her concern to Ilona's parents, saying she was obsessed with unnatural things, and they should put a stop to it. Now, as Ilona stood before the old castle doors leading to God knows what, she feared her nanny might have been right.

In spite of all the research she had done beforehand, nothing could have prepared her for the dark and surprisingly serene fortress that was Castle Poenari. It was nothing like the pictures on Google, the brick was not white but a dark grey, there was not one tower but many and let's not forget the big, looming stakes. Personally, she was not a fan of the countless stakes sticking out of the ground beside the long pathway leading up to the castle, but to each their own. Ilona looked down at the gravel underneath her feet and wondered how many Turks and victims of the fallen Ottoman Empire had been buried here. Fortunately, her dark thoughts were interrupted when the big doors opened and before her stood a man as pale as the moon currently standing high in the sky. Please, let this not be him. His eyes were milky with age and his long white hair clung to his thin face. If she did not know better Ilona might have thought, she was looking at Riff-Raff from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The man looked her up and down and Ilona felt naked under his gaze.