Bathing in Blood

Bathing in Blood - Part 5

They waited until the castle was dark and quiet. The servants had all gone to bed, the candles extinguished, the curtains drawn, and an eerie silence had settled over the place. Anna and Elizabeth were waiting patiently in Elizabeth's drawing room for the clock to strike one hour till midnight. It was the perfect time, right before the devil's hour, as they so called it.

The devil's hour was a tall-tale meant to scare children in to going to bed on time, but Anna and her mistress knew the truth of it. When the clock struck midnight, if all the necessary tasks were preformed, an unholy presence would fill the room. Anna knew just how to work it to her advantage. She was a witch, after all. It was her art.

"It is getting near the time to depart," Anna commented, looking over at the countess.

"I see that. I will fetch my cloak. It gets quite cold in the dungeons at this time of year."

She stood up and went to her wardrobe. Anna watched silently, admiring her mistress's appearance. She was a true beauty. Long, auburn hair in silky waves reached all the way down to her hips. Her face was soft and delicate, with plump pink lips, creamy skin, and bright green eyes. Her figure was quite admirable; slender waist, profound hips and bust, with shapely legs and a regal neckline. It was rumored that Ferenc had simply married her for her beauty, but Anna knew that wasn't true. Elizabeth had been sent to Hungary for an arranged marriage when she was only a girl of fifteen. Her first year as the Countess had been hard, with the girl wanting nothing but her freedom, but since then Ferenc had somehow managed to tame her.

"Which cloak, Anna? Red velvet with white rabbit fur? Or brown mink with the black trim?"

"I would suggest the mink, Elizabeth. White rabbit fur is very becoming on you, but I fear it would be soiled."

Elizabeth pursed her lips, looking intently at the two cloaks. "Hmm, yes, I agree. I would simply hate to ruin my newest cloak. Very well then, I shall wear the brown mink. It matches my gown better anyway." She gestured for Anna to help her fasten the cloak. Once the two ladies were ready, they picked up a lantern and left the drawing room.

They made their way through the criss-crossing corridors, careful not to make a sound. It was dark and silent, the only light being that of their lantern. The musty smells of damp stone grew stronger as they went down a few flights of stairs, making their way closer to the bowels of the castle. The drip-drip of water from cracks in the ceiling sounded in the background.

"We haven't been down this way in quite some time," Anna commented, breaking the silence.

"No, we haven't. I've been looking forward to this expedition for nearly a fortnight."

They continued the walk in silence. With the tension and excitement growing, Anna could feel a slight buzzing at her fingertips. It was the call of dark magic; it must've been nearly midnight. Elizabeth could fell it too. She began to walk quicker towards the entrance to the dungeons, her feet stepping lightly over the stones in the floor. The carpeted halls had long since disappeared. Stone turned to packed dirt, and they knew they were almost there.

Finally they came upon the large, wooden doors. The night jailer was still there, though by the looks of it he was nodding off to sleep.

"Anna, cast a spell, would you? Not a sleeping one – that obedience curse you mentioned before. I don't want him remembering this."

"As you wish." Anna walked up to the jailer. She cleared her throat.

"Huh? What? Er, Lady Darvulia! And the Countess!" He stumbled out of his chair, standing up at attention.

"Let's make this quick. Daemones ignis mihi hunc animum dedit sub manu mea, ut faciam voluntatem tuam."

Elizabeth watched as Anna's eyes turned a fire-glowing red. Her voice became low and hissing, like that of a snake. The words of the incantation hung in the air for a few seconds. The guard, in confusion, merely stood there with his mouth hanging open.

Anna's eyes returned to normal. "Let us in."

"Yes, Lady Darvulia." The guard opened the doors without hesitation. His eyes, now glassy and unseeing, stayed in a fixed position. His movements were slow and automatic. He was under Anna's control.

Anna and Elizabeth stepped inside the dungeon. "You will close the door behind us and remain awake. You will let no one enter this dungeon. When we are finished, you will let us out. You will then leave this trance you are in and no memories of tonight will be in your mind."

"Yes, Lady Darvulia."

The corner of Elizabeth's lip twitched into a smile. "Perfect. Let us begin."