Life After Life
"What?"
"I am your brother-in-law; quite simply." A shocked chill flushed over Mina as her eyes widened to stare at the man in confusion.
"W-What?" She asked him and he grinned wider.
"You heard me correct." He nodded and he did not break eye contact with her once.
"I would need to be married for that to be possible. I am only fifteen and I am single with no intentions of getting married any time soon. And the only boy I would ever say yes to is taken and an only child. Funny joke though."
"You remember nothing of it, yet you were indeed married to my brother."
"I will give you ten bucks if you can prove it!" Mina said as she laughed to herself while lifted the blood for another drink. Casimir stood without any emotion and gestured for her to do the same. "Where are we going?"
Casimir moved aside one of the thick curtains and tied it aside for them to pass into a large hall. In the far right corner a bookshelf stood, filled until every space was filled. The wall to the left and the back wall were covered in paintings and pictures of centuries passed.
"This is my brother, I am certain you know of him."
Mina erupted in laughter; she held her arm tightly to her gut as she tried to breathe through her laughter. She stood tall and cleared her throat as she giggled lightly.
"Do you know who this is?"
"Yes, who doesn't? It's Vlad Tepes." She said, still chuckling to herself. The old man stepped closer and faced the portrait. His hand reached up and lightly touched the painting. After a moment of awkward silence he then stepped down the line of paintings to the next one.
In the painting was a young woman with long black hair, wearing elegant cloths that fit her century. She sat in a large, fancy chair with a bouquet of flowers on her lap. Her small hands held the flowers together as her soft, brightly colored eyes watched them. Her face was serene and paper pale as red seemed smeared over her cheeks by the painter. The scenery behind her was quite dark, and she seemed to be the radiating light. Yet there was a large stain glass window in the distance behind her.
"This, is my brother's bride. They were happily married for years...Until she died."
"I'm sorry, and I'm also sorry to say that she isn't me."
"Elizabeth...was her name..." He muttered softly, Mina froze. "She was taken by death before she was told that my brother was now an immortal and was not truly killed in battle." Mina wrapped her arms around herself tightly and shifted as Casimir moved to the next set of frames. Mina followed and her eyes landed on a man.
The man was young and his hair was combed away from his face. His brown eyes stared at the old camera and he seemed as if he were tired.
"This is Jonathan Harker, a young man working in real estate in London. My brother spent centuries in his home, mourning the loss of his Elizabeth. Finally I was able to convince him to join me in London, which is how he met Mr. Harker." Casimir then lifted his hand to the picture beside that of Jonathan Harker, and there stood a young woman. She also had long black hair and dark eyes, her pale skin also glowed in the dim lighting. She wore a dark crimson dress with a deep V neck and her corset showed that she had noticeable curves. "Through Mr. Harker he met Miss Murray. She was engaged to be married to Harker."
"She does look... familiar..." Mina said softly as she stood to face the picture.
"Of course she does, she is Mina. Mina Murray. She is you, from another life." Mina's eyes widened and she whipped around to face Casimir.
