Dracula Chronicles: Son of the Dragon by Victor Foia

Dracula Chronicles: Son of the Dragon by Victor Foia

Author:Victor Foia [Foia, Victor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dracula Press, LLC
Published: 2012-12-21T08:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER 17: Evil in the Forest

Dracul didn’t say a word until they reached his chambers in the castle. Only when the door closed behind them did he turn to Marcus with a pained look. “Tell me the news has nothing to do with Frederick’s envoy, Son.”

“It’s Nestor—er, and the man from Vienna and Hunyadi’s—”

“What are you talking about?” Dracul shouted, stepping up to Marcus. “What’s Nestor got to do with Piccolomini?” Then he bit his lip and clenched his fists. “Hunyadi sent Piccolomini under that weakling Nestor’s care, didn’t he? That miserable fucker. What happened?”

“Nestor’s downstairs in the guardhouse. He’s got a wounded hussar with him. All others in his party have been killed in the forest.”

Dracul shuddered at the news and appeared shaky on his feet. Baba tried to lead him to a chair but he shook himself free.

“Get Nestor,” Dracul said to Marcus in a spent voice. “I need to hear the story from his lips.” When Marcus was gone, Dracul sat at his desk, chin resting on his fists. “This isn’t ordinary highway robbery and murder.”

“Does this mean Hunyadi knows about your treaty with the emperor, Father?” Vlad said.

“He might only suspect something, but that’d be good enough reason for him to order a murder,” Dracul said, preoccupied. Then, as if he’d just realized what Vlad said he cast him a suspicious, angry look. “How do you know about the treaty?”

Vlad realized he’d blundered, showing what he knew, and lowered his gaze, embarrassed.

Dracul shook his head, resigned. “It’s that brother of yours, isn’t it? He’s as loose with secrets as a sieve is with water. Well, you might as well be part of this. You’re old enough, and better at keeping a secret than Marcus.”

“How could Hunyadi have found out?” Michael said.

“He might have spies in the Vienna chancellery. Though he could’ve simply guessed what Frederick and I were up to. Hunyadi’s shrewd that way, and he knows my thinking pretty well. In either case this kills my treaty.”

“No, Your Grace,” Michael said. “All’s not lost. We’ll send word to Frederick by one of our agents, and he’ll reissue the treaty protocol.”

“Pour me a cup of wine,” Dracul said to Vlad. He took a long draft, then said, “What’s to say his second envoy won’t end up dead, Michael? And the third? You know we’ve got less than a year to put our defenses in order. With the time needed to recruit the soldiers, equip them, train them... every month counts.”

“You think it was Nestor’s assignment to have Piccolomini killed, Father?” Vlad said, refilling Dracul’s wine cup. “But if so, why a forest attack? And why just a day’s journey from Targoviste? He could’ve had him murdered anywhere along the way.”

“Piccolomini had to die in Wallachia, so Hunyadi could avoid any culpability,” Michael said. “And die in a way witnesses could testify was a random act of banditry.”

“And Nestor didn’t want it done too deep in the forest,” Baba said. “He knew he could make it safe from the edge of Devil’s Belt to here, once he got rid of his company.



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